Mankind has long been a fan of telling stories. From the cave paintings scrawled by the earliest humans to the long-winded tales spun by friends over a meal, the desire to weave stories is strong in people. Naturally, this has led to some fantastic epics being told throughout history. Some of the oldest stories articulated around the world are still repeated today because of how the themes of each resonate within people from generation to generation. Though shared in different corners of the globe, these tales tend to have a number of common details.
These stories are some of the most popular myths from around the planet. Learn more about each to discover what makes certain stories worth repeating.
The Start of the Trojan War
Few civilizations boast as many varied texts as the Ancient Greeks. From philosophy to battle strategies to poetry, Greek society is known for writing and ideas. The events surrounding the Trojan War have been a popular topic to write about since the city of Troy fell. Though the war itself is said to have been an actual historical event, most of the stories about it focus on the heroes, gods, and creatures involved. The myth of how the war began centers around jealousy and competition.
According to myth, the goddess of discord was annoyed that she wasn’t invited to an important wedding with the other gods. As revenge, she incited a competition among goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The goddess deemed the most beautiful would receive a golden apple. Unfortunately, none of the gods wanted to judge the contest out of fear of upsetting the goddesses. The trio journeyed to Troy and requested the aid of Paris, the city’s prince. Paris selected Aphrodite as the most beautiful, causing the other goddesses to spurn Troy and bring about the Trojan War.
How Fish Were Made
A very interesting story on the origins of aquatic life comes from the Inuit tribes. According to legend, there once was a woman named Sedna who had a father who wanted to marry her off. Though she had many suitors, she did not find any worthy of her time. One day, a bird came to her and promised her a luxurious life if she were to marry him. With her father’s consent, she married the bird and realized she had been tricked. The bird lived in squalor, and Sedna was trapped in an unhappy arrangement.
Sedna returned to her father and asked for help. Her father helped her escape her husband by boat, but the two were set upon by angry birds during their journey. Fearing for his own life, Sedna’s father threw his daughter into the sea. As she tried to get back into the boat, he cut away at her fingers, hands, and arms. These cut appendages transformed into fish, whales, and other beasts of the sea.
The Ballad of Life and Death
In Japanese lore there is a primal couple known as Izanagi, the man, and Izanami, the woman. Upon the death of Izanami, Izanagi decided to follow her into the underworld to bring her back to the land of the living. Since she had eaten of the fruit of the underworld, she was unable to return with Izanagi. Worse still, her body had decomposed and was infested with maggots, causing her former lover to be repulsed by her. He sealed her into the underworld with a boulder, and Izanami swore revenge on all life.
The stories told from generation to generation around the world tell a lot about the human spirit and the depths of imagination. Though some stories may fade as time moves forward, those most important will always find a way to survive in one form or another.