Myths
Myths, they say, are the stories of mankind, of human thought and of civilisation itself, told through symbol and metaphor.
Myths from India
India is a land of diversity, with a multiplicity of cultures and religions, unparalleled by any other single country in the world. Here are some of the myths and legends from this vast country.
Myths from China
The mythology of ancient China is one of the most fascinating in the world. Most of our knowledge of ancient Chinese myths comes from ancient texts which have been copied and re-copied over thousands of years.
Myths from Ancient Egypt
The mythology of ancient Egypt has been pieced together by scholars through inscriptions found on the walls of pyramids, on coffin lids, on papyrus scrolls, and from the many works of art that have been found.
Greek Myths
For the ancient Greeks, ‘myth’ was the domain of the imagination and concerned all that could not be proved or verified, but which nevertheless contained its own truth. It was diametrically opposed to ‘logic’, or rational thought.
Roman Myths
Roman mythology is connected with city life and often appears disguised as history. Scholars found that Rome has managed to preserve in its mythology very ancient stories, relating to a time long before the dawn of the classical era.
Norse Myths
The mythology of the Norsemen is rich in tales of valour, that tell of gods and heroes, monsters, dragons, trolls and witches. These tales are rooted in the prehistoric religion of the Germanic peoples.
Myths of the Maya
The Maya are the native people of Central America. Before the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the early 16th century, the Mayans possessed one of the greatest and oldest civilisations of the Western hemisphere.
Aztec Myths
During the 15th and early 16th centuries, Central America was dominated by the culture and civilisation of a people known to us as the Aztecs. The Aztecs had many gods and goddesses, who, they believed, influenced or controlled all aspects of life.
Myths of the Maori
The Maori people of New Zealand trace their origins to the mythical land of Hawaiki, usually identified as the Polynesian island of Tahiti. The Maori have their own distinct language and culture, and make up fifteen percent of New Zealand’s population.
Myths of the Cherokee
The Cherokee people used to live around the Great Lakes and later in south-eastern USA, in Tennessee and the western Carolinas. Contact with the Europeans adversely affected the Cherokee nation; after much persecution and discrimination, they were forced to move to north-eastern Oklahoma, where most of their descendants live even today. The Cherokee have many beautiful stories explaining the origin of the world and the creatures in it.
More Native American Myths
The Native Americans are the indigenous peoples of the United States, including Alaska. They migrated to the Americas from Eurasia in prehistoric times, across a land bridge that once connected the two continents across what is now the Bering Straits. They spread across the continent, evolving into several, distinct ethnic groups and tribes, each with their own, very rich, mythology.
Myths of the Yoruba
The Yoruba people live in south-western Nigeria. At one time, they were organised into several kingdoms, each ruled by the oba or king. The Yoruba traditionally believed in some four hundred gods, goddesses and spirits, most with their own cult and priests. They also have an extensive literature of poetry, myth, stories and proverbs.
