What are your favorite myths?

[SpiritMan]

Give us the long and/or the short of your favorite mythological story... If you have more than one - post again when the inclination hits you!

(Write it as you know it - and please refrain from correcting others if your version varies. It's all in the interest of interest....)

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I've been obsessed with Hanuman lately - the Hindu monkey (monkey-faced) god. I was reading the tale of how once Lord Rama befriended him whilst being exiled in the forest, Hanuman helped him rescue his stolen bride the goddess Sita from the demon Ravana.

Hanuman found Sita in Ravana's city of Lanka, (on the island of Sri Lanka acrossed the sea). After comforting her that her rescue was eminent, he flew back acrossed the ocean to tell his Lord Rama of his discovery.

Commanding an army of monkeys, Hanuman built an enormous bridge spanning the ocean and assaulted the city with his army. He fought with valor and killed many of Ravana's demons, and when Ravana ordered his monkey tail set on fire, Hanuman used it's flame to set the whole of the city ablaze.

Sita was rescued - but the victim of a deadly curse. She was to die if a specific herb could not be given to her as an antidote before daylight... The herb could only be found on a sacred mountain many miles away. In desperate service to his Lord Rama, Hanuman flew fleetly to that mountain top - but alas he could not identify the special herb once he got there. In his frustration, Hanuman picked up the entire mountain, lifting it high into the sky as he returned to Rama and Sita with it in his hands.

To add to his treachery, Ravana had worked magic to make the sun arrive early this night to ensure Sita's death. Sita had not been cured yet, and the sun threatened to show on the horizon. Hanuman rose up and caught the reins of the chariot of the sun, holding them fast and forbidding it (the sun) to rise until the herb could be given to save Rama's bride.

**Much of the myth surrounding Hanuman speaks of great strength, great wisdom, courage and most of all great devotion.

[NefertSatSekhmet]

[QUOTE=SpiritMan;3578116]
I've been obsessed with Hanuman lately - the Hindu monkey (monkey-faced) god. I was reading the tale of how once Lord Rama befriended him whilst being exiled in the forest, Hanuman helped him rescue his stolen bride the goddess Sita from the demon Ravana.

QUOTE]

Bhajalo Ji Hanuman, Mahavira bhaja Rama
Shri Rama Ram, Bhajalo Ji Hanuman

Sita Rama Sita Rama
Jai Jai Sita Rama

[Jezibaba]

Gosh I hope I do this right...the myth is the Finnish creation tale, the story of the Air Virgin/Mother of Water. So, as I remember it:

In the beginning, before the world was fully formed, there was a castle in the sky. The castle belonged to the Air King, and his daughter, the Air Virgin, used to spend her days looking down at the clouds and wondering what was beyond them. One day while she was looking out of a window, she fell out of the castle. She called for help as she fell, but no one could help her. She fell down through the sky and the clouds, and during the time she was falling, primal energies surrounded her and she became pregnant. As she continued falling she was caught by the air and drifted gently down to the surface, which was the sea. There she stayed, floating for years upon years, twisting and turning and nurturing the life that was inside of her. There she stayed, until one day she saw a bird, and the bird, in return, saw her. The bird recognized her as a safe place to lay her eggs, and the woman understood the bird's need for a safe place to nest, and so when the bird rested on her knee and lay her eggs, she remained particularly still, so as to not disturb the eggs. So they floated together, and as the bird nested the eggs grew hotter and hotter, until the giantess could no longer bear the heat of them. As she thrashed in agony from the heat, the eggs fell and shattered, and the mother bird flew away. Shocked as she was, but sad over having moved, she picked up the fragments of eggshell and yolk and created earth, sun, moon, and stars. After having done this, still she floated upon the waters, until at last she felt the pangs of childbirth come upon her. Eventually, and after some struggle, she gave birth to a fully grown man. Already a sage and wizard, he was the first man. As this man traveled, he gave names to all of the plants and animals he came across, and as he did so, he was watched by his Mother, who was still floating in the water.

That's as well as I remember it, I forgot the son's name and probably some parts but I hope you like my version ^_^!