Portal:Myths

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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" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the veracity of a myth is not a defining criterion.

Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities and are closely linked to religion or spirituality. 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 Norse mythology, Njörðr (Old Norse: Njǫrðr) is a god among the Vanir. Njörðr, father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.

Njörðr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, in euhemerized form as a beloved mythological early king of Sweden in Heimskringla, also written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, as one of three gods invoked in the 14th century Hauksbók ring oath, and in numerous Scandinavian place names. Veneration of Njörðr survived into the 18th or 19th century Norwegian folk practice, where the god is recorded as Njor and thanked for a bountiful catch of fish. (Full article...)

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...that according to Hindu mythology, the deity Revanta (pictured) was born from the union of the sun-god Surya and his wife Saranya in the form of horse and mare?

... that some modern K'iche' Maya revere rival syncretised forms of the pre-Columbian Moon goddess Awilix that are said to be the lovers of St. James?

... that in Mesoamerican folklore, it is believed that a dog (mythical dog pictured) carries the newly deceased across a body of water into the afterlife?

... that in classical mythology, Cerberus (pictured) is a monstrous dog with multiple heads that guards the gates to the underworld?

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Fenrir (Old Norse 'fen-dweller') or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"), also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf") and Vánagandr (Old Norse 'monster of the [River] Ván'), is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology. In Old Norse texts, Fenrir plays a key role during the events of Ragnarök, where he is foretold to assist in setting the world aflame, resulting in the collapse of humanity and society, and kill the god Odin.

Fenrir, along with Hel and Jörmungandr, is a child of Loki and female jötunn Angrboða. He is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, composed in the 13th century. In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, is a son of Loki and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr. (Full article...)

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

General images

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

Image 1Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2As 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 3Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (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 5Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6The 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 7Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 8Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9The 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 10Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 15Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Väinämöinen, 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 18Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 19"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 20The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 221929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 23Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 24The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 25 Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 26The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Lord 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 29Heracles 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 30Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 31Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Ancient 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 33Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 34Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 35Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 37Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 38Amenonuhoko (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 39Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 40Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43Prometheus (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 44Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 46Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 47The 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 48The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 49Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 52The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 53Fountain of Youth (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 55Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 56Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59The 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 60Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6114th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (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 63Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Sampo, 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 67The fall of Icarus (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 70Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 71The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Image 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 73A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 74This 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 75Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)
Image 82The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (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 84Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)