1 myths and legends · 2020. 4. 4. · the vikings saw a pair of sky wolves chasing the sun or the...

Myths and Legends1Get Set!

Have you heard of the Loch Ness Monster? It is a giant creature that is supposed to live in Lake Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Nobody has ever seen it, although some people claim that they have. Given below are the pictures of some mythical or legendary creatures. Unscramble the letters and write their names correctly.

RENTACU:

NIFGRIF:

NEXIHOP:

COR: TIYE: 5

© Ratna Sagar for Central Academy Jodhpur

The word myth comes from the Greek word ‘mythos’. Mythos in Greek means story or speech. Myths are stories that have

come to us from the beginning of human existence – the very dawn of history and perhaps from the time humans started to speak. These old stories try to give reasons for inexplicable phenomena that early man witnessed in nature or big, cataclysmic events in human history. Every culture

Who Ate the Sun?

A myth is a story that explains the origins of a cultural practice or natural phenomenon. For example, almost all cultures across the world have a creation myth, concerning the origins of the world, or how the world came to exist. Read about some myths from different cultures.

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inexplicable extraordinary occurrences or circumstances phenomena that cannot be understood or explained

cataclysmic events sudden and violent events in nature or society, causing great changes

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in the world has its own myths that are passed on from generation to generation. Myths are far older than legends or folk tales and fables. The earliest myths we know of are those that describe the creation of the universe, of men, animals and spirits, and tell us of the origins of the gods.

Today, with the growing influence of rational, scientific views of the world, when we use the word ‘myth’ we often mean something that isn’t true; something made up to deceive others. But myths are perhaps necessary for the human spirit, as reality is too complex for the human brain to grasp. We need explanations for questions that we cannot still answer based on our rational knowledge. ‘What is our purpose? Where do we come from? What is reality?’ are questions for which we still want answers and we still answer them in the form of stories. Science fiction could be regarded as a type of modern myth!

When we hear old myths, we can see why people could have made up the stories they did. They needed to explain frightening or awe-inspiring events or happenings in a way that would comfort and ease them. The stories told about the solar eclipse are good examples of such myths.

The Sun’s movement as seen from the Earth is regular and dependable and people tend to take its regular journey through the sky for granted. In fact, people have always used it to regulate their lives and livelihood. And then, all of a sudden, they see

something unusual happening to the Sun that cannot be explained or understood. Now we all know that a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth. It blocks our view of the Sun, so we have a solar eclipse. If someone doesn’t know what a solar eclipse is, it’s natural for them to be frightened to see the Sun being eaten up, bite by bite, right in the middle of a perfectly ordinary day. And then, equally suddenly, it comes back, chunk by small chunk, till it is shining over the world once more. It looks remarkably like someone ate up the Sun for a while. In fact, the earliest word for eclipse in Chinese, shih, means ‘to eat’. And most myths about the solar eclipse are stories of various creatures and demons devouring the sun in the sky.

The Vikings saw a pair of sky wolves chasing the sun or the moon. There was an eclipse whenever one of the wolves caught a bright orb. In a story from Vietnam, a frog or a toad ‘eats’ the moon or the sun. The Koreans thought wild dogs chased the sun across the sky and ate it.

In our country, the story is told of the demon Rahu who disguised himself as a god in order to steal a taste of amrit after

legends stories narrating heroic deeds of people that may or may not be true

folk tales stories that are passed on from one generation to another in the spoken form

fables short stories, with animals as characters, that teach moral lessons

awe-inspiring events that generate feelings of events reverence, admiration or fear

amrit the nectar that grants immortality

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it was churned out of the ocean. The sun and moon saw what he was up to, and reported him to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu sliced off Rahu’s head before the amrit could slide down his throat. As a result, the head turned immortal, but the body died. The demon Rahu’s head continues to move through the sky, chasing the sun and the moon in anger. Every now and then he catches them and swallows them to cause an eclipse. But as he has no throat, the sun and the moon fall out every time and the eclipse gets over.

The Chinese, too, believed that an invisible dragon ate up the sun. So, they made a huge commotion to frighten away the dragon. They had drummers beating

drums and archers shooting arrows into the sky. One Chinese emperor had no drummers ready and no archers waiting to shoot arrows during an eclipse because the royal astronomers, Hsi and Ho had failed to predict an eclipse. The emperor was so angry that he ordered that the two astronomers be punished. The people of Japan, on the other hand, believed that

poison dripped from the skies during an eclipse. So, they took care to keep all their wells covered.

The Batammaliba people from Benin and Togo in west Africa have a different and interesting belief about eclipses. Their myth tells the story of a fight between the sun and the moon during an eclipse. The people encourage the sun and the moon to stop fighting. To this day, they see eclipses as a time of coming together and resolving old feuds.

Interestingly, there is a similar real-life story about an eclipse on 28 May, 585 BC. The armies of the Lydians and the Medes had been at war for a long time when suddenly ‘the day turned into night’. The two armies were so stunned that they declared peace and the fighting stopped at once!

old feuds long-standing quarrels8


Read and Write

A. Tick the most appropriate options. Discuss your choices in class.

1. Legends are a. the earliest stories told by humans. b. stories about heroic deeds of people. c. stories based on actual events. d. short stories with animals as characters. 2. Science fiction could be regarded as a type of modern myth because it a. consists of fictional stories and is not true. b. tries to imagine other worlds and is not rational. c. tries to answer questions for which we do not have scientific answers. d. consists of stories told to everyone all over the world. 3. The sight of a solar eclipse could have frightened early humans because they a. took the Sun’s movement for granted. b. used the Sun’s movement to regulate their lives. c. were worried that something had eaten the sun. d. could not understand or explain the sudden disappearance of the Sun. 4. Most solar eclipse myths talk about something eating up the sun because a. the Moon hides the Sun during an eclipse. b. it looks as if the sun is being eaten up during an eclipse. c. people thought there were animals and demons in the sky. d. people did not believe in scientific explanations. 5. The eclipse myth of the Batammaliba people is different because it a. is about making friends and peace, and hence something positive. b. does not talk about something eating the sun. c. is not from Europe. d. can occur in reality.

B. What do these lines from the text mean? Discuss with a partner. Share your answers in class.

1. ‘These old stories try to give reasons for inexplicable phenomena that early man witnessed in nature or big, cataclysmic events in human history.’

2. ‘people tend to take its regular journey though the sky for granted’

C. Think about it. Discuss with your partner.

1. Why do you think people in old times invented different forms of stories such as myths, legends, folk tales and fables?

2. How do you think these stories became popular when there were no newspapers, TV and Internet?

D. Discuss in class.

Number these topics in the order in which they are discussed in the passage. why there are myths about solar eclipses examples of solar eclipse myths defining a myth why humans need myths

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Words in Use VOcAbULARy in cOntext

E. Replace the underlined words with appropriate words from the box.

dependable rational origins exaggerating

complex stunned commotion disruption

1. Your behaviour caused a disturbance in the class. 2. We do not know the beginnings of this feud but it has to stop now. 3. We were shocked by the results of the match because no one

expected us to win. 4. The teacher scolded us for creating such a noise in class when the

surprise test was announced. 5. Let us ask Mona to help us with the project as she is reliable. 6. You are overstating the problem; it is not as difficult as you think. 7. The complicated nature of the world is difficult to understand. 8. We cannot complete this project in time. Your expectations are

not reasonable.

F. Study this word.

phenomenon

It means an extraordinary occurrence or circumstance. Other forms of the word are phenomena, phenomenal. Look up the meanings and write two other forms of these words.

1. regular:

2. regarded:

3. witnessed:

4. influence:

5. immortality:

MAin And SUbORdinAte cLAUSeS Understand Grammar

G. Complete or extend these sentences based on your reading of the text.

1. Myths are stories that

2. The Vikings felt there was an eclipse whenever

3. The Chinese Emperor punished the two astronomers because

4. The Chinese created a commotion during an eclipse because

SAMe WORd AS diffeRent pARtS Of SpeecH

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5. Vishnu sliced off Rahu’s head before

6. The Batammaliba people’s explanation of an eclipse was different as

7. The armies of Lydia and Medes declared peace when

v A clause, like a sentence, is a group of words with a subject and a predicate; but a clause is a part of a sentence.

1. Every culture has its own myths that are passed on from generation to generation. 2. The two armies declared peace and the fighting stopped at once.

v A main clause or an independent clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence, but is a part of the sentence. Look at these clauses from the sentences above.

Every culture has its own myths. The two armies declared peace. The fighting stopped at once. In sentence no. 2, both clauses are independent clauses. A clause which does

not express a complete idea and depends on the main clause to complete its meaning is known as a subordinate or a dependent clause. Look at this clause from sentence no. 1. It is not a complete sentence.

that are passed on from generation to generation

H. Work in groups of three. Combine each set of sentences into one sentence.

1. Myths are very old stories. They have been passed down from generation to generation.

2. People saw something happening to the sun. It frightened them.

3. Wild dogs ate the sun. There was an eclipse.

4. Rahu’s head became immortal. His body died.

5. An invisible dragon ate the sun. The Chinese thought this.

Use Grammar I. Work with a partner. Match the two columns to make some well-known proverbs.

Underline the main clause in each proverb.

1. When the cat is away a. while the iron is hot.

2. Don’t count your chickens b. there is a way.

3. What can’t be cured c. the mice will play.

4. Strike d. before they are hatched.

5. Where there is a will e. must be endured.

Think of two more proverbs. Take turns to say the first half to the class and ask them to complete it. 11


Many years ago when today was just a dream, there lived a king called Vikram.

One day while hunting in the forest

with his men, he saw a huge wild boar. The king chased the beast deep into the forest, which then suddenly disappeared into the

thick undergrowth. The men, who had not been able to keep pace with King Vikram, looked high and low for him, but there was no sign of him.

King Vikram, who had ridden far into the forest, realized that he was lost. He rode on slowly till he came to a lake. There, he dismounted, watered his horse, and then sat down on the bank to rest. Looking around, he saw stone steps leading into the water. On the last step, sat a young man, sad-eyed and thin. His bones stuck out sharply and his eyes had sunk into his head and below them were dark hollows.

King Vikram went up to him and said, “Why do you look so unhappy, young man? Is there anything I can do for you?”

the thousand-petalled Lotus

King Vikram was a legendary king of ancient India. In stories, he is often portrayed as the ideal king and is known for his generosity, courage and justice. He also greatly respected and supported persons of learning. He appears in hundreds of traditional Indian legends, including those in Baital Pachisi (Vikram and Betal) and Singhasan Battisi. Some scholars say that King Vikram was not a real person because many stories about him are fantastic in nature.

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The young man looked out on the still waters, sighed and said, “Why should I burden you with my sorrows? You may just laugh at my plight. Do you think you are the good King Vikram who helps anyone in need?”

“I am King Vikram, and if you tell me what the matter is, I will help you.”

“If you are indeed King Vikram, I will tell you all,” the young man said. “My name is Ajit Deh and my father is King Jaswant Deh of Patan. Even as a child, I was drawn towards our sacred texts and I spent many hours in prayer. The luxurious life of the court held no charm for me.

One day I left the palace without telling anyone. I decided to go on a pilgrimage and visit the sacred shrines. After travelling for many days, I reached this lake. Tired and thirsty, I stopped to quench my thirst and rest awhile. As I lay under a banyan tree, I saw a lotus rise out of the waters. No other flower could match its beauty. It had a thousand petals in all the colours of Indra’s bow and its scent was sweeter than that of a jasmine. I came down these steps, and stretched out my hand to pluck it. But before my hand could touch the lotus, it sank back into the water. I, who desired nothing, was now consumed by the 13


need to get it. Every eight days, the lotus appeared on the surface of the water, but each time I tried to pluck it, it sank back into its watery home. I don’t know how many moons have come and gone. But I sit on these steps, hoping that the next time the lotus rises I will be able to pluck it.” The young prince fell silent and his haunted eyes turned back to the lake.

The king decided to stay by the lake and help the unhappy young man. A few days later, the lotus appeared and King Vikram too was struck by its unearthly beauty. With a prayer on his lips, he jumped into the lake. The waters sucked

him down and moments later, he found himself in a strange but beautiful city.

In the heart of the city was a towering palace. King Vikram went in and came to a secluded garden. There were wondrous flowers everywhere and the trees were heavy with fruit, the likes of which are never seen in this world. In the middle of the garden was a lake and on the placid waters, nodding and shimmering, were thousands of beautiful lotuses. King Vikram was about to pluck one when there was a loud cry. Guards rushed out of the palace with their swords drawn but the valiant king fought them all off.

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Then a beautiful lady appeared. “Who are you? And how have you come into my city where no mortal may enter?” she asked.

“I am King Vikram. I have sworn to offer my help to anyone who seeks it,” said the king. “Sitting on the stone steps that lead into your waters is a young prince who is enchanted with your lotuses. He will neither eat nor drink nor sleep until he possesses one. Please allow me to pluck one for him.”

“You may take as many as you wish, O King. Such kindness and bravery should not go unrewarded,” said the lady. “This palace and its wealth are yours. Come whenever you please.”

The lady then plucked a hundred blossoms and gave them to the king who thanked her and swam back to the surface. The prince was overjoyed when he saw the lotuses. “Here, take them,” said King Vikram, unloading the flowers into the boy’s lap. “They are all yours.” And then he

told the youth about the underwater palace and the fabulous garden.

The prince, instead of thanking King Vikram for the trouble he took, was filled with jealousy. “You were able to go down and see the beautiful lady and her garden only because I told you about the thousand-petalled lotus. The lady of the lake would never have offered you her wealth and her palace if it hadn’t been for me,” said the young prince sulkily.

“I need nothing from the lady of the lake or from you,” King Vikram said quietly. “I went into the lake because you were pining for the lotus. I brought up the flowers because you wanted one so badly. You can enter the underwater palace as I did. All you need is courage, determination and selflessness. Nothing is impossible for the brave.”

Saying this, King Vikram got onto his horse and rode away, leaving the humbled prince behind.

Meera Uberoi

Read and Write

A. Tick the most appropriate options.

1. King Vikram got lost a. when riding in the forest. b. while looking for someone to help. c. because he forgot his way. d. while chasing a wild boar. 2. King Vikram came to a lake and a. started looking for the wild boar. b. watered his horse. c. started talking to a young man. d. found his men waiting there. 15


3. We know King Vikram was famous for helping others because a. the young man at the lakeside said so. b. people spoke of his ability and desire to help others. c. he jumped into the pond. d. he had a lot of courage and could help others. 4. Inside the lake, King Vikram found a. a beautiful city. b. a beautiful lady. c. a garden with a lake of lotuses. d. all of the above. 5. Prince Ajit Deh became jealous of King Vikram because Vikram a. had seen such wonderful things inside the lake. b. had been given permission to enjoy the riches of the city. c. had got a hundred lotuses. d. was full of courage.

B. Complete the table. Write three words or phrases to describe the two characters.

King Vikram Prince Ajit Deh

C. Think about it. Discuss with your partner. Share your answers in class.

1. Many people say that a king like Vikram did exist, but perhaps many events in his life have been exaggerated. Do you think this particular story is an exaggeration? Why?/Why not?

2. Have you heard of any other stories of legendary kings like that of King Vikram? Share the stories in class.

D. Discuss in class.

1. Do you think legends and folktales help us in any way? 2. Why do you think every culture has its own hero stories?

Words in Use VOcAbULARy in cOntext

E. Find words from the passage that mean the same as the words given.

1. vegetation

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2. search everywhere 3. got off 4. heavy load 5. a difficult and sad situation 6. grand and comfortable 7. calm and peaceful 8. shining 9. owns 10. sullen, moody

F. Work in pairs. Take turns to make adjectives from these words.

Hint: Use the word with a noun, for example, a legend/a legendary city. 1. selflessness 7. wealth 2. determination 8. kindness 3. courage 9. bravery 4. sulkily 10. palace 5. jealousy 11. sorrow 6. bone 12. beast

cOMMA punctuation

G. Add capital letters and appropriate punctuation marks and rewrite this paragraph in your notebook.

merlin walked on humming tunelessly.

Where are we going? asked arthur.

Boy havent I taught you to cultivate patience merlin said arthur sighed and followed.

they walked on until they came to a narrow pass at its head stood a huge knight the visor of his

helmet hid his face so did arthurs own visor the knight didnt know the king stood before him

what are you doing here sir knight arthur asked politely

SiMpLe, cOMpOUnd & cOMpLex SentenceS Understand Grammar

H. Complete these sentences meaningfully.

1. Ajit Deh thought King Vikram was great and 2. Ajit Deh thought King Vikram was great but 3. Ajit Deh thought King Vikram was great yet 4. Ajit Deh thought King Vikram was great so 5. Ajit Deh thought King Vikram was great therefore 17


v A sentence with just one independent clause is called a simple sentence. King Vikram was a legendary king.

v A sentence with two independent clauses joined with a conjunction is called a compound sentence. Coordinating conjunctions such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so usually join compound sentences.

The king’s men looked high and low for King Vikram,but there was no sign of him.

Both these clauses can be read as complete sentences. v A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses

joined with a conjunction is called a complex sentence. Subordinating conjunctions such as that, which, who, when, unless, though, before, after, as, if, since, because and although join a subordinate clause and a main clause.

While hunting in the forest with his men, he saw a huge wild boar. While hunting in the forest with his men is not a complete sentence. till he fought his last battle is not a complete sentence.

Use Grammar I. Complete these sentences with the correct conjunctions from the brackets.

1. King Vikram watered his horse then sat down on the bank to rest. King Vikram watered his horse, he sat down on the bank to rest. (and / after) 2. I stretched out my hand the lotus sank back into the water. The lotus sank back into the water I could pluck it. (before / but) 3. He will not sleep he possesses one. He must possess one he will not sleep. (or / until) 4. King Vikram got the boy the lotus, he was sulky. King Vikram got the boy the lotus he was sulky. (although / but)

J. In about 200 words, write a story that begins with this sentence.

No one but the little girl knew the secret.

You can write a folktale, a myth or a modern story.

Hint: What was the secret? Whose secret was it? How did the little girl come to know the secret? Did she tell anyone? What happened in the end?

Writing story

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Listening* A. Listen to your teacher read a story about King Vikramaditya and the magic chalk.

Tick the most appropriate options.

1. King Vikramaditya’s black marble throne was famous because a. it was broad and splendid. b. it helped him make wise judgements. c. it had carved figures. 2. King Vikramaditya sat on the throne and looked at a. the trees filled with red blossoms. b. the two hermits. c. the figures carved on the throne. 3. The kingdom suffered because a. the hermits left the kingdom. b. the king drew pictures. c. the king was absorbed in his pictures and stopped governing. 4. ‘All returned to normal in the kingdom’ means a. everything became all right. b. the king started paying attention to the kingdom. c. he lost his chalk and was as before.

SpeakingTALK IN A GRoUP B. Think about it. Discuss in your group.

1. What would you do if you get a chalk like King Vikramaditya had? 2. List some of the things in modern life that seem to have the same effects on us as the chalk

did on King Vikramaditya.

TALK To THE CLASS C. Do you think modern entertainment and communication gadgets like televisions, mobile

phones and computers are good or bad for the society? Discuss with your partner and then present your views to the class. You may talk about

v effect of these gadgets on families or among friends. v increasing awareness and knowledge. v addiction to certain kinds of entertainment. v effect on a person – creativity, ability to think and values.

*Listening text for the teacher on page 155

for Listening & Speaking

enRicHMent ActiVitieS

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TALK To YoUR PARTNER D. Look at these pictures. Which of these do you think are illustrations of a myth or legend?

What makes you think so? Choose any picture and describe it to your partner. Ask them to guess what the picture is about.

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If I were Lord of Tartary,Myself and me alone, My bed should be of ivory, Of beaten gold my throne; And in my court should peacocks flaunt, And in my forests tigers haunt, And in my pools great fishes slant Their fins athwart the sun.

If I were Lord of Tartary, Trumpeters every day To every meal would summon me. And in my courtyard bray;And in the evening lamps would shine, Yellow as honey, red as wine, While harp, and flute, and mandoline, Made music sweet and gay.

If I were Lord of Tartary.I'd wear a robe of beads, White and gold, and green they'd be-And clustered thick as seeds; And ere should wane the morning star,I'd don my robe and scimitar,And zebras seven should draw my carThrough Tartary’s dark glades.Lord of the fruits of Tartary,

tartary

Tartary is the historical name of a region of indefinite extent in east Europe and Central Asia. The name brings to mind a fabulous space of legendary monarchs. In this poem, Tartary seems to be a land of dreams and happiness.

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peacocks flaunt peacocks show off their beauty to everyone athwart the sun the fins of the fish are shining in sunlight mandoline old spelling of mandolin, a musical instrument ere should wane very early in the morning the morning star

don my robe to put on clothes scimitar a short curved sword glades forests


Her rivers silver-pale! Lord of the hills of Tartary, Glen, thicket, wood, and dale! Her flashing stars, her scented breeze, Her trembling lakes, like foamless seas,Her bird-delighting citron treesIn every purple vale! Walter de la Mare

enjoy the poem A. Tick the most appropriate options.

1. In the poem, the poet is talking about a. an imaginary land. c. a dream world. b. a place in Asia. d. a place he has been to. 2. The land of Tartary has a. a rich palace. c. silver rivers. b. forests full of tigers. d. ivory-filled caves. 3. As the king of Tartary, the poet would have a. an ivory bed. c. silk robes. b. a golden throne. d. a sword.

B. Which adjectives are used in the poem to describe these?

1. stars 5. seas

2. breeze 6. lamps

3. lakes 7. rivers

4. beads 8. glades

C. Work in groups of four. Recite the poem. Can you hear the music created by the rhythm, repeated sounds and rhymes? Identify such words/sounds and discuss in your groups.

D. Complete this poem using words of your own.

If I were Lord of , And in my , Myself and me alone, And in my , My bed should be , And in my , Of my throne; 22

glen a deep narrow valley thicket bushes or small trees growing closely together dale a valley vale a valley


enrichment Activities

A. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words given in brackets.

The (craft) Sheriff of Nottingham was always (hatch) plans

to trap Robin Hood. However, he had not been (success). “One day,” he said

to himself, “I’ll hold a grand shooting (champion). Then maybe I’ll be able to

catch him.”

The sheriff made an (announce) of a great (attract) at

the (compete). He was certain the (courage) Robin Hood

would not be able to resist the beautiful prize he had got made. When Robin Hood came to

take part in the shooting tournament, the Sheriff hoped to be ready with his men to arrest

him and put him in the (dark) prison in the (king).

The day of the event (dawn) bright and clear. The marketplace was

(crowd). There were beautiful (decorate) of flags and

buntings. The crowd wandered around the (noise) market enjoying the

sunny day. Soon it was time for the (import) shooting match.

Every (avail) seat in the shooting range was taken. The sheriff strutted in

with his noisy (company). He brought with him the prize, a golden arrow.

As he sat down, he looked around for Robin Hood among the large (gather).

The tournament started and yet the slippery Robin Hood hadn’t made an

(appear). Soon it was the last round. The Sheriff was not happy.

Exchange the task with your partner. Check if you got all the words correct.

B. Tick the appropriate options. Some questions may have more than one answer.

1. Which of these does not help to define a legend? a. hero c. an old story b. animal d. mountain 2. When you dismount, you a. climb up. c. climb down. b. end a mountaineering expedition. d. remove pictures from a frame. 3. Which is an example of being consumed by? a. telling someone to get something for you b. longing for a car so much you cannot think of anything else c. over-eating d. pining for a friend 4. Which of these are you most likely to contemplate? a. an action c. a scene b. a sudden case of flu d. your eyesight

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C. Imagine you are a reporter of The Himmatpur Times. Write a report in about 120 words about a local legend you have heard of recently.

Include:

v the character v details of the story

v where did the story take place v the recollections of the people

D. Look at these pictures carefully. For each picture, write a phrase and sentence with a main clause and dependent clause. Follow the examples to construct sentences.

1. the tall and majestic Himalayas

When I get a chance, I would love to climb the tall and majestic Himalayas.

Listening* E. First Reading: Listen to the earthquake myths that your teacher reads out.

Second Reading: Listen again carefully and write True or False for these statements.

1. In Indian mythology, four elephants standing on a turtle holds the earth. 2. Only when the snake moves, earthquakes occur. 3. Siberian people believe that the god, Tuli, carries the earth on a dog sled. 4. Namazu is the name of a giant frog. 5. The Japanese believe that god Kashima controls the fish that carries the

islands on its back.

*Listening text for the teacher on page 15524


A SURVey More to do A survey is a method of gathering information from a group of individuals. The purpose is

usually to find out about people’s opinions or understanding of certain matters.

F. Work in groups of three. Read the results of a survey conducted about where students got their knowledge of mythological stories.

40% – heard mythological stories and legends from their grandparents 12% – read them in comic books 13% – read them in story books 35% – saw the stories on TV or movies Where did most students hear old, traditional stories? Do a quick survey of your group

and a group next to you to find out if the results of this survey is true for you as well.

MAkinG deciSiOn Life Skills

G. Read the following argument between two students of Class 8.

STUDENT A: I think stories from myths or legends are untrue. They are just stories made up by ancient

people because their science was not developed.

STUDENT B: Myths are made-up stories that explain the existence of a natural phenomenon and often

include gods and other supernatural characters who make extraordinary things happen.

They are popular even when people know the actual reasons for the natural phenomenon.

STUDENT A: I believe myths have lost their significance in the modern age.

STUDENT B: When we read traditional stories from around the world, we find that the things we value

most highly, fear most deeply, and hope for most ardently are valued, feared and hoped for

by all people. This makes us think about ourselves and our beliefs.

Discuss the conversation with your partner. Whose argument would you agree with? Why?

Values

H. What would you do in the following situations? Tick your choices. values

1. You wish to buy a book on mythology but it is very expensive. You will

a. ask your parents to borrow money from someone.

b. look for it in the library.

c. think of another book that is not so expensive. 2. Your younger sibling claims that she/he sees two small bright lights moving about in the dark

every night and you know that those lights are your dog’s eyes that shine in the dark. You will

a. frighten her/him more by saying that a spirit is chasing her/him.

b. explain to her/him that some animals’ eyes shine at night.

c. ignore her/him. 25


Art and culture2Get Set!

Work in groups of three. Look at the pictures. Talk about them. What is the context or situation in each? Do you recognize any of the performers? Which artist would you choose to listen to? Why?

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Fresh from the book launch of Ijlal Majeed’s stunning new poetry collection in Bhopal, I find myself gazing at the rock shelters of Bhimbetka and murmuring his verses over and over again. For indeed, there is something sublime about this place. Looking at the ochre and fire-engine red paintings drawn by human hands several thousand years ago, spotting a buffalo or a deer, seeing how our earliest ancestors fought, sang and played, makes Bhimbetka a singularly unusual place.

An archaeologist, Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar, chanced upon these rock shelters in 1957 while travelling by train to Bhopal. Hidden in a dense, almost impenetrable forest inhabited by wild animals, these shelters had long found mention in the popular culture of the Adivasis. During the Buddhist era, some stupas were built in the vicinity and the region became associated with Buddhist lore. The name Bhimbetka,

however, is associated with Bhima, the warrior-prince from the Mahabharata known for his immense strength. The word ‘Bhimbetka’ is said to be derived from Bhimbaithka, meaning the baithak (a sit-down or seat) of Bhima. Wakankar’s serendipitous discovery brought the 700-odd rock shelters – spread over 10 km, and the stunning paintings in red or white with the occasional flash of yellow or green – to world attention, causing UNESCO to declare them a World Heritage Site in 1970.

Situated 45 km from Bhopal, at the southern edge of the low-lying Vindhyachal hills, these rock shelters are made of

Art Rocks!

This travelogue is about Bhimbetka, the pre-historic rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh where early humans painted scenes from their life and their world. Bhimbetka, as the author realizes, is an awe-inspiring gallery displaying art that dates from the Palaeolithic (the early Stone Age) to the Medieval (the middle ages), all on one stony canvas. We find records of life starting from the period when people were hunter-gatherers to the time when iron technology had become quite significant. A study of these paintings gives us an insight into the activities of prehistoric people, their clothing, the animals they had, and numerous other facets of their daily life.

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sublime uplifting, inspiring chanced upon found by chance, quite unexpectedly vicinity neighbourhoodBuddhist lore traditional stories from Buddhism serendipitous by a happy coincidence


massive sandstone rocks balanced on each other to form natural shelters from the sun, wind and rain. On the smooth underside of the rock faces, we find painted scenes from an ancient past showing the earliest traces of human life in India. Scientists believe that these rock shelters, deep in the forested heart of the Indian sub-continent, were inhabited by hominids more than 100,000 years ago. The rock paintings found here are approximately 30,000 years old, belonging to the Palaeolithic Age. A cluster of rock shelters is called the ‘Zoo’. Painted at different times from the Mesolithic to the medieval ages, it shows a profusion of animals and birds in the most vivid colours and lifelike forms. Boars, elephants, rhinoceros, barasingha, spotted deer, cattle and snakes account for its well-

deserved name. Elsewhere, scenes depicting hunting,

fishing and food-gathering as well as communal dances, the use of musical instruments, birth, funerals and burials make these rock surfaces come alive with a thousand stories. Recognizable animal figures appear in many scenes as do humans – both single and in groups – thus indicating that society had already emerged in the Palaeolithic period. The Mesolithic Age that began around 8,000 years BCE was the time when traditions and religious beliefs based on nature and ecology began to take shape. The Bhimbetka paintings bear witness to how a great civilization came into being, how its foundations were laid in crude line drawings and how later generations filled these outlines with colour, detail, a sharp eye and a lively imagination.

People belonging to different evolutionary time groups used the same

hominids early humans


rock surfaces as their canvas; thus multiple scenes are either superimposed or drawn alongside. The oldest and most muted – and comparatively ‘cruder’ paintings – are usually closer to the rock base. As the eye travels upwards the scenes are remarkable for their detailing: a spotted deer, a gaily decorated horse, a man carrying a plumed hand-held insignia similar to the ones still used by Adivasi dancers, horse-borne riders carrying blunt stone instruments and then, progressively, bows and arrows, and massed figures engaged in battle.

Overwhelmed by the tableaux set out before our eyes, our small party of three sought a quiet corner to take in the enormity of human evolution displayed almost chronologically before us. We were happy when we found a ledge at the far corner of ‘View Point’. Propped up against a smooth rock-face, we sat in companionable silence gazing at the

patchwork quilt spread out by nature. The setting sun was turning the fields of mustard to molten gold, the tender green of unripe wheat alternated with the darker olive of stately Sal trees, and the earth and sky seemed to meet in perfect harmony on the distant horizon.

Just as we were visualizing how utterly magical the view from ‘our’ ledge would be during the rains and making plans to come again during the monsoon, the stillness was snapped in the rudest manner possible. The Great Indian Tourist arrived unbidden and, like the proverbial bull in a china shop, proceeded to have a long and loud conversation on his cellphone, thus

insignia a badge or emblem showing membership or rank in an organization

massed figures many people tableaux figures representing scenes from

a story or history chronologically in the order in which they happened


1 myths and legends · 2020. 4. 4. · the vikings saw a pair of sky wolves chasing the sun or the...

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