Japanese Mythology, in its broadest sense, is a pastiche of different traditions and myths, derived mainly from Shintoism and Japanese Buddhism. Both provide Japanese Mythology with a pantheon of elaborate and varied deities, guardians, and “kami” – holy spirits and forces associated with the natural world and its features. Additionally, more localized Japanese folklore constitutes …
For nearly 2,000 years, the Oracle of Delphi was the most prominent religious figure of the Ancient Greek world. Many believed the oracle to be the messenger of the Greek god Apollo. Apollo was the god of light, music, knowledge, harmony, and prophecy. The ancient Greeks believed the Oracle spoke the words of the god, …
Lions, elephants, vast stretches of the jungle with venomous snakes, or an endless sea of sand stalked by nefarious scorpions. These could be some of the many things that come into your mind when you think of the word ‘Africa.’ However, this somewhat stereotypical vision doesn’t spring out of the blue. The lush continent of …
Uranus is best known as the third largest planet in our solar system. Tucked between Saturn and Neptune, and a distant seven planets away from the sun, Uranus the Ice Giant seems remote and irrelevant. But like the other planets, Uranus was first a Greek god. And he was not just any god. He was …
Beyond the shape-shifting trickster Māui (of Disney’s Moana fame), many people know very little about the fascinating Hawaiian mythology. Among the thousands of Hawaiian gods and goddesses there is huge variety, from the powerful and terrifying to the peaceful and beneficent. Some gods and goddesses reigned over extensive realms of utmost importance to native Hawaiian …
When we talk of “Pagan” gods or religions, we are inherently labeling things from a Christian perspective, as the word “Pagan” derives from the Latin “Paganus”, which was reappropriated by Christianity, first in the fourth century AD, to alienate those who did not adhere to the Christian religion. Originally it had signified that somebody was …