SourceFreya |
I am not familiar with much Italian Folklore despite being Spanish Italian. However, I am familiar with La Befana, the Christmas Witch who gets her name from the Catholic celebration of Epiphany or when the 3 wise men visited Christ. La Befana acts like an Italian Santa Claus. There are a variety of legends as to how she started this tradition. One is that the 3 Magi stopped asking for directions to the Messiah, she did not know but provided lodging, they invited her to come along and she said she was too busy cleaning but later decided to go, she never found him so she brings gifts to all the good children along the way and onions, coal, and garlic to the bad. Another story shares the search for Jesus but this reasoning is because her own child died and she believes Jesus to be him. Similar to the first, the Magi ask Befana to help look for the Messiah but she turns them away because she is busy cleaning, later feeling guilty she searches for Jesus with a bag of baked goods for him and a broom for the new mother. She never finds him but again leaves gifts for the children she comes across because "The Child of Christ is in all children." Children awake when she arrives receive a thump on the head with her broom. I would include this story among others.
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Mythological Dogs
I almost named Archie, Argos after Odysseus' dog. However, that story is pretty depressing so I decided against it. I would include a collection of stories of different mythological dogs told from their perspective I would include Argos as well, as if Argos went with Odysseus. I would also touch on Cerberus of course. There also is Laelaps, a gift from Zeus to Europa later passed down to King Minos. Laelaps caught everything he sought after. One day Cephalus used Laelaps to chase the uncatchable Tuemessian Fox. A dog who catches all his prey and an uncatchable fox perplexed Zeus in this never ending paradox so he turned them to stone and then into the respective constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor. The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl has a dog headed twin brother Xolotl. He was god of Fire and Lightening and a guide for the newly dead souls.
Ladies of Legend
I was thinking of showcasing 3 or 4 female heroines or goddesses. My favorite Disney movie is Mulan, she may not be a princess but she is better. So I would showcase her in a more true to tale way. The Amazons, Hippolyta in particular would be an interesting lady to showcase but maybe over done. Enyo, daughter or sister of Ares, goddess of war who enjoys destruction, I may tell as a reckless party girl. Atalanta is one of the sole mortal heroines of ancient Greece. She was super athletic and skilled in archery and battle and didn't marry until Hippomenes beat her in a race, the two were later turned into lions by one of the gods. The Valkries are another possibility.
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