Mythology

Zeus gave Pandora a box and warned her never to open it. But Pandora grew curious. Everyday she looked at the box and longed to know what was inside. Finally, she could no longer resist, and she opened the box. The lid flew open and a host of misery, sickness, and mischief spread out into … Read more

Demeter, goddess of all plants that grew and bloomed on the earth, cherished her only daughter, Persephone. One day, while walking through some fields, Persephone was seized by Hades, god of the underworld, and taken down into the earth on his chariot. Demeter was crushed with grief by the disappearance of her daughter. As she … Read more

The ancient Greeks lived throughout the Greek peninsula and islands and along the nearby coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. They thrived from 800 B.C. until 133 B.C., when Roman armies conquered Greece. During those centuries, the Greeks created a glorious civilization of art, literature, and architecture that still inspires and influences Western civilization today. The … Read more

African myths often describe a small and weak character defeating a stronger opponent through cunning and trickery. This mythological figure is called “the trickster.” Tricksters are popular characters in many world mythologies, including Norse (Loki) and North American Indian (Coyote). African American folklore tells the antics of “Brer Rabbit,” a small rabbit who outsmarts larger … Read more

Monkey lived in a tall tree by the ocean. Bushels of sweet fruit called mangoes grew in the tree. Whenever he was hungry, Monkey hopped through the branches and ate the delicious fruit. Sometimes, he threw the mangoes into the ocean and was delighted by the giant splash. Swimming beneath the waves, Shark enjoyed eating … Read more

One day, Mantis smelled a wonderful aroma floating through the countryside. Curious, Mantis peeked through a bush and saw Ostrich roasting food over a fire. When Ostrich finished eating, he took the fire and tucked it under his wing. Mantis had never seen fire, and he now wanted it for himself. When Ostrich jogged by, … Read more

Devastated by her husband’s death, Isis frantically began searching for his body. She learned from farmers and sailors that the chest had floated out to the Mediterranean Sea and had come ashore in present day Lebanon. There, a tree had grown around it, enfolding the chest within its roots and bark. A king had noticed … Read more

Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, was from his birth destined to avenge his father’s murder. Nurtured and protected by Isis, Horus grew into a strong warrior with a falcon’s head and a man’s body. Seth learned of Horus’s existence, and he searched the Nile delta to kill him. Seth did not find Horus, but … Read more

Isis was determined to get on the island. She used magic to turn herself into an old woman and asked the ferryman to take her to the island. Believing that the old woman could not possibly be Isis, the ferryman agreed. Once she arrived, Isis transformed herself into a beautiful young woman. She asked Seth … Read more

When Horns was old enough, Horus challenged Seth for the throne of Egypt. The two gods clashed in terrible warfare. Horus won many victories, but Seth was cunning and always escaped. Finally, Seth and Horns agreed to stop fighting and to settle the issue before an assembly of the gods. The trial lasted eighty years … Read more

The Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was the descendant of Ra and that he became Horus when he ruled over Egypt. In this way, the pharaoh was considered a god while still on earth. The title of Pharaoh started being used for the king during the New Kingdom during the middle of the eighteenth dynasty. … Read more

Africa is home to hundreds of different peoples, who have developed many complex mythologies and stories. Most of these tales were passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. The particular culture or area that the myth comes from is usually noted in parentheses after the topic. The Yoruba god of … Read more

When an Egyptian who was not a member of the royal family died, his soul had to travel through a series of rigorous tests to arrive in paradise, called the Field of Reeds. The climax of the journey occurred when the soul was brought before Osiris, the supreme judge of the afterlife. While Osiris watched … Read more

Now that there was land, Obatala planted a palm nut that grew into the first tree. This tree scattered its nuts, and soon the ground sprouted many kinds of plants. From high above in the sky, Olorun watched Obatala with great interest. He sent down a chameleon to ask Obatala if he needed anything. Obatala … Read more

At the beginning of time, the universe was divided into two regions, the sky and an endless stretch of water and marsh. Many gods lived in the sky world, but only one cared about the vast stretch of water beneath. His name was Obatala. Obatala asked Olorun, ruler of the sky, if he could cover … Read more

Where the Nuer people live, a rope once dropped out of heaven and reached the earth. Any old person could climb up the rope into heaven and return to earth as a young person. In those times, people lived forever. But one day, a hyena climbed the rope. The High God in heaven ordered the … Read more

After creating the world and the universe, the goddess Mawu let her two sons, Sagbata and Sogbo, rule over it. The brothers, however, bitterly argued. Finally, in a fit of rage, Sagbata left the sky world to live on earth. As Sagbata packed his things together in a hag, he realized that if he packed … Read more

One day, Hare decided to get married. But he encountered a problem, Hare hated to work, and he needed to clear a field and plant crops to support a wife. His field was covered with thick, tangled bushes, and the task appeared hopeless. Then, Hare had an idea. He took a rope and challenged an … Read more

Originally, the ostrich had a short neck, just like a duck or a partridge. One day, a male ostrich told his wife that he would rest on the eggs for one evening. The wife, weary from sitting for several weeks, was thrilled. While her husband made himself comfortable, she pranced about their nest in joy. … Read more

The ancient Egyptians were a people who settled on the banks of the Nile River in northern Africa. Almost 4,500 years ago, they created a magnificent empire that lasted nearly three thousand years. Most ancient Egyptians worked as field hands, farmers, craftsmen and scribes. Craftsmen in ancient Egypt were usually trained and skilled labourers. They … Read more

The universe began as a giant body of motionless water shrouded in darkness. The Egyptians called this lifeless body of water Nu, or Nun. From the depths of the water, a mound appeared, which was called the primeval mound. On it, the first Egyptian gods appeared. Some ancient Egyptian paintings showed the Egyptian creation myth. … Read more

Shu and Tefnut gave birth to two gods, Geb and Nut. Geb was a male god who represented the land of Egypt. Lying on his back, the folds of Geb’s body formed the mountains and valleys of the earth. Nut was a female sky goddess who stretched overhead in a large arc, forming the blue … Read more

On top of the primeval mound, the first god came into being. He was the sun god, and most Egyptians called him Ra, or Ra-Atum. Ra created two gods called Shu and Tefnut by sneezing and spitting. Shu, god of the air, came from the sneeze. Tefnut, goddess of moisture, was created from Ra’s saliva. … Read more

Egyptians were fascinated by the scarab beetle, which rolled together a small ball of dung. The next morning, as if by magic, baby beetles were born out of the ball. Actually, the beetle had laid eggs. The scarab beetle became a sacred symbol of creation to the Egyptians, and in some myths, the sun was … Read more

The primeval mound is an important part of Egyptian culture. Archaeologists believe that Egyptians conceived the idea of the mound by watching the yearly flooding of the Nile River. When the river receded, small islands were uncovered. Egyptians may have used this image in their creation myth to describe the waters of Nu and the … Read more

According to one Egyptian myth, men and women were made by a ram headed god named Khnum. Khnum took clay and molded a human body on a potter’s wheel. Carefully, he created bones, blood vessels, a brain, a heart, and a stomach. When Khnum was finished, he presented a man and a woman to the … Read more

Geb and Nut were separated, but Nut was pregnant with Geb’s children. Ra, angry that Geb and Nut had married in the first place, now noticed Nut’s pregnancy and proclaimed that Nut could not give birth during any month of the year. To help Nut, Thoth, the god of learning, convinced the moon to add … Read more

A handsome god with jet-black hair, Osiris was Egypt’s first leader, a role he shared with his sister and wife, Isis. Osiris was a kind and wise king. He taught people how to raise crops and many other secrets of civilization. All of Egypt enjoyed his rule. But Osiris was locked in a struggle with … Read more

Ruled by Ra, all Egyptian people prospered. But when Ra grew old and feeble, evil men plotted his downfall. Ra learned of their plans, and he called the other gods together for advice. The gods told him that humankind deserved to be destroyed. Heeding their words, Ra ordered the goddess Sakhmat to carry out his … Read more

Osiris left Egypt to teach men and women throughout the world the secrets of farming and civilization. While he was gone, his faithful wife Isis ruled in his place. When Osiris at last returned, Seth invited him to a grand banquet. During the celebration, Seth displayed a magnificent chest covered with decorations. Seth told his … Read more

Mesopotamia existed between two mighty rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, in the part of the world we now call the Middle East. This region is called the “cradle of civilization” because it was one of the first places in which humans farmed, raised animals, developed a written language, and created a calendar. The word … Read more

Marduk was a powerful prince who had four ears, four eyes, and breathed fire from his throat. He was also full of pride, and the other gods grew so angry at his boasts that they asked Tiamat to destroy him. Pleased by the chance to avenge Apsu’s death, Tiamat created an army of hideous monsters … Read more

The Mesopotamians believed that the universe began as water. The water was ruled over by the god, Apsu, and the goddess, Tiamat. Apsu and Tiamat had several children and grandchildren who often quarreled loudly among themselves, sometimes violently. Desperate for some peace, Apsu decided to destroy them all. The god Ea learned of the plan … Read more

Gilgamesh was a Mesopotamian king famous for his courage and skill in battle. But he was also a hard ruler who demanded absolute obedience from his subjects. Weary of his harsh rule, Gilgamesh’s people prayed to the goddess Aruru to create a monster to defeat Gilgamesh in combat. In response to the prayers, Aruru created … Read more

With Tiamat dead and her army destroyed, Marduk lifted his sword and split her massive skull in two. With one piece, Marduk made the earth; with the other piece, he fashioned the heavens. He created the moon, the sun, and set the stars in the night sky. Marduk then decided to create servants for the … Read more

Gilgamesh sought a man named Utnapishtim, who lived on a remote island and enjoyed eternal life. The journey was long and dangerous. Along the way, Gilgamesh arrived in the garden of a goddess, who advised him to accept death and return to his home. But Gilgamesh refused, and the goddess directed him to the boat … Read more