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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Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression. The series traces the disparate storylines of a young carnival worker named Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin Crowe, a preacher in California. The overarching story is built around a good and evil theme, which serves as a human-scaled metaphor within a complex structure of myth and allegory. Samson, who is a dwarf and manages the carnival, sets up the show's mythology with a prologue in the pilot episode, talking of "a creature of light and a creature of darkness" being born "to each generation" preparing for a final battle.

Most mythological elements in Carnivàle relate to so-called Avatars (or Creatures of Light and Darkness), fictional human-like beings with supernatural powers who embody good and evil. In its first season Carnivàle does not reveal its characters as Avatars beyond insinuation, and makes the nature of suggested Avatars a central question. By the second season it is established that Ben is a Creature of Light and Brother Justin a Creature of Darkness. Other than through the characters, the show's good-and-evil theme manifests in the series' contemporary religion, the Christian military order Knights Templar, tarot divination, and in historical events like the Dustbowl and humankind's first nuclear test. Show creator Daniel Knauf did not respond to questions about the mythology but did provide hints about the mythological structure to online fandom both during and after the two-season run of Carnivàle. Nevertheless, many of the intended clues remained unnoticed by viewers. Knauf left fans a production summary of Carnivàle's first season two years after cancellation. This so-called Pitch Document, originally written to give HBO and Knauf's co-writers an overview of the intended storyline, backed up and expanded upon the assumed mythological rules. (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 the lives of saints, the appearance of roses (example pictured) sometimes announces the presence or activity of God?

... that in Hopi mythology, the Kachina Nataska enforces good behavior among children?

...that in Greek mythology, Arion (or Areion) was an extremely swift immortal horse that could talk?

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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 1Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Amenonuhoko (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 4Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Fortune Wheel (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 11The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 12Ancient 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 13Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 16The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17The 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 18Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Hand of God (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 23Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 26King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 29The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Prometheus (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 32Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 331929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 34Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35As 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 36An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 39Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The 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 45The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 51The 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 52Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Lord 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 54Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 57The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 58Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 59Heracles 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 60Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6114th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Sampo, 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 65Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Väinämöinen, 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 68The 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 69Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70This 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 71Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 85Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Image 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)