Blake's Mythology Blog

Hans riding his rooster (Source) This is the story of how Hans the Hedgehog became engaged to a princess.  Hans was a very special little creature.  His parents had tried for so long to have a child, but when Hans was born, they were horrified to see that their little baby had the head and torso of a hedgehog but the legs of a boy.  Although they did their best to love him, from an early age Hans could tell that they were horrified and ashamed of their child.  He grew very depressed and spent most of his time in the barn with the other animals, like the pigs, donkeys, and his best friend of all, the rooster. Since he was half hedgehog, Hans stopped growing very quickly and remained quite small.  Although this surely disappointed his father, it was perfect, for Hans was able to ride around on top of the rooster as if it were a colorful horse.  He rode the rooster everywhere, even flying up around the trees that lined his father’s fields.  From th...

There once was a very happy traveler who had just gone to visit his parents in a far-off province.  He had spent about a week there, a happy time, and was cheerfully returning to his wife and children who were awaiting him at home.  To further bolster his spirits, the weather looked absolutely beautiful.  The sun was shining, but not too harsh, and with the slightly chilly air he felt completely comfortable with his jacket wrapped around his shoulders. While he walked, he marveled at the beautiful scenery around him and listened to the humming of the insects and the sweet singing of the birds.  Before he had departed, his dear mother had given him a heavy travelling coat that she said would be sure to protect him from the rain, cold, and anything else he encountered.  He thanked her at the time but now it looked like her gift would not be required.  He carried on walking, whistling as he went. The harder the wind blew, the tighter the man wrapped his ...

 Richard More was a bright and inquisitive young boy.  While his siblings and masters worked busily to cook and hunt, cut trees and dig holes, Richard busied himself in exploring the new land outside the fort.  His older brother Jasper and his mother often cautioned him about the wolves and the Indians, but John took no notice of their warnings.  As his master, John Carver was governor of the new colony, he was often preoccupied with other matters, and was unable to pay little attention to the wanderings of his young servant.  Richard liked running underneath the great blue sky and would often run for as far as his little legs could take him, while he just stared up at the clouds and the sun. Although he was only 6 years old when he and his family first arrived in the New World, Richard was very keen and often heard the adults talking in hushed voices while he was supposed to be sleeping.  They mostly talked about God and the rumors of the colony, so ...

Cormac Mac Art was once the king of all of Ireland.  He had a beautiful wife and two wonderful children, but they could no longer bring happiness to his heart.  His lands were great and rich, and brought forth great harvests every year, but this too failed to please him more than a moment.  He looked far and wide for a source of joy again in his life, taking up all manner of sciences and arts, sports and contests, but these all failed to lighten the burden that had settled over his heavy heart. One day, a minstrel came to the court of the king and sang a song that sparked hope in the king’s mind.  His gentle tune told the tale of a magical branch which could alleviate the sufferings of any man, woman or child.  If they were sick, a wave of the branch could alleviate their pain.  If they were sad, they could forget all about their trials and troubles.  King Cormac at once resolved to acquire this mystical balm and thanked the minstrel for his song....

A sad, fat marmot. (Image source) Marmot and Raven were terrible enemies.  Raven had been dancing the best he could with his eyes closed, but Marmot only laughed at him and hid from Raven before he could catch him.  Raven shrieked in rage and vowed to capture him, but Marmot was safely in his hole and Raven could not get him out.  Raven flew away, plotting how he could get his revenge on Marmot. One day, Raven returned to Marmot with a large branch of berries in his beak and said: “I’m sorry Marmot, I should not have gotten mad at you.  Please take these berries as my apology.” “Why thank you, Raven” replied Marmot.  “That’s very kind.”  And he quickly gulped down the juicy berries. The next day, Raven returned with a large, juicy fish. “Here Marmot, take this fish.  I was fishing and there was no way I could ever eat such a large meal.” Marmot happily accepted the fish and swallowed the whole thing in one gulp.  Marmot sat back ...

"The natives had often spoken of the mysteries of this cave" (Image source) August 8, 1878 After what seems to have been nearly three months of arduous travel, and having been afflicted with various diseases and problems of all sorts and species, we have finally arrived in the fabled jungle land of South Asia.  We had been directed after landing in the British consul in Thailand to head directly inland, as far as we could, travelling north.  We have earnestly endeavored to go as north as the land would permit us, but at last we have reached what seems to be an impassable ravine with a roaring river below.  It will likely take some time to find a suitable location to cross this treacherous cliff, and our native guides seem increasingly uncomfortable the deeper we have gone into the heart of the jungle.  Despite the presence of several nearby villages, the natives insisted that we should not linger for long in our temporary encampment. August 9, 1878 Despit...

A termite (white ant) mound in Africa (Source)  Listen, my son, and I will tell you the story of how the dreadful humans betrayed us and murdered our ancestors.  I will tell you why they are never to be trusted and why we must always work against them, destroying anything they construct. It all began many moons ago, when there but a few of us on the earth. At this time, there was not hatred between the animals, and all lived happily, trusting one another and never harming another being. One day, White Ant and his children were on their way to work, when they happened across Wolf and Leopard, where were both tied to and hanging from a great tree. What are you doing up there? they inquired. We have been betrayed by that evil trickster spider, Anansi! they cried.   He is the one who tied us up here and left us to be mocked and shamed by all the village and all the animals. Our kind and trusting ancestors sought a way to untie them, but alas...

Source: Flick Every day, a humble monk came to pay his respects to a great and wonderful king, who had watched over and protected his kingdom for many years with justice and kindness. The monk came daily and presented the king with a piece of fruit, thanked the king again for his kindness, and left. Although the king was a good man, he did not care so much about the fruit and because the fruit from his own orchard was always bigger and tastier appearing, he threw the fruit away each day without a second thought. This was not done out of spite, but simply a matter of course, for the king was a rich man and happy, who was simply grateful for the obeisance of the monk. One day, the monk came in as was his custom, and gave the king a small fruit. Bowing and thanking the king, he took his leave, as usual. This day however, there was a young pet monkey that happened to be roaming around the courtyard as the monk left. Absentmindedly, the king gave the fruit to the monkey, who gl...

The Old Man and the Sparrow Sire, the third old man knew that he had to tell an even more incredible story than the first two in order to appease the fearful genius.  The first two men had shared such thrilling stories of their family being transmuted into animals, but the third old man had an even greater tale.  He carried with him at all times a small cage which contained a rather plain looking sparrow.  He fed it regularly but the sparrow was always despondent, rarely singing, instead preferring to sleep or sit still and silence.  The old man raised the cage in front of the genius and began his story thus: Oh, great one, this is not the first time that I have met a genius of your stature and power.  In fact, when I was quite young, one of my best and most beloved friends was a genius such as yourself.  I was small and carefree, living my life without fear or consequences, happy from one meal to the next, free to roam and explore the world. ...

  Photo Source Cold shivers ran the length of Psyche’s spine as she contemplated the crashing waves breaking against the sharp rocks hundreds of feet below her.  Tears streamed down her cheeks, aided by the frigid wind and brought on by the terrible sadness in her heart.  She glanced back at her family, at her loving parents, at her weeping sisters.  This was the last time she would ever see their faces. Her heart stopped as she leapt, every muscle in her body clenched and her vision went black as the rushing air slipped past her small frame.  She was acutely aware of her own beating heart, its dull drumbeat strangely isolated from her own screams and those of the wind.  Then, everything was black. She opened her eyes, not to the sight of the underworld, but to the rushing ocean.  The wind whistled around her and she realized that she was flying through the air, rapidly, propelled by some invisible hand.  She started, and nearly fainted a...

 The Golem  Source It was a cold dark night again in Prague, and the winding streets had long been deserted.  A few lights flickered faintly in windows, but chilly air kept them shut and only the barking of dogs disturbed the otherwise peaceful scene.  In a three-story house, in the top floor, one room shone brighter than the rest.  Rabbi Loew was up late again, as was his habit.  He was regarded with a mixture of fear, respect, and admiration among the local population.  Some thought he was a crazy old man, others suspected he was a wizard, while others saw him as a wise and powerful Rabbi.  Mostly, he kept to himself though, trying not to disturb anyone, but the flashing lights and loud bangs that often emanated from his attic would sometimes cause the more ignorant neighbors to complain. Rabbi Loew had lived alone for some time now and his physical frame was not as strong as it used to be, though his mind was as sharp as ever.  Task...

There was once a majestic lion who had fallen madly in love with a beautiful human maiden.  The lion was strong and brave, but not nearly as sharp as his claws or teeth.  Even so, he desired greatly to marry this young woman with whom he was so smitten and so went to ask for her hand in marriage. Upon seeing the ferocious beast, the young maiden’s mother nearly collapsed of fright, but her father, being a more shrewd and careful man stood his ground and demanded a single condition of the lion. The Maiden and the Lion “If you are to marry my daughter,” he began, “I cannot bear the thought that some harm my come to her from you, even by accident.”  Although the lion began to protest that he was a very careful beast, her father presented his plan.  “If you will agree to be defanged and declawed, I shall know that my daughter is safe and that you may wed.” This shocked the lion, and even sent a shiver of fear down his otherwise courageous back.  Bei...