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Almendres cromlech megaliths. Evora, Portugal.

Legends say Mysterious Women Built the Megaliths of Portugal

Prehistoric Europeans told legends about powerful, mysterious female makers of European stone tombs called dolmens and cromlechs. On the one hand, they were said to bestow riches and fertility on...
There are many tales about the Tengu. Source: shihina / Adobe Stock.

Magic and Mayhem of Japanese Legend: Don’t Try To Out-Trick A Tengu!

The Tengu were not only protectors of the mountains and the Buddhist faith, they were also known to be mischievous tricksters who, much like their Kitsune cousins, were capable of using magic such as...
 Half-man, half-supernatural being living in nature

The Darker Side of Irish Fairy Lore: When Encounters Turn Dangerous

When we think of fairies many of the more popular tales tend to have an almost playful nature but it would be wrong to assume that this is means that fairies are always benign. Many accounts within...
Illustration of a Celtic warrior woman by RottenRagamuffin

The Woman Behind the Man: Celtic Warrior Scathach, Teacher of Warriors

Scáthach, meaning “The Shadowy One” in Gaelic, was a mythical Celtic warrior and martial arts trainer. Her school of warriors turned out some of the top Celtic heroes. Her most famous student was Cú...
A scene from The Ballad of Narayama

Ubasute: Is the Ancient Tradition of Dumping the Elderly in a Forest Encouraging Modern Murder?

Ubasute is an ancient practice from Japanese folklore in which a sick or elderly relative is dumped in a remote place to die. Although ubasute is attested in a number of Japanese legends , it is...
Tsodilo Hills in Northwestern Botswana.

Kebokwe’s Cave: A Supernatural Site That Was Feared, Now a Sacred Place for Worship

Caves have always fascinated humans and often been regarded with awe and superstition. Kebokwe’s Cave , in the Southern African nation of Botswana , has many legends told about it and it has...
Blood moon lunar eclipse

Exploring Ancient Lunar Legends as Total Lunar Eclipse Will Create Rare 'Blood Moon'

The moon has been an object of worship, veneration, and intrigue among ancient civilizations for thousands of years. Now, it is set to capture our admiration once again as a total lunar eclipse will...
Apollo and the Muses by Robert Sanderson

Demystifying the Nine Sorceresses at the Center of Time

Myths, folklore ancient songs and poems present the number ‘nine’ as being connected with the underworld, and this has been extended into modern pop culture. There were ‘nine circles of Hell’ in...
Solar gods were worshiped in prehistoric Ireland.

Was Prayer to the Ancient Solar Gods enough to Change the Renowned Irish Weather?

Ireland’s history is rich in dramatic myth and mysterious legends. The significance of the natural world, and most importantly the sun, was obvious in the daily lives of the pre-Christian Irish...
Open Book Photo

How Much of What We Believe About Ancient History is Really True? Thinking Critically about Myths and Legends

A legend is a tale regarded as historical even though it has not been proven, and the term “myth” can refer to common yet false ideas. Many myths and legends describe our history, but they are often...
Double headed androgynous Herm statue, Athens.

Edgar Cayce, Six-fingered Giants and the Supernatural Creation Gods of Atlantis: Part 2

This is the second part of a two-part article. Read Part 1 In Plato’s Symposium (189–190 AD), Aristophanes displays knowledge of an ancient myth of the androgyne, according to which our original...
Edgar Cayce (Credit: Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment, Author provided)

Edgar Cayce, Six-fingered Giants and the Supernatural Creation Gods of Atlantis: Part 1

“The primitive mind does not invent myths, it experiences them.” -- Carl Jung For nearly 30 years I have returned to the famous “Sleeping Prophet” Edgar Cayce’s readings as a road map to try and...
5 Mythical Creatures – And Where to Find Them

5 Mythical Creatures – And Where to Find Them

Folklore is littered with accounts of unusual beasts of all shapes and sizes. Some, like Bigfoot, are household names. Others, like the Japanese water demon Kappa, are not so well-known. But they all...
Ancient Origins Free Ebooks.

4th Year Anniversary - Unravelling Ancient Myths and Legends FREE Ebook

To mark the occasion of our 4 Year Anniversary, Ancient Origins has released our biggest ebook yet - titled “Unravelling Ancient Myths & Legends”. The ebook is a compilation of...
Creatures of the Land, Sea and Heavens: Ancient Beliefs in Animal Counterparts

Creatures of the Land, Sea and Heavens: Ancient Beliefs in Animal Counterparts

Until the Age of Enlightenment, it was widely believed that every land creature had its counterpart in the sea (and perhaps even in the heavens). The classic example of this belief is the horse,...
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A History of Monsters, from Werewolves to Hippogriffs

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A History of Monsters, from Werewolves to Hippogriffs

The latest instalment in the Harry Potter franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , sees wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) entering New York in 1926, smuggling a briefcase full of...
Holy Yet Cursed Medieval Well Unearthed in England

Holy Yet Cursed Medieval Well Unearthed in England

Archaeologists working in England have excavated a holy well dated to the Medieval period. Local legends speak of pilgrims bathing in its waters to cure their eye and skin diseases. However, a later...
Legends of Mount Shasta: The Abode of the Devil Part 2 – Castle Crags: Fortress of Giants

Legends of Mount Shasta: The Abode of the Devil Part 2 – Castle Crags: Fortress of Giants

“When the Wa-Gas first arrived on this continent they handed down the traditions to us that it was inhabited by a giant race of people when they first came. These giants were represented by the Wa-...
Tsunami. Image copyright © Dustin Naef. Mount Shasta's Legends & Forgotten History, 2016.

Cascadia: A Vast, Dark Green Land of Mystery – Part II

[Read Part I] The twenty-first century is turning out to be a bad time for people who want certainty about our past human origins and history. All of the solid information we thought we possessed...
Mount Shasta. (Image credit copyright © Dustin Naef.)

Cascadia: The Other “Lost Continent” – Part I

It was said that the end came without warning... Once, long ago, as the people slept, the sun came out at night. It shot a flaming arrow across the heavens which burst into thousands of fragments,...
“Full moon rising over Mount Shasta, as seen from northern valley.”

Mount Shasta: Inner Earth Realms and History of the Lava Beds

There are legends all over the world, found in every culture, which populate caves with spirits and supernatural guardians who dwell in a subterranean realm hidden just beneath surface of our own...
Deriv; Werewolf costume and natural landscape

Werewolf Hunting #101 – In Search of Legends, and Busting Folklore Myths

Imagine you have been invited to meet in an abandoned cemetery to go on a werewolf hunt on the night of the next full Moon but you don’t know what to pack? It may sound like something out of a cheesy...
Ancient Race of White Giants Described in Native Legends From Many Tribes

Ancient Race of White Giants Described in Native Legends From Many Tribes

By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times Several Native American tribes have passed down legends of a race of white giants who were wiped out. We’ll take a look at a few such legends, including those among the...

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