The subject line says it all. What stories from mythological traditions other than those of the Greeks, Romans, and Norsemen do you find most interesting, and why?
For me, it’s a story from Sumerian mythology: Ishtar’s descent into the underworld. It has some similarities to the tale of Aphrodite’s quest to retrieve Adonis, but Ishtar’s story has more resonance for me, somehow. Here’s a link if anyone’s interested.
Anyhow, that’s just me. Anybody else?
I always got a charge out of John Henry beating the machine - working so hard that it straight killed him. There’s a certain beautiful, pathetic triumph there.
I like Sisyphus for how commonly I think of him - the original interminable worthless task - a feeling that most of us with a job can empathize with at some point in our careers.
I always liked the highly detailed afterlife and path for the just-passed in ancient Egypt. I was particularly keen on Anubis, who, before you could reach the true afterlife, would weigh your heart against a feather. Even as a kid I wondered how anyone could know all the procedure and pageantry that occurred after death, but it’s still fascinating. Can you imagine sitting before this great jackal-headed thing while he weighs your heart against an ostrich feather to determine what kind of afterlife you get? I bet vivid memories of every terrible or even borderline wrong thing you’ve done would flash right before your eyes.
My most loved myth is the Scandinavian fairytale variant of Greek myth, but, since it must be excluded, I will say that I enjoy the shaman and sage runos in Finnish folklore, the stories of Väinämöinen’s otherworld journeys, Antero Vipunen, and Lemminkäinen’s mother’s attempt to rake her dismembered son’s body together and bring it back to life. (I think it may have been cribbed from Egyptian myth).
I enjoy most myths and lore (very hard to separate) of sages and mages. I also enjoy what I’ve read of Hindu myth, the stories about Krishna, the Bhagavad Gita and the awesomeness of Shiva Nataraja. I like the story of how the Buddha was inspired to begin his spiritual quest, and the stories of Tara and her 21 praises, both the mythological and the mundane. I value the Brihadarunyaka Upanishad and the Katha Upanishad, though they really fit the category of sacred text more than myth, so never mind. I am just starting to learn about concepts of angels and djinni in Sufism, and some of the sotries about them might be considered myths.
But I love, flat out love the story of Eros of Psyche and the fairy tale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” variant. (Not sorry – I had to get it in there, in spite of OP prohibition)
The story of Rhiannon eating her son meant a lot to me for many years. First Branch of the Mabinogi: Rhiannon - The Celtic Fairy Goddess of the Sun
Oh, yes! I read this oneso much as a child that the pages have come out of the binding. I still have it.
I like the John Henry story too. I’m not sure where the line between myth and folklore is, but I prefer something like the John Henry story to the ancient myths.
A Roma stole the fourth nail that was to be used to crucify Jesus of Nazareth, so from the cross Jesus proclaimed Roma could steal forever and it wouldn’'t be a sin.
When I was little, I loved the stories of the hunter who was continually confounded by the trickster god that took the form of a rabbit, but would shape-shift into an attractive woman, or could summon up elephants out of thin air.
I heard a charming story from somewhere in southern Asia or Indonesia about a fisherman’s son who was so virtuous, kind and hard-working that eventually the gods noticed him, and sent him a vision one moonlit night inviting him to visit their country. He said that he needed permission from his father first, and they gave him leave to do so. His father gladly gave permission, but warned him not to eat or drink anything there or he would never come home again.
The boy proved a complete delight to the gods, and he for his part was amazed to see all the secrets that lie behind the moon and the sun. Eventually, the chief god led him to a feast-laden table, and said “Now eat whatever you wish, and live for ever”. Sadly the boy shook his head and said, “I may not”.
Angered, the chief god asked if he thought they were trying to poison him. “No,” said the boy, “but I promised my father I would eat and drink nothing here, and would come back to him; and you who are the Father of Truth would surely not have a son break his word to his father?”
The god looked at him in understanding, compassion and sorrow. “We know what you go back to: hard work, pain, sometimes injury, sometimes illness, heartbreak, and eventually old age, enfeeblement, and death. That is Man’s lot. But if that is your freely-made choice, we will not keep you from it.”
And with a last gesture of affection, the gods sent the boy back to the world of Men, where his father was waiting patiently and with perfect trust.
The North Island of New Zealand is about to gain a new official name - Te Ika-a-Māui - the fish of Māui.
You see, Māui is a little like Prometheus (a man who challenged the gods), Heracles (a demigod), and Loki (the trickster). He tamed the sun, and had fire thrown into trees, so that humans could make fire whenever they needed.
Anyhow, he was smaller than his brothers, and they wouldn’t take him fishing in their canoe. So one morning he got up early and hid in the canoe. When they were far from land, he emerged. His brothers were angry, but Māui vowed to outfish them. When they would not give him bait, he broke his nose and used the blood on a hook. He cast the line deep, and took a great fish on the line. He planted his foot, bent his back and hauled the giant fish to the surface, where it lay. Māui wanted to fetch a priest for a blessing, but his brothers immediately jumped on to the fish, hacking and carving the flesh. The fish struggled and twisted in pain, leaving the landscape twisted and broken, instead of flat.
If you look at a map of New Zealand, you can see the North Island like a giant ray with the tail pointing north, and the South Island looking like a canoe (Te Waka a Māui, the canoe of Māui).
Longshanks, Girth, and Keen. I think I liked the fact that the prince himself wasn’t special, but was smart enough and a good enough leader to command the talents of those who were special.
from West Africa:
Once there were no stories in the world. The Sky-God, Nyame, had them all. Anansi went to Nyame and asked how much they would cost to buy. Nyame set a high price: Anansi must bring back Onini the Python, Osebo the Leopard, the Mmoboro Hornets, and Mmoatia the dwarf.
Anansi set about capturing these. First he went to where Python lived and debated out loud whether Python was really longer than the palm branch or not as his wife Aso says. Python overheard and, when Anansi explained the debate, agreed to lie along the palm branch. Because he cannot easily make himself completely straight a true impression of his actual length is difficult to obtain, so Python agreed to be tied to the branch. When he was completely tied, Anansi took him to Nyame.
To catch the leopard, Anansi dug a deep hole in the ground. When the leopard fell in the hole Anansi offered to help him out with his webs. Once the leopard was out of the hole he was bound in Anansi’s webs and was carried away.
To catch the hornets, Anansi filled a calabash with water and poured some over a banana leaf he held over his head and some over the nest, calling out that it was raining. He suggested the hornets get into the empty calabash, and when they obliged, he quickly sealed the opening.
To catch the dwarf he made a doll and covered it with sticky gum. He placed the doll under the Odum (Tree of Life) where the dwarfs play and put some yam in a bowl in front of it. When the dwarf came and ate the yam she thanked the doll which of course did not reply. Annoyed at its bad manners she struck it, first with one hand then the other. The hands stuck and Ananse captured her.
Anansi handed his captives over to Nyame, and Nyame rewarded him with the stories.
I like the story of the Star Shepherd that forms the basis for the excellent Bridge of Birds.
I like some Japanese ones…not sure they’re myths, more like fairy or ghost stories…like Tsuru Nyōbō (the Crane Wife) or Bunbuku Chagama (The Tanuki kettle). And some outright myths, like Amaterasu having to be coaxed out of the cave.
Journey To The West is a Chinese favourite, especially the origin story for Sun Wukong.
I wouldn’t call the story of John Henry a myth. And Sisyphus, of course, is a story in the Greco-Roman cycle.
I like the origin myth of Ganesh- how he got his elephant head and became the remover of obstacles. And I love Krishna revealing “actual reality” to Arjuna.
Not a lot is known about the Creek Indian religion, but their creation myth has many parallels to Genesis (the creator, Esaugeteh Emissee, raised dry land from the water and then breathed life into a clay man) and a poetic notion that souls do not travel into the afterlife until all who mourn for them are dead or have ceased mourning (which I took as a way to say “grieve, but get over them for your sake and their’s”).
Slender Man. A myth created wholesale by the internet.
I remember the story that captivated me about him, but I could not do it justice, and I don’t know where I could find it. It was in the vein of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale; one person’s attempt to backdate the mythos as if it had always existed. There was a girl, and a fireplace–and, of course, the forest. And the poster who wrote it found an historical woodcut to accompany it, which was disturbingly apt.
There isn’t any story to me that’s more appealing than that of Krishna. Trickster, lover, son, brother, husband, politician, wise man, sage, dancer, flute-player, cowherd, avatar of Vishnu, and so much more. He’s not a god of an innocent age like Rama, pure as driven snow. This god lives in an era of corruption and political play and He knows how to be smart and clever and wise and outthink His opponents and still remain moral at all times. We depict Him posing, with His flute in hand, with Radha, or we depict Him as a small child, stealing butter from Yashoda Mama and her girlfriends and denying His theft even as we wipe butter from His face. Gods are a reflection of us and He is us at our best.
I’ve always liked the one about Samson. It almost reads it was written with movie rights in mind.
I like the Monkey King legends: http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Journey-West-ebook/dp/B001PBEXEM/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1366053546&sr=8-12&keywords=the+monkey+king
Is the Bible fair game for these myths? It’s chock-full of compelling, and sometimes very disturbing stories. I’d suggest that the story of David and all his hero and anti-hero tales are pretty great storytelling.