MYTHOLOGY: LUGH

Hej :3

I'm sorry, I went out yesterday and I forgot to write the post during the week :c

BTW, no one cares about my life, so let's go on
 

Lugh

 We can see this ‘euhemerization’ clearly in the case of the god Lugh, who gives his name to the Irish summer festival of Lughnasadh. In the earliest Irish myths he is clearly a deity. As such, he offers himself as the saviour of the Tuatha dé Danann, the predecessors of the Milesians or Gaels. Seeking entry at the palace of King Nuada of the Silver Hand, at Tara, he announces each of his skills in turn – ‘Blacksmith, warrior, musician, poet, scholar …’. Each time he is refused entry, until he points out that no one else combines all these skills in one person, as he does.

 In the Mabinogion, the main source of British myths, Lugh has become the much more human Lleu Llaw Gyfes, nephew (and possibly son) of the magician Gwydion. He is skilled, and protected by charms, but he is not obviously a god: in fact at one point he appears to be mortal.
The Dagda, father of the gods

Lugh shares some characteristics with the Dagda, a larger-than-life figure prominent in myths of the Tuatha dé Danann. Like Lugh, he is powerful and omnicompetent. Yet he is often represented as a rather comic figure whose short tunic fails to cover his buttocks, and whose huge club has to be carried on wheels. He has great magical powers, and he possesses a harp which comes to him when he calls, and a cauldron of abundance which restores dead warriors to life (but without powers of speech, perhaps in case they say too much about the afterlife).

Source: http://www.livingmyths.com/Celticmyth.htm

Aaaand that's it. I have to study, so

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BRAZILIAN CULTURE: HOW THE TIGER GOT HIS STRIPES

Hej
 So, I'm sorry about posting, like, 9PM, BUT I'm not late yet u-u

Once upon a time, ages and ages ago, so long ago that the tiger had no
stripes upon his back and the rabbit still had his tail, there was a
tiger who had a farm. The farm was very much overgrown with underbrush
and the owner sought a workman to clear the ground for him to plant.
 The tiger called all the beasts together and said to them when they
had assembled, "I need a good workman at once to clear my farm of the
underbrush. To the one of you who will do this work I offer an ox in
payment."
 The monkey was the first one to step forward and apply for the
position. The tiger tried him for a little while but he was not a good
workman at all. He did not work steadily enough to accomplish
anything. The tiger discharged him very soon and he did not pay him.
 Then the tiger hired the goat to do the work. The goat worked
faithfully enough but he did not have the brains to do the work well.
He would clear a little of the farm in one place and then he would go
away and work on another part of it. He never finished anything
neatly. The tiger discharged him very soon without paying him.
 Next the tiger tried the armadillo. The armadillo was very strong and
he did the work well. The trouble with him was that he had such an
appetite. There were a great many ants about the place and the
armadillo could never pass by a sweet tender juicy ant without
stopping to eat it. It was lunch time all day long with him. The tiger
discharged him and sent him away without paying him anything.
 At last the rabbit applied for the position. The tiger laughed at him
and said, "Why, little rabbit, you are too small to do the work. The
monkey, the goat, and the armadillo have all failed to give
satisfaction. Of course a little beast like you will fail too."
 However, there were no other beasts who applied for the position so
the tiger sent for the rabbit and told him that he would try him for a
little while.
 The rabbit worked faithfully and well, and soon he had cleared a
large portion of the ground. The next day he worked just as well. The
tiger thought that he had been very lucky to hire the rabbit. He got
tired staying around to watch the rabbit work. The rabbit seemed to
know just how to do the work anyway, without orders, so the tiger
decided to go away on a hunting trip. He left his son to watch the
rabbit.
 After the tiger had gone away the rabbit said to the tiger's son, "The
ox which your father is going to give me is marked with a white spot
on his left ear and another on his right side, isn't he?"
 "O, no," replied the tiger's son. "He is red all over with just a tiny
white spot on his right ear."
 The rabbit worked for a while longer and then he said, "The ox which
your father is going to give me is kept by the river, isn't he?"
 "Yes," replied the tiger's son.
 The rabbit had made a plan to go and get the ox without waiting to
finish his work. Just as he started off he saw the tiger returning.
The tiger noticed that the rabbit had not worked so well when he was
away. After that he stayed and watched the rabbit until the whole farm
was cleared. Then the tiger gave the rabbit the ox as he had promised.
 "You must kill this ox," he said to the rabbit, "in a place where
there are neither flies nor mosquitoes."
 The rabbit went away with the ox. After he had gone for some distance
he thought he would kill him. He heard a cock, however, crowing in
the distance and he knew that there must be a farm yard near. There
would be flies of course. He went on farther and again he thought that
he would kill the ox. The ground looked moist and damp and so did the
leaves on the bushes. Since the rabbit thought there would be
mosquitoes there he decided not to kill the ox. He went on and on and
finally he came to a high place where there was a strong breeze
blowing. "There are no mosquitoes here," he said to himself. "The
place is so far removed from any habitation that there are no flies,
either." He decided to kill the ox.
 Just as he was ready to eat the ox, along came the tiger. "O, rabbit,
you have been such a good friend of mine," said the tiger, "and now I
am so very, very hungry that all my ribs show, as you yourself can
see. Will you not be a good kind rabbit and give me a piece of your
ox?"
 The rabbit gave the tiger a piece of the ox. The tiger devoured it in
the twinkling of an eye. Then he leaned back and said, "Is that all
you are going to give me to eat?"
 The tiger looked so big and savage that the rabbit did not dare refuse
to give him any more of the ox. The tiger ate and ate and ate until he
had devoured that entire ox. The rabbit had been able to get only a
tiny morsel of it. He was very, very angry at the tiger.
 One day not long after the rabbit went to a place not far from the
tiger's house and began cutting down big staves of wood. The tiger
soon happened along and asked him what he was doing.
 "I'm getting ready to build a stockade around myself," replied the
rabbit. "Haven't you heard the orders?" The tiger said that he hadn't
heard any orders.
 "That is very strange," said the rabbit. "The order has gone forth
that every beast shall fortify himself by building a stockade around
himself. All the beasts are doing it."
 The tiger became very much alarmed. "O, dear! O, dear! What shall I
do," he cried. "I don't know how to build a stockade. I never could do
it in the world. O, good rabbit! O, kind rabbit! You are such, a very
good friend of mine. Couldn't you, as a great favour, because of our
long friendship, build a stockade about me before you build one
around yourself?"
 The rabbit replied that he could not think of risking his own life by
building the tiger's fortifications first. Finally, however, he
consented to do it.
 The rabbit cut down great quantities of long sharp sticks. He set them
firmly in the ground about the tiger. He fastened others securely over
the top until the tiger was completely shut in by strong bars. Then he
went away and left the tiger.
 The tiger waited and waited for something to happen to show him the
need of the fortifications. Nothing at all happened.
 He got very hungry and thirsty. After a while the monkey passed that
way.
 The tiger called out, "O, monkey, has the danger passed?"
 The monkey did not know what danger the tiger meant, but he replied,
"Yes."
 Then the tiger said, "O, monkey, O, good, kind monkey, will you not
please be so kind as to help me out of my stockade?"
 "Let the one who got you in there help you out," replied the monkey
and he went on his way.
 Along came the goat and the tiger called out, "O, goat, has the danger
passed?"
 The goat did not know anything about any danger, but he replied,
"Yes."
 Then the tiger said, "O, goat, O, good kind goat, please be so kind as
to help me out of my stockade."
 "Let the one who got you in there help you out," replied the goat as
he went on his way.
 Along came the armadillo and the tiger called out, "O, armadillo, has
the danger passed?"
 The armadillo had not heard of any danger, but he replied that it had
passed.
 Then the tiger said, "O, armadillo, O, good, kind armadillo, you have
always been such a good friend and neighbour. Please help me now to
get out of my stockade."
 "Let the one who got you in there help you out," replied the armadillo
as he went on his way.
 The tiger jumped and jumped with all his force at the top of the
stockade, but he could not break through. He jumped and jumped with
all his might at the front side of the stockade, but he could not
break through. He thought that never in the world would he be able to
break out. He rested for a little while and as he rested he thought.
He thought how bright the sun was shining outside. He thought what
good hunting there was in the jungle. He thought how cool the water
was at the spring. Once more he jumped and jumped with all his might
at the back side of the stockade. At last he broke through. He did not
get through, however, without getting bad cuts on both his sides from
the sharp edges of the staves. Until this day the tiger has stripes on
both his sides.
Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=519

That's it. 
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MYTHOLOGY: THE FROG KING

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I'm late again :c I'm so sorry, that was unexpected.

 In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite plaything. Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented someone said to her, "What ails you, king's daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity." She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its big, ugly head from the water. "Ah, old water-splasher, is it you," she said, "I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well." "Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your plaything up again?" "Whatever you will have, dear frog," said she, "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing." The frog answered, "I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed - if you will promise me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up again."     "Oh yes," said she, "I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again." But she thought, "How the silly frog does talk. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak. He can be no companion to any human being." But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank down; and in a short while came swimmming up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The king's daughter was delighted to see her pretty plaything once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with you. I can't run as you can." But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could. She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again. The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, "My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?" "Ah, no," replied she. "It is no giant but a disgusting frog." "What does a frog want with you?" "Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me." In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me, do you not know what you said to me yesterday by the cool waters of the well. Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." Then said the king, "That which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in." She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside you." She delayed, until at last the king commanded her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, "Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said, "I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep." The king's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, "He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by you." So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner, but when she was in bed he crept to her and said, "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father." At this she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. "Now, will you be quiet, odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a king's son with kind and beautiful eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but herself, and that to-morrow they would go together into his kingdom. Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white ostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young king's servant Faithful Henry. Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young king into his kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of joy because of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the king's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, "Henry, the carriage is breaking." "No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned in the well." Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the king's son thought the carriage was breaking, but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of Faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.

Source: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/001.txt

That's it.

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BRAZILIAN CULTURE: HOW THE RABBIT LOST HIS TAIL

Hej
How are you?
It's almost October already, wtf. Time, what are you doing? Stahp!
By the way, I don't know why the fuck there are tales about rabbits in Brazilian mythology, but I like rabbits, so I don't care.

 Once upon a time, ages and ages ago, the rabbit had a long tail, but
the cat had none. She looked with envious eyes at the one which the
rabbit had. It was exactly the sort of a tail she longed to have.
 The rabbit was always a thoughtless careless little beast. One day he
went to sleep with his beautiful long tail hanging straight out behind
him. Along came Mistress Puss carrying a sharp knife, and with one
blow she cut off Mr. Rabbit's tail. Mistress Puss was very spry and
she had the tail nearly sewed on to her own body before Mr. Rabbit
saw what she was doing.
 "Don't you think it looks better on me than it did on you?" asked
Mistress Puss.
 "It surely is very becoming to you," replied the generous unselfish
rabbit. "It was a little too long for me anyway and I'll tell you what
I'll do. I'll let you keep it if you will give me that sharp knife in
exchange for it."
 The cat gave Mr. Rabbit the knife and he started out into the deep
forest with it. "I've lost my tail but I've gained a knife," said he;
"I'll get a new tail or something else just as good."
 Mr. Rabbit hopped along through the forest for a long time and at last
he came to a little old man who was busily engaged in making baskets.
He was making the baskets out of rushes and he was biting them off
with his teeth. He looked up and spied Mr. Rabbit with the knife in
his mouth.
 "O, please, Mr. Rabbit," said he, "will you not be so kind as to let
me borrow that sharp knife you are carrying? It is very hard work to
bite the rushes off with my teeth."
 Mr. Rabbit let him take the knife. He started to cut off the rushes
with it, when _snap_ went the knife! It broke into halves.
 "O, dear! O, dear!" cried Mr. Rabbit. "What shall I do! What shall I
do! You have broken my nice new knife."
 The little old man said that he was very sorry and that he did not
mean to do it.
 Then Mr. Rabbit said, "A broken knife is of no use to me but perhaps
you can use it, even if it is broken. I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll let you keep the knife if you will give me one of your baskets in
exchange for it."
 The little old man gave Mr. Rabbit a basket and he started on through
the deep forest with it. "I lost my tail but I gained a knife. I've
lost my knife but I've gained a basket," said he. "I'll get a new tail
or something else just as good."
 Mr. Rabbit hopped along through the deep forest for a long time until
at last he came to a clearing. Here there was an old woman busily
engaged in picking lettuce. When she had gathered it she put it into
her apron. She looked up and spied Mr. Rabbit hopping along with his
basket.
 "O, please, Mr. Rabbit," said she, "will you not be so kind as to let
me borrow that nice basket you are carrying?"
 Mr. Rabbit let her take the basket. She began to put her lettuce into
it when out fell the bottom of the basket.
 "O, dear! O, dear!" cried Mr. Rabbit. "What shall I do! What shall I
do! You have broken the bottom out of my nice new basket."
 The old woman said that she was very sorry and that she did not mean
to do it.
 Then said Mr. Rabbit, "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll let you keep
that broken basket if you will give me some of your lettuce."
 The old woman gave Mr. Rabbit some lettuce and he hopped along with
it, saying, "I lost my tail but I gained a knife. I lost my knife but
I gained a basket. I lost my basket but I gained some lettuce."
 The rabbit was getting very hungry and how nice the lettuce smelled!
He took a bite. It was just the very best thing he had ever tasted in
all his life. "I don't care if I did lose my tail," said he, "I've
found something I like very much better."
 From that day to this no rabbit has ever had a tail. Neither has there
ever been a rabbit who cared because he had no tail. From that time to
this there has never been a rabbit who did not like lettuce to eat and
who was not perfectly happy and contented if there was plenty of it.
Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=521

And that's it. I really love this tale, it's so cute
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MYTHOLOGY: THE SPIRIT OF A BURIED MAN

Hej
How are you guys? I'm trying to be kind of a psycologist/diplomat because of many situations at school and it sucks. I want to be neutral, like Switzerland. I wish they don't expect me to take sides about it.
OK, let's talk about good stuff and let fate do its work.

 A poor scholar was going by the highway into a town, and found under the walls of the gate the body of a dead man, unburied, trodden by the feet of the passers-by. He had not much in his purse, but willingly gave enough to bury him, that he might not be spat upon and have sticks thrown at him. He performed his devotions over the fresh heaped-up grave, and went on into the world to wander. In an oak wood sleep overpowered him, and when he awoke, he espied with wonderment a bag full of gold. He thanked the unseen beneficent hand, and came to the bank of a large river, where it was necessary to be ferried over. The two ferrymen, observing the bag full of gold, took him into the boat, and just at an eddy took from him the gold and threw him into the water. As the waves carried him away insensible, he by accident clutched a plank, and by its aid floated successfully to the shore. It was not a plank, but the spirit of the buried man, who addressed him in these words: 'You honoured my remains by burial; I thank you for it. In token of gratitude I will teach you how you can transform yourself into a crow, into a hare, and into a deer.' Then he taught him the spell. The scholar, when acquainted with the spell, could with ease transform himself into a crow, into a hare, and into a deer. He wandered far, he wandered wide, till he wandered to the court of a mighty king, where he remained as an archer in attendance at the court. This king had a beautiful daughter, but she dwelt on an inaccessible island, surrounded on all sides by the sea. She dwelt in a castle of copper, and possessed a sword such that he who brandished it could conquer the largest army. Enemies had invaded the territory of the king; he needed and desired the victorious sword. But how to obtain it, when nobody had up to that time succeeded in getting on to the lonely island? He therefore made proclamation that whoever should bring the victorious sword from the princess should obtain her hand, and, moreover, should sit upon the throne after him. No one was venturesome enough to attempt it, till the wandering scholar, then an archer attached to the court, stood before the king announcing his readiness to go, and requesting a letter, that on receipt of that token the princess might give up the weapon to him. All men were astonished, and the king entrusted him with a letter to his daughter. He went into the forest, without knowing in the least that another archer attached to the court was dogging his steps. He first transformed himself into a hare, then into a deer, and darted off with haste and speed; he traversed no small distance, till he stood on the shore of the sea. He then transformed himself into a crow, flew across the water of the sea, and didn't rest till he was on the island. He went into the castle of copper, delivered to the beautiful princess the letter from her father, and requested her to give him the victorious sword. The beautiful princess looked at the archer. He captured her heart at once. She asked inquisitively how he had been able to get to her castle, which was on all sides surrounded by water and knew no human footsteps. Thereupon the archer replied that he knew secret spells by which he could transform himself into a deer, a hare, and a crow. The beautiful princess, therefore, requested the archer to transform himself into a deer before her eyes. When he made himself into a graceful deer, and began to fawn and bound, the princess secretly pulled a tuft of fur from his back. When he transformed himself again into a hare, and bounded with pricked up ears, the princess secretly, pulled a little fur off his back. When he changed himself into a crow and began to fly about in the room, the princess secretly pulled a few feathers from the bird's wings. She immediately wrote a letter to her father and delivered up the victorious sword. The young scholar flew across the sea in the form of a crow, then ran a great distance in that of a deer, till in the neighbourhood of the wood he bounded as a hare. The treacherous archer was already there in ambush, saw when he changed himself into a hare, and recognised him at once. He drew his bow, let fly the arrow, and killed the hare. He took from him the letter and carried off the sword, went to the castle, delivered to the king the letter and the sword of victory, and demanded at once the fulfilment of the promise that had been made. The king, transported with joy, promised him immediately his daughter's hand, mounted his horse, and rode boldly against his enemies with the sword. Scarcely had he espied their standards, when he brandished the sword mightily several times, and that towards the four quarters of the world. At every wave of the sword large masses of enemies fell dead on the spot, and others, seized with panic, fled like hares. The king returned joyful with victory, and sent for his beautiful daughter, to give her to wife to the archer who brought the sword. A banquet was prepared. The musicians were already striking up, the whole castle was brilliantly lighted; but the princess sat sorrowful beside the assassin-archer. She knew at once that he was in nowise the man whom she saw in the castle on the island, but she dared not ask her father where the other handsome archer was; she only wept much and secretly: her heart beat for the other.
 The poor scholar, in the hare's skin, lay slain under the oak, lay there a whole year, till one night he felt himself awakened from a mighty sleep, and before him stood the well-known spirit, whose body he had buried. He told him what had happened to him, brought him back to life, and said: 'To-morrow is the princess's wedding; hasten, therefore, to the castle without a moment's delay; she will recognise you; the archer, too, who killed you treacherously, will recognise you.' The young man sprang up promptly, went to the castle with throbbing heart, and entered the grand saloon, where numerous guests were eating and drinking. The beautiful princess recognised him at once, shrieked with joy, and fainted; and the assassin-archer, the moment he set eyes on him, turned pale and green from fear. Then the young man related the treason and murderous act of the archer, and in order to prove his words, turned himself in presence of all the assembled company into a graceful deer, and began to fawn upon the princess. She placed the tuft of fur pulled off him in the castle on the back of the deer, and the fur immediately grew into its place. Again he transformed himself into a hare, and similarly the piece of fur pulled off, which the princess had kept, grew into its place immediately on contact. All looked on in astonishment till the young man changed himself into a crow. The princess brought out the feathers which she had pulled from its wings in the castle, and the feathers immediately grew into their places. Then the old king commanded the assassin-archer to be put to death. Four horses were led out, all wild and unbroken. He was bound to them by his hands and feet, the horses were started off by the whip, and at one bound they tore the assassin-archer to pieces. The young man obtained the hand of the young and charming princess. The whole castle was in a brilliant blaze of light, they drank, they ate with mirth; and the princess did not weep, for she possessed the husband that she wished for.
Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/sfs/sfs26.htm

And that's it. 
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POETRY: EDGAR ALLAN POE

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: HOW NIGHT CAME

Hej 
How are you guys?
I hope I'll never have to write five texts again. Not on the same day. Really. @.@
Oh well, no one gives a fuck, I know, let's go to the tale, right?

 Years and years ago at the very beginning of time, when the world had
just been made, there was no night. It was day all the time. No one
had ever heard of sunrise or sunset, starlight or moonbeams. There
were no night birds, nor night beasts, nor night flowers. There were
no lengthening shadows, nor soft night air, heavy with perfume.
 In those days the daughter of the GREAT SEA SERPENT, who dwelt in the
depths of the seas, married one of the sons of the great earth race
known as MAN. She left her home among the shades of the deep seas and
came to dwell with her husband in the land of daylight. Her eyes grew
weary of the bright sunlight and her beauty faded. Her husband watched
her with sad eyes, but he did not know what to do to help her.
 "O, if night would only come," she moaned as she tossed about wearily
on her couch. "Here it is always day, but in my father's kingdom there
are many shadows. O, for a little of the darkness of night!"
 Her husband listened to her moanings. "What is night?" he asked her.
"Tell me about it and perhaps I can get a little of it for you."
 "Night," said the daughter of the GREAT SEA SERPENT, "is the name we
give to the heavy shadows which darken my father's kingdom in the
depths of the seas. I love the sunlight of your earth land, but I grow
very weary of it. If we could have only a little of the darkness of my
father's kingdom to rest our eyes part of the time."
 Her husband at once called his three most faithful slaves. "I am about
to send you on a journey," he told them. "You are to go to the kingdom
of the GREAT SEA SERPENT who dwells in the depths of the seas and ask
him to give you some of the darkness of night that his daughter may
not die here amid the sunlight of our earth land."
 The three slaves set forth for the kingdom of the GREAT SEA SERPENT.
After a long dangerous journey they arrived at his home in the depths
of the seas and asked him to give them some of the shadows of night
to carry back to the earth land. The GREAT SEA SERPENT gave them a big
bag full at once. It was securely fastened and the GREAT SEA SERPENT
warned them not to open it until they were once more in the presence
of his daughter, their mistress.
 The three slaves started out, bearing the big bag full of night upon
their heads. Soon they heard strange sounds within the bag. It was the
sound of the voices of all the night beasts, all the night birds, and
all the night insects. If you have ever heard the night chorus from
the jungles on the banks of the rivers you will know how it sounded.
The three slaves had never heard sounds like those in all their lives.
They were terribly frightened.
 "Let us drop the bag full of night right here where we are and run
away as fast as we can," said the first slave.
 "We shall perish. We shall perish, anyway, whatever we do," cried the
second slave.
 "Whether we perish or not I am going to open the bag and see what
makes all those terrible sounds," said the third slave.
 Accordingly they laid the bag on the ground and opened it. Out rushed
all the night beasts and all the night birds and all the night insects
and out rushed the great black cloud of night. The slaves were more
frightened than ever at the darkness and escaped to the jungle.
 The daughter of the GREAT SEA SERPENT was waiting anxiously for the
return of the slaves with the bag full of night. Ever since they had
started out on their journey she had looked for their return, shading
her eyes with her hand and gazing away off at the horizon, hoping with
all her heart that they would hasten to bring the night. In that
position she was standing under a royal palm tree, when the three
slaves opened the bag and let night escape. "Night comes. Night comes
at last," she cried, as she saw the clouds of night upon the horizon.
Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep there under the royal palm
tree.
 When she awoke she felt greatly refreshed. She was once more the happy
princess who had left her father's kingdom in the depths of the great
seas to come to the earth land. She was now ready to see the day
again. She looked up at the bright star shining above the royal palm
tree and said, "O, bright beautiful star, henceforth you shall be
called the morning star and you shall herald the approach of day. You
shall reign queen of the sky at this hour."
 Then she called all the birds about her and said to them, "O,
wonderful, sweet singing birds, henceforth I command you to sing your
sweetest songs at this hour to herald the approach of day." The cock
was standing by her side. "You," she said to him, "shall be appointed
the watchman of the night. Your voice shall mark the watches of the
night and shall warn the others that the _madrugada_ comes." To this
very day in Brazil we call the early morning the _madrugada_. The cock
announces its approach to the waiting birds. The birds sing their
sweetest songs at that hour and the morning star reigns in the sky as
queen of the "madrugada".
 When it was daylight again the three slaves crept home through the
forests and jungles with their empty bag.
 "O, faithless slaves," said their master, "why did you not obey the
voice of the GREAT SEA SERPENT and open the bag only in the presence
of his daughter, your mistress? Because of your disobedience I shall
change you into monkeys. Henceforth you shall live in the trees. Your
lips shall always bear the mark of the sealing wax which sealed the
bag full of night."
 To this very day one sees the mark upon the monkeys' lips, where they
bit off the wax which sealed the bag; and in Brazil night leaps out
quickly upon the earth just as it leapt quickly out of the bag in
those days at the beginning of time. And all the night beasts and
night birds and night insects give a sunset chorus in the jungles at
nightfall.

Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=522

That's it. Time to go to my flute lessons haha

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MYTHOLOGY: BASILISK

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How are you guys?

I found out my dad wanted to call me Valquiria, but my mom didn't like it :c I think it would be cool to have a mythological name. lol

And today I was watching Harry Potter, so I'm writing about the Basilisk.

 The mythical king of the serpents. The basilisk, or cockatrice, is a creature that is born from a spherical, yolkless egg, laid during the days of Sirius (the Dog Star) by a seven-year-old rooster and hatched by a toad.
 The basilisk could have originated from the horned adder or hooded cobra from India. Pliny the Elder described it simply as a snake with a golden crown. By the Middle Ages, it had become a snake with the head of a cock, and sometimes with the head of a human. In art, the basilisk symbolized the devil and the antichrist. To the Protestants, it was a symbol of the papacy.
 According to legend, there are two species of the creature. The first kind burns everything it approaches, and the second kind can kill every living thing with a mere glance. Both species are so dreadful that their breath wilts vegetation and shatters stones. It was even believed that if a man on horseback should try to kill it with a spear, the power of the poison conducted through the weapon would not only kill the rider, but the horse as well. The only way to kill a basilisk is by holding a mirror in front of its eyes, while avoiding to look directly at it. The moment the creature sees its own reflection, it will die of fright.
 However, even the basilisk has natural enemies. The weasel is immune to its glance and if it gets bitten it withdraws from the fight to eat some rue, the only plant that does not wither, and returns with renewed strength. A more dangerous enemy is the cock for should the basilisk hear it crow, it would die instantly.
 The carcass of a basilisk was often hung in houses to keep spiders away. It was also used in the temples of Apollo and Diana, where no swallow ever dared to enter. In heraldry the basilisk is represented as an animal with the head, torso and legs of a cock, the tongue of a snake and the wings of a bat. The snake-like rump ends in an arrowpoint.

Source: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/basilisk.html

And it's done :3

see you thurday

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ASDFMOVIE4

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: HOW THE BRAZILIAN BEETLES GOT THEIR BEAUTIFUL COATS

Hej :3
(That's me. Delayed. Again. Nothing to say.)

 In Brazil the beetles have such beautifully coloured, hard-shelled
coats upon their backs that they are often set in pins and necklaces
like precious stones. Once upon a time, years and years ago, they had
ordinary plain brown coats. This is how it happened that the Brazilian
beetle earned a new coat.
 One day a little brown beetle was crawling along a wall when a big
grey rat ran out of a hole in the wall and looked down scornfully at
the little beetle. "O ho!" he said to the beetle, "how slowly you
crawl along. You'll never get anywhere in the world. Just look at me
and see how fast I can run."
 The big grey rat ran to the end of the wall, wheeled around, and came
back to the place where the little beetle was slowly crawling along at
only a tiny distance from where the rat had left her. 
 "Don't you wish that you could run like that?" said the big grey rat
to the little brown beetle.
 "You are surely a fast runner," replied the little brown beetle
politely. Her mother had taught her always to be polite and had often
said to her that a really polite beetle never boasts about her own
accomplishments. The little brown beetle never boasted a single boast
about the things she could do. She just went on slowly crawling along
the wall.
 A bright green and gold parrot in the mango tree over the wall had
heard the conversation. "How would you like to race with the beetle?"
he asked the big grey rat. "I live next door to the tailor bird," he
added, "and just to make the race exciting I'll offer a bright
coloured coat as a prize to the one who wins the race. You may choose
for it any colour you like and I'll have it made to order."
 "I'd like a yellow coat with stripes like the tiger's," said the big
grey rat, looking over his shoulder at his gaunt grey sides as if he
were already admiring his new coat.
 "I'd like a beautiful, bright coloured new coat, too," said the little
brown beetle.
 The big grey rat laughed long and loud until his gaunt grey sides were
shaking. "Why, you talk just as if you thought you had a chance to win
the race," he said, when he could speak.
 The bright green and gold parrot set the royal palm tree at the top of
the cliff as the goal of the race. He gave the signal to start and
then he flew away to the royal palm tree to watch for the end of the
race.
 The big grey rat ran as fast as he could. Then he thought how very
tired he was getting. "What's the use of hurrying?" he said to
himself. "The little brown beetle can not possibly win. If I were
racing with somebody who could really run it would be very different."
Then he started to run more slowly but every time his heart beat it
said, "Hurry up! Hurry up!" The big grey rat decided that it was best
to obey the little voice in his heart so he hurried just as fast as he
could.
 When he reached the royal palm tree at the top of the cliff he could
hardly believe his eyes. He thought he must be having a bad dream.
There was the little brown beetle sitting quietly beside the bright
green and gold parrot. The big grey rat had never been so surprised in
all his life. "How did you ever manage to run fast enough to get here
so soon?" he asked the little brown beetle as soon as he could catch
his breath.
 The little brown beetle drew out the tiny wings from her sides.
"Nobody said anything about having to run to win the race," she
replied, "so I flew instead."
 "I did not know that you could fly," said the big grey rat in a
subdued little voice.
 "After this," said the bright green and gold parrot, "never judge any
one by his looks alone. You never can tell how often or where you may
find concealed wings. You have lost the prize."
 Until this day, even in Brazil where the flowers and birds and beasts
and insects have such gorgeous colouring, the rat wears a plain dull
grey coat.
 Then the parrot turned to the little brown beetle who was waiting
quietly at his side. "What colour do you want your new coat to be?" he
asked.
 The little brown beetle looked up at the bright green and gold parrot,
at the green and gold palm trees above their heads, at the green
mangoes with golden flushes on their cheeks lying on the ground under
the mango trees, at the golden sunshine upon the distant green hills.
"I choose a coat of green and gold," she said.
 From that day to this the Brazilian beetle has worn a coat of green
with golden lights upon it.
 For years and years the Brazilian beetles were all very proud to wear
green and gold coats like that of the beetle who raced with the rat.
 Then, once upon a time, it happened that there was a little beetle who
grew discontented with her coat of green and gold. She looked up at
the blue sky and out at the blue sea and wished that she had a blue
coat instead. She talked about it so much that finally her mother took
her to the parrot who lived next to the tailor bird.
 "You may change your coat for a blue one," said the parrot, "but if
you change you'll have to give up something."
 "Oh, I'll gladly give up anything if only I may have a blue coat
instead of a green and gold one," said the discontented little beetle.
 When she received her new coat she thought it was very beautiful. It
was a lovely shade of blue and it had silvery white lights upon it
like the light of the stars. When she put it on, however, she
discovered that it was not hard like the green and gold one. From that
day to this the blue beetles' coats have not been hard and firm. That
is the reason why the jewellers have difficulty in using them in pins
and necklaces like other beetles.
 From the moment that the little beetle put on her new blue coat she
never grew again. From that day to this the blue beetles have been
much smaller than the green and gold ones.
 When the Brazilians made their flag they took for it a square of green
the colour of the green beetle's coat. Within this square they placed
a diamond of gold like the golden lights which play upon the green
beetle's back. Then, within the diamond, they drew a circle to
represent the round earth and they coloured it blue like the coat of
the blue beetle. Upon the blue circle they placed stars of silvery
white like the silvery white lights on the back of the blue beetle.
About the blue circle of the earth which they thus pictured they drew
a band of white, and upon this band they wrote the motto of their
country, "Ordem e Progresso, order and progress."
Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=540

Aaaand that's it, I hope you like it :3
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MYTHOLOGY: THE STORY OF TE PIG-TROUGH

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How are you?
Irish tale today, yay

 In the beginning of the century, Hughes went as military substitute
for a farmer's son. He got L80, a watch, and a suit of clothes. His
mother was loath to let him go, and when he joined his regiment, she
followed him from Amlych to Pwlheli to try and buy him off. He would
not hear of it. "Mother," he said, "the whole of Anglesey would not
keep me, I want to be off, and see the world."
 The regiment was quartered in Edinboro', and Hughes married the
daughter of the burgess with whom he was billeted. Thence, leaving a
small son, as hostage to the grandparents, they went to Ireland, and
Hughes and his wife were billeted on a pork-butcher's family in
Dublin. One day, the mother of the pork-butcher, an old granny, told
them she had seen the fairies.
 "Last night, as I was abed, I saw a bright, bright light come in,
and afterwards a troop of little angels. They danced all over my
bed, and they played and sang music--oh! the sweetest music ever I
heard. I lay and watched them and listened. By-and-bye the light
went out and the music stopped, and I saw them no more. I regretted
the music very much. But directly after another smaller light
appeared, and a tall dark man came up to my bed, and with something
in his hand he tapped me on the temple; it felt like some one
drawing a sharp pin across my temple then he went too. In the
morning my pillow was covered with blood. I thought and thought, and
then I knew I had moved the pig's trough and must have put it in the
fairies' path and the fairies were angered, and the king of the
fairies had punished me for it." She moved the trough back to its
old place the next day, and received no more visits from the wee
folk.
 Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=125

That's it :3
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