ANCIENT TALES
FROM MANY LANDS
PLATE I
MAUI : THE POLYNESIAN CULTURE HERO
Carved Wooden Image in the Museum, University College
of Wales, Aberystwyth
ANCIENT TALES
FROM MANY LANDS
A COLLECTION OF FOLK STORIES
BY
R. M. FLEMING
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
H. J. FLEURE, D.Sc.
PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF WALES, ABERYSTWYTH
NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Printed in Great Britain
ty Turnbulllf Spears, Edinburgh
PREFACE
BEFORE Miss Fleming became known for her work on
behalf of the Geographical Association, she had attained
a reputation among teachers for her wide reading of
folk traditions, and her skill in using folk tales for teach-
ing children social geography and history. By reading
the tales in the original in several languages, and in
literal translations by native writers in most others,
Miss Fleming has tried to get at the spirit of the tales,
and her scientific spirit is well shown in the choice
of illustrations for this book. Teachers will welcome
illustrations that are in the spirit of tradition, and the
children who read the book will be even more pleased
by them. Interpretations are suggested, and comments
added, from the point of view of the researcher, and
Miss Fleming's high standard has recently been brought
out by her valued contributions to both the Geographical
and the Anthropological Sections of the British Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Science at Edinburgh,
1921. There is thus behind the present book, in spite
of its simplicity of form and directness of appeal, a long
course of reading and thought, a weight of learning,
and an almost unique successful teaching experience, a
combination rare enough to give the book a special
interest.
The progress of research has shown of late how much
truth there is behind what were supposed to be fanciful
Greek tales, and we are ever learning new meanings
5
2039931
6 ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
behind the Hebrew traditions. It is almost certain that
research will bring out, in similar fashion, points of value
in British tradition, which have been too long neglected,
largely because of a faulty view of history. It has been
too lightly assumed that the " Anglo-Saxons " cleared
out the earlier peoples of Britain, or chased them into
Wales, and so traditions of pre-English Britain have been
considered " alien " by English-speaking people. This
view is being corrected by fuller knowledge, and so our
older traditions claim fresh study, and it is important
to try, as this book does, to spread a proper grasp of the
interpretation of tradition.
The authoress is right in endeavouring to draw geog-
raphy and history nearer to one another, and to encourage
the teaching of both together, provided the teacher
deals with social geography and social history on a
world basis rather than a national one. By right use of
folk tale, as suggested in this book, notions of chronology
can be given a reality and a value difficult to attain other-
wise, and the pupil can be led to appreciate on the one
hand the common humanity of the world's peoples, and
on the other the diversities of their long struggles with
differing environments. We have here a channel of
approach to the study of humanity freed from the blight-
ing influence of the idea of the State as power ; we are
led to see men facing differing problems, and moulding
themselves differently according to the solutions found
or attempted. The spread of thought and teaching on
such lines would not only influence greatly the breadth
of education and the outlook of future citizens, it would
also help not a little towards diminishing foolish and
ignorant prejudices which now divide the world's
peoples. To do this is to promote mutual under-
standing and appreciation based upon a rich foundation
PREFACE 7
of knowledge, and that is the central aim of the authoress'
work in this and in allied fields.
The teacher will find the special chapters written for
him of great value, as they come from a school teacher
of long experience, and not from a professorial or an
arm-chair critic of the schools, and indeed the mind of
the teacher is strongly in evidence, alongside of that of
the careful student, throughout this book, which should
spread far and wide amongst the schools of the country,
as well as among those who try to interpret tradition,
and who will no doubt welcome it cordially.
H. J. FLEURE
January 1922
FOREWORD
FOR the suggestion which led to the collection of these
tales, and for anything in the book which is of any value,
I am indebted to Dr H. J. Fleure, Professor of Geog-
raphy and Anthropology, University College of Wales,
Aberystwyth, and I am happy to have this opportunity
of recording my gratitude to him. I should also like
to thank Mr J. D. Williams, Librarian to the University
College of Wales, Aberystwyth, for much valuable
help in the matter of getting the necessary books. Mr
Harold J. E. Peake, Honorary Curator of the Museum,
Newbury, and Dr A. C. Haddon, F.R.S., Reader in
Ethnography, Cambridge, gave me much valuable help
and criticism.
My very grateful thanks are due to Mr E. N. Fallaize,
Honorary Secretary of the Royal Anthropological
Institute, for help in choosing and collecting the
above illustrations ; and to the Council of the Royal
Anthropological Institute for permission to reproduce
Plate II. from the Journal of the Royal Anthropological
Institute, and Plate III. from Man ; to the Director
and Trustees of the British Museum for Plate VIII.
from the Guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian
Antiquities in the British Museum, and Plate VI. from
Excavations at Ephesus : The Archaic Artemisia, as
well as for permission to figure Plates VIII. and VII.
from the collections of the Ethnographical and the
Prints Departments respectively. In connection with
the last named, I have to thank Mr T. Athol Joyce, of
io ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
the Ethnographical Department, and Mr Lawrence
Binyon, of the Prints Department, for their kind assist-
ance. I am indebted to the Committee of the British
School at Athens for permission to reproduce Plate IV.
from Vol. IX., Plate 3 of the Report of the British
School at Athens, and to the Honorary Curator of the
Museum, Univ. Coll. Wales, Aberystwyth, for Plate I.
R. M. FLEMING
January 1922
CONTENTS
PACK
PRINCE FIRE-SHINE AND PRINCE FIRE-SUBSIDE. A JAPANESE
STORY ......... 15
THE LEGEND OF MAUI. A POLYNESIAN MYTH ... 20
A BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE CREATION .... 26
MOTHER ISHTAR. AN ASSYRIAN STORY OF HOW LOVE WAS
LOST . . . . . . . . . 31
A NEW ZEALAND STORY . . . . . . . 35
PWANKU. A CHINESE STORY . . . . . . 39
A HINDU STORY OF THE CREATION . . . . . 41
How GANGES CAME TO EARTH. A HINDU STORY 44
A WEST AFRICAN STORY OF THE CREATION . . . 46
THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE STARS. ANOTHER WEST
AFRICAN STORY ........ 49
AN ICELANDIC STORY . . . . . . . . 53
A STORY FROM EGYPT . . . . . . . 57
WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE FOR EVER. AN AMERICAN-INDIAN
STORY . . . . . . . ; 60
THE COMING OF FLINT AND OF TUINA. A NORTH AMERICAN
STORY ......... 65
How DEATH CAME INTO THE WORLD. A HINDU STORY . 70
THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN. A HINDU STORY . . 72
THE LEGEND OF THE POSSESSED PRINCESS. AN EGYPTIAN
STORY ......... 76
II
FAGB
12 ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
AN UNFORTUNATE MAIDEN. A GREEK STORY ... 80
THE DANCE OF THE GIANTS. A BRITISH STORY ... 84
DIARMUID AND GRAINNE. AN IRISH STORY ....
THE LADY OF LLYN Y FAN FACH. A WELSH STORY . . 95
SANEHAT. AN EGYPTIAN STORY ...... 99
GUDEA, PATESI OF LAGASH. A STORY FROM BABYLONIA . 104
THE SONS OF PANDU. A HINDU STORY . . . . no
DEUCALION AND PYRRHA. A GREEK STORY . . . .120
THE STORY OF Yu FROM THE SHU KING. A CHINESE STORY 124
HAMMURABI, KING OF BABYLON . . . . . .129
CHANGKAT RAMBIAN. A MALAY STORY . . . .134
NUADHAT OF THE SlLVER HAND AND BALOR OF THE MlGHTY
BLOWS. AN IRISH STORY . . . . . .138
SHAU KANG. A CHINESE STORY . . . . . .142
CHOWSIN AND THE WARLIKE PRINCE. A CHINESE SIORY . 144
RAMA AND SITA. A STORY OF CEYLON . . . .149
THE LAKE DWELLERS. A Swiss STORY . . . 155
APPENDICES : THE USE OF TRADITIONAL STORIES IN THE
TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
I. TRADITION AND GEOGRAPHY . . . . .163
II. TRADITION AND HISTORY . . . . .176
III. THE SELECTION OF TALES . . . . .186
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . .192
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1
PLATE
I. MAUI, THE POLYNESIAN CULTURE HERO . . Frontispiece
(Carved wooden image in the Museum, University College of Wales, Aberysttvyth.)
PACING PAGB
II. THE SACRED CROCODILE OF MUSAWA, NIGERIA . . 46
(From Journal, Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. XXXVIII., PI. IX.)
HI. A STONEY INDIAN ....... 60
(From Man, 1920, PI. E.)
IV. FAIENCE RELIEF OF WILD GOAT AND KIDS, FROM
KNOSSOS, CRETE ....... 80
(From Annual British School, Athens, Vol. IX., PI. III.)
V. STONEHENGE ........ 84
(From a photograph by J. Chivers, Devises.)
VI. THE VEILED ARTEMIS : A TERRA-COTTA FIGURINE FROM
THE TEMPLE OF CRCESUS . . . . . .120
(From "British Museum: Excavations at Ephesus: the Archaic Artemisia," by
D. G. Hogarth, fig. 92, p. 315.)
VII. Yu THE GREAT . . . . . . . .124
(From a painting, by a Japanese artist, in the British Museum.)
VIII. (K)HAMMURABI AND SHAMASH, THE SUN GOD . .130
(From A Guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum,
Ed. 2, PI. XXXI.)
IX. RAMA : A BRONZE FIGURE IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM . 1 50
1 Special Note. The illustrations have been chosen, not for their bearing on the
action of the stories, but to illustrate the culture of the people who told them.
13
ANCIENT TALES
FROM MANY LANDS
PRINCE FIRE-SHINE AND
PRINCE FIRE-SUBSIDE
A JAPANESE STORY
LONG ago in Japan there was a prince named Prince
Rice-in-Plenty, who ruled over the fertile plain called
the Land of Fresh Rice Ears. This land is opposite to
the Land of Korea.
Now, when Prince Rice-in-Plenty left his place in
heaven and came to rule this land, he pushed aside the
eight-fold clouds, and came floating across the Floating
Bridge of Heaven to the fair land of the Thousand Rice
Ears.
When the Prince saw it, he exclaimed, " This is a
land on which the morning sun shines straight, and
which the evening sun makes bright. So it is an
exceedingly good place."
He built himself a palace of stout rock pillars, and
made great wooden crossbeams, and dwelt there.
Now one day, as he walked abroad, he met the most
beautiful princess. So lovely was she that her name was
Princess Blossoming Brilliantly, like the flowers upon the
trees. At once Prince Rice-in-Plenty fell in love with
her, and asked her to marry him.
She replied that he must first ask her father, the King
of the Mountains. So Prince Rice-in-Plenty sent a
message to her father, asking if he might marry Princess
Blossoming Brilliantly.
15
16 ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
The King of the Mountains sent back the very ugly
sister of the princess, and with her a present, saying that
he would be very glad for the prince to marry this ugly
elder sister.
Alas ! she was so very ugly that the Prince was quite
frightened, and sent her straight back to her father.
Then he married the Princess Blossoming Brilliantly.
Now the King of the Mountains was much vexed at
this treatment of his elder daughter, and he sent word
to the Prince, saying :
" Had you married my elder daughter, though snow
should fall and wind should blow, thy children should
have lived for ever like the everlasting rocks. Now,
however, they shall be but frail, and shall die like the
flowers upon the trees."
So for that reason, it is said, the Emperors of Japan
do not have very long lives.
Now they had two children, one named Prince Fire-
Shine and one named Prince Fire-Subside. They were
given these strange names because a fire broke out in the
palace just before they were born, and died down again
just afterwards, in time for the children to be saved.
Now, Prince Fire-Shine made his living by fishing on
the sea, and caught both great and little fish. But
Prince Fire-Subside made his living on the mountains,
and hunted for wild animals.
One day Prince Fire-Subside said to his elder brother
" Let us change places, you give me your fish hook,
and I will give you my bows and arrows."
For a long time Prince Fire-Shine would not agree
to this, but at last he gave in. So Prince Fire-Subside
went a-fishing, but alack-a-day ! he never caught a single
fish, and what was very much worse, he lost his brother's
fish hook in the sea ! Then his brother came and said :
" The mountains have luck for thee, and the sea has
luck for me. Come now, give me back my hook."
But Fire-Subside answered, " I can't give you back
FIRE-SHINE AND FIRE-SUBSIDE 17
the hook, for I did not catch a single fish with it, and at
last I lost it in the sea."
But Fire-Shine only kept asking for the hook the more
earnestly. Then Fire-Subside took off his huge sabre
and broke it in pieces, of which he made 500 fish hooks.
These he offered to his elder brother, who would not
take them, but only kept on saying, " I want my own
first fish hook that brought me luck."
Then Fire-Subside sat by the seashore and wept
aloud. Hereupon there came along the Salt King, and
asked, " Why are you weeping ? " The Prince replied,
" I exchanged my bow and arrow for my elder brother's
fish hook. Now I have lost the hook, and though I have
offered him many fish hooks in exchange, he will not
take them. He only keeps on asking for the hook that I
have lost."
So the Salt King at once built a beautiful little boat
of bamboo strips plaited very tightly. In this he put
Prince Fire-Subside, and pushed him off, telling him to
go on till he came to a pleasant road. Along this road
he was to go in the boat until he came to a palace built
like fishes' scales, the palace of the Ocean King.
He added, " When you come to the gate of the palace,
you will see a many-branched cassia tree above a well.
Sit on the top of the tree till the Ocean King's daughter
comes to you."
Everything happened as the Salt King had said, and
he climbed up into the cassia tree and sat there.
Soon the maidens of the Sea King's daughter came to
the well to draw water. In the well there was a light,
so they looked up and saw the beautiful young man
in the cassia tree.
They thought it very strange, but when he begged for
a drink, they offered him some water in a beautiful
jewelled vessel.
Instead of drinking the water, the Prince unloosed
the jewel at his neck, and placed it in the vessel, where it
stuck so tightly to the sides that the maidens could not
1 8 ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
unloose it. So they went back and showed it to the
Princess and said, " There is someone sitting in the
cassia tree above the well. He is more beautiful even
than the King. So when he asked for a drink, we
respectfully gave him some water, but, instead of
drinking, he placed this jewel in the vessel. As it stuck
so tightly to the side that we could not get it off, we
brought it to you as a present."
Then the Princess, thinking it all very strange, went
and looked at the Prince in the cassia tree. He was so
beautiful that she was delighted, and went back to her
father saying, " There is a beautiful person at our gate."
Then the Sea King himself went out to look, and was so
delighted that he brought the Prince into the palace.
Here he spread eight layers of sea-lions' skins, and on
these eight layers of silk rugs, and begged the Prince to
recline on them.
Then he made a great feast, and married Prince Fire-
Subside to his daughter. For three years they were
very happy together. But one night, the Prince began
to think of all that had gone before, and heaved a deep
sigh.
This troubled the Princess so much that she said to her
father, " For three years the Prince has been very happy,
but to-night he heaved a very deep sigh. What can be
the matter with him ? "
So the Sea King asked Prince Fire-Subside what
was the matter, and the Prince told him the whole story
of the fish hook. Then the Sea King summoned together
all the fish of the sea, both great and small, and asked if
any of them had by chance taken the hook.
Now the tai fish complained that it had something
sticking in its throat and could not eat. On its throat
being examined, the hook was discovered sticking there.
It was taken out and washed, and given to Prince Fire-
Subside.
Then the Sea King told Prince Fire-Subside to give
back the hook to his elder brother, Prince Fire-Shine,
FIRE-SHINE AND FIRE-SUBSIDE 19
and say to him, " This fish hook is a poor, silly thing,
and will make its owner both poor and silly."
The Sea King also said to the Prince, " If Prince Fire-
Shine makes low fields, do you make high ones, and if
he makes high fields, do you make low ones. As I rule
the waters, your elder brother will certainly be ruined."
Then he gave the Prince two beautiful jewels, one to
make the tide flow in, and one to make the tide ebb out.
He told him that if Prince Fire-Shine grew angry about
his fields being ruined, and attacked Prince Fire-Subside,
the latter had only to put forth the tide-flowing jewel to
drown him. Then, if Fire-Shine expressed his sorrow,
Fire-Subside was to put forth the tide-ebbing jewel
and let him live.
Having said this, the King called a crocodile, one
fathom long, and asked him to take the Prince to the
Upper World. He warned the crocodile to do it
respectfully, and not to frighten him in mid-ocean.
When he reached the Upper World, Prince Fire-
Subside sent back the crocodile, and gave the fish hook
to his elder brother, exactly as the Sea King had told
him to do.
Upon this, Prince Fire-Shine became poorer and
poorer, and came savagely towards Fire-Subside to
attack him.
Just as he was about to attack him, Prince Fire-Subside
put forth the tide-flowing jewel, and nearly drowned
Fire-Shine. Then Fire-Shine expressed his grief, and
Fire-Subside put forth the tide-ebbing jewel, and saved
his elder brother's life.
This happened several times, and then Prince Fire-
Shine bowed his head and promised to be his brother's
guard, and to serve him respectfully by day and night.
THE LEGEND OF MAUI
A POLYNESIAN MYTH
MOTHER TARANGA had four sons, whose names all began
with Maui. One day she and her sons and relatives
were dancing together. Now as they were dancing
another little infant crept into the house and hid him-
self behind the other older Mauis. Taranga came along
to count her sons, so that they might stand up ready
for the dance. This is how she counted them : " One,
that's Maui-taka ; two, that's Maui-roto ; three, that's
Maui-pae ; four, that's Maui-waho." Then she saw
little Maui and cried, " Hello, where did this fifth child
come from ? " Then little Maui said, " Ah ! I'm your
child too." The old woman counted over again, " One,
that's Maui-taka ; two, that's Maui-roto ; three, that's
Maui-pae ; four, that's Maui-waho." " No, you are
not my child. This is the first time that I have seen
you." But little Maui would not give in, and stood
between the ranks of the dancers saying that he was
really her child, till at last Taranga got angry and said,
" You be off out of the house at once. You are no child
of mine." Then little Maui said, " Come now, mother,
don't you remember a little baby that you had, and that
died by the seashore, and was buried in the sea foam ?
Well, the seaweed caught me in its long tangles and
wrapped me close. The waves of the sea rocked me in
my seaweed cradle. The winds blew me on to the
shore, and the soft jelly fish on the long sandy beach
rolled themselves around me. Then came along an old
man, who saw the birds coming in flocks to peck me to
death. He ran quickly and stripped the jelly fish off
20
THE LEGEND OF MAUI 21
me and carried me to his home. There he hung me up
in the roof so that I might feel the warm smoke and the
heat of the fire, and so I was saved alive by the kindness
of that old man. Then I heard about the dance, and
so I came here."
When his mother heard all this she cried, " You dear
little child. You are my very own child after all. I
shall call you Maui-tiki-tiki. Come here and kiss me."
When the four elder brothers saw their mother kiss and
fondle Maui-tiki-tiki, two of them grew jealous, and
began to say that he was not their brother at all. But
the other two spoke nobly, and said, " Never mind, let
him be our dear brother. In the days of peace remember
the proverb, " When you are on friendly terms, settle
small quarrels in a friendly way." It is better for us, oh
brothers, to be kind to other people. These are the
ways in which people gain influence in the world :
By working for food with which to feed others, and by
caring for the good of other people more than their
own, so that peace may spread through the world."
The other two brothers quite agreed with this, so that
little Maui-tiki-tiki became one of the family without
any quarrelling. When Maui grew older, he became
very clever in magic and enchantments, and he also
became very fond of mischief.
He noticed that some of the people of his tribe daily
carried food as a present to a very old chieftamess of his
family. Maui begged to be allowed to take the daily
present of food himself to the old lady. For many days
he took the food, but, instead of carrying it to the old
chieftainess, he hid it each day. At last she guessed
that something was wrong, and sniffed, and sniffed, and
sniffed, so that she could smell who was hiding her food,
and eat him. Presently she smelt the scent of Maui,
and prepared to eat him, but Maui called out that he
was one of her own family.
" Then why have you treated me in this deceitful
way ? " said she. Maui replied that it was because he
22 ANCIENT TALES FROM MANY LANDS
wanted her to give him her jawbone, so that he could
work enchantments with it. The old lady gave it to
him, and he went off with it in high glee.
Not long after this Maui began to think that the days
were not nearly long enough. This was because the
sun sank into the ocean so very soon after it rose in the
morning. He said to his brothers, " Let us catch the
sun in a noose, so that we can compel him to go more
slowly. Then men will have longer days in which to
work for their food." The brothers laughed and said,
" Why, no man could go near the sun because of his
terrible heat." But Maui told them that he would help
them with enchantments. Then they began to spin
and to twist ropes to make a noose strong enough to
hold the sun. In doing this they found out how to plait
flax into square ropes, and flat ropes, and round ropes.
At last they had enough ropes ready. Then Maui took
the magic jawbone, and his brothers took plenty of food
and the ropes, and they all set out. They travelled by
night and hid themselves by day, so that the sun should
not see them, and went far, far to the east till they came
to the spot where the sun rises.
Here they built a long high wall of clay. At each end
they built huts of the boughs of trees, in which they
could hide themselves. When these were finished, they
arranged the loops of the noose. Then the brothers of
Maui lay in wait on one side of the place out of which
the sun rises, so that they could catch him in the noose.
Maui lay in wait on the other side with the enchanted
jawbone in his hand, so that he could rush upon the sun
and attack him while the brothers held him in the
noose. At last the sun came rising out of his place like
a red fire, spreading far and wide over the mountains
and forests. He rose up and his head and arms went
through the noose, so that the brothers could pull the
ropes tight around his body. Then the monster began
to struggle, and to jerk backwards and forwards, till the
snare shook. Out rushed Maui and struck the sun so
THE LEGEND OF MAUI 23
fiercely that he cried for mercy. At last they let
him go, but he was so much weakened by his wounds
that he was never again able to rush swiftly through the
sky, but had to creep slowly, so the days became long
enough for men to enjoy them.
Some time after this, Maui went out fishing with his
brothers. His fish hook was made of carved mother-of-
pearl and ornamented with hair from the tail of a dog,
so that it looked very beautiful. It was pointed with a
bit of the magic jawbone. Maui had noticed that there
was too much sea, and not enough land, and so he had
determined to fish up some land from the bottom of
the sea. This would make islands, so that it would be