Hainuwele the Coconut Girl
How a Fallen Goddess Brought Forth the World’s Crops
Top Ancient Stories on GatherTales
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Benu Bird and the Phoenix Fire
An ancient Egyptian myth of the Benu Bird's fiery rebirth reflecting nature's cycles and the hope of climate renewal
Tiddalik Drains the Waterholes: A Tale of Unity
Under a scorching sun, Tiddalik’s thirst dries every pool. The animals must come together to save their home.
Monkey King and the Celestial Peaches
A daring immortal’s feast sparks divine chaos among the gods
Hider of the Sun: The Trickster Monkey Who Dimmed the Sky
An Indonesian myth about a clever monkey who dims the scorching sun to rescue parched fields and restore harmony
Raven Creates the World
How cunning Raven freed the light stolen by a greedy chief to bring dawn to Earth
Hermes Steals Apollo’s Cattle & Invents the Lyre
How the mischievous newborn god outwitted Apollo and forged music from mischief under moonlit skies
Eshu and the Two Farmers
A Yoruba Chaos-Deity's Lesson on Seeing Both Sides
Coyote Steals Fire
How a Cunning Trickster Brought the Warmth of Fire to People in a Cold World
The Guardians of Uluru
Unearthing the ancient Dreamtime legends of Anangu guardians who watch over the great red monolith
The Spirit Canoe
A ghostly boat ferries souls across moonlit lagoons under the palms
How the Elephant Got Its Trunk
A Kenyan Folktale of a Curious Calf and a Cunning Crocodile
The Humpbacked Flute-Player
An Ethiopian Folktale of a Musician Whose Melody Brings Rain to Parched Lands
Why Bats Fly at Night: A Nigerian Folktale
A tale of a broken vow under the moon and the wisdom that follows
Song of the Silk-Cotton Tree
A mystical legend of spirits dwelling in a sacred kapok tree, guiding hearts and harmony of a Sierra Leonean village
The Story of the Lightning and the Thunder
A Nigerian Folktale of Quarreling Spirits That Spark Lightning
The Boy Who Found Fire: An Aboriginal Origin of Dawn and the Fire Sticks
When curiosity leads a young dreamer beyond the horizon, the world awakens with flame and daylight
Rangi and Papa: The Sky-Father and Earth-Mother Torn Apart
An ancient Maori myth of creation and separation, where Rangi and Papa's love forged the world and their children shaped the sky and land.
The Sleeping Giant
A Legendary Mountain Ridge of a Slumbering Warrior Turned to Stone
Paikea the Whale Rider
The Ancient Maori Legend of a Brave Ancestor Who Rode a Whale Across the Ocean
Kupe and the Giant Wheke
A fearless Maori navigator confronts the monstrous octopus in a battle for his people’s future
The Shark God of Pohnpei
A timeless Micronesian myth of a shapeshifting shark deity who guards his island home
Theft of the Moon
In a remote Micronesian atoll, a cunning youth embarks on a daring quest to steal moonlight and win the heart of his beloved
The Legend of Pele: The Fiery Quest of Hawaiʻi's Volcano Goddess
The epic odyssey of the volcano goddess Pele as she forges her home in fire and shapes the Hawaiian Islands.