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Monday, April 26, 2021

Tarot Tales: V is for Victory (The Chariot)

Welcome to the 2021 A to Z Blogging Challenge! My theme this year is Tarot Tales. I am making a selection of folktales, legends, and other traditional stories that correspond to tarot cards. Storytelling and tarot go well together. Do other stories come to mind? Let me know in the comments!


The card: The Chariot

Meanings: This card is about being in control. It symbolizes willpower and confidence to stay on task, stay on course, follow through, and work towards a goal with passion and focus. It is about driving through obstacles, not being distracted, standing up for yourself, and standing by your decisions. It is a card about being assertive and stepping up. It's a "this is a hill I'm willing to die on" type thing.

Selection process: I was tempted to pick some tales from Celtic traditions again, but decided the series needed to be less Eurocentric. I wanted a story that symbolized both focus and perseverance, and featured a form of transportation, even if not a chariot.

The story: Behula

Origin: Bangladesh

Summary:
This story is still told today, and is the topic of several epics. Mansa Devi, a snake goddess worshiped by a "lower caste" of snake charmers, wants to rise into the higher echelon of deities. For this she needs to receive a divine offering from the hand of a rich merchant. She tries to bribe one to worship her, promising untold riches, but he refuses. In revenge, Mansa Devi sends a venomous snake which kills the merchant's son on his wedding night. Since snakebitten corpses can't be cremated, the mourning family puts the body in a ship, sending him down the river to be devoured by crocodiles and fish. 
However, the young bride Behula loves her husband so much even in death that she decides to accompany him on his last journey (despite the family trying to dissuade her). She gets into the boat, and sets out down the river with the body of her husband. As she travels, she goes through many dangers - crocodiles, storms, wind, rain, torrential waters, robbers, witches, nothing can stop her journey. Eventually the gods take notice, and Parvati, wife of Shiva starts demanding they should revive the husband, because she is worried the faithful Behula would become an even greater goddess than her. The gods have a council, and order Mansa Devi to revive the young man. In exchange, his father worships the minor goddess, and she gains her place in the Heavens.
(In some other versions, Behula actually visits and convinces the gods to revive her husband.)

Sources & notes: Read it in this book. The story also has its own Wiki page.

Runner-ups: I have already blogged about Loktanur, the woman who invented the first sails in Marshallese legend. I was also considering Eachtach's Revenge, a sequel to the famous Irish love story of Diamruid nad Gráinne. The daughter of the tragic lovers grows up and wages war on Fionn, who caused her father's death. She is such a force of nature that she breaks Fionn's magic shield which is supposed to be unbreakable.

What is the cause or mission you are most passionate about?

9 comments:

  1. That story's a new one on me. I like it!

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  2. That's an interesting story, plus I learned that snake bite victims cannot be cremated. That led me on a search to find out why. That in itself was interesting.
    I am passionate about women's health access. I only refrain from yelling at the protesters downtown because I promised my son I wouldn't (when he's with me). I get angry their signs contain lies, and the images are so gory and gruesome and also fabricated (and kids see them!). Also, wearing masks. Again, my son worries I'll get into it with the wrong people. My state, Oregon, is now doing the worst of all 50 states as far as COVID cases! Idiots. Animal welfare too.

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  3. I like today's story -- haven't heard it before.

    Ronel visiting for the A-Z Challenge with an A-Z of Faerie: Keeper of the Veil

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  4. The type of art work that you've used to illustrate this story is used as a story-telling tool in parts of Bengal.
    Although I've been to a temple dedicated to Mansa Devi (near Haridwar) I didn't know this story. Good tale of resilience.
    After reading about the card, the victory song--'sweet chariot coming forth to carry me home' makes even more sense:)
    Cheers.

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  5. This is a great tale to illustrate the chariot card, and I'm doubly appreciative because snake goddesses have become a recent focus of my attention. A tip of the hat for sending me in this yet unexplored direction. I'm passionate about many issues, but human rights, particularly freedom from trafficking, is a major focus.

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  6. I understand the young wife's grief and perseverance and why the gods rewarded her by reviving her husband. But why the snake goddess benefited? She doesn't deserve it. She caused the young man's death out of spite.

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  7. True love and devotion often continue after death!

    I'm most passionate about animal rights, women's rights, and Native American rights, representation, and education. If I'm ever in a position to do so, I want to make regular contributions to the Indian College Fund.

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  8. I'm not sure how I feel about the moral of this story, but it is still a pretty great story.

    Anne from annehiga.com

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