Mythology of the World A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z A Name Origin Aegis A protective cloak of sorts from Greek Mythology. Originally made by Hephaestus using the skin of a divine goat. It had the head of Medusa placed in the center of it. It would also associated with Zeus (in the form of a shield) and Athena (on her breastplate). Ahriman From Persian Mythology, he is the god of darkness (Angra Mainyu). He is evil incarnate and created it himself. His symbol is the snake and when evil people die, they go where he is. In other words, hell and he would be Satan. Angels From Christian and Judaic beliefs. They are the messengers and servants of God. They are portrayed as either appearing as regular human beings or as the swan-winged, white-robed, light-emitting people we are used. They are also referred to as Seraphim and Cherubim. Ark From the Holy Bible. It was a ship of giant proportions built that God ordered Noah to build. This was done because God wanted to punish the land with 40 days of rain. Noah took two of each animal aboard the massive boat. Supposedly, it rest at the top of one of the highest mountains in the world. Also, the Ark of the Covenant is where God himself dwelled, it also contained the Ten Commandments. It had two It was made of gold and had two angels fashioned on it. It was kept in a shrine called the Holy of Holies. Asura From Indian mythology, it means demons. But originally, they were not so evil as the translation implies. They were powerful beings, like a class lower to gods. They could be stronger or weaker than the gods, themselves. Some were indeed, evil but not all. B Name Origin Bahamut Known to us as the King of Dragons, Bahamut comes from Arabic mythology. It is said he was a giant fish swimming in an endless sea. He supported Kjata on his back who then supported the Earth on it's own back. Basilisk (Cockatrice) - It was the king of serpents. Supposedly, there were two types of basilisk, one that burnt everything in its path, the other could kill with but a glance. It�s body was comprised of the torso and head of s chicken, wings of a bat, tail and mouth of a snake. It could be killed in three easy ways, it�s reflection, the sound of cock crowing and it�s natural enemy a weasel. Behemoth Mentioned in the Book of Job in the Holy Bible. It's described as a beast with "strength in its loins and thighs" and feeds on grass. Also said to have tail like a tree. It may have something to do with the Apocalypse. Beowulf He was an epic hero. He fought many monsters and was a man of great skill and strength. Among the stories there were three in particular that are noted. Grendel, Grendel�s mother, and the Dragon. He slay them all but the dragon had left him fatally wounded. C Name Origin Caladbolg An incredible powerful sword in Irish legend. It had the ability to consume everything. Catoblepas A creature in stories that was like a bull with scales. Cerberus It was the three-headed watchdog of the Gates to the Underworld in Greek mythology. It was born of Echidna and Typhon. It allowed spirits in but rarely did any ever manage to escape. Chimera Another child of Echidna and Typhon, it was quite the monster. It was said to have the head(s) of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a dragon. It was however, eventually killed by a hero. Cura A goddess who made the shape of human kind. Cyclops From Greek mythology giant one eyed beings. They were strong, violent, nd alcked any real emotion. There were 3 generations of Cyclops, the first were 3 brothers. They were blacksmiths to the gods, helping Hephaestus. They were killed by Apollo. The next were just barabric shephards, one such giant was featured in the epic tale, the Odyssey. D Name Origin Demon Common in many religions. It is basically a spirit. This evil entity takes pleasure in tormenting mankind and are generally associated with causing trouble. Diablos translates from Spanish into Demon, devil or the like. But in European languages it also has the meaning "adversary" or "prosecutor". Dragons The many legends and tales of dragons would be pretty hard to summarize. They�re usually depicted as large, horned, fire-breathing lizards with the ability to fly. E Name Origin Eden From Judaic and Catholic beliefs. It is the Garden created by God. It is beautiful and there is plenty of fruits to eat, thus no work is needed to be done to survive. Adam and Eve were the first to inhabit this Garden but were expelled after eating from the tree of Knowledge. In Judaism it is simply where the people who have lived a good life spend their after alife. Elf Originally in Norse mythology, they were ghosts who brought fertility. They were later in the shape of humans but with supernatural powers. There were the classic good (beautiful) and evil (ugly) elves. Excalibur Legendary Sword of King Arthur. There are however two different stories on how he retrieved. The first is that it was the Sword in the Stone that was to herald the king of Camelot. But the more popular one is that after shattering his sword after losing a duel, Merlin took him to a lake. The Lady of the Lake lent him the Sword, Excalibur. It was later returned when King Arthur had died. F Name Origin Fafnir From an old German story, he is a giant dragon that guards the treasures of light. Eventually killed by Sigurd. Fairy Faeries would bring gifts to children and then mess with human affairs for their own ends. They were rarely actually seen except on special occasions. Fenrir He was a giant monster of a wolf in Norse Mythology. Fenrir was born of Loki and Angrboda. The gods learnt of a prophecy that he would take part in the end of the world, so when he was grown they attempted to ensnare him through trickery. After doing so, they put him in the earth. He would break free at the time of Ragnarok and devour Odin, but then would be killed by Vidar (Odin�s son). Fujin Fujin is from Japanese mythology. He was the god of the wind and one of the eldest 'Shinto' gods. He was around since the creation of the world and that is when he let the wind out of his bag and blow across the earth. He appears like a dark demon with leopard skin and carrying his bag on his shoulders. G Name Origin Gaia From Greek Mythology, she is Mother Earth. Born from the great void and gave birth to the sea and sky. There are several stories about her deeds to protect the planet. Also known as Terra. Garuda From the Buddhist Culture. Garuda had the golden body of a human but an eagle's wing and beak. His wings were red and his face was white. He is known as the "Bird of Life" and was said to be so large, he could block the sun. Ghoul In Muslim beliefs it is a demon that can take the shape of an animal. Tend to be grave-robbers, who eat flesh. They will lure people into the desert to feed on them. Giant Creatures of enormous size. They usually have a lot to do with the beginning of everything. In Greek mythology for example, they were the father to the gods. But whenever a god would kill a giant, they would use their carcass to create the world. Similar occurrences appear in other myths. In folklore, they aren't very bright and usually have a taste for humans. Gilgamesh He was the King and Hero of Uruk Son of a Goddess, he spent much time lusting after women. He's an epic hero, who did have a base in reality. His life's goal was to find a way to become an immortal. Goblin They are ugly little creatures. tricksters and not too fond of humans. They like to cause mischief. They can make milk go sour and rot the fruit off of trees. Golem From Jewish legend. They are believed to be a inanimate object instilled with life through either an incantation or letters with special words inscribed onto them. The Golem would act like the robot we in vision today. Their main purpose was obeying their master, and protecting people especially their creator. Griffin Found in many ancient civilizations beliefs they have a few similarities. Body of a lion, the tail of a snake or scorpion and the wings, head and beak of an eagle. They belonged to Zeus and were later frequently used as gargoyles. Gungnir From Greek Mythology it is the spear of Odin. It can never miss its target. It was made by Dvalin the dwarf. H Name Origin Hades He is from Greek Mythology and was one of the sons of Cronus. He was made the Lord of the Underworld which was thus named Hades, as well. He ruled with Persephone, who he tricked into being trapped in the Underworld. Hades is by far the most disliked of the Greek gods, even other gods would avoid him. Hippogriff Legendary animal that is a hybrid. It is half horse (mother was a filly), half griffon (father). Also used as a symbol of love. Holy Lance From Christian beliefs it is also known as Longinus (also Bleeding Lance and Doloros Stroke). It is the spear that was used by the Roman soldier to pierce Jesus' side while he was being crucified. The blood set forth is what supplies the blood for the Holy Grail. Hydra Also from Greek Mythology, Hydras are monsters born of Echidna. They were found in swamps near an ancient city. They had multiple heads, varying from 5-100. If one was to be cut off, one or two would grow in its place. Their breath was terrible and had the ability to kill a man, even their blood was poisonous. I Name Origin Ifrit Has roots in both Indian and Arabian folklore. To the Indians, Ifrit was the god of Fire. The Arabian version was slightly different. They were a sort of genie, a Djinn. However, these genies were not limited to do much. They granted limitless wishes, followed their own impulses but still always obeyed the holder of their lamp or other item of captivity. Imp A small demon. It was thought at first to be like genie. Encased in a lamp or ring but called out to do it�s master�s bidding faithfully. Later it was confused for being a witch�s familiar. Going to do terrible things to innocent people as the witch pleased. Ixion He comes from Greek mythology. He was a descendant of Ares and king of Lapiths in Thessaly. He�s noted for being the first human to kill a relative. He was forced into exile upon this act but Zeus had mercy upon him. Allowing him to stay on Mt. Olympus. Ixion, however lusted after Hera and was then put on display in Hades by Zeus to pay for his sins. J Name Origin Juggernaut From Hindu mythology, Jugganath (Lord of the World). It's an idol that has the bones of Krishna. K Name Origin Kirin See Unicorn Knights of the Round From the legend of Authur. The 12 loyal knights who were under King Authur and often sat at the Round table in meetings. Kraken In Norse mythology it is a giant sea monster, most like a large Squid. Also in Greek mythology, here it was meant to devour someone tethered by the sea. It was slain by Perseus using Medusa's head to turn it to stone. L Name Origin Leviathan Leviathan hales from many religions. From the Bible, Leviathan is an evil sea creature. It�s shape is that of a snake and crocodile. He would be destroyed on Judgement Day. M Name Origin Mandragora From folklore it is known as a mandrake. A plant with special powers. The root looked like a human, it usually grew from where a man was hung. When pulled free of the earth, it would scream causing deafness in all who heard it. Manticore A monster found in the forests of Asia. It has the body of a lion, head like a man, a tail that ends with a ball of poison darts, and massive teeth. They are the best predator in these regions, according to legend. Masamune A legendary Japanese samurai sword smith. He was trained by a man named Shintogo Kunimitsu. He had 10 pupils who had a style similar to his. Although, he is known as the best swordsmith Japan had ever seen. He would sometimes inscribe his name on his weapons. Medusa From Greek mythology. She was a gorgon, one look and a person would turn to stone. Supposedly, Athena turned her hair into snakes, she was originally a beautiful woman. Eventually, she was killed by Perseus. Her head was taken to go onto Athena's Aegis. Midgar From Norse mythology meaning "Middle World". It was a fortress that the gods made at the center of the world where worthy men were allowed to enter in preparation for war with the giants. Midgar(d) Serpent Jormungand, in Germanic mythology, was the serpent son of Loki and Angrboda, and brother of Fenrir and Hel. Odin had these monstrous children kidnaped and brought to Asgard. He then threw Jormungand into the ocean, where he grew so long he encircled the earth, and became known as the Midgard Serpent. At Ragnarok Jormungand was to come onto the earth and be slain by Thor. Minotaur It was the son of Minos� wife, Pasipha and a White Bull from the gods. It had the head and tail of a bull but the body of a man. After ravaging Crete it was trapped in a labyrinth made by Daedalus. Often times, sacrifices would be sent into the maze for the Minotaur to feast on. It was killed by Theseus, who used a thin thread to be able to navigate his way out of the maze. N Name Origin Naga From Hindu Mythology. They were a race of serpent-like people. They supposedly live in palaces and protect bodies of water. They bring rain and are responsible for fertility. In Malay myths, nagas are large dragons with many heads. Also from Java and Thailand, they are a serpent dragon who rules the underworld. Nirvana From Buddhist beliefs, it is a state of mind that frees you from all desires and wants. It's the last state of the soul, it is perfect inner peace. It is rarely achieved during your body's life span. It is the highest point of happiness a person can reach. Literally means, "The blowing out of a candle". O Name Origin Odin Odin comes from Norse mythology. He was the god of war, poetry, wisdom, and death but first and foremost of Vikings. He also served as the leader of all the other gods. The horse he rides (Sleipner) had the ability to go to the Underworld and through the sky. His spear (Grungir) would never miss its target. Fate decided that Odin would die at the Ragnarok. Ogre In folklore, they are large humans who feed on human flesh. Seemingly very barbaric and violent. P Name Origin Perseus From Greek Mythology he is the son of Zeus and Danae. He was sent on a quest to take the head of Medusa in order to get his kingdom. He did this with divine intervention. On his way home, he came across Atlas, used the head on him and made the Atlas mountain range. He saved a woman (Andromeda) who would be his wife from a sea monster. Pheonix It too is from multiple mythologies. Greek and Egyptians had relatively the same idea. It was a fiery bird that when it felt it was going to die would burn itself to ashes. But from the ashes there was always a new phoenix to be born. Q Name Origin Quezacotl He is from the Aztec and Mayan religions. He was a god that created everything. Surprisingly, he had a birthday, however. Hernan Cortes had landed on the birthday of this god. Thus, the current king of the Aztecs believed he was the deity. Consequently, the Spanish Empire had eventually eradicated the Mayans. R Name Origin Raijin Also from Japanese mythology. He is one of the gods of thunder. He is depicted as carrying a large set of drums which makes the sound he is the god of. Supposedly, he and Fujin were first demons who had opposed the gods. Raiden From Japanese mythology. He is the god of thunder and lightning. He is depicted as being a red demon with sharp claws with a large drum. He prevented the Mongols from invading Japan. S Name Origin Sephiroth This is taken from Jewish beliefs. It's referred to as many things. The "Face of God, "Body of God", etc. It is the tree that glows brightly but the roots are found in Qlippoth, the tree of death. The 10 spheres are actually the ten "Sephiroth" (states of being). Shiva Third of the triad of gods in Hindu religion. He is also the god of fertility, time, creation and destruction. He is also not always depicted as a he, on occasion you will see Shiva with both female and male attributes. He also has a mysterious 3rd eye. Sin From the beliefs of Mesopotamia, he was the chief astral deity. Also, lord of the calendar. He was represented in the Moon and also serves as the vegetation and fertility deity. Also, in more common religions, a sin is an offense against God. Siren Sirens come from Greek Mythology. They were women with bird-like bodies and human heads. They were renowned for their wonderful voices. They resided on rocks in the ocean where they would sing for any sailors within distance to hear. Any man who had heard it would be attracted to the rocks upon which they sat and then consequently, crash the ship and die. They are mentioned in the Odyssey and the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Supposedly, Orpheus' Lyre was the only thing more enchanting than their voices, after hearing this, they jumped to their own deaths. T Name Origin Tantalus King of Lydia in Greek Mythology. He was the son of Zeus and Pluto. Tantalus was punished because he killed his son Pelops and served him to the gods as food. In the Underworld, Tantalus was tortured by seeing what he wanted but never being able to have it. Tiamat In Babylonian myth Tiamat is a giant dragon. She is the mother of all the exists, gods, humans everything except her cohort. After her husband's death and adopting a new mate (another son), she was eventually killed by a god, Marduk. Titan One of the first twelve beings in Greek Mythology. Parents to the gods and were later destroyed by them. troll In Scandinavian myth trolls are cruel, ugly creatures and hate humans. They were originally larger than humans but lived in caves and were only able to come out after nightfall otherwise, they'd be turned to stone. Later though, they were believed to have buried treasures. Tower of Babel From Catholic beliefs it is a tower that was intended to reach into the heavens. The people along the Tigris River wanted to do this before spreading out any further. God had different plans, however. He made their languages change so they could no longer communicate, thus not complete the tower. Typhon He is also from Greek Mythology. He was the offspring of Gaia and Tartarus. He had one hundred heads, that reached to the sky, lava and the like spewed from his several mouths. It hissed and roared, spreading fear into many. Zeus eventually defeated him and he is trapped under Mt. Aetna. Still there now, spewing lava etc. U Name Origin Unicorn Actually in legend they were giant, white asses (donkeys) with a horn on the forehead, resembling a horse. They had healing capabilities and were a sign of good luck. It is based on the Jewish word "re'em, meaning horned. In Japanese, they were known as Kirin. V Name Origin Vampire They are spread throughout the world as a myth but more heavily in the Slavic gypsies. Commonly, they are humans that raise to feed on the blood of the living every night. To become one, you had to have been fed on by a vampire. They are immortal but can be killed in several ways: Daylight, Crucifixes, Holy Water, etc. There are however variant forms on a lot of these aspects. W Name Origin Wakka Possibly from Waka, the Benign god of Rain to the Galla of Ethiopia. Werewolf A common legend that a half man, half wolf creatures roams about the land. It probably came from the King of Arcadia, known for his cruelly. After angering Zeus, he was turned into a wolf. Wolves are depicted as evil animals who follow Satan. Wraith Disembodied ghost of a person. They appear to others at the time of the person's death. Wyrm See Dragon. Wyvern Similar to a dragon. Differences are: it is smaller and only has 2 hind legs and 2 wings. Z Name Origin Zeus In Greek Mythology he was the ruler of all the gods on Mount Olympus. He had overthrown his father Cronus leader of the Titans. He was particular god of the sky (weather and the like), his famous weapon was mostly his thunderbolt which he could use to smite others. He fathered many other gods and mortals. He is portrayed as a tone older man. Hosted by www.Geocities.ws