Portal:Myths

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 religious (when they are closely linked to religion or spirituality) and secular authorities. 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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Attic red-figure plate from Vulci, Etruria, dated c. 520–500 BC, showing an ithyphallic satyr holding an aulos, a kind of ancient Greek woodwind instrument.

In Greek mythology, a satyr (Ancient Greek: σάτυρος, romanized: sátyros, pronounced [sátyros]), also known as a silenus or silenos (Ancient Greek: σειληνός, romanized: seilēnós [seːlɛːnós]), and sileni (plural), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exaggerated erection. Early artistic representations sometimes include horse-like legs, but, by the sixth century BC, they were more often represented with human legs. Comically hideous, they have mane-like hair, bestial faces, and snub noses and they always are shown naked. Satyrs were characterized by their ribaldry and were known as lovers of wine, music, dancing, and women. They were companions of the god Dionysus and were believed to inhabit remote locales, such as woodlands, mountains, and pastures. They often attempted to seduce or rape nymphs and mortal women alike, usually with little success. They are sometimes shown masturbating or engaging in bestiality.

In classical Athens, satyrs made up the chorus in a genre of play known as a "satyr play", which was a parody of tragedy and known for its bawdy and obscene humor. The only complete surviving play of this genre is Cyclops by Euripides, although a significant portion of Sophocles's Ichneutae has also survived. In mythology, the satyr Marsyas is said to have challenged the god Apollo to a musical contest and been flayed alive for his hubris. Although superficially ridiculous, satyrs were also thought to possess useful knowledge, if they could be coaxed into revealing it. The satyr Silenus was the tutor of the young Dionysus and a story from Ionia told of a silenos who gave sound advice when captured. (Full article...)

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... that Tamil Hindu parents dedicate their one-month-old children to the goddess Periyachi (pictured), who is depicted ripping a woman's womb?

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... 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?

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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 Shiva 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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General images

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

Image 1Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Väinämöinen, 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 3The 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 4Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 11Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 12Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13This 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 14Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16The 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 17Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 19Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 22Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 28Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Sampo, 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 30Ancient 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 31An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32The 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 33The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 36Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Amenonuhoko (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 38The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 39Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Lord 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 41Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Prometheus (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 43The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 49Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Opening 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 55As 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 56Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 62Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 651929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 66Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 70The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Image 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 73Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82The 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 8314th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Heracles 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 85Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)