World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself
By Kathy Ceceri and Shawn Braley
5/5
()
About this ebook
All societies have their own myths and legends, but they're much more than just stories. Myths and legends tell us about a people's history, science, and cultural values—the things they knew, the things they believed, and the things they felt were important.
World Myths and Legends retells tales from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. From the Greek myths to ancient epics like Gilgamesh and the trickster tales of Anansi the Spider, it helps readers think about why the same themes, characters, and events may show up in different parts of the globe.
Along the way kids will also find lots of fun and interesting projects that let them experience the stories first-hand. World Myths and Legends unveils wonders of the ancient world as it takes readers on a fascinating adventure of mystery and imagination.
Kathy Ceceri
Kathy Ceceri is the author of activity books for kids and families, including Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future. She helped create the Geek-Mom blog and the book Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families and contributed more than a dozen projects to the Geek Dad series of books. Formerly the Homeschooling Expert at About.com, Kathy presents robots and STEAM programs at schools, museums, libraries, and Maker Faires around the country. She lives with her family in Upstate New York.
Read more from Kathy Ceceri
Bots! Robotics Engineering: with Hands-On Makerspace Activities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Video Games: Design and Code Your Own Adventure Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMicronations: Invent Your Own Country and Culture with 25 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Silk Road: Explore the World's Most Famous Trade Route with 20 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRobotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future with 20 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to World Myths and Legends
Related ebooks
Explore Greek Myths!: With 25 Great Projects Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Myths and Legends from Around the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNative American Myths Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Live Like a Stone-Age Hunter Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Explore Ancient Egypt!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Basher History: Mythology: Oh My! Gods and Goddesses Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Explore Norse Myths!: With 25 Great Projects Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Cricket Catches the Travel Bug Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAncient Civilizations: Egyptians!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAncient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ancient World For Kids: A History Series - Children Explore History Book Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArchaeology: Cool Women Who Dig Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kid Activists: True Tales of Childhood from Champions of Change Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Explore Ancient Greece!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Egyptian Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Who was Hercules? Greek Mythology for Kids | Children's Greek & Roman Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExplore Honey Bees!: With 25 Great Projects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing Arctic and Antarctic Projects: You Can Build Yourself Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBasher Basics: Creative Writing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Moon Seems to Change Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grandma Lena's Big Ol' Turnip Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Big Bear Stuck to the Sky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmazing Africa Projects: You Can Build Yourself Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Princess and the Petri Dish Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFairy Tales for Fearless Girls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great Greeks: Fun Poems for Kids about Ancient Greece Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ollie's Odyssey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Activity Books For You
Wayside School Is Falling Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Scary Stories 3 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sideways Stories from Wayside School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Wild: Warriors #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Laugh-Out-Loud Awesome Jokes for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dear Mr. Henshaw Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Kids' Giant Book of Jokes, Riddles, and Brain Teasers Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hello, Universe: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5300 Toughest Riddles and Brain Teasers for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cedric The Shark Learns To Count: Bedtime Stories For Children, #3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" - More than 150 Recipes Inspired by The Hunger Games Trilogy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Best Halloween Ever Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Official Narnia Cookbook: Food from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Boy Called Bat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Draw Robots by Katie O Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Scooby-Doo! Cookbook: Kid-Friendly Recipes for the Whole Gang Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Entrepreneur Kids: Launch Your Own Business: Launch Your Own Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Naughty List Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Big Book of Boy Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Draw Cute Stuff: Draw Anything and Everything in the Cutest Style Ever! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Read and Share Bible: More Than 200 Best Loved Bible Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/575 Fun Stories for Kids 3 to 8 Year Olds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Everything KIDS' Book of Outrageous Facts: Explore the most fantastic, extraordinary, and unbelievable truths about your world! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Kids' Cookbook, Updated Edition: 90+ Easy Recipes You'll Love to Make—and Eat! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShow Time!: Music, Dance, and Drama Activities for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for World Myths and Legends
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
World Myths and Legends - Kathy Ceceri
Nomad Press is committed to preserving ancient forests and natural resources. We elected to print World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself on 4,007 lbs. of Williamsburg Recycled 30% offset.
Nomad Press made this paper choice because our printer, Sheridan Books, is a member of Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit program dedicated to supporting authors, publishers, and suppliers in their efforts to reduce their use of fiber obtained from endangered forests. For more information, visit www.greenpressinitiative.org
Nomad Press
A division of Nomad Communications
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © 2010 by Nomad Press
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
The trademark Nomad Press
and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc.
This book was manufactured by Sheridan Books,
Ann Arbor, MI USA.
March 2010, Job #000000 FPO
ISBN: 978-1-9346704-3-9
Illustrations by Shawn Braley
Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to
Independent Publishers Group
814 N. Franklin St.
Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
Nomad Press
2456 Christian St.
White River Junction, VT 05001
CONTENTS
Timeline
Map
Introduction
Chapter 1
What Are Myths and Legends?
Chapter 2
The Middle East
Chapter 3
Greece and Rome
Chapter 4
Northern Europe
Chapter 5
Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter 6
India and China
Chapter 7
Japan and Australia
Chapter 8
Central and South America
Chapter 9
North America
Names
Templates
Glossary
Resources
Index
TIMELINE
BCE
CE
BCE stands for Before Common Era. It is a countdown to 0, the year Jesus Christ was born. CE stands for Common Era. It counts up from 0 to the present year.
Other titles from Nomad Press
Introduction
Long before there were books or television or movies, people sat around and told each other stories. Some stories made their listeners laugh. Others made them cry or shiver with fear. Some described real-life events of the past or present. And many tried to answer questions that human beings have wondered about since the beginning of time: Why are we here? How does the world work? Why do people act the way they do?
As the stories were told over and over, new storytellers added their own touches. Each version became a little better, until the stories were larger than life. Over generations, the stories once told around an ancient fire came handed down to us as myths and legends. Today, myths and legends are behind many of the everyday things we take for granted. For instance:
The month of January is named after Janus, the god of doorways in Roman mythology.
Thursday is the day of Thor, the Norse god of thunder.
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Fluffy the three-headed guard dog is based on the Greek story of Cerberus. Cerberus kept watch over Hades, the underworld.
The Easter Bunny and his basket of eggs are from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and rebirth.
Societies all over the world have their own myths and legends. But they are more than just stories. Myths and legends tell us about a people’s history, science, and cultural values. They describe what people know, the things they believe in, and what they feel is important.
You’ll find that similar themes, characters, and events appear in myths and legends from many parts of the world. This book will help you consider reasons why this happens. With the fun and interesting projects, you can experience the stories yourself.
Words to Know
myth: a story about gods or supernatural creatures that people once believed was true.
legend: a story about national heroes.
culture: the beliefs and way of life of a group of people.
mythologist: someone who studies myths.
god: a superhuman or supernatural being who may have powers.
supernatural or superhuman: outside the usual laws of nature, such as magic.
mythology: a collection of related myths from one culture.
religion: a set of beliefs about reality and a god or gods.
literature: the written stories and history of a culture, language, or group of people.
hero: a man, woman, or child who has the strength, wisdom, bravery, or beauty to do tasks that seem impossible.
In this book, you’ll hear myths and legends from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Learn about the people who created them, and see how the stories fit into each particular culture.
The world of myth and legend is fascinating. It’s filled with action and adventure, romance and mystery, battles and betrayals, punishment and rewards. Come enjoy some of the ancient stories people have shared for thousands of years!
Chapter 1
What Are Myths and Legends?
The words myth and legend are sometimes used to describe the same idea: a well-known old story. However, mythologists give the terms somewhat different meanings.
A myth is a story about gods or magical creatures that people once believed was true. It is part of a mythology, a collection of related myths from one culture. A culture’s mythology comes from its past or present religion or belief system. It can also be the basis of its history, science, or literature.
A legend tells the adventures of a hero who sets out to do something impossible. A hero may try to save one person or an entire society. Although it may contain supernatural creatures or magic, a legend doesn’t usually have gods. Like a myth, it’s often considered to be true by the people who first tell it. And in fact it may be based on real people and events. Over time, however, the story grows to become more fantastical than real.
Common Types of Myths
Creation Myths tell how the universe formed. They describe how plants, animals, humans, and gods came into being.
Nature Myths explain how the natural world works, such as why there is day and night and why there are seasons. Some nature myths explain why plants and animals look or behave the way they do.
Hero Tales focus on the adventures of mortals. Gods and other supernatural creatures often appear in these stories, too.
Trickster Tales involve divine or mortal characters known as tricksters who play cruel jokes or try to outsmart those around them. They may be looking for revenge, or just doing it for fun.
Death and Afterlife Myths describe the death of gods or where humans go after they die.
End of the World Myths explore how the universe is destroyed, and what happens afterwards.
Where Myths and Legends Came From
One reason myths and legends developed may be that people needed a way to explain how the world works. In many mythologies, everything in the world is alive or under the control of supernatural beings. These living things often have the same kind of thoughts and emotions people do.
An example is how ancient Egyptians explained day and night. They did not know that day and night are caused by the earth turning in relation to the sun. They explained it with stories about