你不知道的事:十大令人驚奇的神話珍寶(多圖)

Mythology is an amazing thing-within it there are endless amounts of stories and myths, and many have seeped into our common perception of culture. The best stories, however, are the treasures, the devices and gifts that men spend their lives searching for in the name of glory, honor, and adventure. Unfortunately, some of them end up dying at the hands of killer rabbits and black beasts (I'm looking at you King Arthur). So, in the name of all things glorious and rabbit-like, let’s tell the stories of 10 mythological treasures.
神話——包含數不清的故事和傳說，本身就是一個傳奇。在潛移默化中，許多神話已經成爲我們文化共識的一部分。然而，最好的故事總是和寶藏相關的。人們以聲望、榮譽和冒險爲名，窮盡終生，只爲一探這些來自上天的寶具和禮物。其中一部分人最終死在了殺人兔子和黑色猛獸的手下（亞瑟王躺槍，這個典故來自著名的惡搞電影《巨蟒與聖盃》，亞瑟王與圓桌騎士在城堡中大戰殺人兔子和黑色猛獸）。因此，以所有關乎榮譽和像兔子一樣萌萌噠的事物爲名，讓我們說一說神話中出現的十大珍寶。

10、The Mead Of Poetry
詩人的蜂蜜酒
Norse Mythology
挪威神話

We all like a fine drink every now and then, but when you're a god, you can't just have any mortal liquor. The Norse pantheon has a very strange drink indeed—the Mead of Poetry. The story behind the mead goes that there was once a man named Kvasir, a human forged from divine spit who was the smartest man in the known world. One day, Kvasir was killed by two dwarves who, in their jealousy, made from his blood a fine mead that granted anyone who drank it Kvasir's intelligence
我們常常想要來一杯美酒，但是如果你是個神，你就不能喝那些凡人的酒了。挪威諸神有一種非常奇怪的酒——詩人的蜂蜜酒。在這個蜂蜜酒背後的故事是：曾經有一個叫Kvasir的智者，他由衆神的唾沫所生，註定成爲已知世界中最聰明的人。終於有一天，他被兩個矮人所殺。出於嫉妒，這兩個矮人將他的血轉化成一種美妙的蜂蜜酒，喝下它的人將被給予Kvasir的智慧。

Eventually, the mead came into the ownership of the giant Suttung, who was tricked out of the mead by the king of the gods, Odin. Odin, on his journey back to Asgard, lost some of the mead (by regurgitation) from Asgard and it fell to Midgard, our world. Anyone who was touched by the mead became the terrible poets and scholars, while the greatest were the ones doused with the mead by Odin personally.
最終，這種蜂蜜酒歸於火焰巨人Suttung之手，但是火焰巨人被衆神之王奧丁所騙，蜂蜜酒被奧丁奪走（喝到了肚子裏）。奧丁在返回神域途中，因爲反芻吐出了一些酒，這些酒落到了人類之國，也就是我們的世界當中。所有被這些蜂蜜酒淋到的人類都變成了糟糕的詩人和學者，而真正偉大的詩人都是被奧丁親自用蜂蜜酒洗滌過的人。

9、Necropants
人皮長褲
Icelandic Folklore
冰島的民間傳說

If you're familiar with Icelandic mythology, you know that the Necropants are a weird tidbit of Icelandic folklore that tie into the country's beliefs about witchcraft. To obtain this fine pair of legwear, you have to be a witch first. After that, you must obtain the permission of a man to get his flesh after he has passed from this realm. That's when the real fun begins.
如果你熟悉冰島神話，你就會知道"人皮長褲"是冰島民間傳說中一個聯繫着整個國家對巫術信仰的奇怪趣聞。要想得到這條神奇褲子的褲管，就要先成爲一個巫師。在那之後，你必須得到那個即將死去的人的允許來得到他的皮。接着好戲就開始了。

Once the man has died, you must take his corpse and flay the flesh from the waist down in one piece. As soon as you’ve managed that, you put on the skin-pants and then place a single coin stolen from a poor widow into the scrotum. The coin is to be accompanied by a magical seal, which will result in your new scrotum-wallet never running out of money so long as you never lose the original coin.
那個人一旦死去，你就要拿來他的屍體然後從腰部開始把他的皮整塊得剝下來。在你成功之後，就要馬上穿上這條人皮褲子然後把一個從寡婦那裏偷來的硬幣放在陰囊裏。用魔法密封好硬幣之後，你就會有一個全新的陰囊錢包啦！只要你不會不小心丟掉原來硬幣，你就會有永遠用不完的錢了。

8、The Treasures Of Tuatha De Danann
丹努之子的寶藏
Irish Mythology
愛爾蘭神話

In Irish folklore, the Tuatha De Danann were the children of the goddess Dana. The Tuatha De Danann came to Ireland from a distant place not known to man on May Day to grant the people of Ireland sacred knowledge. They arrived with four wise men, each of whom came from four distant cities and each of whom bore a gift for the people.
在愛爾蘭的民間傳說中，丹努之子是女神Dana的子孫。在五朔節那一天，丹努之子從無人知曉的遙遠之地來到愛爾蘭。他們之中有4名智者，分別來自四個遙遠的城市。每個智者都攜帶着一個寶物，作爲愛爾蘭人民的禮物。

The first gift, which came from the city Falias, was the enigmatic Lia Fail, or the Stone of Destiny—a stone that would cry out under the throne of the true king of Ireland. The second artifact came from Gorias, and that gift was the powerful Sword of Light, an unbeatable sword whose story bears some similarities with Excalibur. From the city of Findias came the Spear of Lug, a mighty spear that would be a great gift to any warrior and would keep him safe on the battlefield. The last gift came from the city of Murias, a great cauldron from which no one left unsatisfied when it cooked meals.
第一個寶物來自Falias城，是謎一般的命運之石（Lia Fail），它會在愛爾蘭真正的國王腳下發出歡呼。第二個寶物來自Gorias城，是充滿力量的光明之劍，一把無法被擊敗的劍，有關它的傳說和誓約勝利之劍（Excalibur）的故事類似。第三個寶物來自Findias城，是強大的戰神之矛（Spear of Lug），它是戰士的偉大禮物，會在戰場上保護他的安全。最後一個禮物來自Murias城，一個永不耗盡的大鍋。當用它煮飯時，沒有人會捱餓。

7、The Sibylline Books
西卜林書
Roman Mythology
羅馬神話

The concept of an oracle—someone with the divine sight that lets them see into the future—is a very old one that has roots in all mythologies. The most famous oracle is the Oracle of Delphi, but perhaps you might not have heard of the famous Roman oracular tomes known as the Sibylline Books. The legend of the Sibylline books starts as such—when Tarquinus Superbus was the head of Rome, a mysterious old woman tried to sell him nine rolls of prophecy. Tarquinus, being particularly stingy for a Roman emperor, declined and she then burned three of them. He then said no again to her offer of six, and she promptly burned three more and offered the final three at the exact same price as the original nine. Tarquinus, somehow thinking this was a good deal, finally bought them on advice from his augurs, or the Roman bird-priests.
神諭——某些具有神性的人關於未來的預言，是一個非常古老，在所有神話中都存在的概念。最有名的神諭大概是特爾斐神諭了，但是你可能沒有聽說過著名的羅馬神諭大典——西卜林書。西卜林書的傳說是這樣開頭的：Tarquinus Superbus（羅馬王政時期末代國王，公元前509年被驅逐）在位期間，一個神祕的老婦想要賣給他九卷預言。Tarquinus是一個非常吝嗇的羅馬國王，因而拒絕了她的請求。她隨後燒掉了其中的三卷，然後想將剩下的六卷賣給他，結果又被Tarquinus拒絕了。最後，她又燒掉了三卷，然後提出將剩下的最後三卷以和當初九卷相同的價格賣給他。Tarquinus不知爲何認爲這個買賣很划算，在他的占卜師的建議下，他終於買下了最後的三卷

Upon the scrolls were written prophecies to lead Rome throughout the ages, and all were written in Greek hexameter. Whenever Rome was in crisis, the Sibylline Books were consulted. So, where are these books now? Most of them were burned or lost as the ages went by. No one doubts that Rome was a little too trusting when it came to oracles, but perhaps these books had something else that made them special.
在這些卷軸上，書寫着在未來歲月中指引羅馬前程的預言，它們都是用希臘六韻格詩的形式寫成的。每當國家陷入危機，羅馬人都會翻閱西卜林書以尋求對策之道。不過，現在這些書下落何處？它們中的大多數都被燒掉，或者隨着歲月而消失了。大家都認爲，羅馬人在神諭方面有點太過於輕信了，但是也許在當時這些書還有些不爲人知的地方讓它們顯得如此特別。

6、The Aegis
雅典娜之盾
Greek Mythology
希臘神話

One of the most powerful works of the ancient Greeks is the Iliad, the story of the Trojan War. It is also one of the first recorded records of a mysterious artifact of godly origins known as the aegis. Most scholars are unsure of what the aegis actually was, but it is known that the item, in the hands of the gods, granted its owner protection from any blow or spear. The origins of the aegis are said to lie with Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who created the first aegis from the skin of a giant during the Gigantomachy, the great battle between the Olympians and the giants. When Medusa was slain by the hero Perseus, the Gorgon’s grotesque image was affixed to the aegis, making it a mighty weapon as well as a defense in the field of battle.
《伊利亞特》，即特洛伊木馬的故事，是古希臘人最有震撼力的作品之一。它作爲雅典娜之盾而被人們所熟知，是最早有記錄的關於神的起源的神祕作品之一。大多數學者對於雅典娜之盾到底是什麼還不大清楚，但是可以確定的是這件物品是在諸神手中的，它能使它的主人抵擋矛和拳頭攻擊。雅典娜之盾的來源是智慧之神雅典娜，她在諸神和巨人的戰鬥——巨人之戰中，用一塊巨人的皮膚創造出了第一塊雅典娜之盾。當美杜莎被英雄珀耳修斯殺死的時候，戈耳工奇怪的臉被印在了雅典娜之盾上，使雅典娜之盾在戰場上成爲一個攻守兼備的強大武器。

5、The Axe Of Perun
佩倫之斧
Slavic Mythology
斯拉夫神話

Before the arrival of Christianity, the Slavs had their own sets of myths and legends that are still fascinating to this day. The Slavic pantheon is led by Perun, the master of lightning and the king of the Slavic gods who is thought to be similar to the Norse Thor. Perun was seen as a god of justice as well, someone who knew right from wrong in ways no mortal could, and he had a weapon to match that knowledge—the Axe of Perun. Worshipers of Perun were known to wear miniature versions of his axes for good luck, but the great axe itself was supposed to be able to smite the wicked and be called back to Perun at his whim. With the arrival of Christianity, Perun was replaced by St. Elijah, whose duties were similar to that of Perun and who is still honored to this very day.
在基督教誕生以前，斯拉夫人有自己的一套神話與傳說，它們甚至到今天依然十分迷人。佩倫是斯拉夫神話中的雷電之神和衆神之王,和北歐神話中的雷神托爾相似。而且佩倫還是一位正義之神，他有一把佩倫之斧，可以幫助他分辨是非。佩倫的崇拜者常常會佩帶一把縮小的佩倫之斧以祈求幸運。他們認爲佩倫之斧可以打擊惡人並可以並可隨時由佩倫召回。基督教誕生以後，佩倫的地位被另一位職責相似的神——聖伊利亞代替，並被崇拜至今。

4、Agimat
護身寶符
Filipino Mythology
菲律賓神話

The Agimat, also known as the Anting-Anting, is probably one of the few mythological items you can own. The Agimat is a folk amulet from the Philippines that’s said to bestow mystical powers upon its wearer, and its power is said to be renewed on Good Friday. The Agimat is said to have a multitude of powers, ranging from invisibility to the ability to survive in the wild for days on end to freedom from all pain and danger.
護身寶符（Agimat），也被稱作“Anting-Anting”，大概是少數你能實際擁有的神話物品之一。護身寶符是一種來自菲律賓民間的護身符，據說能夠授予佩戴者謎一樣的能力。據說，在耶穌受難日那天，它的能力會被重續。護身寶符據說擁有許多能力，包括隱身，野外生存多日，遠離所有痛苦危難等等。

The Agimat is such a pervasive belief in some regions that people who own the amulet will often attempt to injure themselves on Good Friday in order to test out their newfound “powers.” Some, however, say that the Agimat isn’t something that needs to be tested—the act of being a good person alone will save you so long as you hold it.
在菲律賓的某些地區，相信護身寶符的人很普遍。以至於擁有護身寶符的人會經常在耶穌受難日那天自殘以檢驗他們新增的“能力”。然而，另一些人認爲，護身寶符的能力無需檢驗，只要你堅持做個好人，常常行善，護身寶符就會在關鍵時刻搭救你。

3、Kanju And Manju
幹珠和滿珠
Japanese Mythology
日本神話

Like most elements of nature, the legend of the tide jewels, Kanju and Manju, ties back to Japan’s mythological belief in dragons. The legend of the tide jewels is considered a Japanese fairy tale and most of what we know about them comes from a single story, which ties back to the legendary Dragon King.
和大部分自然元素一樣，潮汐寶珠的傳說，也和日本對龍的崇拜有關。潮汐寶珠出自一個日本的神話傳說，我們現在所知道的關於它的一切，其實都是來自於一個和海龍王有關的故事。

Legend says that the Empress of Japan, Jingu, once decided to take over Korea. To help her in her conquest, she sent one of her servants into the nether realms to talk to the Dragon King. She wanted the tide jewels, two relics forged by the Dragon King, which controlled the very seas themselves. He granted the Empress’s request and, with the aid of the relics, they took over Korea. When the invasion was over, she cast the jewels back into the sea, returning them to the Dragon King.
傳說日本的神功皇后打算入侵朝鮮，爲了達成目的，她派了一個下人下到海底，請求龍王賜予它親手鍛造的用於控制大海潮水的潮汐寶珠。龍王答應了皇后的請求，有了寶物相助，日本人於是拿下了朝鮮。侵略結束以後，皇后將寶珠投入大海，還給了龍王。

2、The Eye Of Horus
荷魯斯之眼
Egyptian Mythology
埃及神話
egyptian symbol

Probably one of the most famous Egyptian symbols, the Eye of Horus is mentioned in the Egyptian Book of the Dead and serves as an amulet of protection. It is often combined with the Eye of Ra, which, depending on the circumstance and context, is probably incorrect. The Eye of Horus was said to be a sign of godly power and royal right to the Egyptians, and the symbol was often used as a method of defining their rule and cementing the belief that they were, in fact, gods on Earth.
荷魯斯之眼可能是埃及神話中最著名的象徵之一。根據《埃及亡靈書》中提到荷魯斯之眼被當做護身符來使用。在某些情況和背景之下，人們常常把它和太陽神之眼混爲一談，但事實上這是不正確的。荷魯斯之眼被認爲是上帝力量的一種象徵、埃及王室的權力以及一種他們鞏固法規和加強衆神真的就在我們身邊的這種信仰的方法。

The Egyptians believed that the Eye of Horus would guide the pharaoh in the afterlife. Deceased rulers were often buried with a jeweled version of the eye, known as the wadjet, to make sure they were sent to the afterlife properly. In life, the pharaohs used the Eye as a powerful tool to channel the words of the gods.
埃及人相信荷魯斯之眼會指導法老的來生。已逝的統治者們通常與那些以眼鏡蛇而聞名的寶石作點綴的眼睛一同下葬，以此來保證他們會正確進入來生的輪迴。在活着的時候，法老們把這眼睛當做接受衆神信息有力工具來使用。

1、Gandiva
剛帝神弓
Hindu Mythology
印度神話

The Gandiva is a divine weapon of Hindu mythology, a symbol of the mastery and might of the gods. The Gandiva could be given to mortals for their piety and their devotion to their faith, or if they happened to be demigods of the Hindu pantheon. The Gandiva had the power to smite all evil in its path and was considered a tool for justice. The divine bow was said to be able to defeat 10,000 warriors at once and was only held in the hands of heroes.
剛帝神弓是印度教神話中一件神聖的武器，一種權利統治和神聖力量的象徵。剛帝神弓被賜予那些虔誠的、熱愛他們信仰的，並且有朝一日成爲印度教衆賢中的聖人們。剛帝神弓具有剷除所有邪惡存在的力量，並且被認爲是維護正義的工具。神弓據說可以一次戰勝10000人的軍隊，並且被認爲只有英雄們的雙手纔可以拿起它。The hero Arjuna, the son of

a mortal woman and Indra, the god of war, is said to have been granted the Gandiva by Varuna, the god of water. He used it in battle and war to rule his kingdom wisely and justly. After many years, Arjuna passed on and his grandson became the ruler of his kingdom. On his way to heaven, Arjuna threw the Gandiva back into the sea in order to return it to Varuna, who dwelled in the waters of the world. A fair trade, we’d say.
英雄阿朱那，一名凡人女子和因陀羅的兒子，是戰爭之神，據說從水神伐樓拿那裏得到了剛帝神弓。在戰爭與衝突期間，他使用神弓把王國管理的井井有條，充滿了正義與和諧。在許多年之後，阿朱那去世了，他的孫子成爲了王國的掌控者。在阿朱那去往天堂的路上，他把剛帝神弓拋向海洋，以使神弓可以回到伐樓拿手中，在水中，水神無處不在。我們會說，很公平的交易。