Post on 18-Jan-2016
LegendsLegends
Lost city of Atlantis
Legend?
King Arthur
Legend?
Robin Hood
Legend?
Paul Bunyan
LegendsLegends•Folktales•Help explain the past
•Passed down from generation to generation
•Folktales•Help explain the past
•Passed down from generation to generation
A Chinese Legend
A Chinese Legend
Explains the Beginning of
China
Explains the Beginning of
China
Huangshan (the Yellow Mountains)
China’s Beginnings
China’s Beginnings
Egg cracked Created sky and earth
Egg cracked Created sky and earth
P’an GuP’an GuCame from eggFirst manGrew for 18,000 yearsdied
Came from eggFirst manGrew for 18,000 yearsdied
P’an Gu’s Body Becomes…
P’an Gu’s Body Becomes…
Head split – sun and moonBlood – rivers and seasHair – forests and meadowsPerspiration – rainBreath – windVoice - thunder
Head split – sun and moonBlood – rivers and seasHair – forests and meadowsPerspiration – rainBreath – windVoice - thunder
An African Legend
An African Legend
Explains why the sun shines more
brightly than the moon
Explains why the sun shines more
brightly than the moon
Sun vs Moon
Sun vs MoonGod created Moon
(bigger and brighter) and SunSun became jealous and attacked moonSun begged for mercySun attacked again & threw Moon into the mudMoon now was not as bright
God created Moon (bigger and brighter) and SunSun became jealous and attacked moonSun begged for mercySun attacked again & threw Moon into the mudMoon now was not as bright
God steps in….
God steps in….
• Sun brighter and shines during the day for kings and workers
• Moon shines only at night for thieves and witches
• Sun brighter and shines during the day for kings and workers
• Moon shines only at night for thieves and witches
A Rumanian
Legend
A Rumanian
Legend
Explains the creation of
mountains and valleys
Explains the creation of
mountains and valleys
God made the heavens
God made the heavens• He use a ball of
thread to measure the heavens
• Began creating earth beneath them
• Mole offered to help
• He use a ball of thread to measure the heavens
• Began creating earth beneath them
• Mole offered to help
Mole helps….
Mole helps….• Mole held the
thread while God wove and shaped the earth
• Mole let out too much thread so earth was too big to fit under the heavens
• Mole was afraid and buried himself
• Mole held the thread while God wove and shaped the earth
• Mole let out too much thread so earth was too big to fit under the heavens
• Mole was afraid and buried himself
Help from Bee
Help from Bee
• God sent Bee to ask Mole to find out what should be done
• Mole did not answer
• So Bee had a plan…..
• God sent Bee to ask Mole to find out what should be done
• Mole did not answer
• So Bee had a plan…..
Bee’s PlanBee’s Plan
• Bee hid in flowers to overhear Mole (as he would often talk out loud to himself)
• Bee heard Mole say to push mountains up and valleys in
• Bee flew away to tell God
• Bee hid in flowers to overhear Mole (as he would often talk out loud to himself)
• Bee heard Mole say to push mountains up and valleys in
• Bee flew away to tell God
Curse turned to Blessing….
Curse turned to Blessing….
• Mole heard Bee fly away and cursed Bee (Feed on yourself)
• God turned Mole’s curse into a blessing: Bees make honey
• Mole lives underground and is afraid to come out
• Mole heard Bee fly away and cursed Bee (Feed on yourself)
• God turned Mole’s curse into a blessing: Bees make honey
• Mole lives underground and is afraid to come out
Legends explain:Legends explain:Creation
DeedsStarsWhy maple trees have red leavesGeographic featuresMany more
CreationDeedsStarsWhy maple trees have red leavesGeographic featuresMany more
Learning About the Past
Learning About the Past
• Writing developed more than 5,000 years ago
• Laws, poems, speeches, battle plans, letters, contracts
• Legends were then written down
• Many were thought to be fact• Archeologists and
anthropologists work together to find the truth about legends
• Writing developed more than 5,000 years ago
• Laws, poems, speeches, battle plans, letters, contracts
• Legends were then written down
• Many were thought to be fact• Archeologists and
anthropologists work together to find the truth about legends