Portal:Myths

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The Myths Portal

1929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus

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 secular and religious authorities and are closely linked to religion or spirituality. 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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*Le Vampire*,
lithograph by R. de Moraine
*Les Tribunaux secrets* (1864)

Legends of vampires have existed for millennia; cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, ancient Greeks, and Romans had tales of demonic entities and blood-drinking spirits which are considered precursors to modern vampires. Despite the occurrence of vampire-like creatures in these ancient civilizations, the folklore for the entity known today as the vampire originates almost exclusively from early 18th-century Central Europe, particularly Transylvania as verbal traditions of many ethnic groups of the region were recorded and published. In most cases, vampires are revenants of evil beings, suicide victims, or witches, but can also be created by a malevolent spirit possessing a corpse or a living person being bitten by a vampire themselves. Belief in such legends became so rife that in some areas it caused mass hysteria and even public executions of people believed to be vampires. (Full article...)

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...that the Tigmamanukan, a Philippine mythological bird, can be a good or bad omen depending on the direction of its flight?

... that, in the lives of saints, the appearance of roses (example pictured) sometimes announces the presence or activity of God?

... that the pre-Columbian Zapotec storm god Cocijo was said to have created the world from his breath?

... that the worshippers of Xipe Totec (pictured), the Aztec god of renewal, wore the flayed skins of their sacrificial victims?

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Featured Articles: Ahalya, Ancient Egyptian literature, King Arthur, Ganesha, Iravan, Orion (mythology), Vampire, Vithoba

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Good Articles: 2012 phenomenon, Æsir–Vanir War, Ala (demon), Anu, Aphrodite, Athena, Ardhanarishvara, Battle of Barry, Bhikshatana, Catalogue of Women, Chamunda, Chhinnamasta, Consorts of Ganesha, Cú Chulainn, Dhumavati, Dumuzid, Einherjar, Eir, Enlil, Fairy Flag, Fenrir, Gerðr, Hel (being), Huginn and Muninn, Iðunn, Ila (Hinduism), Inanna, Kabandha, Kali, Kamadhenu, Kangiten, Keshi (demon), Khandoba, Kratos (mythology) Krishna, Kubera, LGBT themes in Hindu mythology, Manasa, Mandodari, Matangi, Matrikas, Maya Sita, Mohini, Myrrha, Mythology of Carnivàle, Naraka (Hinduism), Ninurta, Prester John, Prithu, Putana, Rati, Ratatoskr, Revanta, Satyavati, Satyr, Sharabha, Shashthi, Shiva, Sif, Tara (Ramayana), Troilus, Tuisto, Valhalla, Valkyrie, Vampire folklore by region, Varaha, Varahi, Veðrfölnir and eagle Zduhać

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Shiva as Sharabha subduing Narasimha, panel view from Munneswaram temple in Sri Lanka

Sharabha (Sanskrit: शरभ, Śarabha) or Sarabha is an eight-legged part-lion and part-bird deity in Hindu religion, who is described as more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability to clear a valley in one jump in Sanskrit literature. In later literature, Sharabha is described as an eight-legged deer.

The Shaiva scriptures narrate that the deity Shiva assumed the form of Sharabha to pacify Narasimha - the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshipped by the Vaishnava sect. This form is popularly known as Sharabheshvara ("Lord Sharabha") or Sharabheshvaramurti. Vaishnavas refute the portrayal of Narasimha as being destroyed by Shiva-Sharabha, and regard Sharabha as a name of Vishnu. Some Vaishnava scriptures such as the Narasimha Purana suggest that Vishnu assumed the form of the ferocious two-headed bird Gandabherunda, who in turn defeated Sharabha. (Full article...)

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Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Nuckelavee 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 1Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6As 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 7Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Väinämöinen, 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 9Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 17The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 21Opening 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 22Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 25Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 27Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Prometheus (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 31Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 32Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3414th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39The 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 40A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Ancient 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 42Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43The 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 44Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Lord 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 46Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51The 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 52Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Sampo, 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)
Image 55The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 60Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Amenonuhoko (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 62"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 65Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 671929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 68Image 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 69Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71The 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 72An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Heracles 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 81Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 83Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85This 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 86King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)