Mythology myths and legends

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Loki Bound by the Aesir Beneath a Venomous Serpent

🪓 Norse MythologySurtshellir Lava Cave, IcelandLoki • Odin • Thor

Following the death of Baldur, the trickster god Loki is pursued by the Aesir and captured in the form of a salmon. As punishment for his many crimes, he is bound in a dark cavern with the entrails of his son, while a venomous serpent drips poison onto his face, causing earthquakes whenever his wife Sigyn must empty the bowl catching the venom.

Thoth Writing the Book of Thoth, Containing the Ultimate Secrets of the Universe

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHermopolis (El Ashmunein), EgyptThoth • Ra • Ma'at

The god of wisdom, Thoth, compiles his vast knowledge of magic, linguistics, and the laws of the universe into a single, terrifyingly powerful book. Hidden within the depths of the Nile and guarded by eternal serpents, the Book of Thoth grants its reader the power to command the heavens and the earth, yet carries a heavy curse for those who seek to use its power for personal gain.

The Slaying of Thjazi the Eagle

🪓 Norse MythologyGamla Uppsala, SwedenLoki • Odin • Hœnir

After the trickster Loki betrays the goddess Idunn into the hands of the giant Thjazi, the gods of Asgard begin to age rapidly without her magical apples of youth. Faced with his own demise, Loki is forced to rescue her, leading to a desperate aerial pursuit across the realms. The myth concludes with a spectacular battle at the walls of Asgard where the Æsir use fire to ground and execute the...

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.

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.

Tsukuyomi Born from Izanagi's Right Eye, Becoming the God of the Moon

⛩️ Japanese MythologyGekū (Outer Shrine of Ise), Mie, JapanIzanagi-no-Mikoto • Izanami-no-Mikoto • Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto

Following his harrowing journey to the underworld of Yomi to rescue his wife Izanami, the creator god Izanagi underwent a ritual purification to cleanse himself of the underworld's impurities. As he washed his face, three major deities, known as the Three Noble Children, were born from his ablutions. From Izanagi's right eye emerged Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, who was destined to rule the realm of...

Oedipus’ Murder of Laius at the Crossroads

🏛️ Greek MythologyThe Cleft Way (Schiste Odos)Oedipus • Laius • Jocasta

While traveling from Delphi to escape a terrifying prophecy, Oedipus encounters an arrogant party at a narrow triple-crossroads in Phocis. A violent dispute over right-of-way leads Oedipus to kill an older man who is, unbeknownst to him, his biological father, King Laius of Thebes. This fateful moment serves as the cornerstone of the Sophoclean tragedy and the fulfillment of the first half of...

Ra Growing Old and Humans Rebelling Against His Rule

🏺 Egyptian MythologyHeliopolis (Cairo), EgyptRa • Atum • Sekhmet

As the sun god Ra grew physically frail with age, his human subjects plotted a rebellion against his divine authority in the deserts. Ra responded by unleashing the terrifying lioness Sekhmet to punish them, but he eventually used a clever ruse involving red-dyed beer to save humanity from total extinction.

Skadi Choosing Njord

🪓 Norse MythologyCoast of Møre og Romsdal, NorwaySkadi • Njord • Odin

After the death of her father Thjazi, the giantess Skadi marches to Asgard seeking restitution from the gods. To settle the blood-feud, the Aesir grant her the right to choose a husband from among them, but with the caveat that she must select him by only looking at his feet. Thinking the most beautiful feet belong to the handsome god Baldur, she inadvertently chooses the sea god Njord,...

Thor Ripping the Head Off the Ox Himinhrjót for Bait

🪓 Norse MythologyLofoten Archipelago, NorwayThor • Hymir • Jörmungandr

Thor, seeking a massive cauldron for the gods' brewing, stays with the giant Hymir and insists on a fishing trip. Lacking bait, Thor decapitates Hymir's largest ox, Himinhrjót, using its head to lure the world-circling Midgard Serpent. This legendary encounter nearly results in the destruction of the world before the terrified giant intervenes.