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 Eye of Ra or Eye of Re, usually depicted as sun disk or right wedjat-eye (paired with the Eye of Horus, left wedjat-eye), is an entity in ancient Egyptian mythology that functions as an extension of the sun god Ra's power, equated with the disk of the sun, but it often behaves as an independent goddess, a feminine counterpart to Ra and a violent force that subdues his enemies. This goddess, also known with the theonym Wedjat, can be equated with several particular deities, including Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Raet-Tawy, and Mut. The eye goddess acts as mother, sibling, consort, and daughter of the sun god. She is his partner in the creative cycle in which he begets the renewed form of himself that is born at dawn. The eye's violent aspect defends Ra against the agents of disorder that threaten his rule. This dangerous aspect of the eye goddess is often represented by a lioness or by the uraeus, or cobra, a symbol of protection and royal authority. The disastrous fury and rampages of the eye goddess and the efforts of the gods to appease her are a prominent motif in Egyptian mythology.

The Eye of Ra was involved in many areas of ancient Egyptian religion, including in the cults of the many goddesses who are equated with it. Its life-giving power was celebrated in temple rituals, and its dangerous aspect was invoked in the protection of the pharaoh, of sacred places, and of ordinary people and their homes. (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 Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (pictured) was the god of the planet Venus in Aztec belief?

...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?

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Illustration of a winged, fire-breathing dragon by Friedrich Justin Bertuch from 1806

A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Commonalities between dragons' traits are often a hybridization of feline, reptilian, mammalian, and avian features. (Full article...)

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Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Nuckelavee Sea Mither Boobrie Stoor worm Mermaid 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 1Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 3Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Image 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 7The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
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 13The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Opening 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 16Väinämöinen, 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 17Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 20Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 211929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 2214th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 24Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 34Prometheus (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 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 36The 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 37Heracles 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 38Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42The sheyd אַשְמְדּאָי (Ašmodai) in bird-like form, with typical rooster feet, as depicted in Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae 1775 (from Comparative mythology)
Image 43Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 45The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 49The 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 50Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53The 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 54Amenonuhoko (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 55Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Sampo, 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 57Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58The 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 59Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Lord 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 62The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 80Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84This 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 85Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 87The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 88An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)