earthstoriez discover myth and folklore and folktales
Saint Nicholas with his long white beard, bishop’s miter and crosier rewards the well-behaved with gifts each year on 6th December. His scary counterpart Krampus wears fur, horns and a hand-carved mask with a lolling tongue. During the Christmas season, he comes to warn and punish naughty children (and adults). Discover Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol. … AUSTRIA | SOUTH TYROL: On Saint Nicholas and the Krampus in Tyrol
At sunset, the Dolomite mountains light up in fiery red, turning to purple before fading into the night: this is the Alpenglühen, riverbero rossiccio, enrosadira or Alpenglow, a phenomenon whose origins are deeply rooted in legend. The Legend of King Laurins Rose Garden talks about why the mountains are sometimes glowing red and orange.
Visiting South America, I was often invited to share a mate, by friendly and curious people. Having a mate or terere means sharing stories and being part of a deeply cultural ritual.
Discover legends, myth, history and folklore of the potato plant in Bolivia and its use in traditional Andean culture.
Rapa Nui offers a world of inquiry that have remained unanswered for centuries. Questions abound surrounding the origins of the people and their culture, the Moai statues, the Tangata manu – Birdman cult and the history of the Islands racial extermination, ecological and natural disasters. Discover Myths and Legends of the Moai on Rapa Nui-The Easter Island.
… CHILE: Myths and Legends of the Moai on Rapa Nui-The Easter Island
Most Singaporeans are aware of the popular folktale of how the name Singapura came about, so I was told myths and legends of Singapore comfortably in a Grab car on the way out of Singapore airport.
At Bardia National Park in Nepal, a lone rhino swishes out the elephant grass. We stand very near, quite at the riverbank peering behind tall grass, hearing – observing – now it is slowly reaching the water, peacefully munching. Floating happily into the river. Discover Myth & Folklore of the One-horned rhinoceros also known as the Indian Rhinoceros.
… INDIA | NEPAL: There be Unicorns – Myth & Folklore of the One – horned rhinoceros
Komodo dragons are the world’s largest living lizards, they only live on a hand full of islands in Indonesia. The crocodile and the Orah, as it is called by the locals, are the closest we have to dinosaurs. The dragons have long been a source of major fascination for the peoples of Flores who share their islands with them, till today. Discover History, Myth and Folklore of the Komodo Dragon.
… INDONESIA: Here be dragons – History, Myth and Folklore of the Komodo Dragon
Orang-utans, being uncannily like humans and highly intelligent, at the same time as being large and extremely strong, have long been a source of major fascination for the peoples of Sumatra and Borneo who share their forests with them. Discover Myths and legends of the Orang-Utan in Indonesia.
… INDONESIA: The people of the Jungle – Myths and legends of the Orang-Utan
Explore Makemake and the incredible competition that took place on Rapa Nui to choose the Tangata Manu or Easter Island birdman whose clan would rule the island during one year. Discover Myths and Legends of the birdman cult on the Easter Island – Rapa Nui
… CHILE: Myths and folklore of the birdman cult on the Easter Island – Rapa Nui
Myths and legends from Chiloé possess a multitude of creatures and a distinct and interesting history of male witches, Francisco Goya’s painting of witches did much to shape perceptions of sorcery in Spanish- speaking societies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Part of the attraction of Chiloé is the wealth of mystery that permeate the misty, foggy reaches of forest and remote beaches, where creatures and male witches dwell.
While doing a Panchakarma in Kerala, India I witnessed how Annapurṇa – The kitchen goddess, got a temple in the new kitchen, this ritual is called kumbhabhishekam.
Folklore of 熊猫 – the Giant Panda, has its roots in Tibetan and Chinese culture. Read the legends on how the panda got his black marks, discover its etymology and symbolism and the use in traditional Chinese culture. Discover the History and Mythology of the xióng māo, Mo, Pixiu or Giant Panda.
Discover History and Mythology of Solar Eclipses in China and how it makes us connect to what our ancestors might have felt and experienced.
Discover Ovid’s Baucis et Philemon, retold as myth, fairy tale, fable, poem and as seen in art.
… AUSTRIA: Baucis et Philemon, retold as myth, fairy tale, fable & poem
Storytelling in Bali is an age old tradition, and an ancient art. It symbolizes the living tradition of storytelling that deeply explains and entertains, morally educates and brings communities together. In Balinese culture- art, ritual, and performance overlap in various ways, stories are continually told and retold.
The story of how coffee was first discovered and then spread to all of the major countries on Earth is a fascinating tale that includes romance, politics, religion, intrigue, heroics, deceit, greed, and innovation.
Danu Toba is a special place, a lake in a super volcano, the biggest volcanic caldera worldwide:
Nasreddin Hodja has many names and is also sometimes referred to as “Nasrudin”,“the Mulla” and as “the Hodja” or “Hoca”.
The story of how Yerba Mate was first discovered and then spread through South America is a fascinating tale that includes legends, politics, religion, intrigue, slavery, war and innovation.
The discovery of tea, Camellia sinensis, was ever a story of many dimensions, and the telling of the tale depended on the leaf’s use as medicine, food, or drink.
The story of how tea was first discovered and then spread to all of the major countries on Earth is a fascinating tale that includes romance, politics, religion, intrigue, heroics, deceit, greed, war and innovation. … TIMELINE: A story of tea
