140 Fun Facts About Mythology

In Norse mythology, what kind of birds are Huginn and Muninn, who perch on Odin's shoulders?

They fly across the world each day and report back what they have seen; their names mean roughly 'thought' and 'memory'.

What creature did Theseus slay in the labyrinth of Crete?

Theseus found his way back out of the labyrinth by following a thread given to him by Ariadne, daughter of King Minos.

According to Greek myth, what was released when Pandora opened her box (actually a jar)?

The container was a pithos, a large storage jar; the 'box' comes from a sixteenth-century mistranslation. Only Hope stayed inside.

Which Greek musician lost Eurydice a second time by looking back on the way out of the underworld?

His music had charmed the rulers of the dead into releasing her, on the one condition that he not look back until both were in daylight.

What was the name of the Trojan prince whose elopement with Helen sparked the Trojan War?

Also called Alexander, he later shot the arrow that killed the greatest of the Greek warriors.

How many heads did the serpent Yamata no Orochi of Japanese mythology have?

The storm god got it drunk on sake before killing it, and found a legendary sword inside one of its tails.

Which ancient Egyptian god was represented as a crocodile or a man with a crocodile's head?

Mummified crocodiles were kept as cult images at his temples, notably at Kom Ombo and in the Faiyum.

According to Roman mythology, who were the twin brothers raised by a she-wolf who founded Rome?

Romulus and Remus were twin sons of Mars, suckled by a she-wolf (lupa) after being abandoned. Romulus killed Remus in a dispute and founded Rome in 753 BC.

What is the name of the Norse god of thunder who wields the hammer Mjolnir?

Thursday takes its name from him: Old English Thunor gives 'Thunor's day'.

Which Trojan prince, eldest son of Priam, was killed in single combat by Achilles?

Achilles dragged the body behind his chariot for days until King Priam came to the Greek camp to beg for it back.

Which Hindu god, "The Preserver", has ten primary avatars including Rama and Krishna?

Vishnu is the Preserver in the Hindu Trimurti. His ten avatars (Dashavatara) include Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Rama, Krishna, and the future Kalki.

What is the name of the Norse end-of-the-world event where gods and giants fight a final battle?

After the battle the world sinks beneath the sea, then rises again green and fertile, repopulated by two human survivors.

Which Greek hero's long journey home after the Trojan War is told in Homer's epic?

Known to the Romans as Ulysses, he spent ten years getting back to Ithaca, facing the Cyclops, the Sirens and the sorceress Circe along the way.

Which Egyptian god was murdered by his brother, then restored to life to rule the underworld?

His sister-wife searched all Egypt to reassemble the pieces of his dismembered body, and he became judge of the dead.

What mythological bird cyclically burns itself to death and is reborn from its own ashes?

The Phoenix originates from Greek mythology (and has parallels in Egyptian and Chinese myths). It dies in flames and is reborn, symbolizing renewal and immortality.

In Greek mythology, which snake-haired Gorgon petrified anyone who looked upon her?

Her severed head kept its power and ended up mounted on the shield of a goddess.

Which two-faced Roman god of beginnings and doorways gave his name to a month of the year?

The doors of his shrine in the Forum stood open in wartime and were closed only when Rome was at peace.

In Norse mythology, what name is given to the warriors who died in battle and dwell in Valhalla?

Each night they feast on the boar Sæhrímnir, which is cooked and comes back to life again the next day.

In Japanese mythology, who is the sun goddess and ancestor of the Imperial line?

After a quarrel with her brother she hid in a cave, plunging the world into darkness until the other gods lured her out with a mirror and a raucous dance.

Which Hindu epic tells of Prince Rama's quest to rescue Sita from the demon king Ravana?

Traditionally attributed to the sage Valmiki, the epic follows Rama through a fourteen-year exile before he returns to be crowned in Ayodhya.

In Chinese legend, the Monkey King Sun Wukong is born from what?

He steals peaches of immortality from the Jade Emperor's garden and is finally pinned under a mountain by the Buddha.

Which Greek Titan was condemned to hold up the sky on his shoulders for eternity?

Atlas is often shown carrying a globe, but the early poets describe him bearing the heavens themselves; the Atlas Mountains in North Africa carry his name.

In Norse mythology, what did Odin sacrifice to gain wisdom from the Well of Mimir?

He is usually pictured as a one-eyed, long-bearded wanderer; he also hung himself from the world tree for nine nights to learn the runes.

Which mythological creature has the head of an eagle and the body of a lion?

The Griffin (or Gryphon) combines the eagle — king of birds — with the lion — king of beasts. It appears in ancient Greek, Persian, and Egyptian art and symbolizes divine power.

In the ancient Egyptian judgment of the dead, which organ was weighed against a feather?

A heart lighter than the feather meant a virtuous life and passage into the afterlife; a heavier one was swallowed by a crocodile-headed devourer.

Which river bounds the Greek underworld and was the one the gods swore their most solemn oaths by?

Homer calls it the 'dread river of oath'; the ferryman Charon carried souls across, which is why the dead were buried with a coin.

Who is the Norse god of mischief known for shape-shifting and causing trouble among the gods?

He appears as a mare, a salmon, a fly and an old woman, and even gave birth, in mare form, to Odin's eight-legged horse.

The Greek hero Achilles was invulnerable except for what part of his body?

The heel story is a late addition; Homer never mentions it. It gives us both 'Achilles heel' and the name of the Achilles tendon.

The Hindu epic Mahabharata centres on which war of succession between two groups of princely cousins?

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue delivered on the battlefield just before this war begins.

What does the name of the Irish Otherworld Tír na nÓg literally mean?

Oisín is said to have spent three hundred years there and crumbled to dust when he touched Irish soil again.

Which Titan stole fire from Olympus and gave it to humanity, and was chained to a rock as punishment?

His name means 'forethought'; his brother Epimetheus, 'afterthought', accepted the gift of Pandora.

In Egyptian mythology, Ra is the god of what?

Ra was said to cross the sky each day in a barque and travel through the underworld each night, to be reborn at dawn.

Which Chinese novel features the Monkey King escorting a monk on a pilgrimage to India?

The monk is based on the real seventh-century pilgrim Xuanzang, who really did bring Buddhist scriptures back from India.

In Norse mythology, which goddess is Odin's wife, associated with marriage and motherhood?

The English weekday name Friday ultimately means 'Frigg's day'.

Which Hindu god, known as the Destroyer, is often depicted with a third eye and a trident?

His third eye is said to reduce whatever it looks upon to ashes; the river Ganga flows from his matted hair.

In Japanese mythology, who created the islands of Japan by stirring the ocean with a jeweled spear?

The first island formed from brine dripping off the spear; the couple then descended to it and raised a heavenly pillar.

Which Greek hero led the Argonauts on the quest for the Golden Fleece?

The fleece hung in a grove in Colchis on the Black Sea, guarded by a sleepless serpent; the sorceress Medea helped him take it.

In Chinese mythology, what creature symbolises imperial power, wisdom and good fortune?

The Chinese dragon (long) is a benevolent symbol of power, strength, and good fortune — unlike the fire-breathing villains of Western mythology. Chinese emperors used the dragon as their symbol.

Which Greek god is the messenger of the gods, known for his winged sandals and caduceus staff?

Hermes (Mercury in Roman mythology) is the messenger god, patron of travelers, merchants, and thieves. He wears winged sandals (talaria) and carries the caduceus, a staff entwined with two serpents.

In Norse mythology, which giant wolf is prophesied to swallow Odin at the end of the world?

The gods bound the wolf with a magic ribbon made from impossible things such as the sound of a cat's footfall and the beard of a woman.

In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, what monster devours those who fail the judgment of the dead?

Her name means 'devourer of the dead'; she combined the head of a crocodile, the forepart of a lion and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus.

In Greek mythology, what three-headed dog guards the entrance to the underworld?

Capturing him alive was the last of the twelve labours, and a famous musician once lulled him to sleep with his lyre.

In Norse mythology, which group of dwarfs forged Odin's spear Gungnir and Freyr's ship Skidbladnir?

They also spun golden hair for Sif after her own was cut off; a rival pair of dwarfs then forged the thunder god's hammer in a wager over whose work was finer.

Which Greek figure was punished in Tartarus with water that receded when he tried to drink?

Fruit hung just above him too, blown away whenever he reached for it; his name gives us the word 'tantalise'.

In Hindu mythology, what is the name of the monkey god who helped Rama rescue Sita?

A son of the wind god Vayu, he leapt across the sea to Lanka to find Sita and is considered a chiranjivi, one who lives forever.

What was the answer to the riddle the Sphinx guarding Thebes asked travelers?

The riddle asked which creature has one voice yet becomes four-footed, two-footed and three-footed; the Sphinx destroyed herself when it was answered.

In Norse mythology, what burning rainbow bridge connects Midgard to the gods' realm?

The bridge is prophesied to shatter under the weight of the fire giants when they ride to the final battle.

Which king of Uruk sought immortality in one of the oldest known works of literature?

He may have been a real ruler of Uruk who was later deified; in the epic he is a demigod of superhuman strength.

The Egyptian god Horus was most often depicted as, or with the head of, which bird?

His name is written with the falcon hieroglyph, and each living pharaoh was regarded as Horus on earth.

Which Greek mythological craftsman built the labyrinth and made wax-and-feather wings for himself and his son?

Imprisoned by Minos afterwards, he escaped Crete on wings of feathers and wax built for himself and his son.

Which Greek god is the ruler of the underworld?

The three brothers drew lots for their realms; his name became so synonymous with his kingdom that Greeks avoided saying it aloud.

In Norse mythology, which beloved god was killed by a mistletoe arrow shot by his blind brother?

His mother had made every other thing swear never to harm him, but thought the mistletoe too young and unimportant to ask.

Which ancient Egyptian god of writing and wisdom was depicted with the head of an ibis?

He was also shown as a baboon, and the Greeks equated him with their own messenger god.

Which Roman god was regarded as the equivalent of the Greek king of the gods?

Also called Jove, he was god of the sky and thunder, and the largest planet carries his name.

Which Chinese goddess lives on the Moon with a rabbit after swallowing an immortality elixir?

China's lunar exploration programme is named after her, and its rovers are called Yutu, the Jade Rabbit.

What multi-headed serpent was killed as the second of the twelve labours in Greek mythology?

Later tellings add that two heads grew back for every one cut off, so his nephew Iolaus cauterised each neck with fire.

In Norse mythology, what is the name of Odin's eight-legged horse?

The horse was born to a trickster god who had taken the form of a mare, and is called the best of all horses.

In the Egyptian afterlife, the feather on the judgment scales belonged to which goddess?

She personified truth and cosmic order; her opposite, Isfet, meant chaos and injustice.

Which Roman goddess is associated with love and beauty?

Venus is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and desire, often equated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Which Greek hero beheaded a Gorgon and later rescued Andromeda from a sea monster?

He was armed for the task by the gods, including a mirrored shield and winged sandals, and later founded Mycenae.

Which legendary king of Phrygia was granted the power to turn everything he touched into gold?

In another tale he judged a music contest against Apollo, who gave him donkey's ears for his poor taste.

In Greek myth, what lion-goat-snake creature did Bellerophon slay?

Homer says the fire-breathing beast was slain by Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus; 'chimera' now means any hybrid.

Which Greek goddess is primarily associated with the harvest, grain, and agriculture?

The Romans called her Ceres, from which we get the word 'cereal'.

Which Norse god, said to be the son of nine mothers, keeps watch with the resounding horn Gjallarhorn?

Golden-toothed and sharp of hearing, he will sound his horn to signal the final battle of the gods.

Which jackal-headed Egyptian god is associated with mummification and guiding souls to the afterlife?

Anubis is the ancient Egyptian god of mummification, funerary rites, and the afterlife. He is typically depicted as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal, and was believed to guide souls.

Who was the king of the Olympian gods in Greek mythology?

Youngest child of Cronus and Rhea, he escaped being swallowed by his father and later led the Olympians to victory over the Titans.

In Norse mythology, which goddess keeps the apples that grant the gods eternal youth?

When a giant in eagle form abducted her, the gods began to grow old and grey until she was recovered.

In Egyptian mythology, which giant serpent of chaos was regarded as the greatest enemy of the sun god?

Every night the sun god's barque had to fight past the serpent in the underworld so that dawn could come.

In Japanese mythology, which kami rules the moon?

Born when Izanagi washed his right eye, the moon god is said to have angered his sister so badly that she refused to see him again, separating day and night.

Which Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity is the consort of the Preserver of the Trimurti?

Households light lamps for her at Diwali, and she is usually shown standing on a lotus flanked by elephants.

Which Egyptian goddess, worshipped at Bubastis, came to be depicted as a cat?

Cats were mummified by the thousand in her honour; the Greeks knew her simply as Ailuros, 'cat'.

What is the name of the immense, sacred tree that connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology?

Yggdrasil is a central and sacred ash tree in Norse mythology, serving as the axis mundi around which all nine realms of existence are situated.

In the Mesopotamian epic about the king of Uruk, who is the wild man the gods create as his companion?

His death sends the king on his fruitless quest for immortality, during which he hears the story of a great flood.

Which Roman god is the counterpart of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea?

He was probably a god of freshwater springs before the sea; his festival, the Neptunalia, fell in the heat of late July.

What is the feathered serpent deity revered as a creator god by the Aztecs?

He was linked to wind, the planet Venus, learning and the priesthood, and the name simply means 'feathered serpent' in Nahuatl.

Which Greek goddess was tricked into eating pomegranate seeds, binding her to the underworld?

The Greeks told her story to explain the seasons: her mother's grief while she is below ground brings winter.

In the Babylonian Enuma Elish, which god becomes king by defeating the sea goddess Tiamat?

He split her body in two to make the sky and the earth, and became the patron god of Babylon.

Which Egyptian goddess of magic and motherhood resurrected her slain husband and protected their heir?

Her cult later spread across the Roman world, with a temple as far away as London.

In the Hindu Trimurti, which deity is primarily known as the Creator?

He is usually shown with four faces, one for each of the Vedas, yet today has very few temples dedicated to him.

Which mythical king was condemned to push a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time?

He earned the punishment by twice cheating death, once by chaining up Thanatos himself; Camus made him a symbol of the absurd.

In Norse mythology, where did the Valkyries take the souls of fallen warriors chosen for Valhalla?

Only half of the battle-slain went there; the other half went to a goddess's field, Fólkvangr.

What is the name of King Arthur's legendary sword, often associated with magical properties?

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur, with various legends describing its origin, including being pulled from a stone or given by the Lady of the Lake.

What mythological creature has the upper body of a person and the lower body of a horse?

Most were wild and unruly, but the centaur Chiron was a wise healer who tutored heroes such as Achilles.

Which Greek god is known as the god of wine, revelry, and ecstasy?

Dionysus is a unique Olympian god, often associated with madness, theater, and the liberating and intoxicating effects of wine.

Which lion-headed Egyptian goddess of war and plague was also invoked as a healer?

Her name means 'the powerful one'; hundreds of her statues were set up by Amenhotep III at Thebes.

Which Greek youth flew too close to the Sun and lost his beeswax wings?

He and his father were escaping Crete on wings of feathers and beeswax; the sea where he fell was named the Icarian after him.

Which Norse goddess of love rides a cat-drawn chariot and takes half the slain in her hall?

Her feathered cloak lets its wearer fly, and her hall Fólkvangr takes half of those killed in battle.

What legendary island, described by Plato as a mighty naval power, is said to have sunk beneath the sea?

Plato invented it as a foil to an idealised Athens; the story appears only in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias.

Which popular Hindu deity is recognizable by his elephant head?

Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.

Which Greek goddess was famously born fully grown from the forehead of her father, the king of the gods?

Her father had swallowed her pregnant mother Metis; the city of Athens took her name after she gifted it the olive tree.

In Norse mythology, the underworld realm ruled by Hel lies within which of the nine worlds?

Her siblings are a monstrous wolf and the world serpent; she is often described as half corpse-coloured, half flesh-coloured.

In Chinese mythology, which goddess created humans from yellow clay and repaired the sky?

She patched the broken heavens with smelted five-coloured stones and propped them up on the legs of a giant turtle.

The West African trickster god Anansi is often depicted as what type of animal?

The tales originated among the Akan of Ghana and crossed the Atlantic with enslaved people, surviving in Caribbean and American folklore.

Which Trojan priestess was fated by Apollo to utter true prophecies that no one would ever believe?

Her name is still used for anyone whose accurate warnings of disaster go unheeded.

Which ancient Egyptian god is associated with chaos, deserts, storms, and violence?

Not purely a villain: he rode on the sun god's barque each night to fend off the serpent of chaos with his spear.

In Buddhist tradition, Queen Maya dreamt of an elephant of what colour before the Buddha's birth?

In the story the elephant carried a white lotus and entered her side; the scene is a favourite of Gandharan sculpture.

In Japanese myth, which storm god is the tempestuous younger brother of the sun goddess?

He slew an eight-headed serpent and found within its tail the sword that became one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan.

Which Greek hero completed twelve seemingly impossible labors?

The labours were penance for killing his family in a madness sent by Hera; the Romans knew him as Hercules.

In Norse mythology, what kind of animal is Ratatoskr, who carries insults up and down the world tree?

He shuttles gossip between the eagle at the top and the serpent Níðhöggr gnawing the roots below.

Which Ulster Cycle hero earned his name as a boy by killing a smith's guard dog and offering to take its place?

At seventeen he held off the armies of Queen Medb single-handed in the Cattle Raid of Cooley.

The name of the Aztec patron god Huitzilopochtli combines 'left hand side' with which animal?

He was the patron of the Aztecs and their capital, Tenochtitlan.

What was the nagual, or animal counterpart, of the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca?

His name means 'smoking mirror' and he was a central deity of Aztec religion.

The Popol Vuh recounts the myths of which Maya people of Guatemala?

It tells of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué and the underworld Xibalba.

What game did the first set of twins in the Popol Vuh play against the lords of Xibalba?

Their sons, the Hero Twins, later avenged them.

From which body of water did the Andean creator god Viracocha rise, per Juan de Betanzos?

He is the supreme deity of pre-Inca and Inca mythology.

Where is the fire pit believed to be the home of the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele?

She is credited as creator of the Hawaiian Islands.

Which tree is sacred to Perun, the Slavic god of thunder?

He is the highest god of the Slavic pantheon, ruling sky, storms, law and war.

How does the Slavic witch Baba Yaga fly?

She wields a pestle and lives in a forest hut on chicken legs.

Who compiled the Finnish epic Kalevala from folklore in the 19th century?

The Old Kalevala of 1835 ran to 12,078 verses.

What can the Dagda's magic club do with its handle after killing with its head?

The Irish father-god also owns a never-empty cauldron and a self-flying harp.

As which bird does the Irish war goddess the Morrígan often appear?

She is associated with fate and foretelling doom or victory in battle.

Which Fomorian tyrant, his own grandfather, does Lugh kill at the Battle of Mag Tuired?

The harvest festival Lughnasadh bears his name.

The Rainbow Serpent is a creator deity in the traditions of which people?

It is known by many names across different Aboriginal languages.

The Yoruba thunder orisha Shango was a deified ruler of which empire?

He was its third Alaafin before his posthumous deification.

Who rules the underworld that Inanna descends into in her most famous myth?

Ereshkigal orders the seven gates of the underworld bolted against her.

Utnapishtim, who survived the flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh, was king of which city?

He appears in Tablet XI at the climax of Gilgamesh's quest for immortality.

Ahura Mazda is the principal god of which religion?

His destructive opposite is Angra Mainyu.

The benevolent Persian bird the Simurgh famously raises which prince in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh?

The Sasanians used the Simurgh as a tribal emblem.

Korea's legendary founder Dangun is said to be the son of which animal?

He founded Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, in 2333 BC according to legend.

According to Hesiod, the nine Muses were daughters of Zeus and which Titaness?

Her name means Memory personified; the Muses include Calliope, Clio and Urania.

Which of the three Moirai, or Fates, was 'the spinner' of the thread of life?

Lachesis allotted it and Atropos, 'the inevitable', cut it.

What did Rhea give Cronus to swallow in place of the infant Zeus?

The Omphalos Stone; Zeus was hidden away in Crete.

Low-value coins placed in the mouths of the Greek dead to pay the ferryman are called what?

Archaeology confirms the practice in some burials.

Which mortal challenged Minerva (Athena) to a weaving contest in Ovid's Metamorphoses?

Her name means 'spider' in Greek.

Pygmalion, the Cypriot sculptor who fell in love with his own statue, carved her from what?

Aphrodite brought the statue to life after his offerings at her festival.

Which two dwarf brothers forged Thor's hammer Mjölnir, according to Skáldskaparmál?

Its one defect was that the handle came out rather short.

In Norse myth, the Mead of Poetry was brewed from honey and the blood of which being?

Kvasir was born from the spit of the Aesir and Vanir; the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar killed him.

Gleipnir, the binding that holds Fenrir, was made from six impossible things including what?

Others were the beard of women, the roots of mountains and the breath of a fish.

Which Norse god lost his right hand in Fenrir's jaws when the wolf was bound?

Tuesday is named after him in English.

Which Egyptian sky goddess swallows the sun each dusk and gives birth to it at dawn?

Her brother and husband is the earth god Geb.

Which Egyptian deity of sun, creation and rebirth may have inspired the Greek phoenix?

He was a self-created being with a role in the creation of the world.

Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, appears in the state insignia of India, Thailand and which other country?

The bird-deity is Vishnu's vahana.

In the Hindu churning of the ocean, which mountain served as the churning rod?

The naga Vasuki became the rope; the churning yielded the elixir amrita.

Kali catches the blood of which demon on her tongue so it cannot spawn duplicates?

She embodies Durga's rage in the battle.

For at least how many years did Rome's Vestal Virgins vow to serve the goddess Vesta?

Letting the sacred fire go out was punished with whipping; unchastity could mean being buried alive.

In Japanese folklore, up to how many tails can a kitsune fox spirit have?

The nine-tailed vixen Tamamo-no-mae is the most famous example.

In Babylonian myth, what became of Tiamat's weeping eyes after Marduk sliced her in half?

Her ribs became the vault of heaven and earth and her tail the Milky Way, after which Marduk seized the Tablet of Destinies from Qingu.

In Chinese myth, what did the primordial giant Pangu's left eye become when he died?

His right eye became the Moon, his breath the wind and clouds, his voice thunder and his blood the rivers.

For about how many years did the formless universe coalesce into an egg before Pangu emerged?

Inside the egg yin and yang balanced; in some tellings the Turtle, Qilin, Phoenix and Dragon helped Pangu separate heaven and earth.

A lithograph of which kind of performer shaped the iconography of the water spirit Mami Wata?

The mid-1800s print of Nala Damajanti probably originated in Hamburg; scholars trace Mami Wata herself to 15th-century encounters with European mermaid imagery.