TRAVEL STORIES OF WONDER & EVERY DAY LIFE
Travelling.
Listening to stories.
Collecting them.
Visiting people and places where myths and legends are remembered and festivals celebrated.
Creating earthstoriez to preserve and share this common heritage.
Discover earthstoriez.
Click the region:
History,
Mythology, Folklore & us
Travel is Freedom, Fun, Friends, Fails & Random Acts of Kindness.
Traveling for eight years nonstop, during covid outbreak in remote areas of the Himalayas.Touring, Backpacking, Hiking, Hitchhiking… using local transport, elephants and camels; trains, airplanes, boats and bikes.
About five years now we are traveling on motorbikes. Right now we have an iconic Royal Enfield Himalayan under our swollen butts, from countless road and off- road trips. We enjoy the freedom, the independence. Stopping along the way to smell “the roses” and enjoy the view.
An adventure awaits around every bend, friendships made on every tour. Like minded people, a meal, a coffee or a tea, a couple of drinks and the road stories start to flow. Fire your engines and pour your words out!
Some places you just want to visit yourself. Riding through the countryside and experiencing the culture is unbeatable. Standing in front of historical monuments and Unesco World Heritage Sites and knowing the stories and struggles that got us to today, it is these things that make up a ride.
Over the past years we’ve hiked Volcanoes in Thailand and Indonesia, the Alps – Switzerland, North Italy, Tirol, Austria – the Andes in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia – the Himalayas of Nepal and India.
Further exploration has been undertaken in the Amazon of South America, the jungle of Madagascar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the forests of India and the woods of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Fascinated with all things nature, collecting treelore and observing wildlife.
We rode camels in the Gobi of Mongolia and inhaled the sand of the Sahara in Egypt, the Atacama of South America and the Rub’ al Khali in Oman – grasping the mystical expanse of the desert. The visit to the Salar de Uyuni of Bolivia and Chile proved that a desert is not, by default, hot.
And the trip to Kap horn – that I can get seasick…really sick.
Diving and snorkeling in Indonesia thought us how to wonder: Creatures, so strange I couldn’t even attribute them – flora, fauna or both? Pristine, candy-hued coral stretching out like a Monet. Forests shooting up from the seabed. There were giants, like whales and mantas and tiny plankton type organisms that shine at night – a dance of bioluminescence – brilliant.
We’ve spent countless nights in the middle of nowhere, usually near a majestic tree, a gentle river, the rough ocean or a calm lake, and my partner has all the mosquito bites to prove it.
Stories of wonder & every day life
The biggest lesson we learn is to appreciate communities traditions, beliefs, nature and humanity. No matter which country we rode through, we always found people to be kind, generous and trusting.
Slowly and attentively we try to immerse in a culture and seek out communities whose knowledge and passion can deepen our own understanding and appreciation of a place. People do make a place, contacts – fleeting ones usually, not the brushing of the crowd, but those moments when just for an instant you feel close to the people and the meaning of a place.
Some moments were fragments, confusing – obscure; some were just talk about this or that; about everyday life. Some were filled with myths and legends, some we asked to hear, and few we just been told, for reasons known and unknown. Because the passing on of stories is intrinsically human, and something we can all come together to share.
Conscious of our lack of connectivity, we wish to take on the great challenge of discovering and, in some cases, rediscovering beautiful places, replete with unique landscapes, cultures, traditions, and history.
Above all we wish to connect with the individuals who live here and convey their stories.
EarthstOriez is an attempt to share and preserve stories – history, mythology and folklore.
History, Mythology & Folklore
Nothing brings us together like festivals do, so we try to be there – celebrating the sacred and profane together. Listening to stories, watching theater or concerts, all major forms of cultural expression and arts. As well as dance, a universal language, that we all have the ability to speak.
Exploring authentic, rustic food and local specialties to broaden our culinary horizons and the many arts humankind engage with. Discovering plants and how local communities use them (Ethnobotany) in everyday life – Ethnomedicine can help us all.
At earthstoriez, we particularly treasure those threads of the fabric of knowledge that carry an awareness of how people are woven into a place. This knowledge is apparent in the worldview of a people, which arises as beliefs, stories, myths, instructions, songs, art forms, rituals, recipes, and practices.
Lore has for millennia informed the young people of these communities in how to be human in a natural world. Lore comes from the same root word as learn. It includes both knowledge and know-how, passed down from ancestors.
By delving into stories and traditions of local communities, we can explore the similarities that run through our earth – STORIEZ history, myths, folklore, legends, recipes and songs are a great way of connecting to a shared heritage, and an excellent way of learning about us – appreciating how we’re different and how we are all the same.
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions, the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next.
Cultural heritage are:
oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.
While fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity. An understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of different communities helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life.
Etc.
We are bikers and nature lovers, interested in the world around us. Looking into physical, observable phenomena (Natural sciences) as well as into human culture (cultural history) and all the treasures that it encompasses – giving us meaningful learning opportunities. Besides being fun it is growing in the process.
Do not expect a peer-reviewed academic article from amateur writers like us. What you read is derived from our experiences, encounters and observations, only then we go and try to deepen our knowledge using scholarly literature, historical papers and reports.
Languages give us the power to communicate in an attempt to make sense of people and places. English isn’t our native language and we have the impudence to write also in other languages; not often good but for that seldom.
Both authors of this website are anonymous,
only friends
know who we are.
Discover our social side, we are super friendly
Join us and share your thoughts and experiences with the earthstoriez community on
facebook • twitter • instagram • youtube • pinterest
We collect #treelore and tree related art, poetry and books on the socials. Everything touring is in #roadstoriez. Plus we say lots of funny, interesting, things there, we don’t say here.
Here are a few of our favorite stories of wonder & every day life, go read, why don’t you? And thank you.
Please remember that myths and legends were preserved so they could be told and retold – feel free to share and download.
Memory, Modernity and Identity
ARGENTINA | PARAGUAY | BRAZIL : On the creation of the IGUAZU Falls
PARAGUAY: On the origins of MATE
INDONESIA: Here be dragons- History, Myth and Folklore of the Komodo Dragon
CHINA: On the Giant Panda in History and Mythology
THE MOTHER GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND RICE
NEPAL: Myth and Folklore of the Yeti
OMAN: Mythology, history and use of Frankincense or Hojari
~ ○ ~
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’d like to give a feedback, you can use the form on the end of this page – just scroll down. Please note it will only send off if all three fields are filled in. Use whatever language you like.
Thanks.
Hey there I love your website and stories you write. Your skill and passion doesn’t go unnoticed.
Thank you for blessing us with your knowledge ❤️
Thank you for all the information!
I have just found your website and have read only one article so far, but I’ll definitely read more.Thank you, as an anthropologist who loves mythology and folklore.
Thank you for collecting this history. I’m a Spanish high school teacher and I can’t wait to share some of your work around chocolate and mate with my classes. 🙂
Plants and trees have nurtured us, feed us, sheltered us, and provided medication and energy to us, the plant kingdom speaks to us because our bodies speak the same genetic and chemical language.
There are deep reasons why morphine, coffee, chocolate, tobacco and chilli make up some of the biggest financial industries in the world.
Hominids have coevolved with plants and trees for millions of years. so entwined are we that we share 50 % of our DNA with the botanical world, and the connections between us are profound.
I connected with Earthstories the moment I found you!
Love your articles, glimpses into far-away lands. They remind me that our world is so rich in culture and makes my bones ache in longing for travels.
Hello!
Earthstoriez is an amazing project and I am so thrilled that I’ve happened upon it.
Thank you for your time and consideration by email.
Warmly,
Kristin Scarola
Museum Educator
New York, NY
What an interesting idea and great way to understand and explore different cultural aspects beyond the normal tourist itinerary.
I think the stories here are quirky and give more in-depth cultural perspective so good for sure.
Interesting and beautiful stories and myths directly from the womb of our mother earth.
This project stimulate the curiosity and to discover and learn more.
It is a pleasant read thanks to the clarity of language used by earthstoriez.
Thank you so much for sharing your work!
A lovely website to understand deeper . Well researched nice stories written so well. Thanks for sharing these stories with the world.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge about Annapurna with me it was very enlightening. It has certainly given me food for thought ? about my own relationship with food.
Big love ❤️
https://earthstoriez.com/india-annapurna-kitchen-goddess/
This pages bring back memories of places that I have lived. As I started reading, I remembered things I had not thought of in years. Thank you
Interessant, im Einklang mit dem gestellten Thema. Tiefgründige Ausführungen, sukzessive Steigerung des Niveaus in der Darlegung!
Dear Sir / Madam, Greetings, My name is Utba Mahmood from Singapore. I came across this website by chance. Its very informative! Thank you for your time to post these articles. I would love to learn more about them. Do have a nice day <3 Best regards, Utba Mahmood
https://earthstoriez.com/singapore-myths-legends/
Ich liebe diese Seiten!!! sie sind eine Fundgrube voller Schätze. Reich an Geschichten, Sagen, Legenden, und Mythen. Und das Besondere, in den Erzählungen ist etwas Verbindendes, etwas universell Verbindendes, ich glaube dass wir Menschen uns durch diese Art von Erzählungen näher kommen, denn alle haben wir doch letztendlich dieselben Bedürfnisse (wenn auch nicht immer unbedingt zur selben Zeit). Für mich ist es eine Fundgrube von Wissen und immer geltende Weisheit.
Earthstoriez is for someone wanting to delve deeper into mythology and lore of trees. Humanity has deep and significant ties to trees and woods- which we have largely forgotten, this website serves as a reminder.
Das ist eine Schatzkammer des Wissens, aber auch der ästhetischen Vermittlung desselben. Auf earthstoriez läßt sich eine derartige Fülle von Informationen erfahren, läßt sich so tief in die Geschichte und Geschichten der Kulturen der Welt eintauchen, daß es eine wahre Freude ist.
Die Sagen, Märchen, Legenden und mythischen Episoden werden jeweils nacherzählt und meist auch in den Zusammenhang mit anderen Geschichten gestellt.
Die schönen Bilder sind eine Augenweide und ein ganz wesentlicher Grund für die Güte der Webseite: geschmackvoll ausgewählt, ästhetisch angeordnet und schlicht schwarz weiß.
Das ist interkulturelle Wissensvermittlung, wie ich sie mir vorstelle.
On our trip we realized how much we can learn from others and their stories of their lifes. In the end it’s sharing another perspective, opinion, lifestyle, memory or learing. Having a collection of all the old sayings and stories is really great, those one’s should be even more usefull for us, as they’ve been told and rememberd for so long. So, it’s an amazing idea of having a collection of learings of the world here on this website.
Thanks also for the stories and learings we got from you in person :).
Very interesting reading the folklore you collected.
I love it ❤
leggere questi testi è un pó come sognare ad occhi aperti.. per chi viaggia sa cosa intendo dire, è come sentire di nuovo i profumi, i suoni e le sensazioni..
Ogniuno di noi potrebbe forse scrivere un libro sulle proprie storie, esperienze e sui propi avvenimenti della sua vita, e forse tutti sarebbero dei bestseller 😉 la cosa importante e dare anche valore a tutto ció, chiaccherare con gli amici, famiglia, sconosciuti o passanti, condividere il vissuto, i sogni e le speranze. Questo mondo è un pozzo di saggiezza, se solo lo vediamo e se solo sappiamo apprezzarlo. Auguro a tutti noi di farci continuamente ispirare da questo stupendo posto chiamato terra.
Vielseitig und spritzig tanx friends
Qué bonitas historias! Me encanta poder leer leyendas de lugares en los que no he visitado o que nunca me contaron. Enriquecedor y Lindísimooooo!
QUEREMOS MÁSSSSS!
Un beso fuerte!
This is a treasure chest full of jewels for personal enjoyment, but it is also a very important site to share because we desperately need better understanding of each other in this world. Different peoples, different cultures have always met and exchanged stories since humans began our first great migrations, slowly and gradually, extended by trading and curiosity. We have all benefited from this mingling and mixing whether or not we realise it or understand the details. But in today’s world, change is faster, people are thrown together with less time for communication and we are made to feel competitive when we need to be collaborative. The survival of us all depends on having our stories heard and listening to the stories of others. Many myths known today have origins going back millennia and have been handed down and passed along over whole continents and across continents – long before social media 🙂 We share vast ancient histories we do not even know but can sometimes feel in others’ myths that are really our own myths, too. Apart from the love of story, I have a special interest in that I am a social anthropologist and have studied the stories of peoples from many countries. I couldn’t agree more with this ‘wandering historian’ that people make place as they make history also. Thank you for gathering and maintaining this wonderful story-place.
Wunderbare Seite. Interessante und lehrreiche Beiträge. Von Herzen empfehlenswert. ❤
I think it’s so important to share stories, as that’s why we travel in the first place.
From hearing others stories, the direction of my life has changed several times. We often think that it’s important to find stories from interesting people, quoting things that famous people have said, but in all this we forget that everyone has such a unique and interesting story, though it’s just generally not heard. I am yet to meet someone without an interesting life.
As I meet people on my travels around the world, I hear things that you can’t find in any book or in any quotes, and listening to what others have to say regardless of their age is what makes this life so enriching.
As someone once told me in George Town, Penang; “it’s never too late to have a happy childhood” and I think it’s important to listen to people’s stories, the same way we did with awe and wonder when we were children.
Very interesting storieZ, and good translation work!
Congratulations
Se dimentichiamo le nostre leggende, temo che dovremmo chiudere una porta importante all’immaginazione ~ James Christense
Divulgare Storie é aprirsi al dialogo, é vivere pienamente e con leggerezza la nostra quotidianità.
Grazie per questo grande patrimonio dell’umanità.