Topic Archive

Myths about Vengeance

Explore myths connected by the recurring theme of Vengeance across cultures, characters, and sacred places.

17 myths currently featured for Vengeance.

Nüwa Summoning the Thousand-Year-Old Fox Spirit to Possess the Beautiful Daji

🐉 Chinese MythologyZhaoge, Henan, ChinaNüwa • King Zhou of Shang • Daji

After being insulted by a lustful poem written by King Zhou of Shang in her temple, the goddess Nüwa decides to end the Shang Dynasty. She summons three powerful spirits, including a thousand-year-old fox, and commands them to bewitch the king and hasten his downfall. The fox spirit kills and possesses the innocent Daji, daughter of Su Hu, using her beauty to manipulate the king into acts of...

Janamejaya's Gruesome Snake Sacrifice (Sarpa Satra) to Wipe Out All Snakes

🕉️ Hindu MythologyTakshashila (Taxila)Janamejaya • Parikshit • Takshaka

Following the death of King Parikshit by the venomous bite of the Naga king Takshaka, his son Janamejaya launched the Sarpa Satra, a cosmic sacrificial ritual intended to exterminate the entire serpent race. As thousands of snakes were magically drawn into the sacrificial flames, the young sage Astika intervened, ultimately persuading the king to halt the carnage and spare the remaining...

Princess Amba's Vow of Vengeance

🕉️ Hindu MythologyKashi (Varanasi), Uttar Pradesh, IndiaAmba • Bhishma • Salva

After being abducted by the Kuru patriarch Bhishma for a political marriage and subsequently rejected by her lover, Princess Amba of Kashi performs severe penance to seek revenge. She eventually immolates herself in a sacred fire, vowing to be reborn as the instrument of Bhishma's inevitable death.

Odin's Advice to Jörmunrekk

🪓 Norse MythologyKyiv, UkraineOdin • Jörmunrekk • Hamdir

Following the brutal execution of their sister Svanhild by the Gothic King Jörmunrekk, the brothers Hamdir and Sorli set out on a journey of vengeance protected by magical armor. During their assault on the King's hall, they find themselves invulnerable to steel, forcing a mysterious one-eyed old man—revealed to be Odin—to intervene. Odin advises the King's soldiers to stone the brothers to...

Hamdir and Sorli Seeking Vengeance and Maiming King Jörmunrekk

🪓 Norse MythologyKyiv, UkraineHamdir • Sorli • Erp

Following the tragic execution of their sister Svanhild, Hamdir and Sorli are spurred by their mother Gudrun to seek a bloody revenge against the Gothic King Jörmunrekkr. The brothers journey to the King's hall, but a fatal mistake regarding their half-brother Erp leaves them unable to finish their task, leading to a grim and storied end for the last of the Giuki line.

King Jonakr Marrying Gudrun After She Attempts to Drown Herself

🪓 Norse MythologyZeeland (Sjælland), DenmarkGudrun • King Jonakr • Sigurd

Following the horrific destruction of the Hunnish court and the deaths of her children and husband Atli, Gudrun attempts to commit suicide by leaping into the sea. Instead of drowning, the waves carry her across the water to the kingdom of King Jonakr in Zeeland. Jonakr takes her in and marries her, leading to the birth of three sons and a final, tragic chapter in the cycle of the Völsungs.

Gudrun Barring the Hall Doors and Burning King Atli Alive

🪓 Norse MythologyGran (Esztergom), HungaryGudrun • King Atli • Gunnar

Following the treacherous murder of her brothers by her husband King Atli, Gudrun executes a chilling and total revenge. She slays her sons, feeds them to the king during a feast, and finally traps Atli and his remaining warriors inside his great hall before setting it ablaze. This tragic climax marks the end of the Burgundian royal line and the destruction of Atli's court in the ancient city...

Gudrun Slaying Her Own Sons and Serving Them to King Atli

🪓 Norse MythologyGran (Esztergom), HungaryGudrun • Atli • Gunnar

Following the treacherous murder of her brothers by her husband King Atli, Queen Gudrun enacts a horrific and calculated revenge. She kills her two sons, Erp and Eitil, and serves their prepared hearts to Atli at a funeral feast before burning his hall to the ground. This dark episode marks the bloody conclusion of the Völsung cycle in the Hunnish court.

Brynhild Orchestrating the Murder of Sigurd Out of Jealously

🪓 Norse MythologyRoskilde, DenmarkSigurd • Brynhild • Gudrun

Following a bitter revelation of betrayal and magical deception, the Valkyrie Brynhild manipulates her husband Gunnar into murdering the hero Sigurd. Having discovered that Sigurd was the one who truly braved the flames to win her hand while disguised as another, Brynhild's wounded pride and lingering love turn into a lethal obsession. This orchestration of vengeance leads to the tragic end...

The Princess Rindr Giving Birth to the Avenger Vali

🪓 Norse MythologyStaraya Ladoga (Garðaríki Proxy), RussiaOdin • Rindr • Váli

Following the tragic death of the god Baldr, Odin seeks a way to produce an avenger who is not bound by the social ties of the Aesir. He travels to the eastern land of Garðaríki to woo the princess Rindr, daughter of King Billing, using various disguises and magic. Their son, Váli, is born with a supernatural destiny, growing to full adulthood in a single day to avenge his brother’s death by...