WORLD
Explore Myths, Gods and Legends from Around the World
Stories of gods, heroes, monsters and legendary worlds from every culture
Svartalfheim
Svartalfheim is a realm associated with Norse mythology and with the beings called svartálfar, usually translated as “dark elves” or “black elves.” Its identity is uncertain because the surviving Norse sources do not pre…
Fea
Fea is a minor and difficult-to-define figure in Irish mythological tradition. Her name appears in medieval Irish material among the supernatural women associated with warfare, sovereignty and the Tuatha Dé Danann, but t…
Akka
Akka is a name used in Finnish mythology and folk belief for a female power associated especially with the earth, fertility and the generative forces of nature. She is often described in modern summaries as the consort o…
Nidhogg
Nidhogg—Old Norse Níðhöggr—is a powerful serpent or dragon in Norse mythology. He lives beneath Yggdrasil, the great ash tree that connects the worlds, where he gnaws at one of its roots. Nidhogg is also associated with …
Astraeus
Astraeus is a figure of Greek mythology associated with the stars, the winds and the changing sky. In the surviving ancient tradition, he is best known as the consort of Eos, the goddess of dawn, and as the father of sev…
Clementia
Clementia was the Roman personification of mercy, gentleness and the deliberate restraint of punishment. She belonged to the religious and political world of ancient Rome, where abstract qualities could be treated as div…
Astraea
Astraea is a figure from Greek myth associated with justice, moral order and the lost ideal of a righteous human age. In later tradition she became linked with the constellation Virgo and with the scales of Libra. Her st…
Ceres
Ceres is the Roman goddess of cultivated grain, agriculture and the nourishment that makes settled life possible. She belongs to the religious traditions of ancient Rome, where farming was both an economic necessity and …
Badimo
Badimo is a Setswana term commonly translated as “ancestors” or “ancestral spirits.” It belongs chiefly to the religious and cultural traditions of Batswana communities in Botswana and neighbouring parts of southern Afri…
Ataokoloinona
Ataokoloinona is a little-known name associated with Malagasy mythology and folklore, the traditional belief systems and oral storytelling cultures of Madagascar. Its identity is uncertain: surviving descriptions are spa…
Atai
Atai is a female divine figure associated chiefly with Efik and Ibibio religious traditions of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and adjoining parts of Cameroon. She is often described as a goddess of the ea…
Asa
Asa is an uncertain name in material labelled “African mythology.” Unlike figures such as Anansi, Mami Wata, or the Yoruba òrìṣà, Asa does not identify one widely documented being shared across African traditions. The na…
Irkuiem
Irkuiem is the name given in modern accounts to an alleged bear-like creature associated with the remote regions of Chukotka and northeastern Siberia. It is often presented as a monster, an unknown animal, or a surviving…
Kutkh
Kutkh is a raven creator, culture hero and trickster associated chiefly with the traditional mythology of the Itelmen people of Kamchatka. In English-language writing, his name may also appear as Kutkha, Kutq or in other…
Nga
Nga is a name associated chiefly with the lower world, death and harmful spiritual forces in accounts of traditional Nenets religion, a religious tradition of the Samoyedic peoples of the Russian Arctic. Nenets communiti…
Otshirvani
Otshirvani is a name used in Buryat and wider Mongolian religious traditions for a powerful Buddhist protector associated with the vajra, the ritual thunderbolt or diamond weapon. The figure is generally identified with …Sanopi
Sanopi is a name sometimes presented in online lists of Native American mythological beings, but its identity is uncertain. There is no broadly recognized, well-documented figure called Sanopi in the major published trad…
Sedit
Sedit is a name associated in some modern accounts with a serpent-like or sea-monster figure from the Indigenous traditions of northeastern North America. The identification is uncertain, however. Unlike well-documented …
Senx
Senx is a name sometimes presented in modern lists of Native American mythological beings, but its identity and cultural origin are uncertain. Unlike well-documented figures such as the Ojibwe Mishipeshu or the Algonquia…
Sint Holo
Sint Holo is a name associated with a giant serpent in Choctaw traditional narratives of the southeastern United States. It is commonly described in modern reference works as a dangerous or supernatural snake, and someti…Ndan
Ndan is a name associated in some modern accounts with Zapotec concepts of the earth, fertility and agricultural abundance. The identification is not fully secure, however. Unlike better-documented Zapotec deities such a…
Ndo’yet
Ndo’yet is a name associated with earthquakes and the power of the earth in some accounts of Zapotec mythology. The evidence for Ndo’yet is limited, however, and the figure is not documented as consistently or extensivel…
Pichana Gobeche
Pichana Gobeche is a name associated in some modern lists with Zapotec mythology, but its identity is uncertain. Unlike better-documented Zapotec figures such as Cocijo, Pitao Cozobi, or Pitao Pezelao, Pichana Gobeche do…
Pichanto
Pichanto is a poorly documented figure associated in some modern references with Zapotec mythology, the diverse body of religious traditions belonging to Zapotec-speaking peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico. Unlike better-attested…Cavillaca
Cavillaca is a female huaca who appears in the Huarochirí traditions of the central Andes. Her best-known story concerns an extraordinary pregnancy, the powerful creator figure Cuniraya Viracocha, and her flight with her…
Chasca
Chasca, also written Ch'aska or Chaska, is a celestial figure associated in Inca and wider Quechua tradition with the planet Venus, especially when it appears as the morning star. Colonial-era accounts also connect Chasc…
Chas
Chas is an uncertain name in accounts of Inca mythology. A distinct, widely attested Inca deity called exactly “Chas” is not securely established in the surviving historical sources. The name is most plausibly a shortene…
Coca-mama
Coca-mama, also written Coca Mama or Mama Coca, is a figure associated in some accounts with the sacred coca plant of the Andes. She is often described as a feminine spirit, goddess, or personification of coca, but her s…Gurumukas
Gurumukas is a name associated in some English-language reference works with a supernatural being, or group of beings, from Australian Aboriginal mythology. The identification is uncertain, however. Unlike widely documen…
Ipilya
Ipilya is a name associated in some English-language accounts with an Aboriginal Australian rain-making being, often described as a spirit or deity connected with rainfall and the life-giving power of water. The identifi…
Julana
Julana is an obscure and uncertain name associated in some modern lists with Australian Aboriginal mythology. Unlike widely documented figures such as the Rainbow Serpent, Baiame, Bunjil or Tiddalik, Julana does not have…
Julunggul
Julunggul is a major ancestral being in the traditions of Yolngu peoples of north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Often described in English as a Rainbow Serpent, Julunggul is associated with …Diniel
Diniel is an obscure and uncertain angelic name found chiefly in later angelological, occult and folklore-oriented compilations. Unlike Michael, Gabriel, Raphael or Uriel, Diniel does not have a widely established identi…
St. Patrick
St. Patrick is the best-known patron saint of Ireland and one of the central figures of Irish Christian tradition. He is remembered as a missionary, bishop, teacher and defender of the Christian faith. His feast day, 17 …
Dardariel
Dardariel is an obscure angelic name found chiefly in later angelological and occult name-lists associated with Jewish and Christian esoteric traditions. Unlike Michael, Gabriel, Raphael or other widely attested angels, …
St. Paul
St. Paul, also known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul of Tarsus, is one of the most influential figures in Christianity. He was a first-century Jewish follower of Jesus who became a leading missionary among non-Jewish p…Sitri
Sitri is a demon of European grimoire tradition, best known from the Ars Goetia, the first section of the Lemegeton or Lesser Key of Solomon. In that text, Sitri is described as a powerful prince who first appears with a…
Sorath
Sorath is an esoteric demon or adversarial spirit associated especially with the Sun, the number 666 and apocalyptic opposition to divine or Christ-centred revelation. The name belongs chiefly to later Western occultism …
Stolas
Stolas, also called Stolos in some versions, is a spirit of early modern European demonology. He is best known from the Ars Goetia, the first section of the Lesser Key of Solomon, where he is listed as the thirty-sixth s…
Shax
Shax is a demon listed in the Ars Goetia, the first section of the seventeenth-century grimoire commonly known as the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is usually described as a marquis of Hell who commands thirty legions of spi…Mythology and the Stories of Ancient Civilizations
Mythology is the collection of stories, beliefs and traditions that ancient cultures used to explain the world around them. Long before modern science, myths offered answers to fundamental questions about the creation of the universe, natural phenomena, human existence, death and the forces believed to govern destiny.
Every civilization developed its own mythological tradition. Greek mythology tells of powerful Olympian gods, heroic warriors and terrifying monsters. Norse mythology describes a universe of interconnected worlds inhabited by gods, giants, elves and legendary creatures. Egyptian mythology revolves around divine kingship, the journey into the afterlife and the eternal struggle between order and chaos.
Beyond the most familiar traditions, thousands of myths emerged across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and the ancient Middle East. Hindu mythology contains vast cycles of gods, avatars and cosmic events. Japanese folklore is filled with kami, spirits and mysterious beings, while Celtic traditions preserve stories of warriors, magical lands and supernatural powers.
Although these traditions developed independently, many share recurring themes. Creation myths, great floods, journeys to the underworld, divine battles and heroic quests appear in cultures separated by enormous distances.
Gods and goddesses often represented the forces that shaped everyday life. Some ruled over storms, oceans, war or agriculture, while others protected families, cities or the dead.
Mythical creatures also played an essential role in these stories. Dragons, giants, spirits, shapeshifters, demons and hybrid beasts could act as enemies, guardians, warnings or symbols of forces beyond human control.
Myths were not simply invented as entertainment. They were connected to religious rituals, social customs, political power and cultural identity.
Many mythological stories survive today through literature, art, cinema, television and video games. However, modern adaptations often differ considerably from the original traditions.
At WorldMythos, you will find articles organised by mythology, culture and subject. Our aim is to present legendary stories in a clear and engaging way while distinguishing between ancient sources, folklore, historical interpretation and modern popular culture.