Myth and Mythologies. Myths can be classified as origin myths, cultural myths and political myths and mythology is a collection of myths belong to a time period, region or religion

A flood myth also known as deluge myth is a narrative in which great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities to destroy civilizations as an act of divine retribution. Flood myths are common across a wide range of cultures, extending back to Bronze Age and Neolithic prehistory.

Every mythology has its own version of creation myths, or other wise commonly known as how the world came in to existence. In Egyptian Mythology, the creation myth starts with an egg in the ocean. There was a single egg floating in the ocean and the egg hatched and the son of Ra was born. According to the Indian Mythology, the universe was created by Lord Brahma out of himself.

The idea of an unimaginable war that threatens to tear apart the cosmos connects with us so deeply that it still powers our epic stories. The Lord of the Rings, Avengers, Hobbits, and countless others all feature this age-old trope. It can be found in the legends of almost every ancient culture.

We all know the myth of Atlantis: a utopian city wiped out in a single night thanks to an unearthly cataclysm. But Atlantis is only the most famous of mythical lost cities. Near-identical stories crop up with such regularity that it’s tempting to think they must be somehow related.Take Iram (also known as Ubar). A fabled city in the deserts of modern Saudi Arabia, Iram is said to have been wiped out in a single night when Allah buried it under a flood of sand. In other words, it’s the Atlantis myth translated to a world without water. Then you have Ys off the coast of France, which was supposedly flooded around the 5th century by a mythical warrior king. And that’s before we get onto the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Hindu myth of Tripura, which both involve gods wiping out immoral cities in a rain of fire.In short, the idea of a city obliterated overnight is so powerful it seems to show up everywhere. Are these half-remembered tragedies with some basis in fact (like Pompeii) or just stories that play to the apocalyptic fantasist in all of us? We’ll leave it to you to decide.

Jesus’s resurrection is the big selling point of Christianity, a unique moment that established Christ as the one true savior. At least that’s the idea. In reality, the idea of a dying deity or important human who is later resurrected has been around for millennia.Most famously, this includes the story of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god whose birth was heralded by a star, who was betrayed by a friend, was murdered, and was later resurrected. But there are less explicit versions too. The Greek cult of Dionysus had their figurehead killed off every two years, only to rise again at a later date. Persephone also died regularly, and many pagan traditions from Scandinavia to Central America involved gods dying and returning to life or men dying and coming back as deities.Perhaps most interestingly of all, a historical tablet known as “Gabriel’s Revelation” allegedly tells the story of a Jewish rebel known as Simon who was killed by the Romans, only to be resurrected three days later. The catch? It was written in 4 BC, over 30 years before Jesus allegedly pulled off the same trick. Either it’s a mistranslation, or the Son of God was building on centuries of groundwork by other deities.

Dragons are likely the most traveled creature in all of mythology. Even more than vampires, they have a habit of turning up in societies and cultures so far apart in time and space you’d think it was impossible. There are ancient Sumerian tablets that record the act of dragon-slaying, Greek tales of dragons cavorting with other monsters, and an entire science built around the uses of their bones in China. In Central America, the Mayans worshipped the feathered snake Quetzalcóatl, while both Norse and Christian mythologies specifically mention dragons.As late as 1886, Victorian scientists still held that dragons had once existed but had gone extinct. Not until dinosaurs became firmly established in the public mind did people see the probable link between ancient fossils and dragon myths. Currently, our best guess is that various cultures all stumbled over dino bones at some point and translated them into gigantic mythological beasts.

Thanks to the occasional self-indulgent movie adaptation, most of us probably have a vague knowledge of the poems of Homer. Considered the earliest examples of Western literature, his Iliad and Odyssey are epic myths of tortured heroes fighting their way across oceans and continents in search of metaphorical salvation—and they appear in near-identical form in almost every culture.It’s called the “hero’s journey,” and just about all epic stories throughout history have followed the specific model. Famously, George Lucas deliberately based the first Star Wars on it, and you can find its influence in The Lord of the Rings, the Oz books, and even Harry Potter. But this archetypal myth was around even before fancy-pants anthropologists handed it over to lazy scriptwriters.The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of Sinbad the Sailor in the 1,001 Nights, the legend of King Arthur, the tale of the Argonauts . . . all of these and plenty more fit the structure of the hero’s journey just like Homer’s awesome poems above. In fact, nearly every single culture in recorded history has myths that fall into this category. Even Moses’s epic wanderings in the Bible fit this model. We as a species truly are lazy storytellers.

Cultural myths don’t just entertain us and record historical events. They also serve to explain why the world is the way it is. Hence the prevalence of stories designed to give a reason for some mystery of existence.In the Bible, we have the Tower of Babel, which explains why we have different languages. God’s speech prior to expelling Adam and Eve from Eden is another example, giving a reason for both the agony of childbirth and why ancient man had to toil all day in the fields. Wander across traditions into the stories of the Ancient Greeks and the legend of Prometheus demonstrates why fire is so valuable, while the story of Pandora gives a reason for the existence of disease and suffering.Start looking for them and you’ll find these explanatory myths scattered across every culture in history. There are myths that explain why rhinoceroses have no hairs, why incest is forbidden, and how medicine came into existence. Anything you can think of has some poetic explanation somewhere. In an unscientific age, poetry was often all we had.

Everything that begins has an end, and our ancient ancestors knew that as simply as we do. No surprise then that most cultures carry an End of Times myth to counter their creation story—a sort of consolation prize for those who won’t live to see the actual end (i.e. everyone).For Christians, this apocalypse is a gigantic epic that plays out over many, many years and involves so many disasters, wars, and calamities that it’s hard to keep track. Same with the Norse Ragnarok, which is a collection of disasters and battles that results in the Earth being drowned and recreated afresh. In Hinduism, it’s another epic battle followed by a rebooted universe, while Buddhism annihilates the world in a pyrotechnic fireworks display so amazing it deserves its own Michael Bay film.In other words, most humans throughout history have lived with their own personal vision of the end of everything, one that makes sense in the context of their lives and cultures. And that’s all these myths really are: ways for us humans to make sense of the world we live in, no matter when or where we are. It’s just an added bonus that some of them make absolutely awesome stories, too.

Mythology facts.

The red clothes worn by Hindu brides are associated with "scarlet women" in Christianity

The white clothes that represent virginity and purity in the Christian mythosphere are associated with spirituality and otherworldliness in the Hindu mythosphere; are restricted to monks, priests, and widows; and do not form part of household rituals.

The goat, the symbol of virility that is sacrificed to the Hindu Goddess, is the symbol of the devil in the biblical worldview.

The yoginis of Hinduism, who are handmaidens of the Goddess and are wild erotic creatures, recall the witches coven of the Christian mythosphere.

The pentagram is the symbol of Lakshmi, Hindu goddess of wealth, and Shukra, guru of demons, and is associated with Venus, wealth, fertility, creativity, and erotic power in Hindu astrology, but is considered the mark of the devil in Christianity.

'described in Western literature as the "dark drinker of blood" and is associated with witchcraft.

The serpent, which is associated with earth's fertility and occult wisdom in Hinduism, is considered a manifestation of the devil in biblical traditions.

To the Western eye the swastika is the symbol of Hitler and the Holocaust. To Hindus it is associated with auspiciousness and fertility.

Demon in Judeo-Christian-Islamic Paradigm is Evil being who opposes God but in Hindu Paradigm Demon is a Being who lives under-ground in bejeweled cities, fights gods, and possess the secret of rejuvenation

Gods in Judeo-Christian-Islamic Paradigm False deities worshipped by nonbelievers and pagans whereas in Hindu Paradigm Celestial beings who live above ground or in the skies, fight demons, and have consumed the elixir of immortality

Mesopotamian Religion

Mesopotamian religion refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 3500 BC and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Syriac Christianity.

Some of the most famous myths of Mesopotamian mythology include the creation myth Enuma Elish, the epic of Gilgamesh, and the story of Inanna's descent to the underworld. Enuma Elish describes the creation of the world and the gods by the god Marduk, while the epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a king's quest for immortality. The story of Inanna's descent to the underworld tells of the goddess's journey to the land of the dead and her eventual return to the world of the living. Other notable myths include the story of the god Enki and the goddess Ninhursag, the myth of Ishtar's descent to the underworld, and the story of the god Dumuzid and his sister Geshtinanna.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most famous and important works of ancient Mesopotamian literature. It is an epic poem that tells the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and his quest for immortality. The poem is thought to have been written around 2100 BCE, in the Sumerian language, but it was later translated into Akkadian.

The epic tells the story of Gilgamesh's adventures, including his friendship with the wild man Enkidu and their journey to the Cedar Forest to fight the monster Humbaba. After Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh becomes obsessed with the fear of his own mortality and sets out on a journey to find the secret of immortality. He eventually meets Utnapishtim, the only human who has been granted immortality by the gods, and learns the secret of eternal life but fails to achieve it.

The epic also explores themes of friendship, loss, and the human condition, and it is considered one of the earliest known works of literature in world history. The poem was widely read in ancient Mesopotamia and had a significant influence on later literature in the region. The epic of Gilgamesh is still widely read and studied today, both for its historical and literary significance.

Roman mythology is a collection of traditional stories, beliefs, and religious practices that ancient Romans used to explain the world around them and the natural phenomena they observed. The Roman myths are heavily influenced by the myths of the ancient Greeks, as the Romans adopted many of the Greek gods and goddesses and adapted them to their own culture. Here are some famous myths of Roman mythology:

Famous Myths of Roman Mythology

• The myth of Romulus and Remus

  This is the story of the twin brothers who were suckled by a she-wolf and went on to found the city of Rome.

• The myth of Jupiter and his brothers

  Jupiter, the king of the gods, overthrew his father Saturn and his brothers to become the ruler of the gods.

• The myth of Apollo and Daphne

  This is the story of the god of poetry and music, Apollo, who falls in love with the nymph Daphne, who turns into a laurel tree to escape him.

• The myth of Venus and Adonis

  This is the story of the goddess of love and beauty, Venus, who falls in love with the mortal Adonis.

• The myth of Mars and Rhea Silvia

  This is the story of the god of war, Mars, who impregnates Rhea Silvia, the Vestal Virgin, and the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus.

• The myth of Mercury and Herse

  This is the story of the messenger of the gods, Mercury, who seduces the mortal Herse, and the daughter of the king of Athens.

• The myth of Saturn and Ops

  This is the story of the god of agriculture and the ruler of the Golden Age, Saturn, who marries Ops, the goddess of fertility and abundance.

Tumbuka has many myths that constitute part of the Tumbuka cultural heritage.

These myths, told around fires at night, often to the accompaniment of drumming and choral responses, aim to teach children moral behavior and to entertain. The Tumbuka people are an ethnic group that live primarily in northern Malawi and eastern Zambia. Tumbuka mythology is rich with stories, myths and legends which are passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition. Some of the famous myths from Tumbuka mythology include:

The story of Mbulu:

Mbulu is the supreme being and creator of the Tumbuka people. He is often depicted as a powerful and benevolent god who watches over the Tumbuka people.

The story of Mwali:

Mwali is the god of war and is known for his strength and bravery. He is often invoked in times of conflict and is considered a protector of the Tumbuka people.

The story of Mlengi:

Mlengi is the god of fertility and is responsible for the abundance of crops and the growth of the Tumbuka people.

The story of Chaminuka:

Chaminuka is a powerful and wise ancestor who is considered to be the founder of the Tumbuka people. He is often invoked for guidance and wisdom.

The story of Mpherere:

Mpherere is the god of thunder and lightning and is known for his power and fury. He is often invoked to bring rain and is considered a protector of the Tumbuka people.

These myths, along with others, are used by the Tumbuka people to explain the origins of their people and their customs and to reinforce their traditional beliefs and values. Tumbuka people have a strong belief in traditional religion, ancestor worship and animism.

Inuit Mythology

Inuit mythology is the traditional belief system of the Inuit people, who live in the Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Here are a few examples of famous myths from Inuit mythology:

The story of Sedna

Sedna is the goddess of the sea and marine animals in Inuit mythology. She is known for her role as the provider of food and is often invoked to ensure a good hunt.

The story of the Raven

The Raven is a powerful trickster figure in Inuit mythology and is known for his intelligence and cunning. He is often depicted as the creator of the world and is considered a bringer of culture and wisdom to the Inuit people.

The story of the Inuit ancestor

The Inuit ancestor is the first human being created by the god, Raven. This figure is considered as the first ancestor of the Inuit people, and his children are considered as the founders of different Inuit tribes and clans.

The story of the spirits

Inuit mythology is rich with different kind of spirits, such as animal spirits, ancestor spirits, and nature spirits, who are believed to have great power and influence over the natural world.

The story of the shamans

In Inuit mythology, shamans are considered as powerful intermediaries between the human and the spiritual world. They are known for their ability to communicate with spirits and to heal the sick through their spiritual powers.

These myths, along with others, are used by the Inuit people to explain the origins of their people and their customs, and to reinforce their traditional beliefs and values. The Inuit traditional religion was based on animism, ancestor worship, and shamanism.

Dinka mythology refers to the traditional religion and folk tales of the Dinka, or Muonyjang, ethnic group of South Sudan.

The supreme, creator god, Nhialic, is the god of the sky and rain, and the ruler of all the other gods and spirits. He is generally seen as distant from humans. Nhialic is also known as Jaak, Juong or Dyokin by other Nilotic groups such as the Nuer and Shilluk. Nhialac created ex-nihilo and rarely involves itself with the affairs of humans.

There are several versions of the Dinka creation myth which mainly concerns itself with the creation of humans. The first humans are Garang and Abuk. In some cases Nhialac created humans by blowing them out of its nose, other accounts say humans originated from the sky and were placed in the river where they came as fully formed adults. Other accounts say that humans were molded as clay figures and placed to mature in pots. Garang and Abuk were made out of the clay of Sudan.

Nhialac told them to multiply and that their children would die but would come back to life within 15 days. Garang protested that if nobody dies permanently then there would not be enough food. Nhialac then introduced permanent death. Nhialac commanded them to only plant one seed of grain a day or gave them one grain to eat a day. Being hungry everyday Abuk made a paste with the grain to make the food last longer. However, when Abuk disobeyed and planted more Nhialac cut the rope that connected Heaven and Earth.

A cunning and wise trickster figure in Bantu mythology, often depicted as a chameleon who uses camouflage and deception to outwit adversaries.

The god of plant life, happiness, and health, associated with wine and fertility.

A poor young man who finds a magical lamp containing a genie in Arabian Nights, leading to adventures and riches.

In Greek mythology Asclepius (or Asklepios) was a demi-god hero as he was the son of divine Apollo, and his mother was the mortal Koronis from Thessaly. In some accounts Koronis abandoned her child near Epidaurus in shame for his illegitimacy and left the baby to be looked after by a goat and a dog.

ince we delved into the Gaelic pantheon in the first entry, the most important father-figure deity within the scope of Irish Celtic gods pertained to the Dagda (An Dagda – ‘the Good God’). Revered as the leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann tribe of gods, he was usually associated with fertility, agriculture, weather, and masculine strength, while also embodying the aspects of magic, wisdom, knowledge, and Druidry. These facets do explain his renown and veneration among the Celtic druids. Many of the aspects also bear striking similarities to the divine characteristics of Odin, the chieftain of the Æsir tribe of ancient Norse gods.

Halga, Helgi, Helghe or Helgo was a legendary Danish king living in the early 6th century.[1] His name would in his own language (Proto-Norse) have been *Hailaga[2] (dedicated to the gods). Scholars generally agree that he appears in both Anglo-Saxon (Beowulf) and Scandinavian tradition (Norse sagas and Danish chronicles).[3] In both traditions, he was a Scylding, the son of Healfdene and the brother of Hroðgar. In Beowulf, his relationship to Hroðulf is not explained, but if he was not his father, as in the Scandinavian tradition, he was at least his uncle. Both traditions also mention his family's feud with Froda and Ingeld. Whereas, not much is said about Halga in Anglo-Saxon sources, much more is said in Scandinavian ones, all of them containing a version of the story of his incestuous relationship with his own daughter Yrsa. This liaison resulted in Halga's son Hroðulf.

Goddess of magic, motherhood and fertility who protected the dead

Theseus was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. Like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, Theseus battled and overcame foes that were identified with an archaic religious and social order. His role in history has been called "a major cultural transition, like the making of the new Olympia by Hercules"

Goddess of love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, and justice. Associated with the planet Venus and known for her descent into the underworld.

Ganapati, more commonly known as Ganesha, is a revered deity in the Hindu pantheon, known as the Lord of Beginnings, the Remover of Obstacles, and the deity of intellect and wisdom.

Iconography and Attributes:

• Elephant Head: Symbolizing wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect.
• Large Belly: Represents the bounty of nature and Ganesha's role in protecting the world.
• Four Hands: In his hands, he holds a broken tusk, a modak (sweet), a lotus flower, and an axe or a noose, symbolizing sacrifice, the joys of life, purity, and attachment.

Birth and Significance:

Ganesha's creation is attributed to Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. After being beheaded by Shiva due to a misunderstanding, he was revived with an elephant's head and declared the leader of Shiva's ganas.

Worship and Festivals:

• Ganesha is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and invoked at the beginning of new ventures and journeys.
• The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great fervor, culminating in the immersion of Ganesha idols in water.

Cultural Impact:

Ganesha's image is found throughout India and Nepal, in temples, homes, and in Jainism and Buddhism. He is also a prominent figure in various art forms.

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a king of Mycenae, the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra and the father of Iphigenia, Electra or Laodike, Orestes and Chrysothemis.

Supernatural beings made of smokeless fire in Arabian mythology, capable of granting wishes or causing harm.

A kind-hearted street urchin Aladdin vies for the love of the beautiful princess Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. When he finds a magic lamp, he uses the genie's magic power to make himself a prince in order to marry her. He's also on a mission to stop the powerful Jafar who plots to steal the magic lamp that could make his deepest wishes come true

Based loosely on Homers ancient Greek epic poem 'Iliad', Troy: Fall of a City tells the story of the 10 year siege of the ancient city of Troy by the Greeks, after Paris, the young prince of Troy falls in love with the wife of a Greek king and elopes with her. Written by ol-raptis Season: 1 Year: 2018

The warrior King Odysseus leaves his idyllic life in the kingdom of Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War. After winning the war, he now must endure a lengthy, ten-year journey to return, and with all his wits, Odysseus must overcome deadly monsters, powerful forces of nature, seductive enchantresses, and even journey into the bowels of the Underworld. Season: 1 Year: 1997

On a quest to retrieve the fabled Golden Fleece, Jason and the Argonauts arrive at a remote barbarian land where the natives worship the sacred artefact to protect the crops. But, unexpectedly, as Medea--a beautiful high priestess and the land's powerful sorceress--betrays her beliefs to follow Jason back to Greece, a cruel fate awaits her. As a result, deserted and banished by the king, it's only human that Medea plots her furious revenge. Can they escape her wrath? Written by Nick Riganas After his quest to retrieve the fabled Golden Fleece, Jason returns to Greece with the powerful sorceress, Medea. However, when the king banishes her, it's only human that Medea plots her...

Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by evil Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised on Earth and retains his god-like strength, but when he discovers his immortal heritage Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes a famous hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades and the Titans, but it is his self-sacrifice to rescue his love Meg which makes him a true hero. Written by Kristi Connolly The son of Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.