Tales of mighty warriors
Scaly dragons and knights in armor. . .magic swords and magic spells. .
.great battles and deeds of courage! Nearly every part of the world has
stories filled with such things—tales of mighty warriors who lived
long ago and had wonderful adventures.
From England comes the story of King Arthur and his magic sword,
Excalibur. Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table fought against
evil.
In Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, stories tell of a hero named
Siegfried, or Sigurd. He killed the terrible dragon Fafnir. Then he
freed the maiden Brunhilde from the ring of magic fire.
The people of Iran have the story of Rustem, who spent his life fighting
his country’s enemies. From Spain comes the hero called El Cid. He
helped to drive invaders from Africa out of Spain. And France has the
story of Roland and the knights of King Charlemagne.
For hundreds of years minstrels and storytellers sang and told stories
about heroes in palaces and market places. Today, we hear these tales
from the storyteller at the library, or read them in books. Through
them, we share the adventures, joys, and sorrows of the hero. And we
also discover the importance of courage, honor, and duty.
England
This scene from the story of King Arthur was painted by the American
artist N. C. Wyeth. Many countries have such legends.
