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 totally different from the ordinary sense of the term myth, meaning a belief that is not true, as the veracity of a piece of folklore is entirely irrelevant to determining whether it constitutes a myth.

Myths are often endorsed by religious and secular authorities, and may be natural or supernatural in character. 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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In Hinduism, Pūtanā (lit. 'putrefaction') is a rakshasi (demoness) in Hindu mythology, who was killed by the infant-god Krishna. Putana disguises herself as a young, beautiful woman and tries to kill the god by breast-feeding poisoned milk; however, Krishna sucks her milk as well as her life via her breasts. Putana is also considered a foster-mother of Krishna, as she breastfed him. By offering her milk, Putana had performed "the supreme act of maternal devotion", in the shadow of her evil motives. The legend is told and retold in Hindu scriptures and some Indian books, which portray her variously as an evil hag or a demoness who surrendered herself to Krishna, though she initially came with evil motives.

Putana is interpreted as an infantile disease or bird, symbolizing danger to an infant or desire, respectively, and even as a symbolic bad mother. She is included in a group of powerful and complex Hindu mother goddesses called the Matrikas and also in the group of Yoginis and Grahinis (Seizers). Ancient Indian medical texts prescribe her worship to protect children from diseases. A group of multiple Putanas is mentioned in ancient Indian texts. (Full article...)

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...that Chamunda (pictured), a fearsome aspect of the Hindu Divine Mother, was worshipped by ritual human and animal sacrifices along with offerings of wine?

... that the supreme god of the southern African Bushmen is Cagn, a trickster who shapeshifts into a praying mantis?

... that human sacrifices to the K'iche' Maya patron deity Tohil had their severed heads placed on a rack in front of the temple?

... that the worshippers of Xipe Totec (pictured), the Aztec god of renewal, wore the flayed skins of their sacrificial victims?

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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 demon in several Mesopotamian religions. He was conceived by the cosmic freshwater ocean Abzu and mother Earth Mami, or as son of Siris. In Babylonian myths Anzû was depicted as a massive bird - also as an eagle with lion head - who can breathe fire and water. This narrative seems to refer to much earlier Sumerian myths, in which he appears as a half-human storm bird who stole the tablet of destiny, challenging Enlil's power over his organisation of different gods that provided Mesopotamia with agriculture (cf. the Flood epic Athrahasis).

Stephanie Dalley, in Myths from Mesopotamia, writes that the Epic of Anzu itself "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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General images

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

Image 1The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 9Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Prometheus (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 12Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Opening lines of one of the Mabinogi myths from the Red Book of Hergest (written pre-13th century, 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 14Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 16Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 20Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Sampo, 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 25The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 33The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34The 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 35Väinämöinen, 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 36Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38The 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 39Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 40alt=Spiral hieroglyphic inscriptions on the Phaistos Disc (from Comparative mythology)
Image 411929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 4214th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Image 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 44"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Heracles 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 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 47The 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 48King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Amenonuhoko (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 51Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 54Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60Lord 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 61Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 66The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Thor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
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 71Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Ancient 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 74Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76As 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 77Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 81Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 87The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 90Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)