THE BADGER AND THE BEAR

The Badger and the Bear is an old Indian Legend about father and mother badgers who

have successfully built a cozy home, raised a family, and over the years have a healthy stash of

deer meat due to Father Badger’s great hunting skills. During this process of saving up a surplus

supply of meat, an intruder enters the badger’s dwelling. It is Black Bear, who is very hungry

and looking for a meal. Father and Mother Badger are obliged to share a meal with Black Bear.

They do so and Black Bear, when finished, happily hobbles away stuffed beyond belief.

As a result of the friendly hospitality from family of badgers, Black Bear returns the next day,

then the next day, and so on. With the badgers sharing so often, the bear returns time and time

again, somewhat abusing the badger’s kindness. However, Black Bear takes a turn and threatens

the family with his size and strength and kicks them out of their hard-earned home. Badger

takes his family and has to find a temporary home since Black Bear rudely took over Badger’s

home and food. For this reason, Father Badger has to find new food, but it is too hard so he has

to go to Black Bear and plead for food for his starving family, Black Bear laughs and with the

swipe of his paw, sends Father Badger flying. Badger, angered about this, goes home and prays.

Immediately following the prayer, the “avenger” is sent to help Father Badger with his

complications. The “avenger” and Father Badger set of to get meat from Black Bear.

As Father Badger and the “avenger” approach Black Bear within seeing distance, black

bear notices the avenger’s bow and arrow and immediately offers fresh meat. Although Black

Bear has offered meat to Badger, the avenger is not pleased with Bear’s actions. He tells Black

Bear to take his family and leave Badger’s home for him and his family to move back into. Black

Bear, fearful of the avenger, does so and scampers back into the forest leaving the family of

badgers in their exquisite, well deserved home.

1. Vikings- People from Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Lived in harsh, cold climates, and were very brutal

2. Ginnungagap- A dark void that lies between Muspelheim and Niflheim

3. Nifleheim- Land of fog and ice; It is to top of the Yggdrasill, the World Ash tree

4. Muspellheim- Land of fire, which is protected by Surt, a giant guard

5. Yggdrasil- The World Ash Tree which connects all three worlds

6. Asgard- Home of the gods

7. Midgard- Land of man

8. Hel- Home of the dead

9. Bifrost Bridge- A divine bridge that links the humans and gods; It is usually portrayed as a rainbow

10. Ymir- Evil, wild, fierce frost giant; stole Thor’s hammer and was later killed by Thor because of it

11. Odin- One of the first Norse Deities; He was the oldest and wisest brother

12. Frigg- Frigg was the wife of Odin and the mother of all gods

13. The Valkyries- Odins daughters; They were the choosers of the slain and hero selectors

14. The Norns- Fate maidens who decided peoples fate

15. Thor- The strongest son of Odin; He was the god of thunder, battle and fertility

16. Balder- Beloved son of Odin; god of radiance, rebirth, justice, and light

17. Njord- A male deity; god of the wind and the sea

18. Frey- Son of Njord; god of fertility, prosperity, and the sun and moon; married his sister Freya

19. Freya- Daughter of Njord; goddess of love, fertility, beauty, magic, war, and death

20. Idunn- Odin’s daughter-in-law; goddess of youth and keeper of the golden apples(youth)

21. Loki- Son of giants; half blood god, trickster, evil, and has many disguises

22. Fenrir- “The World Destroyer” (Loki’s child)

23. Jormungandr- “World Serpent” (Loki’s child)

24. Ragnarok- “Doomsday”; Final Battle; Loki and his children VS. The gods of Asgard and the humans

25. Runes- Characters or symbols used in alphabets used by Old Norse people

Alter, Joel. “Cartoon Badger.” Sketch. 11 November 11, 2008.


“The Badger and the Bear.” Old Indian Legends. 6 November 2008

1. A myth is a legend, religious belief, spiritual values of a culture, worldview, oral tradition, or a legend. An example of a myth would be the story of Demeter and Persephone.

2. A hero is someone who models human behavior for their society, earns lasting fame, and performs great deeds for the benefits of others. An example of a hero would be Prometheus.

3. Hero journey is hero’s road of trials, battles, and obstacles. A hero journey involves transformation. A boon/gift, an ultimate battle, companions, and guides. An example of a hero journey would be the story of Hercules and his twelve labors.

4. Universal is the big picture and applies to all. It can describe an ordinary human with a special characteristic that sets him, not just a hero. The idea of duality can be an example of universal. The fact to both good and evil exist.

5. The original model or a structure/foundation can be used to describe archetypal. An example or archetypal would be the three archetypal images of creation. The world begins as either and egg, watery abyss, or void.

6. Cyclical is the repetitiveness, following of a continuous pattern, or a cycle of a hero journey. An example would be any hero journey. They all follow a cyclical pattern and constantly repeat that cycle.

7. Duality is the quality of opposites in a whole. Good and evil existing at the same time fits the idea of duality.

8. Creation is the starting of something new. An example of creation the beginning of all creation myths. The story begins with the world portrayed as one of the three archetypal images and being created.

9. The studies of the world/universe is the definition of cosmology. The big bang theory, or any other theories of how the world came into being, would be an example of cosmology.

10. Life from death is the fact that death creates life. For example sacrificing one life for the lives of many, making sacrifices to gods, or in some Greek myths, when gods died, their body was used to create different features of the world.

11. Matriarchal is the foundation of female power. The mother is the main focus. An example of matriarchal would be the story of Tiamat.

12. The foundation of male power where the male is in charge is considered patriarchal. Greek mythology is an example of partriarchal because Zeus is dominant god.

13. Any tribute to a god or giving something up for the common good would be a sacrifice. For example, in the Christian religion Jesus sacrificed his life for the common good of everyone in the world.

Cupid and Psyche

Trust! A large factor in the love and adventure myth of Cupid and Psyche. The story told by Apuleius of Cupid and Psyche is that of two people, Cupid a god, and Psyche, a mortal, who fall in love, but because of certain circumstances are separated. Even though they get set apart from each other, love is the greater force and the two are destined to be together.

On a natural level, Cupid is the god of love. By the simplest prick of one of his arrows, one would fall madly in love. Psyche on the other hand was mortal, but was very beautiful. Some men say her beauty could surpass that of Venus herself. This angered Venus and she sought help from her son Cupid. She ordered him to use his power to make Psyche fall madly in love with a horrible, ugly creature. Cupid agrees, but when his eyes first lay upon Psyche it is love at first sight. Because of Psyche’s beauty, Cupid cannot carry out the horrible deed. Psyche never fell in love. Instead, men just came to gaze and worship then move on the marry someone else.

Meanwhile, Psyche’s father was ordered to place her on a hill for her taking by a vile serpent. So it was done and she was set there unknowing of her terrible fate to come. Time passes and no serpent came. Instead, she was carried off by Zephyr, a warm wind that moved her to a luscious field. Psyche fell asleep and awoke on a riverbank that passed in front of a temple fit for a god. Psyche, very curious, heard a voice that spoke to her throughout the day and welcomed her into the house, offered her food, and offered a bath. The voice gave Psyche an eerie, but very much welcomed companionship, maybe that of which a husband would give. That night, Psyche finally got her wish. Psyche felt the long desired touch of her husband climbing in bed. There was a twist though. Psyche never physically saw her husband, but only had the company of his voice during the day and his warmth at night when it was dark. Cupid counted on Psyche’s trust and told her that she must trust him and that if she did not, he would surely flee leaving Psyche forever.

Psyche longed to see her sisters and felt for their grief. Psyche begged Cupid to let her see them. After giving in, Psyche met with the sisters. Her sisters got jealous of the wonderful life their younger sister was living. They convinced her that maybe the reason she was never aloud to see him, because he was a monster. Psyche, overwhelmed with terror second-guessed her husband, she needed to see him. Losing trust in Cupid, she plotted to see her husband that night. When Cupid lay there asleep, Psyche crept up and lit a lamp. When she saw a beautiful young man laying there asleep she felt a streak of relief. However in doing so, Psyche spilled hot oil on Cupid. He awoke and fled, disappointed in losing the trust he had in Psyche. Psyche, disappointed in herself and in the loss of Cupid, whom she greatly cared for, realized what terrible thing she did was determined to get Cupid back, even if it ment searching for him for the rest of her life. So she sets off to go see Venus, Cupids mother. Venus is very upset and gives Psyche multiple almost impossible tasks to complete. Psyche goes to great measures for the one she loves and completes each task. Eventually, Cupid and Psyche are reunited and married. Psyche is made immortal and the love between the two was forever present.

The story of Cupid and Psyche is a great myth to read, and if you pick it apart it has many meanings hidden deep down. Next time you find yourself reading a myth, novel, or any other story, you should consider getting deeper into the story and evaluate it on the three levels of natural, social, and psychological. You may learn something new.