Various myths. Interesting legend

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 appeared 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 2nd-1st millennium BC. e. Tales of gods and heroes spread throughout Hellas thanks to the Aeds - wandering reciters, the most famous of whom was Homer. Later, during the period of Greek classics, mythological plots were reflected in the artistic works of the great playwrights - Euripides and Aeschylus. Even later, at the beginning of our era, Greek scientists began to classify myths, compile family trees of heroes - in other words, 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 was Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). They gave birth to 12 titans, as well as one-eyed Cyclops and multi-headed and multi-armed giants, the Hecatoncheires. The birth of monster children did not please Uranus, and he cast them into the great abyss - Tartarus. This, in turn, did not please Gaia, and she persuaded her titan children to overthrow their father (the myths about the ancient gods of Greece are replete with similar motives). The youngest of her sons, Kronos (Time), managed to accomplish this. 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 curetes to raise the child, and brought a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to her husband, which he swallowed.

War with the Titans

The ancient myths and legends of Greece were filled with bloody wars for power. The first of them began after the grown-up Zeus forced Kronos to vomit the swallowed children. Having enlisted the support of his brothers and sisters and calling upon the giants imprisoned in Tartarus for help, 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 the Cyclops forged for him. The war lasted a whole decade; Zeus and his allies defeated and imprisoned their enemies in Tartarus. It must be said that Zeus was also destined for his father’s fate (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 (lord of the seas) and Hades (master of the underground kingdom of the dead).

They had numerous descendants. All the supreme gods, except Hades and his family, lived on Mount Olympus (which exists in reality). In ancient Greek mythology, there were 12 main celestial beings. Zeus's wife Hera was considered the patroness of marriage, and the goddess Hestia was considered the patroness of the home. 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. The Greeks, sensitive to beauty, also revered the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite and her husband Ares, a warlike god. Hephaestus, the god of fire, was praised by artisans (in particular, blacksmiths). The cunning Hermes, the mediator between gods and people and the patron of trade and livestock, also demanded respect.

Divine Geography

The ancient myths and legends of Greece create a very contradictory image of God in the minds of the modern reader. On the one hand, the Olympians were considered powerful, wise and beautiful, and on the other, they were characterized by all the weaknesses and vices of mortal people: envy, jealousy, greed and anger.

As already mentioned, Zeus ruled over gods and people. He gave people laws and controlled their destinies. 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 glorified in Cyprus, off the coast of which she was born. Poseidon guarded Troy, Artemis and Apollo guarded Delphi. Mycenae, Argos and Samos offered sacrifices to Hera.

Other divine entities

The ancient myths and legends of Greece would not be so rich if only people and gods acted in them. But the Greeks, like other peoples of those times, 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, goat-footed satyrs lived in the forests, accompanying the god Dionysus. Many legends featured wise and warlike centaurs. At the throne of Hades stood the goddess of vengeance Erinnia, and on Olympus the gods were entertained by muses and charites, patroness of the arts. All these entities often argued with the gods or entered into marriage 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 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 (killing the Lernaean Hydra, capturing the Kerynean fallow deer and the Erymanthian boar, bringing the belt of Hippolyta, delivering the people from the Stymphalian birds, taming the mares of Diomedes, going to the Kingdom of Hades and other).

Not everyone knows that these acts were carried out by Hercules as atonement for his 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 plotted intrigues against him throughout the hero’s life, was forced to recognize him.

Conclusion

Ancient myths were created many centuries ago. But they have by no means primitive content. The myths of Ancient Greece are the key to understanding modern European culture.

In the general religious understanding of the ancient Hellenes, there was a variety of cult concepts. All this is confirmed by numerous archaeological excavations and artifacts. It has been proven in which area certain gods were extolled. For example, Apollo - in Delphi and Delos, the capital of Greece was named after Athena, the god of healing Asclepius (son of Apollo) - in Epidaurus, Poseidon was respected by the Ionians in the Peloponnese, and so on.

The shrines of the Greeks were opened in honor of this: Delphi, Dodon and Delos. Almost all of them are shrouded in some kind of mystery, which is deciphered in myths and legends. We will describe the most interesting myths of Ancient Greece (short) below.

Cult of Apollo in Greece and Rome

He was called "four-armed" and "four-eared." Apollo had about a hundred sons. He himself was either five or seven. There are countless monuments in honor of the saint, as well as huge temples named after him, located in Greece, Italy, and Turkey. And this is all about HIM: about Apollo - the mythical hero and god of Hellas.

The ancient gods did not have surnames, but Apollo had several: Delphic, Rhodes, Belvedere, Pythian. This happened in the territories where his cult grew most.

Two millennia have passed since the birth of the cult, but the fairy tale about this handsome man is still believed today. How did he enter into “naive mythology” and why was he invented in the souls and hearts of the Greeks and residents of other countries?

The veneration of the son of Zeus originated in Asia Minor two thousand years BC. Initially, myths depicted Apollo not as a man, but as a zoomorphic creature (the influence of pre-religious totemism) - a ram. A Dorian version of the origin is also possible. But, as before, the important center of the cult is the Sanctuary at Delphi. In it, the soothsayer made all kinds of predictions; according to her instructions, twelve mythical exploits of Apollo’s brother Hercules took place. From the Hellenic colonies in Italy, the cult of the Greek god took hold in Rome.

Myths about Apollo

God is not alone. Archaeological sources provide information about various sources of its origin. Who were Apollos: the son of the guardian of Athens, Corybantus, Zeus the third and several other fathers. Mythology attributes to Apollo the thirty heroes he killed (Achilles), dragons (including Python), and Cyclops. They said about him that he could destroy, but he could also help and predict the future.

Mythology spread about Apollo even before his birth, when the supreme goddess Hera learned that Leto (Laton) was to give birth to a boy (Apollo) from her husband Zeus. With the help of a dragon, she drove the expectant mother onto a deserted island. Both Apollo and his sister Artemis were born there. They grew up on this island (Delos), where he vowed to destroy the dragon for persecuting his mother.

As described in ancient myth, the quickly matured Apollo took his bow and arrows into his hands and flew away to where Python lived. The beast crawled out of the terrible gorge and attacked the young man.

It looked like an octopus with a large scaly body. Even the rocks moved away from him. The alarmed monster attacked the young man. But the arrows did their job.

Python died, Apollo buried him, and the real Temple of Apollo was built here. In its premises there was a real priestess-soothsayer from peasant women. She uttered prophecies allegedly through the lips of Apollo. Questions were written on tablets and handed over to the temple. They were not fictional, but from real earthly people from different centuries of the existence of this temple. Archaeologists found them. No one knows how the priestess commented on the questions.

Narcissus - a mythical hero and a real flower

To paraphrase the ancient sage, we can say: if you have extra money, then do not buy more bread than you can eat; buy a narcissus flower - bread for the body, and it is for the soul.

Thus, the mythical short story about the narcissistic young man Narcissus from Ancient Hellas grew into the name of a beautiful spring flower.

The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, took cruel revenge on those who rejected her gifts and who did not submit to her authority. Mythology knows several such victims of it. Among these is the young man Narcissus. Proud, he could not love anyone, only himself.

I found anger at the goddess. One spring, while hunting, Narcissus approached a stream; he was simply captivated by the purity of the water, its mirroriness. But the stream was truly special, perhaps also enchanted by Aphrodite. The goddess did not forgive anyone if they did not pay attention to her.

No one drank water from the stream; not even a branch or flower petals could fall into it. So Narcissus looked at himself. He leaned down to kiss his reflection. But there is only cold water there.

He forgot about hunting and the desire to drink water. I admire everything, I forgot about food and sleep. And suddenly he woke up: “Did I really love myself so much, but we can’t be together?” He began to suffer so much that his strength left him. Feels like he will go into the kingdom of darkness. But the young man already believes that death will end his torments of love. He is crying.

Narcissus's head dropped completely to the ground. He died. The nymphs cried in the forest. They dug a grave, went for the body, but he wasn’t there. A flower grew on the grass where the young man's head fell. They named him Narcissus.

And the nymph Echo remained forever to suffer in that forest. And she didn’t respond to anyone else.

Poseidon - Lord of the Seas

Zeus sits in all his divine majesty on Mount Olympus, and his brother Poseidon went into the depths of the sea and from there the water boiled, bringing trouble to the sailors. If he wants to do this, he takes his main weapon in his hand - a club with a trident.

He also has a better palace than his brother on land. And he reigns there with his charming wife Amphitrite, the daughter of the sea god. Together with Poseidon, she rushes across the waters in a chariot harnessed to horses or zoomorphic creatures - tritons.

Poseidon looked for a wife from the waters on the shores of the island of Naxos. But she ran away from him to the handsome Atlas. Poseidon himself could not find the fugitive. He was helped by dolphins, who took her to the palace at the bottom of the sea. For this, the lord of the sea gave the dolphins a constellation in the sky.

Perseus: almost like a good person

Perseus is perhaps one of the few sons of Zeus who did not have negative character traits. Like the drunken Hercules with his attacks of inexplicable anger, or Achilles, who did not take into account the interests of others and admired only his own “I”.

Perseus was handsome, like a god, brave and dexterous. I always tried to achieve success. The mythology of Perseus is like this. His grandfather, one of the kings of the earth, dreamed in a dream that his grandson would bring him death. Therefore, he hid his daughter in a dungeon behind stones, bronze and locks, away from men. But all the obstacles were nothing to Zeus, who liked Danae. He came to her through the roof in the form of rain. And a son was born, named Perseus. But the evil grandfather hammered the mother and child into a box and sent them floating in the box on the sea.

The prisoners still managed to escape on one of the islands, where the waves washed the box to the shore; fishermen arrived in time and rescued the mother and son. But a man reigned on the island, no better than Danae’s father. He began to pester the woman. And so the years passed, and now Perseus could stand up for his mother.

The king decided to get rid of the young man, but so as not to incur the wrath of the god Zeus. He cheated by accusing Perseus of non-divine origin. To do this, it was necessary to perform a heroic act, for example, kill the evil Gorgon jellyfish and drag her head to the king’s palace.

It really was not only a sea monster, but also a flying monster that turned those who looked at it into stone. It was impossible to do without the gods here. The son of Zeus was helped. He was given a magic sword and a mirror shield. In search of the monster, Perseus traveled through many countries and through many obstacles set up by his opponents. The nymphs also gave him things useful for the journey.

Finally, he reached the abandoned country where the sisters of that same Gorgon lived. Only they could lead the young man to her. The sisters had one eye and one tooth out of three. While the younger gorgon with the eye led, the others could not do anything. Further across the sky he flew to the monster. And right away I came across a sleeping jellyfish. Before she woke up, the young man cut off her head and put it in his bag. And set course across the sky to his island. So he proved his destiny to the king and, taking his mother, returned to Argos.

Hercules gets married

Many accomplished feats and slave labor of Queen Omphale took away the strength of Hercules. He wanted a quiet life at home. “It’s not difficult to build a house, but you need a loving wife. So we need to find her,” the hero made plans.

I once remembered a boar hunt near Calydon with a local prince and a meeting with his sister Deianira. And he went to South Aetolia to get married. At this time, Deianira was already being married off, and many suitors arrived.

There was also a river god - a monster whom the world has never seen. Deianira's father said that he would give his daughter to the one who defeats God. Only Hercules remained among the suitors, since the others, seeing their rival, changed their minds about getting married.

Hercules grabbed his opponent with his hands, but he stood like a rock. And so on several times. The result for Hercules was almost ready when the god turned into a snake. The son of Zeus strangled two snakes in the cradle, and did it here too. But the old man became a bull. The hero broke one horn, and it gave up. The bride became the wife of Hercules.

These are the myths of Ancient Greece.

The best parables, legends and stories are collected here. These parables will be useful for various presentations. We use them to teach public speaking.

Speaking with a parable

I wrote down some of the parables from memory, some were told by students in class... I rewrote some of the parables in my own way... Therefore, I did not provide any attribution.

The best parables and legends are collected here, and not everything in a row, I love short parables with a good meaning.
Read, enjoy. I will be glad if you send parables that you personally liked! 🙂
A big request: leave comments!

This short parable is one of the most ancient,
as they say: “As old as the world.” That's why I love her.
There is a legend that it belongs to the ancient Greek sage Aesop.
But I have an assumption that it is much older.
Suitable for any age, for children of any class.

Sun and wind

The Sun and the Wind argued which of them is stronger?

And the Wind said: “I will prove that I am stronger. Do you see the old man in the raincoat? I bet I can get him to take off his coat faster than you can.”

The sun hid behind a cloud, and the wind began to blow stronger and stronger until it almost turned into a hurricane. But the harder he blew, the tighter the old man wrapped himself in his cloak.

Finally the wind died down and stopped. And the Sun peeked out from behind the clouds and smiled tenderly at the traveler. The traveler cheered up and took off his cloak.

And the Sun told the Wind that kindness and friendliness are always stronger than rage and strength.

Dear reader! If you need short legends and parables for children of primary and secondary school, I have combined them into one collection, read:

Parable. Two oars.

The boatman was transporting the traveler to the other side.

The traveler noticed that there were inscriptions on the oars of the boat. On one oar it was written: “Think”, and on the second: “Do”

– Your oars are interesting,- said the traveler. – Why these inscriptions?

–Look,– the boatman said smiling. And he began to row with only one oar, with the inscription “Think.”

The boat began to spin in one place.

“I used to think about something, reflect, make plans... But it didn’t bring anything useful.” I was just circling in place, like this boat.

The boatman stopped rowing with one oar and began rowing with another, with the sign “Do.” The boat began to circle, but in the other direction.

– Sometimes I rushed to the other extreme. I did something thoughtlessly, without plans, without drawings. I spent a lot of time and effort. But, in the end, he was also spinning in place.

- So I made an inscription on the oars,- continued the boatman, - to remember that for every stroke of the left oar there must be a stroke of the right oar.

And then he pointed to a beautiful house that rose on the river bank:

“I built this house after I made inscriptions on the oars.”

Here is another short parable that is “As old as the world.” Suitable for both adults and children, of any class.

Fight with Leo

The lion was resting in the shade of a large tree after a hearty lunch. It was midday. Heat. The Jackal approached the Lion. He looked at the resting Leo and timidly said:

- A lion! Let's fight!

But the answer was only silence.

The jackal began to speak louder:

- A lion! Let's fight! Let's have a battle in this clearing. You are against me!

Leo didn't pay any attention to him.

Then the Jackal threatened:

- Let's fight! Otherwise I’ll go and tell everyone that you, Leo, scared me terribly.

Leo yawned, stretched lazily and said:

- And who will believe you? Just think! Even if someone condemns me for cowardice, it is still much more pleasant than the fact that they will despise me. Despised for fighting with some Jackal...

This parable is in video format.

The Parable of King Solomon's Ring

According to the legend, King Solomon owned a ring on which was engraved the saying: “Everything passes.”

One wise man gave him this ring with the words: “Never take it off!”

In moments of grief and difficult experiences, Solomon looked at the inscription and calmed down...

But one day such a misfortune happened that the wise words, instead of comforting him, caused him to have an attack of rage. Tore off Solomon took the ring off his finger and threw it on the floor.

When it rolled, the king suddenly saw that there was also some kind of inscription on the inside of the ring. He was surprised, because he did not know about this inscription. Curious, he picked up the ring and read the following:

"This too shall pass".

Laughing bitterly, Solomon put the ring on his finger and never took it off again.

Here's a funny parable.
When I tell it, I always remember my grandparents’ house in the village,
where I used to spend the whole summer. A barn, an axe, a fence, a large wooden gate...
And neighbors, as the heroes of this story.

Quickly conclusions

One old woman told a man that his neighbor was dishonest and that he might even steal an axe.

The man came home. And - immediately look for an ax.

No axe!

I searched the whole barn - there is no ax anywhere!

Goes out into the street. He sees the neighbor coming. But he doesn’t just walk: he walks like someone who has stolen an axe, and he looks with squinted eyes like someone who has stolen an axe, and he smiles like someone who has stolen an axe. The neighbor even said hello, like a man who had stolen an axe.

“What a dishonest neighbor I have!”- the man decided.

He harbored a grudge and returned home. Lo and behold, there’s an ax lying under the barn. His axe! Apparently one of the children took the ax but didn’t put it back. The man was happy. Satisfied, he leaves the gate. And he sees that the neighbor is not walking like someone who has stolen an axe, and he is looking with narrowed eyes, not like someone who has stolen an axe, and he is not smiling like someone who has stolen an axe.

“What an honest neighbor I have!”

Dear reader! I hope you enjoy our collection of proverbs. A big request: click on Google ads. This is the best THANKS to our site!

A short parable - a fable of the great sage Aesop.
Suitable for anyone. Even for 3rd grade children.

The shortest parable is a fable.
The Sage of Aesop.

Fable Dog and Reflection

The dog walked along a plank across the river, and carried a bone in its teeth. She saw her reflection in the water. And I thought that there was another dog carrying prey. And it seemed to the dog that that other bone was much larger.

He threw his bone and rushed to take the bone from the reflection.

So I was left with nothing. She lost hers and couldn’t take away someone else’s.

• Read other short legends and parables for children in grades 3–4

There are people who love to teach others. This is what the parable is about.
I like short parables like this.

Half life

One philosopher was sailing on a ship. He asked the sailor:

– What do you know about philosophy?
“Nothing,” answered the sailor.
“You have lost half your life,” the philosopher said, smiling.

A storm has begun. The ship creaked and threatened to break into pieces.

- What happened to you? – the sailor asked the philosopher. – Don’t worry, the shore is very close. Even if something happens to the ship, we will be able to swim to the shore.
– It’s easy for you to talk about this. You know how to swim, but I can’t swim at all! - he answered.
- Is that so? You recently told me that I lost half my life without knowing philosophy. At the same time, you risk losing everything, not knowing how to swim,” the sailor said smiling.

Here's another parable. Similar.
I always remember this parable when I am given any advice.

Gardener and writer

Once a gardener turned to the writer:

– I read your story. I like it. And you know what I thought?.. Would you like me to give you a couple of ideas for new stories? They are of no use to me. I'm not a writer. And you will write good stories, publish a book, and earn money.

To which the writer replied:

“Now I’ll finish the apple, and I’ll give the core to you.” There are a lot of good seeds there. I don't need them, I'm not a gardener. And you will plant them, grow good apple trees, harvest, and earn a lot of money.

- Listen! I don't need your bitches! I myself have more than enough apples!

– Why do you think that I don’t have enough ideas of my own?

I have heard many variations of this parable.
I think it has many authors.

Help

One day we decided to hold a competition to find the most loving and caring child. The winner was a four-year-old boy whose neighbor, an elderly man, had recently lost his wife.

When the boy saw the old man crying, he walked up to him in the yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mother later asked him what he told his uncle, the boy replied:
- Nothing. I just helped him cry.

The video is a parable. Dad and son.

This parable has no text yet. Just watch the video.

Sometimes I tell this parable when I want to show
that knowledge has a price.Special price.

Cost of a hammer blow

One farmer's tractor stopped working.

All attempts by the farmer and his neighbors to repair the car were in vain. Finally he called a specialist.

He examined the tractor, tried how the starter worked, lifted the hood and checked everything carefully. Then he took a hammer, hit the motor once and started it. The engine rumbled as if it had never been damaged.

When the master handed the bill to the farmer, he looked at him in surprise and became indignant:

“What, you want a hundred dollars for just one blow with a hammer!”

“Dear friend,” said the master, “I counted only one dollar for a blow with a hammer, but I charge ninety-nine dollars for my knowledge, thanks to which I could make this blow in the right place.”

“Besides, I saved you time.” You can already use your tractor.

This parable is my favorite.
When I read it for the first time, I thought a lot.
Now I try to make it happen in my family as in the parable.

Parable. A happy family

In one small town, two families live next door. Some spouses constantly quarrel, blaming each other for all troubles and trying to figure out which one is right. And others live amicably, they have no quarrels, no scandals.
The obstinate housewife marvels at her neighbor’s happiness. Jealous.
Says to her husband:

- Go and see how they do it so that everything is smooth and quiet.

He came to the neighbor's house and hid under the open window. Watching. Listens.

And the hostess is just putting things in order in the house. He wipes the dust off an expensive vase. Suddenly the phone rang, the woman got distracted, and put the vase on the edge of the table, so that it was about to fall. But then her husband needed something in the room. He caught a vase, it fell and broke.

- Oh, what will happen now! - the neighbor thinks. He immediately imagined what a scandal would be in his family.

The wife came up, sighed with regret, and said to her husband:

- Sorry honey.
- What are you doing, honey? It's my fault. I was in a hurry and didn’t notice the vase.
- I am guilty. She placed the vase so carelessly.
- No, it's my fault.Anyway. We could not have had greater misfortune.

The neighbor's heart sank painfully. He came home upset. Wife to him:

- You're doing something fast. Well, what did you look at?
- Yes!
- Well, how are they doing?
- It's all their fault. That's why they don't quarrel. But with us everyone is always right...

The same parable, told “live” in our classes.

After all, we use all these parables to teach public speaking.

This parable seemed funny at first, but nothing more.
It was not clear where this parable could be applied. After all, we are not monks.
It seems to me that this parable is about rules,
and about exceptions to these rules.
And that above every rule there are others...

A terrible sin, or a parable about two monks and a woman

The old and young monks were traveling. Their path was crossed by a river, which was overflowing due to the rains.

On the shore stood a young beautiful girl who also needed to move to the opposite shore. But she could not cross the river herself. The girl asked the monks for help. However, the monks took a vow not to communicate with women or touch them.

The young monk pointedly turned away. And the old man approached the girl, asked something, put her on his back, and carried her across the river. The monks walked in silence for a long time. Suddenly, the young man could not resist:

– How could you touch a girl!? You took a vow not to touch women! This is a terrible sin!

To which the old man calmly replied:

“It’s strange, I carried it and left it on the river bank, and you are still carrying it.” In my head.

This is the same parable. Video

One of my favorite parables. This is so wise:
“Listening to other people’s words is like music.”
Or – don’t listen.
But how difficult it is sometimes!..
In this parable, the last remark of the Lama was added by me. She wasn't there.
I still don't know if it's needed here. You can do without it.

Silence

Once upon a time, an old Lama was resting in the shade of a tree. Several people gathered - his ideological opponents - and they began to tease and even insult the Lama.

But the old man listened to them very calmly.

Because of this calmness, they felt somehow uneasy. An awkward feeling arose: they insult a person, and he listens to their words like music. There's something wrong here.
One of them turned to the Lama:

- What's the matter? Don't you understand that we are talking about you?

- How? Understand! But it is with understanding that such deep silence is possible,- answered the Lama.

“It’s your choice to decide whether to insult me ​​or not.” But to accept your nonsense or not is my freedom. I simply refuse them; they're not worth it. You can take them for yourself. I don't accept them.

- At the same time, I cannot stop you from insulting me. This is your freedom and your right.

And then, smiling, he continued, looking at the silent opponents:

“You didn’t hurt me or cause me any trouble.” Otherwise, they would have received this stick from me a long time ago.

Parable. Payment for work.

Pay for work

The worker came to the owner and said:

- Master! Why are you paying Ivan three times more than me? I don’t seem to be a quitter, and I work no worse than Ivan. This is not fair! And it's not fair.

The owner looked out the window and said:

- I see someone is coming. It looks like they are carrying hay past us. Come out and find out!

The worker came out. Came in again and said:

- True, master. They are transporting hay.
- Don’t you know where? Maybe from Semyonovsky meadows?
- Don't know.
- Go and find out.

The worker went. Enters again.

- Master! Exactly, from Semyonovsky meadows.
– Do you know whether the hay is the first or the second cut?
- Don't know.
- So go and find out!

The worker came out. Coming back again.

- Master! First mowing!
– Do you know at what price?
- Don't know.
- So go and find out.

I went. He came back and said:

- Master! Five rubles each.
- Don’t they give it away cheaper?
- Don't know.

At this moment Ivan enters and says:

- Master! Hay was being transported past from the Semenovsky meadows of the first cut. They asked for 5 rubles. We bargained for 4 rubles per cart. Buy?
- Buy it!

Then the owner turns to the first worker and says:

“And now do you understand why I pay Ivan three times more than you?”

They often ask: “Recommend some useful parable!”
I recommend this one.
This parable can have two meanings: about a man who never got drunk, and about a man who lived 100 years because he never argued with anyone.

Parable. How to live 100 years

The correspondent was given the task of learning the secret of a long life from the hero of the day, who turned 100 years old. The journalist came to a mountain village, found a centenarian and began to find out how he managed to live a hundred years.

The old man said that his secret was that he never argued with anyone. The correspondent was surprised:

And this is a beautiful legend. Legend of love.

Red Rose

One sailor received letters from a woman he had never seen. Her name was Rose. They corresponded for 3 years. Reading her letters and answering her, he realized that he could no longer live without her letters. They fell in love with each other without realizing it.

When his service ended, they made an appointment at Grand Central Station at five o'clock in the evening. She wrote that she would have a red rose in her buttonhole.
The sailor thought: he had never seen a photograph of Rose. He doesn't know how old she is, doesn't know whether she's ugly or pretty, plump or slender.

He arrived at the station, and when the clock struck five, she appeared. Woman with a red rose in her buttonhole. She was over forty...

The sailor wanted to turn and leave. He felt embarrassed that all this time he had been corresponding with a woman much older than himself.
But... but he didn't do it. He thought that this woman wrote to him all the time while he was at sea, answered his questions, pleased him with her answers.

She didn't deserve this. And he approached her, extended his hand and introduced himself.

And the woman told the sailor that he... That Rose is standing behind him.

He turned around and saw her. She was a young and beautiful girl.

The elderly lady explained to him that Rose had asked her to put a flower in her buttonhole. If the sailor turned and left, it would all be over. But if he approached this elderly lady, she would show him the real Rose and tell him the whole truth.

The same parable, in “living form,” told in our classes.

I heard this parable from Nikolai Ivanovich Kozlov.
Since then, if I hear the phrase: “Lucky,” I smile and say to myself:
“Who knows, lucky or unlucky.”

Lucky or unlucky?

That was a long time ago. There lived an old man. He had an only son. The farm was small. But there was a horse on which he plowed the land and went to the city to the market.

One day the horse ran away.

“What horror,” the neighbors sympathized, “How unlucky!”
“Who knows whether he was lucky or not,” answered the old man. – You don’t need to reason, but look for the horse.

A few days later, the old man found the horse and brought it home. Yes, not alone, but with a beautiful horse.

- What a luck! - said the neighbors. - That's lucky!
- Luck? Failure? - said the old man. – Who knows if you were lucky? One thing is clear - we need to build another barn.

This new horse had a cool disposition. The next day, the old man's son fell from his horse and broke his leg.

- Horrible. How unlucky! - the neighbors told the old man.
– Who knows whether it was lucky or unlucky? - answered the old man. – One thing is clear – the leg needs to be treated.

In the hospital, the young man met a beautiful girl. And after recovery, he brought his bride to his home.
Again the neighbors began to say:

- What a luck! Your son found such a beautiful beauty! That's lucky!

The old man still answered with a smile:

- Who knows? Are you lucky... or unlucky...

This is an endless story. Success or failure, who knows?..

There is mathematics in this parable.
Sometimes people tell me that the numbers in the parable don’t add up.
Do the math for yourself...

Shared reward

A wandering monk came with important news to a strange city. He wanted to hand it over only to the ruler himself. No matter how the court ministers insisted that the monk give them this news, he remained firm and adamant.

A lot of time passed before the monk was finally introduced to the vizier, and only then to the prince himself.

The ruler was very happy with the news that the monk brought, and invited him to choose any reward he wanted. To everyone's surprise, the wanderer asked for 100 blows of the stick personally from the hands of the prince.

Having received the first five blows, the monk shouted:

The prince fully “rewarded” everyone.

Video parable. Price of the dress.

legend

They say that this happened in London, and this is a real legend. I won't say so. In any case, this legend is very similar to the truth.
Suitable for performance or storytelling.
For both adults and schoolchildren of any grade.

Difficult lot

In London there lived a merchant who had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a moneylender. And he - old and ugly - said that he would forgive the debt if the merchant gave him his daughter as a wife.

Father and daughter were horrified.

Then the moneylender suggested drawing lots. He put two stones into his empty wallet - black and white. The girl had to pull one of them out. If she comes across a white stone, she will stay with her father, if it is black, she will become the wife of a moneylender. The merchant and daughter were forced to accept this offer.

But when the moneylender put pebbles in his wallet, the girl noticed that they were both black. What should the girl do now?

The girl put her hand into her wallet, pulled out a pebble, and without looking at it, it was as if she had accidentally dropped it onto the path, where the pebble was instantly lost among the others.

“Oh, what a shame,” the girl exclaimed. - Well, yes, this is a fixable matter. We'll see what color the pebble is left in the wallet, and then we'll find out which pebble I pulled out.

Since the remaining pebble was black, it follows that she pulled out a white one: after all, the moneylender could not admit to fraud.

A very ancient legend.

There are many variations of this legend. I like this version, slightly tweaked by me.

Pearl Woman

Mark Antony arrived in Egypt. Cleopatra threw a feast in his honor.
The Roman was amazed at the luxury of the feast. And, to flatter the queen, he delightedly delivered a speech of praise, ending with the words:
– Nothing like this will ever happen again!

But the queen did not accept his compliment. She objected:
- I do not agree with you!
– Will nothing like this ever happen again?

And then she added excitedly:
“I’m ready to bet you, my friend, that tomorrow I will give a feast more luxurious than this.” And it will cost at least a million sesterces! Do you want to argue with me?
How could one refuse such a dispute?

The next day the feast was, indeed, more luxurious than the previous one.

There was no room on the tables for gourmet food. The best musicians played and the best dancers danced. The glow of thousands of candles illuminated the majestic hall.
The Roman was delighted this time too.

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But, because of a dispute with the queen, he decided to pretend that he had not seen anything new. “I swear by Bacchus, there is not even the smell of a million sesterces here!” - he exclaimed.
“Okay,” Cleopatra agreed calmly. – But this is just the beginning. I alone will drink a million sesterces!

She pulled out an earring from her left ear - a huge pearl, truly the Eighth Wonder of the World. And she turned to the judge of the bet, Consul Planck:
- How much does this pearl cost?
– I doubt that anyone can answer this question. She is priceless!
Cleopatra heated the pearl in a candle fire, and then threw the jewel into a golden goblet filled with sour wine. The pearl instantly crumbled. Its fragments began to melt, dissolving in the acid of wine vinegar.

Having already understood where everything was going, Mark Antony waited for the outcome.
When the pearl had completely dissolved, Cleopatra offered to share a drink with her:
- This is the most expensive wine you have ever tasted. Will you have a drink with me?

Anthony refused.

And Cleopatra poured more wine into the goblet and drank it slowly.
After this, the queen reached for the earring from her right ear, apparently in order to make another drink. But then Planck intervened, announcing that Cleopatra had already won the bet.
Mark Antony agreed.

parable

Double benefit

One artist received an order from the village elder to paint a house. For three days he painted the central room, decorating it with images of people and birds, a pattern of flowers and leaves.

On the fourth day, the headman, waking up in a bad mood, went to check the artist’s work. He called the drawing a “pathetic daub” and drove the master away.

Extremely upset, the artist was wandering through the village when an old monk came across him.
- What happened to you? – the monk asked the artist. – You look so unhappy!

The artist told him what the village elder had done to him.

- Don't be sad! - the monk answered him. “Our headman is a rude and tyrant, but this is his concern.” And he not only gave you the opportunity to enjoy creativity for three days, but also helps you realize that you are touchy and cannot always accept life as it is if it does not meet your expectations. Rejoice! You got double the benefit!

The artist thought and smiled.

• A big request: write in the comments which parables you liked the most. Moreover, many of these parables were redone by me...

Also, a very ancient parable.

Travel time

On a hot day, a wanderer walked along a dusty road. On his shoulder was an old, battered bag. To the side the traveler saw a well. He turned towards him. He drank cold water greedily. And then he called out to the old man sitting next to him:

The puzzled traveler walked along the road. He began to reflect on the ignorance and rudeness of the locals.

After walking a good hundred steps, he heard a shout behind him. Turning around, I saw the same old man.

The old man shouted to him:

- You still have two hours to go to the city.
- Why didn’t you say so right away? – the wanderer exclaimed in amazement.
- Of course! “I first had to see how fast you were walking with your heavy load,” the old man explained.

Modern parable

Cricket

An American man was walking with his Indian friend along a crowded street in New York.

The Indian suddenly exclaimed:
- I hear a cricket.
“You’re crazy,” answered the American, looking around the central street of the city crowded with people.

Cars were scurrying around everywhere, construction workers were working, people were making noise.
“But I really hear a cricket,” the Indian insisted, moving towards a flower bed laid out in front of a quaint building of some institution.
Then he bent down, parted the leaves of the plants and showed his friend a cricket, carefreely chirping and enjoying life.

“It’s amazing,” the friend responded. “You must have fantastic hearing.”
- No. It all depends on what you’re in the mood for,” he explained. “And now you can hear him.”
The friends moved away from the flowerbed.
- Marvelous! “Now I can hear crickets well,” said the American.

parable

Great secret

One elder was asked:

- They say you are the most cheerful person in the village?
- Yes, they say. But I have no more happiness than any of my fellow villagers.
- Dear! But it doesn’t look like you were ever sad. There are no traces of sadness on your face! Share your secret!

– Is there anything worth being sad about? Even if there is, will it help?
-What great wisdom! Indeed, sadness does not bring anything useful. Why don't you tell your fellow villagers about this secret?

- Why? “I told you,” the old man smiled. - So I told you. Can you use this secret?

I heard this legend from Pavel Sergeevich Taranov.
He knew how and loved to insert numerous legends and parables into his speech.

legend

For every strong person there is enough weakness

French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur studied the culture of smallpox virus in his laboratory.

Unexpectedly, a stranger appeared to him and introduced himself as the second of a nobleman, who thought that the scientist had insulted him. The nobleman demanded a duel. Pasteur calmly listened to the messenger and said:

- Since I am challenged to a duel, I have the right to choose a weapon. Here are two flasks: one contains the smallpox virus, the other contains clean water. If the person who sent you agrees to drink one of them, at your choice, I will drink another.

The duel did not take place.

The next parable is about persuasion. And about honesty.
I like the principle behind the parable,
which is useful for teachers, parents, coaches to remember...
to all those who work with people, teaching or explaining.

One woman brought her son to the elder and began to explain her problem:

“My boy was probably damaged,” she said. - Imagine, he only eats sweets. Any sweets: sweets, jam, cookies... And nothing else. No amount of persuasion or punishment helps. What should I do?

The elder just looked at the boy and said:

- Good woman, come home. Come with your son tomorrow, I will try to help.

- Maybe today? Our house is very far from here.

- No, I can’t do it today.

The next day the elder took the boy to his room and talked with him for a long time.

The child ran up to his mother and exclaimed:

- Mother! I won't eat so much sweets anymore!

The delighted mother began to thank the elder. But then I asked him:

– Was there any special day yesterday? Why didn't you talk to your child yesterday?

- Kind woman,- the old man answered. - Yesterday was a very ordinary day. But believe me, I could not convincingly tell your son yesterday what I said today. Because yesterday I myself enjoyed eating sweet dates. How could I convince your son not to eat sweets if I myself had a sweet tooth that day?

This parable was sent to me. And I liked her right away.
Send us parables too, but only short and best ones.

I want you to be happy!..

In one distant city there lived a beautiful girl.

One morning, when she woke up, the girl remembered her dream. An angel flew to her:
“I want you to be happy,” said the Angel. What can I do for you?
“Make it so that my boyfriend finally falls in love with me, so that we buy a big house and have two girls and a boy.”

Time passed, her boyfriend proposed marriage to her. Soon they got married and bought a big house. Everything was as the girl asked.
And then more time passed, and she and her husband separated without having children, and they sold the house.

In one of her dreams, the girl saw the Angel again. And she exclaimed:
- Why didn’t you fulfill my wishes! You are not an Angel - you are a Demon!!!
- Why? Yes, because you did not fulfill my only wish. You didn't become happy!

parable

The secret of a smile

- Master! All your life you smiled and were never sad. But I still didn’t dare ask how you manage to do this?

The Old Master replied:

“Many years ago I came to my Master as a young man, seventeen years old, but already deeply suffering. The master was seventy, and he smiled just like that, for no apparent reason. And there was no trace of grief or sadness on his face.

I asked him: “How do you do this?” And he just smiled. And he answered that he saw no reason to be sad.

And then I thought:

– It’s just my choice. Every morning when I open my eyes, I ask myself what to choose today - to be sad or to smile? And I always choose a smile.

legend

Rose petal

The great composer Ludwig van Beethoven was about to be accepted as a full member of the Academy of Arts in Paris. The presiding officer announced:

– We have gathered today to accept the great Beethoven as a member of our academy.

Silence reigned in the hall.

“But...,” the chairman continued... and poured a full glass of water from the decanter standing on the table so that not a single drop could be added. Then he tore one rose petal from the bouquet standing right there and carefully lowered it onto the water surface.

The petal did not overfill the glass, and the water did not spill.
Then the chairman, without saying a word, turned his gaze to those gathered.
The response was an explosion of applause.

This ended the meeting, which unanimously elected Beethoven as a full member of the Academy of Arts.

Parable. Jar of Life

The philosophy professor, standing at the department, took a three-liter glass jar and filled it with stones, each at least 3 cm in diameter. At the end he asked the students if the jar was full?
They answered: yes, it’s full.
Then he opened a can of peas and, pouring them into a large jar, shook it a little. Naturally, the peas took up the free space between the stones. Once again the professor asked the students if the jar was full?

They answered: yes, it’s full.

Then he took a box filled with sand and poured it into a jar. Naturally, the sand completely occupied the existing free space and covered everything. Once again the professor asked the students if the jar was full?

They answered: yes, and this time definitely, it is full.
Then he pulled out 2 cans of beer from under the table and poured them into the jar to the last drop, soaking the sand. The students laughed.

“And now,” the professor said instructively, “I want you to understand that the jar is your life.
Stones are the most important things in your life: family, health, friends, your children - everything that is necessary for your life to still remain complete even if everything else is lost.
Polka dots are things that have become important to you personally: work, home, car...
Sand is everything else, little things. If you fill the jar with sand first, there will be no room left for the peas and rocks to fit. And also in your life, if you spend all your time and energy on small things, there is no room left for the most important things.
Do what brings you happiness: play with your children, spend time with your spouse, meet with family and friends. There will always be more time to work, clean the house, fix and wash the car. Focus primarily on stones, that is, the most important things in life. Determine your priorities.

The rest is just sand

I'm done, the lecture is over.

“Professor,” one of the students asked, “what do beer bottles mean???!!!”

The professor smiled slyly again:
– They mean that, despite any problems, there is always a little time and place for idleness :)

Parable about happiness

An interesting parable. You can chase happiness... and still not catch it. And we can make sure that happiness is always with us. Like in this parable :)

lucky tail

One day, an old cat met a young kitten. Running in a circle, the kitten was clearly trying to catch up with its own tail. The old cat stood silently, watching the actions of the kitten, who, without stopping for a minute, ran after its tail.

- You're chasing your own tail! - For what? – asked the old cat.
“Once a cat told me that my happiness is in my tail,” the kitten answered, “that’s why I catch it.”

The seasoned cat rolled his eyes, smiled as only an old cat could, and said:

– I was younger and, just like you, I tried to “catch happiness by the tail,” because I firmly believed in the truthfulness of what was said to me. You have no idea how many days I spent chasing my tail. I forgot what food and drink were, running and chasing my tail. I also fell, was exhausted, but got up again and again chased illusory happiness. But there came a point in my life when I had already lost hope, and I quit this activity and walked away. And do you know what happened?

What? – the kitten asked, opening his eyes wide.
– My tail is always with me, which means happiness too...

Video parable. Gorgeous.

Parable. Miracle - Clay

This parable was sent by Igor Sepetov.

A long time ago, Water and Fire decided to become friends. Only their friendship somehow ended quickly - either the Water evaporated, or the Fire died out...

They asked the Man to reconcile them.

The man took a lump of dry clay and asked Water to moisten and soften it. Then he mixed and kneaded it properly. The clay became pliable and plastic.

The man fashioned from it a capacious steep-sided pot, an elegant lamp-lamp and a funny toy whistle. Then he turned to Fire for help.

The fire burned it all thoroughly, giving the products strength...

The man poured Water into the pot and oil for Fire into the lamp. Clay connected both Fire and Water. And for his son he taught him to whistle a song about the friendship of Fire and Water on a whistle.

The events of this legend happened quite recently.
You may even find this information in recent news. Our students often tell similar stories in public speaking classes.

The legend of the richest man.

Modern legend

Henry Ford's raincoat

Once, already a millionaire, Henry Ford came to England on business. At the airport information desk, he asked about any cheap hotel in the city, as long as it was nearby.

The employee looked at him - his face was famous. Newspapers often wrote about Ford. And here he is standing here - in a raincoat that looks older than himself and asking about a cheap hotel. The employee asked hesitantly:

- If I'm not mistaken, you are Mr. Henry Ford?

- Yes,- he answered.

The employee was surprised:

- I recently saw your son at this counter. He booked the most expensive room, and was very worried that the hotel would be the best. And you ask for a cheap hotel and wear a raincoat that seems to be no younger than you. Are you really saving money?

Henry Ford, after thinking a little, replied:

“I don’t need to stay in an expensive hotel, because I don’t see the point in overpaying for extras that I don’t need.” Wherever I stay, I am Henry Ford. And I don’t see much difference in hotels, because even in a cheap hotel you can relax no worse than in the most expensive one. And this coat - yes, you are right, my father also wore it, but this does not matter, because in this coat I am still Henry Ford.

And my son is still young and inexperienced, so he is afraid of what people will think if he stays in a cheap hotel. I don’t worry about the opinions of others about me, because I know my true worth. And I became a millionaire because I know how to count money and distinguish real values ​​from fake ones.

Legend of love

It so happened that on one island there lived different feelings: Happiness, Sadness, Skill… AND Love was among them. One day Premonition informed everyone that the island would soon disappear under water. Rush And Haste They were the first to leave the island by boat. Soon everyone left, only Love stayed. She wanted to stay until the last second. When the island was about to go under water, Love I decided to call for help.

Wealth sailed on a magnificent ship. Love tells him: “ Wealth, can you take me away?” - “No, I have a lot of money and gold on the ship. I have no room for you!”

Happiness sailed past the island, but it was so happy that it didn’t even hear Love calls him.

When Love saved, she asked Knowledge, who was that.

– Time. Because only Time can understand how Love important!

And this is a new parable.
A girl on online training told it to me.
I think you will like this parable too! 🙂

A parable about how to choose a wife

Once the men asked their grandfather:

- Tell me, grandfather, you and your wife have been living for probably half a hundred years. You do everything together and never argue. How do you do this?

Grandfather thought for a moment and said:

- You see, young people are going to a party. And when they return, the guys will accompany the girls home, arm in arm.

So I, when I was young, went to see off a beauty. I was going to tell her something, and she suddenly began to slowly pull her hand out from under mine. I didn’t understand, it turns out I was walking straight into a puddle on the road. It was dark, it was late. But I didn’t turn around. She ran around the puddle and again grabbed my arm. I walked purposefully towards the next puddle. She also removed her hand. So he brought her to the gate.

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The next evening I went with another girl. The route is the same. The girl, when she saw that I was walking straight and not turning, began to pull my hand out of my hand. But I don't let you in. She snatched her hand away, but how could she run!

The next evening I went with a third girl. And again, exactly along the same route, with puddles.

When I come up, it means I’m approaching a puddle - she holds on to me tightly, listens to me and... walks through the puddle with me.

Well, I think maybe I didn’t see the puddles, you never know.

Then I'll move on to the next one - deeper. Girlfriend - zero attention to the puddle.
I'm on to the third...

Since then we have been walking side by side. And we don’t fight, we live happily.

All the men opened their mouths slightly, and the older ones said:

- Why didn’t you tell me before, grandfather, how to choose wives? Maybe we would be happier too.
- Yes, you just asked me now.

A wonderful parable. One of the best.

Parable. Save the star

A man was walking along the seashore right after a storm. His gaze was drawn to a boy who was picking up something from the sand and throwing it into the sea.

The man came closer and saw that the boy was picking up starfish from the sand. They surrounded him on all sides. It seemed like there were millions of starfish on the sand; the shore was literally strewn with them for many kilometers.

Why are you throwing these starfish into the water? - the man asked, coming closer.
- The tide is coming soon. If they stay here on the shore until tomorrow morning, they will die,” the boy answered, without stopping his activities.

But that's just stupid! - the man shouted. - Look around! There are thousands of starfish here. Your attempts will not change anything!
The boy picked up the next starfish, thought for a moment, and threw it into the sea, saying quietly:

No, my attempts will change a lot... For this star.

New neighbor

The hostess looked out the window. He sees the new neighbor hanging out her laundry to dry. But it is clear that there are a lot of dirty spots on the white linen.

Shouts to her husband:

- Go take a look! What a sloppy neighbor we have. Doesn't know how to wash clothes!

In between, I told my friends what a new neighbor I had. But he doesn’t know how to wash clothes.

Time has passed. The housewife again sees her neighbor hanging out her laundry. And again with spots.

Again she went to gossip with her friends.

That's why we wanted to see it ourselves.

We came to the yard. They look at the underwear. But it is snow-white, no stains.

Then one woman says:

“Before you discuss other people’s underwear, you should go and wash your windows.” Look how dirty they are.

Dear reader! I hope you liked the parables.

• A big request: write in the comments which parables you liked the most. I'm very interested to know this. parables

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English lore warns travelers against traveling alone in mountainous terrain at dusk. If you believe, the surroundings of Cornwall, which is considered the birthplace of King Arthur, Celtic traditions and... giants, are especially dangerous!

In the mid-18th century, residents of the Cornwall peninsula were seriously afraid of meeting their giant neighbors. Many ancient myths and legends tell of the sad fate of those who encountered giants.

There is a legend about a simple woman named Emma May, the wife of farmer Richard May. One day, not waiting for her husband to arrive for dinner at the usual time, she decided to go in search of him, left the house and found herself in a thick fog. Since then, she has not been seen again, and although the residents of the village have repeatedly gone in search, Emma May seemed to have disappeared into the ground. The peasants believed that she was kidnapped by giants, who, according to rumors, lived in the surrounding caves and killed late travelers or took them into slavery.

What secrets do the seas and oceans keep?

Many ancient myths and legends are composed about the sad fate of sailors who were swallowed up by the depths of the sea. Almost everyone has heard chilling stories about sirens calling ships to the reefs. The wild imagination of sailors gave rise to many superstitions, which over time transformed into inviolable customs. In the countries of Southeast Asia, sailors still bring gifts to the gods in order to return safely from their journey. However, there was one captain (his name, alas, history has not preserved) who neglected the sacred traditions...

...The elements were raging, the ship’s crew was tired of fighting the elements, and nothing foreshadowed a successful outcome. Standing near the helm, through the curtain of rain, the captain saw a black figure appearing on his right hand. The stranger asked what the captain was willing to give him in exchange for his salvation? The captain replied that he was ready to give all his gold just to be in port again. The black man laughed and said: “You did not want to bring gifts to the gods, but you are ready to give everything to the demon. You will be saved, but you will bear a terrible curse as long as you live.”

The legend tells that the captain returned safely from the voyage. But he had barely crossed the threshold of his house when his wife, who had been lying in bed with a serious illness for two months, died. The captain went to his friends, and a day later their house burned to the ground. Wherever the captain appeared, death followed him everywhere. Tired of such a life, a year later he put a bullet in his forehead.

The dark underground kingdom of Hades

Since we are talking about otherworldly demons, dooming a stumbled person to eternal torment, we cannot help but recall Hades - the ruler of the underground kingdom of darkness and horror. The River Styx flows through a bottomless abyss, carrying the souls of the dead deeper and deeper underground, and Hades looks at all this from his golden throne.

Hades is not alone in his underground kingdom; the gods of dreams also live there, sending people both terrible nightmares and joyful dreams. Ancient myths and legends say that the monstrous Lamia, a ghost with donkey legs, wanders in the kingdom of Hades. Lamia kidnaps newborns so that if the house in which the mother and baby live is cursed by a wicked person.

At the throne of Hades stands the young and beautiful god of sleep, Hypnos, whose power no one can resist. On his wings, he silently flies over the earth and pours his sleeping pills from the golden horn. Hypnos can send sweet visions, but it can also send you into eternal sleep.

Pharaoh who violated the will of the gods

As ancient myths and legends tell, Egypt suffered disasters during the reign of the pharaohs Khafre and Khufu - slaves worked day and night, all temples were closed, free citizens were also persecuted. But then Pharaoh Menkaure came to replace them and he decided to free the tormented people. The people of Egypt began to work in their fields, the temples began to function again, and the living conditions of the people improved. Everyone glorified the good and just pharaoh.

Time passed, and Menkaura was struck by terrible blows of fate - his beloved daughter died and the ruler was predicted that he had only seven years to live. Pharaoh was perplexed - why did his grandfather and father, who oppressed the people and did not honor the gods, live to a ripe old age, and he had to die? Finally, the pharaoh decided to send a messenger to the famous oracle. An ancient myth - the legend of Pharaoh Menkaure - tells about the answer given to the ruler.

“The life of Pharaoh Menkaura was shortened only because he did not understand his purpose. Egypt was destined to suffer disasters for one hundred and fifty years, Khafre and Khufu understood this, but Menkaure did not.” And the gods kept their word; on the appointed day, the pharaoh left the sublunary world.

Almost all ancient myths and legends (as well as many legends of the new formation) contain a rational grain. An inquisitive mind will always be able to penetrate the veil of allegories and discern the meaning hidden in stories that seem fantastic at first glance. How to use the acquired knowledge is a personal matter for everyone.

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We are sure that many of you still believe in unicorns. It seems wonderful to imagine that they still exist somewhere, and we just haven’t found them yet. However, even the myth about such a magical creature has a very prosaic and even somewhat frightening explanation.

If you feel like website If you are very skeptical and no longer believe in magic, then at the end of the article a real miracle awaits you!

Great Flood

Scientists believe that the legend of the Great Flood is based on the memory of major flood, the epicenter of which was Mesopotamia. At the beginning of the last century, during excavations of the tombs of Ur, a layer of clay was found that separated two cultural layers. Only a catastrophic flood of the Tigris and Euphrates could lead to the appearance of such a phenomenon.

According to other estimates, 10–15 thousand years BC. e. An incredible flood happened in the Caspian Sea, which spilled over an area of ​​about 1 million square meters. km. The version was confirmed after scientists found sea shells in Western Siberia, the closest distribution area of ​​which is in the Caspian Sea. This flood was so powerful that there was a huge waterfall on the Bosphorus, through which approximately 40 cubic meters were poured per day. km of water (200 times the volume of water passing through Niagara Falls). There was a flow of this power for at least 300 days.

This version seems crazy, but in this case, ancient people cannot be accused of exaggerating events!

Giants

In modern Ireland, legends are still told about people of gigantic stature who can create an island simply by throwing a handful of earth into the sea. Endocrinologist Martha Korbonitz came up with the idea that ancient legends could have a scientific basis. Incredibly, the researchers found what they were looking for. A huge number of people in Ireland have mutations in the AIP gene. It was these mutations that caused the development of acromegaly and gigantism. If in the UK the mutation carrier is 1 in 2,000 people, then in the province of Mid-Ulster it is every 150th.

One of the famous Irish giants was Charles Byrne (1761–1783), his height was over 230 cm.

Legends, of course, endow giants with enormous power, but in reality, not everything is so rosy. People with acromegaly and gigantism often suffer from cardiovascular diseases, vision problems and frequent joint pain. Without treatment, many giants may not live to see 30 years of age.

Werewolves

The legend about werewolves has several origins. Firstly, people's lives have always been connected with the forest. Rock paintings of hybrids of humans and animals have reached us from ancient times. People wanted to be stronger, they chose a totem animal and wore its skin. These beliefs were also the basis for the narcotic drugs that warriors took before battle and imagined themselves to be invincible wolves.

Secondly, the belief in the existence of werewolves was also supported by the presence in people of such a genetic disease as hypertrichosis- excessive growth of hair on the body and face, which was called “werewolf syndrome.” It was only in 1963 that doctor Lee Illis gave the disease a medical basis. In addition to the genetic disease, there was also a mental disease known as lycanthropy, during attacks of which people lose their minds and lose their human qualities, considering themselves wolves. In addition, there is an exacerbation of the disease during certain lunar phases.

By the way, the wolf from the world famous “Little Red Riding Hood”, according to, was none other than a werewolf. And he didn’t eat the grandmother, but fed it to her granddaughter.

Vampires

As for the scientific basis for these myths, in 1914, paleontologist Otenio Abel suggested that the ancient finds of dwarf elephant skulls became the reason for the birth of the myth of the Cyclops, since the central nasal opening can easily be mistaken for a giant eye socket. It is curious that these elephants were found precisely on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Malta, and Crete.

Sodom and Gomorrah

We don’t know about you, but we always thought that Sodom and Gomorrah are a very large-scale myth and rather some kind of personification of vicious cities. However, this is quite a historical fact.

For a decade now, excavations of an ancient city have been underway in the town of Tell el-Hammam in Jordan. Archaeologists are confident that they have found the biblical Sodom. The approximate location of the city has always been known - the Bible described the “Sodom Pentate City” in the Jordan Valley. However, its exact location has always raised questions.

In 2006, excavations began, and scientists found a large ancient settlement surrounded by a powerful rampart. According to researchers, people lived here between 3500 and 1540 BC. e. There is no other option for the name of the city, otherwise the mention of such a large settlement would have remained in written sources.

Kraken

The Kraken is a legendary mythical sea monster of gigantic size, a cephalopod, known from descriptions of sailors. The first extensive description was made by Eric Pontoppidan - he wrote that the kraken is an animal “the size of a floating island.” According to him, the monster is capable of grabbing a large ship with its tentacles and dragging it to the bottom, but the whirlpool that occurs when the kraken quickly sinks to the bottom is much more dangerous. It turns out that a sad end is inevitable - both when the monster attacks and when it runs away from you. Really creepy!

The rationale for the myth of the “creepy monster” is simple: Giant squids still exist today and reach 16 meters in length. They really are an impressive sight - in addition to suckers, some species also have claws and teeth on their tentacles, but they can only threaten someone by pressing him down from above. Even if a modern person, having met such a creature, is very frightened, let alone medieval fishermen - for them the giant squid was definitely a mythical monster.

Unicorn

When it comes to unicorns, we immediately imagine a graceful creature with a rainbow horn in its forehead. Interestingly, they are found in the legends and myths of many cultures. The very first images were found in India and are over 4,000 years old. Later, the myth spread across the continent and reached Ancient Rome, where they were considered absolutely real animals.

Jindo in South Korea. Here the waters between the islands part for an hour, revealing a wide and long road! Scientists explain this miracle by the difference in the timing of low and high tides.

Of course, many tourists come there - in addition to simple walks, they have the opportunity to see the marine inhabitants who remained on the opened land. The amazing thing about the Moses Trail is that it leads from the mainland to the island.