World Mythology
A collection of myths, legends, and other stories that teach us something about the world. Note that myths are often tied into the history and religion of the people who tell them, and they should always be treated and read with respect!
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Dragon Myths From Around the World
A look at the global dragon myths that make it the most popular mythical creature of all time.
The Æneid, Book One
Of arms I sing, and of the man, whom Fate First drove from Troy to the Lavinian shore.
How the Makah Obtained Possession of Cape Flattery
An account of how the Makah people came to conquer Neah Bay and its surrounding areas.
Taino Myths: The Origin of the Sea
The story of the origin of the sea is a little more complex. In introducing the tale, Fray Ramon says: "I, writing in haste and not having paper enough, could…
The Little Tailor
"Once there was a poor day-labourer who, with his wife and three children, found it hard to make both ends meet. When the turn of the youngest...came, he was much…
Carancho Teaches Men How to Make Fire
"The second chief went to speak to Carancho, 'Listen, Carancho, there are people over there who have no fire. They need it badly because they have to eat their food…
Manco Capac and Mama Ogllo
Properly speaking, this narrative is the local myth of the Lake Titicaca and Cuzco, transformed into an imperial myth.
Estonian Folk Tales: Slyboots
In the days of the son of Kalev there reigned a very rich king of Kungla, who gave a great feast to his subjects every seven years at midsummer, which…
Estonian Folk Tales: The Milky Way
Soon after the creation of the world, God created a fair maiden and gave into her charge all the birds beneath the heavens.
Three Doves
A certain merchant died. His son was nineteen years old at the time. He said to his mother: "Mother dear, I'm going to try my luck in the world."
Boots, Cloak, and Ring
Once there was a blacksmith, and he had only one son, John by name. They sent him to school, but fortune changed and his parents fell into poverty, so they…
Czech Folk Tales: The Twelve Months
Once upon a time there lived a mother who had two daughters. One was her own child, the other her stepdaughter. She was very fond of her own daughter, but…
The Sumerian Flood Story
The flood story from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which likely influenced the story of Noah's Ark.
The Spirit Horse
The history of Morty Sullivan ought to be a warning to all young men to stay at home, and to live decently and soberly if they can, and not to…
Stories of Haunting
A collection of ancient Greek and Roman stories of hauntings.
The Power of the Dead to Return to Earth
Cicero tells us that it was generally believed that the dead lived on beneath the earth, and special provision was made-for them in every Latin town in the “mundus,” a…
The Beer of Heliopolis
Now the Majesty of Ra reigned over the Two Lands. He was the second king of Egypt, and in his reign peace was on earth, and harvests were so plentiful…
The Book of Thoth
This story is written in demotic on a papyrus found at Thebes in the grave of a Coptic monk. It was among other papyri, written in hieratic and in Coptic,…
The Youth and His Eagle
In forgotten times, in the days of our ancients, at the Middle Place, or what is now Shiwina (Zuni), there lived a youth who was well grown, or perfect in…
How The Rattlesnakes Came To Be What They Are
Know you that long, long ago there lived at Yathlpew'nan, as live there now, many Rattlesnakes; but then they were men and women, only of a Rattlesnake kind.
Shango
Some background on the Yoruba thunder-god Shango and his priests, with two stories. From Nigerian Studies: or the religious and political system of the Yoruba by R. E. Dennett, 1910.
The Beginning
Before this World was made
There reigned Arámfè in the realm of Heaven
Amidst his sons. Old were the hills around him;
Yoruba Myths: The Passing Of Ogun
After the An age passed by, and Ife knew no more,
Of battles for Ogun, grey and bent, chose out
The way of peace beloved of Old Arámfè.
Nigerian Myths: How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus
The elephant and the hippopotamus always used to feed together, and were good friends.
Nigerian Folktales: Why the Bat is Ashamed to be seen in the Daytime
“Why the Bat is Ashamed to be seen in the Daytime” from Folk stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa by Elphinstone Dayrell, 1910
Nigerian Folktales: How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends
How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, and Cock,
and how he got out of repaying them
Arapaho Myths: The Flood and Origin of the Ceremonial Lodges
There was a man whose daughter was beautiful. Every morning, when she went to get water, she saw an antelope or some other animal lying by the trail and was…
Arapaho Myths: The Origin of Culture
A man tried to think how the people might kill buffalo. He was a hard thinker. He would go off for several days and fast.
Arapaho Myths: The Woman and the Monster
The Northern Arapaho were living along the Platte River years ago. At that time the different tribes, such as the Shoshoni, Crow, Sioux,—the most friendly ones, used to come around…
Arapaho Myths: Journey to the Owners of Moon-shells
There was a camp-circle. In a certain family there were four brothers, two of whom were lazy and dirty. The oldest, who was married, kept these young men at his…
The Lions of Vancouver
A Squamish story explaining the origins of Vancouver's famous twin peaks.
Arapaho Myths: The White Buffalo Cow
A long time ago, when there were yet plenty of buffalo, the Arapaho were camping near the river where there was plenty of wood and grass for the winter's hunt.…
An Arapaho Origin Myth
“Origin Myth (Fragmentary).” from Traditions of the Arapaho by George A. Dorsey and Alfred L. Kroeber, 1903.
The Origin of the Reef Matahina
There was a man and his wife living in the tract called Papatai (Scattered reefs at sea).
The Origin of Kava
(A Variant)
Told by Malakai Lavulo, of Pangai, Lifuka island, Haapai.
This is the story of how kava grew.
The Boat That Went To Pulotu
This is the story of the gods that went to Pulotu (the unseen world, the land of the departed) in a boat.
The Visit to the Dead, a Tachi Yokut Tale
A Tachi had a fine wife who died and was buried. Her husband went to her grave and dug a hole near it. There he stayed watching, not eating, using…
The Eagle's Son, a Yaudanchi Yokut Tale
The eagle had a boy. He said to him: "Do not go over that hill."
The Thunder Twins, a Tachi Yokut Tale
All the land in the plains north of Tulare Lake where the Tachi lived in summer was burned bare. Nothing was growing there, no seeds and no tule. The people…
The Theft of Fire, a Tachi Yokut Tale
There was no fire. It was very cold. Then the eagle told the roadrunner and the fox to go out. These two were good runners.
Plato's Atlantis
"And Poseidon, receiving for his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and settled them..."
The Opossum and the Jaboti
A Macoura (Opossum) once met a Jaboti under a Tapariba tree, where he was eating the yellow fruit. ''What are you doing, Jaboti," said the Opossum.
The Devil's Bridge
Central Wales is a land of hills and breezy uplands, enclosed by low mountain-ranges full of romantic gorges and hidden valleys.
The Mermaid Wife
A Story is told of an inhabitant of Unst, who, in walking on the sandy margin of a voe, saw a number of mermen and mermaids dancing by moonlight, and…
Romulus and Remus
The story of Rome's mythical founders, Romulus and Remus, two sons of Mars raised by a she-wolf.
How Glooscap Conquered His Enemies
Once, in the long ago, the Great Chief Glooscap lived on an island called Aja-lig-un-mechk.
On the Trail of John Henry
A folklorist from the 1920s gathers evidence and stories of the legendary John Henry.
America's Myths and Heroes: A 1946 Map
A map produced during World War II shows the most popular folk heroes of the USA by region.
The Story of Theseus and Ariadne
One of the most famous heroes of the ancient Greeks was Theseus, the son of Aegeus, King of Athens
The Labours of Hercules
The greatest and most famous of all the Greek heroes was Hercules, the strongest man who had ever lived upon the earth, whose mighty deeds are even now looked upon…
