Portal:Myths

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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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Thor (from Old Norse: Þórr) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and fertility. Besides Old Norse Þórr, the deity occurs in Old English as Þunor ("Thunor"), in Old Frisian as Thuner, in Old Saxon as Thunar, and in Old High German as Donar, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Þun(a)raz, meaning 'Thunder'.

Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the recorded history of the Germanic peoples, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania, to the Germanic expansions of the Migration Period, to his high popularity during the Viking Age, when, in the face of the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia, emblems of his hammer, Mjölnir, were worn and Norse pagan personal names containing the name of the god bear witness to his popularity. (Full article...)

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... that on every Wednesday and Saturday, the demons of Sri Lanka assemble to give an account of their activities to their king?

... that in Hindu mythology, the demoness Putana (pictured, centre) tried to kill the infant-god Krishna by breastfeeding him poisoned milk?

...that Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (pictured) was the god of the planet Venus in Aztec belief?

... 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 serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to humankind and represent dual expression of good and evil.

In some cultures, snakes were fertility symbols. For example, the Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit) and to renew the fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled, and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and the lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops." To the Hopi, snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiars—sometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Crete—and they were worshiped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration. (Full article...)

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

General images

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

Image 1Prometheus (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 2Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Ancient 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 9The 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 10As 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 11The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 121929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 13The 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 14Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 20Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 21The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22Image 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 23The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 26Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Heracles 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 28Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Lord 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 37 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 38Amenonuhoko (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 39Opening 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 40Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Väinämöinen, 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 42Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The 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 45The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 4614th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 48seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 51Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58This 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 59"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Sampo, 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 62Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67The 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 68Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 71Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)