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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Single-bodied (単身, tanshin) Kangiten holding an axe and a daikon, 1869

Kangiten or Kankiten (Japanese: 歓喜天, "god of bliss"; Sanskrit (IAST): Nandikeśvara), also known as Binayaka (毘那夜迦; Skt. Vināyaka), Ganabachi (誐那鉢底, alternatively Ganahachi or Ganahattei; Skt. Gaṇapati), or more commonly, Shōten or Shōden (聖天, lit. "sacred god" or "noble god"), is a deva (ten) venerated mainly in the Shingon and Tendai schools of Japanese Buddhism.

Although Kangiten (Shōten) in the beginning was (at least at first) negatively portrayed as the creator of obstacles and the leader of a class of malignant demons who obstructed Buddhist practice called vinayakas, though later tradition made an attempt to distinguish between the vinayakas and their lord, who became seen as a manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Kannon in Japanese) and/or the buddha Vairochana. (Full article...)

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... that Reeri Yakseya, who is believed to be the most cruel and powerful demon in Sinhalese folklore, can assume 18 different apparitions?

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

...that in Ovid's Metamorphoses, the love between Acis and Galatea ended when a jealous suitor named Polyphemus killed Acis with a boulder?

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The phoenix, "unica semper avis" (ever-singular bird), 1583

The phoenix is a legendary immortal bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Originating in Greek mythology, it has analogs in many cultures, such as Egyptian and Persian mythology. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion, while others say that it simply dies and decomposes before being born again. In the Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, a tool used by folklorists, the phoenix is classified as motif B32.

The origin of the phoenix has been attributed to Ancient Egypt by Herodotus and later 19th-century scholars, but other scholars think the Egyptian texts may have been influenced by classical folklore. Over time, the phoenix motif spread and gained a variety of new associations; Herodotus, Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Pope Clement I, Lactantius, Ovid, and Isidore of Seville are among those who have contributed to the retelling and transmission of the phoenix motif. Over time, extending beyond its origins, the phoenix could variously "symbolize renewal in general as well as the sun, time, the Roman Empire, metempsychosis, consecration, resurrection, life in the heavenly Paradise, Christ, Mary, virginity, the exceptional man, and certain aspects of Christian life". Some scholars have claimed that the poem De ave phoenice may present the mythological phoenix motif as a symbol of Christ's resurrection. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 3Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 4Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 5Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 10Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 13"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20Väinämöinen, 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 21Opening 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 22Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 23Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 26Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 27Thor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 28The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 341929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 35Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 39Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 44Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 48The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (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 51Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 52Lord 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 53The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 54The 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 55Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57As 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 58Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Prometheus (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 60The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Image 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 62The 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 63Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Ancient 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 66Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 67Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68This 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 69Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71Sampo, 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 72Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7414th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75The 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 76Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Several legendary creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 82alt=Spiral hieroglyphic inscriptions on the Phaistos Disc (from Comparative mythology)
Image 83The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 85Heracles 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 86An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 88Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 89Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 90The Giving of the Seven Bowls of Wrath / The First Six Plagues, Revelation 16:1–16. Matthias Gerung, c. 1531 (from List of mythological objects)