Let me share with you how the world was created according to the Basques, and then you will understand why Amalur needs the Joaldunaks. Like other ancient beliefs, you will find different versions all around the Basque Country—and all of them are true! Foolish people who don't believe in them, call them legends.

The long, dark winter was longer and darker than most of us can recall. The signs that we are on the other side of it may be small things—wisps of hyacinth in the air, grass growing out of control—but in a world-wide pandemic, we can use all the hopeful signs that nature can put out. It could not be more fitting that our monthly theme for April is “Rebirth.” There are so many ways in which this theme can apply to every person these days.

The American Myth was still alive in my mind until, married to an American, I finally visited the States and slowly, by living there, came to realize how much that myth—like all myths—existed more as a vehicle for escapism from the pains of daily life. And despite its power and influence over popular culture, it didn’t necessarily correspond to reality. 

As you travel around Scotland you may spot a very strange sight that is likely to stop you in your tracks: hundreds of strips of cloth—or cloots as they’re known in Scotland—tied to the branches of trees. These are called Clootie Wells and are places of pilgrimage that link us to Celtic ancestors over countless generations. 

Travel being a significant expense for most people, gives us incentive to find a return on our time and money. It’s helpful to examine the biases that hooked me to the story, to crack them open, and call them out. Myths and legends work this way: they require not just a willing believer, but a wanting one too. They are very much chicken and egg.

One of the most storied areas in the Czech Republic are the Krkonoše Mountains, on the border with Poland. Krkonoš is the Czech name for the famous local mountain spirit, also known by his German moniker Rübezahl... who sometimes takes the form of a giant.

From the stories and legends evolved a unique set of superstitions that existed to give protection to people and the things they held dear. We might scoff at them today, but imagine a time, not so long ago, when life was so hard and tenuous that your very survival might depend on a good harvest or an easy childbirth. It’s easier to understand how these beliefs could become so deep-rooted and firmly held.   

The mayor of Dronero, not knowing what to do anymore, decided to ask the devil for help: "Devil, can you build a bridge for us that the waters of the stream do not carry away?" "Certainly, I can, but in return, the first soul that crosses the bridge is mine."