Ancient Origins articles related to History. In the sections we bring you all the powerful civilizations; from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings and beyond.
Outside of Romania, especially in the English-speaking world, Transylvania is a land associated with vampires, specifically Dracula. Inside Romania, where Vlad the Impaler is a national hero, his...
Looming over the lives of gods and mortals alike, fate was more than a concept, it was an inscrutable force, a celestial decree woven by unseen hands. Dictating the unfolding of destinies, the gods...
Throughout the centuries, the British Isles have been home to a wide array of customs, traditions, and beliefs that reflect the intricate tapestry of our cultural history. One such tradition that has...
In this episode, I interview Professor Giulio Magli, a leading astrophysicist and archaeoastronomer who heads the Department of Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Milan. Magli, a prominent...
In the shadowy recesses of human imagination, mythical humanoid monsters have long lingered. Since the dawn of language, creatures of a repellent nature have existed in all their abhorrent splendor...
The narratives of ancient civilizations are stitched together with ethereal threads of mythology and folklore. Be they tethered in fact or complete fiction, these tales, handed down through...
Graham Hancock, the British host of the hit Netflix series "Ancient Apocalypse," has canceled plans to film a new season in the United States following significant backlash from Native American...
Cornwall's tin mines, with their labyrinthine tunnels and subterranean chambers, have long been the backdrop to stories of supernatural beings known as the Knockers. These elusive spirits, central to...
Alba Longa, an ancient city located in the Latium region of Italy, holds a prominent place in the realm of myth and legend. According to tradition, this fabled city's origins can be traced back to...
Pangu is a prominent figure in Chinese creation mythology. To this day, the Zhuang people sing a traditional song about Pangu creating the heavens and Earth. The origin of the Pangu myth has been...
Vampire lore , originating from Eastern European folklore, has fascinated and terrified people for centuries, with various creatures haunting the imaginations of different cultures worldwide. Among...
The Three Musketeers, immortalized in Alexandre Dumas' classic, are deeply rooted in the tumultuous political landscape of 17th-century France. Musketeers, originally armed with muskets but often...
Amid the vivid imagery adorning the plates of the Gundestrup Cauldron lies an enigma that has captivated successive generations of scholars. The question lingers: What lies behind these scenes, so...
Across the world we have different myths and legends from the elephant god Ganesha to the Maya Jaguar gods to different types of angels, goblins, and fairy like figures that have different names, but...
Throughout the long ages of our collective history, gods and goddesses have been revered, worshiped, and feared . Ancient mythologies from around the world are rife with deities who instilled awe and...
The world's first known flood myth can be traced back to the Sumerians around 2000 BC. Sumerian tablets recount captivating tales of human beginnings, the creation of mankind, and the profound...
Sumer , or the ‘land of civilized kings’, flourished in Mesopotamia , now modern-day Iraq, around 4500 BC. Sumerians created an advanced civilization with its own system of elaborate language and...
The long-lost continent of Mu, also known as Lemuria , is a mythical land believed to have existed in the Pacific Ocean. According to various esoteric and mythological theories, Mu was said to be an...
Giants, demigods, dwarves and elves - all these creatures made the Old Norse mythology so colorful and captivating. Preserved for posterity in the Norse sagas and manuscripts, these myths and legends...
Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrating the beginning of summer and the renewal of life. The pagan traditions associated with it have survived through the centuries, with many still...
The Olympian gods are well known to most people in the Western world. A lesser-known deity is Theia. Theia is the primordial Greek goddess of light. She was considered one of the Titans. She is said...
A long time before the Inka reigned, there were in those parts men in the manner of giants, as grown as they showed the figures that were sculpted in the stones. Pedro de Cieza de León Crónica de...
The Norse people were the ancient tribal communities of Scandinavia, who in the modern day are often referred to or thought of as the Vikings (who were actually a subset of them). Like many other...
I’ve had an affinity for the Maya civilization for almost 30 years, and between working with native elders, vacations, and leading tour group visits to Mexico, I can vouch for the mystical nature of...