The Legends and Myths of the World

Enjoy the world history through the legends and myths!

Submitted for: Places and Perspectives Middle School Learning Circle 1 (PPM1) with iEARN, Spring 2009 Submitted by: Zyabkin Nikita Pashin Michael Sizov Vasily Grade 7 “G”, school № 6, Murom, Russia Students who also helped included: Gromova Alexandra, Klushnikova Asya, Zacharova Nastya, Yamschikova Alyona, Aronova Sveta, Leykina Nadya, Ivanov Andrew, Volkov Artyom, Samilina Alina, Vinogradova Alina, Kupina Ksenya, Shigarova Elizaveta

Hundreds of years before Russian fur traders reached Lake Baikal, Mongol tribes had settled in the area. These legends are examples of their cultural heritage Submitted by: Lyceum at Irkutsk State University Sponsoring Teacher: Marina Ozerova

A legend about the Daughter of Baikal Long time ago mighty Baikal used to be cheerful and kind. He loved his one and only Daughter Angara (the Angara river). She was the most beautiful daughter in the world. She was lighter than morning sky and darker than the darkest cloud at night. Everyone admired Angara, even birds and animals. Father Baikal nourished and protected his daughter with love. One day, when Father Baikal fell asleep, Angara ran away to her young man

—

Yenisey (the Yenisey river). Father woke up with an enormous tide of anger. The furious storm rose, the mountains started to sob, the forest fell, the sky turned black in grief; the animals ran away in fear, the fish went to the deepest depths, the birds flew to the Sun. Only the wind howled and the ocean raged. Mighty Baikal struck the grey-haired mountain, broke off a big rock from it and threw it after his running daughter. The rock hit the daughter; she stumbled and fell. Then the blue-eyed Angara started to cry and beg her Father: — — I am parched with thirst, forgive me. I am asking for just one drop of water, please. Father Baikal shouted with anger: You will get only my tears! And thousands of years Angara has been flowing into Yenisei bringing her clear as tear waters. And grey-haired lonely Father Baikal became gloomy and dreadful. The rock thrown by Baikal after his daughter was called « Shaman stone » .

The Lord of the waters

“There are not only fish in the lake,” declared a Mongol, “there are spirits, each one naughtier than the other. The lord of the waters rules them, and when he’s angry, it’s no joke for the fishermen; he juggles with the boats like a sorcerer with shells.” “Foolish savage,” a soldier said to me, “he believes in spirits. Isn’t he an idiot?” And the Mongol added with conviction, “It’s not a spirit, it’s a devil who is hidden at the bottom of the lake.” “Who told you?” “The old people have seen him!”

The Swan with black legs One day a man was hunting when he saw three beautiful swans flying toward a nearby lake. He followed the swans, saw them come down by the lake, take off their feathers, become women, and swim from the shore. These three swans were the daughters of Esege Malan (a Buryat ancestor). The hunter stole the feathers of one of these swans, and when she came from the water, she couldn ’ t fly away with her sisters. He caught the young woman, took her home, and made her his wife. Six children were born to them when one day the daughter of Esege Malan distilled a strong brew, and after her husband had drunk much, she asked for her feathers, and he gave them to her. At that moment she turned into a swan and flew up through the smoke hole. One of her daughters tried to catch her and keep her from flying away, but only caught at her legs, which the girl ’ s dirty hands made black. This is why the swan, a sacred bird among the Buryats, have black legs. The mother circled around, came back within speaking distance of her daughter and said, “ At the time of the New Moon, you will put out mare ’ s milk and tea and scatter red tobacco.

” daughter of Esege Malan, came all the Trans-Baikal Buryats.

From this swan, the

“ Ekhirit-who-was-found-on-the-steep-bank ” Three water babies – two boys and a little girl – came out of Lake Baikal to play upon the shore. They played until they were tired and then fell asleep. Two witches tried to capture them. But the children, waking up, cried to the great lake and the mountains, “ Take us, Milky Sea Mother. Take us, inaccessible Mountain Father.

“ Ekhirit-who-was-found-on-the-steep-bank, ” ” Thereupon, waves rose high on the lake, rushed onto the shore, and almost swept the witches into the depths of Baikal. The little girl turned into a seal and disappeared into the lake. One of the boys turned into a black squirrel and hid in the mountains. The other boy was caught by the witch and given the name and it was said of him, “ his mother was a crevice on Baikal ’ s shore, his father was the speckled burbot fish.

”

The legends from America

Submitted by: Independent Day School, Tampa, Florida Sponsoring Teachers: Betty Norlin and Stephen Shoe

Dream Catcher Submitted by Cultural Exchange Team Dreams have always had many meanings to the Indians. One of the old traditions was to have a Dream Catcher in their homes. They believe the night air is filled with dreams both bad and good. The Dream Catcher, when hung, moves freely in the air and catches the dreams as they float by. The good dreams know the way and slip through the center hole. They slide off the soft feather so gently that many times the sleeper doesn’t know he’s dreaming. The bad dreams, not knowing the way, get entangled in the webbing and perish with the first light of the new day. Hang this in your Lodge or home and Happy Dreams.

Johnny Appleseed

Submitted by the Cultural Exchange Team

Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – February 18, 1845), was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio , Indiana , and Illinois . He became an American legend while still alive, largely because of his kind and generous ways, his great leadership in conservation , and the symbolic importance of apples .

Legend says that Johnny Appleseed slept in a treetop hammock, played with a bear, and even had a wolf for a pet. Whether the things are true or not, one thing is for sure! Johnny Appleseed is a great American hero. Johnny Appleseed's real name was John Chapman. He was born in 1774 in a small town in Massachusetts. He grew up on a the apples from the trees and fill many a basket! farm and loved helping his father with the work. But his favorite spot was the apple orchard! It was his job to take care of the trees, and each fall he would pick

Wagon trains on their way out to the people there. I will West John would sit for hours, talking to the soil out West was good for growing trees. He dreamed of going West himself, but his father tried to discourage him, saying there were no apples out West. Johnny said,"Then I will bring apples plant would pass through the farm. drivers , learning that the all kinds of apples-red, yellow, and green." Johnny set out on his long journey with a walking stick in his hand and a pot on his head. He carried books and a sack of seeds on his back. He planted seeds everywhere along the way. Everyone loved him! Children listened to his stories and the animals of the forest would run up to him, waiting to be fed. Everywhere Johnny went, apple trees began to grow. That is why he became known by the name Johnny Appleseed. Even today the story of how he helped plant apple trees is told all over the country.

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/dir2/johnny.html

THE LEGEND OF THE LAMBTON WORM

Submitted by Molly, Student Volunteer, Cultural Exchange Team

The legend comes from the village of Lambton, in England. It seems to be a fairly accurate record of a knocker, of the same type recorded at both the Knucker Hole near Lyminster in Sussex, and my own local dragon from St. Leonard’s Forest.

Once upon a time there was a lazy, good-for-nothing young knight who was the heir of the lord of Lambton Hall. He spent most of his time sleeping and the rest of it fishing. Of course, in those days fishing was forbidden on a Sunday. But this did not bother the heir of Lambton, and one Sunday he went down to the river, baited a hook, and cast his rod as usual. He was a good fisherman, but on that day, he did not catch anything except for a strange, wormlike creature, the like of which he had never seen before. Wanting to get rid of that useless catch as soon as possible, the heir of Lambton flung it in a well and thought that he was well rid of it.

However, in the well, the creature grew and grew until it became a large and extremely dangerous dragon. Soon it had crawled out, looking for a new home, and it wasn’t long before it found one at nearby Lambton Hill, where some say it grew so large that it could curl around the bottom of the hill three times. From there, it began to terrorize the neighborhood, and in a short time, it had eaten most of the sheep and cattle and had set out towards Lambton Hall itself.

However, in the well, the creature grew and grew until it became a large and extremely dangerous dragon. Soon it had crawled out, looking for a new home, and it wasn’t long before it found one at nearby Lambton Hill, where some say it grew so large that it could curl around the bottom of the hill three times. From there, it began to terrorize the neighborhood, and in a short time, it had eaten most of the sheep and cattle and had set out towards Lambton Hall itself.

The Lord of Lambton didn’t know what to do, except to try to please the creature by offering it a vast trough of cow’s milk to drink. His son, who had repented of his lazy ways, was away fighting on one of the Crusades, and none of the other knights who came to Lambton were able to do anything to defeat the beast.

But just when all seemed lost, the young heir of Lambton returned. He thought that he should kill the dragon he had unleashed, and so he went to ask a wise woman for advice. She suggested that he don a suite of armour covered in long spikes before he attempted to fight the dragon. But she also said that, if he were really serious about slaying the dragon, the heir of Lambton must make a solemn vow to kill the first living creature he saw after dispatching the dragon, in order that his chances might be even better. However, if he did not perform this deed, then the house of Lambton would be cursed for nine whole generations.

The heir of Lambton thought it would be easy to arrange just which living creatures he would see first, and so he was happy to make the vow. He told his father that he would blow his horn upon killing the dragon, so that a hound might be released to run to him. He would then slay the hound, and in this way, he could avoid killing any humans.

The heir of Lambdon then proceeded to Lambton Hill, and a mighty battle ensued. The more the monster tried to wrap its coils around him, the more it injured itself, until at last it lay dead. The heir of Lambton sounded his horn, but in his delight that the dragon was dead, the Lord of Lambton forgot to release the hound. Instead, he ran towards his son, who of course, could not kill his own father, and so, indeed, the lords of Lambton had to suffer misfortune through nine whole generations.

According to wikipedia, a knucker is a type of water dragon. The word comes from old English “nicor” which means water monster. The word is used in the poem Beowulf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucker

Why Lincoln Was Called "Honest Abe"

Noah Brooks, Abraham Lincoln

In managing the country store, as in everything that he undertook for others, Lincoln did his very best. He was honest, civil, ready to do anything that should encourage customers to come to the place, full of pleasantries, patient, and alert.

On one occasion, finding late at night, when he counted over his cash, that he had taken a few cents from a customer more than was due, he closed the store, and walked a long distance to make good the deficiency.

At another time, discovering on the scales in the morning a weight with which he had weighed out a package of tea for a woman the night before, he saw that he had given her too little for her money. He weighed out what was due, and carried it to her, much to the surprise of the woman, who had not known that she was short in the amount of her purchase.

Innumerable incidents of this sort are related of Lincoln, and we should not have space to tell of the alertness with which he sprang to protect defenseless women from insult, or feeble children from tyranny - for in the rude community in which he lived, the rights of the defenseless were not always respected as they should have been. There were bullies then, as now.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents day/abraham-lincoln/short-stories/why-lincoln-was-called honest-abe.html

The Rooster A Symbol of Portugal

Contributed by Sandy Sakai Obtained as a handout at Festa by the Hawaii Council on Portuguese Heritage

The Rooster has long been the symbol of Portugal, as the eagle is for the United States of America. A delightful moral tale is traditionally credited with the selection of the rooster.

The story is set in the era of the early regional kings of Portugal. It tells of a humble villager who is accused of theft and sentenced to death.

The man loudly proclaimed his innocence and demanded to be set free. His jailors paid him no mind and laughed at his cries for freedom. As his execution day neared, however, hi constant insistence on his innocence impressed one of the jailors who promised to speak to the king on his behalf.

The jailor had no opportunity to approach the king until the day of the execution. The jailor carried the condemned man’s plea to the king during a large banquet. In good humor due to the festive occasion, the king granted his request for the audience and the villager was brought before him.

“So you are innocent, are you?” laughed the king.

“Yes Sir, I am. Before God, I swear it,” answered the villager.

“Ah, but you have been accused and sentenced to death, and I can’t change the sentence on just your word without proof. How do you think you can prove your innocence, my good man?” “But Sir, I swear that I am innocent,” the man insisted. He looked around the banquet room in desperation, seeking some way, some help. His eyes fell on a servant carrying in a large platter of fowl, steaming with seasonings. He fell to his knees.

“Lord God,” he prayed, “as Peter, your servant, denied you at the cock’s crow, would that you show my innocence as your humble servant by this rooster’s crow…” All eyes turned to the platter of steaming cooked fowl and widened in wonder and amazement as the rooster got up, ruffled his feathers and crowed loudly.

“The Lord has indeed spoken,” the king said softly, and raising his voice, he proclaimed, “Let this be a lesson to each of us never to sit in quick judgment of our fellow man. The rooster, henceforth, shall be a reminder to us and to our children after us, of this, the Lord’s message. So shall it be in our land forever!” The rooster, gaily decorated with bright designs, remains Portugal’s symbol and can be seen in almost every home and on every festive occasion, shaped in loaves of holiday bread and stamped on children’s candies. It has come to be considered by the Portuguese as a symbol of faith in the greatness of God.

Sources: http://www.bronners.com/legofroos.html

http://www.islandroutes.com/articles/portugueserooster.shtml

The legends from Kazan

Submitted by: Gymnasium 2, Kazan, Tatarstan Sponsoring Teacher: Naliya Garayeva

The history of Kazan is really surprising and full of mysteries. There are many legends about the name of the city.

One of the legends is very popular. A Bulgar khan dropped a gold cauldron into the river. As

“

cauldron

”

in the Tatar language is

“

kazan

”

, the river was called

“

Kazanka

”

.

Another says that the name of the city might come from the shape of the Kremlin hill, which looks like an upturned cauldron.

Legend about the symbol of the city.

The legend says that a terrible two-headed winged snake lived in a large cave near the Kremlin hill. Every day it flew to Lake Kaban to drink water. The monster horrified the local people. They called it

“

Dzhilan

”

(which means

“

snake

”

). Later the snake was called Zilant and the place he lived in – the Zilantov Hill.

At last Zilant was killed. The Kazan khan ordered to make its image the symbol of the city. Later it became the official coat of arms of Kazan.

Legend about Suyumbike Tower

mysteries. Some legends are about the Suyumbike Tower. The tower was built on the ruins of the Kazan khan’s palace. Moscow tsar (King) Ivan the Terrible knew about the beauty of the Tatar Queen. He wanted to marry her. He built a beautiful tower for her. The legend says that the Kazan people called the tower after Suyumbike who said “no” to the Moscow tsar. It was very hard for Suyumbike to leave Kazan and become the Russian tsarina (Queen). She went to the top of the tower, looked around for the last time and threw herself down on the sharp stones… As Kazan is an ancient city, its history is really full of mysteries and legends. Almost any place could tell us a lot about its history, dates and people.

The legends from Romania

Submitted by: School 2, Galati, Romania Sponsoring Teacher: Georgiana Munteanu

Legendary Rivers in Romania

Olt, Jiu and Mures

The three rivers Olt, Jiu and Mures were three brothers. They slept together for a night and, before falling asleep, they made this deal: the first one that would get to the Danube the next day, after everybody else had got up and set off, that will be the elder brother.

The Mures, being cunning, woke up before the other ones and he set off at once.

Then the Jiu woke up and, seeing that the Mures had left, he followed his way straight to the Danube.

The Olt got up later and, seeing that his brothers had cheated on him, he got upset and started towards the Danube angrily, winding through the mountains, the hills and everything he got on his way, straight to the Danube.

The Olt got to the Danube the first and therefore he was chosen the eldest brother of all.

The three Cris brothers

The name of the three rivers flowing across the Western Plain is Cris. People say that once they were three brothers who were skilful hunters: Alb (the White), whose face was as white as milk, Negru (the Black) who was dark of his quick temper.

–eyed and had a dark complexion, and Repede (the Swift), because

They used to sell animal furs to the people living in the valleys and buy food from them. One day they met a beautiful, tender-hearted girl whom they fell in love with. Advised by their mother to ask the girl who of them

she most wanted, they went down in the village. The sad news that the village had been set on fire by three giants, that Florica was taken away by them and that the metals and the livestock had been stolen by the giants made them decide on avenge and rescue.

On their way up the mountains where the giants lived the Crish brothers met an old smith. The smith asked them to get hold of the bronze, gold and iron the king of the bears wore, so he could make them three strong axes. With the help of these the brothers could fight the giants. Using a trick, they managed to take the king of bears’ bronze staff, golden crown and iron boots.

The axes made of these metals and the old smith’s word of advice, to hit the giants burning torches first on a full moon night helped the three brothers kill the giants and free the treasures they had hidden deep in the mountains. In their dream before the fight they found out that their beloved girl had thrown herself from the top of the mountains and out of her blood a red rose grew.

The curse of the giants over the locked mountain treasures fell on the three brothers who were turned into waters, to hit the rock gates of the mountains.

The Legend of the Moldova River

The brave Dragos likes hunting. One day he takes a lot of dogs with him and goes hunting in the forest. After a while he sees the footprints of an auroch in the deep forest and decides to follow them. After one day and one night of hunting without stopping, the dogs start to fall down from tiredness one by one.

Only Molda, one of his dogs, resists during the chase, being on the point of catching the auroch. They arrive at a river. The beast rushes to cross it. Molda jumps into the water but she is so tired that she drowns. Dragos arrives there at the moment when Molda dies in the cold river water.

The brave man hits the beast with his mace and kills it. He cuts its head off and takes it as a sign of victory.

Dragos becomes the king of this county. He gives the name “Moldova” to the river in which his devoted dog, Molda, died. Also the region that is crossed by the river is named “Moldova”.

The auroch head becomes the symbol of the region of Moldova that is a land of warm generosity and welcoming hospitality.

The Legend of Master Manole

country so he hired Master Manole, the best mason of those times, along with his nine men. Because the walls of the monastery were always crumbling, the prince threatened him and his assistants with death. Manole had a dream in which he was told that, in order to build the most beautiful monastery, he had to wall in someone very beloved by him or by his masons. He told his masons about it and they agreed that the first wife who came there on the following morning should be the victim. Manole`s wife, Ana, came first and she was told that they wanted to play a little game, building walls around her. She accepted and soon realized that it wasn`t a game and implored Manole to let her go, but he kept his promise. Thus the beautiful monastery was built. When Manole and his masons told the prince that they could always build an even greater building, Radu Negru had them stranded on the roof so that they cold not build something to match it. They fashioned wooden wings and tried to fly off the roof, but, one by one, they all fell to the ground. A spring of clear water, called after Manole, is said mark the spot where Manole fell.

The legend of Martisor

Once upon a time, it was a period when the Sun embodied as a handsome, young man used to come down on Earth to dance “hora” (a kind of traditional dance specific for Romania) in the villages. Knowing the new passion of the Sun, a dragon followed him in one of these journeys on Earth, Kidnapped him and locked him in a basement, in his castle.

The birds ceased singing, and the children could not laugh, but nobody dared to confront the dragon.

One day, a brave young man decided to go down into the basement to save the Sun. Most of the people joined him, giving the young man their strength to succeed in defeating the dragon.

The brave young man’s journey lasted three seasons: summer, autumn, winter. At the end of the last, the young man managed to find the dragon’s castle, where the Sun was imprisoned. And the fight began. It lasted days and days, until the dragon was defeated.

Weak and wounded, the young man saved the Sun, making happy those who had confident in him. Nature reborned, people started laughing again, but the young man could not see the coming of spring. His hot blood felt down on the snow.

By the time the snow has melted, white flowers, called snowdrops, messengers of spring went out of the digging ground. When the last drop of the young man blood drained on the perfect snow he died happily because his life served for such a noble scope.

Since then, people use to mingle two tassels: one, white and another red. At the beginning of March, men give this amulet called Martsishor to the girls they love.

Red colour represents the love for everything that is beautiful, and remains the symbol of the blood of the brave young man. White colour symbolizes the purity, health and the snowdrop the first spring flower.

The literary significance of Martisor is “The little March”. It’s a small token, which we could wear on our chest as the winter to be forgotten and a new year begin.

The legends, myths and stories of the city Gubkin

Pupils: Kazinina Anastasia & Prasolova Tamara Form 7, School #1 Teacher: Kirichenko Tatyana A.

Co-teacher: Elena Babina

Kondratenko Julia 10 Grade Gimnasya #6

Teacher: Elena Babina

School_1_Gubkin 36



Lord Korobkov kept a stable. During Cremea-Russian war the tsar ordered the owners of all the stables to give some horses to Russia. But Korobkov hid the horses from the tsar. The tsar knew about it and he ordered the blacksmith to make a heavy medal (with the weight of one pood) for Korobkov.

School_1_Gubkin 37



There is a settlement in our city Gubkin. It was called “Swan” because it was a place where many swans flew very often. It continues nowadays.

School_1_Gubkin 38

School_1_Gubki  Korobkov came in the village and now it is our city Gubkin. He acquainted with peasants. When they were enough drunken they arranged a game. The rules of this game consisted of to throw their caps and to get a territory where one`s cap fell down. Korobkov didn`t drink at all.

39

Catherine II hated Belgorod region that`s why she gave a part of Gubkin`s territory to the others cities Voronez and Kursk. Catherine used to send witches into banishment in Gubkin.

School_1_Gubkin

Nizhegorodsky Kremlin

Nizhegorodsky Kremlin is a fortress in Nizhni Novgorod, a historical city centre, the stone belt covering top of mountainous cape and ledges lying on Volga slopes. One of the legends, connected with the name of one of towers — Koromyslovoj is remarkable. In 1520 the Astrakhan Tatars led by Sain Gireem have besieged a city. Tatars tried to seize cunning Kremlin and have stolen up to its walls at night. And early in the morning one of the Nizhniy Novgorod women has gone on water. Having seen Tatars, it has accepted unequal battle with them and has hammered with yoke 10 of them while someone from them did not manage to kill its blow of a sabre. Tatars have become thoughtful: what here soldiers if maidens at them so are brave. Also were on the sly cleaned from the Nizhniy Novgorod walls. The reality of a similar legend is represented doubtful.

On other legend, building Kremlin has begun with this tower. For structure strengthening it was accepted to put a live being which the first will come on this place, to the tower basis. The girl with buckets on yoke, following water on small river Pochajnu has come. It also have buried together with buckets and yoke. However, it in a root contradicts traditions and Christianity foundations, and is retelling of ancient pagan legends more likely.

IVAN-KUPALA's Day

On the day (Solntzevorot-day) of Summer Solstice, it was the shortest night and the longest day of the year. The ancient belief was that the sun is forced down from his way and the clear-eyes girl Zarya (Daybreak) helps him on his way again. She not only conducts him across the sky, but also cleans him with water (wash him) with the help of the early-morning dew from the summer well which fragranced the fields of grass. Therefore when the morning dew was on the grass, people bathed with the power over each other using cold water and floated in the river. They believed that the water on this day has a specific cleansing force. For the cultivator, Solntzevorot-day, was June 24. It was a time when Nature opened to him all its vital forces and natural treasures of the ground. On this turning point day, Kupala's Day was celebrated. The name 'Kupala' was the ancient image of the fertility of the land during Summer and the holiday was in it's honor, which preceded the gathering.

On Kupala's Holiday, bonfires lit up the fields, river banks and hills. The fire of Kupala's bonfires, prepared by rubbing wood together, was named "Living fire". The fire was the symbolic representation of the Sun's power and the ritual worship based on the increasing reproductive activity of both the people and Nature (fertility of the land and fruiting of the trees). It was believed that jumping through the bonfires people would be cleansed before the beginning of harvest and they became more healthy and powerful.

Traditionally, on Kupala's Day, it was believed that many grasses and plants acquired specific healthcare forces. The young people went out on the morning of Kupala's Day to the fields to collect the grasses, such as 'kupalenka', 'medvez'ye ushko' (littl e bear ears), 'bogatenka' (the grass of the reach men), 'razryv-trawa' (love break-grass). These grasses were then placed under the head of the bed to help having dreams which on this night were considered to be prophetic.

The Legends of Murom

Submitted by: school N6, Murom, Russia Sponsoring Teacher: Shigarova Natalya

The Legend of Peter and Fevronia Muromskie.

For more than 500 years the legend of Peter and Fevronia Muromskie lives as a story of great love.

In the 13 th century Murom was ruled by Prince Paul. He was a good ruler, but a wicked deed fell on his family: the devious snake began to come to his wife in the appearance of Paul.

She told everything to her husband. Paul began to think how to kill the Snake. He requested his wife to ask the Snake about its death.

When the Snake came again, Paul’s wife heard such words “My death could be caused by Peter’s hand and Agric’s sword”. She reported all these words to Paul, and he told everything to his younger brother Peter.

Agric’s sword was in the wall of the church. Peter took it and killed the snake; but its poisonous blood splashed out and got on Peter’s skin. All his skin got covered with scabs.

Nobody could help him to overcome the disease.

Once someone told Peter about a girl living in the village of Laskovo, near the town of Ryazan. Her name was Fevronia. She could cure different diseases

.

Peter went to Laskovo. Fevronia agreed to help him, but he had to marry her. Peter agreed and soon recovered. But he didn’t keep his promise and went away.

But very soon the disease appeared again and he went back to Fevronia. But the boyars didn’t like Fevronia because of her origin. So they came to Fevronia and ordered her to go away from Murom. They said she could take with her what she wanted, but Fevronia chose only her husband and he chose his dear wife. So they both left the town.

One day some of the boyars found them and asked to come back, because Murom was in unrest. Every boyar wanted to become the ruler of Murom. They fought for the throne and many of them were killed.

Peter and Fevronia returned to Murom and ruled it for many years. They became an ideal of love for many people.

Peter and Fevronia died the same day and hour. They were buried in the two different coffins. Next morning people found them in the one coffin.

Nowadays the coffin with their holy remains is kept inside the Trinity Cathedral in Murom. Many people go there to ask Peter and Fevronia for help in love and marriage matters

The day of the Family ,Love and Faithfulness

The day of the Family ,Love and Faithfulness appeared last year on the initiative of muromers. People began to celebrate it in honour of St. Peter and Fevronia Muromskie.

This holiday commemorates the great Murom saints on the one hand and calls upon the people to follow their example to love and he faithful to each other on the other hand.

The symbol of the holiday is a – camomile.

This holiday is celebrated on the 8 among people of all ages.

th

of July by all lovers and married people. It is organized as a merry festival with conserts, shows and performances. It is celebrated

The Legend of Ilya Murometz

Ilya Murometz is the most famous of the mighty warriors, known as Bogatyrs, of the Russian "Bilyny" legends. This legendary hero was unable to move during his first 33 years of his life. Then one day he was visited in his house by the three Holy Old Men, who asked Ilya for some water. Ilya became furious, as he thought the Old Men were playing a joke on him when they commanded Ilya to get up, much to his own surprise, Ilya rose. From that moment on he became a warrior of extraordinary powers and the defender of the Holy Russia.

Among his most famous deeds are: the single handed destruction of the Tatar army, sleight of the town of Chernigov and the capture of the Evil Bandit the Nightingale Whistler, (also known as "Solovey Razboynik" ), who had the power of killing people with his whistle.

and fairness, and sometimes as a raging rebel to those who dared to quarrel with the Duke of Kiev, and who almost destroyed the City of Kiev. In the end he returned to his senses, and Ilya Murometz became the Best Warrior and the Wisest Adviser to Duke Vladimir of Kiev.

Nowadays Ilya Murometz is remembered and honored by Russian people. There is a monument to Ilya Murometz in Oksky Park in Murom. His holy remains are in the Savior Transfiguration monastery.

The Legend of the Lake “Svyato”

Not far from Murom there is a lake which is called Svyato ("Holy"). The lake is very big and beautiful.

It’s in the middle of a thick forest. High age-old pines grow on its banks.

There are 3 islands and quiet backwaters with water-lilies in the lake. It has a very interesting history too. There is a legend that a church sank in the deepest place of the lake and so its water is holy and very clean.

People say that the image of the Virgin appeared in the water of the lake two years ago. Bright red lotuses burst into blossom on that place at that very time.

It was like a miracle! Though in several days the image disappeared it was fantastic! Many people saw it and took beautiful photos. The lotuses have been blossoming there every summer since that time.

Special Thanks to those who contributed to the project and sent interesting legends!

     Lyceum at Irkutsk State University and the students from class of Marina Ozerova Independent Day School of Tampa, the students of

Cultural Exchange Team, volonteer students and the teachers

Betty Norlin and Stephen Shoe Gymnasium 2 of Kazan and the students of Naliya Garayeva School 2 of Galati and the students from class of Georgiana Munteanu Students and teachers from Gubkin: Kazinina Anastasia & Prasolova Tamara Form 7, School #1 with the teacher Kirichenko Tatyana A., Kondratenko Julia 10 Grade Gimnasya #6 and the teacher Babina Elena