Myths & Legends

All over the world there are extraordinary stories—stories that once upon a time were believed to be true but are today limited to the sphere of ancient myths and legends. The question remains, are those myths and legends something that existed in the minds of our ancestors, or were they based on true events? It is true that most of those ancient myths and legends appear to the scientific world to be fictitious products of vivid imaginations whose goals were purely to explain phenomena beyond their comprehension. Yet is it not arrogant to accuse our ancestors of being uncivilised and ignorant in one breath, then offer them praise and admiration over their monuments, buildings, art, sculptures, and societies in the next? This only proves that our modern society has two contradictory attitudes toward our past.

In this section we will explore some of the most amazing myths and legends from around the world—legends that may hold truths that can unlock the secrets of our ancient origins.

Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

27 March, 2021 - 00:53 Joanna Gillan

Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

Mermaids have occupied our imagination for thousands of years. The mesmerizing aquatic creatures, hybrid half-human and half-fish beings, have been spotted in seas around the world and appear in...

The Sjellebro Mask Stone with lines drawn in red chalk.

12 March, 2021 - 14:02 Niels Bjerre Jo...

Does a Viking Age Mask Stone Picture the Real Hamlet?

Does a Viking Age Mask Stone picture the real Hamlet? Surely not, the immediate reply might be. It is well-known that Shakespeare modeled his Hamlet story over older versions of the story about...

Minotaur

11 March, 2021 - 22:24 johnblack

Myth of the Minotaur: The Making of a Monster

One of the most intriguing myths of ancient Greece is that of the Minotaur on the island of Crete, the bull-headed human-animal hybrid of Greek mythology. The story of the bestial Minotaur trapped in...

Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories and Creation Myths

19 February, 2021 - 17:41 ancient-origins

Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories and the Creation Myths of Australia

The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures in the world, encompassing hundreds of diverse cultural groups, each with their own creation stories...

Matariki: Mythology, Astronomy and Warring Gods of the Maori New Year

19 February, 2021 - 13:39 ashley cowie

Matariki: Mythology, Astronomy and Warring Gods of the Maori New Year

The Māori, or the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand , use a special word Matariki , which identifies the cluster of stars known to astronomers as the Pleiades, and to mythologists and...

Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom

15 February, 2021 - 22:10 Aleksa Vučković

Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom

Nestled in the fertile region around the River Tigris and Euphrates, the historical region of ancient Mesopotamia has long been regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization. Home to...

Achilles and Patroclus: Brothers from Other Mothers or Passionate Paramours?

12 February, 2021 - 01:03 Riley Winters

Achilles and Patroclus: Close Confidants or Passionate Paramours?

The true nature of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, characters in Homer’s Iliad , has long been a source of speculation. Were they friends or lovers? Brothers from other mothers or...

Lakshmi: The Enigmatic Hindu Personification Of Mother Nature

7 February, 2021 - 22:00 Aleksa Vučković

Lakshmi: The Enigmatic Hindu Personification Of Mother Nature

It is no secret that the enigmatic Hindu pantheon can be quite unique and overwhelming to fully grasp. It is full of mythical gods and goddesses, of wondrous divine creatures, and deep, meaningful,...

Medieval knight.

1 February, 2021 - 13:53 Aleksa Vučković

Sir Lancelot: Exploring the History Behind the Legend

There is no doubt that most of us, in our childhoods and later in life, heard all about the stories and legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. For many, the stories of Arthur and...

‘L’enlèvement de Proserpine’ (The Rape of Proserpine) (circa 1636) by Peter Paul Rubens.

27 January, 2021 - 17:30 Mary E. Naples

The Rape of a Goddess: How Demeter Beat the All-Powerful Zeus

Who were Demeter and Persephone? And why did their myth resonate so strongly with women of ancient Greece? The story of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, and her daughter Persephone, queen of the...

Amaterasu, a major goddess of Japan.

26 January, 2021 - 11:26 dhwty

Solar Goddess Amaterasu, Divine Ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family

Amaterasu is a major goddess in the Shinto religion. Although she is considered primarily a sun goddess, she is also believed to be the ruler of the Takama no Hara (the High Celestial Plain), which...

Of Runes And Sacrifice: The Initiation Ritual Of Odin in Norse Myth

24 January, 2021 - 22:07 Jari Padoan

Of Runes And Sacrifice: The Initiation Ritual Of Odin in Norse Myth

The total of the poetic, mythological and sapiential heritage of the ancient and early medieval Scandinavian tradition is contained in the texts canonically collected under the title of Edda . Within...

The Jade Emperor: Taoist Ruler of Heaven - and Celestial Bureaucrat

24 January, 2021 - 18:04 dhwty

The Jade Emperor: Taoist Ruler of Heaven - and Celestial Bureaucrat

The Jade Emperor is not only a notable figure in Chinese mythology, but also one of the most important deities in Taoism and in Chinese folk religion. Today, the Jade Emperor is regarded as the...

Sisyphus

23 January, 2021 - 03:05 dhwty

The Sisyphus Myth: Cruel King Gets Eternal Punishment for Annoying Zeus

Doomed to forever roll a huge boulder up a steep hill, Sisyphus is a figure in Greek mythology who represents an impossible task. As his punishment in the Greek Underworld , each time Sisyphus neared...

A modern Medusa depiction.

21 January, 2021 - 00:51 dhwty

The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon

In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. The earliest known record about the story of Medusa and the Gorgons can be found in Hesiod’s...

Statue of pirate with eyepatch.

19 January, 2021 - 20:23 Caleb Strom

Is This the Real Reason Why Pirates Wore Eyepatches?

Between 1700 and 1725, the Caribbean was a relatively lawless place with numerous merchant ships traversing the high seas with no authorities to protect them. These factors helped to make this period...

Noah's Sacrifice - watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot

15 January, 2021 - 00:52 Alexander Jacob

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

The imperfect state of archaeological research in the Near East impedes any definite identification of the original race or races that created the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt...

Wicker Man

14 January, 2021 - 23:09 dhwty

The Fearsome Wicker Man: An Eerie Way Druids Committed Human Sacrifice

The wicker man is purported to be one of the means by which the ancient druids made human sacrifices. According to a number of classical authors, the druids partook in human sacrifice, though these...

A witch with her cat familiar, a spirit servant to help her with magic.

14 January, 2021 - 01:01 ancient-origins

Bad Company? Witch Familiars, Spirit Guardians, and Demons

The folklore of the wicked witch and her diabolical animal familiar is a well-known and often repeated tale. When the seasons change and the nights get long it’s not uncommon to see images and...

Hachiman: Deified Emperor, War God, Protector Of The Japanese People

13 January, 2021 - 00:57 dhwty

Hachiman: Deified Emperor, War God, Protector Of The Japanese People

Hachiman is a Japanese Shinto deity who is often considered to be the god of war. Although he is worshipped as a Shinto god, Buddhist elements were incorporated into this deity, following the arrival...

The Planet Venus as a Symbol of Death and Resurrection in Ancient Mesoamerica

10 January, 2021 - 13:57 Daniel Gauss

The Planet Venus as a Symbol of Death and Resurrection in Ancient Mesoamerica

Do our myths come from the stars or do we project our myths onto the stars? The story of Mithras truly does come from astronomical discoveries in the ancient world. It was noticed that every 2,160...

Painted ceiling in Waltham Abbey parish church, depicting Janus facing both past and future.

5 January, 2021 - 18:29 dhwty

How Janus Became the Doorkeeper of Heaven and God of the Gods

Janus is a deity found in the religion and myth of ancient Rome. The Romans believed that Janus was the god of doors, beginnings and endings, and transitions. In accordance to the role he played,...

A menacing, shaggy black dog with red, glowing eyes

2 January, 2021 - 00:49 marinasohma

Not Always A Man’s Best Friend: Terrifying Black Dogs of British Legends

Primarily associated with British legends, stories about black dogs, ghost dogs, or hellhounds are present in almost every region of the world. Perhaps the first things to come to your mind when...

Egypt’s Buried & Layer Pyramids: Unsolved Homicide & Hidden Heritage

29 December, 2020 - 17:55 Mark A. Carpenter

Egypt’s Buried & Layer Pyramids: Unsolved Homicide & Hidden Heritage

Beneath the sun scorched sands of the Giza Necropolis sleeps the enchanted ruins of ancient Egyptian civilization. While the secretive Sphinx and the spectacular Great Pyramid rush to mind, there are...

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