Where and when each story was first written down. Tap a point to see the book.
When
dates of the oldest written sourcetold aloud long before it was writtencoming soon
All stories, oldest first
- Pandora and the JarGreek, about 700 BCE (Hesiod)
- PersephoneGreek, about 700-550 BCE (Hesiod; Hymn to Demeter)
- PrometheusGreek, about 700 BCE (Hesiod)
- NoahBible, about 600-400 BCE (Genesis, final form)
- Little Hanuman and the SunIndian, about 500 BCE-300 CE (Valmiki's Ramayana)
- ZhurongChinese, about 400-100 BCE (Zuo zhuan, Shan Hai Jing)
- Hou Yi and the Ten SunsChinese, about 300 BCE (Heavenly Questions); 139 BCE
- NuwaChinese, about 300 BCE (Heavenly Questions); 139 BCE
- Amaterasu and the CaveJapanese, 712 CE (Kojiki)
- Rostam and RakhshPersian, 1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
- The Simurgh and ZalPersian, 1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
- Zahhak and Kaveh the BlacksmithPersian, 1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
- The Conference of the BirdsPersian, about 1177 (Attar's Conference of the Birds)
- ThorNorse, oral; written about 1270 (Codex Regius)
- Anansi and the Sky God's StoriesAkan, oral; in print by 1854 (Riis, Twi word list)
- Māui Slows the SunPolynesian, oral; in print by 1855 (Grey, Māori telling)
Greek
Persephone
about 700-550 BCE (Hesiod; Hymn to Demeter)
Eleusis, Attica, Greece
Persephone is taken below the earth, and Demeter searches for her.
Chinese
Zhurong
about 400-100 BCE (Zuo zhuan, Shan Hai Jing)
Chu lands, middle Yangtze, China
Zhurong is the fire spirit of summer, and he rides two dragons.
Japanese
Amaterasu and the Cave
712 CE (Kojiki)
Yamato (Nara), Japan
The sun goddess hides in a cave, and the gods laugh her back out.
Akan
Anansi and the Sky God's Stories
oral; in print by 1854 (Riis, Twi word list)
Asante (Kumasi), Ghana
Anansi pays the Sky God four clever catches for all the stories.
Persian
The Conference of the Birds
about 1177 (Attar's Conference of the Birds)
Nishapur, Iran
Birds fly to find a king, and thirty find themselves.
Indian
Little Hanuman and the Sun
about 500 BCE-300 CE (Valmiki's Ramayana)
Ayodhya, north India
Baby Hanuman leaps for the red sun, sure it is a ripe fruit.
Chinese
Hou Yi and the Ten Suns
about 300 BCE (Heavenly Questions); 139 BCE
Central Plain, Yellow River, China
Ten suns fly out at once, and the archer Hou Yi must save the fields.
Polynesian
Māui Slows the Sun
oral; in print by 1855 (Grey, Māori telling)
Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaiʻi
Māui ropes the racing Sun so his mother's kapa cloth can dry.
Bible
Noah
about 600-400 BCE (Genesis, final form)
Judah (Jerusalem)
Noah builds a big boat, saves the animals and sees a rainbow.
Chinese
Nuwa
about 300 BCE (Heavenly Questions); 139 BCE
Huainan, China (home of the Huainanzi)
Nuwa melts five colors of stone to mend a hole in the sky.
Greek
Pandora and the Jar
about 700 BCE (Hesiod)
Boeotia, Greece (Hesiod's home)
Pandora lifts the lid of a great jar. Troubles fly out. Hope stays.
Greek
Prometheus
about 700 BCE (Hesiod)
Boeotia, Greece (Hesiod's home)
Prometheus steals fire for cold people and is chained for it.
Persian
Rostam and Rakhsh
1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
Sistan (Zabol), Iran
Rostam finds his horse Rakhsh and rides to rescue a blinded king.
Persian
The Simurgh and Zal
1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
Alborz mountains, Iran
A great wise bird raises a lost white-haired baby on a mountain.
Norse
Thor
oral; written about 1270 (Codex Regius)
Scandinavia; the poem was kept in Iceland
Thor's hammer is stolen, so he dresses as a bride to get it back.
Persian
Zahhak and Kaveh the Blacksmith
1010 CE (Ferdowsi's Shahnameh)
Isfahan, Iran
A brave smith lifts his leather apron as a banner against a bad king.
1 book
Polynesian stories
Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaiʻi
1 book
Akan stories
Asante (Kumasi), Ghana
1 book
Norse stories
Scandinavia; the poem was kept in Iceland
3 books
Greek stories
Boeotia, Greece (Hesiod's home); Eleusis, Attica, Greece
1 book
Bible stories
Judah (Jerusalem)
4 books
Persian stories
Alborz mountains, Iran; Isfahan, Iran; Nishapur, Iran; Sistan (Zabol), Iran
1 book
Indian stories
Ayodhya, north India
3 books
Chinese stories
Central Plain, Yellow River, China; Chu lands, middle Yangtze, China; Huainan, China (home of the Huainanzi)
1 book
Japanese stories
Yamato (Nara), Japan