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Europe
Explore myths, traditions and legendary beings grouped under Europe.
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Skirnir
Skírnir is a figure in Norse mythology best known as the companion, messenger and negotiator of the god Freyr. He plays the central active role in Skírnismál, a poem in which Freyr sends him to Jötunheimr to seek the gia…
Nechtan
Nechtan is a figure in Irish mythological tradition associated with a sacred well, hidden knowledge and the origin of the River Boyne. He appears most prominently in medieval Irish accounts concerning Boann, the female f…
Metsänhaltija
Metsänhaltija is a Finnish forest guardian or forest spirit. The name is usually understood as “the keeper” or “guardian of the forest,” although it does not always refer to one clearly defined individual. In Finnish fol…
Skogul
Skogul, more accurately written Skǫgul in Old Norse, is a valkyrie associated with battle, fallen warriors and the selection of the slain. She belongs to the mythological tradition of medieval Icelandic and Scandinavian …
Nemglan
Nemglan is an obscure figure associated with Irish mythology and, above all, with the Ulster Cycle. He is generally described as a supernatural bird-being or as a ruler of birds. His most important connection is with the…
Nyyrikki
Nyyrikki is a figure associated with the forests and hunting in Finnish mythology. In the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, he is presented as a son of Tapio, the powerful master or spirit of the forest. Nyyrikki’s most distin…
Skoll
Sköll is a wolf in Norse mythology who pursues the sun across the sky. He belongs to the group of monstrous beings associated with the forces that threaten the ordered world of the gods and humans. According to accounts …
Niamh
Niamh, usually known as Niamh Chinn Óir (“Niamh of the Golden Head” or “Niamh of the Golden Hair”), is an otherworldly princess in Irish heroic tradition. She is best known as the woman who comes from Tír na nÓg, the Lan…
Otava
Otava is the Finnish name for the constellation commonly known in English as the Great Bear or, more specifically, the seven prominent stars of the Big Dipper. In Finnish mythology and folklore, Otava belongs to the nort…
Skuld
Skuld is a figure associated with Norse mythology, but her identity is not entirely straightforward. In the best-known tradition, she is one of the three principal Norns, the beings connected with the shaping of human li…
Ogma
Ogma is a figure of Irish mythology associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann, the supernatural people who appear in medieval Irish narratives as rulers and champions of Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians. He is best…