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 totally different from the ordinary sense of the term myth, meaning a belief that is not true, as the veracity of a piece of folklore is entirely irrelevant to determining whether it constitutes a myth.

Myths are often endorsed by religious and secular authorities, and may be natural or supernatural in character. 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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According to Tacitus's Germania (AD 98), Tuisto (or Tuisco) is the legendary divine ancestor of the Germanic peoples. The figure remains the subject of some scholarly discussion, largely focused upon etymological connections and comparisons to figures in later (particularly Norse) Germanic mythology. (Full article...)

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... that the demon Maha Sohona, whose head has been replaced with that of a bear, haunts graveyards and feasts on human flesh?

...that the Two Ladies was a euphemism used for the Ancient Egyptian deities Wadjet and Nekhbet, represented on the royal crowns of the merged Upper and Lower Egypt as a cobra and a vulture, respectively?

... that human sacrifices to the K'iche' Maya patron deity Tohil had their severed heads placed on a rack in front of the temple?

...that according to Greek mythology, Adonis was slain by a boar at the foot of the waterfall in Apheca in modern-day Lebanon?

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The stoor worm, or Mester Stoor Worm, was a gigantic evil sea serpent of Orcadian folklore, capable of contaminating plants and destroying animals and humans with its putrid breath. It is probably an Orkney variant of the Norse Jörmungandr, also known as the Midgard Serpent, or world serpent, and has been described as a sea dragon.

The king of one country threatened by the beast's arrival was advised to offer it a weekly sacrifice of seven virgins. In desperation, the king eventually issued a proclamation offering his kingdom, his daughter's hand in marriage, and a magic sword to anyone who could destroy the monster. Assipattle, the youngest son of a local farmer, defeated the creature; as it died its teeth fell out to become the islands of Orkney, Shetland and the Faroes, and its body became Iceland. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 2"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (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 4The 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 5Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 6Ancient 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 7Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Image 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 14Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 151929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 16Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 24Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 27An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Lord 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 34Prometheus (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 35Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 37Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4914th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)