Author: Bradley Wagnon Publisher: 7th Generation ISBN: 193905351X Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 40
Book Description
First Fire is an ageless Cherokee myth about the revered water spider in their culture. The story happens in a time when animals could do many of the things that people do. The Creator gave the animals the world to live on, but they were without a source for heat at night. Great Thunder and his sons saw the plight of the animals so he sent lightning down to strike a tree. The tree burst into flames but the tree was on an island. Many animals tried to bring the fire over the water to the shore, but they were all unsuccessful. One small creature, the Water Spider, then volunteered. Curious, the animals said to her “We know you could get there safely, but how would you bring the fire back without getting burned?” Water Spider was successful and to this day, the water spider is revered in Cherokee culture.
Author: Stephanie McKenzie Publisher: University of Toronto Press ISBN: 1442691441 Category : Literary Criticism Languages : en Pages : 249
Book Description
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Canada witnessed an explosion in the production of literary works by Aboriginal writers, a development that some critics have called the Native Renaissance. In Before the Country, Stephanie McKenzie explores the extent to which this growing body of literature influenced non-Native Canadian writers and has been fundamental in shaping our search for a national mythology. In the context of Northrop Frye's theories of myth, and in light of the attempts of social critics and early anthologists to define Canada and Canadian literature, McKenzie discusses the ways in which our decidedly fractured sense of literary nationalism has set indigenous culture apart from the mainstream. She examines anew the aesthetics of Native Literature and, in a style that is creative as much as it is scholarly, McKenzie incorporates the principles of storytelling into the unfolding of her argument. This strategy not only enlivens her narrative, but also underscores the need for new theoretical strategies in the criticism of Aboriginal literatures. Before the Country invites us to engage in one such endeavour.
Author: Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan ISBN: Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 310
Book Description
The Life or Legend of Gaudama by Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet: In this remarkable biography, Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet delves into the life and teachings of Gaudama, the historical Buddha. Through meticulous research and profound insights, the author presents a comprehensive and enlightening account of Buddha's journey towards enlightenment and the development of Buddhism. This book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the life and legacy of one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders. Key Aspects of the Book "The Life or Legend of Gaudama": The Historical Buddha: Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet provides a well-researched and detailed account of Siddhartha Gautama's life, from his early years to his enlightenment as Buddha. Teachings of Buddhism: The book explores the fundamental principles of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, offering readers a deeper understanding of the spiritual philosophy. Impact and Legacy: By chronicling the life and teachings of Buddha, Bigandet highlights the profound impact of Buddhism on countless lives and its enduring legacy across the globe. Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet was a French Catholic missionary who dedicated much of his life to studying and documenting Buddhist traditions. Born in 1813, he traveled to Burma (present-day Myanmar) and became well-versed in the language and culture. As a scholar of Buddhism, Bigandet's work played a significant role in introducing Western audiences to the life and teachings of the historical Buddha. His book, "The Life or Legend of Gaudama," remains a valuable resource for those interested in Buddhism and its history.
Author: Caleb Carr Publisher: Random House ISBN: 0812994086 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 753
Book Description
“A sprawling fantasy saga . . . Caleb Carr boldly goes where he’s never gone before.”—USA Today Legend meets history in this mesmerizing novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Caleb Carr. Demonstrating the rich storytelling, skillful plotting, and depth of research he showcased in The Alienist, Carr has written a wildly imaginative, genre-bending saga that redefines the boundaries of literature. Some years ago, a remarkable manuscript long rumored to exist was discovered: The Legend of Broken. It tells of a prosperous fortress city where order reigns at the point of a sword—even as scheming factions secretly vie for control of the surrounding kingdom. Meanwhile, outside the city’s granite walls, an industrious tribe of exiles known as the Bane forages for sustenance in the wilds of Davon Wood. At every turn, the lives of Broken’s defenders and its would-be destroyers intertwine: Sixt Arnem, the widely respected and honorable head of the kingdom’s powerful army, grapples with his conscience and newfound responsibilities amid rumors of impending war. Lord Baster-kin, master of the Merchants’ Council, struggles to maintain the magnificence of his kingdom even as he pursues vainglorious dreams of power. And Keera, a gifted female tracker of the Bane tribe, embarks on a perilous journey to save her people, enlisting the aid of the notorious and brilliant philosopher Caliphestros. Together, they hope to exact a ruinous revenge on Broken, ushering in a day of reckoning when the mighty walls will be breached forever in a triumph of science over superstition. Breathtakingly profound and compulsively readable, Caleb Carr’s long-awaited new book is an action-packed, multicharacter epic of a medieval clash of cultures—in which new gods collide with old, science defies all expectation, and virtue comes in many guises. Brimming with adventure and narrative invention, The Legend of Broken is an exhilarating and enthralling masterwork. Praise for The Legend of Broken “An excellent and old-fashioned entertainment . . . The Legend of Broken seamlessly blends epic adventure with serious research and asks questions that men and women grappled with in the Dark Ages and still do today.”—The Washington Post “[A] colossal effort . . . a fantasy epic . . . meant as an allegory, a cautionary tale for our precarious times. To make his points, Carr has summoned a dream team of soldiers, wizards, and tiny forest folk.”—The New York Times Book Review “Carr keeps the action hurtling along with a steady diet of gruesome murders and political betrayals. And he clearly wants modern readers to see something of their own world in the political corruption and greed that ultimately doom Broken.”—The Boston Globe
Author: William Drake Westervelt Publisher: Library of Alexandria ISBN: 1465527176 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 179
Book Description
Four brothers, each bearing the name of Maui, belong to Hawaiian legend. They accomplished little as a family, except on special occasions when the youngest of the household awakened his brothers by some unexpected trick which drew them into unwonted action. The legends of Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti, New Zealand and the Hervey group make this youngest Maui "the discoverer of fire" or "the ensnarer of the sun" or "the fisherman who pulls up islands" or "the man endowed with magic," or "Maui with spirit power." The legends vary somewhat, of course, but not as much as might be expected when the thousands of miles between various groups of islands are taken into consideration. Maui was one of the Polynesian demi-gods. His parents belonged to the family of supernatural beings. He himself was possessed of supernatural powers and was supposed to make use of all manner of enchantments. In New Zealand antiquity a Maui was said to have assisted other gods in the creation of man. Nevertheless Maui was very human. He lived in thatched houses, had wives and children, and was scolded by the women for not properly supporting his household. The time of his sojourn among men is very indefinite. In Hawaiian genealogies Maui and his brothers were placed among the descendants of Ulu and "the sons of Kii," and Maui was one of the ancestors of Kamehameha, the first king of the united Hawaiian Islands. This would place him in the seventh or eighth century of the Christian Era. But it is more probable that Maui belongs to the mist-land of time. His mischievous pranks with the various gods would make him another Mercury living in any age from the creation to the beginning of the Christian era. The Hervey Island legends state that Maui's father was "the supporter of the heavens" and his mother "the guardian of the road to the invisible world." In the Hawaiian chant, Akalana was the name of his father. In other groups this was the name by which his mother was known. Kanaloa, the god, is sometimes known as the father of Maui. In Hawaii Hina was his mother. Elsewhere Ina, or Hina, was the grandmother, from whom he secured fire. The Hervey Island legends say that four mighty ones lived in the old world from which their ancestors came. This old world bore the name Ava-iki, which is the same as Hawa-ii, or Hawaii. The four gods were Mauike, Ra, Ru, and Bua-Taranga. It is interesting to trace the connection of these four names with Polynesian mythology. Mauike is the same as the demi-god of New Zealand, Mafuike. On other islands the name is spelled Mauika, Mafuika, Mafuia, Mafuie, and Mahuika. Ra, the sun god of Egypt, is the same as Ra in New Zealand and La (sun) in Hawaii. Ru, the supporter of the heavens, is probably the Ku of Hawaii, and the Tu of New Zealand and other islands, one of the greatest of the gods worshiped by the ancient Hawaiians. The fourth mighty one from Ava-ika was a woman, Bua-taranga, who guarded the path to the underworld. Talanga in Samoa, and Akalana in Hawaii were the same as Taranga. Pua-kalana (the Kalana flower) would probably be the same in Hawaiian as Bua-taranga in the language of the Society Islands.
Author: H. Davidson Publisher: Penguin UK ISBN: 0141941502 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 316
Book Description
Surveys the pre-Christian beliefs of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. Provides an introduction to this subject, giving basic outlines to the sagas and stories, and helps identify the charachter traits of not only the well known but also the lesser gods of the age.
Author: Tamra Andrews Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0195136772 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 302
Book Description
Comprehensive and cross-referenced, this informative volume is a rich introduction to the world of nature as experienced by ancient peoples around the globe. 51 halftones.
Author: Bradley Wagnon
Author: 
Author: Edwin Sidney Hartland
Author: Stephanie McKenzie
Author: Right Reverend Paul Ambroise Bigandet
Author: Caleb Carr
Author: William Drake Westervelt
Author: H. Davidson
Author: Tamra Andrews
Author: William Drake Westervelt