Week 11 Reading Notes B: The Man Who Told A Lie

From Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock, I choose The Man Who Told A Lie for this week’s first reading.

There are four divine beings.  They each have these divines flower wreaths.  Only those with great powers can wear them; not the base, the foolish, the faithless, and sinful beings within the world of men.  These four beings each have a small stanza to say:

First:

"He who steals no thing from another,

Who uttereth no lie,

Who doth not lose his head at the

height of Fame—

He may wear the flowers."

Second:

"He who earns wealth honestly, and

shuns dishonest means,

Who takes but sparingly of the Cup of Pleasure,

To him shall be awarded this second wreath."

Third:

"He who scorns choice food,

Who never turneth from his purpose,

Who keepeth his faith unchanged,

To him shall be given the wreath."

Fourth:

"He who will attack no good man to his

face or behind his back,

And who keeps his word in all things,

To him belongs this wreath."

I am really interested in the symbolic meanings behind each wreath.  Are the Gods Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride?  Are they Charity? Famine, War, Pestilence, Death?  I think it would be interesting to really dive into the significance of their characters.

They are all talking to this false Priest, who takes all the wreaths and lies about possessing all these virtues.  In the end, the flowers become thorns and he cannot take them off.  After the Gods embarrass and prove him a liar, they remove it.  He must live with the results.

Calla Lilly from Wikipedia