I love myths and legends of all kinds. From the ancient myths of Mu and Atlantis, to Egyptian, Roman and Greek gods and the Arthurian Legends. I cherish myths, fairy tales and legends from all times and every country; American Indian stories and legend, Chinese folklore and legends, Hindu stories about their gods. There is no limit to the scope of writing material that will be accepted for this contest as long as it is based on Ancient myths and legends, a fairy tale or folk tales.
The challenge and the kicker is going to be; that I want you to choose a myth or legend that you identify with, and put yourself into the legend. You can write in any person, (first, second or third). In your Author’s Notes I want you to explain briefly why you picked this particular legend/story/myth, and how it relates to your life. Only say what you feel comfortable with. You can get as personal, or indirect as you like. I understand.
I know you may be wondering by now, why I am doing this. It is my belief that there is incredible power and creativity that can be tapped through myth and legend, and that they are archetypes of ourselves in many ways. There are also powerful lessons to be learned from them. I challenge you to tap into this creative power and allow your wonderful creativity to flow.
Any style of writing is acceptable. I ask that you keep the content appropriate for general viewing as this Contest is open to all ages. If you think that your write may be upsetting or triggering to some readers, please place a warning in the beginning of your write. Pre-writes will be accepted, however truthfully, I am looking for new material to read, and this is a creative writing workshop.
Best wishes and good luck!
Your write does not have to be a tragic soap opera either. Although I like those, and some of us do have lives that are like that. Light and happy is nice also. There are many myths and legends that had happy ending. Fairy tales can be considered myths also. Use your imagination, open your mind, and do research. I am looking forward to your entries!
For a couple of examples of what I am looking for, go to;
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3926711
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3581352
This is not meant to limit you, but just to give you ideas.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on March 16, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 400, Silver: 300, Bronze: 200, Honorable mention: 15 people
- Final notes: I asked all of you for mythology with a twist, and you really socked it to me! I was very impressed by all of your entries, and many of you came up with some really unique and creative material with a different way of applying and perceiving mythology. It was enjoyable reading and I learned a lot from reading all of your fabulous writes.
Because there was such an abundance of excellent entries in this contest, it was difficult to decide which ones would be the final winners. I apologize for taking so long to judge. Ultimately, I went with the material that impressed me and stuck with me the most. What had the greatest influence, insight, oversight, ambience and applied the myth/story in a thought-provoking and interesting way. The entries that were still playing through my mind and echoing with fond recollection, long after first reading them, are the ones that I finally decided upon as the winners.
Objectivity in judging this contest was not my goal, but how each one of you subjectively influenced and moved me through your write. I re-read all of your writes again before my final judgment and relished it thoroughly. You are all gifted with incredible minds and talent. I wished that I could give more than one trophy in each category because certainly there was more than one that deserved it. All of you deserved an honorable mention, at the very least, and I wished I could do this and more. After the winners, the list is not in order of my favorites but most are in the chronological order as they were entered into the contest. I was glad to comment personally on each one of you.
“Heading Towards Hope” - won the gold for me, because it took an uncommon theme in western mythology, deriving the story from eastern mythology, namely Hinduism. The interpretation of this, my favorite Hindu Deity, Ganesh, blew me away, and provided a step forward in my consciousness. I was awed by the profoundness, beauty and humility of this write. While many of your stories moved me deeply, this one actually shifted my consciousness. It contained both meaningful, inspirational and unique applications, written in a purity and sweetness of the heart and soul that is reflected in the words of the poet who wrote it.
Gifts of the Faery, Part II
I awarded Gifts of the Faery, Part II because it reached deep into my sense of profound honor and respect for Nature and all of Creation. Not only did it express stunning wisdom, but it also reflected an eloquent poetic style of it’s own. It is filled with ancient knowledge and powers that are for the Light and bringing humanity to a higher level of hope for the ultimate transformation of humankind and our Earth Mother!
Lemuria's Sacred Contract - Video Slam
Not only is this a beautifully written poem but it struck a chord that resonates far within the innermost essence of my being for I have always felt a special connection to Lemuria and long to be reunited with her. This is my hope for all of humanity, for “Lemuria” or the lost continent of Mu, (the motherland), is analogous with Paradise of earth. She was the original motherland of Atlantis and Egypt. They were her colonies. Lemuria sank beneath the ocean in the world‘s last great worldwide cataclysm. Mu existed in the Pacific ocean, and the Pacific islands, Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands, are all remnants of her. This was over 20,000 years ago. Many believe that she will rise again, at least in the collective heart and soul of all humanity. This poem described my feelings in a way that I could not do much better myself - a twin reflection of my sentiments and my hope for us all of us!
The Honorable mentions - I will talk about a few of them. Since I commented on all of your entries, you already know how I reacted to your work, but here are a few of the HM’s that I want to give further “honorable mention to“. I wish that I could do so for all of them, but these stood out the most in my mind.
“Kalpa ” won an honorable mention because it reflected an overview of the Cosmos on a grand and astronomical scale. Not only was it eloquently written, but it impressed me with the deeper wisdom and perspective that was reflected therein, by giving one of the most developed and accurate views of the creation of the universe(s) and the dissolution that occurs over and over. It is the Hindu creation myth, that more and more, fits into the most advanced theories of physics and astronomy, (and the Vedic people came to this conclusion thousands of years ago, through spiritual practices!)
Orphee's Heartstrings - expressed the pain and suffering of Orpheus so well.
wow how in the world did i come up with this??? Very clever imagery and it was refreshingly spontaneous.
Sacrifice with Creation - The ancient myth of a god sacrificing himself for the benefit of humanity carried forward to humanity helping humanity!
Gasping - Had beautiful imagery and it reflected the tragic fate of both Narcissus and Echo in such a haunting way
Lost Messiah - struck a chord with me, because it bravely stated how the most important messages of Jesus have been lost, to love ourselves and one another. I think Jesus is quoted to have said, “…love your neighbor as yourself,” among many other references to love. Another one is, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
Lucifer’s Sword - was another really courageous write in that it gave the perspective of the necessity of evil and the role of opposites.
Untitled - was fresh and different. I was hoping that someone would write something based on Chinese legend and mythology. It is beautiful, rich, varied and ancient. This was a good job at tackling this creation myth.
Poisoned Prophesies - impressed me because it expressed the dilemma of a seer.
..With a flying centaur... An exciting and enchanting poem about a mythological creature with wings taking one everywhere and anywhere in the Universe.
The Reflection Looks Back - Was a wonderful interpretation of the Narcissus Myth.
Star Garden - Thought-provoking with a lovely play on words.
Nyquil Dreams - Because who is to say what is the true reality?
"Plus DOCS changent..." - Another great play and twist on the age-old Cinderella story, told from the view point of the Fairy God Mother. Very clever and fun!
Rick Rubens, Prometheus - I liked this one because it was clever and portrays modern day fire-givers.
I could go on and on - and I wish that I could recap all of the entries which I have read over and relished. You were all great and like I said, you all deserved a trophy; every one of you! Thank you for putting all of your creative minds here in the contest for me to savor. All of you is exquisitely and uniquely talented. Keep writing and thinking because not only are you people good poets, many of you are amazing philosophers as well. That means, that you are seekers of the truth. That is what a philosopher does. Blessings!
Contest Winners
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by one shot 44 lines, 8 comments, on Jan 28 11:42 AM 2008. In Love, poem, melancholy
Honorable mention
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a broken birds egg and you come a sprinkle fairy dust• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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Void-
gaping, encompassing, unending.• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
by PersephoneInWinter 48 lines, 8 comments, on Mar 1 10:52 PM 2008. In Personal, mythology Honorable mention
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I came to this world in mind body and soul With a tale, with a twist, that I taught• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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Darkness....pure, unstatured blackness....nothing to see, hear, or feel....
[Am I dead?] An almost silky voice said, breaking out across tby King Nothing 16 lines, 4 comments, on Feb 28 9:56 PM 2008. In Thoughts, Freewrite Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3938623, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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by lyrical-rebel 46 lines, 56 comments, on Apr 21 10:47 AM 2006. In Fantasy, Nature Honorable mention
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recollecting how I
became absorbed• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
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This fever has weakened me and so in my desperation I drink heartily from the cup of this Nyquil potion. I shiver as icy fingers brush gentby Fritz O skennick 127 lines, 13 comments, on Feb 1 9:58 PM 2008. In Fantasy, Dark, Weird, Flu., Prose. Honorable mention
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• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [39]
1 - 39 of 39
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when Icarus fell, he drowned in the sea the idea of water on the brain being connected to insanity is old loreby Matt Holck 19 lines, 4 comments, on Feb 17 1:27 AM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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But what if her steed be wolf or raven
And her mission be the sodliers' doom?• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
by Raazi 31 lines, 9 comments, on Jun 23 11:02 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Her wings bright and shining Colors blending together• Commented on by judge.
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A feather of her wing fluttering, floating through the skyby Phlegm 16 lines, 3 comments, on Feb 21 1:22 AM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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Krishna,
a beautiful dark-skinned nightby Raazi 26 lines, 8 comments, on Aug 11 6:39 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
by Raazi 29 lines, 16 comments, on Jul 5 6:23 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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The nightingale flutters its wings,
soft down contrasting with razor sharp claws.by Misery into Melody 32 lines, 3 comments, on Feb 20 11:06 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
It is the motion of the steppe Endless oceans of shimmering grassby LostPriest 26 lines, 2 comments, on Feb 26 11:14 PM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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They say history repeats itself,
of mighty wars and broken love,by Misery into Melody 20 lines, 2 comments, on Feb 28 5:22 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
Didn’t I dare to dream-
to rise above the sodden earthby Everwind Rising 49 lines, 28 comments, on Feb 25 9:20 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
• Commented on by judge.
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Thisbe and Pyramus were lovers true
meeting in secret was all they could do,• Commented on by judge. -
by Vera Rich 16 lines, 19 comments, on Dec 20 2:38 AM 2005. In Contemporary• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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The blue night sky, / turned gray with smoke / from the ashes of another... / Calypso, Mother of the sea / Protector of the Heart / The brby DistilledMoonlight 34 lines, 3 comments, on Jul 31 11:25 AM 2007. In Love, Thoughts, My own style• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Awaken my senses, tantalize my brain,
Make my beg you for promise of rain,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
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The box I have is one I need
It fills me with consumptuous greedby notallowedtocry 31 lines, 2 comments, on Mar 5 11:55 AM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
he conned me into his bed told me he loved meby DaughterxXxofxXxNyx 25 lines, 2 comments, on Mar 5 1:54 PM 2008• Commented on by judge.
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
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good luck with this hunni
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i can't believe I'm the only one to enter ...that sucks hardcore
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Thanks sweetie! I am still working out the kinks.
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GIve them time. They will come around. I am looking for quality here, not the amount of entries.
Thanks for your support. -
excellent idea for a contest!
bookmarked
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Thank you! I look forward to your entry.
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agh! i love the contest, but my muse is gone! i hope that i can come up with something
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haha. i was totally about to write one about icarus. but i noticed there are already a few of them up here.
i'll think about entering.
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Do you have any restrictions on length?
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good luck this just isn't my field of talent.
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Sorry hun,really wanted to enter,yet mind is blank...maybe the next go around...
Blessings
~Cheryl~ -
I can't wait to get started on this!
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Wow! I wish I'd come across this sooner. Never mind. I still have three days to write something. I'm definitely entering this. Excellent, excellent idea for a contest! Bookmarking it. Will be back soon.
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By the way, I love your AP face. Lord Ganesha is one of the most fascinating dieties. Ever.
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I asked all of you for mythology with a twist, and you really socked it to me! I was very impressed by all of your entries, and many of you came up with some really unique and creative material with a different way of applying and perceiving mythology. It was enjoyable reading and I learned a lot from reading all of your fabulous writes.
Because there was such an abundance of excellent entries in this contest, it was difficult to decide which ones would be the final winners. I apologize for taking so long to judge. Ultimately, I went with the material that impressed me and stuck with me the most. What had the greatest influence, insight, oversight, ambience and applied the myth/story in a thought-provoking and interesting way. The entries that were still playing through my mind and echoing with fond recollection, long after first reading them, are the ones that I finally decided upon as the winners.
Objectivity in judging this contest was not my goal, but how each one of you subjectively influenced and moved me through your write. I re-read all of your writes again before my final judgment and relished it thoroughly. You are all gifted with incredible minds and talent. I wished that I could give more than one trophy in each category because certainly there was more than one that deserved it. All of you deserved an honorable mention, at the very least, and I wished I could do this and more. After the winners, the list is not in order of my favorites but most are in the chronological order as they were entered into the contest. I was glad to comment personally on each one of you.
“Heading Towards Hope” - won the gold for me, because it took an uncommon theme in western mythology, deriving the story from eastern mythology, namely Hinduism. The interpretation of this, my favorite Hindu Deity, Ganesh, blew me away, and provided a step forward in my consciousness. I was awed by the profoundness, beauty and humility of this write. While many of your stories moved me deeply, this one actually shifted my consciousness. It contained both meaningful, inspirational and unique applications, written in a purity and sweetness of the heart and soul that is reflected in the words of the poet who wrote it.
"Gifts of the Faery, Part II "
I awarded "Gifts of the Faery, Part II" because it reached deep into my sense of profound honor and respect for Nature and all of Creation. Not only did it express stunning wisdom, but it also reflected an eloquent poetic style of it’s own. It is filled with ancient knowledge and powers that are for the Light and bringing humanity to a higher level of hope for the ultimate transformation of humankind and our Earth Mother!
"Lemuria's Sacred Contract - Video Slam"
Not only is this a beautifully written poem but it struck a chord that resonates far within the innermost essence of my being for I have always felt a special connection to Lemuria and long to be reunited with her. This is my hope for all of humanity, for “Lemuria” or the lost continent of Mu, (the motherland), is analogous with Paradise of earth. She was the original motherland of Atlantis and Egypt. They were her colonies. Lemuria sank beneath the ocean in the world‘s last great worldwide cataclysm. Mu existed in the Pacific ocean, and the Pacific islands, Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands, are all remnants of her. This was over 20,000 years ago. Many believe that she will rise again, at least in the collective heart and soul of all humanity. This poem described my feelings in a way that I could not do much better myself - a twin reflection of my sentiments and my hope for us all of us!
The Honorable mentions - I will talk about a few of them. Since I commented on all of your entries, you already know how I reacted to your work, but here are a few of the HM’s that I want to give further “honorable mention to“. I wish that I could do so for all of them, but these stood out the most in my mind.
“Kalpa ” won an honorable mention because it reflected an overview of the Cosmos on a grand and astronomical scale. Not only was it eloquently written, but it impressed me with the deeper wisdom and perspective that was reflected therein, by giving one of the most developed and accurate views of the creation of the universe(s) and the dissolution that occurs over and over. It is the Hindu creation myth, that more and more, fits into the most advanced theories of physics and astronomy, (and the Vedic people came to this conclusion thousands of years ago, through spiritual practices!)
"Orphee's Heartstrings" - expressed the pain and suffering of Orpheus so well.
"wow how in the world did i come up with this??? " Very clever imagery and it was refreshingly spontaneous.
"Sacrifice with Creation " - The ancient myth of a god sacrificing himself for the benefit of humanity carried forward to humanity helping humanity!
"Gasping" - Had beautiful imagery and it reflected the tragic fate of both Narcissus and Echo in such a haunting way
"Lost Messiah" - struck a chord with me, because it bravely stated how the most important messages of Jesus have been lost, to love ourselves and one another. I think Jesus is quoted to have said, “…love your neighbor as yourself,” among many other references to love. Another one is, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
"Lucifer’s Sword " - was another really courageous write in that it gave the perspective of the necessity of evil and the role of opposites.
"Untitled" - was fresh and different. I was hoping that someone would write something based on Chinese legend and mythology. It is beautiful, rich, varied and ancient. This was a good job at tackling this creation myth.
"Poisoned Prophesies" - impressed me because it expressed the dilemma of a seer.
"..With a flying centaur..."- An exciting and enchanting poem about a mythological creature with wings taking one everywhere and anywhere in the Universe.
"The Reflection Looks Back" - Was a wonderful interpretation of the Narcissus Myth.
"Star Garden" - Thought-provoking with a lovely play on words.
"Nyquil Dreams, (The Call of Avalon)" - Because who is to say what is the true reality?
"Plus DOCS changent..." - Another great play and twist on the age-old Cinderella story, told from the view point of the Fairy God Mother. Very clever and fun!
"Rick Rubens, Prometheus" - I liked this one because it was clever and portrays modern day fire-givers.
I could go on and on - and I wish that I could recap all of the entries which I have read over and relished. You were all great and like I said, you all deserved a trophy; every one of you! Thank you for putting all of your creative minds here in the contest for me to savor. All of you is exquisitely and uniquely talented. Keep writing and thinking because not only are you people good poets, many of you are amazing philosophers as well. That means, that you are seekers of the truth. That is what a philosopher does. Blessings! -
thank you so much for the silver trophy and your generous gift of points in your most inspiring contest ...
heartfelt congratulations to all the other poets ...
much love to all,
maa
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Thanks
Thank you so much... You definitely made this contest great and were very involved... I'm glad I was a part of this Thank you also for what you said on my poem, yes I do believe it is Orpheus in English but - living in France - I knew him as "Orphée" pronounced "Orphay" and I liked it that way. I wrote the piece some time ago and indeed it is one I particularly like... Not because of the way it was written (let's face it, not exactly a masterpiece ^^) but because of the feelings I was having at that specific point in my life... I'm happy you've perceived them. Thank you and congratulations to all the poets!
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