NEGLECTED MYTHICAL EPICS

Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with my examinations of obscure pantheons of gods. I’ve also covered several neglected epic myths from around the world. Here’s a guide to the ones I’ve covered:

AIWEL LONGAR

Pantheon: Dinka

Central Figure: Aiwel Longar

Synopsis: Aiwel Longar was the son of the Nile River god and was set adrift as a gift for the childless woman who found him. The young godling displays his divine nature from childhood onward and many years later when various plagues strike the land Aiwel Longar leads his faithful followers to a new promised land where they can live but which he is forbidden to enter. A miraculous crossing of the Nile is also featured in this ancient epic with a broad influence.  

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2013/08/13/mythology-the-epic-of-aiwel-longar/

A WAR BETWEEN GODS

Pantheon: Vietnamese

Central Figures: The jungle and mountain god Tan Vien and Thuy Tinh, the god of the monsoon rains.

Synopsis: While on a safari with the semi-divine emperor Hung Vuong XVIII, Tan Vien saves the life of the rain deity Thuy Tinh. Thuy Tinh’s father, the sea god Long Vuong, welcomes Tan Vien to his undersea kingdom to thank him. Thuy Tinh and Tan Vien’s friendship grows as the jungle and mountain god is feasted and celebrated for weeks before being sent home with various supernatural gifts from the god of the sea.

When Hung Vuong XVIII’s daughter Mi Nuong is offered up to be courted Tan Vien and Thuy Tinh best all of the mortal suitors competing for her hand. Next follows a tragic conflict between the two deities, a conflict with long-lasting consequences. 

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/vietnamese-myth-2/

CYPRIA

Pantheon: Greek

Central Figures: Paris, Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Nestor

Synopsis: One of the epics which preceded The Iliad and The Odyssey in the Epic Cycle. Many events take place in this tale which people often mistakenly think happened within the body of The Iliad itself.

Some of those events: The marriage feast of Peleus, which Eris, the goddess of Discord was not invited to … Eris’ subsequent casting of the golden apple marked “For the Fairest” into the midst of the celebrating gods and mortals … the resulting Judgment of Paris which leads to him making off with Menelaus’ wife Helen … the assembly of Greek forces to storm Troy to recover Helen … the departure of the Thousand Ships launched by Helen’s face … and the initial battle outside the walls of Troy where the Greeks seize a beachhead.    

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2014/01/18/cypria-the-ancient-greek-epic-myth/

THE ANAYE

Pantheon: Navajo

Central Figure: Nayanazgeni the god of war.

Synopsis: The Anaye were the Dark Gods who were terrorizing various areas in what is now the Continental United States. Nayanazgeni, the god of war, sets out on a quest to reach the Pacific Ocean home of his father, the sun god Tsohanoai, who will be able to give him weapons to help kill the Anaye.

After surviving a perilous journey to his father’s home the war god must survive additional trials to prove to Tsohanoai that he really is his son. That taken care of the sun god bestows divine weapons on Nayanazgeni and sends him forth to destroy the Anaye in their scattered locations around the continent.   

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/navajo-myth-clear/

AETHIOPIS

Pantheon: Greek

Central Figures: Achilles and Memnon  

Synopsis: Just as Cypria came just before The Iliad in the Epic Cycle Aethiopis came just after The Iliad. Just after the funeral of Hector which ended the preceding epic Queen Penthesilea arrives with her Amazons to fight on the side of the besieged Trojans. Achilles slays the queen in battle then posthumously decides he’s in love with her and is outraged when Thersites and his cousin Diomedes mutilate her corpse.

Once again Achilles runs off to sulk and during his absence the Trojans gain new allies – the Ethiopians led by King Memnon. Memnon wore a suit of indestructible armor forged by the god Hephaestus and led his army against the Greeks over and over again. After the Ethiopian king kills Nestor’s son Antiochus Achilles and Memnon meet in single combat. Zeus enlarges both men to giant size so the assembled armies can watch the battle. In the chaotic aftermath of the clash Achilles meets his own fate.  

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2014/01/25/aethiopis-the-ancient-greek-epic/

HODADEION

Pantheon: Iroquois

Central Figure: Hodadeion the god of magic

Synopsis: Hodadeion leaves his siblings the wampum god and the cherry tree goddess and sets forth to find the cannibalistic wizards who are depopulating the lands of the Iroquois by feeding on village after village.

Along the way the god of magic encounters many supernatural threats which require mastery of all manner of light and dark life force (“Orenda” and “Otgon” respectively ) to overcome. Hodadeion also encounters a few fellow deities in his long, drawn-out quest.

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE:  https://glitternight.com/2013/03/17/iroquois-epic-myth-hodadeion/

FOR SIMILAR ARTICLES AND MORE OF THE TOP LISTS FRO  BALLADEER’S BLOG CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/top-lists/

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