Myths, Legends and Tales for a Greener World by Kerven, Rosalind;

Short description:

Myths, Legends and Tales for a Greener World is a captivating collection of stories, retold by master folklorist Rosalind Kerven, all of which offer a new and inspiring perspective on the climate breakdown that threatens our modern world.

Long description:

Myths, Legends and Tales for a Greener World is a captivating collection of stories, retold by master folklorist Rosalind Kerven, all of which offer a new and inspiring perspective on the climate breakdown that threatens our modern world.

Inspired by traditional myths and folklore from across the world and retold with integrity and respect, the stories in this collection offer a hopeful perspective on how we can better appreciate the natural environment and the species that share our planet. The book is split into five chapters: In the Beginning, The World in Trouble, Respect the Earth, Our Animal Relations and World Without End.

Among these fascinating tales are a retelling of a Chinese story of dragons that help to control the climate, a spiritual tale about a desert stream from Tunisia, a Canadian First Nations story about the coexistence between humans and bears, and a Norse legend about rebirth in springtime. Each story is accompanied with carefully researched notes, detailing the cultural and historical background and other related tales.

This book harnesses time-honoured wisdom to help imagine how we can transcend environmental degradation and species loss, to offer a more harmonious vision of life on earth.

Table of Contents:

THE WORLD AND ITS STORIES

PART 1

WHERE DID WE COME FROM, HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Beginning –Tibet

Creation – Cheyenne people (Native American)

Growing – Tahiti

Seasons – Scotland

PART 2

THE WORLD IN TROUBLE

Good and Evil – Mapuche people (Chile and Argentina)

Man-made Climate Disaster – China

Global Warming – Cherokee people (Native American)

Wildfire – Hawaii

Drought – Somalia

Famine – Ireland

Litter – Colombia

Polluting the Sea – Netherlands

Harming Animals –  Arabia

War – Sioux people (Native American and Canadian First Nation)

Extinction – Nigeria

PART 3

RESPECT THE EARTH!

The Earth is Our Mother – Nespelem people (Native American)

Beware of Consequences – Myanmar

Value Everything – Maya people (Central America)

Live in Harmony with the Wild – Bangladesh and India

Clear Up Your Own Mess – ancient Babylon and modern Israel

Leave Some for the Future – Ainu people (Japan)

Don’t Waste Food – Ojibwe people (Native American and Canadian First Nation)

Take Responsibility – Bali Aga people (Indonesia)

Protect the Water – Trinidad and Tobago

Keep the Song Alive – Mbuti people (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

PART 4

OUR ANIMAL RELATIONS

In the Time of the Ancient Ones – Aparai people (Brazil)

Animals have Feelings Like Ours – San people (southern Africa)

Never Hurt a Fellow Creature – Menominee people (Native American)

Dogs Show how to Cooperate – Sami people (Arctic Sweden)

People and Elephants Helping Each Other – ancient India and Southeast Asia

Learning to Live with Mouse Neighbours – Pueblo people (Native American)

Loyalty to a Whale – Māoripeople (New Zealand)

Wolves as Protectors – Japan

Learning from Bears – Wyandot people (Canadian First Nation and Native American)

Sharing a Jaguar’s Power – Manchineri people (Brazil)

PART 5

WORLD WITHOUT END

The Wild Ones Fight Back – Portugal

The Earth Fights Back – Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq)

The Earth Reborn – Norse people (ancient Scandinavia)

The Cycle of Renewal – Aztec people (ancient Mexico)

Flowers Bloom Again – Aboriginal people (Australia)

Accept the Ways of Nature – Ethiopia

The Stream of Life –Tunisia

NOTES TO THE STORIES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR