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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.

The Enduring Mystery of the Lost City of Zerzura and the 20th Century Race to Find its Treasures

The vast expanse of the African desert has long been a source of intrigue and adventure. Ancient historians told legends of curious tribes amidst the merciless landscape and formidable armies...
King Arthur by Charles Ernest Butler.	Source:	 Public Domain

The True Story of King Arthur: Legend or Historical Reality?(Video)

King Arthur's legend , a cornerstone of Western literature, traces its origins back approximately 1,200 years. The first recorded mention appears in the "Historia Brittonum," a document penned around...
The god of Chaos in Greek mythology was depicted as both a goddess and a place.	Source: RolffImages / Adobe Stock

Literary Legends: Mythology and Folklore Across Civilizations

The narratives of ancient civilizations are stitched together with ethereal threads of mythology and folklore. Be they tethered in fact or complete fiction, these tales, handed down through...
A second-century Roman sarcophagus shows the mythology and symbolism of the Orphic and Dionysiac Mystery schools.

What are the Orphic Mysteries?

The Orphic Mysteries are just as intriguing as they sound. They’re a set of religious beliefs and practices centered around the mythical figure of Orpheus and rooted in ancient Greek mythology...
native American tornado myths

Storm Spirits and the Undead: Native American Tornado Myths and Legends

Each year, the United States has an average of 1,200 tornadoes, making up more than 75% of worldwide occurrences. The Central Great Plains is a unique geographical landscape that produces the perfect...
Amazons, ancient roman warriors in a battle.	Source: neurobite/Adobe Stock

“Vaginas Have Received You, And You Know Of Nothing Else!” - Finding The Amazons

Feminist Amazons? In the conclusion to her essay in the Feminist Theology magazine Olga Papamichali writes: “The independent and radical nature of the Amazon spirit changed the way men used to see...
Old steel Houses, Botallack Mines, Cornwall, UK. Source: Ernest Davies/Adobe Stock

Who are the Mysterious Cornwall Knockers?

Cornwall's tin mines, with their labyrinthine tunnels and subterranean chambers, have long been the backdrop to stories of supernatural beings known as the Knockers. These elusive spirits, central to...
AI rendering of a majestic griffin in rugged terrain.	Source: altitudevisual/Adobe Stock

New Study Finds Dinosaur Fossils Did Not Inspire the Mythological Griffin

New Study Finds Dinosaur Fossils Did Not Inspire the Mythological Griffin For centuries, scientists thought they knew where the griffin legend came from. A new study takes a closer look at the data...
Mental Illness in Greek Tragedy

The Art of Madness: Mental Illness in Greek Tragedy

The fragility of the human mind has always been subject to fascination. Ancient societies attempted to understand and remedy emotional pain and suffering by looking to the gods, oracles, or through...
Tropical rainforest around river covered with mist.

Yacuruna, the Enigmatic Guardians of Amazonian Waters

The lush Amazon rainforest, a sprawling and dense expanse of biodiversity, is not only a haven for a multitude of flora and fauna but also a fertile breeding ground of diverse myths and legends...
AI image of Egyptian goddess, Nephthys.

Nephthys, Egyptian Goddess of the Night and Protectress of the Dead

Perhaps one of the most mysterious and elusive deities of the ancient Egyptian pantheon, Nephthys was known as the shadowy goddess of the night, of death and decay. She was the dark sister of Isis,...
Hera and Her Pre-Hellenic Roots

Hera and Her Pre-Hellenic Roots

As queen to Zeus’s king, it is ironic that, Hera, the Olympian goddess of marriage, should herself be a miserable one. With a predilection for inciting vengeance against her husband’s innumerable...
Tracing the Origins of the Powerful Serpent Cult

Tracing the Origins of the Powerful Serpent Cult

In mythology, the serpent symbolizes fertility and procreation, wisdom, death, and resurrection (due to the shedding of its skin, which is not akin to rebirth), and in the earliest schools of...
Cerridwen: Mother, Magician, and Crone from Old Welsh Mythology

Cerridwen: Mother, Magician, and Crone from Old Welsh Mythology

An enchantress from Welsh mythology, Cerridwen is regarded as a woman of incredible power and magic.  She pervades Welsh and Irish culture as an emblem of wisdom and rebirth, remaining today as a...
The Machlyes and Auses

The Machlyes and Auses: Fierce Female Tribes of Ancient Libya, North Africa

Nestled between the Atlas Mountains and the Nile River, amidst wild beast and unforgiving terrain, Libya was a place of wonder and uniqueness in the ancient world. Many associate this land with the...
Tattooed Sorceress Queen

Tomb of the Tattooed Sorceress Queen, The Lady of Cao

The day had been spent in ritual battles, and a group of individuals who were vanquished, naked, and tied-together were marched up the long stairs to the top platform of the great pyramid where there...
Marble relief of Asclepius and his daughter Hygieia. From Therme, Greece, end of the 5th century BC. Istanbul Archaeological Museums.                    Source:  Prioryman/CC BY-SA 3.0

Asclepius: Greek God of Healing and Medicine (Video)

​ Nestled within the eastern Peloponnese, the ancient healing sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, flourished as a beacon of hope for the ailing. Initially rooted in myth and...
Left; A turquoise mask representing the god Tezcatlipoca.  Right;Tezcatlipoca with all 20-day signs, symbolizing the divine calendar. Source: Left; CC BY-SA 2.5, Right; Public Domain

Tezcatlipoca, Prime God of the Aztecs, Compared to Other Omnipotent Deities

The god Tezcatlipoca was a major Aztec deity who was worshiped in east-west facing temples in many Mesoamerican city-states under the influence of the Aztecs, particularly Texcoco. He was considered...
Colorized engraving depicting Sawney Bean. Source: Public Domain

Cannibalism in Scotland: The Dark Legend of Sawney Bean

Sawney Bean is a legendary figure from Scotland, who is said to have been a prolific cannibal. Together with his equally cannibalistic family, Sawney Bean murdered and robbed unfortunate victims from...
Egyptian sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun isolated on black background. Source: Anna/Adobe Stock

The Cursed Search For King Tut's Tomb (Video)

The quest for King Tutankhamun's tomb stands as a pivotal moment in archaeological history, unraveling mysteries of an ancient civilization buried beneath the sands of time. Initially, the unearthing...
AI image of a wild boar representing the Crommyonian Sow. 	Source: yod67/Adobe Stock

A Man-Eating Hog? Meet the Crommyonian Sow

The myths of ancient Greece had their fair share of unusual animals—the Chimera, the man-eating horses of Dionysus, and Pegasus, to name a few. But one that usually oinks its way under the radar is...
AI Representation of the legendary shield Svalinn in a forest. 	Source: Misha/Adobe Stock

Svalinn, the Most Important Shield in the Norse World

In the incredible complexity and richness of the old Norse mythology, amidst the pantheon of gods, giants, and cosmic beings, stands the enigmatic epic shield known as Svalinn . Its presence is...
AI generated image representative of Alba Longa, legendary ancient Roman city.	Source: LukaszDesign/Adobe Stock

Alba Longa and its Legendary Kings

Alba Longa, an ancient city located in the Latium region of Italy, holds a prominent place in the realm of myth and legend. According to tradition, this fabled city's origins can be traced back to...
The 4,200-year-old grave with the large stone designed to stop the “zombie” within rising once again. Source: LDA Saxony-Anhalt, Anja Lochner-Rechta / Miami Herald.

Bronze Age German Grave was Built to Hold a “Zombie”

There’s always something new in archaeology, it would seem. In an unexpected development, archaeologists performing excavations in eastern Germany excavated a 4,200-year-old grave containing the...

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