Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and the nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Greeks' own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars study the myths in an attempt to shed light on the religious and political institutions of ancient Greece and its civilization and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.
Cassandra
The story of Cassandra comes from Greek mythology and is both tragic and ironic, as such myths tend to be. Cassandra was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy. She caught the eye of the god Apollo, who was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He was amazed and displeased when she refused his romantic advances, and he became vengeful. He cursed Cassandra with a gift of prophecy with an especially cruel twist: he guaranteed that while she would always be right, no one would ever believe her predictions. Cassandra foretold the fall of Troy and other disastrous happenings, though she was ignored. Now, the label Cassandra is typically reserved for those who claim to see impending doom.
Hercules
Hercules is a Roman hero and god. He is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, who is the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Greek hero's iconography and myths for their literature and art under the name Hercules. In later Western art and literature and in popular culture, Hercules is more commonly used than Heracles as the name of the hero. Hercules is a multifaceted figure with contradictory characteristics, which enabled later artists and writers to pick and choose how to represent him.[2] This article provides an introduction to representations of Hercules in the later tradition.
Chand Sadagar
Chand Sadagar, (Assamese:চান্দ সদাগৰ, Bengali:চাঁদ সদাগর), was a rich and powerful river and sea merchant of Champak Nagar in Eastern India. This merchant has been claimed by both the Bengali and Assamese people of India to be associated with their respective states and communities. Medieval Bengali poet Bipradas Pipilai mentioned in his "Manasamangal Kavya" or "Manasa Vijay" that merchant ship of Chand Sadagar used to proceed to the sea from ancient Champaknagar of Bengal after passing through Tribeni, situated at the junction of Saptagram and the confluence of Ganges, Saraswati and Jamuna River of modern-day West Bengal.[1] Narayan Dev gave an account in his Manasamangal about the merchant ship of the trader Chand Saudagar proceeding to the sea from ancient Champaknagar of Assam passing through Saptagram and Tribeni, the tri-junction of the Ganges, Saraswati and Jamuna River.[2] In the Padmapuran ( Hindu Scriptures), account of Chand Bania ( Sadagar) is specifically mentioned.
Mythology
According to Bengali literature of Manasamangal genre, like Bipradas Pipilai's "Manasa Vijay" (মনসা বিজয়), Ketakadas Kshemananda's "Manasar Bhasan" (মনসার ভাসান), etc. and Assamese literature Manasamangal Kāvya, or Padma Puran ( পদ্মা পুৰাণ) Chand Sadagar was an ardent devotee of Shiva but Manasa had set her mind on making him a devotee. She tried all the tricks to force Chand Sadagar to change his mind but he was equally determined and protected himself with the mantras or mystic words he had received from Shiva. However, when Manasa appeared to him as a beautiful woman, he let her know his secret. Thereafter, he lost his supernatural powers that came with the mystic words. He then took the help of Sankara, whose capabilities were more than even his when he had full powers, but Manasa killed him and made Chand Sadagar helpless again.
When Chand Sadagar still refused to be intimidated into worshipping Manasa, she started sending serpents that killed all his six sons. His trading interests collapsed as he did not have the heart to look after them properly. Even in the midst of such adversity, his determination revived and he set out on a sea voyage to rebuild his business. After a successful business tour he set sail for home, his ship laden with treasure. Manasa launched a storm, and although Chand Sadagar initially survived with support from Chandi, she was later asked to withdraw by Shiva on a request from Manasa. Once that happened Chand Sadagar's ship was wrecked, but Manasa swept him ashore at a place where an old friend Chadraketu lived.
Chandraketu tried his best to bring him round to the goddess Manasa but Chand Sadagar steadfastly refused. He became a beggar and lost everything but still worshipped only Shiva and Durga, refusing to bow to Manasa, who felt that she could never win over Chand Sadagar on her own and took the help of two friends in heaven – two Apsaras. They agreed to be born on earth, one as Chand Sadagar's son and the other as the daughter of Saha, a business associate of Chand Sadagar.