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Mythsandlegends
Scientifictheoriesontheoriginofamberwereprecededbymythsandle-
gends,withsomeofthemforcenturiesinfluencingthewayoutcropsanddepos-
itswereprospectedfor.TheoldestGreekmythspeaksofHelios,ssonPhaeton,
whomhisfatherallowedtoridethesolarchariot.Heliosdidnotexpectthatthis
taskwouldgobeyondhisson,sskills:PhaetonbroughttheSuntooclosetothe
Earthandsetthelatteronfire.TheburningEarthcalledforhelptoZeus,who
strucktheimpudentPhaetonwithaflashoflightning.Thepunishedyouthfell
likealivingtorchtothemythicalRiverEridanus.Phaeton,ssisters,theHeliads,
whomournedhimontheriver,sbank,wereturnedintopoplars,whiletheir
tears,whichfellintothewater,becamethegoldenelektron(amber).Themythi-
calEridanuslariverrichinambertearslwassearchedforeverywhere,but
invain.EvenPoland,sRiverRaduniawasmentionedinliteratureasapossible
Eridanus.Today,thisnamereferstoahypotheticalTertiaryriverwhichflowed
fromthenorthernamber-bearingforestsofFennoscandia*towardsthesouth,
takingtheamberwithittotheancientEocenesea.
InPoland,sKurpieRegion,alegendwhichsurvivedthankstolocalethnog-
rapherAdamChętniktransportsustothePolishlandscapeatatimeofflood,fol-
lowing40daysofrainfall.Thetearsofthepeoplewhoweptovertheirfatewere,
justasintheancientmyth,turnedintoamber.Thelegendalsoprovidesapeculiar
explanationofamber,svarieties:thetearsoftheinnocent,childrenandKthem
poorthings”becameKcleanandclear”amber,fitforthebestproducts.Thetearsof
Kpenitents,sinnersandthosewhorepent”becamedarkenedandmistyamber,good
forincense,pipesandsnuffboxes.Thetearsofevilpeople,Kblasphemersandbooz-
ers”turnedintoamberthatwasdirtyandcouldbeusedonlytomakepaintortar.
AregionallegendfromPoland,sregionofKashubiahasitthatitwasathun-
derboltthatwasthedirectreasonbehindamber,sorigin.KTheamberwouldflash
up”wherethethunderstruckthegroundorthewaterinlakesandthat,swhere
*WordsinexpandedtypeareexplainedintheGlossaryattheendofthebook.
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