The Banshee: The Wailing Fairy Woman of Ireland

Banshee

The rich mythological history of Ireland is full of unique creatures of the fairy realm. The most famous of these would undoubtedly be the leprechaun, but the fairy folk also include creatures like the mysterious Pooka, the headless horseman known as the Dullahan, and the changelings which take the place of human infants. But aside …

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Taranis: The Celtic God of Thunder and Storms

Taranis

Celtic mythology is a rich, complex tapestry of beliefs and traditions. At the center of the tapestry is the Celtic pantheon. One of the most intriguing and powerful figures of the pantheon was the ferocious sky god of thunder and storms, Taranis. Etymology of Taranis Taranis is an ancient figure whose name can be traced …

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Atum: The Egyptian Father the of Gods

Atum god

Death is a phenomenon that is surrounded by different rituals and ceremonies in any given culture. Some see a dead person as the definite ending to that person, claiming that somebody ‘passes away’.  On the other hand, some cultures don’t see somebody ‘pass away’ when they are considered dead, but somebody rather ‘passes on’. Either …

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Echidna: Half Woman, Half Snake of Greece

Echidna

Ancient Greek myths are filled with terrifying monsters, from child-gobbling bogeymen to enormous serpent-like dragons, ancient Greek heroes encountered them all. One of the most famous of these monsters is the  flesh-eating female monster called Echidna.  In Greek mythology, Echidna belonged to a class of monsters called Drakons, which translates to Dragon. Echidna was a …

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Ceres: Roman Goddess of Fertility and the Commoners

Ceres goddess

On the first of January in 1801, an Italian astronomer by the name of Giuseppe Piazzi discovered a whole new planet. While others were celebrating the new year, Giuseppe was busy doing other things. But, you got to give it to him, discovering a new planet is quite impressive. Unfortunately, it was a bit less …

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Iapetus: Greek Titan God of Mortality

Iapetus

Familiar as we are with the names of the major Olympian gods like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Hades, it does come as something of a surprise when we learn that these mighty gods were not the originals. There existed before them an entire race of beings, immense in both stature and power, who were …

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