It is said that the first harpy was once human.

Her name has long been forgotten. My people know her only as 'the first' or 'the great'. We adored her.

The first harpy lived in the mountains and dreamed of flying. Every day she dreamed that she would grow wings and she could glide through the air. She is said to have been ill. Her legs were paralyzed. Maybe that's why she dreamed of flying?

Her village was attacked one day by robbers who tried to steal all children to force them to work in their fields. The first harpy was brave and one of the children was her little brother. A robber held him and wanted to push him off the cliff unless all the children were handed over to him. The first harpy did not want to accept this. She crawled toward the robber, pulled her brother aside, and clung to the robber. When he tried to shake her off, they fell over the cliff.

It is said that her ghost grew wings. She was now half bird and half woman. With these wings, she flew up the cliffs and scared away the robbers. They were afraid of the ghost. After that, the first harpy made her people grow wings and she flew happily into the sky to watch over us from there and bring the dead to herself.

She brought us the ability to fly and longer life. Harpies lived up to two hundred years and her brother became the first shaman able to speak with her spirit.

It's an old legend, but my people believe every word. The first harpy gave us our wings and she protects us together with the souls of our dead. She accompanies them on their way to eternal heaven and comforts the living.

As a child, I often wondered how the first managed to pull her brother away from the robber when she couldn't walk herself. The answer I was given was always the same: "She must have been very determined."

Well. If the first could make the impossible possible out of determination, then I wanted to do that too.