The spider myth is a symbol of resistance and survival by turning the force of powerful oppression to the shoulders of unexpected individuals by using cunning and trickery speeches, but at the end the truth always is set to free those who lost their freedom by the hand of the treacherous.
This is an Anansi story that explains how his name became attached to the whole corpus of tales:
There was once an African king who had the finest ram in the world. When this ram happened to be grazing on Anansi's crops one day, he threw a rock towards the animal, hitting the ram between the eyes and killing him.
Anansi knew that the king would punish him for what he had done to his prized ram, and he schemed how to get out of the situation. Anansi resorted to trickery as always.
Anansi went to sat under a tree to think of an escape plan when, all of a sudden, a nut fell and struck him on the head. He immediately had an idea.
First, Anansi took the dead ram and tied the animal to the nut tree. Then he went to a spider and told the insect of a wonderful tree laden with nuts. The spider was delighted and immediately went to the tree.
Anansi then went to the king and told him that the spider had killed the prized ram. The ramm was hanging from a tree where the spider was spinning webs.
The king flew into a rage and demanded the death penalty for the spider. Then he thanked Anansi and offered him a great reward.
Anansi returned to the spider and warned the insect of the king's wrath, crying out to the whole world that the spider had killed his precious ram. The spider was very confused. Then Anansi told the spider to go to the king and plead for mercy, and perhaps the insect's life would be spared.
Meanwhile, the king had gone home for lunch and told his wife what happened. The wife just laughed and said, "Have you lost your mind? How on earth a little spider make a thread strong enough to hold a ram? How in the world could that little spider hoist the ram up there? Don't you know, Anansi obviously killed your ram! By now you should know, he is a trickster!"
The king was angry that he had been deceived and told his court to fetch Anansi immediately. When the king's men came for him, Anansi assumed that it was to bring him to the palace for his reward for turning in the spider. So he went along willingly. Anansi walked into the palace as if he owned the place and then said to the king, "Well, what is my reward for the killer of your ram?" This enraged the king so much that he kicked Anansi very, very hard, splitting him into 2 pieces; he was no longer a man but a spider with long legs.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Saturday, June 16, 2018
PEOPLE AND ANIMALS IN MYTHS AND LEGENDS.
Ancient mythologies describe a time in the past when the boundaries between people and animals were less sharply drawn and beings changed form freely. Animals offered helpful advice to ordinary people in many legends. Generally, those who ignored the animal's advice failed to achieve their goal.
Sometimes transformations between the two different worlds were forced on some individuals by cruel or wicked sorcerers or as punishment for offending entities with authority in the supernatural world. In the case when people voluntarily sought transformation, however, the change was perceived as a sign of power.
In ancient West African and American societies, for example, the believe that each person has a magical or spiritual connection to a particular animal that can act as a guardian, a source of wisdom, or an inspiration, was common. In general, individuals had to discover their spirit animal through a mystical experience.
Traditional African religions had secret societies in which men were believed to take on a leopard's strength by performing rituals that involved wearing leopard skins.
The ancient people of the Northwestern United States and Canada believed and still maintain the belief that each clan or kinship group is descended from a particular animal, such as whale, wolf, or bear. Bears, in particular, were especially close to them. In some of their stories, bears appear as human wearing coats made of bearskins.
In ancient Central America people had the idea that each person's life is linked to an animal or object (a nagual). If the animal was killed or the object destroyed, the person was supposed to suffer because of it of die as a consequence of it.
In ancient South American communities, particular individuals were carefully chosen from birth (since they carried a birth-mark), to train them as communal healers. They had the ability to act as messengers or intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world with the purpose of restoring the balance and wholeness of an individual or a community. The supernatural abilities that they performed included the power to communicate with animals that helped them through the supernatural realm, or transform themselves into animals. Andean healers were said to be able to change themselves into jaguars.
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the gods could blur the boundaries between different classes of beings. Ovid's Metamorphoses is a collection of Greek and Roman legends about mortals whom the gods turned into animals and plants.
Chinese and Slavic mythologies include tales of people who, under some evil force, turn into werewolves. Chinese and Eskimo tales mention beautiful, seductive women who turn out to be foxes in disguise.In one Eskimo story a woman enters the home of a hunter while he is out. She cooks for him and stays for some time, but eventually she puts on her fox skin and disappears. The well-known fable of Beauty and the Beast is a modern version of the myth of the animal husband whose beastly form cannot disguise his noble soul.
The Scots have stories about silkies -imaginary sea creatures resembling seals that take on human form, marry men and women, and then return to the sea.
Animals fill a wide variety of roles in myths and legends. They are linked to human origins as well as to the origin of the world. They help to shape human existence by acting as messengers to the other world. They can play tricks, symbolize human qualities, and terrorize humans as well.
Animals sometimes appear as symbols of certain characteristics. Common phrases such "brave as a lion" or "sly as a fox" are everyday examples of the practice of using animals to represent human qualities. The dog often appears as symbol of loyalty and the tiger stands for power and vitality.
Some stories have the representation of the dualistic nature of certain powerful animals. Snakes, for example, can be helpful or harmful. The Romans regarded snake spirits as protection for their homes. However, in the Bible, the snake is a treacherous creature. The bull is another animal with a dualistic nature. It can represent either tremendous energy and power or frightening strength. In Celtic myths, the bull was a sign of good fortune and fertility, while in several Greek legends, bulls were associated with death and destruction.
The frog appears in many transformation stories, most likely because it goes through a transformation of its own, from tadpole to frog. Another one that undergoes a physical transformation is the butterfly, which begins life as a caterpillar, rests in a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly to spread its wings. The Greek word for butterfly, 'psyche' is also the word for 'soul,' and in Greek mythology the butterfly was the symbol of the soul's transformation after the death of the body.
Sometimes transformations between the two different worlds were forced on some individuals by cruel or wicked sorcerers or as punishment for offending entities with authority in the supernatural world. In the case when people voluntarily sought transformation, however, the change was perceived as a sign of power.
In ancient West African and American societies, for example, the believe that each person has a magical or spiritual connection to a particular animal that can act as a guardian, a source of wisdom, or an inspiration, was common. In general, individuals had to discover their spirit animal through a mystical experience.
Traditional African religions had secret societies in which men were believed to take on a leopard's strength by performing rituals that involved wearing leopard skins.
The ancient people of the Northwestern United States and Canada believed and still maintain the belief that each clan or kinship group is descended from a particular animal, such as whale, wolf, or bear. Bears, in particular, were especially close to them. In some of their stories, bears appear as human wearing coats made of bearskins.
In ancient Central America people had the idea that each person's life is linked to an animal or object (a nagual). If the animal was killed or the object destroyed, the person was supposed to suffer because of it of die as a consequence of it.
In ancient South American communities, particular individuals were carefully chosen from birth (since they carried a birth-mark), to train them as communal healers. They had the ability to act as messengers or intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world with the purpose of restoring the balance and wholeness of an individual or a community. The supernatural abilities that they performed included the power to communicate with animals that helped them through the supernatural realm, or transform themselves into animals. Andean healers were said to be able to change themselves into jaguars.
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the gods could blur the boundaries between different classes of beings. Ovid's Metamorphoses is a collection of Greek and Roman legends about mortals whom the gods turned into animals and plants.
Chinese and Slavic mythologies include tales of people who, under some evil force, turn into werewolves. Chinese and Eskimo tales mention beautiful, seductive women who turn out to be foxes in disguise.In one Eskimo story a woman enters the home of a hunter while he is out. She cooks for him and stays for some time, but eventually she puts on her fox skin and disappears. The well-known fable of Beauty and the Beast is a modern version of the myth of the animal husband whose beastly form cannot disguise his noble soul.
The Scots have stories about silkies -imaginary sea creatures resembling seals that take on human form, marry men and women, and then return to the sea.
Animals fill a wide variety of roles in myths and legends. They are linked to human origins as well as to the origin of the world. They help to shape human existence by acting as messengers to the other world. They can play tricks, symbolize human qualities, and terrorize humans as well.
Animals sometimes appear as symbols of certain characteristics. Common phrases such "brave as a lion" or "sly as a fox" are everyday examples of the practice of using animals to represent human qualities. The dog often appears as symbol of loyalty and the tiger stands for power and vitality.
Some stories have the representation of the dualistic nature of certain powerful animals. Snakes, for example, can be helpful or harmful. The Romans regarded snake spirits as protection for their homes. However, in the Bible, the snake is a treacherous creature. The bull is another animal with a dualistic nature. It can represent either tremendous energy and power or frightening strength. In Celtic myths, the bull was a sign of good fortune and fertility, while in several Greek legends, bulls were associated with death and destruction.
The frog appears in many transformation stories, most likely because it goes through a transformation of its own, from tadpole to frog. Another one that undergoes a physical transformation is the butterfly, which begins life as a caterpillar, rests in a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly to spread its wings. The Greek word for butterfly, 'psyche' is also the word for 'soul,' and in Greek mythology the butterfly was the symbol of the soul's transformation after the death of the body.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
THE MAPUCHE EVIL RAT.
The Colo Colo is a shape-shifter evil-rat creature from Mapuche mythology originated from the Chiloe Archipelago, in Southern Chile.
The appearance of the Colo Colo varies depending on the region where the myth is told. Sometimes it is described as having the crest of a rooster and the body of a serpent. Other times as a feathered rat, or as a snake or lizard with a rat's head, and occasionally it is just depicted as a huge rat.
According to a legend, the Colo colo hatches from an egg laid by a snake that is incubated by a rooster. After hatching, the Colo Colo will hide in a house, commonly living in a hole which it digs under it, or at the corners or cracks found in it.
The Colo Colo will feed by taking the saliva or phlegm from the sleeping people who live in the house, causing the inhabitants to dehydrate, feel exhausted, and make them susceptible to several serious diseases that eventually will take the life of the person.
The Colo Colo can be detected if someone of the house is feeling tired for no reason, or of its cry, which is similar to an infant wailing. Also if a Colo Colo is present it will also produce a very distinct, foul smell.
When a Colo Colo is in the house, a traditional healer (Machi) and religious leader must be contacted to exorcise the premises. He must burn the egg as soon as it is laid and kill the chicken that laid it, to prevent further eggs from being laid. Once hatched, sometimes the only way to destroy it is by burning down the house where it lives, because its energy is vulnerable to Fire.
Colo Colo are believed to attack their human prey while they sleep. The monster prefers to bite the tongue of it's sleeping prey and then proceeds to drain the victim of it's saliva, body fluid, and life force.
Accoding to some sources human brains may also be consumed. The victims of Colo Colo can be identified by their "zombie" or trance-like state. If repeat attacks occur on the same person he/she will eventually die.
THE ORIGEN OF THE MONSTROUS RAT.
The concept of this monstrous creature is said to have existed for centuries. It may have its origin in an old belief which states that elderly rats known for their wisdom would sit on the entangled tails of his fellow rats. The rat was believed to have been treated as royalty by other rats, hence giving rise to the term "rat king."
The majority of stories about the rat king originate from Germany and has also been reported in other countries such as france, poland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Indonesia. Two factors coincide in the areas where rat kings had been found, the first being cold winters, while the second being the presence of the black rat, 'Rattus rattus.' It is worth to mention that the rat king found on Java, Indonesia, is by far the only one not consisting on black rats, instead, this rat king is made up of sawah rats, Rattus, rattus brevicaudatus.
New research in Physical Anthropology has revealed that the ancient population that once inhabited Easter Island, famous for its more than 1,000 walking Moai statues, had a diet based on Polynesian rat (kiore), strangely lacking a diet based on seafood that traditionally distinguished Polynesian cultures. The island (also called Rapa Nui) is located in the South Pacific and is the most isolated inhabited land mass on Earth.
Considering that rat kings are regarded as bad omens, they were often killed immediately out of fear of disease. The Black Death, though not caused by the black rats themselves, was spread to humans by the specific fleas they carried. One of the largest mummified rat kings is displayed in the Mauritianum Museum in Alten'Burg, Germany. This particular rat king has 32 individual rats stuck together.
Many are familiar with the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Few realize however, that the story is based on real events. It is set in 1284 in the town of Hamelin, Lower Saxony, Germany. the town was facing a rat infestation, and a piper, dressed in a coat of many colored, bright cloth, appeared. This piper promised to get rid of the rats in return for a payment, to which the townspeople agreed too. Athough the piper got rid of the rats by leading them away with his music, the people of Hamelin reneged on their promise. The piper left vowing revenge. On the 26th of July of that same year, the piper returned and led the children away, never to be seen again, just as he did the rats. Nevertheless, three children were left behind, one of these was lame and could not keep up, another was deaf and could not hear the music, while the third one was blind and could not see where he was going.
By associating the rats with the Black Death, it has been suggested that the children symbolically were the innocent victims of these plague that severely hit Europe between 1348 and 1350, more than half a century after the event in Hamelin.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
CHINESE TAIL ABOUT THE 12 ANIMALS IN THE ZODIAC.
The Jade Emperor (Heaven Emperor) ordered that animals would be designated as calendar signs and the twelve that arrive first would be selected.
At that time , the cat and the rat were good friends and excellent neighbors. When they heard of this news, the cat said to the rat: "We should arrive early to sign up, but I Usually Get Up Late." The rat then 'promised to awaken' his friend and go together. However, on the morning when he got up, he was 'too excited to recall his promise', and went directly to the gathering place.
On the way, the rat encountered the tiger, ox, horse, and other animals that ran much faster. In order not to fall behind them, the rat thought up a good idea. The rat made the straight-forward 'ox carry him' on the 'condition' that 'he sang for the ox.'
At last, the ox and the rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the calendar, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac.
Meanwhile his neighbor the cat was too late so when the cat finally arrived, the selection was over.
That is why other animals appear behind the rat.
Many famous scholars in history had their own interpretations about this interesting topic. There was a scholar in the Song Dynasty (960-1279CE) called Hong Xun. With a prosperous economy in many respects of the society, and radiant culture, this period was considered as another period of golden age after Tang Dynasty (618-907CE). In agriculture, the productive technology was improved which promoted the output of food; in handicraft industry, the division of labor became more detailed which made the handicrafts technology reach an advanced level; additionally, the development of the commodity economy exceeded the previous level. Particularly, the earliest paper currency appeared at that period. As for the development of science and culture, tremendous achievements were made during this period. Two of China's 4 great inventions were achieved: typography and compass, and application of gunpowder also developed rapidly. With regard on literature, a large number of outstanding scholars and poets emerged and built up the splendid cultural atmosphere of the Song Dynasty.
The scholar Hong Xun explained his thought about the 12 animals based on Yin Yang Theory.
Among the 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, only the rat, tiger, dragon, monkey, and dog have five toes. Five is an odd number which is thought to be in Yang side (positive). Only in the rat, the fore-paws have 4 toes and the hind-paws have 5 toes, making the animal both odd and even number according to his paws' toes. Horse has one toe, also an odd number. Other animals have toes of even numbers which are thought to be Yin (negative). Snake has no toe but its tongue has two tips in even number. Yin and Yang animal signs were interlaced. Scholars of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644CE) followed and developed this idea.
At that time , the cat and the rat were good friends and excellent neighbors. When they heard of this news, the cat said to the rat: "We should arrive early to sign up, but I Usually Get Up Late." The rat then 'promised to awaken' his friend and go together. However, on the morning when he got up, he was 'too excited to recall his promise', and went directly to the gathering place.
On the way, the rat encountered the tiger, ox, horse, and other animals that ran much faster. In order not to fall behind them, the rat thought up a good idea. The rat made the straight-forward 'ox carry him' on the 'condition' that 'he sang for the ox.'
At last, the ox and the rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the calendar, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac.
Meanwhile his neighbor the cat was too late so when the cat finally arrived, the selection was over.
That is why other animals appear behind the rat.
Many famous scholars in history had their own interpretations about this interesting topic. There was a scholar in the Song Dynasty (960-1279CE) called Hong Xun. With a prosperous economy in many respects of the society, and radiant culture, this period was considered as another period of golden age after Tang Dynasty (618-907CE). In agriculture, the productive technology was improved which promoted the output of food; in handicraft industry, the division of labor became more detailed which made the handicrafts technology reach an advanced level; additionally, the development of the commodity economy exceeded the previous level. Particularly, the earliest paper currency appeared at that period. As for the development of science and culture, tremendous achievements were made during this period. Two of China's 4 great inventions were achieved: typography and compass, and application of gunpowder also developed rapidly. With regard on literature, a large number of outstanding scholars and poets emerged and built up the splendid cultural atmosphere of the Song Dynasty.
The scholar Hong Xun explained his thought about the 12 animals based on Yin Yang Theory.
Among the 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, only the rat, tiger, dragon, monkey, and dog have five toes. Five is an odd number which is thought to be in Yang side (positive). Only in the rat, the fore-paws have 4 toes and the hind-paws have 5 toes, making the animal both odd and even number according to his paws' toes. Horse has one toe, also an odd number. Other animals have toes of even numbers which are thought to be Yin (negative). Snake has no toe but its tongue has two tips in even number. Yin and Yang animal signs were interlaced. Scholars of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644CE) followed and developed this idea.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
THE FROG AND THE CONDOR.
High in the Andes Mountains there once lived a frog in a cool stream. This poor frog was born not like others -her front right leg was nearly twice as long as her left one. "if only I had two perfect legs like my brothers and sisters," the frog bemoaned whenever she caught her limping reflection in the rushing waters.
Near the stream, and feeling just as sad as the frog, lived a girl in the cave of a huge black condor. She was forced to remain at his nest in a faraway cave on a rocky mountain outcrop. The giant black condor had plucked her from her happy livelihood as a shepherdess and carried her back to its nest, where she had to work hard every day, beating his vicuna skins into blankets for his bed and into rugs for his nest, and preparing huge meals to satisfy his appetite.
The little frog would sometimes watch the condor sail high in the air, then swoop for food. And the frog sometimes followed the condor home, to the girl and her wailings, a sound that reminded her of her own sad heart.
One day, she overheard this conversation: "So, did you beat the new vicuna skins to add to my bed?"the condor asked. The girl said, "Yes, sir." Then the condor asked, "Where is my dinner?"
She responded, "It is ready for you, sir. Now please, may I go to the stream to wash my clothes?"
The condor said, "Absolutely not! Do you take me for a fool? You would try to escape!"
She said, "No I wouldn't -please- I simply must wash my clothes. And besides, as long as you hear me beating my clothes on the rocks, you will know I am still here."
The condor said, "Very well then, but be sure I hear you beating your clothes or I will fly there in a second and beat you myself."
So the girl, whose parents had named her Collyur, which means "Morning Star," wrapped herself in one of the vicuna skins and tied her clothes into a bundle that she carried to the stream.
As Collyur beat her clothes against the rocks, she cried bitterly for her lost freedom. She was nothing but a slave, tending to the condor's every demand, while fearing every moment for her very life. With each beat of her clothes she burst out with another wail.
"Please don't cry," said a small voice. Collyur looked down to see a little frog on a rock, looking at her with sympathy. "What is the matter?" And the girl poured out her troubles to the frog while the creature listened and sighed.
"I can help you," said the frog finally.
"I am afraid there is nothing on earth that can help me." Collyur turned away, still careful to hit her clothes against the rocks with a regular beat.
"But I can,"said the frog. "I have a bit of magic. For a few minutes, I can change myself into any creature. If I change myself into you and keep beating your clothes, the condor will think you are still here and you can escape."
"Do you think it would work?" Collyur brightened and looked with wonder at this little frog, who seemed at that moment to be the most beautiful creature on earth. She leaned over and kissed the frog on the forehead.
"We cannot wait a second more," said the frog, and in an instant changed into the image of Collyur. The new Collyur picked up the girl's clothes and resumed beating them against the rocks.
"Now go! "the frog said. At once, Collyur ran as fast as she could down the mountain to the valley and the shepherd's home.
The little frog, as the image of Collyur, kept beating the clothes with the same motion.
"What is keeping that foolish girl?"the condor hissed after many minutes had passed. "She will make me wait here all day!"
The condor flew to the stream where he saw the image of Collyur kneeling over the rocks, beating her clothes. Landing on a high rock, he shook his beak and shrieked, "Stop at once, you silly girl! Come back with me now!"
The girl stood up, jumped into the stream, and completely disappeared. The condor flew directly over the very spot but saw no shadow of a girl swimming underneath the water, only a frog hopping about.
While the condor flew up and down the stream, she was running away, closer and closer to her freedom. After several hours had passed and he could find no sign of the girl, he flew back to his cave in a rage.
When the frog rejoined her brothers and sisters in the stream, they all gathered around her in a crowd.
"What is it?" said the little frog nervously, and she tucked her too-large right leg underneath so it wouldn't show as much.
"Why -you are beautiful!" said one sister. Fearing a joke, the little frog glanced in the water and noticed a shiny jewel glimmering on her forehead, where Collyur had planted a kiss.
"It is like the morning star!" said another. From then on, the frog lifted her head with pride, no longer afraid to catch a glimpse of her own reflection in the rushing waters.
Near the stream, and feeling just as sad as the frog, lived a girl in the cave of a huge black condor. She was forced to remain at his nest in a faraway cave on a rocky mountain outcrop. The giant black condor had plucked her from her happy livelihood as a shepherdess and carried her back to its nest, where she had to work hard every day, beating his vicuna skins into blankets for his bed and into rugs for his nest, and preparing huge meals to satisfy his appetite.
The little frog would sometimes watch the condor sail high in the air, then swoop for food. And the frog sometimes followed the condor home, to the girl and her wailings, a sound that reminded her of her own sad heart.
One day, she overheard this conversation: "So, did you beat the new vicuna skins to add to my bed?"the condor asked. The girl said, "Yes, sir." Then the condor asked, "Where is my dinner?"
She responded, "It is ready for you, sir. Now please, may I go to the stream to wash my clothes?"
The condor said, "Absolutely not! Do you take me for a fool? You would try to escape!"
She said, "No I wouldn't -please- I simply must wash my clothes. And besides, as long as you hear me beating my clothes on the rocks, you will know I am still here."
The condor said, "Very well then, but be sure I hear you beating your clothes or I will fly there in a second and beat you myself."
So the girl, whose parents had named her Collyur, which means "Morning Star," wrapped herself in one of the vicuna skins and tied her clothes into a bundle that she carried to the stream.
As Collyur beat her clothes against the rocks, she cried bitterly for her lost freedom. She was nothing but a slave, tending to the condor's every demand, while fearing every moment for her very life. With each beat of her clothes she burst out with another wail.
"Please don't cry," said a small voice. Collyur looked down to see a little frog on a rock, looking at her with sympathy. "What is the matter?" And the girl poured out her troubles to the frog while the creature listened and sighed.
"I can help you," said the frog finally.
"I am afraid there is nothing on earth that can help me." Collyur turned away, still careful to hit her clothes against the rocks with a regular beat.
"But I can,"said the frog. "I have a bit of magic. For a few minutes, I can change myself into any creature. If I change myself into you and keep beating your clothes, the condor will think you are still here and you can escape."
"Do you think it would work?" Collyur brightened and looked with wonder at this little frog, who seemed at that moment to be the most beautiful creature on earth. She leaned over and kissed the frog on the forehead.
"We cannot wait a second more," said the frog, and in an instant changed into the image of Collyur. The new Collyur picked up the girl's clothes and resumed beating them against the rocks.
"Now go! "the frog said. At once, Collyur ran as fast as she could down the mountain to the valley and the shepherd's home.
The little frog, as the image of Collyur, kept beating the clothes with the same motion.
"What is keeping that foolish girl?"the condor hissed after many minutes had passed. "She will make me wait here all day!"
The condor flew to the stream where he saw the image of Collyur kneeling over the rocks, beating her clothes. Landing on a high rock, he shook his beak and shrieked, "Stop at once, you silly girl! Come back with me now!"
The girl stood up, jumped into the stream, and completely disappeared. The condor flew directly over the very spot but saw no shadow of a girl swimming underneath the water, only a frog hopping about.
While the condor flew up and down the stream, she was running away, closer and closer to her freedom. After several hours had passed and he could find no sign of the girl, he flew back to his cave in a rage.
When the frog rejoined her brothers and sisters in the stream, they all gathered around her in a crowd.
"What is it?" said the little frog nervously, and she tucked her too-large right leg underneath so it wouldn't show as much.
"Why -you are beautiful!" said one sister. Fearing a joke, the little frog glanced in the water and noticed a shiny jewel glimmering on her forehead, where Collyur had planted a kiss.
"It is like the morning star!" said another. From then on, the frog lifted her head with pride, no longer afraid to catch a glimpse of her own reflection in the rushing waters.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
THE JAGUAR AND THE MAYANS.
Monumental ruins prove that the Yucatan Peninsula has been home to people for about a 1,000 years.
The ruins contain elaborate Jaguar imagery, testifying that Jaguars shared the forest with humans who saw them as entities possessing strong forces. Admired for its hunting prowess and strength, feared for the same reasons, the elusive Jaguar came to represent beauty, power, cunning and mystery entwined in rituals and stories.
The people have a saying: "Spread the Jaguar's skin, and you spread the heavens of a starry night." In some of their stories, the soul of the Jaguar prowled the heavens in day as well.
According to another myth, the Jaguar was a supernatural being who represented the Sun, who rose each day in the East and prowled the West, aging along the course, until finally plunging into the Darkness of the West. Then the Jaguar Sun fights the Lords of the Underworld (Xibalba) all night. Through his strength and cunning soul, the Jaguar Sun wins the right to rise each day in the East. Thus the Jaguar Sun dominates both Day and Night.
Such duality sparks fear and admiration through fables and myths about the Jaguar, but at least one story recognizes why this 3rd largest feline in the World doesn't have a reputation of 'man-killer.'
"As God created people out of mud, Jaguar curious watched. God didn't want Jaguar to know how this was done, so God sent the Jaguar to the river to fetch water, using a leaky calabash to fill a jar. God figured to finish people by the time Jaguar returned. At the river, as Jaguar was mindlessly scooping water with the leaky calabash, Frog advised patching the holes with mud. Very quickly, Jaguar filled the jug and returned to God who had finished 13 of the people and 12 arms; God was in the process of making a Dog. Jaguar said to himself: 'the Dog looks tasty.' God said that the Dog was to serve people and that the arms were to teach Jaguar respect. When the Jaguar boasted superiority, God made the Jaguar stand in the distance, and one of the men harm the Jaguar in the paw. The Jaguar, after the human bandaged the paw, still claimed the Dog as a good meal. This time, the man sent the Dog after the Jaguar who ran up a tree to escape; the human wounded its paw again. That is how Jaguar learned to leave humans alone."
In spite of this story, the Jaguar's powerful hunting skills strike 'fear and envy' in people's conscience.
But although these powers are alluring, the Jaguar also teaches that 'people should never try to be what they are not,' as in the story of the Opossum (an American family of nocturnal, largely arboreal marsupial mammals, and when threatened with danger or caught, they pretend to be dead) who asked the Jaguar to be Godfather to her son.
"Jaguar, to be a good Godfather, took Little Opossum hunting at the water-hole. Jaguar leapt on a very large animal. The Little Opossum and the Jaguar ate their fill. Later the Little Opossum took his mother to the water-hole where the Little Opossum leapt upon a very large animal, but the animal simply shook himself and threw the Little Opossum off into the mud. The Little Opossum called his mother for help, but when she came to him, she, too, was trapped, and they both died."
Another lesson that we find in the Jaguar stories is that power, by itself, is not enough.
"Three Jaguars were dying of hunger but didn't want to look for food. Rabbit asked, 'Why are you complained so, my friends? What about of your claws and fangs?' The Jaguars protested against the work of hunting. Rabbit offered to carry the Jaguars into the forest if they would climb into a net. Once they were in the net, Rabbit tied it shut, then found a long green guava stick and beat the Jaguars. 'You are built like great hunters, but you are lazy beasts.' "
Thus the soul of Jaguar can be wise and foolish, powerful and week. Other contradictions appear in some stories as well. For instance , while the Jaguar Sun has the wisdom and mystery: Day and Night;
Life and Death, the soul of the Jaguar as a deity also has the power to eat the Sun.
Other Maya story says the the End of the Earth will come when Jaguars ascend from the Underworld to eat the Sun and the Moon; an eclipse will foreshadow this final event. Sometimes this almost happened, but people made noises, sang and honored the entities in control of the forces of nature, until, appeased, the Jaguar Sun reappeared.
The stories and details about the Jaguar are contradictory because people themselves are contradictory.
Humans protect the jungle of their own emotional feelings and share in its bounty, sometimes taking more than is needed for food, consuming their own self.
The ruins contain elaborate Jaguar imagery, testifying that Jaguars shared the forest with humans who saw them as entities possessing strong forces. Admired for its hunting prowess and strength, feared for the same reasons, the elusive Jaguar came to represent beauty, power, cunning and mystery entwined in rituals and stories.
The people have a saying: "Spread the Jaguar's skin, and you spread the heavens of a starry night." In some of their stories, the soul of the Jaguar prowled the heavens in day as well.
According to another myth, the Jaguar was a supernatural being who represented the Sun, who rose each day in the East and prowled the West, aging along the course, until finally plunging into the Darkness of the West. Then the Jaguar Sun fights the Lords of the Underworld (Xibalba) all night. Through his strength and cunning soul, the Jaguar Sun wins the right to rise each day in the East. Thus the Jaguar Sun dominates both Day and Night.
Such duality sparks fear and admiration through fables and myths about the Jaguar, but at least one story recognizes why this 3rd largest feline in the World doesn't have a reputation of 'man-killer.'
"As God created people out of mud, Jaguar curious watched. God didn't want Jaguar to know how this was done, so God sent the Jaguar to the river to fetch water, using a leaky calabash to fill a jar. God figured to finish people by the time Jaguar returned. At the river, as Jaguar was mindlessly scooping water with the leaky calabash, Frog advised patching the holes with mud. Very quickly, Jaguar filled the jug and returned to God who had finished 13 of the people and 12 arms; God was in the process of making a Dog. Jaguar said to himself: 'the Dog looks tasty.' God said that the Dog was to serve people and that the arms were to teach Jaguar respect. When the Jaguar boasted superiority, God made the Jaguar stand in the distance, and one of the men harm the Jaguar in the paw. The Jaguar, after the human bandaged the paw, still claimed the Dog as a good meal. This time, the man sent the Dog after the Jaguar who ran up a tree to escape; the human wounded its paw again. That is how Jaguar learned to leave humans alone."
In spite of this story, the Jaguar's powerful hunting skills strike 'fear and envy' in people's conscience.
But although these powers are alluring, the Jaguar also teaches that 'people should never try to be what they are not,' as in the story of the Opossum (an American family of nocturnal, largely arboreal marsupial mammals, and when threatened with danger or caught, they pretend to be dead) who asked the Jaguar to be Godfather to her son.
"Jaguar, to be a good Godfather, took Little Opossum hunting at the water-hole. Jaguar leapt on a very large animal. The Little Opossum and the Jaguar ate their fill. Later the Little Opossum took his mother to the water-hole where the Little Opossum leapt upon a very large animal, but the animal simply shook himself and threw the Little Opossum off into the mud. The Little Opossum called his mother for help, but when she came to him, she, too, was trapped, and they both died."
Another lesson that we find in the Jaguar stories is that power, by itself, is not enough.
"Three Jaguars were dying of hunger but didn't want to look for food. Rabbit asked, 'Why are you complained so, my friends? What about of your claws and fangs?' The Jaguars protested against the work of hunting. Rabbit offered to carry the Jaguars into the forest if they would climb into a net. Once they were in the net, Rabbit tied it shut, then found a long green guava stick and beat the Jaguars. 'You are built like great hunters, but you are lazy beasts.' "
Thus the soul of Jaguar can be wise and foolish, powerful and week. Other contradictions appear in some stories as well. For instance , while the Jaguar Sun has the wisdom and mystery: Day and Night;
Life and Death, the soul of the Jaguar as a deity also has the power to eat the Sun.
Other Maya story says the the End of the Earth will come when Jaguars ascend from the Underworld to eat the Sun and the Moon; an eclipse will foreshadow this final event. Sometimes this almost happened, but people made noises, sang and honored the entities in control of the forces of nature, until, appeased, the Jaguar Sun reappeared.
The stories and details about the Jaguar are contradictory because people themselves are contradictory.
Humans protect the jungle of their own emotional feelings and share in its bounty, sometimes taking more than is needed for food, consuming their own self.
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