Mythology and Folklore

Lightning ( Wikimedia ) Excalibur              Arthur burst through the thicket and into the clearing. Finally, he had reached the center of the Black Forest. Fighting demons and beast throughout, Arthur had journeyed for many nights upon the request of Merlin through the evil enclave of trees. The wise old wizard had sent Arthur here in search of the most legendary sword known to man: Excalibur.             Having finally reached the center of the forest, Arthur could not find the sword, only a lake filling the large clearing in the trees with water so still it seemed a black sheet of the finest ebony. At once, the Lady of the Lake was beside him. “Go,” she whispered.             And without question Arthur knew what he must do. As a young boy Arthur had been told of the legendary sword, and that only he who is worthy would be able to walk across the dark water to reach it. With his f...

Arctic Hare ( Wikimedia ) The Hare and the Lynx (and the Beast)              Some days ago, in a forest much like any other, a little white hare lived in a warm den with her Grandmother. They lived a happy life together tending their crops and harvesting from the forest. When the young hare had nearly reached adulthood, her Grandmother told her that she must make a pilgrimage to her native land. She was too old to accompany the young hare, but assured Hare she would be with her on her journey.             As Hare traveled down the trail she was invigorated by the exploration of new lands. Having never traveled far from her home, the new sights and smells were almost too much. But as Hare reveled in adventure, a sinister shadow lurked close behind. Hare continued to soak in her surroundings until she was lost in thought. The shadow had waited for just this moment. At once, Lynx leapt from the trees and blocked Hare’...

The Giant by Henry Justice Ford ( Wikimedia ) Odysseus, Sindbad, and the Giant “…And at last I arrived at this cave where we now feast.” “You expect me to believe there exists a valley of diamonds and serpents larger than elephants? That by attaching a large roast to you back you managed to escape by the wings of a great bird? Only to be rescued by merchants flapping their arms and yelling?” “Ay, this is the story of Sindbad the Sailor.” The room grew quiet as Odysseus rose, tension mounting as he said “How could you insult me such telling ridiculous lies. Do you think I am a fool?” Then, just as Sindbad began to fear for his safety Odysseus burst into laughter and so too did both crews. “Sindbad the Sailor, for all the wonders you have seen, you still cannot best the look on your face just then. I too, have had many great travels and experiences, the tales of which many would cast aside as horrible lies. Let us continue to share these stories while we fill our bellies, what a ch...

The Great Flood by Bonaventura Peeters ( Wikimedia ) The Great Flood Jupiter’s lashed out, unsatisfied. He had drawn the winds and aerial waters to his side. Storms encompassing nations spread across the sky, a never ending sea of tumultuous darkness, split only by the bright flashes of Jupiter’s strikes. Water came torrentially, but not even this satisfied his anger. He called out to Neptune who joined in his cause. Neptune struck his great trident into the sands of the beach and at once the oceans came to life consuming all before them. The rivers rushed unrelenting, overflowing, and grabbing anything they could grasp as they raced to the oceans. Buildings, orchards, flocks, people, and temples, no one was spared as every body of water became one. The world is drowned None escaped save for Deucalion and Pyrrah. Able to salvage themselves on a small skiff, they moored near the top of Mount Parnassus, whose peaks rest among the stars. Here in this strange limbo...

The Contractor and the Wolf Boy Who Cried Wolf by Francis Barlow ( Wikimedia )             Once upon a time there was a contractor traveling through the countryside looking for his next plot of land to develop a nice neighborhood. He stumbled upon a beautiful forest. He thought to himself, “I could plow this land up and build a wonderful neighborhood that all the people will come to live in. They’ll pay me extravagantly and I’ll have plenty of money to spend on supper. As he approached the forest to explore a wolf came out. “Why have you come to my forest contractor?” asked the wolf. “I’m going to bulldoze this forest and create a neighborhood here,” said the contractor. “This is not your forest, you cannot do that,” said the wolf. “Well, then,” said the contractor, “I do not see anyone’s name on this forest, so who says I can’t take it?” “I say,” said the Wolf, “I rule over this forest and have made my marking all over the tr...