The Five Legends

Drawing on 30 years of helping families in-crisis, this profound fable by the Anasazi Foundation illustrates the anguish of conflict and shows how we can end war within ourselves, within families, and even between nations.

The Five Legends tells the story of two estranged brothers, leaders of their people, who find themselves on an unexpected journey. Struggling against each other, they stumble and fall into a great and terrible canyon. Trapped, the two brothers are rescued by an old man—“the last of a people”—who offers to guide them out of the canyon if they agree to learn the five legends of peace. The brothers agree and begin a journey that may not only save themselves, but also their people.

The brothers learn that to heal any conflict we must first look within ourselves. As this fable beautifully puts it, “War does not begin or end with armies and leaders. In truth, war begins and ends within each of us—within our hearts. When we choose to war with others, we turn our hearts away from them and blind ourselves to their light. …To have a heart at war is to invite war into your life.” The path to peace begins when we stop thinking about “me” and start thinking about “WE.”

This poetic and moving allegory is written for all ages. Its message is both timeless and desperately needed for our own time