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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Aravan worshipped at Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore. A cobra hood is sheltering Aravan's head.

Iravan also known as Iravat and Iravant, is a minor character from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The son of Pandava prince Arjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central deity of the cult of Kuttantavar (Kuttandavar) which is also the name commonly given to him in that tradition—and plays a major role in the sect of Draupadi. Both these sects are of Tamil origin, from a region of the country where he is worshipped as a village deity and is known as Aravan. He is also a patron god of well-known transgender communities called Alis (also Aravani in Tamil, and Hijra throughout South Asia).

The Mahabharata portrays Iravan as dying a heroic death on the 8th day of the 18-day Kurukshetra War (Mahabharata war), the epic's main subject. However, the South Indian traditions have a supplementary practice of honouring Aravan's self-sacrifice to the goddess Kali to ensure her favour and the victory of the Pandavas in the war. The Kuttantavar tradition focuses on one of the three boons granted to Aravan by the god Krishna in honour of this self-sacrifice. Aravan requested that he be married before his death. Krishna satisfied this boon in his female form, Mohini. In Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, this incident is re-enacted in an 18-day festival, first by a ceremonial marriage of Aravan to Alis (hijra) and male villagers (who have taken vows to Aravan) and then by their widowhood after ritual re-enactment of Aravan's sacrifice. (Full article...)

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... that the Engkanto, a Philippine mythical creature, might be based on early encounters with European friars?

... that in Hindu mythology, the demoness Putana (pictured, centre) tried to kill the infant-god Krishna by breastfeeding him poisoned milk?

...that according to Inca mythology, lunar eclipses are caused by animals attacking Mama Quilla, the goddess of the moon?

... that Xiuhtecuhtli (mask pictured), the Aztec god of fire, was one of the nine Lords of the Night even though he was a solar deity?

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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...)

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General images

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

Image 1Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 4Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 9Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 12Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Fountain of Youth (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 23Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26alt=Spiral hieroglyphic inscriptions on the Phaistos Disc (from Comparative mythology)
Image 27Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 28Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30The 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 31The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 33Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3814th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39This 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 40Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 44Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46The 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 47Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (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 51Heracles 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 52Thor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 53Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 55Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Ancient 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 571929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 58Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60As 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 61Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 63Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66The 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 67Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Opening 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 69Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70Lord 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 71The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Sampo, 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 74The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 78Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Väinämöinen, 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 80Image 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 81Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85The 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 86Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 87Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Prometheus (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 89Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 90Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)