Ancient Egyptian Mythology
Celtic Gods & Goddesses
Greek Civilization
Ancient Egyptian Mythology
Across Roman Gaul, the Rhineland, and Britain, people worshipped divine mothers known as the Matres and Matronae. These were not simply three goddesses with a shared identity or mythology. Inscriptions…
Gefjon, also known as Gefjun, was a Norse goddess credited with creating Zealand (Sjælland), Denmark’s largest island. In Snorri Sturluson’s Gylfaginning, King Gylfi of Sweden rewarded her with as much…
Nanna was a Norse goddess known as the wife of Baldr and the mother of Forseti, the god associated with justice and reconciliation. In Snorri Sturluson’s Gylfaginning, she dies of…
Sigyn is best known for protecting her husband, Loki, while he lies bound beneath a venomous serpent. In Snorri Sturluson’s Gylfaginning, she catches the poison in a bowl, but whenever…
Adapa, the sage of Eridu, was summoned before Anu after breaking the wing of the South Wind. Before his journey to heaven, Ea warned him that the food and drink…
In 279 BC, a Celtic army led by Brennus advanced into Greece and threatened Delphi, home to Apollo’s celebrated oracle. Macedonia was already in turmoil after another Celtic force had…
Appu was a wealthy but childless man from Šudul. In the Hittite tale Appu and His Two Sons (CTH 360), he seeks help from the Sun God and eventually becomes…
The Kumarbi Cycle is a group of ancient Hurrian myths, preserved mainly in Hittite-language tablets from Hattusa, about the struggle for kingship among the gods. The Song of Emergence traces…
In Hittite religion, Istanu (Ištanu) was a name for the sun that could refer to more than one solar deity. Derived from the Hattic name Eštan, associated with a female…
0Muwatalli II ruled the Hittite Empire from approximately 1295 to 1272 BCE, succeeding his father, Mursili II. He is best known for confronting Pharaoh Ramesses II at the Battle of…
Alvíssmál, meaning “The Sayings of Alvíss,” is an Old Norse poem from the Poetic Edda in which Thor confronts a dwarf who claims that the gods have promised him Thor’s…
Vafþrúðnismál, meaning “The Sayings of Vafþrúðnir,” is an Old Norse poem preserved in the Poetic Edda. It tells of a deadly contest of wisdom between Odin and the giant Vafþrúðnir,…
In Norse mythology, Hel is the daughter of Loki and Angrboða and the ruler of a realm that shares her name. According to Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Odin sent her…
Rosmerta was a Celtic goddess associated with abundance and prosperity, worshipped primarily in northeastern Gaul during the Roman period. Her name is commonly interpreted as “the Great Provider,” reflecting her…
Maponos was a Celtic god worshipped in Roman Britain and Gaul, whose name is commonly interpreted as “Divine Son” or “Great Youth.” In northern Britain, inscriptions identify him with the…
Sucellus was a Gaulish god worshipped during the Roman period, best known for his long-handled mallet and the vessel he often carried in his other hand. His image survives in…
Belenus, also known as Belenos or Belinus, was a Celtic god worshipped in parts of the Roman world, particularly in Noricum and the northern Italian city of Aquileia. Roman inscriptions…
The Mead of Poetry was a magical drink in Norse mythology that granted poetic skill and learning to anyone who tasted it. According to Skáldskaparmál, the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar…
The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda are two of the principal surviving sources of Norse mythology, but they are different kinds of works. The Poetic Edda is a collection…
Eir was a figure associated with healing in Norse mythology. In Gylfaginning, Snorri Sturluson lists her among the Ásynjur and calls her the best physician. The Eddic poem Fjölsvinnsmál also…