Globe Mythology (2024)

15/01/2023

The legend of Tarpea

The legend of Tarpea is part of the legend of the taking of the Sabines.

Tarpea was a young Roman woman, daughter of Spurius Tarpeus, the keeper of the Capitoline rock.

Vain and avid, Tarpea fell for the promises of riches by Titus Tatius and betrayed the Romand opening the city gates to the Sabines’ army.

Her act didn’t go unnoticed: as a punishment for her betrayal, she got killed by getting pushed down the Capitoline rock, which still now takes the name of Rupe Tarpea.

13/01/2023

Goddess Lakshmi

A symbol of beauty, fertility, and auspiciousness, Goddess Lakshmi remain an important Hindu mythological character. Reckoned to be the provider of wealth, she is said to be the daughter of Sage Bhrigu and consort of Lord Vishnu. One of the mythological stories confirms that this Hindu Goddess resurrected to life during the epic churning of the ocean. An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, the goddess is also associated with God Kuber and Indra. Her other names include Manushri, Chakrika, Kamalika, Aishwarya, Lalima, Kalyani, Nandika, Rujula, Vaishnavi, Samruddhi, Narayani, Bhargavi, Sridevi, Chanchala, Jalaja, Madhavi, Sujata, Shreya. Also, she has been referred to as Jaganmaatha or the Mother of the Universe in Shri Mahalakshmi Ashtakam.

The much revered Hindu Goddess, Lakshmi has four hands (when sown individually), however, only hands of her are shown when she with Vishnu. A lotus in each of her upper hands; gold coins dropping down from the palms of her lower two hands can be seen in many of her illustrations. She is also depicted in golden colour and seated or standing on a lotus with two elephants, partially submerged in water, one on each side.

11/01/2023

Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto (Japanese: 天宇受売命, 天鈿女命) is the goddess of dawn, mirth, meditation, revelry and the arts in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife of fellow-god Sarutahiko Ōkami. She famously relates to the tale of the missing sun deity, Amaterasu Omikami. [clarification needed] Her name can also be pronounced as Ama-no-Uzume. She is also known as Ōmiyanome-no-Ōkami, an inari kami possibly due to her relationship with her husband. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, The Great Persuader, and The Heavenly Alarming Female. She is depicted in kyōgen farce as Okame, a woman who revels in her sensuality.

09/01/2023

Macha, Goddess of the Horses

An old Irish legend of Ulster tells of Macha, a mysterious woman rumoured to be magic, who was forced to run against the king’s horses while pregnant to pay for her husband’s crimes.

The pain she suffered caused her to cast a curse on the men of the town, who were said to suffer labour pains for nine decades following. She is often associated with Navan Fort in County Armagh.

08/01/2023

Thoth

Thoth was god of integrity, truth, writing and wisdom, often bearing the head of an Ibis on a man’s body. Thoth invented hieroglyphs and acted as record keeper for the gods. He stood next to Osiris in the Hall of Truth and witnessed the birth of the five first gods (Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, Set and Horus the Elder). Thoth was involved in many different storylines across the entirety of Ancient Egypt but was commonly connected to Ma’at (as consort) and Seshat (as father). 18th Dynasty King Horemheb saw Thoth as his personal deity because he was a scribe and administrator before becoming pharaoh.

06/01/2023

Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory

Today, we hear the name Nike, and we envision a swoosh symbol with the famous slogan “Just Do It” that follows. Nike actually stems from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. In addition to being the goddess of victory, she also had powers of great speed and flight.

04/01/2023

Thor’s Hammer due to Loki’s Antics

At the same time, Loki is not above causing whatever trouble he may have in mind for Thor. In one story, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Loki proposes the plan for Thor to dress as Freyja to fool the giant who stole it into letting his guard down so they can get it back. Although the plan works, it still humiliates Thor who must dress as a woman. The very existence of Thor’s famous hammer is also due to Loki who decides one morning to cut the hair of Thor’s wife, Sif, while she is sleeping. He knows this will enrage Thor but does it anyway. Thor threatens his life, and Loki promises to replace her hair by going to the dwarves and asking them to make her a new golden head of hair. Since Loki cannot resist causing trouble, he challenges the dwarves to a contest to make even grander objects than they already have while, in the form of a gadfly, tormenting them so they make mistakes. One of the magical objects created is Mjölnir, the hammer of Thor, whose handle is shorter than a regular hammer because of Loki’s antics.

02/01/2023

Azeban is a lower-level trickster spirit in Abenaki mythology. The traditional homeland of the Abenaki is Wobanakik (Place of the Dawn), what is now called northern New England, southern Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Azeban (also spelled Azban, Asban or Azaban) is a raccoon, the Abenaki trickster figure. Pronounced ah-zuh-bahn. Azeban does many foolish and/or mischievous things in Abenaki folktales, but unlike animal tricksters in some other tribes, is not dangerous or malevolent.

Azeban deceives animals and other beings for food or other services.

There is an Abenaki story where a woman names her six dogs after their characteristics. She named one of the dogs Azeban. This woman Cedar Girl of the Abenaki [Dawn Land People] naming her dog "Azeban" has caused some confusion, causing people to assume the Abenaki trickster figure is a dog, not realizing she called the dog Azeban because he has the characteristics of the raccoon, the actual Abenaki Trickster figure.

In the story the dog Azeban is one of a litter of six dogs born to Awasosqua (Bear Woman). The others are Awasosis (Little Bear), Kwaniwibid (Long Tooth), Mikwe (Squirrel), Moosis (Little Moose) and Soksemo (Good Nose). All the spirits in Awasosqua's broods are dogs, and are named after their characteristics.

01/01/2023

The Pilgrimage Mythology

The Pilgrimage Mythology primarily talks about Kwan Yin, the goddess of mercy and compassion. In most of the myths, she is portrayed as a woman holding an infant, dressed in white, and sitting on a lotus.

She was said to have been murdered by her own father. She arrived in hell reciting holy books and the king of hell was very angry with her. He sent her back to the world of the living where she gained spiritual insights from Buddha and later on was blessed with immortality.

The temple of Kwan Yin, located at the summit of Wondrous Peak, has always attracted many pilgrims. The Pilgrimage Mythology also talks about how Buddhism was introduced and flourished in China.

The mythology has it that The Monkey King converted to Buddhism but continued to use Taoist knowledge and skills to combat evil.

30/12/2022

In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, firmament (in Indo-European languages, this was joined with the notion of the sky of stone), horses and carts, and weapons (hammer, axe (Axe of Perun), and arrow). He was first associated with weapons made of stone and later with those of metal.

28/12/2022

The legends of the taking of the Sabines (Ratto delle Sabine)

Another important ancient Roman legend connected to the foundation of Rome is that of the taking of the Sabines.

According to the legend, right after its foundation Rome suffered from a lack of women.

To solve this problem, the Romans tried to negotiate with the Sabines, an Italic people living in northern Lazio, trying to convince them to give Rome their women so that the city could grow.

The Sabines refused and the Romans came up with a plan: they invited to the city the Sabines, under the pretence of religious games, and then captured the women against their will.

War ensued; the Sabine’s kind Titus Tatius entered Rome with the aid of a young woman called Tarpea and battles began.

To prevent a bloodshed, the women themselves came to the rescue, pleading for an end of hostilities.

The plea worked and they came to a compromise: the women would move to Rome but not be subject to violence. Rather, they would enjoy civil rights and the two populations founded into one.

25/12/2022

Goddess Durga

Before the cosmic creation, Goddess Durga was evoked by Lord Shiva from his left half to be the part of his Shivlok. Durga is a female energy that defeated the demon Mahishasura who was creating havoc on earth. It is believed that Goddess Durga is the same energy (ray) that came out of the mouth of Lord Vishnu and merged with rays emitted by other gods. She is a pure form of energy and is also referred to as the ‘Shakti’ of the Impersonal Absolute. This popular Hindu mythology goddess is also worshipped in 9 different avataars like that of Kushmanda, Chandraghanta, Brahmcharini, Shailputri, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Mahakali during the Durga Puja. Goddess Durga in Indian mythology is also believed to be the consort of Lord Shiva in the form of Parvati.

Goddess Durga has eight hands, which hold a trident, a sword, a snake, a bell, a drum, a shield, a cup, a bow, a wheel, a conch-shell, a mace, an arrow and a water pot. She is shown wearing a garland of skulls and seated in a yogic/sukhasana posture on double lotus or on a tiger/lion.

23/12/2022

Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神, 天照大神) or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (大日孁貴神), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (kami) of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the Kojiki (c. 712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), as the ruler (or one of the rulers) of the heavenly realm Takamagahara and the mythical ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan via her grandson Ninigi. Along with her siblings, the moon deity Tsukuyomi and the impetuous storm god Susanoo, she is considered to be one of the "Three Precious Children" (三貴子, mihashira no uzu no miko / sankishi), the three most important offspring of the creator god Izanagi.

Amaterasu's chief place of worship, the Grand Shrine of Ise in Ise, Mie Prefecture, is one of Shinto's holiest sites and a major pilgrimage center and tourist spot. As with other Shinto kami, she is also enshrined in a number of Shinto shrines throughout Japan.

21/12/2022

The leprechauns – the most famous little people

Leprechauns or “Leath bhrògan” are the cultural symbol of Ireland, with their names translated from ‘shoemaker’. They were said to roam Ireland before humans, with a unique hat and red hair.

In oral tradition, it is still said that you can find their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, so if you visit Ireland, be sure to have a look. Be careful though, leprechauns may look friendly, but they are not to be trusted.

These little people have been immortalised through famous stories, such as the Disney classic, Darby O’Gill and the Little People.

19/12/2022

Anubis

Anubis was the lord of the underworld in early Ancient Egypt but was replaced by Osiris. His role changed to take on embalming, dressing the dead, and helping those being judged in the Hall of Truth and weighing of the “heart of the soul”. Anubis bears the head of a canine, believed to be a jackal or African Wolf and was usually colored black for his role in regeneration and rebirth connected to the back soil of the Nile.

18/12/2022

Asclepius and Modern Medicine

Asclepius is the Greek god of healing and medicine. He is seen holding the Rod of Asclepius, which is a rod entwined with a serpent snake. Physicians serving Asclepius were called Therapeutes of Asclepius. Therapeutes of Asclepius would also come to include attendants and support staff of the physicians.

In modern medicine today, the iconic Rod of Asclepius is often used in medical logos and icons across the world. Additionally, the English word “therapy” comes from Greek “therapeia,” which means “healing, curing, or service of the sick.”

16/12/2022

Loki is Not Thor’s Brother

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has popularized Loki as Thor’s brother, the two are not related in Norse mythology. Loki, a jötunn, is Odin’s blood brother though how that relationship was forged is unknown. In the poem Lokasenna ("Loki’s Taunts") where he insults a number of the Asgardians at a banquet, he references his relationship with Odin without elaborating upon it. An original audience is assumed to have known the story of how Odin and Loki formed their bond, but this was either never committed to writing or was lost. Thor would be more of an honorary nephew to Loki than anything else – if that – and in the Lokasenna, he is the only god Loki seems to respect and fear.

14/12/2022

How the stars were created myth (Navajo tribe)

According to Navajo legend, there was a time when there were no stars in the night sky. The Navajo Gods were meeting in the Sacred House of Beginning and invited Fire God to join them.

Fire God was young, but also old. He had seven jewels on his ankle and a crescent on his forehead. Inside the house, Fire God stomped his feet loudly. He did this with such force that the seven jewels moved from his ankle to his knees. The fellow Gods were shocked.

Again, he stamped his feet. This time the ground shook, and the seven jewel moved to his hips. Then he reached into a bag alongside him and brought out some more jewels. He began shaping these into the constellations. He formed the North Star and the Big Dipper amongst others.

After he had completed the constellations and the Milky Way, Fire God took a step back and had a rest. Suddenly, Coyote barged into the Sacred House. He was unimpressed with the constellations and said that he preferred the darkness. Fire God explained that the stars could be used to navigate, to help guide, and to help people harvest crops. Coyote was still unimpressed.

Coyote grabbed the bag of jewels from Fire God and began running wildly around the Sacred House. The jewels were flung into the Dark as Coyote gleefully laughed. Fire God was distraught was Coyote ran off into the first every starry night.

12/12/2022

Chinese New Year

Do you love Chinese New Year celebrations when you can mark a new beginning? People all over the world celebrate it with their family, friends, and loved ones, hoping for good times ahead. The most important aspects of Chinese New Year are the decorations and firecrackers. But this tradition has a myth attached to it.

According to Chinese mythology, the nian is a fierce beast who lived underwater and would come out once a year at the beginning of Chinese New Year. He used to feed on animals and humans. But this beast had a weakness: he hated loud noise, fire, and the color red. To ward him off, the Chinese wore red clothes and lit lamps and firecrackers, and this is how the modern Chinese New Year tradition began.

11/12/2022

As Veles locked all the water on world

For many years people prayed and gave sacrifices to all Gods of the Slavic pantehon, except Veles that was banished to the underworld and eventually forgotten by men of the world. In his desolation his Idol was forgotten, no one anymore brought the gifts for Veles and the sacred fire of his idol was almost extinguished. This was a great insult to Veles that men have forgotten about him, so he decided to shut all underground water sources. Across the world again drought started, cattle became sick from dried up pastures and people began praying to gods for help again. They prayed for rain over the Peruns idol and God heard their prayers. He decided to teach Veles a lesson for locking the waters. He took his bow and lightning arrows, saddled his horse and went on a search to find the white serpent Veles. The cunning serpent God saw Perun flying in the sky and hid under the old hollow oak to prevent Perun shooting him with his arrows. Peruns arrows however lit a fire on the old oak and Veles had to surrender. He told Perun where he locked all the underground waters, but when he was free he escaped and didn’t give him the key of the locks. No matter that Perun found the locks and smashed them with his axe and it was the end of drought, pastures were green again and from this day on people didn’t forget to worship Veles anymore.

09/12/2022

The legend of the Foundation of Rome

According to the legend, Rome has a birthday: the 21st of April 753 BC.

On this day, twins Romulus and Remus, sons of the God Mars and Rhea Silvia, decided to found a new city.

However, they couldn’t agree on a location, so they came up with a system: each of them would pick a spot and wait for an auspicious signal from the Gods showing a divine preference for one or the other.

Looking for auspicious signs was typical in Ancient Rome and too many forms, including that or looking at the sky to spot flocks of birds, the system the twin chose.

Remus placed himself on the Aventine Hill and quickly saw a flock of 6 birds.

Romulus places himself on the Palatine Hill and quickly after his brother spotted a flock of 12.

The two bothers couldn’t agree on the interpretation of the sign: Remus claimed he saw the birds first but Romulus that he saw the highest numbers.

They came to a fight that ended with the death of Remus and they left Romulus as the sole founder of the new city, with he called Rome.

07/12/2022

Lord Shri Krishna

The One Who Knows the Sixty-Four Arts, Lord Krishna is recognized as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu and is probably the favorite most and famous Hindu mythological character. Krishna’s journey on earth is considered an appropriate reflection of different stages of life of the human race, i.e, childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and the challenges they undergo. Although, this Vishnu’s avatar had a specific purpose to serve, but Lord Krishna’s distinct personality created a difference of opinion between two schools of thought that questioned the original relationship between these two popular Hindu Gods. There are plenty of incidents and narratives that determine the might of Lord Krishna, however, his mischiefs as a child and as an adult can make him a popular Indian mythological characters for kids. His Leelas with Gopi are well preserved in Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, whereas, his important life teachings can be found in the illustrious Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. In recent times, endeavors to convey knowledge of the legacy of Shri Krishna to the masses are made by organizing Shrimad Bhagwat Katha by Hindu Sansthans across the world.

Lord Krishna’s appearance is distinguished by his blue or black complexion. He is shown with two hands that are engaged in playing the flute, while he stands crossing the legs. His attire is usually colorful and richly ornamented. Sometimes, he is also illustrated as holding a conch-shell or a curved stick in his hand. Often, his consort Radha can be seen standing next to him with some cows surrounding the two. His images of dancing with the cowherd women (gopis), and as a child savoring butter and as Arjuna’s charioteer in the battlefield are also quite common.

05/12/2022

The Japanese Legend of Emperor Jimmu

Jimmu, the great-grandson of the goddess Amaterasu, is the mythical founder of Japan and first emperor on traditional lists.

Legend says that he was born in 711 BCE and died in 585 BCE, which would mean he was 126 years old at his death. There is little evidence that Jimmu ever existed. In fact, modern-day scholars believe that of the nine emperors, Suizei, Jimmu’s successor, was the only one who actually lived.

Despite this historical discrepancy, this old Japanese myth is still important as it tells the story of how the Imperial Family, which still exists today, began.

04/12/2022

Mermaids – stay away from these sirens!

The myth of mermaids in southern Europe tells of fair-faced, beautiful women. Irish legends and famous stories, however, describe cold water mermaids or “merrows” as pig-faced with sharp teeth.

In Ireland, mermaids would sometimes be referred to as ‘merrows’. This term appeared in folktales throughout the 19th century.

A mermaid was said to be formed when a woman was drowned in the creation of Lough Neagh. They were also said to come ashore and have relationships with men, before leaving them and returning to the sea.

02/12/2022

Hathor

Hathor and Isis shared similar roles – including in responsibility and how they were depicted – but at different phases of Ancient Egyptian civilization. Hathor was primarily an Old Kingdom goddess; a daughter of Ra, consort of Horus, lady of the sky, and protector goddess to pharaohs. She is the patron of joy, celebration, and love. The sistrum, a musical percussion, was the instrument which she used to drive evil from the land and inspire goodness. She was instrumental in helping people transition towards the afterlife, helping Ra in battle during his barge journey to the underworld.

30/11/2022

Hestia, the Greek Goddess of the Hearth and Home and the Olympic Torch

Hestia was a virgin goddess who vowed to serve Mount Olympus. She did not seek marriage and asked Zeus to give her eternal virginity. Zeus granted her eternal virginity for her service of Mount Olympus.

Because Hestia was the goddess of hearth and home, Zeus ordered that every offering of food was to be sacrificed in the name of Hestia for her dedication and service. It was said that Hestia never let the fire in the home go out.

The Olympic torch is symbolic of the importance of the fire of Hestia. The Olympic torch is lit and travels from city to city, lighting each torch it comes in contact with throughout the relay until the final Olympic flame is lit.

Globe Mythology