Disputes between supporters of the theory of creationism and evolutionary theory do not subside to this day. However, unlike the theory of evolution, creationism includes not one, but hundreds of different theories (if not more).
The myth of Pan-gu
The Chinese have their own ideas about how the world came into being. The most popular myth can be called the myth of Pan-gu, a giant man. The plot is as follows: at the dawn of time, Heaven and Earth were so close to each other that they merged into a single black mass.
According to legend, this mass was an egg, and Pan-gu lived inside it, and he lived for a long time - many millions of years. But one day he got tired of such a life, and, waving a heavy ax, Pan-gu got out of his egg, splitting it into two parts. These parts later became Heaven and Earth. He was unimaginably tall - about fifty kilometers long, which, by the standards of the ancient Chinese, was the distance between Heaven and Earth.
Unfortunately for Pan-gu, and fortunately for us, the colossus was mortal and, like all mortals, died. And then Pan-gu decomposed. But not the way we do it. Pan-gu was decomposing really cool: his voice turned into thunder, his skin and bones became the firmament of the earth, and his head became Cosmos. So, his death gave life to our world.
Chernobog and Belobog
This is one of the most significant myths of the Slavs. He tells about the confrontation between Good and Evil - the White and Black gods. It all started like this: when there was only one solid sea around, Belobog decided to create land by sending his shadow - Chernobog - to do all the dirty work. Chernobog did everything as expected, however, having a selfish and proud nature, he did not want to share power over the firmament with Belobog, deciding to drown the latter.
Belobog got out of this situation, did not allow himself to be killed, and even blessed the land erected by Chernobog. However, with the advent of land, one small problem arose: its area grew exponentially, threatening to swallow everything around.
Then Belobog sent his delegation to Earth in order to find out from Chernobog how to stop this business. Well, Chernobog sat on a goat and went to negotiations. The delegates, seeing Chernobog galloping towards them on a goat, were imbued with the comedy of this spectacle and burst into wild laughter. Chernobog did not understand humor, was very offended and flatly refused to talk to them.
Meanwhile, Belobog, still wanting to save the Earth from dehydration, decided to spy on Chernobog, making a bee for this purpose. The insect coped with the task successfully and found out the secret, which was as follows: in order to stop the growth of land, it is necessary to draw a cross on it and say the cherished word - “enough”. What Belobog did.
To say that Chernobog was not happy is to say nothing. Wanting to take revenge, he cursed Belobog, and cursed him in a very original way: for his meanness, Belobog was now supposed to eat bee feces all his life. However, Belobog did not lose his head and made bee stools sweet like sugar, and this is how honey appeared. For some reason, the Slavs did not think about how people appeared ... The main thing is that there is honey.
Armenian duality
Armenian myths are reminiscent of Slavic ones and also tell us about the existence of two opposite principles - this time male and female. Unfortunately, the myth does not answer the question of how our world was created, it only explains how everything around is arranged. But that doesn't make it any less interesting.
So, here is a summary: Heaven and Earth are husband and wife separated by the ocean; The sky is a city, and the Earth is a piece of rock, which is held on its huge horns by an equally huge bull - when he shakes his horns, the earth bursts at the seams from earthquakes. That, in fact, is all - this is how the Armenians imagined the Earth.
There is also an alternative myth where the Earth is in the middle of the sea, and Leviathan swims around it, trying to grab onto its own tail, and constant earthquakes were also explained by its flopping. When Leviathan finally bites his own tail, life on Earth will end and the apocalypse will come. Have a nice day.
Norse myth of the ice giant
It would seem that there is nothing in common between the Chinese and the Scandinavians - but no, the Vikings also had their own giant - the origin of everything, only his name was Ymir, and he was icy and with a club. Before his appearance, the world was divided into Muspelheim and Niflheim - the realms of fire and ice, respectively. And between them stretched Ginnungagap, symbolizing absolute chaos, and there, from the merger of two opposite elements, Ymir was born. And now closer to us, to the people. When Ymir began to sweat, a man and a woman emerged from his right armpit along with the sweat. It's strange, yes, we understand this - well, that's how they are, harsh Vikings, nothing can be done. But back to the point. The man's name was Buri, he had a son Bor, and Bor had three sons - Odin, Vili and Ve. The three brothers were gods and ruled Asgard. This seemed not enough to them, and they decided to kill Ymir's great-grandfather, making the world out of him.
Ymir was not happy, but no one asked him. In the process, he shed a lot of blood - enough to fill the seas and oceans with it; from the skull of the unfortunate brothers created the vault of heaven, they broke his bones, making mountains and cobblestones out of them, and they made clouds out of the torn brains of poor Ymir.
Odin and the company immediately decided to populate this new world: so they found two beautiful trees on the seashore - ash and alder, making a man out of ash, and a woman out of alder, thereby giving rise to the human race.
Greek myth of balls
Like many other peoples, the ancient Greeks believed that before our world appeared, there was only continuous Chaos around. There was no sun, no moon - everything was dumped into one big heap, where things were inseparable from each other.
But then a certain god came, looked at the chaos reigning around, thought and decided that all this was not good, and set to work: he separated the cold from the heat, the foggy morning from the clear day, and all that sort of thing.
Then he set about the Earth, rolling it into a ball and dividing this ball into five parts: it was very hot at the equator, extremely cold at the poles, but between the poles and the equator - just right, you can’t imagine more comfortable. Further, from the seed of an unknown god, most likely Zeus, known to the Romans as Jupiter, the first man was created - two-faced and also in the shape of a ball.
And then they tore it in two, making a man and a woman out of it - the future of us.
The achievements of the ancient Greeks in art, science and politics had a significant impact on the development of European states. Mythology, one of the most well-studied in the world, also played an important role in this process. For many hundreds of years, it has been for many creators. The history and myths of ancient Greece have always been closely intertwined. The realities of the archaic era are known to us precisely thanks to the legends of that period.
Greek mythology took shape at the turn of the II-I millennium BC. e. Tales of gods and heroes spread throughout Hellas thanks to the Aeds - wandering reciters, the most famous of which was Homer. Later, during the period of the Greek classics, mythological subjects were reflected in the works of art of the great playwrights - Euripides and Aeschylus. Even later, at the beginning of our era, Greek scientists began to classify myths, to compile a family tree of heroes, in other words, to study the heritage of their ancestors.
Origin of the gods
Ancient myths and legends of Greece are dedicated to gods and heroes. According to the ideas of the Hellenes, there were several generations of gods. The first couple to have anthropomorphic features were Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). They gave birth to 12 titans, as well as one-eyed cyclops and many-headed and many-armed hecatoncheir giants. The birth of monster children did not please Uranus, and he threw them into the great abyss - Tartarus. This, in turn, did not please Gaia, and she persuaded her children-titans to overthrow their father (myths about the ancient gods of Greece abound with similar motives). This was managed by the youngest of her sons - Kronos (Time). With the beginning of his reign, history repeated itself.
He, like his father, was afraid of his powerful children, and therefore, as soon as his wife (and sister) Rhea gave birth to another child, he swallowed it. This fate befell Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera and Hades. But Rhea could not part with her last son: when Zeus was born, she hid him in a cave on the island of Crete and instructed the nymphs and Kurets to raise the child, and brought her husband a stone wrapped in diapers, which he swallowed.
War with the titans
The ancient myths and legends of Greece were filled with bloody wars for power. The first of these began after the grown-up Zeus forced Kronos to regurgitate the swallowed children. Enlisting the support of his brothers and sisters and calling for help from the giants imprisoned in Tartarus, Zeus began to fight his father and other titans (some later went over to his side). The main weapons of Zeus were lightning and thunder, which were forged for him by the Cyclopes. The war lasted for a whole decade; Zeus and his allies defeated and imprisoned the enemies in Tartarus. I must say that Zeus was also destined for the fate of his father (to fall at the hands of his son), but he managed to avoid it thanks to the help of the titan Prometheus.
Myths about the ancient gods of Greece - the Olympians. Descendants of Zeus
Power over the world was shared by three titans, representing the third generation of gods. These were Zeus the Thunderer (he became the supreme god of the ancient Greeks), Poseidon (the lord of the seas) and Hades (the owner of the underworld of the dead).
They had numerous descendants. All the supreme gods, except for Hades and his family, lived on Mount Olympus (which exists in reality). In ancient Greek mythology, there were 12 main celestials. The wife of Zeus, Hera, was considered the patroness of marriage, and the goddess Hestia was considered the patroness of the hearth. Demeter was in charge of agriculture, Apollo was in charge of light and the arts, and his sister Artemis was revered as the goddess of the moon and the hunt. The daughter of Zeus, Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, was one of the most respected celestials. Sensitive to beauty, the Greeks also revered the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, and her husband Ares, the warlike god. Hephaestus, the god of fire, was praised by craftsmen (in particular, blacksmiths). The cunning Hermes also demanded respect - an intermediary between gods and people and the patron of trade and livestock.
Divine geography
The ancient myths and legends of Greece create a very contradictory image of God in the mind of the modern reader. On the one hand, the Olympians were considered powerful, wise and beautiful, and on the other hand, they were characterized by all the weaknesses and vices of mortal people: envy, jealousy, greed and anger.
As already mentioned, Zeus dominated the gods and people. He gave people laws and controlled their destiny. But not in all areas of Greece, the supreme Olympian was the most revered god. The Greeks lived in city-states and believed that each such city (polis) had its own divine patron. So, Athena favored Attica and its main city - Athens.
Aphrodite was praised in Cyprus, off the coast of which she was born. Poseidon kept Troy, Artemis and Apollo - Delphi. Mycenae, Argos and Samos offered sacrifices to Hera.
Other divine entities
The ancient myths and legends of Greece would not be so intense if only people and gods acted in them. But the Greeks, like other peoples at that time, were inclined to deify the forces of nature, and therefore other powerful creatures are often mentioned in myths. These are, for example, naiads (patrons of rivers and streams), dryads (patrons of groves), oreads (mountain nymphs), nereids (daughters of the sea sage Nereus), as well as various magical creatures and monsters.
In addition, the goat-footed satyrs who accompanied the god Dionysus lived in the forests. Many legends featured wise and warlike centaurs. The goddesses of vengeance Erinnia stood at the throne of Hades, and on Olympus the gods were entertained by muses and charites, patrons of the arts. All these entities often argued with the gods or married with them or with people. Many great heroes and gods were born as a result of such marriages.
Myths of Ancient Greece: Hercules and his exploits
As for the heroes, in every region of Greece it was also customary to honor their own. But invented in the north of Hellas, in Epirus, Hercules became one of the most beloved characters of ancient myths. Hercules is known for the fact that, while in the service of his relative, King Eurystheus, he performed 12 labors (the murder of the Lernean Hydra, the capture of the Kerinean fallow deer and the Erymanthian boar, the bringing of the belt of Hippolyta, the deliverance of the people from the Stymphalian birds, the taming of the mares of Diomedes, a trip to the Kingdom of Hades and other).
Not everyone knows that these deeds were carried out by Hercules as an atonement for guilt (in a fit of madness, he destroyed his family). After the death of Hercules, the gods accepted him into their ranks: even Hera, who throughout the life of the hero plotted against him, was forced to recognize him.
Conclusion
Ancient myths were created many centuries ago. But they are by no means primitive. The myths of Ancient Greece are the key to understanding modern European culture.
Do you know why a Chow Chow dog has a blue tongue? If such a question had been asked to a resident of ancient China, he would not have hesitated to answer. There is an interesting Chinese legend that says: “In very ancient times, when God had already created the Earth and populated it with animals, birds, insects, fish, he was engaged in the distribution of stars in the sky. During this work, quite by accident, a piece of the sky fell off from him and fell to the Earth. All the animals and birds, in horror, fled to the sides and hid in secluded places. And only the most courageous Chow-Chow dog was not afraid to approach the fragment of the sky, sniff it and lightly lick it with its tongue. Since then, the Chow Chow dog, and all of its descendants, has had a blue tongue." Thanks to this beautiful legend, Chow Chow, and today, is called "the dog that licked the sky."
The Austrian city of Salzburg is known not only for its picturesque surroundings, famous resorts, but also for many historical sights. And, perhaps, the main one is the Mirabell Palace with a complex of fabulous gardens. The pink stone from which the palace is built gives it lightness and airiness. Of course, this is a wonderful creation of architecture, but it is not considered the main highlight, but, namely, the Mirabell Gardens. Fountains, a garden of dwarfs, stone lions, trees and flower beds - very bizarre forms, elegant balustrades, a theater with hedges - it's impossible to describe everything. This must be seen. The real pride of Austria.
Venice - a city shrouded in a light haze, seems almost ephemeral and exists only in our imagination. But still, you can see it not only in pictures and in the movies, it actually exists with all its squares, canals, bridges, cathedrals. I think that everyone who has not been there dreams of making a romantic trip to Venice to capture the mysterious and mysterious essence of this unusual and magnificent city. One of the main symbols of the city is considered to be a gondola. Perhaps someone noticed that they are all the same color and, like black swans, cut through the waters of the canals of Venice. There is a legend that answers the question: Why are all the Venetian gondolas in the "city of love" black?
Salzburg is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in Austria. Located at the very foot of the Alps, literally 5 kilometers from the border with Germany. The very name of the city is associated with a nearby salt deposit. It has been mined since time immemorial. According to legend, the fortress was built here to control the export of salt. So the name Salzburg, which means Salt Fortress, appeared.
If someone has ever been to Krakow, they will never forget the charming atmosphere of this city. Complex history, unique culture, unique architecture make Krakow a real paradise for poets, musicians, artists and just for any person. The city covered with legends gladly reveals its secrets to everyone who visits it. If you were not lucky enough to visit there, then I strongly advise you to read the book by N.G. Frolova "Old Krakow". One of the parts of this book is called "Characters of the City Spectacle". Whoever does not participate in this eternal Krakow performance: musicians, poets, warriors, kings, artists, adventurers...
For the first time this monument appeared in St. Petersburg in 1999 on Malaya Sadovaya Street 3. The work of the sculptor V.A. Sivakov. The exact name is "Monument to the Stray Dog Gavryusha". But as soon as he was not called a monument to a good dog, and Gavryusha, and even just Nyusha. After sitting there for 8 years, the dog gave birth to either a rumor or a legend. Teenagers really liked the dog. And so they came up with the idea that if you write a wish to a dog, then it will definitely come true. Since then, the courtyard on Malaya Sadovaya, where the dog stood, has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists and residents of the city.
Saint John of Nepomuk is one of the most revered Czech saints in Prague. Considered the patron saint of Prague and the entire Czech Republic. He lived in the XIV century, during the reign of King Wenceslas IV and was a priest. What Jan of Nepomuk did wrong to the king is not exactly known, but one of the most plausible assumptions is as follows. Being the queen's confessor, he refused to reveal the secret of his wife's confession to Wenceslas IV. For what, after long tortures and torments. the king ordered his execution. The priest was put in a sack and thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava.
Charles Bridge is one of the main attractions of Prague. It was built by order of King Charles IV in 1357. For five centuries it was the only bridge across the Vltava. Later, in the 17th century, they began to decorate it with sculptures, the number of which reached 30. So the bridge turned into a real open-air art gallery. Nowadays, the bridge is pedestrian and it has been chosen by artists, souvenir sellers, street musicians and, of course, tourists. Many legends of Old Prague are connected with the Charles Bridge. Here is one of them.
May 30, 2018Disputes between supporters of the theory of creationism and evolutionary theory do not subside to this day. However, unlike the theory of evolution, creationism includes not one, but hundreds of different theories (if not more). In this article we will talk about the ten most unusual myths of antiquity.
10. The myth of Pan-gu
The Chinese have their own ideas about how the world came into being. The most popular myth can be called the myth of Pan-gu, a giant man. The plot is as follows: at the dawn of time, Heaven and Earth were so close to each other that they merged into a single black mass.
According to legend, this mass was an egg, and Pan-gu lived inside it, and he lived for a long time - many millions of years. But one day he got tired of such a life, and, waving a heavy ax, Pan-gu got out of his egg, splitting it into two parts. These parts subsequently became Heaven and Earth. He was unimaginably tall - about fifty kilometers long, which, by the standards of the ancient Chinese, was the distance between Heaven and Earth.
Unfortunately for Pan-gu, and fortunately for us, the colossus was mortal and, like all mortals, died. And then Pan-gu decomposed. But not the way we do it - Pan-gu decayed really cool: his voice turned into thunder, his skin and bones became the firmament of the earth, and his head became Cosmos. So, his death gave life to our world.
9. Chernobog and Belobog
This is one of the most significant myths of the Slavs. He tells about the confrontation between Good and Evil - the White and Black gods. It all started like this: when there was only one solid sea around, Belobog decided to create land, sending his shadow - Chernobog - to do all the dirty work. Chernobog did everything as expected, however, having a selfish and proud nature, he did not want to share power over the firmament with Belobog, deciding to drown the latter.
Belobog got out of this situation, did not allow himself to be killed, and even blessed the land erected by Chernobog. However, with the advent of land, there was one small problem: its area grew exponentially, threatening to swallow everything around.
Then Belobog sent his delegation to Earth in order to find out from Chernobog how to stop this business. Well, Chernobog sat on a goat and went to negotiations. The delegates, seeing Chernobog galloping towards them on a goat, were imbued with the comedy of this spectacle and burst into wild laughter. Chernobog did not understand humor, was very offended and flatly refused to talk to them.
Meanwhile, Belobog, still wanting to save the Earth from dehydration, decided to spy on Chernobog, making a bee for this purpose. The insect coped with the task successfully and found out the secret, which was as follows: in order to stop the growth of land, it is necessary to draw a cross on it and say the cherished word - “enough”. What Belobog did.
To say that Chernobog was not happy is to say nothing. Wanting to take revenge, he cursed Belobog, and cursed him in a very original way - for his meanness, Belobog was now supposed to eat bee feces all his life. However, Belobog did not lose his head, and made bee feces sweet like sugar - this is how honey appeared. For some reason, the Slavs did not think about how people appeared ... The main thing is that there is honey.
8. Armenian duality
Armenian myths are reminiscent of Slavic ones, and also tell us about the existence of two opposite principles - this time male and female. Unfortunately, the myth does not answer the question of how our world was created, it only explains how everything around is arranged. But that doesn't make it any less interesting.
So, here is a brief gist: Heaven and Earth are husband and wife separated by the ocean; The sky is a city, and the Earth is a piece of rock, which is held on its huge horns by an equally huge bull - when he shakes his horns, the earth bursts at the seams from earthquakes. That, in fact, is all - this is how the Armenians imagined the Earth.
There is also an alternative myth where the Earth is in the middle of the sea, and Leviathan swims around it, trying to grab onto its own tail, and constant earthquakes were also explained by its flopping. When Leviathan finally bites his own tail, life on Earth will end and the apocalypse will come. Have a nice day.
7 Norse Myth Of The Ice Giant
It would seem that there is nothing in common between the Chinese and the Scandinavians - but no, the Vikings also had their own giant - the origin of everything, only his name was Ymir, and he was icy and with a club. Before his appearance, the world was divided into Muspelheim and Niflheim - the realms of fire and ice, respectively. And between them stretched Ginnungagap, symbolizing absolute chaos, and there, from the merging of two opposite elements, Ymir was born.
And now closer to us, to the people. When Ymir began to sweat, a man and a woman emerged from his right armpit along with the sweat. It's strange, yes, we understand this - well, that's how they are, harsh Vikings, there's nothing to be done. But back to the point. The man's name was Buri, he had a son Bor, and Bor had three sons - Odin, Vili and Ve. The three brothers were gods and ruled Asgard. This seemed not enough to them, and they decided to kill Ymir's great-grandfather, making the world out of him.
Ymir was not happy, but no one asked him. In the process, he shed a lot of blood - enough to fill the seas and oceans; from the skull of the unfortunate brothers created the vault of heaven, they broke his bones, making mountains and cobblestones out of them, and they made clouds out of the torn brains of poor Ymir.
This new world Odin and the company immediately decided to populate: so they found two beautiful trees on the seashore - ash and alder, making a man out of ash, and a woman out of alder, thereby giving rise to the human race.
6. Greek myth about balls
Like many other peoples, the ancient Greeks believed that before our world appeared, there was only continuous Chaos around. There was no sun, no moon - everything was dumped into one big heap, where things were inseparable from each other.
But then a certain god came, looked at the chaos reigning around, thought and decided that all this was not good, and set to work: he separated the cold from the heat, the foggy morning from the clear day, and all that sort of thing.
Then he set about the Earth, rolling it into a ball and dividing this ball into five parts: it was very hot at the equator, extremely cold at the poles, but between the poles and the equator - just right, you can’t imagine more comfortable. Further, from the seed of an unknown god, most likely Zeus, known to the Romans as Jupiter, the first man was created - two-faced and also in the shape of a ball.
And then they tore it in two, making a man and a woman out of it - the future of us.
SourcePhoto 5The Egyptian God Who Loved His Shadow Very Much
In the beginning there was a great ocean whose name was "Nu", and this ocean was Chaos, and there was nothing else besides it. It was not until Atum, by an effort of will and thought, created himself from this Chaos. Yes, the man had balls. But further - more and more interesting. So, he created himself, now it was necessary to create the earth in the ocean. Which he did. Having wandered around the earth and realizing his total loneliness, Atum became unbearably bored, and he decided to plan more gods. How? And so, with an ardent, passionate feeling for his own shadow.
Thus fertilized, Atum gave birth to Shu and Tefnut, spitting them out of his mouth. But, apparently, he overdid it, and the newborn gods were lost in the ocean of Chaos. Atum grieved, but soon, to his relief, he nevertheless found and regained his children. He was so happy about the reunion that he wept for a long, long time, and his tears, touching the earth, fertilized it - and people grew out of the earth, many people! Then, while people were fertilizing each other, Shu and Tefnut also had coitus, and they gave birth to other gods - more gods to the god of gods! - Gebu and Nutu, who became the personification of the Earth and the sky.
There is another myth in which Atum replaces Ra, but this does not change the main essence - there, too, everyone fertilizes each other en masse.
4. The myth of the Yoruba people - about the Sands of Life and the chicken
There is such an African people - the Yoruba. So, they also have their own myth about the origin of all things.
In general, it was like this: there was one God, his name was Olorun, and one fine day the thought came to his mind - that the Earth should be arranged somehow (then the Earth was one continuous wasteland).
Olorun did not really want to do this himself, so he sent his son, Obotalu, to Earth. However, at that time, Obotala had more important things to do (in fact, a chic party was planned in heaven then, and Obotala simply could not miss it).
While Obotala was having fun, all the responsibility was thrown on Odudawa. With nothing at hand but chicken and sand, Odudawa nevertheless set to work. His principle was as follows: he took sand from a cup, poured it on the Earth, and then let the chicken run along the sand and trample it well.
Having carried out several such simple manipulations, Odudava created the land of Lfe or Lle-lfe. This is where the story of Odudava ends, and Obotala reappears on the stage, this time drunk as hell - the party was a success.
And so, being in a state of divine alcoholic intoxication, the son of Olorun set about creating us humans. It went out of his hands badly, and he made invalids, dwarfs and freaks. Having sobered up, Obotala was horrified and quickly corrected everything, creating normal people.
According to another version, Obotala never recovered, and Odudava also made people, simply lowering us from the sky and at the same time assigning himself the status of the ruler of mankind.
3. Aztec "War of the Gods"
According to the Aztec myth, no original Chaos existed. But there was a primary order - an absolute vacuum, impenetrably black and endless, in which, in some strange way, the Supreme God - Ometeotl lived. He had a dual nature, having both a feminine and a masculine beginning, was kind and at the same time evil, was both warm and cold, truth and falsehood, white and black.
He gave birth to the rest of the gods: Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca and Xipe-Totec, who, in turn, created giants, water, fish and other gods.
Tezcatlipoca ascended to heaven, sacrificing himself and becoming the Sun. However, there he encountered Quetzalcoatl, entered into battle with him and lost to him. Quetzalcoatl threw Tezcatlipoc from the sky and became the Sun himself. Then, Quetzalcoatl gave birth to humans and gave them nuts to eat.
Tezcatlipoka, still holding a grudge against Quetzalcoatl, decided to take revenge on his creations by turning people into monkeys. Seeing what happened to his first people, Quetzalcoatl fell into a rage and caused a powerful hurricane that scattered vile monkeys around the world.
While Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoc were at enmity with each other, Tialoc and Chalchiuhtlicue also turned into suns in order to continue the cycle of day and night. However, the fierce battle of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoc also affected them - then they, too, were thrown from heaven.
In the end, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoc ended the enmity, forgetting past grievances and creating new people, the Aztecs, from the dead bones and blood of Quetzalcoatl.
2. Japanese "World Cauldron"
Japan. Chaos again, again in the form of an ocean, this time as dirty as a swamp. Magical reeds (or reeds) grew in this ocean swamp, and from this reeds (or reeds), like our children from cabbage, the gods were born, there are a great many of them. All together they were called Kotoamatsukami - and this is all that is known about them, for, as soon as they were born, they immediately hurried to hide in the reeds. Or in reeds.
While they were hiding, new gods appeared, including Ijinami and Ijinaga. They began to stir the ocean until it thickened and formed the land - Japan. Ijinami and Ijinaga had a son, Ebisu, who became the god of all fishermen, a daughter, Amaterasu, who became the Sun, and another daughter, Tsukiyomi, who turned into the Moon. They also had one more son, the last - Susanoo, who, for his violent temper, received the status of the god of wind and storms.
1. Lotus flower and "Om-m"
As in many other religions, Hinduism also features the concept of the emergence of the world from the void. Well, as from the void - there was an endless ocean in which a giant cobra swam, and there was Vishnu, who slept on the cobra's tail. And nothing more.
Time passed, days succeeded each other one after another, and it seemed that it would always be like this. But one day, a sound that had never been heard before - the sound of "Om-m" - sounded all around, and the previously empty world was overwhelmed with energy. Vishnu awakened from his sleep, and Brahma appeared from the lotus flower at his navel. Vishnu ordered Brahma to create the world, and in the meantime he disappeared, taking with him a snake.
Brahma, sitting in a lotus position on a lotus flower, set to work: he divided the flower into three parts, using one to create Heaven and Hell, another to create Earth, and a third to create heaven. Then Brahma created animals, birds, people and trees, thus creating all living things.
Dear reader! Here are collected short parables, fables and legends for children of elementary grades. They are rewritten, written in short sentences. Easy to read children. fit for children of any class. Parables are added. If you have your own good parable, fable or legend, please send it. Or post it in the comments. Thank you! 🙂
Parable. Why be afraid?
One day there was a severe thunderstorm. All the children ran home. And there was no little girl.
Mom went to look for her. It was raining in the yard. Lightning flashed brightly. Thunder rumbled loudly.
Mom was scared. She closed her eyes from every lightning. And from every thunder - she covered her head with her hands.
Mom found her daughter on the street. The girl was all wet. She jumped and danced in the rain. And when lightning flashed, the girl lifted her face up. And smiled at the sky.
Mom was very surprised. She asked:
- Daughter! Are not you afraid? Are you scared?
But in surprise, the daughter replied:
- No, mom! I'm not scared! I don't know what is there to be afraid of?
And then she said:
- Mother! Look! I dance, and the sky photographs me!
The same parable performed by Alexandra
Do not judge strictly, performance without rehearsal:
Two apples
A parable about not jumping to conclusions.
A little girl brought two apples from the street. Probably someone gave it.
- Mom, look how beautiful apples are!
- Yes, beautiful! Will you treat me? Mom asked.
The little girl looked at the apples. Then she took a bite out of one apple. I thought for a second and…” I took a bite of the second.
Mom was surprised. And thought:
- What a greedy girl I have. She began to eat both apples, but she never offered me a single one.
But to her surprise, the girl handed her mother one apple with the words:
- Mommy! Take this apple! It is sweeter! 🙂
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Fable for children
Fable Lion and Mouse
The lion was sleeping under a tree. And under this tree was the Mouse's mink. The mouse began to climb out of the mink and woke up the Lion. The lion woke up and caught the mouse. The mouse began to ask:
- Let go! I promise to help you when you ask me.
The Lion released the Mouse and laughed. He said:
– How can you help me? You are so small.
Time has passed. The hunters wounded the lion. They tied him with a rope and decided to sell him to the zoo.
The lion roared strongly, but none of the animals came to the rescue. All animals were also afraid of hunters.
But the Mouse came running. She gnawed through the rope at night. And Leo was free.
Then the Mouse said to the Lion:
“Remember, you laughed at me for being so small. You didn't believe that I could help you.
Leo said:
“Forgive me, Mouse, for laughing. I did not know that there is a benefit from small animals.
Fable for children
Fable Dog and reflection
The dog walked along the plank across the river. She carried a bone in her teeth.
Suddenly the Dog saw her reflection in the water. She thought that another dog was carrying prey there. And it seemed to the dog that the dog's bone was much larger than hers.
The dog abandoned his prey and rushed to take the bone from the reflection.
As a result, the Dog was left with nothing. And she lost her own, and she could not take away someone else's.
This fable is about a cowardly heart.
No matter how much you help the cowardly, he will still be afraid.
Mouse heart
Young speaker Once upon a time there was a little Mouse, who was unhappy because he was afraid of everything. But most of all he was afraid of falling into the paws of a cat.
The little mouse came to the Wizard and began to ask him to make him a cat.
The wizard took pity on the mouse and turned it into a cat.
But then this cat became afraid of dogs.
The wizard turned the former mouse into a dog. But then he became afraid of wolves.
The wizard turned him into a wolf. But then he became very afraid of the hunters.
And then the Wizard gave up. He again turned him into a mouse and said:
“Nothing will help you. Because you have the heart of a cowardly mouse.
The Legend of King Solomon's Ring.
There is a legend about King Solomon.
This legend is about King Solomon and the magic ring. I think kids will understand it just as much as adults.
The wise man gave King Solomon a magic ring. He put this ring on the king's finger and said:
“Never take off the ring!”
This ring was inscribed:
"All will pass!"
When the king was sad, Solomon looked at the ring and read the inscription:
"All will pass!"
And the magic of the ring acted on the king. Solomon ceased to be sad.
The ring has always helped the king. Even when Solomon was angry, he also looked at the ring and read:
"All will pass!"
He smiled and calmed down.
But once there was a strong grief. Solomon looked at the ring and read the inscription. But he did not calm down, and even got angry. Then for the first time he took the ring off his finger and wanted to throw it away. But he saw that there was also an inscription inside the ring. He read:
“And this too shall pass!”
Solomon calmed down and smiled.
He never took off his magic ring again. And he made an expensive gift to the sage.
Parable for children
Where do zebra stripes come from? African legend.
Once upon a time, the zebra was one-colored. She was brown as an antelope. And Zebra didn't like it. But she didn't know what color to be. She liked black and white.
Zebra took two brushes and two cans of paint: white and black.
Each time she painted herself, now black paint, now white. And so the stripes appeared. I haven't decided which one to be, white or black.
Then Zebra decided to swim to wash off the paint. But the paint was already so ingrained that it was impossible to get rid of it. Since then, the Zebras have become black and white stripes.
Legend of Narcissus.
It was a long time ago. Back when people didn't have mirrors.
One young man was very handsome. And to see his beauty, he went to the stream to look at his reflection.
He looked at his reflection for a long time, and admired himself. Then a Fairy appeared from the forest and made a beautiful flower out of the young man. This beautiful flower stayed on the bank of the stream, admiring its reflection.
And people began to say to those who often look into their reflection:
- Do not admire yourself for a long time, so as not to turn into a flower, like Narcissus
Parables for children
The legend of how the kangaroo got its name.
The famous navigator James Cook sailed to Australia. There he saw amazing animals that jumped with huge jumps on two legs.
The surprised captain asked a local resident:
- What is the name of this animal?
The native shrugged his shoulders, because he did not understand anything.
Cook asked again:
- Who is this?- and pointed to the jumping animal.
The native replied:
- Kangaroo.
In the local language, this meant: "I do not understand you".
Cook asked:
- Kangaroo?
The native nodded his head.
– Kangaroo
Cook wrote in his journal that he saw amazing animals that run by jumping on two legs. And these animals are called: kangaroo.
Parables for children
Dispute of Sun and Wind. Who is stronger?
The wind boasted how strong it was. The Sun decided to teach the Wind a lesson. It said:
- You see, there is an old man in a raincoat. Can you take off his cape?
“Of course I can,” Wind replied.
The sun hid behind a cloud, and the wind began to blow. Stronger and stronger, until finally it turned into a hurricane. But, the stronger the wind blew, the stronger the traveler wrapped himself in his cloak.
The sun said:
- Enough! Now it's my turn!
The wind died down and stopped.
And the Sun smiled at the traveler and warmed him with its rays. The old man cheered up, he felt warm - and he took off his raincoat.
And the Sun said to the Wind:
- You see! There is another power as well.
Since then, the Wind has ceased to boast of its power in front of the Sun.
Parables for children
Parable. How to split equally?
Two brothers lived in the same village. Father will give them a field. And the brothers decided to divide the field in half.
We started to share. Either it seemed to one that the other got most of it ... then vice versa ... No way they could draw a border. We thought and guessed ... we almost got to the fight ...
And they decided to turn to the Sage.
- Tell me, Sage ... How can we equally and peacefully divide the field among ourselves?
And the wise man says:
- Do it. Let one brother divide the field in half as he decides to do it. And the second - let him choose from two halves: which part will be his, and which will go to his brother.
So they did. One brother divided the field in half. He tried very hard to make the halves the same. The second brother chose one half of the field. And he was also pleased. After this incident, the brothers began to share everything in this way.
Parables for children
How to treat your work.
Three workers carried bricks. A boy came up to them and asked:
- What are you doing?
The worker wiped sweat from his forehead and replied:
- Don't you see that we carry bricks?
- But why?
“Baby, we have a job to do.
The boy did not understand why people carry bricks. He approached another worker and asked:
- What are you doing?
He rolled up his sleeves and said matter-of-factly:
- Can't you see? - We earn money.
- What for?
- What do you mean why? I need money, otherwise I didn't go to this job.
Then the boy went up to the third worker.
- What are you doing?
The man smiled and said:
- Like what? We are doing a good job. We are building a house for good people. People will live happily in it. I am glad that I have already built many beautiful houses.
The boy thought. People do the same job for different reasons. And with different moods.
Children's parables
Fight with a lion
The lion was resting in the shade of a large tree after a hearty meal. It was noon. Heat.
The Jackal approached the Lion. He looked at the resting Lion and timidly said:
- A lion! And let's fight!
But there was only silence in response.
The jackal began to speak louder:
- A lion! Let's fight! Let's arrange a battle in this clearing. You are against me!
The lion paid no attention to him.
Then the Jackal threatened:
- Let's fight! Otherwise, I’ll go and tell everyone that you, Lev, were terribly afraid of me.
The lion yawned, stretched lazily, and said:
- And who will believe you? Think! Even if someone condemns me for cowardice, it is still much more pleasant than the fact that they will despise me. To despise for a fight with some kind of Jackal ...
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Parables for children
Fly and bee
The mosquito asked Mukha:
– Are there any beautiful flowers nearby?
But the Fly answered Komaru:
- There are no flowers here. But there are many good garbage heaps. You definitely need to fly to them. There are so many interesting things.
The mosquito flew. And met a bee. He asked:
- Bee! Where are the trash cans? I can't find them anywhere.
And the bee replies:
- Don't know. I saw only beautiful flowers nearby. Let's fly together and I'll show you.
Parables for children
Ghost tree.
Not far from the road stood a large withered tree.
One night a thief passed by on the road. He saw a tree in the dark. But this silhouette seemed to him in the form of a policeman. The thief got scared and ran away.
In the evening, a lover passed by. He noticed a graceful silhouette from a distance and thought that his beloved had been waiting for him for a long time. His heart beat with joy. He smiled and quickened his pace.
One day a mother with a child passed by a tree. The kid, frightened by terrible tales, thought that there was a ghost near the road and burst into loud tears.
But the tree has always remained only a tree!
The world around us is a reflection of ourselves.
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Parables for children
Who else could I be?
There lived two brothers. One brother was a successful man who achieved fame for his good deeds. The other brother was a criminal.
Once the police caught the criminal, and the case was taken to court. Before the trial, a group of journalists surrounded him, and one asked a question:
- How did it happen that you became a criminal?
- I had a difficult childhood. My father drank, beat my mother and me and my brother. Who else could I be?
After a while, several journalists approached the first brother, and one asked:
- You are known for your achievements and good deeds. How did it happen that you achieved all this?
The man thought for a moment and then replied:
- I had a difficult childhood. My father drank, beat my mother, my brother and me. Who else could I be?
Parables for children
ALL IN YOUR HANDS
Parable
Once upon a time, in one city, there lived a great sage. The fame of his wisdom spread far around his hometown, people from afar came to him for advice.
But there was a man in the city who envied its glory. Once he came to a meadow, caught a butterfly, planted it between his closed palms, and thought:
- I'll go to the sage and ask him: tell me, oh wisest, what kind of butterfly is in my hands - alive or dead? - If he says dead, I will open my palms, the butterfly will fly away. If he says alive, I will close my hands and the butterfly will die. Then everyone will understand which of us is smarter.
That's how it all happened. An envious person came to the city and asked the wise man: “Tell me, O wisest one, which butterfly is in my hands - alive or dead?”
Gazing into his eyes, the sage said:
"All in your hands".
Parables for children
Parable. TOY MASTER
In a distant country, there lived an old man who was very fond of children. He constantly made toys for them.
But these toys turned out to be so fragile that they broke faster than the child had time to play with them. Having broken another toy, the children were very upset and came to the master to ask for new ones. He gladly gave them others, even more fragile ...
Finally, the parents intervened. They came to the old man with a question:
- Tell us, O Wise One, why do you always give our children such fragile toys that the children cry inconsolably when they break them?
And then the wise man said:
- It will take quite a few years, and someone will give these former children their heart. Maybe, having learned not to break fragile toys, they will be more careful about someone else's heart? ..
The parents thought for a long time. And they left, thanking the Teacher.
Parables for children
Paper
The teacher called his students and showed them a sheet of white paper.
– What do you see here? the Sage asked.
"Point," answered one.
All the other students nodded their heads to indicate that they also saw the dot.
“Look closer,” the Master said.
But no matter how much the students peered, they saw nothing but a black dot.
And then the teacher said:
- You all saw a small black dot, and no one noticed a blank white sheet ...
So I have more to teach you.
Parables for children
About trading methods
Once an ancient old man appeared in the market wearing a skullcap and an oriental robe embroidered with an unusual ornament. The old man was selling watermelons.
Above his product was a sign:
“One watermelon - 3 rubles. Three watermelons - 10 rubles.
A bearded man comes up and buys a watermelon for three rubles...
Then another watermelon for three rubles ...
And in parting, he happily says to the seller:
- Look, I bought three watermelons, but paid only 9 rubles, not 10. You don't know how to trade!
The old man looks after him:
- Yes! They buy three watermelons from me instead of one, and then they teach me how to trade ...
Children's parables
The Parable of the Two Wolves
Once upon a time, an old Indian revealed to his grandson one vital truth.
- You see, in every person there is a struggle. This fight is very similar to the fight between two wolves. One wolf represents evil: envy, jealousy, regret, selfishness, greed, lies... And the other wolf represents goodness: peace, love, hope, care, kindness, fidelity... And other good qualities of a person.
The little Indian thought for a long time. And then he asked:
- Grandfather! Which wolf wins at the end? Bad wolf or good wolf?
The old Indian smiled almost imperceptibly, and answered:
- Remember: the wolf you feed always wins.
Parables for children
A stupid boy
A little boy walks into a barbershop. The hairdresser immediately recognizes him and tells his clients:
- Look, this is the most stupid boy among all in the world! Now I will prove to you.
The barber takes $1 in one hand and 25 cents in the other. Calls the boy and invites him to choose:
– Do you choose 1 or 25?
- Twenty five!
Everyone laughs. The boy receives 25 cents and leaves.
Soon, one client catches up with the boy and asks:
- Boy! Tell me why did you choose 25 cents and not 1 dollar? Are you really that stupid that you don't understand that $1 is more than 25 cents?
- Fine! And what will I get for it?
You'll get another 25 cents.
The boy receives the coins and says:
- Because the day I choose $1, I think the hairdresser will stop being happy. Visitors will have nothing to laugh at. I will become "smart", I will no longer be "stupid". And I can't get 25 cents every time.
Children's parables
The Legend of the Temple with a Thousand Mirrors
Many hundreds of years ago, high in the mountains, there was a Temple with a thousand mirrors. Many people went to him.
One day, a dog entered the temple. Looking around, the dog saw a thousand dogs in the mirrors and, frightened, bared his teeth.
At that moment she saw a thousand grinning dogs. The dog growled. And the echo answered with a growl..
With its tail between its legs, the dog ran out of the temple, confident that evil dogs live in this temple.
A month later, another dog came to the temple with a thousand mirrors.
She entered it and, looking in the mirrors, saw a thousand friendly and peaceful dogs. She wagged her tail. And I saw a thousand friendly dogs.
Barking joyfully, she left the temple with full confidence that this Temple is full of friendly dogs.
- The world is often only a reflection of ourselves: if we look at the world brightly and joyfully, then it answers us the same!
Parables for children
Bucket with apples
A man bought himself a new house - big, beautiful - and a garden with fruit trees near the house. And nearby in an old house lived an envious neighbor.
Once a man woke up in a good mood, went out onto the porch, and there was a pile of garbage.
What to do? Your porch needs to be cleaned. Also, find out who it was. And I found out - an envious neighbor.
I wanted to go and quarrel, but, after thinking, I decided to do it differently.
I went to the garden, picked up the most ripe apples and went to a neighbor.
The neighbor, hearing a knock on the door, thought maliciously: “Finally, my neighbor is angry!” Opens the door.
To his surprise, there was no one there, only apples. And on the apples a note:
Whoever is rich, he shares it!
Children's parables
Bad words.
Two friends quarreled. And one began to say bad words about his friend to all his acquaintances.
But then he calmed down and realized that he was wrong. He came to a friend and began to ask him for forgiveness.
Then the second friend said:
- Fine! I will forgive you. Only under one condition.
- What?
“Take a pillow and release all the feathers into the wind.
The first friend did just that. He tore the pillow. And the wind carried the feathers all over the village.
A contented friend came to another and said:
- Completed your task. Am I forgiven?
Yes, if you put all the feathers back into the pillow.
But you yourself understand that it is impossible to collect all the feathers back. So the bad words that have already scattered throughout the village cannot be taken back.
Sincerely, Oleg Bolsunov, trainer of rhetoric.
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Short legends, parables, fables for elementary school students
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