Portal:Myths

The Myths Portal

Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the veracity of a myth is not a defining criterion.

Myths are often endorsed by religious (when they are closely linked to religion or spirituality) and secular authorities. Many societies group their myths, legends, and history together, considering myths and legends to be factual accounts of their remote past. In particular, creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form. Origin myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified. National myths are narratives about a nation's past that symbolize the nation's values. There is a complex relationship between recital of myths and the enactment of rituals. (Full article...)

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Deities in ancient Mesopotamia were almost exclusively anthropomorphic. They were thought to possess extraordinary powers and were often envisioned as being of tremendous physical size. The deities typically wore melam, an ambiguous substance which "covered them in terrifying splendor" and which could also be worn by heroes, kings, giants, and even demons. The effect that seeing a deity's melam has on a human is described as ni, a word for the "physical creeping of the flesh". Both the Sumerian and Akkadian languages contain many words to express the sensation of ni, including the word puluhtu, meaning "fear". Deities were almost always depicted wearing horned caps, consisting of up to seven superimposed pairs of ox-horns. They were also sometimes depicted wearing clothes with elaborate decorative gold and silver ornaments sewn into them.

The ancient Mesopotamians believed that their deities lived in Heaven, but that a god's statue was a physical embodiment of the god himself. As such, cult statues were given constant care and attention and a set of priests were assigned to tend to them. These priests would clothe the statues and place feasts before them so they could"eat". A deity's temple was believed to be that deity's literal place of residence. The gods had boats, full-sized barges which were normally stored inside their temples and were used to transport their cult statues along waterways during various religious festivals. The gods also had chariots, which were used for transporting their cult statues by land. Sometimes a deity's cult statue would be transported to the location of a battle so that the deity could watch the battle unfold. The major deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon were believed to participate in the "assembly of the gods", through which the gods made all of their decisions. This assembly was seen as a divine counterpart to the semi-democratic legislative system that existed during the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2112 BC – c. 2004 BC). (Full article...)

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...that the tiyanak is an infant-like creature from Philippine mythology that is said to attack tourists with its fangs and claws?

... that some modern K'iche' Maya revere rival syncretised forms of the pre-Columbian Moon goddess Awilix that are said to be the lovers of St. James?

...that Maximón, a saint venerated in the highlands of Guatemala, drinks whiskey, smokes cigarettes and grants prayers for revenge?

... that in classical mythology, Cerberus (pictured) is a monstrous dog with multiple heads that guards the gates to the underworld?

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The nuckelavee ( /nʌklɑːˈviː/) or nuckalavee is a horse-like demon from Orcadian folklore that combines equine and human elements. It resembles a fleshless human head, torso, and arms longer than normal coming out of a fleshless horse's back at the point where a horse rider would usually sit as the horse body also sports one eye and fins on its legs. British folklorist Katharine Briggs called it "the nastiest" of all the demons of Scotland's Northern Isles. The nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller.

A graphic description of the nuckelavee as it appears on land was given by an islander who claimed to have had a confrontation with it, but accounts describing the details of the creature's appearance are inconsistent. In common with many other sea monsters, it is unable to tolerate fresh water. Therefore, those it is pursuing have only to cross a river or stream to be rid of it. The nuckelavee is kept in confinement during the summer months by the Mither o' the Sea, an ancient Orcadian spirit, and the only one able to control it. (Full article...)

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Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Sea Mither Boobrie Stoor worm Mermaid Dragon Siren (mythology) Hippocampus (mythology) Phoenix (mythology) Centaur Unicorn Serpent (symbolism) Anzû Cerberus

General images

The following are images from various myth-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 4Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Prometheus (1868) by Gustave Moreau. In the mythos of Hesiodus and possibly Aeschylus (the Greek trilogy Prometheus Bound, Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus Pyrphoros), Prometheus is bound and tortured for giving fire to humanity. (from Myth)
Image 7Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Lord Vishnu took the form of Beauty Mohini and distributed the Amrita (Ambrosia, Elixir) to Devas. When Rahu (snake dragon) tried to steal the Amrita, his head was cut off (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11This panel by Bartolomeo di Giovanni relates the second half of the Metamorphoses. In the upper left, Jupiter emerges from clouds to order Mercury to rescue Io. (from Myth)
Image 12The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 131929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 14Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 17The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Heracles would use arrows dipped in the Hydra's poisonous blood to kill other foes during his Labours, such as Stymphalian birds and the giant (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 24Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Ancient Roman relief from the Cathedral of Maria Saal showing the infant twins Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf (from Comparative mythology)
Image 32King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 35Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 36The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41The Deluge, frontispiece to Gustave Doré's illustrated edition of the Bible. Based on the story of Noah's Ark, this engraving shows humans and a tiger doomed by the flood futilely attempting to save their children and cubs. (from Comparative mythology)
Image 42Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 43Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Amenonuhoko (天沼矛 or 天之瓊矛 or 天瓊戈, "heavenly jeweled spear") is the name given to the spear in Shinto used to raise the primordial land-mass, Onogoro-shima, from the sea (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51The Giving of the Seven Bowls of Wrath / The First Six Plagues, Revelation 16:1–16. Matthias Gerung, c. 1531 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Opening lines of one of the Mabinogi myths from the Red Book of Hergest (written pre-13c, incorporating pre-Roman myths of Celtic gods):
Gereint vab Erbin. Arthur a deuodes dala llys yg Caerllion ar Wysc...
(Geraint the son of Erbin. Arthur was accustomed to hold his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk...) (from Myth)
Image 54The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 55Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56The Stone of Destiny (Lia Fáil) at the Hill of Tara, once used as a coronation stone for the High Kings of Ireland (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 61Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64The third gift — an enormous hammer (1902) by Elmer Boyd Smith and the ring Draupnir is visible among other creations by the Sons of Ivaldi (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 68Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7314th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Image showing the sacred tree to the right of the temple, from Olaus Magnus' Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (1555). To the right of the tree is a depiction of a man being sacrificed in the spring (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Väinämöinen, the wise demigod and one of the significant characters of Finnish mythological 19th-century epic poetry, The Kalevala (Väinämöinen's Play, Robert Wilhelm Ekman, 1866) (from Myth)
Image 82Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 85As is usual in bestiaries, the lynx in this late 13th-century English manuscript is shown urinating, the urine turning to the mythical stone Lyngurium (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Sampo, a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought riches and good fortune to its holder, in the Finnish epic poetry Kalevala (The Forging of the Sampo, Joseph Alanen, 1911) (from List of mythological objects)