The original inhabitants of Australia who have occupied the continent for at least 40,000 years (or maybe even 60,000 years). The Aborigines arrived either by way of the now-submerged Sahul Shelf or by rafts and canoes, in one or more waves. (The latest evidence supports the theory that humans arrived in Australia from Africa via a southern coastal route through India.)
The people and languages (or dialects) were associated with stretches of territory, and the largest entities recognized by the people were language-named groups. These groups made up smaller, local groups (clans) which consisted not only of men and women but also of several species. A group bore the name of one of these species, its totem. The men of the clan were divided into moieties, with each man — or woman — custodian of the mythology, ritual, sites, and symbols associated with one or more natural species and with ancestral heroes. Through ritual reenactment, the creative past became operative in the present, and the life of species and man was assured. The myths and ritual constituted the Dreaming, or Dreamtime, which signified the continuity of life unlimited by space and time.
In the late eighteenth century, there was an estimated population that ranged from 300,000 to more than 1,000,000, but after contact with Europeans their numbers have been decimated by dispossession, poverty, cultural dislocation, and disease. In the mid-eighties they numbered fewer than 230,000, less than two percent of the total population of Australia.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/aboriginal/
The mythology of the peoples living in Central Asia. It includes the countries of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/central_asian/
Greek Mythology
The body of traditional tales concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Critical Greeks, such as Plato in the 5th-4th century, recognized the considerable element of fiction in the myths, although in general the Greeks viewed them as true accounts.
The major deities in Greek or Hellenic mythology are the twelve Olympians. They are: Zeus, the chief god; Poseidon, the god of the sea; Hades, the god of the underworld; Hestia, the goddess of the hearth; Hera, Zeus' wife and protector of (married) women; Ares, the god of war; Athena, the goddess of battle and wisdom; Apollo, the sun-god and patron of music and poetry; Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love; Hermes, the messenger of the gods; Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; and Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and crafts.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/greek/
The vast number of heroes, kings, warriors, seers, and other characters from Greek mythology and legend that make up the rich collection of stories, adventures, and epics.
For Greek deities and mythical creatures, see the Greek mythology section.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/greek_people/
Judaic Mythology
Judaic myths grew from many sources. The primary source is the Bible; it covers a period between polytheism and monotheism, thus allowing a rich environment for myths. After that, much of the mythological material was retained, and elaborated on, in the two Talmuds, the midrashic literature, and the mystical literature, mostly as expressed in the Zohar. More exists in the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and in various texts written in Aramaic and Greek but pertaining to Judaism.
Jews were a literate people from an early date. They committed much of their traditions, beliefs, legends and tales to writing, creating a vast body of myth and folklore. They maintained a constant exchange between the mystical and the practical parts of life. The Talmud itself, the cornerstone of Jewish scholarship, is divided into two parts: Halakha, the body of practical laws and traditions, and the Aggada, a body of tales and legends that explains the Bible homiletically. The two systems cannot be truly separated in spirit; teaching, law, folklore, the wondrous tale and the formal myth are all interwoven into one great tradition.
This area contains articles pertaining to Judaism, Old Testament characters and events. New Testament characters and events can be found in the Christian mythology and religion area.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/judaic/
The world of Korean folklore and mythology is a diverse and fascinating one. It is filled with deities and semi-deities born from eggs, kings that descend directly from heaven to rule the people, and an affinity with nature. This rich cultural heritage is the product of thousands of years of history and a unique geography that has made Korea the crossroads of Eastern Asia.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/korean/
The mythology of the Latvians of eastern Europe, whose culture is rooted in native folklore. The rich oral traditions of ancient legends, songs, and poetic verses survived the centuries. The national epic of Latvia is Lāčplēsis, "The Bear Slayer," written in 1888 by Andrējs Pumpurs, and is based on traditional folk stories.
Common themes in Latvian myths are the seasons, the land, and the family.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/latvian/
The mythology of the Māori of New Zealand.
Māori myths and legends offer a fascinating take on New Zealand’s origins and the Earth’s creation. There are stories about gods (ngā atua), mythical creatures, nature, warfare and astronomy to name a few. Here are 11 tales that will introduce you to this rich cultural tradition.
Māui fishes up the North Island
This is one of the best renowned Māori legends. Those outside of New Zealand and the Polynesia will have been introduced to Māui through the Disney film Moana.In local tradition, however, the mischievous character is associated with the origins of the country itself: the North Island is the fish Māui hauled up the Pacific Ocean; the South Island was his canoe; and Stewart Island was the canoe’s anchor.
Tāne separates the Earth and the Sky
In Māori tradition, Tāne is the originator of human life and the world as we know it. He is given various names in accordance with the different roles he has played in local legends. The most common story involving Tāne, however, was his feat in separating his parents Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatūānuku (earth mother) from the tight embrace that enveloped the world in darkness.
Tāwhirimātea – God of the weather
Tāwhirimātea was another son of Ranginui and Papatūānuku – and the only one against separating his parents. In his anger he sent his children – the four winds and clouds – to wreak havoc on Earth with bouts of rain and thunderstorms. Tāne’s forests were destroyed in the process, but in the end Tūmatauenga (the ‘god of the people’) was able to defeat his spiteful sibling.
The legendary Taniwha
Taniwha are supernatural creatures – monsters, if you will – that feature prominently in Māori legends. Some are akin to giant lizards, others are more reptile-like and some even take the shape of sharks and whales. Even today, some Māori believe in the existence of these creatures, especially within rivers and waterways. One of the most famous taniwha is Tuhirangi – Kupe’s guardian as he explored the Cook Strait and became the first Polynesian to reach New Zealand’s shores.
Māngōroa – the shark that formed the Milky Way
Sharks in Polynesian tradition are viewed as guardian spirits. Māori mythology also follows this notion – and Te Māngōroa is probably the most famous of its tales. Legend has it that Māui placed the shark Māngōroa high up in the sky, thus forming what we know as the Milky Way.
Ngātoroirangi and his sisters
The people of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, an iwi (tribe) in the central North Island, have their own set of stories to explain the creation of the area’s famous mud pools, geysers, and volcanic plateaus. Oral tradition tells us that the high priest Ngātoroirangi and his sisters Te Hoata and Te Pupu brought fire to New Zealand from Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland. On his inland travels, the high priest first discovered Taupōnui-a-Tia (or simply, Taupō). As he delved further into Onetapu, next to modern-day Turangi, he was faced with extremely cold weather conditions – ultimately calling out to his sisters to come out in the form of fire under the earth, forming the geothermal wonders we know today.
The battle of the mountains
One of main legends surrounding the formation New Zealand’s mountains claims that warfare was the ultimate decider in their positioning. When the Earth was in its nascency, four mountain warriors, Tongariro, Taranaki, Tauhara and Pūtauaki fought for the affections of maiden mountain Pīhanga. Tongariro won out in the end and the defeated mountains went their separate ways.
The story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai
Hinemoa and Tutanekai were star-crossed lovers whose families hailed from Lake Rotorua. Hinemoa was the daughter of a prominent chief who lived at Owhata, while the lower-ranked Tutanekai watched his love from far across the shores on Mokoia Island. Eventually, Tutanekai proves that he is worthy of Hinemoa’s love, despite their differences in social standing.
Paikea, the original Whale Rider
This is the story that inspired Witi Ihimaera’s best-selling novel The Whale Rider. Māori ancestor Paikea journeyed into New Zealand on the back of a whale called Tohora. Paikea, who descended from the god of the sea Tangaroa, was sent a whale after his brother vengefully sank the canoe they were travelling on. Despite his brother’s attempt to sabotage his voyage, Paikea arrived safely in the East Cape of the North Island.
The origins of Matariki
Matariki is a word that is associated with two things: The mark of the Māori New Year and the constellation that gives the tradition its name (which, in the English language, is known as the Pleiades). Matariki literally translates to ‘the eyes of god’ (mata ariki) – a name that originates from one of the myths associated with Tāwhirimātea. In his fury after the separation of his sky father and earth mother, it is believed that the weather god gouged his own eyes out and hurled them onto the heavens.
Ruatepupuke and the discovery of wood carving
Wood carving is a strong component of Māori tradition – and the legend surrounding it is quite interesting. Ruatepupuke supposedly discovered the artform on his journey to rescue his son, Te Manuhauturuki, who had been imprisoned by Tangaroa deep in the ocean. Te Manuhauturuki was mounted at the gables of the sea god’s house, where Ruatepupuke discovered the carved posts talking among themselves.
https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/new-zealand/articles/11-fascinating-maori-myths-and-legends/,
https://pantheon.org/mythology/maori/
The myths of Melanesia, one of the three major subdivisions (with Micronesia and Polynesia) of the Pacific Islands.
It includes New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, New Hebrides, New Caledonia and Dependancies, Fiji Islands, Maluki Islands (Moluccas), Solomon Islands, Torres Strait Islands, and Vanuatu. In the region more than 700 languages are spoken.
Although part of Indonesia, the province of Papua (on New Guinea) is — for now — included in the Melanesian mythology area.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/melanesian/
The mythology of Micronesia, one of the three major subdivisions (with Melanesia and Polynesia) of the Pacific Islands.
The area, which encompasses more than 2,000 islands, includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Guam, the Republic of Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati (Gilbert Islands), Nauru, Wake Island, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/micronesian/
Native American Mythology
The mythical beasts, heroic humans, and nurturing spirits that make up the fascinating spectrum of Native American mythology. There is currently no distinction between tribe, tribal boundary, geography, or language.
Note: the diacritic "?" in some names denotes a guttural stop.
For Inuit deities and characters, view the Inuit mythology area.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/native_american/,
This page is our collection of Native American folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed these stories tribe by tribe to make them easier to locate**;** however, variants on the same native legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other.
http://native-languages.org/legends.htm#:~:text=%20%20%20Abenaki%20Indian%20Legends%20%20,Catawba%20Indian%20Legends%20%2018%20more%20rows%20,
http://www.native-languages.org/legends-figures.htm
Norse Mythology
The collective myths of the Scandinavians (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland). The main sources for Norse mythology, Indo-European in origin, are the Icelandic Eddas. The shaping of Norse mythology itself took place in Germanic Europe, including those elements of the myths which were current in Scandinavia in the millennium before that.
Most names are written in their original form, while in other cases the form most common to the general reader has been retained, such as Odin and Thor, instead of the Old Norse forms Óðinn and Þórr.
Unless specified otherwise, the following translations are used in the articles: Poetic Edda, Benjamin Thorpe (1906); Prose Edda, Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916); Heimskringa, Samuel Laing (1844).
https://pantheon.org/mythology/norse/
Phillipine Mythology
Mythology from the Philippines, an archipelago of over seven thousand islands in Southeast Asia. The main islands are Luzon, Mindanao, Panay, Leyte, Negros, and Samar.
Common words appearing in the names of female deities are Bugan and in, for example, Bugan inWigan, meaning "Divine Wife of Wigan." Similarly, nak means "son/daughter of," for example Balitok nak Magnad, "Balitok son of Magnad." The word ud or hi means "in," "at", or "of a place."
https://pantheon.org/mythology/philippine/
Roman Mythology
The beliefs and practices of the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula from ancient times until the ascendancy of Christianity in the fourth century CE. See also the Etruscan mythology section.
https://pantheon.org/mythology/roman/
Southeast Asian Mythology
The myths of the people of Southeast Asia, a region comprising region of Asia comprising Indochina (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam), Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and the Malay Archipelago, including Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak).
https://pantheon.org/mythology/southeast_asian/
Arthurian Legend
Arthur. The name conjures mystical images and ideals to this day. This is evident by his continued presence in popular culture since his inception. Why exactly does the history of a fifth-seventh Celtic Briton chieftain and the legend that grew up around him still fire our collective imaginations today?
To many, it is the allure of the "brief, shining moment" when the timeless ideals of chivalry were upheld and embodied as literature in ofttimes strange and beautiful prose, film and music. Perchance it is the eternal nature of the struggle and the promise of an eventual return scribed therein that still speaks to the heart or maybe it is the fact that these very human characters feel and think in the way we do now. Others are drawn to the mystical and magical elements, both Celtic and Christian, of legends like the Sword in the Stone, characters like the Lady of the Lake and noble endeavors like the Quest for the Holy Grail. Finally, to some, it is the eternal mystery, the fact that we may never know the truth about the King and his Knights of the Round Table, that drives them to forge on in study.
The names are known — Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, Galahad, Excalibur, etc. Misconceptions and multiplicities abound. There are no exact answers. There are conglomerate characters, impossible timelines and wondrous exaggerations throughout. Every author that has ever wrapped his or her words around the legends has manipulated them to often very strange ends. No two books or scholars ever seem to agree. Nationalistic agendas abound. Yet the subject still retains its inherent fascination. There is a never-ending wellspring of modern thoughts and ideas on the subject that proves the study of Arthuriana can be an all-encompassing one.
At the Encyclopaedia Mythica, we will endeavor to present current scholarship on Arthurian matters that deals with the historical and archaeological aspects of the field in addition to the literature that formed the legend — from the Welsh triads to Sir Thomas Malory. This delineation is made out of necessity for the amount of modern Arthurian fiction is simply too great and all are, to some extent, derivations of the themes set down in the Middle Ages.
https://pantheon.org/folklore/arthurian/
British Folklore
The combined folklore of the Britain Isles (England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland).
https://pantheon.org/folklore/british/
Folklore from all corners of the world.
https://pantheon.org/folklore/general/
Recommended reading
Rose, Carol. (2001). Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth.
Rose, Carol. (1998). Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia.
Irwin, Robert. (2004). The Arabian Nights: A Companion.
Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (ed. Lily Owens). (2006). The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, Deluxe Edition.
Andersen, Hans Christian. (2006). The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales, Deluxe Edition.
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