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", referring to a belief that is not true, for the veracity of folklore is not a defining criterion of it being myth.

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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

Sól (Old Norse: [ˈsoːl], "Sun") or Sunna (Old High German, and existing as an Old Norse and Icelandic synonym: see Wiktionary sunna, "Sun") is the Sun personified in Germanic mythology. One of the two Old High German Merseburg Incantations, written in the 9th or 10th century CE, attests that Sunna is the sister of Sinthgunt. In Norse mythology, Sól is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

In both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda she is described as the sister of the personified moon, Máni, is the daughter of Mundilfari, is at times referred to as Álfröðull, and is foretold to be killed by a monstrous wolf during the events of Ragnarök, though beforehand she will have given birth to a daughter who continues her mother's course through the heavens. In the Prose Edda, she is additionally described as the wife of Glenr. As a proper noun, Sól appears throughout Old Norse literature. Scholars have produced theories about the development of the goddess from potential Nordic Bronze Age and Proto-Indo-European roots. (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 Ewale a Mbedi may have been the first Duala leader to trade with Europeans in Cameroon?

... that the cult of Kukulkan, the Yucatec Maya feathered serpent deity, was the first Mesoamerican religion to transcend earlier linguistic and ethnic divisions?

...that the Deluge or "flood myth" is a widespread theme in religion and mythology, with examples such as the story of Noah in the Torah or Gilgamesh flood myth?

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

Centaur in battle, on an Attic terracotta lekythos, c. 575–550 BC

A centaur (/ˈsɛntɔːr, ˈsɛntɑːr/ SEN-tor, SEN-tar; Ancient Greek: κένταυρος, romanized: kéntauros; Latin: centaurus), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (Ancient Greek: Ἰξιονίδαι, romanized: Ixionídai, lit. 'sons of Ixion'), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version of the myth, the centaurs were named after Centaurus, and, through his brother Lapithes, were kin to the legendary tribe of the Lapiths.

Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being as wild as untamed horses, and were said to have inhabited the region of Magnesia and Mount Pelion in Thessaly, the Foloi oak forest in Elis, and the Malean peninsula in southern Laconia. Centaurs are subsequently featured in Roman mythology, and were familiar figures in the medieval bestiary. They remain a staple of modern fantastic literature. (Full article...)

List of selected creatures
Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Nuckelavee Sea Mither Boobrie Stoor worm Mermaid Dragon Siren (mythology) Hippocampus (mythology) Phoenix (mythology) Unicorn Serpent (symbolism) Anzû Cerberus

General images

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

Image 1Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Lord 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 3Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 6Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 7Prometheus (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 8"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Väinämöinen, 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 13Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 14Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19As 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 20Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 22Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Image 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 27Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29The 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 30Heracles 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 31The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 32Thor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 33Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34This 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 35The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 39Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4314th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Sampo, 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 46Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
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 51seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 55Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62Opening 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 63Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64The 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 65Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69The 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 70Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 711929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 72The 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 73Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 74Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82Ancient 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 83The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)