Fun writing workshop with the children of Marksbury C of E Primary School #amwriting #myths and #Legends

 

Marksbury C of E Primary 

School

Myths & Legends 

Writing Workshop 2019

A word from Mary Anne

A couple of weeks ago I spent the morning with the year five and year six pupils at Marksbury C of E Primary School where we talked about my favourite things — Myths, Legends and of course, writing! We discussed the difference between Myths, Legends and Folklore. We also spoke about Avenger’s Endgame, and the ever-important question — is Loki really dead? Umm??

The children then split up into groups and composed their own mythological stories.  These stories blew me away. They are so, so, good that I had to share them with you today.

We had so much fun writing these stories and who knows, some of these wonderfully talented children may well be the bestselling authors of the future — remember, you saw them here first!!

Enjoy!

Feel free to leave a comment at the end of the post. We would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Fight of the Stones

By Maisie, Millie, Hamish, Xander, 

Felix, Ella, Cassie

Things have changed.  Since the day Hades was overthrown, Trigon has created chaos throughout the lands.

Thanatos glanced up. In the sky, huge formations of pegasi gracefully glided, swiftly dipping and diving.  His brother, Perseus, nervously watched the raging river.  Ever since the Chaos Stones had been taken, the river had been acting strangely.

Trigon’s voice echoed around his huge palace.  He bellowed, “We must go to war!”  His ugly face lit up as he thought of a plan.  Out of his magnificent cloak, he pulled out the chaos stone of magic.  Pure heat and power radiated from the stone.  Then there was silence.

Thanatos blinked.  Was what he saw real? Pegasi after pegasi after pegasi were falling down towards the bottom of the kingdom.  “Trigon!” growled Perseus, his hooves itching to be in battle.  “We must bring him down!”

Thousands of feet marched towards the River Styx, destroying everything in their path.  Lurking in the river unseen lay the guardian of the underworld.  With its glinting scales and unhealed scars, the treacherous and devilish creature prowled through the river, waiting to devour anything that stood in its path.  Thanatos and Perseus determinedly approached the river.  Ripples and bubbles disturbed the surface and an odd spike poked up.  As the creature’s head broke the surface, it let out a terrifying roar.  Terror surged through the hearts of the brothers.  Stumbling quickly backwards, the brothers looked around for a place to hide and come up with a challenging plan.

Whispering to each other, Thanatos and Perseus carefully hatched their cunning plan.  This time they approached the river nervously.  Would their plan work?  Taking a final deep breath, they glanced at each other, frightened at what was to come.  Water splashed everywhere as the monster reared its ugly head.  Running wildly along the river bank, Perseus screamed insults at the underwater beast.  Making the most of this distraction, Thanatos, using the fire power from his hooves, boiled the water.

The temperature of the water gradually grew as did the monster’s awareness.  Eventually its scorched body twisted as it blackened further and further.  Finally it screeched in agony as it realised its fate.  “All we have to do is cross the river,” exclaimed Perseus, his body filling with joy.  The soot-blackened scales cracked as they carefully made their way across the beast’s body.  The scent of burnt flesh filled their nostrils as they struggled to breathe.

Reaching the opposite side of the river, the brothers heaved a sigh of relief. This was short lived, as suddenly they saw a frantic movement in the bushes nearby.  A large army leapt out of the bushes, bloodlust in their eyes.  Next a cacophony of noise erupted around them; swords were swinging and arrows were flying.  Thanatos gulped with fear as he realised they were outnumbered.  At that moment, the sky went black.  Where would this take them next?

Forest versus City

By Josh, Olivia, Rose, Fabian, Ruben, 

Louis

The year 3000 was a destructive year on Earth.  The city of Emmerdale was like every other city.  The toxic, dark grey smoke was hanging over the vast area of buildings and roads.  Emmerdale was expanding tremendously and the population had grown rapidly.

Gregory was a young, talented carpenter.  He had moved to Emmerdale a long time ago from a place where wolves and bears hunted the English woods.  Now he made furniture for the big businesses of the city.

On the outskirts of the city lay the forest of Greenland.  Emerald leaves shone in the sunlight.  Flowing through its centre was a clear stream which the animals drank from.  The stream formed a small pool of crystal blue water; next to this, situated at the top of the tallest tree in the forest was a tree house.  Scarlet – known as Scar – lived here and she had made it her life’s mission to protect this special place and all the wildlife who lived there.

Back in the city, Gregory had been asked to make enormous desks using the ancient wood found in the Forest of Greenland.  He was excited about this new project because he knew it would lead to a promotion and he would be rich!

Two weeks later, back in the forest, Scar heard a distant rumbling.  Grabbing her hunting equipment, she stealthily dashed to the edge of the clearing.  What she saw filled her with horror! She grew pale and tears flooded her eyes.   There in front of her were six enormous trucks, leaking oil which seeped into the ground and stream.  Poisonous fumes were sent through the air and into the roots of the trees.  As they began to unload their chainsaws, Scar realised what was about to happen …

She was so filled with anger that she jumped out of a bush and shouted, “Stop and leave my forest alone, otherwise I will put an end to this.”

Gregory stepped forwards and laughed out loud – he had no intention of stopping his terrible plan.  He did not know that Scar had a secret weapon!

An ear-splitting squeal pierced the air.  Gregory and his friends clutched their ears in pain, dropping their saws.  As the sound decreased, the trees began to shake and rustle.  A small squirrel appeared Scar’s feet.  Gradually, more animals emerged from the depths of the forest.

At first, Gregor and his friends laughed at the small creatures wondering how they were going to stop them.  That was until … something different emerged.  Packs of sharp-eared wolves came from the bushes with their tongues hanging out and sharp teeth bared.  Large, hungry-looking bears also appeared, forming a circle around the edge of the forest.  Finally, wild cats leapt from their lairs and into the opening.

The sight of the animals reminded Gregor of something - he couldn’t think what.  Why did this feel so familiar? Suddenly, he heard a whispering.  He glanced around at his friends but their mouths were hanging open in bewilderment – they were speechless.  The whispering grew louder and gradually more voices started to chatter.  And then, one voice rose above the others.

“Gregor, do you remember the fun we used to have when I was a cub?”

Gregor looked around in astonishment – the largest bear was growling and he could understand what it was saying! Memories flooded back into his mind.  It had been twenty years since he had left the woods.  The noise and the pollution of the city had destroyed his power to talk to the animals.  As their voices had disappeared, so had his memories.

Now these memories had returned.  There, standing in front of him was his younger sister, Scarlet.  She too had the power to communicate with the animals.  Gregor instructed his crew to return to the city and never come back.  Then he walked towards Scar, gave her a big hug and she led him into the forest.  He had returned home!

The Brutal Battle of Troy

By Oliver, Cecelia, Sam L, Sam S, 

Toby, Cheyenne, Amelia

The wind was stinging against the sails and the waves were clattering against the sturdy panels of the creaky Greek ship.  Agamemnon marched along the bow of the ship screaming orders at soldiers and slaves.  Achilles stood by his side in a fixated silence.

“Land ahoy!” shouted a soldier.

THUMP! The boat hit land.

As the soldiers departed from the boat, a slight rumble could be heard in the distance.  As a unit, they clambered over the sand dunes, curiosity at an all-time high.  When they peered over the top of the dune, they spied a cloud of dust; it dissipated only to reveal the helmets of a thousand Trojan soldiers.   Suddenly the sky darkened and hundreds of arrows rained down on the soldiers.  War had been declared!

This would be the battle of the ages.  Swords were slashing and dicing, spears were stabbing, and shields were clanging.  Agamemnon looked from a distance, disappointed by his men.  He turned towards Achilles and he bellowed, “What is going on? They are not fighting hard enough!”  Achilles did not respond.  He was trying to come up with a plan to defeat the Trojan horde once and for all.  Agamemnon called to his men to retreat back to the ships.  Achilles had an idea so he went to the craftsman.

The next morning, a group of Trojan lookouts returned to the beach.  All they could see was miles of emptiness and one enormous horse standing on the shore.  A lookout returned, gasping for breath and said to the king, “Sire, you need to see this!” as he handed over a spy glass.

“Bring it to me now!” ordered the king.

As the platoon returned with the horse, an advisor cautioned, “We should burn it.”

“Nonsense,” replied the king.  “It is clearly a gift, an apology from the Greeks for challenging us!”

All of the citizens crowded around in awe of the magnificent statue.

Later that night, when all of the Trojans had retired to bed after the victory feast, out of nowhere trap door sprung from the belly of the horse; down came ropes, followed by dozens of Greek soldiers.  They ran to the gate, which towered over fifty feet tall!  They removed the wooden lock, opening the gate that had resisted their invasion for days; this was the start of the end for Troy.

The masses of Greek soldiers flooded through into Troy, demolishing everything in their path.  Flames tore through the streets and fires burned so brightly it illuminated the dark night sky.

Up in the king’s chambers, the advisor muttered to himself, “We should have burnt it!”

The king yelled to his advisor to fetch him his sword exclaiming, “Blood shall be spilled tonight!”

Agamemnon’s cackle could be heard over the crackle of fire and the clashing of weapons.

“Hold the palace gates!” screamed a soldier, falling back in terror.  However, the Greeks were too strong and they charged through the weak defences, swords raised.  The Trojan king stood in front of Achilles, ready to finish the battle.  Out of the ranks of the Greek soldiers stepped Agememnon who whispered, “Kill him!” sinisterly to Achilles.

Quick as lightning, Achilles spun around and stabbed Agamemnon through the heart.  Achilles then turned to face the Trojan king.

“I join you,” he exclaimed.  “This is the end of the war.”

In a final twist, a poisoned arrow flew out of the blue and implanted itself deeply into the heel of Achilles.  The young prince of Troy stood over him laughing, “This is the end of Greece today!”

The Legend of Norse

By Xanthe, Evie, Poppy, Harry, Alfred, 

George

Clouds hung over the barren fields, obscuring the fading sunlight.  A lonely tree stood next to a crumbling moss-covered wall, isolated from the cluster of vegetation on the distant horizon.  The wind whistled in despair, somehow aware of the impending doom of the kingdom.  A solitary raven, sensing the danger, called out to its friends who had disappeared into the darkness.

At the far edge of the fields, close to the forest, Norse gathered his companions, drawing them into a ring.

“Friends, unfortunately I gather you here today to share some unpleasant news.  Our old enemy, Vanos, has returned to claim the kingdom of Marksbury,” lamented Norse as he paced the circle, sharpening his battle axe.

Norse went on to explain the plan to defeat Vanos. The power of fire was Vanos’ gift; his only weakness was his connection to the hydra named Kabanas.  Kabanas resided in a swamp located beyond the distant hill.  The journey there would be treacherous and would require great bravery and strength.  Sitting in the middle of the monster’s forehead was a powerful lightening shard – the only weapon which could defeat Vanos!

“Who will embark on this dangerous adventure with me?” asked Norse. 

“On returning, you will be honoured by the kingdom and all who reside in it.”

Ecuador and Aquador stepped forward into the flickering firelight and stood by Norse’s side.  Later that day, they set off to meet the deadly Kabanas.

Their journey took them through the deadly fierce forest, through the hidden tunnel which ran underneath the ancient tor, and finally across the forbidden lands of Farmborough.  The smell of the swamp hit them before they saw it.  Wrapping their cloaks around their faces, they ventured on, into the depths of the swamp, the stench growing stronger with every step.  Then they saw it!

A huge scaly monster towered in the distance, its sharp pointed tail slicing through the air.  Eight snake heads popped out from the murky water, forking tongues vibrating with a hissing sound that could be heard from the edge of the swamp.  The hydra’s sharp teeth shone as venom slowly dripped from each point.  Kabanas slowly slithered through the water, scaring off all the surrounding animals.  Norse’s eyes fixed onto the sparkling yellow lightning bolt embedded in the centre of the horrendous creature’s forehead.  This was what he had been searching for!

Norse had been told by his comrades that whenever one head was cut off, two more would grow back instantly in its place.  But he knew that if he succeeded in killing Kabanas, Vanos would be weakened, making his victory easier.

Norse called to Ecuador and Aquador, “I will hold back the water. When Kabanas dies, grab the crystal out of his head.  Hurry as I can only hold back the water for so long.”

Using his powers, Norse dragged the water out of the swamp until there was no water left.  Kabanas writhed in pain as he started to drown in the air.  He let out a huge shriek of pain and then, at that moment, he froze.  Ecuador and Aquador quickly rushed into the empty swamp, ripping the lightning bolt from the head of the deadly beast.  Norse could hold back the water no longer; it gushed back into the swamp, covering the now dead monster.  Aquador and Ecuador lay panting on the edge of the swamp having narrowly escaped the situation.

After a day’s journey home, they finally arrived in Marksbury.  Waiting in the centre of the barren field was Vanos.  His face was pale, he had grey bags under his eyes and his arms hung limply by his side.  His power had clearly been depleted when Kabanas died. Norse just had one more thing to do.  Using his remaining strength, Norse turned Vanos into water.  As the water rushed towards him, Norse plunged the lightning shard into the water.  Sparks of electricity shot up into the air.  Aquador and Ecuador watched in horror as Norse, along with his enemy Vanos, were filled with an enormous electric shock.  Norse’s whole body grew tense, then fell to the ground.  He had saved the people of his village from a terrible fate by sacrificing himself.

  

Battle of the Enchanted 

By Kiki, Olive, Florence, Sam H, 

David, Tristan, Scarlet, Rosie

The snow fell down in little heaps, adorning the once green ground with an icy cover.  The ominous pastel sky glowed with a hint of mystery.  The circle of the giant enchanted stones stood proud in the dusting of snow, revealing hoof prints leading towards a gaping hole within the towering mountains.

Chiron, the brave leader of the centaurs, gazed up at the frozen swords dangling from the mouth of the cave.  Reflected in the icicles was the white hair of a warrior, courageous and bold.  Stroking his frosted beard, he headed outside to see what all the commotion was about.  Centaurs galloped towards him, panicked and terrified, their hoof beats ringing in Chiron’s ears.  Icicles shattered behind him as a result of the pounding.  A splinter of ice pierced his flank, causing him to stumble as he bolted out through the mouth of the cave.

A giant thud met his ears.  Elfred, a trusted friend, rode towards Chiron, his face spattered with blood, his eyes wide with terror. 

“Sir,” stuttered Elfred, “they’re coming!”

Another thud rumbled beneath their hooves as the centaur warriors began to fire their arrows.  On the horizon, a giant outline, silhouetted like a mountain, rose up and plundered towards them.

Massive icy figures, sitting astride their dinosaur steeds, thundered towards them yelling battle cries.  Others marched through the snow, crushing the enormous sacred stones as though they were fragile ice shards.

At Chiron’s command, he ordered the mammoth army to assemble, forming a semi-circle around the cave entrance.  Using the armoured mammoths as a shield, the centaurs fired thousands of arrows which cascaded down upon the giants.

In return, Pterodactyls soared and swooped like vultures to a carcass, picking up centaurs with their beaks. 

Suddenly, a flurry of wings darkened the sky above and followed in pursuit of the pterodactyls.  Breathing fire, the ferocious dragonflies and ladybirds swarmed the enemy, defending the last remaining stones of the stone circle with their lives.  Melting into lakes, the giants slowly liquefied, drowning the dinosaurs beneath them. 

In revenge, pterodactyls pecked the mammoths’ eyes, blinding them and causing the herd to scatter in chaos.  Now defenceless, the centaurs plucked their last arrows, desperately firing them into the sky.  Wounded and exhausted, Chiron, hopes fading away, stared at the devastation in front of him.  A decision had to be made: surrender or risk losing all of his people?

Despite his best efforts, surrender was inevitable.  Chiron hung his head in defeat and shame.  The war was over.  The pterodactyls and giants were victorious.

Check out all the fabulous covers the 

children designed.

I think all the children deserve

 The Coffee Pot Book Club Book 

Award 

and 

The Cover Pot Book Cover of the 

Month Award!

A big congratulation to all the children.

Such fabulous stories!!