Myths about Love

King Dushyanta, a powerful monarch of the Puru dynasty, accidentally discovers a serene hermitage where he falls in love with Shakuntala, the daughter of a sage and a celestial nymph. After a secret marriage and the exchange of a royal signet ring, a sage's curse causes the king to lose all memory of his bride. The story follows their tragic separation and the eventual miraculous reunion...

To level the playing field in the war between gods and demons, the sage Kacha is sent to learn the secret of immortality from the Asura guru Shukracharya. After surviving multiple murder attempts and eventually learning the secret from within the guru's own body, Kacha is cursed by the guru's daughter, Devayani, when he refuses to marry her on moral grounds. The curse ensures that while Kacha...

When the demon Tarakasura threatened the heavens, the gods realized only a son of Lord Shiva could defeat him. Since Shiva was lost in deep meditation following the death of his first wife Sati, the gods sent Kamadeva, the god of love, to stir desire in his heart for the goddess Parvati. However, the interruption enraged Shiva, who opened his third eye and reduced Kamadeva to ashes instantly,...

Rukmini, the princess of Vidarbha, was deeply in love with Krishna and sent him a secret message pleading for him to rescue her from an unwanted marriage to Shishupala. On her wedding day, Krishna arrived at the temple of the goddess Ambika and daringly carried her away on his chariot. Despite being pursued by her brother Rukmi and a host of rival kings, Krishna successfully brought Rukmini...

The Rasa Lila is the celestial dance of divine love performed by Krishna, Radha, and the Gopis in the sacred forests of Vrindavan. On a moonlit autumn night, the sound of Krishna's flute called the milkmaids away from their homes to participate in a spiritual union that transcended physical existence. This eternal dance symbolizes the soul's intense longing for the Divine and the ultimate joy...

Völundr, a master smith and son of a Finn king, lived in the Wolf-dales with his two brothers and their swan-maiden wives. After nine years of marriage, the maidens flew away to fulfill their destinies, leaving Völundr alone in his grief. While his brothers departed to search for them, Völundr remained at his forge, crafting seventy identical golden rings as a testament to his love and a...

Following the tragic death of the god Baldr by a mistletoe arrow, his wife Nanna is overwhelmed by a grief so profound that her heart physically breaks. During the grand funeral at the shore, as she witnesses her husband being laid upon his great ship Hringhorni, her spirit leaves her body. She is placed on the funeral pyre alongside Baldr, ensuring their union continues into the halls of the...

The fertility god Freyr commits a grave transgression by sitting upon Odin's sacred throne, Hliðskjálf, which allows the observer to see into all worlds. From this high seat, he glimpses the beautiful giantess Gerðr and falls into a profound, soul-sickness of desire. To win her love, Freyr must sacrifice his most powerful weapon, the magic sword that fights on its own, setting the stage for...

The goddess Freyja, devastated by the disappearance of her husband Oðr, travels through Midgard in various disguises to find him. As she wanders the earth and the sea, her tears of grief transform into gold and amber, leaving a trail of precious beauty across the world. Her journey takes her through many lands, including the ancient Germanic trading hubs like Slesvig, where she seeks the one...

The fertility god Freyr falls into a deep melancholy after catching a glimpse of the beautiful giantess Gerðr. To win her hand, he sends his messenger Skírnir to Jotunheim, but is forced to pay a heavy price: his magical sword that fights on its own. While the mission is successful, the loss of his weapon leaves Freyr vulnerable, ultimately leading to his downfall at the hands of the fire...