Derby entry comments for Derby #79: Myths and Legends

Comments for individual derby entries are placed in this thread.

I love nine tailed foxes :smiley:

…and Nessy thought, this is the last time she would use eHarmony ever again.

This is my tribute to the myth of Br’er Rabbit. His story dates back to the 1800s and was told in African, African-American and Native American Cultures… and also by my grandma :slight_smile:

For those of you who need explaining, I made this educational diagram:

http://www.fablefire.com/hydra_labels.jpg

one of your best, Drakxxx!

you’ve got my vote, and I’ve got $10 worth of hope pinned to this one!

Wow. First entry. And a beautiful one at that. Nice job seki. And congratulations on the sell-out. I wasnt one of the fortunate few who got one.

Persephone according to the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica:

“As she was gathering flowers with her playmates in a meadow, the earth opened and Pluto, god of the dead, appeared and carried her off to be his queen in the world below. … Torch in hand, her sorrowing mother sought her through the wide world, and finding her not she forbade the earth to put forth its increase. So all that year not a blade of corn grew on the earth, and men would have died of hunger if Zeus had not persuaded Pluto to let Persephone go. But before he let her go Pluto made her eat the seed of a pomegranate, and thus she could not stay away from him for ever. So it was arranged that she should spend two-thirds (according to later authors, one-half) of every year with her mother and the heavenly gods, and should pass the rest of the year with Pluto beneath the earth. … As wife of Pluto, she sent spectres, ruled the ghosts, and carried into effect the curses of men.”

detail

haha…nice

Ramybus and Rekiyokus ride their cute animal adopted mother to untold wealth and glory!

Just kidding. It’s Romulus and Remus, the brothers that were raised by a wolf and then founded Rome.

The Hedgehog Boy was born a prince and is a character from Russian folklore. In one tale he steals Baba Yaga’s magical flying mortar and pestle.

Legend has it that El Dorado had technology far beyond even what we have today.

Patterend after The Great Feathered Serpent, This Golden Gaurdian protects the legendary city of gold.

Hey evreyone,

I went for a classic dragon illustration, and did my best to make it special.
I hope you like it!

A link to a large comp:

Detail 1:


Detail 2:


Detail 3:


As always, thank you for your support and votes!

Beautiful. GMV

Poseidon rode across the vast oceans being pulled by great hooved steeds with fish like tails.

Hope you all enjoy. Only 4 colors and this is my first attempt with my new wacom I got for xmas.

Larger version:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f41/jadedtime/woot%20work/Hippocampus4.jpg

Thank you, I appreciate the support!

King Arthur was the greatest King from the lineage of Brutus of Troy. Known to fight with Caledfwlch (Excalibur), though there are more interesting developments: he was known to have fought with a round shield, counter to the times of knights and kings, where lengthened shields were most common, though such shields were common in Celtic and Gaelic use. He spent his last days on the Island of Avalon, where he died at age Ninety-Three.

Now c’mon. I know it’s not historical truth, but it’s fun to dream (also, it wouldn’t work in this derby). But the historical impact of this legendary character cannot be ignored, as we’ve integrated so much of it into many cultures and historical views. There are so many different tellings of the story of King Arthur, consistantly portraying him as a burly man, young and handsome. But it can be pulled from literature that he was in his early nineties (92!,93!) during the Battle of Camlann, where he was mortally wounded by his illegitimate son (with his sister), with a sword that was stolen from King Arthur himself. His name is possibly derived from Arto-uiros, which is Welsh for ‘bear-man’.

Possibly the most interesting draw to King Arthur is the lack of definitive proof showing that he’s not an historical character. Yes, it’s unlikely. And it’s unlikely that the stories are truths. But it is undoubtedly one of the most notable myths of the common era.

Design hand drawn, coloured in PMS 7542 (Lt. Grey), 423 (Md. Grey), 424 (Dk. Grey), 7530 (Lt. Tan), 7531 (Tan), and 132 (Gold), on a Black shirt.

Thanks for voting. :slight_smile:

Ahhh. You went with the pot. Im glad. Its how I remember it being told. Well done.

Great one, Boots!

A super design, and nutritional information as well !

Rainbow Crow
(Lenni Lenape Tribe)
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

It was so cold. Snow fell constantly, and ice formed over all the waters. The animals had never seen snow before. At first, it was a novelty, something to play in. But the cold increased tenfold, and they began to worry. The little animals were being buried in the snow drifts and the larger animals could hardly walk because the snow was so deep. Soon, all would perish if something were not done.

“We must send a messenger to Kijiamuh Ka’ong, the Creator Who Creates By Thinking What Will Be,” said Wise Owl. “We must ask him to think the world warm again so that Spirit Snow will leave us in peace.”

The animals were pleased with this plan. They began to debate among themselves, trying to decide who to send up to the Creator. Wise Owl could not see well during the daylight, so he could not go. Coyote was easily distracted and like playing tricks, so he could not be trusted. Turtle was steady and stable, but he crawled too slowly. Finally, Rainbow Crow, the most beautiful of all the birds with shimmering feathers of rainbow hues and an enchanting singing voice, was chosen to go to Kijiamuh Ka’ong.

It was an arduous journey, three days up and up into the heavens, passed the trees and clouds, beyond the sun and the moon, and even above all the stars. He was buffeted by winds and had no place to rest, but he carried bravely on until he reached Heaven. When Rainbow Crow reached the Holy Place, he called out to the Creator, but received no answer. The Creator was too busy thinking up what would be to notice even the most beautiful of birds. So Rainbow Crow began to sing his most beautiful song.

The Creator was drawn from his thoughts by the lovely sound, and came to see which bird was making it. He greeted Rainbow Crow kindly and asked what gift he could give the noble bird in exchange for his song. Rainbow Crow asked the Creator to un-think the snow, so that the animals of Earth would not be buried and freeze to death. But the Creator told Rainbow Crow that the snow and the ice had spirits of their own and could not be destroyed.

“What shall we do then?” asked the Rainbow Crow. “We will all freeze or smother under the snow.”

“You will not freeze,” the Creator reassured him, “For I will think of Fire, something that will warm all creatures during the cold times.”

The Creator stuck a stick into the blazing hot sun. The end blazed with a bright, glowing fire which burned brightly and gave off heat. “This is Fire,” he told Rainbow Crow, handing him the cool end of the stick. “You must hurry to Earth as fast as you can fly before the stick burns up.”

Rainbow Crow nodded his thanks to the Creator and flew as fast as he could go. It was a three-day trip to Heaven, and he was worried that the Fire would burn out before he reached the Earth. The stick was large and heavy, but the fire kept Rainbow Crow warm as he descended from Heaven down to the bright path of the stars. Then the Fire grew hot as it came closer to Rainbow Crows feathers. As he flew passed the Sun, his tail caught on fire, turning the shimmering beautiful feathers black. By the time he flew passed the Moon, his whole body was black with soot from the hot Fire. When he plunged into the Sky and flew through the clouds, the smoke got into his throat, strangling his beautiful singing voice.

By the time Rainbow Crow landed among the freezing-cold animals of Earth, he was black as tar and could only Caw instead of sing. He delivered the fire to the animals, and they melted the snow and warmed themselves, rescuing the littlest animals from the snow drifts where they lay buried.

It was a time of rejoicing, for Tindeh - Fire - had come to Earth. But Rainbow Crow sat apart, saddened by his dull, ugly feathers and his rasping voice. Then he felt the touch of wind on his face. He looked up and saw the Creator Who Creates By Thinking What Will Be walking toward him.

“Do not be sad, Rainbow Crow,” the Creator said. “All animals will honor you for the sacrifice you made for them. And when the people come, they will not hunt you, for I have made your flesh taste of smoke so that it is no good to eat and your black feathers and hoarse voice will prevent man from putting you into a cage to sing for him. You will be free.”

Then the Creator pointed to Rainbow Crow’s black feathers. Before his eyes, Rainbow Crow saw the dull feathers become shiny and inside each one, he could see all the colors of the rainbow. “This will remind everyone who sees you of the service you have been to your people,” he said, “and the sacrifice you made that saved them all.”

And so shall it ever be.