Myths and Legends Long way gone

Myths and Legends Myths and Legends that are retold by Beah in a long way gone served an important part in a village’s culture and lifestyle. Being told from mouth to mouth for generations, these stories played a key role in ceremonies that helped teach children about morals and explain the world they live in. When Beah is with his group of friends Musa decides to pass the time by telling a common story and asks them to listen, “My mother told me that whenever a story is told, it is worth listening to”(pg.74), he then begins to tell the story of Bra Spider. This story is about a spider that wanted to participate in all the feasts. So the spider began to create a plan. He gave ropes to all the chiefs of the village and asked them to pull on the ends when their feast was about to begin. On the day of the feasts Bra Spider secured the ropes to his waist. Unfortunately, for Bra Spider, all the feasts began at the same time. So when the food was ready the chiefs began to pull and poor Bra Spider was pulled from all directions. This tale serves as an origin story to how the spider got its small waistline. At that time, these kinds of tales served as an explanation in villages to explain the world around them. Another one of the myths that touches upon morals is the story of the hunter and the monkey. In this particular story there is a hunter who is hunting a monkey and confronts the animal. The monkey speaks and tells him that if the hunter lets him go his father will die but if he shoots his mother will die. This story was told to the children in the village every year. In addition they were asked if they were in the hunter’s position what would they do? With the story lingering in their mind, it brings the kids together and closer when answering the question. Certainly, Myths and Legends are indeed a part of culture and serves to teach us no matter the age.