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Tiresias, the blind seer of Greek mythology. Source: matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock

Tiresias: The Blind Seer of Greek Mythology

Movies, video games, and comic books have made mythological figures like Zeus, Hercules, and Hades household names across the globe. These gods and heroes of ancient Grecian myth have carved out a...
Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. Source: Dimitris Kamaras / CC BY 2.0

Perseus: The Powerful Demigod of Greek Mythology

One of the most detailed stories within Greek mythology, the story of Perseus reads like an action-packed thriller. From being born of Zeus’ golden rain to slaying the fearsome Medusa, Perseus has...
Prometheus, by Luca Giordano. Source: Public domain

Prometheus: The Creator of Mankind Who Stole Fire from the Gods

The story of Prometheus is one of the most curious of Greek mythology. Over the centuries it has been enriched by poets and philosophers, and these days Prometheus personifies intelligence, even...
In the Arms of Morpheus - Sir William Ernest Reynolds-Stephens (1862-1943) Source: Fair use

Dreams and Prophecy in Ancient Greece

Dreams were very important within the culture of ancient Greece and their connection to concepts of prophecy were explored in the literature of the era. Writers tended to distinguish between two...
A beautiful wandering wilas. Source: angel_nt / Adobe Stock

Beware the Wandering Wilas of Slavic Mythology

In Slavic mythology, there is a type of nymph, which can only be described as somewhere between a ghost and a fairy. Said to float between the living world and the afterlife, the wandering wilas have...
Berenger Sauniere. Source: Angel Aroca Escámez / CC BY-SA 3.0

Treasure, Jesus and an Elaborate Hoax: The Story of Bérenger Saunière

A potentially corrupt priest, an ancestral link to Jesus Christ and hidden treasure, the story of Bérenger Saunière and Rennes-le-Château is like something one would expect to see in movie theaters,...
Witch on a broomstick. Source:  T.Den_Team / Adobe Stock

The Cringeworthy Reason Witches are Shown Riding Broomsticks

What comes to mind when you think of a witch? For most people, the first image that comes to mind is of a witch flying through the night sky on a broomstick. Ever wondered why witches have been...
A mosaic scene from Homer's Odyssey in the Bardo Museum, Tunisia.	 Source: Fotokon / Adobe Stock

Ten years in the Med? The Hunt for the Real Odyssey Locations!

The Odyssey's main sequence (except for Odysseus' travels) takes place in the Peloponnese and what is now known as the Ionian Islands (Ithaca and its neighbors). What’s more, incidental allusions to...
Pyrrha and Deucalion by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, 1655.

Deucalion Myth – The Great Flood From Greece

Deucalion was the son of the last Titan (god), Prometheus . According to Hesiod , Prometheus and the god Zeus were in conflict. Prometheus was the one who, with the help of the Goddess Athena ,...
Mycenae, near Nafplio in Greece, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Source: Irina Rogova / Adobe Stock

Mycenae: The Ancient City Founded by Perseus

Strategically located between two Peloponnese hills in southern Greece , the fortified site of Mycenae has entered collective consciousness mainly due to its mention in Homer’s the Illiad and the...
Mythology was put to the service of ancient Greek diplomacy. Image of the mighty god Zeus. Source: zwiebackesser / Adobe Stock

Of Kin and Kind: The Role of Myths in Ancient Greek Diplomacy

Myths in the ancient world were not confined to the world of movies and children’s books like they are today. They played a vital part in political life and ancient Greek diplomacy. For example,...
Ahnenerbe: Nazi Secret Society and their Reinterpretation of History

Ahnenerbe: Nazi Secret Society and their Reinterpretation of History

Few know of the Ahnenerbe organization, a secret society created in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Wirth and Richard Walter Darre, even though the names may sound familiar. Herman Wirth was a...
  Demonic Evil Meets Human Evil: When Evil Was Released into the World “There is no good, and there is no evil. There is only the flesh and the patterns to which we submit it.” At least that was one of the things which the character Pinhead was supposed to say according to a proposed script for one of the Hellraiser movies based on the writings of Clive Barker. Even though the line was not used in the film, to a certain extent, there is some truth to that. The dual perspective based on the good-evil distinc

Demonic Evil Meets Human Evil: When Evil Was Released into the World

“There is no good, and there is no evil. There is only the flesh and the patterns to which we submit it.” At least that was one of the things which the character Pinhead was supposed to say according...
The gilded side of the Trundholm Sun Chariot. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

The Astronomy of the Trundholm Sun Chariot

The famous Trundholm Sun Chariot is a bronze and gold artifact pulled out of a bog in Denmark in 1902. Said to belong to the Nordic Bronze Age (c. 1700 to 500 BC), the so-called chariot consists of a...
The persecution of witches is a common theme within the history of witchcraft. Source: Matrioshka / Adobe Stock

The Long History of Witchcraft Persecution

Since the beginnings of history, humans believed in religions of a polytheist type, worshipping a plurality of gods and spirits. By proposing a monotheist religious system, Christianity intended to...
Literature’s first vampiress was called Carmilla. Source: Subbotina Anna / Adobe Stock

The Story of Carmilla: Literature’s First Vampire Was Actually a Woman

The novel Dracula , written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897, became a cult classic of horror literature throughout the world. It brought vampire legends to a wider audience and captivated...
According to folklore and myths, certain Finnish trees hold spirits and deities and hugging them brings people in closer contact with these.  Source: leonovo / Adobe Stock

Greeting Old Friends: Sacred Trees in Finnish Folklore

Finland is known as a country with many forests. In fact, over 75% of Finland is covered in forests. Therefore, it is not surprising that Finnish folklore includes several myths and stories told...
Mad monarchs usually battled themselves, but internal struggles often led to unforeseen encounters with other powerful forces like dragons!		Source: Dusan Kostic / Adobe Stock

Mad Monarchs and Dragons: Is there Truth Behind the Fantasy World of George R. R. Martin?

There is a saying stating that books are written from other books. Keeping this in mind, new books draw on ideas, aspects and inspiration contained within the pages of other already existing books...

The Influence of Mythology on the Mind of Alexander the Great

History regularly describes Alexander the Great as a general who either imitated or communed with mythical gods and heroes throughout his campaigns and conquests. In fact, the mythological was often...
The Green Children of Woolpit, created from Babes in the Wood illustration by Randolph Caldecott. Source: Project Gutenberg / Public Domain

The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World

The 12th century tale of the Green Children of Woolpit, in Suffolk, is a bizarre medieval folk story which has been remembered for generations. It isn’t often we hear of children appearing at the...
The many faces of the famed medieval sorcerer, Merlin. Source: rolffimages / Adobe Stock

The Many Faces of Merlin: Prophet, Architect, Holy Man

The character of Merlin has been a recurring figure in Western popular culture ever since the Middle Ages. In his many iterations, Merlin is most often associated with the legendary King Arthur...
A pencil sketch on paper drawing of the Erlking or the Elf King of ancient German mythological belief. 		Source: jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock

The Erlking: The Powerful Germanic Mythical Snatcher of Children

European traditional folklore is full of diverse and mythical creatures both good and bad. Often enough, they become popular again during the time of Christmas or Halloween, when the stories of their...
The legend of Princess Tuag is a tragic tale in Irish mythology. Source: Вероника Преображенс / Adobe Stock

The Legend of Princess Tuag: An Irish Tragedy

Tuag is a princess in Irish legend. Stories say she was so beautiful that she even attracted the attention of a god, who sent a bard to kidnap her. However, tragedy struck, and the princess lost her...
Boat on the Aegean Sea at night in Santorini, Greece - Poseidon

The Realm of Poseidon: A Mythical Voyage Around the Aegean

Poseidon the great god I begin to sing, he who moves the earth and the desolate sea… You are dark-haired you are blessed you have a kind heart. Help those who sail upon The sea In ships. ~Homeric...

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