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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The central image at Vithoba Temple in Pandharpur

Vithoba (IAST: Viṭhobā), also known as Vitthala (IAST: Viṭṭhala), and Panduranga (IAST: Pāṇḍuraṅga), is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is a form of the Hindu deity Vishnu in his avatar: Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his consort Rakhumai.

Vithoba is the focus of an essentially monotheistic, non-ritualistic bhakti-driven Varkari faith in Maharashtra and the Haridasa sect established in Dvaita Vedanta in Karnataka. Vithoba Temple, Pandharpur is his main temple. Vithoba legends revolve around his devotee Pundalik who is credited for bringing the deity to Pandharpur, and around Vithoba's role as a saviour to the poet-saints of the Varkari faith. The Varkari poet-saints are known for their unique genre of devotional lyric, the abhang, dedicated to Vithoba and composed in Marathi. Other devotional literature dedicated to Vithoba includes the Kannada hymns of the Haridasa and the Marathi versions of the generic aarti songs associated with rituals of offering light to the deity. The most important festivals of Vithoba are held on Shayani Ekadashi in the month of Ashadha, and Prabodhini Ekadashi in the month of Kartika. (Full article...)

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... that the legend of Sumbha and Nisumbha, demons from Hindu mythology, is used as a warning against the dangers of seduction in Shashi Tharoor's novel The Great Indian Novel?

... 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 Ovid's Metamorphoses, the love between Acis and Galatea ended when a jealous suitor named Polyphemus killed Acis with a boulder?

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Ninurta with his thunderbolts pursues Anzû stealing the Tablet of Destinies from Enlil's sanctuary (Austen Henry Layard Monuments of Nineveh, 2nd Series, 1853)

Anzû, also known as ^dZû and Imdugud (Sumerian: 𒀭𒅎𒂂 ^dim.dugud^mušen), is a monster in several Mesopotamian religions. He was conceived by the pure waters of the Abzu and the wide Earth, or as son of Siris. Anzû was depicted as a massive bird who can breathe fire and water, although Anzû is alternately depicted as a lion-headed eagle.

Stephanie Dalley, in Myths from Mesopotamia, writes that "the Epic of Anzu is principally known in two versions: an Old Babylonian version of the early second millennium [BC], giving the hero as Ningirsu; and 'The Standard Babylonian' version, dating to the first millennium BC, which appears to be the most quoted version, with the hero as Ninurta". However, the Anzu character does not appear as often in some other writings, as noted below. (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 Serpent (symbolism) Cerberus

General images

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

Image 1Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2The 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 3Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Lord 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 6Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 7Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Amenonuhoko (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 9The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 11The 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 12The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14As 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 15seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Opening 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 19The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 22"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 25Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
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 28Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35This 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 36Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 37Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38The 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 39Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 411929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 42A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 46Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 47Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Heracles 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 49Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 55Image 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 56Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5914th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Sampo, 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 63Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71Väinämöinen, 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 72Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 74Prometheus (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 75Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79The 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 80An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)