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paperclip
04-22-2005, 06:32 PM
Hi there,
I thought it'd be interesting if we all posted our favorite legends, stories, etc from our own countries. Try and keep them short though-- they are more fun to read if they're not too long.

Here's one from Ireland and one all irish people learn as little cailin agus buachailli...(girls and boys)..

Tir Nan Og is the land to which the Irish faeries know as Tuatha de Danann fled when their lands were taken by the Milesians. In Tir Nan Og they spend their days feasting, gaming, love-making and partaking of beautiful music. The faeries can even enjoy the thril of battle, for anyone slain is resurected the following day. It is the paradise that mortals can only dream of. {'Fairies' in ireland are more like 'gifted people', rather than actual fairy type creatures.)

Anyway, the story goes that one of the women from Tir na nOg (lit. land of the young) travelled to Ireland and while there saw Oisin, a young man fishing along the coast. Niamh (whose name means brightness) beguiled Oisin into coming with her to Tir na nOg. When they reached its golden shores, Niamh gave Oisin a white horse and they rode around the land, with Niamh showing Oisin the wonders of the fair land. She introduced him to her people and he was at home with them before long.
Years passed and eventually, as much as he loved Tir na nOg, Oisin began to pine after Ireland.
'Niamh', said Oisin, 'I wish to return to the land of my birth.'
Niamh wept. Oisin comforted her and asked why she wept. 'Don't leave Tir na nOg', says she. 'If you do, you will never return.'
Oisin pleaded and Niamh finally relented, on one condition: that he stays on the horse she gave him and does not touch the ground of Ireland. Oisin gladly accepts this condition.
Packed with provisions and bearing a glad heart, Oisin rode over the waves towards Ireland.
He headed for the fortress of Nuada of the Silver Arm, where all his friends were. As he galloped up the hill towards the castle, he was stunned to see it as an overgrown ruin. Weeds and moss grew rampant over the once glorious fortress. Then it hit him. He had been gone for much longer than he had thought.
He rode towards a group of young men in a neighbouring field trying to shift a large rock in order to build a wall.
'Good day', says he, 'Have you heard of Oisin, a warrior from around here?'. The young men replied enthusiastically:
'Of course', they cried, 'That famous warrior from times past. He fought with that mighty army, the Fianna. He had mighty powers of strength didn't he? That must have been at least three or four hundred years ago now.'
Oisin noticed that some of the men were blowing on blisters on their hands from the labour. 'Allow me to help you move that enormous stone you have there.' He leapt from the horse and as soon as his foot touched the ground, his body started to shrivel up and age rapidly. He died at the foot of the horse within a few seconds. The horse started to gallop away back to Niamh and Tir na nOg.

Hope you liked it. It may not be completely correct, I wrote it as I could remember it, with a few references from the internet, but that's one of the characteristics of irish stories, that you are meant to tell it yourself and change it as you see fit, it a constantly evolving thing.

Now for the rest of you.......
jmBoekestein
04-22-2005, 09:38 PM
I love that story Theresa, do you have some more on a link somwhere. You Irish really evolved a rich culture over the ages. Hats off.:applause:
paperclip
04-22-2005, 10:41 PM
Sorry, you don't get away with it that easily! This is a legends page- I want to hear you retell a famous legend from your country. You can take inspiration from a link but YOU have to write it in your own words.... come on, Jan-mark!
cha0t1c1
04-23-2005, 01:10 AM
hmmm...I'm arabic so most of our legends have been told...but I'm also iraqi, so I'm partially babylonian...has anyone heard about Gilgamish?
paperclip
04-23-2005, 09:41 AM
It doesn't matter if your legends have been told or written or anything, the main idea is that you write it yourself in order to throw a fresh perspective on it.

I've heard of Gilgamesh, but not the story. Please tell!
cha0t1c1
04-23-2005, 03:37 PM
alright, I'll summerize though:

Gilgamish was a king who ruled Babylon. He was one of the strongest humans to exist. The gods did not like the way he ruled, and the way he carried himself...they decided to get rid of him, to get a more controllable king. so, they sent Ankido(who was half bull half man, all power). Gilgamish dreamt of fighting a bull, which his mother explained to him that he will face an enemy who would become his friend. Ankido breaks through the city walls destroys everything in sight, to lure Gilgamish out. Gilgamish faces Ankido annoyed and angry due to the pleads of his people. Ankido and Gilgamish face each other in a gigantic battle, they destroy half the city, until Gilgamish pins Ankido.After that they become best friends and they go on adventure to destroy beasts sent at them by the gods. then Ankido get's sick and dies. Gilgamesh becomes sad, then he hears of plant of eternal life. He goes to an immortal man(the legend actually mention a guy who's desciption matches the description of Noah) who guides him toward that plant. Gilgamish gets the plant after a really rough journy. he stops for a drink one day after he acquired the plant, when the gods send a snake to eat the plant... I don't really remmember what happens after... :)
paperclip
04-23-2005, 04:13 PM
That's a really good story! Very well summarized, just the way I like it.
Now you're making me all curious, so I'm going to look up the end of the saga of Gilgamesh...
pluMmet
04-23-2005, 05:08 PM
There was a miner. The best miner that ever was. His pick was fast and it cut deep. As time went on men heard of the miner and came to challange him. They would pick tunnels thru mines and see who was fastest. The miner always won. Then one day a man approached the miner and said he could beat him. He said he could put a tunnel thru an entire mountain faster then the miner, so the challange was set. So the miner set waiting on the morning of the duel and as the sun came up he heard a noise off in the distance. It took hours but the noise got closer and closer until the miner saw men clearing trees and laying track. Then some hours later the track reached the mountain. A rumble insude as the mining train aproached. The miners jaw droped. The huge train pulled up to the base of the mountian and a crowd gathered. The man pop out of the train with a smile and said to the miner "Well I guess you've given up now that you've seen my train." Then the miner spit on the ground at the mans feet and said "I said I would beat you and I will!" The crowd cheered and the contest began. So the miner began picking and the man gave orders for his men to place track when the train need it and to take the dirt from the tunnel when the train would pause. For 3 days the miner picked and the train boared. For three days the miner and the man did not rest although the men servicing the train did rest and rotate. The crowd waited, some outside the beginning and some on the other side. Men would go to see the progress and reoprt to the crowds. Sometimes the train was ahead and sometimes the miner. As the last few feet of tunnel approached the man became saddened. The man wasn't sure who would win but he admired the miner. No man had ever been so tough as to equal a train. The man pushed his men and his train harder hoping the miner would hear that the man and the trian were about to win and stop to rest. The miner was told about the train and the men working harder and the miner worked harder himself. The miner did beat the train to the other side and as the crowd began cheering as they saw the hole opening as the miner picked his way thru something happened. The miner had worked too hard. His body became limp. The crowd rushed to make the whole big enought to pull the miner thru but it was too late. The miner died but his legend lives on....
ashakarc
04-23-2005, 06:07 PM
Some interesting myths and legends from around the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legends_and_myths)
ashakarc
04-23-2005, 06:29 PM
until Gilgamish pins Ankido.After that they become best friends and they go on adventure to destroy beasts sent at them by the gods.

The 12th tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh has explicitely mentioned the homosexual relationship between Enkido and Gilgamesh. The theory argue that they became lovers. As Gilgamesh rejects the sexual seduction of the goddess Ishtar, she asks her papa; i.e. daddy; the Sky God Anu to send the Bull of Heaven for revenge. That's when Enkido and Gilgamesh team up to kill the bull. Now you can insert the upper quote: Gilgamesh pins ...:eek:
cha0t1c1
04-23-2005, 07:31 PM
lol, good one...great research skill too...:D
SoniaNotRed
04-24-2005, 12:34 AM
ashakarc - mmmm... I didn't know that. Must be a recent translation. In the translation I read they were the best of friends and at one point, during their journey, Enkidu met a veiled woman that became his lover.

paperclip - Sorry, no legend yet. Got to think...
cha0t1c1
04-24-2005, 03:30 AM
I agree Sonia...but I will not argue, because translations are tricky...Although it is explicitely stated that Gilgamish had many female lovers...oh well...
dbclemons
04-25-2005, 03:13 PM
I enjoy the urban legends like the vanishing hitchhiker, or the boyfriend scratching on the car roof, and the choking doberman is a good one: "A woman leaves her choking dog at the vet and later receives a call telling her to get out of the house -- human fingers have been found in the dog's throat."

-David
Kanga
04-26-2005, 01:14 AM
Shattering echo like blows startled the old grandmother out of her slumber. With trembling hands she opened her front door a wee crack and peered outside, what she saw stopped her heart. Before her stood the towering cloacked figure men call death! "What will ye wi me?" squeeked the terrified old woman. The figure stretched a bony claw toward her and the voice from a tomb reverberated, "Come old one ye time be at hand". "Nay" squeeled the grandmother "eye must bid me grandchillen goodbaye". "One day have ye" boomed the figure and vanished.

The next day the ancient one tearfully bid all her grand children farewell and readied herself for the fatefull visitor. Night fell and again the door groaned under frightfull and unworldly pounding. Grandmother cowered in a corner frozen with terror unable to face her destiny. Undeterred by the hinderance the punny entrance exploded inward and death blew in impatient and more than a little annoyed. "Ye time is come old one." boomed death "From me there be no running".

Desperate for evasion the old woman darted out from under a chair, headed toward the kitchen and attempted to hid in a jar of jam, where apon she felt the quick approach of death. Fearing discovery she slipped into the sugar bowl to encounter the same dread. In a last desperate attempt to escape she dashed for the bedroom and hid inside a pillow. Death approached and standing in the bedroom doorway demanded she show herself. The miserable old lady having given up all hope appeared.

The sight that confronted death was a concoction of jam, sugar and goose feathers, it was said to be so hideous that death gave a wail to chill the bowls of creation and fled never to bothered the old grandmother again.

The aged woman still lives to enjoy many more grandchildren to this day.
ivanisavich
04-26-2005, 01:44 AM
That's a good one Kanga! I dig the ending....although I can't figure out how she hid herself inside a jar of jam ;)
Kanga
04-26-2005, 10:23 AM
That's a good one Kanga! I dig the ending....although I can't figure out how she hid herself inside a jar of jam ;)
Thanx man!
Yeah I always loved how these things can deny scale, ha.
I think it was a story from Chilie,... not sure.
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