Mythology myths and legends

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The Spider Demons of Pan'si Cave and the Capture of Tang Sanzang

🐉 Chinese MythologyPan'si Cave Proxy (Pansidong), Sichuan, ChinaTang Sanzang • Sun Wukong • Zhu Bajie

While traveling toward the Western Heaven, the monk Tang Sanzang is captured by seven spider spirits disguised as beautiful sisters who trap him with magic silk. After a series of comical and dangerous encounters involving the Monkey King and Pigsy, the pilgrims must face the spiders' brother, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, to save their master.

Shennong Tasting Hundreds of Herbs and Being Poisoned by Heartbreak Grass

🐉 Chinese MythologyShennongjia, Hubei, ChinaShennong • Jiang Shinian

Shennong, the Divine Farmer and first Yan Emperor, sought to cure all human ailments by tasting thousands of plants. After discovering countless cures, he accidentally consumed a lethal poison known as Heartbreak Grass. This ultimate sacrifice left behind the foundation of Chinese medicine and the Shennong Bencaojing.

Izanami's Corpse and the Eight Thunder Gods Chasing Izanagi out of Yomi

⛩️ Japanese MythologyYomotsu Hirasaka, Shimane, JapanIzanagi • Izanami • Yomotsu-shikome

After his wife Izanami dies giving birth to the fire god, Izanagi ventures into Yomi, the land of the dead, to bring her back. He breaks his promise not to look at her, discovering her decaying corpse guarded by the Eight Thunder Gods. Terrified, Izanagi flees toward the mortal world while the monstrous forces of Yomi, led by the ugly hag Yomotsu-shikome, pursue him in a desperate chase.

Sugriva's Crowning After Rama Slays Vali

🕉️ Hindu MythologyKishkindha (Hampi), Karnataka, IndiaSugriva • Rama • Vali

Following a tragic misunderstanding and years of exile, Sugriva is restored to the throne of Kishkindha after Lord Rama defeats the powerful king Vali. This pivotal moment cements the alliance between Rama and the Vanara army, setting the stage for the search for Sita. The story concludes with the coronation of Sugriva and the appointment of Vali's son, Angada, as the crown prince.

Odin Waging His Head in a Riddle Game with Vafþrúðnir

🪓 Norse MythologyJotunheimen Mountains, NorwayOdin • Vafþrúðnir • Frigg

Seeking to prove his status as the wisest being in the Nine Realms, Odin travels in disguise to the hall of the ancient giant Vafþrúðnir. They engage in a high-stakes riddle contest where the loser must forfeit his life. The exchange covers the origins of the cosmos and its eventual destruction, ending only when Odin asks a question that reveals his divine identity.

The Eighty Brothers of Okuninushi Leaving Him to Carry Their Bags to Inaba

⛩️ Japanese MythologyTottori Coast (Ancient Inaba), JapanŌkuninushi • Ōnamuchi • Eighty Brothers

The myth of Ōnamuchi (later Ōkuninushi) and his eighty brothers who travel to the province of Inaba to court Princess Yakami. While his proud brothers force Ōnamuchi to carry all their heavy luggage, they encounter a suffering, skinless hare on the coast of Inaba. The brothers trick the hare with painful advice, but the compassionate Ōnamuchi offers the correct remedy, earning the gratitude...

Hel Reigning Over the Dead in the Frozen Underworld of Niflheim

🪓 Norse MythologySnæfellsjökull, IcelandHel • Loki • Odin

Hel, the daughter of Loki, rules over the somber realm of Niflheim, where those who die of sickness or old age reside. Unlike the warriors of Valhalla, these spirits dwell in a land of mist and ice, presided over by a goddess who is half-living and half-dead. Her most famous act involves the refusal to release the god Baldr from her halls unless all of creation wept for him, a feat that...

Izanagi Throwing Three Peaches to Repel the Pursuing Underworld Hags

⛩️ Japanese MythologyYomotsu Hirasaka, Shimane, JapanIzanagi • Izanami • Yomotsu-shikome

In Japanese mythology, the creator god Izanagi journeys to the dark underworld of Yomi to rescue his deceased wife, Izanami. After breaking a sacred vow by looking upon her decayed form, he is forced to flee from her wrath and a terrifying army of hags and thunder deities. Reaching the boundary of the underworld at Yomotsu Hirasaka, Izanagi repels his monstrous pursuers by throwing three...

Shiva's Grieving Tandava (Dance of Destruction) Carrying Sati's Body

🕉️ Hindu MythologyDaksha Mahadev Temple, Kankhal, IndiaShiva • Sati • Daksha

Following the self-immolation of his beloved wife Sati at her father Daksha's sacrificial fire, Lord Shiva was consumed by an inconsolable grief and terrifying rage. He hoisted Sati's lifeless body upon his shoulders and performed the Rudra Tandava, a cosmic dance of destruction that threatened to dissolve the entire universe. To save creation, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to...

Okuninushi Advising the White Hare to Bathe in Fresh Water and Pollen to Heal

⛩️ Japanese MythologyHakuto Shrine, Tottori, JapanŌkuninushi • White Hare of Inaba • Eighty Gods (Yasogami)

During a journey to win the hand of Princess Yakami, the compassionate deity Ōkuninushi encountered the White Hare of Inaba, who had been flayed by sea beasts and further tormented by Ōkuninushi's cruel brothers. Ōkuninushi kindly advised the suffering hare to wash in a freshwater river and roll in the healing pollen of cattails. Once restored, the grateful hare prophesied that Ōkuninushi...