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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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 self-decapitated Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta (pictured) standing on a copulating couple signifies that life, death and sex are interdependent?

...that the most popular deity worshipped by the Duala peoples of Cameroon is a mermaid called a jengu?

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

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

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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 1The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2The 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 3The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Sampo, 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 7Väinämöinen, 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 8The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14The 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 15Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Lord 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 17Image 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 18Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 23The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 251929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 26Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Ancient 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 28Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 31Opening 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 32The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35The 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 36Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 37Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4014th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 49Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Prometheus (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 52Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 53A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 57Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70As 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 71Heracles 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 72Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 76Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 79The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Amenonuhoko (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 82Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83This 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 84Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 85Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86The 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 87Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)