Aina-Kizz and the Black-Bearded Bai Uzbekistan and Central Asia Once upon a time there was a girl, who lived with her mother in a half-ruined house on the outskirts of Samarkand. Her father had died shortly after the girl was born, and her mother had worked tirelessly to ensure her daughter’s wellbeing in a…
Xana Galinda Astur People – Spain After the collapse of the Toledo’s Visigothic kingdom, with the arrival of Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula in 711 C.E., northern peoples tried to organise resistance by creating various kingdoms. One of them was the Kingdom of the Asturs. Among its kings, at the end of the…
People of Peace Scotland Once in Scotland there was a bonny bay, between two arms of rock, looking out to the sea. There was a fine sandy beach, and above it a row of small cottages. Stuck in the sand were the bones of an old boat, washed ashore long ago. And beyond the…
The Story Bag Korea A long time ago, there was a boy who loved to listen to stories. His passion for stories had been instilled in him by his grandfather, who had been a great storyteller and who had seated his grandson on his knees, from a very early age, to tell him one…
Just Enough Ashkenazi Judaism – Russia At a very young age, Jacob began helping his father in the tailoring business. From his father, he learned to measure, cut, sew and iron, helping him in the design and constructoin of suits and other garments for the rich men of the town. However, with the passage…
Why Mosquitoes Buzz Ghana / Jamaica So, everybody knows that Ananse and Mosquito used to be friends. They also used to be farmers. And as farmers often do, they would sometimes get together and discuss matters pertaining to the reaping and planting. One reaping season they decided to participate in the yam festival. …
The Man Who Stopped the Wind Sikhism In the Sikh tradition, originating from the Punjab, in India, the teachings of the ten Sikh teachers are followed. Their places of religious worship are called gurdwaras. In the gurdwaras, the tradition of langar or ‘free kitchen’ is carried out. Here, food is served to all people…
Erysichthon of Thessaly and Mestra Classical Greece Erysichthon, King of Thessaly, had never felt the slightest respect for the gods. What is more, he even despised them in public. For him, there was only the world of men, which was a world that he dominated and knew well. One day, he had the…
The Wise Old Man Myanmar / Turkish Sufism / Judaism The young prince did not like palace life, so he took advantage of every chance he had to sneak out and take the path that led to the green fields and forests of the region. Only there did he felt at peace, listening to…
Mariang Makiling, the Fairy of the Mountain Tagalog – Philippines South of Lake Laguna, on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines, stands the immense and solitary mass of Mount Makiling, where the people of the area have for centuries revered a deity or spirit, a fairy who takes care of all the beings…