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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

The blue men of the Minch, also known as storm kelpies (Scottish Gaelic: na fir ghorma Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [nə fiɾʲ ˈɣɔɾɔmə]), are mythological creatures inhabiting the stretch of water between the northern Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, looking for sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink.

Apart from their blue colour, the mythical creatures look much like humans, and are about the same size. They have the power to create storms, but when the weather is fine they float sleeping on or just below the surface of the water. The blue men swim with their torsos raised out of the sea, twisting and diving as porpoises do. They are able to speak, and when a group approaches a ship its chief may shout two lines of poetry to the master of the vessel and challenge him to complete the verse. If the skipper fails in that task then the blue men will attempt to capsize his ship. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know? - show different entries

... that the self-decapitated Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta (pictured) standing on a copulating couple signifies that life, death and sex are interdependent?

... that in Chinese mythology, Wu Gang had to chop down a tree on the moon that always healed itself, forcing him to keep trying forever?

... 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 white horse in mythology is associated with the sun chariot, warrior-heroes, fertility or an end-time saviour?

More did you know facts

Recognised content

Featured Articles: Ahalya, Ancient Egyptian literature, King Arthur, Ganesha, Iravan, Orion (mythology), Vampire, Vithoba

Featured Lists: List of valkyrie names in Norse mythology

Good Articles: 2012 phenomenon, Æsir–Vanir War, Ala (demon), Anu, Aphrodite, Athena, Ardhanarishvara, Battle of Barry, Bhikshatana, Catalogue of Women, Chamunda, Chhinnamasta, Consorts of Ganesha, Cú Chulainn, Dhumavati, Dumuzid, Einherjar, Eir, Enlil, Fairy Flag, Fenrir, Gerðr, Hel (being), Huginn and Muninn, Iðunn, Ila (Hinduism), Inanna, Kabandha, Kali, Kamadhenu, Kangiten, Keshi (demon), Khandoba, Kratos (mythology) Krishna, Kubera, LGBT themes in Hindu mythology, Manasa, Mandodari, Matangi, Matrikas, Maya Sita, Mohini, Myrrha, Mythology of Carnivàle, Naraka (Hinduism), Ninurta, Prester John, Prithu, Putana, Rati, Ratatoskr, Revanta, Satyavati, Satyr, Sharabha, Shashthi, Shiva, Sif, Tara (Ramayana), Troilus, Tuisto, Valhalla, Valkyrie, Vampire folklore by region, Varaha, Varahi, Veðrfölnir and eagle Zduhać

...Recognised content on Wikipedia

Wikiversity

Mythology portal on Wikiversity

Selected creature - show another

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...)

List of selected creatures

General images

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

Image 1Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Image 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 3Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 5Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Opening 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 8The 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 9Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Amenonuhoko (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 13The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 14The 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 15Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 161929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 17Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20alt=Spiral hieroglyphic inscriptions on the Phaistos Disc (from Comparative mythology)
Image 21Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 22"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Prometheus (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 24Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 25Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Ancient 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 35Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Väinämöinen, 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 39Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 43Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56The 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 57Heracles 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 58Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 59Thor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 60Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 62Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 67Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 69The 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 70Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Sampo, 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 73This 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 74The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Lord 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 76Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77As 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 78The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8114th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 89seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 90Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)