NICARAGUA Helios-Phaeton Myth in SignWriting

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 12, 2006

Helios and Phaeton Myth in Nicaraguan Sign Language
http://www.signwriting.org/archive/docs4/sw0325-NI-Helios-Phaeton- 
Myth.pdf


James Shepard-Kegl provided a general translation (explanation) of  
what each page says below...Thank you, James!


Helios and Phaeton, a Greek Myth

PAGE 1:  The Story of Faeton.  Long ago -- In north Africa there is a  
hot
desert region.  There are no trees.  There are no rivers.  Why is this?

In Russia there is region that is always frigid, stormy and icy.  Why is
this?

I am going to explain.

At night I look up and see stars -- there to the right is the animal  
lion,
and up there is the bull, and to the left is the scorpion.


PAGE 2:  There is a god named H-E-L-I-O, sign name Helio.  This god  
lives in
his grand house with walls and a roof of gold.  Helio has four horses  
which
are strong and difficult to control.  Every day in the morning Helio and
drives his horse and chariot across the sky.  At noon, he looks down and
sees the various cities, many farms, and people running about like  
ants.  He
can see everyone.


PAGE 3:  At 8:00, the sun sets and work is finished; he is tired.

At night, Helio with his horses sails in a boat back to the palace.

Helio has a son named F-A-E-T-O-N, name-sign Faeton.  Faeton says, "I  
am 15.
I am brave.  Please I want to try taking the reins."

But the father ponders and says, "No way, you cannot, the four horses  
are
unruly and too difficult."


PAGE 4:  Faeton respects none of this.  In the morning, secretly he  
steals
the horses and departs.  The horses are truly unruly; they run into the
heavens close to the lion stars.  The lion is angry and roars.  Next the
horses rapidly zigzag across and near the bull stars.  The bull is  
angry.

Faeton is frightened and yells to slow down but all the horses are
disobedient and cannot be bothered with him; they continue rapidly.

The horses are weaving this way and that and come close to the scorpion
star.  The annoyed scorpion shakes his tail.


PAGE 5:  The four horses are afraid and run up and over.  Faeton vainly
pulls back on the reins.  The horses continue in a demented state.

Now the horses are running downwards close to Africa, then up they go.

The trees burst into flames; the rivers and lakes dry up.


PAGE 6:  Next the horses run far up into the sky.  The world becomes  
cold;
there is a great blizzard.  The terrified people cry:  HELP US! HELP US!


PAGE 7:  Zeus looks downward and casts a lightning bolt into the wagon,
which explodes.  Cart, horses and lad spiral down.  Poor Faeton is dead.

Various gods repair the cart.  Again, Helio works driving the cart,  
but he
is always sad, missing his son.

Today, Africa is still hot; Russia is still cold.



OF COURSE, YOU MAY POST THIS.  The story was adapted for use in  
Nicaragua by
James and Yuri Shepard-Kegl, with funding from Nicaraguan Sign Language
Projects, Inc.

James Shepard-Kegl
kegl at maine.rr.com