Portal:Myths

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Myth is a genre of folklore or theology consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that simply refers to something that is not true. Instead, the truth value 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 true accounts of their remote past. In particular, creation myths take place in a primordial age when the world had not achieved its later form. Other myths explain how a society's customs, institutions, and taboos were established and sanctified. There is a complex relationship between recital of myths and the enactment of rituals. (Full article...)

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Dali (also Daal or Dæl; Georgian: დალი) is a goddess from the mythology of the Georgian people of the Caucasus region. She is a hunting goddess who serves as the patron of hoofed wild mountain animals such as ibexes and deer. Hunters who obeyed her numerous taboos would be assured of success in the hunt; conversely, she would harshly punish any who violated them. She is most prominently attested in the stories of the Svan ethnic subgroup in northwestern Georgia. Other groups in western Georgia had similar figures considered equivalent to Dali, such as the Mingrelian goddess Tkashi-Mapa (Mingrelian: ტყაში-მაფა).

She was usually described as a beautiful nude woman with golden hair and glowing skin, although she sometimes took on the form of her favored animals, usually with some marking to differentiate her from the herd. She was said to reside in a cavern high in the mountains, where she kept watch over the hoofed game animals who live on the cliffs. Dali was styled with a variety of regional epithets reflecting her different roles and associations. (Full article...)

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...that Chamunda (pictured), a fearsome aspect of the Hindu Divine Mother, was worshipped by ritual human and animal sacrifices along with offerings of wine?

... that the supreme god of the southern African Bushmen is Cagn, a trickster who shapeshifts into a praying mantis?

... that the origin of the Postclassic K'iche' Maya patron deity Jacawitz has been traced back to a historical event at the city of Seibal?

...that in Greek mythology, Antiope was the only Amazon known to have married?

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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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Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Nuckelavee Sea Mither Boobrie 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 1The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 8Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9The 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 10Opening 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 11Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Sampo, 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 14Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Image 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 16Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Väinämöinen, 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 241929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 25Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28This 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 29Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Ancient 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 39Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41As 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 42Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 50Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 52Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 53Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Lord 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 58Amenonuhoko (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 59Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 63The 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 64Heracles 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 65"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7114th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Prometheus (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 73Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75The 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 76The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 83Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 84The 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 85Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 87Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)