Huminodun

Origination

Huminodun originated from the Dusun people, indigenous to Sabah. The Dusun people are one of several Kadazan ethnicities. The Kadazan language encompasses various ethnicities indigenous to the region. So, the term Kadazan is used to include all ethnicities who speak the language or a similar version of the language.

Religion

Although frequently referred to as a legend or narrative of folklore, Huminodun is actually a religious observance in the Kadazan communities of Sabah. As found in cultures around the world, religious beliefs center around the concept of Gods to explain the incredible experiences and elements in the world that they did not understand. Similar to the pantheon of Gods in many ancient cultures and their various creation stories, the Kadazan culture also has its own pantheon of Gods, which is seen in their own creation story. Although the Kadazan culture never reached the heights of similar cultures like the Inca, Egyptian, Yoruba, Greek, or Roman civilizations, they also had a god-creator who was named Kinoingan. Kinoingan would be the equivalent of Inti, Ra, Olodumare, Zeus, and Jupiter.

When Christian missionaries first attempted to evangelize the region, they soon realized that in order to shift the Kadazans to believe in their God, they would have to borrow the name Kinoingan in order to teach them about the Christian God when they translated the Bible into the Kadazan language. In other words, as we see in many examples, indigenous beliefs were taken and Christianized in order to subjugate them into the colonizers’ system to make them easier to control.

Huminodun is thought to have been the founder of Momolianism, the religion of the various Kadazan peoples. Momolianism, as seen with many indigenous religions, worships nature. More specifically, it is one of the numerous religions worldwide that practice animism, the belief that all creatures, places, an inanimate objects have a spiritual essence that gives them agency and free will.

The Story

Kinoingan lived with his wife Suminundu in a heaven called Libabou and also in the world of man called Pomogunanhad. They had one son named Ponompulan and one daughter named Ponompuanand. Although the world of man was free from all sins and was very beautiful, Suminundu created the earth. When Ponompulan started to rebel, he corrupted the minds of mankind and was banished from heaven. He then created his own underworld called Kolungkud. His followers from mankind were then cursed with a famine. In order to end the curse their daughter Ponompuanand offered herself as a sacrifice ordered by her own father. She was then named Huminodun, which means transferred sacrifice. She then said to her father:

My body will give rise to all sorts of edible plants to feed the people. My flesh will give rise to rice, my head—the coconut, my bones—tapioca, my toes—ginger, my teeth—maize and my knees—yams. Our people will never go hungry again.

It was from Huminodun’s sacrifice that Bambazon, the spirit of the rice, had sprung. Following the sacrifice, the people experienced the most bountiful harvest that year. However, Kinoingan was greatly distraught and sorrowful for having lost his only daughter. As a result, he slashed through the paddy fields destroying the plants until the voice of his daughter spoke to him saying, “please stop hurting me further.”

He was then instructed to gather seven of the tallest stalks and tie them together, cut them, and bring them to his home and place each one in a jar. Comforted by the voice of his daughter, he did as instructed. One day, Kinoingan and his wife suddenly heard noises coming from the jars. Upon opening the jars, they saw seven brightly shining maidens, including his daughter. Her light was brighter than the sun. Her resurrection fulfilled her promise when her spirit emerged from the jar. The people commemorate her sacrifice and resurrection for her bravery, strength, grace and beauty in the annual beauty pageant, Unduk Ngadau.

There are a few variations of this story told from different communities, but the overall theme is one of sacrifice and beauty. In another variation, it was Sinakagon a demi-God who sacrificed her. This story began momolianism, an animist-pagan religion. This is also what founded the Bobolians who taught the rites, rituals, and ceremonies, traditions, taboos, as well as the gong-beating art and Sumazau dance.

The legend has inspired music and films.

The Kadazans celebrate the Ka’amatan or harvest festival to pay homage to Bambazon to ensure a bountiful harvest annually. During the ceremony, a maiden is selected who represents immaculate virtues and resplendent beauty (the beauty pageant winner) to reflect those of Huminodun. She is selected to honor Huminodun and is declared an Unduk Ngadau or Zenith of the Sun.

The film that was released in 2024 was produced with very little embellishments to ensure the story remained in close alignment with the way Sabahans tell their own stories with their own voices and in their own language. This was in following the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association’s version.

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References

Ismail, Melissa Suraya (1 June 2022). “Unduk Ngadau, The Beauty Pageant Of The Sabahans”. The Rakyat Post. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2025.

Hong Chieh, Yow (30 May 2024). “What Is Kaamatan and Why Is It Celebrated?”. Explore AirAsia. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2024/12/02/sabahan-film-sinakagon-makes-netflix-debut-this-month/

Huminodun - Wikipedia

The Huminodun Story in Sabah | Hello Sabah

The Mystical Origin of the Kadazandusun - Huminodun

Tuesday Tale #37: The Legend of Hominodun – Tuyang

https://www.bharian.com.my/bhplus-old/2015/09/83875/legenda-huminodun

The Legend of Huminodun

Barlocco, Fausto (2011). "A Tale of Two Celebrations: The Pesta Kaamatan as a Site of Struggle between a Minority and the State in Sabah, East Malaysia". Asian Journal of Social Science. 39 (5): 605–626. doi:10.1163/156853111X609266. ISSN 1568-4849.

"The Legend of Huminodun"

Download the musical score

Yoruba

Originating out of southwestern Nigeria and extending into portions of Togo and Benin. The Yoruba homeland consists of a modern population that exceeds 60 million people. You can learn more about this region and the origins of Yorubaland in the video below:

Orishas

Orishas are known as spirits who reflect supreme divinity. Human-like manifestations of God-like creatures. They are known to have lived as human beings on earth and to have lived in the spiritual world. Some are known as humans who have been recognized as deities as a result of their extraordinary feats. Many orishas were brought to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade and are now expressed in variations of the Yoruba religion such as: Santería, Candomblé, Trinidad Orisha, Umbanda, and Oyotunji, and more.

Those who follow the Orishas, believe that their lives depend on aligning with one’s ori. Ori translates to head, but spiritually speaking, it means to follow the destiny of one’s soul. This inanimate and living life-force is the power that makes things happen. The prayers and greetings follow this affirmation. Orisha followers focus on obtaining Ashe (divine energy from Olodumare, the creator deity, that comes to fruition through Olorun, ruler of the heavens and the sun - more details in the video above) through iwa-pele (gentle and good character). If they adhere to this, they will experience inner peace and satisfaction with life.

Ashe is sometimes associated with Eshu, the messenger Orisha. Ashe represents the link between the Orishas, the ancestors, and the supreme deity. Brazilian capoeira call it "Axé" and it is used frequently in greetings and as a form of praise in various songs. To say that one has axé is a compliment, meaning that they have a fighting spirit as well as a good energy and attitude.

Pantheon

The orisha are grouped by temperaments and colors. Those who are represented by red or black are considered quick tempered, demanding, and aggressive. Those who are represented by white are considered temperate, calm, and gentle. Oral tradition passes on the knowledge of their temperaments and traits. Each orisha is a ruler over the forces of nature and human endeavors and is recognized through numbers, colors, and foods they prefer. Offerings must consider these aspects to ensure that the orisha recognizes their offering and will come to the aid of those who provided the offering. Some people experience meeting the orishas face to face during a wemilere (drumming ceremony). This is done through trance possession via one or more priests.

The world of the Orishas can be seen in the video below. Elegguá is identified as Exu in the collection of Orishas included in the video. Each can be identified at these particular time stamps:
00:00 - Abertura 1:02 - Exu 2:01 - Ogum 2:59 - Oxóssi 3:54 - Omolú 4:52 - Ossain 5:55 - Oxumarê 6:52 - Nanã 8:00 - Oxum 9:24 - Obá 10:54 - Ewá 12:00 - Iansã 13:06 - Logun Edé 14:21 - Iemanjá 15:18 - Xangô 16:21 - Oxoguian 17:20 - Oxalá

Elegguá

Elegguá is the Deity of roads. He is considered one of the most important Orisha in the Yoruban religion and its American diaspora. He is frequently known by many names including Elegguá, Ellegua, Legba, Elegba, Elewa, Exu, or Eshu. He lives behind all doors and everywhere in nature. As the owner of the crossroads, he is the conduit between the physical and spiritual worlds. He is frequently represented in two forms: as a child and as an old man, representing the beginning and ending of life. This symbolizes the opening and closing of various paths in life as well. He originated out of Yorubaland but has given rise to Santería in Cuba and Venezuela. In Brazil and Colombia, he is tied to Candomblé.

Origin Story

Elegguá was a prince, the son of Okuboro, the King of Añagui. One day, as Elegguá was walking among his entourage, his eyes were struck by a bright light. Upon further inspection, he found the fruit of a coconut tree that had three eyes. Then a voice emerged from the coconut saying, “Take care of me and free me from the insects that want to eat me; if you protect me, I will give you health and prosperity.” Pleased, Elegguá took the coconut with him to the palace. When sharing his story with those in the royal court, many people made fun of the boy. Some even went so far as to throw the coconut around the room, taunting him with it. The King’s advisor suggested hiding the coconut from the boy so that he would forget about it. Three days later, the boy fell ill and died.

While mourning the death of the prince, the court and the people suddenly found themselves in a bad situation. They soon realized that the coconut could be the cause. Since it had been abandoned, bugs had consumed the coconut, and its shell was now empty. A fortune teller was called to assist them. The fortune teller told them that they had offended a good genius who had lived in that coconut. Their treatment of the coconut had angered him, and this is why the prince had died.

The king, repentantly venerated the coconut, asking for forgiveness and protection. However, the genius’ eyes were never to shine again. A soothsayer advised them to put eyes, ears, and a mouth on the coconut so that the genius can hear and talk to us. They found snails to embed on the coconut to give the genius eyes. Then they embedded shells for ears so that the genius could hear their prayers. After adding a mouth, the genius spoke once again. Sharing his wisdom to the ignorant people, he then forgave them.

This is why people started to place a saint’s stone behind the door where the coconut was. Elegguá’s origin as an orisha has evolved into this practice of placing a saint’s stone behind the door, so that he can live there and protect the ilé (house). He is the orisha that opens and closes the astral plane allowing happiness or unhappiness of human beings. He is also the doorkeeper of the savannah and the mountain.

Receiving Elegguá

Elegguá is a child, and as such he likes things associated with the play of children. He is a trickster and likes to play jokes on people. He also enjoys kites, balls, and other toys. He has straw hats and a shepherd’s staff, and likes silver coins, whistles, and keys. His colors are red and black, so he dresses in these colors, often in Spanish colonial-style knee-length pants. Although other traditions have him in white and black, which also demonstrates his contradictory nature. He wears a red hat or kerchief, or a straw hat. He dances playfully and wants attention from onlookers. His food preferences include candy, toasted corn, coconuts, smoked hutia meat, smoked fish, and red palm oil. The elder version prefers cigars and aguardiente (strong alcohol) or vino seco (white wine). His offering day is Monday and the third day of the month. His numbers are 3 and 21 (or any multiple of 3). January 6th and June 13th are recognized as Elegguá “saint’s day” in Cuba. A feast is given in his honor. The Catholic religion has syncretized him with the Child Jesus of Atocha, Saint Anthony of Padua, and the Anima Sola (soul in Purgatory).

His role is to stand at the crossroads between the human and the divine. As a child-like messenger between worlds, he has a close relationship with Orunmila, the orisha of divination. Elegguá is the orisha that must be called upon before any other orisha as he is the one who opens the door between worlds and the different roads in our lives. As a powerful orisha, he is one of the Warriors (along with Ogún, Ochosi and Osun). He is mentioned first in any ceremony as his permission is required for any doors to communicate with other Orisha remain closed without it.

Prayer for Eleggua: Echu obá loná tosí gbogbo ona iré o aché

Through a special ceremony, Elegguá is received alone or with other warriors. In the ceremony, a stone is used to represent Elegguá. The stone is prepared (covered with cement) and charged with the orisha’s aché. The stone is shaped into a head and cowrie shells are used for the eyes and mouth. He is then placed into a clay dish behind a door. Elegguá's eleke (beaded necklace) is an alternating pattern of red and black beads. The colors and design represent life and death, war and peace, and the beginning and ending of all things.

Elegguá plays a central role in every decision made in life. He can make things go smoothly or put obstacles in our paths. It is important to maintain a good relationship with him because without him, nothing is possible.

Eshu

Eshu is like Elegguá's shadow or his reflection in the mirror. They are two sides of the same coin, but with separate identities. Eshu is more unpredictable and is not kept in the house. He lives outside of the house, usually in a garden or in a small space near the side of the front door. Eshu’s tricks can be unpleasant or harmful and some non-practitioners have referred to him as the devil, which he is not. He is very powerful and should not be stirred up. He can however, be calmed by food, so people do place a wooden bowl of food scraps outside of the house for him. He works in tandem with Elegguá to keep balance in life. He is not an independent orisha, but rather a part of Elegguá. He is important because without understanding the dark, we can never appreciate the light.

Elegguá’s Roads

Elegguá has 101 roads at his disposal. Each road signifies a different personality of his. Each of these roads are found in different places in nature. He allows roads and doors to open, facilitating destinies and providing fate to change at will. He can also test one’s integrity to find out if they are honest before granting their desires.

One such road is Laroyé Eleguá, a dancer and lover of money. This childlike path is famous for gluttony, maliciousness, and spoiled behavior. He likes sweets as equally as toys, cigars, rum, and brandy. A popular offering is corn balls with honey and guava.

The opposite, Eshu Laroyé is wise and warns of any dangers that come to the house. He is a protector of the house and a wise business advisor. His natural road is found in rivers. He is the guardian of children (especially orphans), beggars, and the homeless.

Below is a video showing a dance for Elegguá.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the Yoruba culture, the orishas, and more specifically about Elegguá. There are many more stories relating to this orisha and his relationship with the other orishas, which can be found at the website links below.

References

Meet Eleguá: characteristics, rites, prayers, qualities and more

Elegua: Who it is, Characteristics, History and More - Oshaeifa.com

Conoce la Historia: Historia de Eleguá

25 Fascinating Facts About the Yoruba Tribe You Didn’t Know - Cultures of West Africa

Yoruba Culture | Origin, History, Beliefs, Religion & More » PIECE — WITHIN NIGERIA

The Orishas
Elegua: Orisha of the Crossroads

Read here

The Mightiest Heart Project

Project Author: Shella R. Zelenz

Storyteller: Kristine Waters

Author of the book: Lynn Cullen

Recommended for Grades 4 - 8

Suggested duration: 1 week or 3-7 hours total (can be more elaborate and longer as desired)

Table of Contents:

Day 1: Introduction of the story. Sketching scenes.

Day 2: Review of the history (at the end of the story). Research clothing and music of the 13th century Welsh peoples.

Day 3: Start writing the script, plan the music, costumes, props and staging

Day 4: Begin practicing re-enactment

Day 5: Presentation

Day 1

Introduction and Scene Sketching

First have the students close their eyes. Turn off the classroom lights and make the room as dark as possible. If it is an option, have them either lay on the floor or place their heads down on their desks so that nothing distracts them from hearing the wonderful reading of this story by Kristine Waters. The story is 10 minutes long, which includes historical details at the end of the story. You can opt to save the historical details for another class period if you choose. Today's primary focus is to hear the story and to have their minds visualize what the story looked like to them when they were listening to it.

After completing the story, turn the lights back on. Have the students take out sketch paper and whatever art materials are available to do drawings (colored pencils, markers, etc.). Then ask the students to draw what they hear in the story. Draw one picture or draw many. Have them re-listen to the story as many times as you like so that they really get a good feel of the characters, the scenery, and the period the story takes place. Have them share their drawings and explain to the class what it is that they envisioned and why. This should take up an entire class period.

Day 2

History Review and Research

Have them bring their drawings from the previous class. Then have them spend the class period either online or in the library researching the type of clothing, architecture and music that was prominent during this time period. Remind them this is the Medieval Period and that they are looking for Welsh specific information during this period as there are quite a variety of influences during this time period in different locations of the world.

You could ask them the following questions:

Where are the Welsh?

What type of music did they listen to?

What type of clothing did they wear?

What did Llewellyn's castle look like (he is a real figure in history)?

What did his dog look like?

What type of art was common in this period?

How did they spend their days?

Were the people poor or rich during this King's time period?

You could have the students then review their drawings from the previous day and determine if their own interpretation was reflective of the historical versions. This is not to necessarily correct them. This is a great way for them to see the historical realities of the time, and yet simultaneously look at how creative their own imaginations were. The re-enactment that they create can be true to history, or it can be made into a variation or pop-culture format, as they see fit. Let them be the ones to determined how they want to replicate this story in their own words and artistic expression. Let them know that stories throughout history are re-told numerous times and in different forms (Romeo and Juliet is a prime example).

Day 3

Planning

Have the class determine who will be writing the script, who will be creating the staging and planning the music. It is best to allow them to elect people for each role so that they can vote and accept or deny their nomination. This allows them full ownership over the creative process and brings out their leadership skills. Additionally, have them vote for the characters in the play/re-enactment of the story.

Each group will break off and discuss their strategies, visions and planning.

Those writing the script will definitely need one person to write it down while they all contribute ideas to the script. Have a copy of the story available for them to listen to or read to refer to. The visual learners will prefer the original story in hand, but it is helpful for the auditory learners to hear it read to them in conjunction with holding the book in hand. Have them create a script from the story. They can vary the vocabulary as they see fit. The primary goal is that they understand the entire purpose of the story, the characters involved, and how to ensure that the script they write conveys the plot and the moral of the story. This helps them to ensure full understanding of the lesson taught and the value of teaching this value in story form.

Those who are researching music, may want to collaborate with the script writers to know when music will be needed and from there, they can select music that they have researched which fits the scene best. Ensure they have the equipment they need in order to play the music at the time of the performance. They can use Spotify to research 13th century Welsh or Medieval music. Other options include YouTube and library searches if your school includes a music library.

Those who are planning costumes and stage design/props will want to spend time drawing/creating the scenery they wish to include in the story. It would be helpful for them to discuss their ideas with the script writers to ensure that their props align with the manner in which the story is being told and that the props are relevant and not a distraction from the plot. All props and music should enhance the story, not detract from it.

Assist the students as questions occur and help them to be self-sufficient in the creation of their great masterpiece!

Day 4

Rehearsal

This entire class period will be for their use to apply all of their previous day's work. Allow them to nominate a director, the actors, and stage managers. From there, stand back and assist them as requested. It is of primary importance that you do not interfere any more than absolutely necessary so that their creative juices and leadership skills blossom. There will be difficulties. This is normal in any theatrical production rehearsal. They will learn more by being given the space to solve these skills than if everything is micromanaged for them. They may need more than one day to rehearse. Give them as much time as you can to truly create their production. Some deadline pressure may help, but absolutely respect their efforts and just remind them of the time constraints. This too is something that is faced in the real world of theater (and any other business). Remind them not to sacrifice quality. If they must take their work home to perfect it, encourage this.

Day 5

Performance

This is the day they have all prepared for. Allow them to set up their stage, prepare their props and costumes, set up their music so that it is prepped for use during the performance. Set up any recording equipment desired and assign a camera person to record the performance. This recording will help them to review their own product and help them to learn from their mistakes and accomplishments! You could even opt to invite another class to watch the performance, perform in front of the school or a parent's night event. You could offer them a dress rehearsal run through prior to recording or inviting the audience in if time permits. This will help them to ensure that everything will run as smoothly as possible for the actual performance. Wish them the best of luck and smile. It will be a great accomplishment for them and great learning will have occurred, including the following key areas:

13th Century/Medieval literature history (Welsh)

13th Century/Medieval Music history

13th Century/Medieval architecture and textiles

Writing

Planning skills

Organizing skills

Strategizing skills

Leadership skills

Management skills

Taking orders/following orders

Teamwork

Video recording

Internet research

Library research

Reading comprehension

Teaching through storytelling

During the late 18th century, Mahsuri Binti Pandak Mayah, a beautiful young woman, soon found herself the target of scandal and false accusations. Similar to many tales around the world, jealousy was at the heart of it all.

The second child of Phuket Malay Pandak Mayah, and Cik Alang who married around 1798, and born in 1810, Mahsuri was known as one of the most beautiful women on the island. She was also well-known for her kind heart.

During an annual festival, she caught the attention of the village chief, Datuk Seri Perkerma Jaya. Based on information he received about her, he married her to his brother, Wan Yahya, who was a very strong warrior. She was 17. They were to be blessed with a son, named Wan Muhammad Idrus (sometimes referred to as Wan Derus or Mat Derus). In 1830, Wan Yahya joined the war troops in Kedah.

Due to her solitude as her husband was away for so long, she asked her father-in-law if she could return to her hometown in Kampung Mawar. Little did Mahsuri know, but the fondness that Chief Datuk Seri Perkarma Jaya had for her would be the very reason for her death.

The Chief’s wife was quite jealous of the attention that Mahsuri constantly received from the villagers and her husband. Mahsuri’s husband was sent away to battle the Siamese, So Wan Mohra, the Chief’s wife, decided to start a rumor about Mahsuri to her husband. This rumor was that Mahsuri had been unfaithful to her husband while he was away. The villager Derambang was the man she was accused of having an affair with.

Mahsuri’s rhyme according to legend reads, “The fragrance is as fragrant as the cape flower, the heart wants to pluck a rose; longing and revenge are not fulfilled, a little kindness is the antidote.”

Adultery was a very serious crime. Although such a punishment is to be ordered by the Sultan, the Chief sentenced Mahsuri to death without a trial or questioning her guilt. The Chief ordered the villagers to tie Mahsuri to a tree where they stabbed her with a keris.

Miraculously, she continued to stay alive a few more weeks. Knowing she would die, she told the chief that the only way she would die was if they killed her with her family’s special keris. After obtaining the special keris, the Chief stabbed her with it. When he did so, white blood flowed out from within her and birds flocked to cover her body. The villagers took this as a sign that she was truly innocent.

As she drew her last breath, she cursed the land with seven generations of bad luck. After her death, Langkawi suffered many misfortunes for generations to come. They suffered famines and many invasions by the Siamese. It is believed that the curse has finally been lifted as Langkawi has finally begun to prosper again.

The lessons gained from this legend are that:

• jealousy and envy cloud one’s judgment;

• the white blood from Mahsuri demonstrates how truth will always be revealed, even in times of injustice;

• the curse that befell Langkawi reminds us that actions have consequences.

Impact

Locals in the region believe the tale to be true as they have historical records of failed crops after Mahsuri’s death that lasted for decades. Langkawi was attacked by the Siamese many times, the final invasion took place in 1821. The farmers had actually torched their own crops to prevent them from being given to the Siamese after defeat. This field is still known today as Beras Terbakar, which means burnt rice.

"I understand that descendants of Datuk Pekerma Jaya's family go to Mahsuri's grave and hold tahlil majlis there almost every week because they feel regret for what Datuk Pekerma Jaya has done to Mahsuri," he said.

He said, Mahsuri was indeed buried at the location where his grave is now.

"I deny the accusation that Mahsuri was buried elsewhere because Mahsuri is indeed buried at the current location.

"The reconstruction of the tomb was carried out at the suggestion of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra when he was a Langkawi Regional Official around the 1930s," he said. BH Online

Mahsuri’s grave today

In Closing

What do you think of this legend? Do you believe it to be true? Do you find it similar to other legends you may have heard?

Mahsuri’s descendants currently live in Phuket, Thailand. One descendant named Sirintra Yayee ศิรินทรา ยายี, whose Malay name is Wan Aishah Wan Nawawi, still comes to Langkawi to visit Mahsuri’s grave.

References

Guri, C.J. (2014). Langkawi – the legend of Mahsuri. Asian Itinerary. https://asianitinerary.com/langkawi-the-legend-of-mahsuri/

Nor Farhani Che Ad (2020). Mahsuri bukan kisah dongeng (Mahsuri is not a fairy tale). https://www.bharian.com.my/rencana/sastera/2020/05/685659/mahsuri-bukan-kisah-dongeng

Raccuia, K. (2023). Malaysian Legends. Sand in my Curls. https://sandinmycurls.com/malaysian-legends/

Workman, V. (2019). Mahsuri of Langkawi- Truth or Legend? The Island Drum. https://www.theislanddrum.com/mahsuris-tomb-langkawi/

Origins of the Name

Not exclusive to Ukraine, the name derives from all of the various Slavic languages and similar Indo-European languages. The words may vary from nawia, nav, nõvis, nowis, navь-, nāve, навь, and 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐍃 (naus). The names all relate to corpse, deceased, dead, body, flesh, and dead body. Other countries have a different form of the word, such as lalki in Polish. Stanisław Urbańczyk is a scholar who claims that the word was derived to describe demons that arose from the souls of those who experienced early or tragic deaths. He also sometimes associated them with the murdered, killers, warlocks, or the drowned dead (known as the Topielec). Stories about them vary, but often refer to their hostility toward humans as they are jealous of life. Bulgarian folklore tells of 12 navias who suck the blood of women during birth and Russian tales of navias being the demonic personification of the plague.

Pagan Roots

The underworld in Slavic tales is often called Nawia or Nav. This underworld is ruled by the God, Veles. Veles lived in a world deep in the underground, surrounded by a living sea. Some tales describe it as a swamp, where he sat on a throne at the root of the Cosmic Tree. Veles is said to guide souls to Nav, a huge green pasture. The belief was that the souls would be reborn on earth.

Mavkas

The Mavkas are most oftenly referred to as the girls who died prematurely or unnaturally. Most often as unchristened babies. They are said to appear as beautiful young maidens who lure men into the woods where they tickle them to death. They are even sometimes said to be helpful to farmers by watching out for their herds of cattle by chasing away any wild animals who come to prey upon them.

Nyavkas are the variation of Mavkas depicted with no backs. Outside of this, they are described with the same mannerisms. Both are depicted as forest fairies, living in caves, sheds, or in groups within the forest. They are even said to have decorated their homes with rugs made from stolen flax. They also created their own clothing with transparent cloth. They were often seen with flowers in their hair.

Mavkas are said to have been created from an unchristened baby’s soul. Pentecost was a holiday that is known as Navka’s Easter. During this time, the Mavkas would hold parties accompanied by a demon who would play music for them on a flute. It was believed that the only way to save an unchristened baby’s soul was to throw a kerchief while saying “I baptise you” over the Pentecost holidays. Only then could the baby’s soul go to heaven. If the soul was not given the baptism, it would turn into a Mavka after seven years and haunt the earth.

Modern Pop Culture

There are songs and movies being made about this legendary myth. Above, we see a stamp with a mavka image on the right for the 150th anniversary of Ukraine. Below, we can see a song released in 2023 by the Ukranian group called Authentix.

The previous video focuses on the male experience. The following experience comes from the Mavkas.

English translation of Мавчин Великдень performed by Лея:

Oh, my river, carry the wreath
Oh little mermaid, help
Oh, if you don't drown, I'll do whatever you want
You will carry only my wreath
My sadness echoes in the mountains
My footprints are — wet from the rain
And at least for the last time in the world
I will start my braided corolla
Oh, swim, swim, wreath, across the river
If the heart does not love, leave me
You will destroy me from the world with charms
Die if you don't love me
Oh, my beauty is lost and pale
Take your hand and dance
And my heart loves passionately
Now we will only be together
Tell me why he left me in trouble
My thirst for revenge is without regret
My soul bathes in poison
And I will take your soul with me
Oh, swim, swim, wreath, across the river
If the heart does not love, leave me
You will destroy me from the world with charms
Die if you don't love me
Oh, swim, swim, wreath, across the river
If the heart does not love, leave me
You will destroy me from the world with charms
Die if you don't love me

Recently, an animated film has been created based on the folk legend of Mavka. Despite the war with Russia, they continued to complete the film and it has been in theaters worldwide over the last year.

References

Buynova, Tatyana Yuryevna (2008). The children of Swarog. Myths of East Slavs.

Halaichuk, V. (2016). Українська міфологія [Ukrainian Mythology] (in Ukrainian). Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля.

Buynova, T. & Akvilegia, Y. (2008). 9785901942611 . 33980381M . ru . ru:Дети Сварога: Мифы восточных славян . Children of Svarog: Myths of East Slavs.

Ivan Kostyovych, I. (1973). Bilodid uk . Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 volumes . uk:Словник української мови: в 11 томах.

Halaichuk, V. (2016). Клуб Сімейного Дозвілля. uk:Українська міфологія . Ukrainian Mythology.

Hrinchenko . B. (1958). Академії наук Української РСР . Dictionary of the Ukrainian language / Ref. with addn. own material by B. Hrinchenko: in 4 volumes — K. . uk:Словарь української мови / Упор. з дод. влас. матеріалу Б. Грінченко: в 4-х т..

Kushnir, Dmitriy . Creatures of Slavic myth . 2014 . 978-1-5056-2802-9 . USA . 1003859523.

External links

"Mavka" — Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine

"Kostroma" — Encyclopedia of Mythology

Notes and References

Михайло Коцюбинський — Тіні забутих предків (аналіз, паспорт твору). www.ukrlib.com.ua. Mykhailo Kotsyubynskyi — Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (analysis, passport of the work). uk.

Набока . Марічка . Джулай . Дмитро . 2019-06-04 . Чарівні істоти з прадавніх українських міфів. У що вірили пращури . uk . Радіо Свобода . 2024-04-23.

Ide . Wendy . 2023-07-30 . Mavka: The Forest Song review – formulaic Ukrainian animation makes a plea for nature . 2024-04-23 . The Observer . en-GB . 0029-7712.

“You girl, tell your father to marry me, and I’ll soak you in milk and butter.”

Cerceruska giggled and decided to tell her father what the widow had told her.

“That would be wonderful!” he said. So, he decided to marry the widow after the many years of constant cajoling she had done to him. They were wed with haste.

The girls were happily doing their chores at the request of their stepmother, but no matter what they did, she scolded them. Her temper was no longer friendly and she beat them more than she fed them.

Cerceruska was worried for her sister and told her, “this wicked woman will destroy us. Let’s go to the world and find a better life!”

”I don’t mind,” said the little girl, “let’s go!”

The next morning, the girls woke up early. They told their stepmother that they wanted to pick berries in the forest, so she let them go without delay.

“Just get out of here!” the stepmother said with an annoyed tone. “You won’t be of any use to me anyway.”

As the girls left the gate, Cerceruska heard her stepmother whisper under her breath, “May these girls change into whatever animal who last drank in the footprint puddles they find.”

Cerceruska knew after hearing her stepmother’s words that she would have to be careful. The girls walked into the forest and after trudging through difficult terrain, the took refuge near a big tree. When they sat down to rest, Cerceruska said to her sister, “Listen, do not drink from the footprints of any animal, no matter how thirsty you may be! Do you understand?”

The little girl nodded and promised not to drink from any animal footprints that she found. She was very thirsty and thought her sister’s instructions were a bit strange. Together, the girls started picking berries and lost track of the time. Without hesitation, they both decided to sleep, drifting off in the thick of the woods.

The little girl awoke with a start. She was so thirsty. She desperately searched to find a spring or a stream of any kind, but she found none. What was she to do? Surely dying of thirst can’t be better than drinking from the puddle of an animal’s footprint? Desperately searching for anything she could find to relieve her parched mouth, she found a small puddle in what appeared to be the footprint of a deer. So eager for the taste of a single drop, she scooped her hand into the puddle and took a sip. Instantly, she turned into a doe.

In the meantime, Cerceruska had awoken and filled her basket with berries. She was looking around for her sister, but couldn’t find her anywhere. She called her name and searched as much as she could, but her sister was gone. She cried and cried until she could feel the sadness of the forest deep within her. Suddenly a doe runs toward her eagerly licking her hands and making strange sounds. The doe couldn’t stop licking Cerceruska, which took Cerceruska by surprise. Then she remembered the curse her stepmother had put on them as they left.

“You must be my sister! Oh no! What have you done?” She realized in that moment that her sister was the doe before her.

She hugged the doe’s neck and led it through the forest as she cried and lamented her sister’s fate. Suddenly, she saw a hunter in the distance. He had a double-barrelled rifle perched on his shoulder, and his hound was sniffing the ground as it ran in front of the man. Cerceruska shook in fear. She was worried the man would kill her sister. So, she desperately searched for a place where they could hide.

Luckily, they were close to a farm and found a tall bale of hay to hide behind. However, the hound caught their scent and sniffed its way right to them. It hurried back to the man in order to alert him to the discovery. The hound would not calm down until the hunter threw him a piece of bread. The hound picked up the bread, and took it to Cerceruska. It then promptly returned to the man for more.

Baffled, the hunter threw the dog another piece of bread. Yet, the hound did not eat this bread, but ran with it behind the bale of hay. He then promptly returned to his master yet again. He continued this behavior incessantly, which deeply confused the man.

“Alright, I can see you want more bread. I’ll give you some, but first I need to see where you are taking this bread. Clearly you aren’t eating what I’m giving you. What are you up to?” said the hunter.

As the hunter peered around the bale of hay, his eyes flew wide open and his mouth fell agape when he saw a beautiful girl crying at the base of the bale of hay. Next to her, was a doe that was also seemingly whimpering. Cerceruska threw herself on top of the doe and begged the hunter, “Oh sweet hunter, please do not hurt this poor doe! This doe is my beloved sister!”

Confused and heartened, he said, “What are you talking about? How can you be the sister of a deer?”

Cerceruska then explained what had happened.

Saddened by the girls’ plight, a small tear began to fall from the hunter’s eye as he said, “don’t be afraid Cerceruska. I won’t hurt your sister. Instead, I will take you both to my palace. I am the king of this country.”

With that, he helped Cerceruska onto her feet, as she put her arms around her sister’s doe-like neck. Together the four of them walked back to the royal palace.

Upon arrival to the palace, the king ordered that the doe be kept in a separate garden. He also insisted that all of the people in the palace must obey Cerceruska if they wanted to have anything good happen to them. This last request was easy for the people of the palace to follow as she was quite popular among everyone there. Everyone, except for the king’s nurse.

The king’s nurse had a daughter, and she thought her daughter should be the one to marry the king. The mere fact that some strange woman who was found in the forest with a deer would readily take such a significant role in the court was unacceptable to her. The king had denied all other princesses who had been presented to him as potential wives. She had been quite satisfied that he would marry her daughter instead, that was until Cerceruska came to the palace.

“The king thinks he wants to marry her, but nothing will come of it! I will see to that!” said the nurse.

The nurse waited for the king to leave the palace. Then she took Cerceruska to the garden where the doe lived. In the garden, there was a lake. She took Cerceruska to walk along side the shore, and then the nurse said to her, “Just stop, Cerceruska. Look at yourself in the lake. Look at how beautiful you are.”

Cerceruska looked into the lake, and as she did so, the woman pushed her into the lake. The doe squealed bitterly and ran about the lake. The woman said to the doe, “Squeal, squeal, but don’t talk!”

Later, the king returned and went to Cerceruska’s room. When he couldn’t find her, he asked the nurse, “Where is Cerceruska?”

“Oh, she must have gone to the garden. She always plays with the doe there,” said the nurse.

The king promptly went to the garden to look for Cerceruska. He shouted her name, but only saw the doe acting strangely.

The king was sad. He thought that Cerceruska had left him and the palace. He sent word throughout his kingdom that he was looking for her and he promised unlimited treasure to anyone who could find her. But alas, no amount of reward brought Cerceruska back to his palace.

Every day, the king went to the garden to pet the doe. He would ask the doe, “have you seen Cerceruska?” The doe, unable to speak, could only whimper.

The nurse noticed the king’s behavior and became nervous that he would somehow discover her misdeed. So, she devised a plan to rid the palace of the doe as well. She waited for the king to leave the palace and then quickly called on the butcher. She and the butcher went to the garden with the intent to relieve the doe of its blood.

When the doe saw the butcher arrive with a knife, she jumped at him and ran as quickly as she could around the lake. Although the butcher attempted to lure her, the doe refused to stop. Suddenly, a voice was born from her great fear and she began to speak:

“Come out, my sweet Cerceruska, from the bottom of the lake, from the belly of a big fish! The knife comes for my weak flesh, and they wash the copper plate for my red blood!”

At that moment, the king returned and saw that the doe was shouting. He heard the doe’s plea and immediately ordered the draining of the lake. He sees a large fish and orders that it be cut open. Inside, was his precious Cerceruska. In that moment, her beauty far-surpassed his memory of her as she stood before him a hundred times more beautiful than before.

The joy! Oh what joy! The doe jumped in delight and flew over the king’s head. In doing so, she magically turned back into the little girl she once was.

Meanwhile, the lake was refilled. Once the lake was returned to its former glory, the king threw the nurse in the lake. He took Cerceruska up to the palace, called the priest, and the two were wed on the spot. That same day, the young couple curled up in eggshells and descended on Küküllő.

If they ever get out, let them be your guests.

Cue music…

Another Variation

Vocabulary

Definitions provided by Oxford Languages

Cajole

ca·jole

[kəˈdʒəʊl]

verb

cajoling (present participle)

1. persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery

haste

[heɪst]

noun

1. excessive speed or urgency of movement or action; hurry

scold

[skəʊld]

verb

scolded (past tense) · scolded (past participle)

1. remonstrate with or rebuke (someone) angrily

temper

tem·per

[ˈtɛmpə]

noun

1. a person's state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm

trudge

[trʌdʒ]

verb

trudging (present participle)

1. walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions

terrain

ter·rain

[tɛˈreɪn]

noun

1. a stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features

refuge

ref·uge

[ˈrɛfjuːdʒ]

noun

1. the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty

parched

[pɑːtʃt]

adjective

parched (adjective) · parched (past participle)

1. dried out with heat; extremely thirsty

lamented

la·ment·ed

[ləˈmɛntɪd]

adjective

(the late lamented)

1. a conventional way of describing someone who has died or something that has ceased to exist

baffle

baf·fle

[ˈbaf(ə)l]

verb

baffled (past tense) · baffled (past participle)

1. totally bewilder or perplex

incessantly

in·ces·sant·ly

[ɪnˈsɛsntli]

adverb

1. without interruption; constantly

peer

[pɪə]

verb

peered (past tense) · peered (past participle)

1. look with difficulty or concentration at someone or something

agape

[əˈɡeɪp]

adjective

1. (of a person's mouth) wide open in surprise or wonder

hearten

heart·en

[ˈhɑːt(ə)n]

verb

heartened (past tense) · heartened (past participle)

1. make more cheerful or confident

plight

[plʌɪt]

noun

plight (noun) · plights (plural noun)

1. a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation

devise

de·vise

[dɪˈvʌɪz]

verb

devised (past tense) · devised (past participle)

1. plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought

relieve

re·lieve

[rɪˈliːv]

verb

1. cause (pain, distress, or difficulty) to become less severe or serious

lure

[l(j)ʊə]

verb

1. tempt (a person or animal) to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward

plea

[pliː]

noun

1. a request made in an urgent and emotional manner

Discussion Questions

What do you think of the two different versions of the story?

How many versions of this story do you think exist?

What do you think the moral of the story was?

Do you think it is interesting that no matter where these girls went, there was always someone threatening them? Why does this happen?

References

Mesebázis. Szép Cerceruska. Retrieved on April 13, 2024 from https://mesebazis.com/szep-cerceruska/

Kallikantzaros - Greece

The Greek story tells of goblins that dwell underground until the twelve days of Christmas. The twelve days of Christmas begin on December 25th and last until January 6th. During this period, the goblins come out to cause trouble. What do they do the rest of the year? Well, they are underground sawing the roots of the “World Tree.” When the twelve days of Christmas come, they leave their work of sawing down the tree and come to the surface at night in order to torture the mortals. However, when they return underground, they soon discover that the tree has healed itself and they must begin their work again.

People would protect themselves during the twelve days of Christmas by placing a colandar on their doorstep. If a kallikantzaros approached, he would choose to sit and count all of the holes until sunrise. When the sun came, he would be forced to hide again. The belief is that they cannot count higher than 2 because 3 is a holy number. So, if they were to pronounce the number three, they would end up destroying themselves. Another method of protection involved burning a fire in the fireplace all night long so that they could not enter.

They also believe that if a child is born during this time period, they were at risk of turning into a Kallikantzaros during the Christmas season once they became adults. So, in order to prevent this, they would do one of two things: bind the baby in garlic or straw or singeing the child’s toenails.

Karakondjul - Bulgaria

In Bulgarian folklore, these demons appear as human-like creatures with hairy bodies, a tail and they have a giant horned head. Some tales tell of having a single eye or leg or they have a horseshaped head. These shapeshifters will live in abandoned areas, such as caves, watermills, or rivers. As with their Greek counterparts, they can only roam the earth at night. However, their targets were those who dared to travel. They would throw their victims from tall trees and rocks into deep waters. When they felt really feisty, they may just tear them apart between the wheels of the local mill. In Northern Bulgaria, St. Todor is believed to be a karakondjul who arrives on Todor’s Sunday riding a white horse only to pull pranks on sleeping travelers. When the first rooster crows, they have to return to their dark hiding places. Bulgarians devised a kukeri festival in order to drive away the karakondjul.

Karakondžula - Serbia

In Serbian folklore, these twelve days of Christmas were called “unbaptized days.” These days were considered a prime time for demonic presence to be active and dangerous. As such, people were cautious and did not go outside at night. The belief was that a karakondžula would pounce on anyone who dared to walk outside at night and ride that person like a horse, demanding to be taken anywhere it wanted to go. The unlucky human would be tortured until dawn. Once relieved by the rooster’s crow, the karakondžula would jump off of the person’s back and run into the shadows to hide.

Interestingly, the karakondžula also loved to punish those who committed adultery. It may have been mere coincidence, since those who chose to commit such an act, tended to be walking around outdoors when they snuck out of their homes at night. The karakondžula was said to have waited on the top of the front door’s frame in order to pounce on the back of the adulterer. Then they would whip the person with a stick or scratch their gnarly claws into the person’s neck and back in order to make them run through the forest all night long. Relief from the torture was again only experienced at dawn. This certainly puts a new spin on a cheater’s marks on their neck or back, doesn’t it? More importantly, in this version, the karakondžula returns to the doorframe of the adulterer every single night until they admit their misdeeds to their spouse.

Karkanxholji - Albania

Albanian folklore is always just a bit different from their neighbors even if they have a somewhat similar tale. In Albania, the karkanxholji or karkançual is an undead corpse. Tied to the Kukudh (undead creature) mythology, the karkanxholji is in process of heading toward Kukudhi stage (the final stage of transformation into becoming a vampire. It seems to be similar to a zombie (of sorts). The karkanxholji are found roaming the land clad in iron clothing (chainmail armor in Albania is known as këmish karkançoli) or chains during January. Their deadly breath is effused across anyone who should come across their path.

One cannot speak of the karkanxholji without describing the full story. The full transformation into a kukudhi and ultimately a vampire is around 30 years. Their physiology continues to change and their powers grow throughout this time. Once the transformation is complete, they are no longer vulnerable to sunlight and no longer required to return into the dark. This means that they can reside anywhere, which often meant they returned to their former human home.

Often, the tales tell of a Kukudh as a miser’s poor soul that haunts his own house after death. This is why people would avoid the miser’s home and they would never stay overnight in fear that death would befall them. One brave boy can defeat the creature and bring peace to its soul. The vampire can be destroyed by decapitation, staking through the heart, and cremation. It can also be contained through hamstringing. Once the boy has conquered the vampire, he is then appointed heir as reward.

Although some areas of Albania have the order of events in reverse, stating that if the lugat (vampire-like creature) is not burned quickly, it will become a kudkh.

Other areas describe the kudkh as a short-legged man that brandishes a goat’s tail. He is indestructible and can only be strangled with a noose created by vines.

The most intriguing variation comes from Southern Albania. In this region, the kudkh is a female blind demon who carries a plague wherever she roams. The lore tells of how Alexander the Great is said to have created this demon when he raped the corpse of an Epirote princess who would not return his love when she was alive.

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Hou Yi and the Ten Suns

In the earth’s early days, and when China was ruled by Emperor Yao (帝堯), the sky was littered with ten suns that alternated their illumination of the planet. The Jade Emperor (玉皇) (heavenly grandfather) had told the suns that they could only play in the sky one at a time. Otherwise, their play might destroy the earth. The suns were very young children and were not very good at doing as they were told, so one day, they decided that playing together would be more fun than playing alone.

As all ten suns appeared in the sky, the earth’s temperature became unbearably hot. Chaos ensued as a result. Crops shriveled and people fainted as the earth burned. This provided the monsters a great opportunity. When they saw what was happening, they came out from the shadows and began to prey upon humanity.

Hou Yi, a very skilled archer, saw what was happening and went to speak with the Jade Emperor. He said to the Emperor, “If the suns cannot behave, then I will have to shoot them down in order to stop the destruction of the planet.”

The Jade Emperor was very afraid of the fate that would befall his grandchildren. So, he told them to return and scolded them. However, the suns were having fun and could not hear the Emperor over their own joyful noises. The Jade Emperor realized that he could not stop them from playing together and gave Hou Yi permission to take care of the situation.

Hou Yi set out to attack the monsters who were terrorizing the land. He was armed with a giant bow constructed of tiger bones, and his arrows were made out of dragon tendons. When he finished slaying the monsters, he climbed to the highest mountain peak and confronted the playing suns.

He warned the suns and pleaded for them to return to the Jade Emperor’s palace immediately. The suns heard his warning, but they stuck their tongues out and continued to play as they had been. They taunted him by telling him to mind his own business. In response to their disregard of his pleas, Hou Yi pulled out his bow and let nine arrows loose upon the suns. Instantly, the suns fell from the sky, leaving only the tenth sun in the air. The tenth sun was terrified and ran into a cave to hide.

With no suns in the sky, the earth was suddenly plunged into deep darkness and cold. All of the living creatures begged for the sun to return to the sky, but the sun was scared of Hou Yi. So, he covered his ears and ignored the pleas. When the pleas went unanswered, the people and creatures alike went home. Suddenly, a rooster climbed up onto his roost and shouted at the sun, “Gēgē! Gēgē!” (哥哥) or “Brother!” The shrill crow of the rooster reached the sun, and the sun reluctantly emerged from the cave. Now, whenever roosters crow “brother” in the morning, the sun comes out to greet them.

Chang’e

To reward Hou Yi for his valiant deeds, the Queen mother of the west, Xiwangmu (西王母), gave Hou Yi a bottle of her immortality elixir. She wished for Hou Yi to return to the Jade Emperor’s palace as a God instead of a mortal man. This gift conflicted Hou Yi’s thoughts. Although, immortality was something he desperately wanted, he also did not want to leave his wife, Chang’e, to die alone. So, he hid the elixir while he contemplated the dilemma he was in.

However, before Hou Yi was able to make any decision, Chang’e discovered the bottle and stole it while he was asleep. She drank all of its contents. Realizing that his wife was no longer in the bed with him, Hou Yi got up and found his wife floating into the night sky. Hou Yi was so upset, that he aimed his bow and arrow at her with the intent to shoot her out of the sky. However, he ultimately could not shoot his own wife. After his anger eventually subsided, he would often stare up at the moon and think about how lonely his wife must be. In the attempt to make his wife less lonely, he began to leave food out for his wife each night. He carefully selected Chang’e’s favorite desserts and fruits. He also wanted to show her that he had forgiven her and still loved her. He continued to do this every night until his dying day. Hou Yi’s actions became a tradition that has continued to today. People in many countries leave offerings to Chang’e during their annual Mid-Autumn Festival. Chang’e is often referred to as the Lady of the Moon.

Vocabulary

All definitions are from Oxford Languages

lit·ter

[ˈlɪtə]

verb

littered (past tense) · littered (past participle)

1. make (a place or area) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about

alternate

uk/ˈɒl.tə.neɪt/ us/ˈɑːl.tɚ.neɪt/

verb

1. to happen or exist one after the other repeatedly

2. to make something happen or exist one after the other repeatedly

il·lu·min·ate

verb

1. make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up

un·bear·able

[ʌnˈbɛːrəb(ə)l]

adjective

1. not able to be endured or tolerated

en·sue

[ɪnˈsjuː, ɛnˈsjuː]

verb

1. happen or occur afterwards or as a result

shrivel

[ˈʃrɪv(ə)l]

verb

1. wrinkle and contract or cause to wrinkle and contract, especially due to loss of moisture

prey on/upon

phrasal verb

preyed on/upon; preying on/upon; preys on/upon

1. to hunt and kill (something) for food

2. to hurt, cheat, or steal from (someone)

ar·cher

[ˈɑːtʃə]

noun

1. a person who shoots with a bow and arrows, especially at a target as a sport.

be·fall

[bɪˈfɔːl]

verb

literary

befall (verb) · befalls (third person present) · befell (past tense) · befalling (present participle) · befallen (past participle)

1. (especially of something bad) happen to (someone

scold

[skəʊld]

verb

1. remonstrate with or rebuke (someone) angrily

slay

[sleɪ]

verb

1. archaic

   literary

   kill (a person or animal) in a violent way

con·front

[kənˈfrʌnt]

verb

confronted (past tense) · confronted (past participle)

1. come face to face with (someone) with hostile or argumentative intent

plead

[pliːd]

verb

1. make an emotional appeal

taunt

[tɔːnt]

noun

1. a remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone

dis·re·gard

[dɪsrɪˈɡɑːd]

verb

1. pay no attention to; ignore

let loose

idiom

1. to allow (someone or something) to move or go freely

plunge

[plʌn(d)ʒ]

verb

plunged (past tense) · plunged (past participle)

1. fall suddenly and uncontrollably

alike

[əˈlʌɪk]

adjective

1. (of two or more people or things) similar to each other

vali·ant

[ˈvalɪənt]

adjective

1. possessing or showing courage or determination

im·mor·tal·ity

[ɪmɔːˈtalɪti]

noun

1. the ability to live forever; eternal life

elixir

[ɪˈlɪksə, ɪˈlɪksɪə]

noun

1. a magical or medicinal potion

mor·tal

[ˈmɔːt(ə)l]

adjective

1. (of a living human being, often in contrast to a divine being) subject to death

con·tem·plate

[ˈkɒntɛmpleɪt, ˈkɒntəmpleɪt]

verb

1. look thoughtfully for a long time at

di·lemma

[dɪˈlɛmə, dʌɪˈlɛmə]

noun

1. a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable

in·tent

[ɪnˈtɛnt]

noun

1. intention or purpose

ul·tim·ate·ly

[ˈʌltɪmətli]

adverb

1. finally; in the end

sub·side

[səbˈsʌɪd]

verb

subsided (past tense) · subsided (past participle)

1. become less intense, violent, or severe

References

Hamilton, M. (2022). Chang’e: Chinese Goddess. Mythopedia. Retrieved on April 1, 2024.

Hamilton, M. (2022). Jade Emperor: Chinese God. Mythopedia. Retrieved on April 1, 2024.

Hamilton, M. (2022). Hou Yi: Chinese Hero. Mythopedia. Retrieved on April 1, 2024.

Hamilton, M. (2022). Xiwangmu: Chinese Goddess. Mythopedia. Retrieved on April 1, 2024.

The crab picked up the dumpling while showing it to the monkey, he said, “Look what I found!”

The monkey held up his persimmon seed and proclaimed, “I also found something!”

The monkey loved persimmons and had no reason to keep the unedible seed. He looked at it as if it were a stone. This also made him jealous of the crab’s discovery. Thinking he was clever, he offered to exchange his seed with the crab’s rice dumpling. The crab declined as he found no reason why he should give away his edible dumpling for a stone-like seed.

The monkey would not be deterred. He began trying to pursuade the crab by saying things like, “You are unwise as you are not thinking of the future! You may be able to eat that dumpling today, and it is indeed quite large, but this seed can grow into a tree if you plant it. That tree will grow and soon provide unlimited persimmons for you to eat every year. I wish I could show you a persimmon tree right now so that you could see for yourself. However, if you don’t believe me, I guess I will plant it myself. I just know that in the future, you will regret not taking my advice.”

The crab, simple-minded as he was, was convinced. He agreed to the exchange without hesitation. The greedy monkey quickly grabbed the rice dumpling and ate it. Yet, he was hesitant to hand over the persimmon seed. He wanted to keep that too, for he knew its value. However, he was concerned about making the crab angry and being pinched by the crab’s scissor-sharp claws, so he handed the persimmon seed over to the crab. After the exchange, they parted ways.

The monkey returned to the forest and the crab to his riverside stones. After returning to his home, the crab immidately planted the persimmon seed as the monkey had told him.

The following spring, much to the crab’s delight, the shoot of a persimmon tree began to sprout through the ground. Every passing year, the sprout grew bigger and taller, until one spring, it began to blossom. Those blossoms turned into persimmons in the fall. The tree, lush with smooth green leaves, was burgeoning with golden balls that soon would ripen into a deep orange. The crab’s pleasure was clear as his eyes would stretch out from his head, the same way that a snail’s does, every day when he sat in the sun to watch his persimmon tree ripen the fruit to perfection.

“How delicious they will be to eat!” he said to himself.

One day, when he felt the persimmons were ready to eat, he tried to climb the tree in order to cut the fruit down. However, each of his attempts failed for his legs were not long enough and were not made to climb trees. His legs were only designed for running along the ground and over stones. This made him remember monkey. He knew that his friend could easily climb the tree. So, he set out to find monkey to help him.

Running as fast as his little crab-legs could carry him, he found the monkey after crossing the stony riverbank, various pathways, and into the shadowy forest. The monkey was sleeping in a pine tree, with his tail curled around a branch to prevent him from falling. He awoke to his name being called. He eagerly listened to what the crab had to say. When he discovered that the seed he had exchanged with the crab was now a tree producing good fruit, he was excited. Of course, this also made him start to plot a way to take all of the persimmons for himself.

He agreed to go with the crab to pick the fruit. Upon arriving at the tree, the monkey was amazed to see what a beautiful tree that seed had turned into. Even more, he drooled as he looked upon the abundant and ripe persimmons the branches carried.

He climbed the tree quickly and began plucking and eating the fruit as quickly as he could. Every new fruit he selected was the best and ripest he could find. He kept eating until he could eat no more. He ate all of the fruit, except the hard and unripe fruit.

The crab was quite upset after patiently waiting for the monkey to send the ripe fruit down to him on the ground. He had waited patiently for the tree to grow, for the fruit to ripen, and then for the monkey to help him pick the fruit. Only, he didn’t get any of the fruit. He was so disappointed and began running around the tree reminding the monkey of his promise.

The monkey ignored the crab’s complaints at first, but then chose the least ripe and hardest persimmon and aimed it at the crab’s head. The persimmon was as hard as a stone, and when it struck the crab’s head, it hurt the crab severely. The monkey then continued to throw the hard unripe persimmons at the crab’s head, one after another, until the crab died from his wounds. His limp body lay at the foot of the tree that he had planted with such earnest intentions.

When the monkey saw what he had done, he ran away from the spot as quickly as he could. He was a coward who hid in fear and trembled as he worried what might happen to him.

The crab had a son who had been playing with a friend that day. On his way home, he came upon his father’s body. He was shocked at the condition his father’s body was in. His shell had been broken and his head smashed. All around his body, he saw the unripe persimmons that had killed his father. The young crab sat by his father’s body and wept.

After crying for a long period of time, he stopped. He told himself that crying would not bring his father back. He decided that he needed to avenge his father’s death. He looked for clues to help him uncover the culprit. When he looked up at the tree, he saw that all of the fruit was gone. He saw bits of peel and seeds strewn across the ground. He also saw the unripe persimmons surrounding his father. He realized that the unripe persimmons must have been thrown at his father. After deep consideration, he concluded that the only creature that could have done this was the monkey.

He remembered his father telling him about how he got the persimmon seed. How the monkey had traded the seed for a rice dumpling. The young crab also knew that monkeys loved persimmons. So, it would be easy for the monkey to climb the tree and steal all of the ripe fruit. What didn’t make sense was why he killed his father. It had to be greed.

He initially thought he should go and attack the monkey himself. He was burning with rage. However, he soon realized that the monkey would be hard to overcome as the monkey is old and cunning. He needed to meet the monkey’s cunning with his own cunning. So, he asked some friends to help him. He knew he couldn’t do this alone.

The young crab called on the mortar, his father’s oldest friend. He told him what had happened. He cried in front of the mortar as he begged him to help avenge his father’s death. The mortar was very sorry when he heard the horrible news and promised to help punish the monkey to death. He warned the crab that he must be very careful in what he does for the monkey is a strong and cunning enemy. The mortar fetched the bee and the chestnut, who were also long-time friends of the crab. After consulting them, the bee and the chestnut agreed to help the young crab in his revenge.

After a long discussion between the group members, their plans were made and each went their separate ways to go home. Mr. Mortar went home with the young crab to help him bury his poor father.

While all this was taking place, the monkey had been congratulating himself on his narrow escape and success in eating all of the persimmons. He felt he had made a clean getaway and no one would ever know he had been there. It never crossed his mind that he robbed and killed his friend. He continued to smile, but still felt nervous that consequences would come to him should his evil deeds be discovered. If anyone found out (he was still convinced this was impossible as he had made a clean escape), he worried that the crab’s family would hate him and seek revenge. So, he stayed home. He kept to himself and didn’t go out for several days.

He couldn’t keep this up as he became quite bored. He was used to his life of freedom in the woods and then he said, “No one knows that I was the one who killed the crab! I am also sure he was still breathing when I left. Dead crabs can’t speak! Who would be there to even say that I was the one who killed him? Since no one knows, why am I shutting myself in and brooding over this situation? What is done cannot be undone!”

With this, he began to wander out into the crab settlement and crept around as slyly as possible near the crab’s house to see if he could hear any gossip about the crab’s death. The crab had been the chief of the tribe, which made him very important to the whole settlement. However, the monkey heard nothing about the crab.

“They are obviously fools if they don’t know and don’t care who killed their chief!” said the monkey.

Little did he know that the seeming “unconcern” was actually part of the young crab’s plan. He purposely pretended not to know who killed his father, and made it seem that he believed his father responsible for his own death. This strategy ensured that he could keep his revenge plot a secret from the monkey.

Then one day, when the monkey was sitting quietly at home, he received a messenger from the young crab. While wondering about the meaning of the messenger’s appearance, the messenger bowed before him and said, “I have been sent by my master to inform you that his father died from a fall off a persimmon tree a few days ago. He had been attempting to get the ripe fruit. Since this is the seventh day after his father’s death, my master has prepared a small festival in his father’s honor and invites you to participate since you were one of his best friends. My master hopes you will honor his father with your kind visit.”

When the monkey heard the message, he rejoiced in his heart. He was relieved as his fears of being suspected were put to rest. He was not aware that a plot had been put into motion to avenge his misdeeds. He pretended to be surprised by the news of the crab’s death and said, “I am very sorry to hear of your chief’s death. We were great friends, as you know. I remember that we once exchanged a rice dumpling for a persimmon seed. It grieves me very much to think that the seed was what led to his demise. I will accept your invitation and thank you for coming this way to inform me. I will gladly attend the festival and show my respects to your chief.” He then managed to force a few tears to convince the messenger of his anguish.

The messenger laughed to himself and thought, “The wicked monkey is dropping false tears, but those will soon be replaced by real ones.” He then politely thanked the monkey and returned home.

When the messenger left, the monkey laughed aloud at what he thought was the young crab’s innocence. He then greedily imagined the feast that would be served in dead crab’s honor. He changed his clothes and set out in a solemn fashion to visit the young crab.

Upon arrival to the festival, he saw the crab’s family and relative waiting to receive and welcome him. As soon as the bows of meeting were over, they led him to a hall. Here the young crab, the chief mourner, came to receive the monkey. Condolences were expressed and thanks were exchanged between them. Then they all sat down to a luxurious feast. Entertainment was provided and the monkey treated as an honored guest.

When the feast was over, the monkey was invited to the tea ceremony room to have a cup of tea. The young crab ushered the monkey into the tea room, left him there, and retired. Much time passed, and the crab did not return. The monkey grew impatient.

He said to himself, “This tea ceremony is always a very slow affair. I am tired of waiting so long. I am very thirsty after drinking so much saké at the dinner!”

He then approached the charcoal fireplace and started to pour out the hot water that was boiling in the kettle. Then something burst out of the ashes with a great pop and hit the monkey in the neck. It was the chestnut, one of crab’s friends. The chestnut had patiently waited by hiding himself in the fireplace. Taken by surprise, the monkey fell backwards, and started to run from the room.

The bee, who was hiding just outside of the screens immediately stung him on the cheek as he burst out of the room. This caused the monkey great pain. Not only was his neck burning, but now his face was stinging. He began to scream and chatter wtih rage as he ran away.

The stone mortar had hidden himself among several other stones on top of the crab’s gate. As the monkey ran underneath the gate, the mortar and all of the stones with him fell down on top of the monkey’s head. The monkey was incapable of withstanding the blows and lay crushed on the ground in great pain. He was unable to move and helplessly laid there when the young crab came up to him holding his great claw scissors over the monkey.

The young crab said, “Do you now remember that you murdered my father?”

The monkey gasped, “It—was—your—father’s—fault—not—mine!”

“Can you still lie? I will take your last breath from you!” and with that, the young crab cut off the monkey’s head with his pincher claws. Thus, the wicked monkey met his well-earned punishent, and the young crab avenged his father’s death.

This is the end of the story of the monkey, the crab, and the persimmon seed.

Vocabulary

All definitions from Oxford Languages

unfettered

[ʌnˈfɛtəd]

adjective

1. unrestrained or uninhibited:

   "unfettered artistic genius"

ed·ible

[ˈɛdɪb(ə)l]

adjective

1. fit or suitable to be eaten:

   "the shrub has small edible berries" · "nasturtium seeds are edible" · "the dinner was barely edible"

deter

[dɪˈtəː]

verb

deterred (past tense) · deterred (past participle)

1. discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences:

   "only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election"

   • prevent the occurrence of:

     "strategists think not only about how to deter war, but about how war might occur"

per·suade

[pəˈsweɪd]

verb

persuade (verb) · persuades (third person present) · persuaded (past tense) · persuaded (past participle) · persuading (present participle)

1. induce (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument:

   "it wasn't easy, but I persuaded him to do the right thing"

   • cause (someone) to believe something, especially after a sustained effort; convince:

     "health boards were finally persuaded of the desirability of psychiatric units" · "he did everything he could to persuade the police that he was the robber"

   • (of a situation or event) provide a sound reason for (someone) to do something:

     "the cost of the manor's restoration persuaded them to take in guests"

re·gret

[rɪˈɡrɛt]

verb

1. feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that one has done or failed to do):

   "she immediately regretted her words" · "I always regretted that I never trained"

simple-minded

[simple-minded]

adjective

simple-minded (adjective) · simpleminded (adjective)

1. having or showing very little intelligence or judgement

hesi·ta·tion

[hɛzɪˈteɪʃn]

noun

1. the action of pausing before saying or doing something:

   "she answered without hesitation"

2. doubt or reluctance:

   "I have no hesitation in recommending him"

burgeoning

[ˈbəːdʒ(ə)nɪŋ]

adjective

burgeoning (adjective)

1. beginning to grow or increase rapidly; flourishing:

   "manufacturers are keen to cash in on the burgeoning demand"

abun·dant

[əˈbʌnd(ə)nt]

adjective

abundant (adjective)

1. existing or available in large quantities; plentiful:

   "there was abundant evidence to support the theory"

   • (abundant in)

     having plenty of:

     "the riverbanks were abundant in beautiful wild plants"

earn·est

[ˈəːnɪst]

adjective

1. resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction:

   "an earnest student" · "two girls were in earnest conversation"

trem·ble

[ˈtrɛmb(ə)l]

verb

trembled (past tense) · trembled (past participle)

1. (of a person or part of the body) shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty:

   "Isobel was trembling with excitement"

   • (of a person's voice) sound unsteady or hesitant:

     "her voice trembled as she described how much she missed him"

   • (of a structure or area of land) shake or quiver slightly:

     "the earth trembled beneath their feet" · "buildings were trembling and people rushed into the streets"

   • be in a state of extreme apprehension:

     "I tremble to think that we could ever return to conditions like these"

avenge

[əˈvɛn(d)ʒ]

verb

avenge (verb) · avenges (third person present) · avenged (past tense) · avenged (past participle) · avenging (present participle)

1. inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another):

   "he vowed in silent fervour to avenge their murders"

   • inflict harm in return for an injury or wrong on behalf of (oneself or another):

     "we must avenge our dead" · "they avenged themselves on the interlopers"

cul·prit

[ˈkʌlprɪt]

noun

1. a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed:

   "the car's front nearside door had been smashed in but the culprits had fled"

cun·ning

[ˈkʌnɪŋ]

adjective

cunning (adjective) · cunninger (comparative adjective) · cunningest (superlative adjective)

1. having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion:

   "a cunning look came into his eyes"

   • ingenious:

     "plants have evolved cunning defences"

brood·ing

[ˈbruːdɪŋ]

adjective

brooding (adjective)

1. engaged in or showing deep thought about something that makes one sad, angry, or worried:

   "he stared with brooding eyes"

   • appearing darkly menacing:

     "the brooding moorland"

mis·deed

[mɪsˈdiːd]

noun

misdeeds (plural noun)

1. a wicked or illegal act:

   "his past misdeeds were forgiven"

an·guish

[ˈaŋɡwɪʃ]

noun

1. severe mental or physical pain or suffering:

   "she shut her eyes in anguish" · "Philip gave a cry of anguish"

verb

1. be extremely distressed about something:

   "I spent the next two weeks anguishing about whether I'd made the right decision"

References

The Japanese Fairy Book by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1903), E.P. Dutton.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived an emperor. This emperor had two daughters, and no sons. Once a powerful king, he found himself owing fealty to another emperor after defeat in a great battle. His daughers, ever supportive, tried to cheer their father up after his defeat.

His youngest daughter said, “we can fight back!”

To which the King replied, “We cannot.”

“The Emperor makes every King that he defeats sign a pact declaring that he will send his son to be the Emperor’s new servant for ten years,” said the King. “Since I don’t have a son, I will have to go myself. I will be the Emperor’s new servant.”

The King’s eldest daughter immediately declared, “I will go father!”

The King replied, “You cannot. You are not my son. I could never let you go.”

However, the princess refused to heed her father’s words. She set out to present herself as the Emperor’s new servant. Eventually, the King gave in and let her go.

“Father, please give her your best steed from the stables. War horses know the battlefield better than anyone,” said his younger daughter.

To which her sister replied, “that old horse? The one who lost the battle? Absolutely not!”

After disguising herself as a solder and mounting her horse, she set off into the forest.

The Emperor magically creates a copper bridge and turns into a wolf. He stands on the bridge, intending to terrify the “soldier” making its way toward his palace. The princess “soldier” then finds her horse rearing backward, terrified. The princess then charges her horse to return home immediately. The King was sorely disappointed.

Upon seeing the unhappy return of her sister, the younger princess offers to be the Emperor’s servant. Her father pointed out how her sister failed.

“Father, trust me! I will never let you down,” said the princess.

The King believed she would return the same way that her sister had, so he decided to let her go.

Unlike her sister, the princess went to the stables and personally selected her father’s trusted warhorse. “You have been such a trusted stallion throughout all of father’s battles. I know you won’t let me down,” she said.

The horse replied, “there are not many who are as brave as your father.”

Astonished by the talking horse, she responded, “will you guide me with your wisdom?”

The horse whinnied, “only your father knew that horses are warriors, too! You are as wise as your father. I would be honored to guide you through any difficulty that may befall you.”

“Thank you so much!” she proclaimed as she hugged the horse’s snout.

The princess set out to the palace just as her sister had the day before. She too saw the bear on the copper bridge. The bear growled at her menacingly.

The horse advised, “remember princess, your mind and your heart are your strongest weapons.”

The princess replied, “can you run faster than the bear?”

“So much faster,” said the horse.

“So here’s what we’ll do,” she started saying….

She charged the horse to gallop directly toward the bear. As the pair came closer to the bridge, the princess leaned down and grabbed a branch from the ground.

As she got closer to the bear, she shoved the stick in the bear’s mouth, rendering it incapable of biting down on anything or anyone.

As she rode off on the horse, she looked back at the bear and said, “sorry bear. I hope you aren’t hurt!”

As the pair continued through the forest, the horse said to her, “that was a good start, princess!”

The princess replied, “If that was the start, that means this forest is full of dangers!”

As night fell upon them, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by four ferocious lions. The princess took the torches she had been carrying and tried to attck the lions with the flames. Terrified by the fire, the lions retreated back into the forest. Little did they know that those lions were actually the Emperor. He had shapeshifted once again in order to terrify the mysterious “soldier” in the forest who was coming ever closer to the palace.

The horse commented on what he had just witnessed, “Princess, any other warrior would have just killed those lions, at least one or two of them.”

To which she replied, “they are just trying to protect their home from intruders. They only want to protect themselves, and possibly also feed themselves. No King or Queen is allowed to punish them for that!”

“You are noble and kind, just like your father,” said the horse.

Upon daybreak the pair found themselves in the land of the twelve-headed dragon. Little did they know that the fire-breathing dragon was also the Emperor.

Thinking quickly, she threw a rope around a tree and swung across the lake to avoid the dragon’s wrath. She kept swinging back and forth, making the various dragon’s heads blow fire in many directions. Ultimately, the dragon burned its other heads by trying to throw its flames on her constantly moving body.

“Now that he is burning himself, time to ride!” she said as she ordered the horse to gallop away.

Nightfall came again. As they continued on their journey, they stumbled upon a lake. When they stopped, a jungle spirit came up out of the water and floated above with shimmery wings fluttering behind her.

“Dear princess, you have ridden so far” said the jungle spirit, “without harming a single creature or tree in the forest. Take these seeds. If you plant them among the flowers, good things will follow.”

“Thank you,” said the princess.

As the horse carried the princess further into the forest, they came upon a cottage.

The horse explained, “this house belongs to a witch and her son. You have to be careful. If the witch finds out that you are not a soldier, she will capture you and keep you as a servant.”

The princess walked up to the cottage door and knocked. A witch with striking silver hair opened the door.

“Can I help you?” asked the witch.

“Good evening. I am a soldier. I am lost in the woods. Would you mind if I stayed here tonight to rest?” said the princess.

The witch let the “soldier” into her home and gave “him” a room to rest. However, she was not fooled by the “soldier’s” disguise. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was actually a woman wearing soldier’s clothing. She brought her son in to see for himself.

“That is definitely a woman,” said the witch.

“A woman in the forest? Impossible!” said the man.

“I will prove it to you!” said the witch.

She grabbed a pot of flowers and told her son, “these flowers will wilt if they are kept at the bedside a woman.” The witch then proceeded to place the flowers on the table by the princess soldier’s bed.

However, the princess had overheard the conversation between the witch and her son. The moment that the witch left her room, she sowed the seeds that the fairy had given her into the soil containig the flowers. Immediately, a flash of light exploded.

The next morning, when the witch and her son came into the “soldier’s” room, they found the flowers perfectly in bloom and the “soldier” lying fast asleep in the bed.

“Mother, I told you this was not a woman,” said the son.

“I don’t believe that for a second!” said the witch. “I will imprison her and make her a servant!”

“Well, good luck,” said her son. “I have to attend to Ileana, beyond the seven islands.”

“You have her captive, just force her to marry you!” said his mother.

“If she doesn’t agree by the end of the year, I will!” he said.

Suddenly, the flash of light exploded from the flowers again, and with it, the “soldier” disappeared from the bed. When the light subsided, the two saw her ride off on her horse outside.

“She got away!” said the witch.

“Whatever you do, do not pursue her,” her son ordered. “For the moment you reach the lake, the spirit of the jungle will not spare you!”

Finally, the princess reached the Emperor’s palace.

“Your Highness, my father King of Ferdimal has, as per your treaty, sent me as your servant for ten years.

“I see. You can join my other pages,” said the Emperor.

The princess lived and worked like all the other princes who had been made servants by the Emperor.

One day, after cleaning one of the rooms, she approached one of the other princes and asked, “How does a lazy man like him win wars, especially against someone as brave as my father?!”

The prince replied, “He doesn’t go to war. He simply sends his best commanders and us pages in his place.”

Meanwhile…. the Emperor talks to a painting of a woman….

“Whoever tells me the whereabouts of my Ileana, I shall set free,” said the Emperor.

“Ileana, she has been held captive beyond the seven islands by the man in the forest,” said the princess in her prince disguise.

“Oh, how do you know that?” asked the Emperor.

“My travels have taught me a lot, your Highness” said the princess prince.

“Very well, then you go and get her back for me!” said the Emperor.|

“But she is the love of your life!” said the princess prince.

“…else I shall increase your sentence to twenty years of servitude!” said the Emperor.

That evening, the princess prince went to the stables to consult her father’s wise horse. “The man goes home every night,” said the horse, “that is when we can reach him and this is how….”

The next day…

“Your Highness, I will go, but I will need twenty ships filled with your empire’s finest merchandise,” said the princess prince.

The princess prince set sail along with her horse, when she got to the island beyond the seven islands, she pretended to be a merchant.

She took with her a bag filled with a beautiful collection of priceless items.

The guards of the city stopped her and asked, “ Who are you?”

“I am a merchant who has explored many lands to sell my merchandise,” said the princess prince.

The guard retorted, “there is no customer for you here, go away!”

The princess prince casually lets her bag fall to the ground where priceless jewels scatter out of its clutches.

“Oops! I’m so sorry. I’m clumsy sometimes. I shall pick these up and be on my way,” said the princess prince.

The guards’ mouths fell agape.

“Go inside and meet Princess Ileana,” the first guard commanded.

“But!….” the other guard retorted.

“Go! You saw the merchant’s wares. The master has been trying to impress Princess Ileana for a long time now,” said the first guard. “Maybe if he buys her some of your precious items, she will be moved.”

The princess prince and her horse are allowed into the gates and directed to the room where Princess Ileana has been held captive.

“Princess Ileana, here are the beautiful wares I came to present to you,” said the princess prince.

“Go away!” said Princess Ileana.

“I am here to rescue you, princess,” whispered the princess prince.

The two princesses look at each other knowingly and sneak toward the gates. Upon meeting the guards, the princess prince announced, “Princess Ileana would like to go to my ship to see the rest.”

After looking at one another for a moment, the guards let the two princesses through. Once Ileana got on the ship, they sailed off.

When the witch and her son came to the gates, they were informed by the guards that Princess Ileana had escaped. The witch and her son were furious!

Upon reaching shore, the princess prince and Ileana set off on their horse to see the jungle spirit. Unbeknownst to them, the witch was flying behind them, watching them.

“I will get you now!” the witch says to herself.

Suddenly, the jungle spirit rose from the lake and said to the witch, “Welcome to my territory!” Then she sends a spell from her wand into the witch’s heart.

And just like that, the witch vanished into thin air, never to be seen again!

The two princesses suddenly find themselves face to face with the witch’s son.

”How could you?! Now you must fight me!” said the man.

As if taken by a great force, the princess prince sends a shocking blow to the man’s face, and knocks him to the ground, where he is suddenly surrounded by two bears and the four lions.

“They will take care of you,” said the princess prince.

After arriving at the palace, the princess prince informs the Emperor that she has brought Princess Ileana back to the palace.

“What took you so long?!” demands the Emperor.

“Whatever. Oh! Ileana! You are far more beautiful than I imagined! I want you to be my wife!” exclaimed the Emperor.

“But I don’t want to be your wife!” proclaimed Princess Ileana.

“I am the one who rescued you from that evil man!” exclaims the Emperor.

“No you didn’t! Your page rescued me!” she retorted.

“Woman! How dare you! You will marry me because I say so!” demanded the Emperor. “Women do as men say!”

The princess prince, upon hearing the Emperor’s words, immediately removes her disguise. “You have no right to force her to marry you, even if you had rescued her. She is not your slave just because you are a man.

The princes stand in shock and awe as the Emperor dictates, “I will teach you manners!” He pulls out his sword and aims it toward the princess prince.

Their eyes meet. Rage is seething out of them.

The princess prince suddenly ties the Emperor up and steals his sword from his hands. She proceeds to inform him that, “all of the pages shall be set free and Princess Ileana will be sent back home respectfully. Finally, my father desreves to be the Emperor. Not you.”

The princesses are reunited with their families and their father gains the position of Emperor as his daughter had declared. In his empire, no woman was ever treated as second to a man ever again.

The End.

Vocabulary

(Data from Oxford Languages)

fe·al·ty

[ˈfē(ə)ltē]

noun

historical

a feudal tenant's or vassal's sworn loyalty to a lord:

"they owed fealty to the Earl rather than the King"

• formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord:

  "a property for which she did fealty"

de·feat

[dəˈfēt]

noun

an instance of defeating or being defeated:

"she had still not quite admitted defeat"

serv·ant

[ˈsərvənt]

noun

servant (noun) · servants (plural noun)

a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.

a person employed in the service of a government. See also civil servant, public servant.

"a government servant"

heed

[hēd]

verb

pay attention to; take notice of:

"he should have heeded the warnings"

eldest

[ˈel-dəst]

adjective

of the greatest age or seniority : oldest

gave in (give in)

phrasal verb

past tense of ‘give in’

1. as in succumbed to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)

2. as in submitted to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)

steed

[stēd]

noun

a horse being ridden or available for riding.

dis·guise

[dəˈskīz, disˈɡīz]

verb

give (someone or oneself) a different appearance in order to conceal one's identity:

"we took elaborate measures to disguise ourselves as locals" · "Brian was disguised as a priest"

mount

ˈmau̇nt

verb

mounted; mounting; mounts

to get up on something above the level of the ground to seat oneself (as on a horse) for riding

rear

[rir]

verb

rearing (present participle)

(of a horse or other animal) raise itself upright on its hind legs:

"the horse reared in terror" · "a rattlesnake reared up at his elbow"

charge

[CHärj]

verb

charges (third person present)

rush forward in attack:

"the plan is to charge headlong at the enemy"

• rush aggressively toward (someone or something) in attack:

  "I don't advise anyone to charge that barricade"

• move quickly and with impetus:

  "Henry charged up the staircase"

sore·ly

[ˈsôrlē]

adverb

to a very high degree or level of intensity (especially of an unwelcome or unpleasant state or emotion):

"she would sorely miss his company" · "help was sorely needed"

point out (to somebody) | point somethingout (to somebody)

phrasal verb

to mention something in order to give someone information about it or make them notice it"

“She tried in vain to point out to him the unfairness of his actions.”

“He pointed out the dangers of driving alone.”

wisdom

ˈwiz-dəm

noun

ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : insight

good sense : judgment

be·fall

[bəˈfôl, bəˈfäl]

verb

(of something bad) happen to someone:

"a tragedy befell his daughter" · "she was to blame for anything that befell"

men·ac·ing·ly

[ˈmenəsiNGlē]

adverb

in a way that suggests the presence of danger; threateningly:

"a helicopter hovered menacingly overhead" · "the two men stood glaring menacingly at each other"

rend·er

[ˈrendər]

verb

rendering (present participle)

literary

hand over:

"he will render up his immortal soul"

cause to be or become; make:

"the rains rendered his escape impossible"

a·gape

[əˈɡāp]

adjective

(of the mouth) wide open, especially with surprise or wonder:

"Downes listened, mouth agape with incredulity"

seething

[ˈsēT͟HiNG]

adjective

filled with or characterized by intense but unexpressed anger:

"his seething resentment finally reached boiling point"

References

Ready, Psyche Z. (2016-08-08). "She was really the man she pretended to be": Change of Sex in Folk Narratives (MA thesis).

Ispirescu, Petre; Ipcar, Rea; Collier Harris, Julia (1917). The Foundling Prince, & Other Tales: Translated And Adapted From the Roumanian of Petre Inspirescu. Boston: Houghton Mifflin company. pp. 39–284.

Prințesa Prinț | The Princess Prince in Romanian | @RomanianFairyTales (Mar 19, 2023). Retrieved from YouTube.

Today, we are focusing exclusively on the structures within the Balkan region that have preserved very different immurement stories for those who are interested in learning more about the history of the practice. In the case of the Balkans, wives were sometimes considered sacrifices to be buried in the structures to protect it or the city. Read on for more details…

North Macedonia

Rada Bridge in Kratovo

In North Macedonia, we find the tale of the Rada Bridge located in Kratovo. The legend tells of this bridge being built by nine brothers. However, the bridge collapsed during the night, so the brothers sought the advice of a local prophet who advised they bury the first wife to visit the construction site the following morning within the foundations of the bridge. Eight of the brothers went home and warned their wives. The youngest brother did not warn his wife. As a result, she was the first one to bring them food and water the next morning. Rada was then taken to be buried alive. She agreed, but made the request that her right breast be left out so that she could feed her son.

Greece

The Bridge of Arta

In Greece, we have the tale of the Bridge of Arta. There is an old folk acritic song (which is a type of Greek poem) that tells the tale. In this tale, 45 masons and 60 apprentices built a bridge under the leadership of the Head Builder. The foundation of the bridge collapsed overnight (sounds familiar). In this story, a bird with a human voice came to the Head Builder and told him that he would need to sacrifice his wife for the bridge foundation to hold. The song then depicts the cursing of the bridge done by the wife as she is being buried alive in the foundation. She curses the bridge to flutter as if a leaf and for those who pass on the bridge to fall like leaves. Remembering her own brother who would not hear her curses, she changed her curses so that they would become blessings in the event her brother should pass the bridge.

LYRICS OF ARTA THE YOFIRI       

Forty-five craftsmen and sixty apprentices
were laying the foundations of the river in Artas.
They built it all day, it was demolished at night.
The masters and the apprentices cry.
"Woe to our labors, woe to our works,
all day we build, night fall."
A little bird came and sat, facing the river,
not chirping like a bird, not like a swallow,
but chirping and saying a human lullaby:
"If you don't haunt a man, no ghost will dry up
and don't haunt an orphan, not a stranger, not a traveler,
despite the master's beautiful woman,
who comes late the speedy and early the feast."

The foreman hears it and falls to his death.
He catches, sings with the nightingale bird.
Late to get dressed, late to change, late to go to yoma,
late to go to Arta's yofiri.
And the bird disobeyed and hurried and said:
"Quickly dress, quickly change, quickly go to the yoma,
quickly go and cross Arta's iophyri."

Here she appeared from the white army.
The foreman saw her, and his heart broke.
He greets them from afar and from close to them he says:
"Hello, you masters and you apprentices,
but what does the master craftsman have and is he barged?"
"His ring fell into the first arch
, and who shall enter and who shall go out, find the ring?"
"Master, don't be bitter, I'll go and bring it to you,
I'll go in, I'll go out, I'll find the ring."

It didn't go down well, it didn't go in the middle.
"Pull well with the chain, pull the chain,
I have lifted the whole world and found nothing."
One digs with the trowel and another with the lime,
the master craftsman takes it and throws a big stone.

"Alas for our fate, pity for our radical!
We were three siblings, all three of us misspelled.
One built the Danube and the other the Aphrates
and I, the youngest of Arta, the Giofiri.
As the walnut tree trembles, let the gopher tremble
and as the tree leaves tremble, let the wayfarers fall.”

"Daughter, change the word and give another curse,
since you have an only brother, don't let it pass."
And she changed her speech and gave another curse.
"If the wild mountains tremble, let the storm tremble
and if the wild birds fall, let the wayfarers fall,
what is my brother in the wilderness, do not let him pass.

Romania

Cathedral of Curtea de Arges

In Romania, we have the tale of Prince Radu the Black (Radu Negru) who wanted the most beautiful monastery built. So, he hired Master Manole (Mesterul Manole) to build what would be known as the Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș. Mesterul Manole was the best mason around, so with his nine men he began to build. Similar to other tales seen here today, the walls kept crumbling. The Prince threatened to kill Manole and his workers because of this.

Manole’s desperation, heightened by threat of death, put his mind in overdrive. One night, he had a dream that told him he had to incorporate a loved one into the walls. He told his masons about his dream and they agreed that the first wife (sounds familiar) to show up with lunch the next day would be built into the walls of the monastery.

The following day, Manole saw his pregnant wife, Ana, coming over the hills. He preyed to the heavens that a storm would block her passage and send her home. It did storm, but she continued to go to him instead. Upon her arrival, the builders and Manole told her that they were going to play a game. This game involved building walls around her body. She naively accepted and soon realized it wasn’t a game. She begged her husband to let her go, but he had made a promise.

When the monastery was complete, the Prince asked the builders if they could make another splendid building. The men eagerly told the Prince they could. Upon hearing this, the fearful prince assumed they would do such an act for someone else, so he stranded them all on the roof to perish in order to prevent them from building anything else that could compete with his beautiful monastery. The men created wooden wings to try and fly off of the roof. One by one, they all fell to the ground. Nearby, there is a well of clear water named after Manole. It is believed to mark the spot of where Manole fell.

Bulgaria

Kadin Most

In Bulgaria, we have the tale of Kadin Most (Bride’s Bridge) located in Nevestino. In this story, three brothers from a neighboring village were building a bridge over the Struma River. Again, during the night, the waters of the river destroyed the bridge and swept away their hard work. The brothers, ashamed and wanting to avoid mockery decided to sacrifice the first of their wives who brought them breakfast in the morning in order to make the bridge strong. The wife of Manol was the first to arrive (Manol - I see a theme here). She had with her their first born child and his breakfast. She hardly had a chance to utter the words “God help” before the men captured her and walled her into the middle column. She asked the men to leave out her breast so that she could feed their child and make a vent for her eyes so she could see the child as she fed him (again sounds familiar). Due to the commonality of this theme, a little more research had to be done.

From the Bulgarian Haha Foundation:

There is a legend that in the distant past, when building public buildings such as a church or a bridge, in order to create a patron spirit to strengthen them, a human sacrifice had to be offered, and she or her shadow was built into the foundations or in a part left unfinished from construction. The explanation is that in this case a guardian spirit is needed, such as can be artificially created by looking at a living person or, according to a later substitution, only his shadow. This is a kind of protection of the building and its inhabitants, the uncertainty of which disturbs both the masters and the owners. It is explained by the primitive masonry technique, which cannot hold the building and protect it from harmful elements.

Albania

Rozafa Castle

The legend of Rozafa Castle aka Shkodër Castle in Albania is similar to the others. In this tale, three brothers had begun building the castle. Again, the castle fell at night and they were informed by a wise old man that “If you really want to finish the castle, you must swear never to tell your wives what I am going to tell you now. The wife who brings you your food tomorrow you must bury alive in the wall of the castle. Only then will the foundations stay put and last forever.” In Albania, the evil eye is seen as the reason for the destruction of the castle. In order to ward off the evil eye, they must sacrifice one of their wives. The three brothers made a besa (promise) to not speak with their wives about what they were told. However, the two oldest brothers did not keep that promise and told their wives everything. The mother of the brothers was also unaware of this promise. She asked her daughters-in-law to bring lunch to the men, and two of them refused with excuses. Rozafa, the wife of the youngest brother left her young son at home and set out to bring the men their lunch. The youngest brother was angry and tried to explain to her that she would be sacrificed by being buried in the walls of the castle. Worried about her infant son, she accepted and said, “I have but one request to make. When you wall me in, leave a hole for my right eye, for my right hand, for my right foot, and for my right breast. I have a small son. When he starts to cry, I will cheer him up with my right eye. I will comfort him with my right hand. I will put him to sleep with my right foot, and feed him with my right breast. Let my breast turn to stone and the castle flourish. May my son become a great hero, ruler of the world.”

Bosnia

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have the legend of the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad. This legend was another bridge construction that was being created by a Mason named Rade. In this tale, instead of destruction by water, falty construction, or the evil eye, those of Višegrad knew that the construction was impeded upon by the water fairy (vila). This water fairy nightly destroyed anything built during the day. One day, a voice whispered from the waters and advised Rade the Mason to wall two infant children, Stoja and Ostoja, into the central pier of the bridge. Rade announced a reward for anyone who identified these children. The children were found and subsequently and walled into the bridge. Rade the Mason took pity on them. He left windows on the pillars so that their mother could breastfeed them. It is a popular belief on Bosnia Herzegovina that mothers who do not have their own milk can scrape powder off the bridge to make the milk come. They say it is effective. This tale can be found in the book “The Bridge Over Drina” by Ivo Andric.

Ivo Andric also presents this tale in his book "The bridge over Drina."

What do you think of these tales? When I was going through these, I personally noted the similarities and after having been in most of these countries, I could see how they came to be. I have to say, the Albanian one is very fitting with the culture. I’m quite fascinated with the water fairy idea from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Which was the most intriguing for you? At the end of the day, we can all agree that sacrificing women for the work of men is not a good strategy, but history had its own beliefs. Let’s just make sure we don’t keep sacrificing women for the work of men, even if done differently, in our current societies.