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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" 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 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...)

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Statue of Shiva at Shivoham Shiva Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka

Shiva (/ˈʃɪvə/; Sanskrit: शिव, lit. 'The Auspicious One', IAST: Śiva [ɕɪʋɐ]), also known as Mahadeva (/məˈhɑː ˈdeɪvə/; Sanskrit: महादेव:, lit. 'The Great God', IAST: Mahādevaḥ, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh]) or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.

Shiva is known as The Destroyer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. (Full article...)

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

... 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 Maximón, a saint venerated in the highlands of Guatemala, drinks whiskey, smokes cigarettes and grants prayers for revenge?

...that according to Greek mythology, Adonis was slain by a boar at the foot of the waterfall in Apheca in modern-day Lebanon?

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Illustration of a winged, fire-breathing dragon by Friedrich Justin Bertuch from 1806

A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Commonalities between dragons' traits are often a hybridization of reptilian, mammalian, and avian features. (Full article...)

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Vampire Fenrir Ala (demon) Sharabha Ratatoskr Huginn and Muninn Keshi (demon) Nuckelavee Sea Mither Boobrie Stoor worm Mermaid 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 1Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder. (from List of mythological objects)
Image 2Vishnu with his Panchajanya (from List of mythological objects)
Image 3The 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 4Ancient 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 5The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 6Shield of Achilles (illustration) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 7Edith Hamilton's Mythology has been a major channel for English speakers to learn classical Greek and Roman mythology (from Myth)
Image 8Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 9Several mythical creatures from Bilderbuch für Kinder (lit. 'picture book for children') between 1790 and 1822, by Friedrich Justin Bertuch (from Legendary creature)
Image 10The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 11Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 12Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 13The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa (from List of mythological objects)
Image 14Tor's Fight with the Giants (1872) by Mårten Eskil Winge. Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology. (from Myth)
Image 15Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922 (from List of mythological objects)
Image 16Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara (from List of mythological objects)
Image 17Holy Robe in Trier (from List of mythological objects)
Image 18This 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 19Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (from Myth)
Image 20Fortune Wheel (from List of mythological objects)
Image 21Image 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 221929 Belgian banknote, depicting Ceres, Neptune and caduceus (from Myth)
Image 23The 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 24An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 25Väinämöinen, 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 2614th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani (from List of mythological objects)
Image 27"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right (from List of mythological objects)
Image 28Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré (from List of mythological objects)
Image 29Pied piper (from List of mythological objects)
Image 30The 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 31Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre (from List of mythological objects)
Image 32Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma (from List of mythological objects)
Image 33Odysseus Overcome by Demodocus' Song, a mythological painting by Francesco Hayez, 1813–1815 (from Myth)
Image 34Opening 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 35Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules (from List of mythological objects)
Image 36A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff (from List of mythological objects)
Image 37Prometheus (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 38Ballads of bravery (1877) part of Arthurian mythology (from Myth)
Image 39"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid (from List of mythological objects)
Image 40Fountain of Youth (from List of mythological objects)
Image 41Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle (from List of mythological objects)
Image 42Yama with his famous Yama Pasha (from List of mythological objects)
Image 43The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral (from List of mythological objects)
Image 44Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris (from List of mythological objects)
Image 45Hand of God (from List of mythological objects)
Image 46King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing (from List of mythological objects)
Image 47The 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 48Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by galla demons (from Comparative mythology)
Image 49Giza pyramids (from List of mythological objects)
Image 50Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka (from List of mythological objects)
Image 51As 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 52The Dispute of Minerva and Neptune (c. 1689 or 1706) by René-Antoine Houasse, depicting the founding myth of Athens (from National myth)
Image 53Symbolic power: a dragon in the Imperial City, Huế, Vietnam (from Legendary creature)
Image 54The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 55Golem and Loew (from List of mythological objects)
Image 56Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft (from List of mythological objects)
Image 57Rectangular tablets passed down by the Hand of God in the 10th century Byzantine Leo Bible (from List of mythological objects)
Image 58Goetia seal of solomon (from List of mythological objects)
Image 59Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons (from List of mythological objects)
Image 60The Flying Dutchman (from List of mythological objects)
Image 61Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan (from List of mythological objects)
Image 62The Fall of the Titans (1596–98) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (from Comparative mythology)
Image 63Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object (from List of mythological objects)
Image 64Joan of Arc with her famous sword (from List of mythological objects)
Image 65Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe (from List of mythological objects)
Image 66Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu (from List of mythological objects)
Image 67Achilles wearing his armor (from List of mythological objects)
Image 68The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (from List of mythological objects)
Image 69The fall of Icarus (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 71Jason returns with Golden fleece (from List of mythological objects)
Image 72Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð (from List of mythological objects)
Image 73Heracles 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 74seven angels with seven trumpets (from List of mythological objects)
Image 75Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's (from List of mythological objects)
Image 76Surya on His Celestial Chariot (from List of mythological objects)
Image 77Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak (from List of mythological objects)
Image 78The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana (from List of mythological objects)
Image 79Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (from List of mythological objects)
Image 80Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 81Sampo, 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 82Longinus with his famous Spear (from List of mythological objects)
Image 83Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905) (from List of mythological objects)
Image 84Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors (from List of mythological objects)
Image 85Houyi, the God of Archery (from List of mythological objects)
Image 86Shiva with his Trishula (from List of mythological objects)
Image 87Amenonuhoko (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 88Yama advances to smite Ravana with the weapon of death (from List of mythological objects)
Image 89Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku (from List of mythological objects)