Portal:Myths

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

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 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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie (/ˈvælkɪri/ VAL-kirr-ee or /vælˈkɪəri/ val-KEER-ee; from Old Norse: valkyrja, lit. 'chooser of the slain') is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar ('single fighters' or 'once fighters'). When the einherjar are not preparing for the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses.

Valkyries are attested in the Poetic Edda (a book of poems compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources), the Prose Edda, the Heimskringla (both by Snorri Sturluson) and the Njáls saga (one of the Sagas of Icelanders), all written—or compiled—in the 13th century. They appear throughout the poetry of skalds, in a 14th-century charm, and in various runic inscriptions. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know? - show different entries

...that the tiyanak is an infant-like creature from Philippine mythology that is said to attack tourists with its fangs and claws?

...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 Apaliunas, a Luwian deity of Wilusa (Troy) attested among gods in a treaty inscription, ca. 1280 BCE, is a likely precursor of Apollo of Greek mythology?

More did you know facts

Recognised content

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

Featured Lists: List of valkyrie names in Norse mythology

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

...Recognised content on Wikipedia

Wikiversity

Mythology portal on Wikiversity

Selected creature - show another

The nuckelavee ( /nʌklɑːˈviː/) or nuckalavee is a horse-like demon from Orcadian folklore that combines equine and human elements. British folklorist Katharine Briggs called it "the nastiest" of all the demons of Scotland's Northern Isles. The nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller.

A graphic description of the nuckelavee as it appears on land was given by an islander who claimed to have had a confrontation with it, but accounts describing the details of the creature's appearance are inconsistent. In common with many other sea-monsters, it is unable to tolerate fresh water, therefore, those it is pursuing have only to cross a river or stream to be rid of it. The nuckelavee is kept in confinement during the summer months by the Mither o' the Sea, an ancient Orcadian spirit, and the only one able to control it. (Full article...)

List of selected creatures
Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) 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 1Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Image 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 4The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8The 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 9Väinämöinen, 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 10Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 14Heracles 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 15Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 16Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 18As 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 19Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 20Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22Opening 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 23Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Amenonuhoko (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 31Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 33Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Ancient 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 37Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 42Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4414th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (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 46The 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 47Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 48Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (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 57Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 58Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 601929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 61Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 63Sampo, 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 64Fortune Wheel (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 66Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70The 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 71Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Vishnu with his Panchajanya (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 81King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (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 84The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 86Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87The 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 88Prometheus (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)