Ancient Religions & Mythology, TAR-WAY
What did our ancestors believe in? What myths and stories did they use to explain the world around them and find meaning in it? How have their beliefs influenced modern religion and spirituality? Explore these questions and more while discovering notable traditions, figures, and legends that figured prominently in ancient religion and mythology.
Ancient Religions & Mythology Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Tartarus
Tartarus, the infernal regions of ancient Greek mythology. The name was originally used for the deepest region......
Taurt
Taurt, goddess of ancient Egypt, the benevolent protectress of fertility and childbirth, associated also with the......
Telegonus
Telegonus, in Greek mythology, especially the lost epic Telegonia of Eugammon of Cyrene, the son of the hero Odysseus......
Telemachus
Telemachus, in Greek mythology, son of the Greek hero Odysseus and his wife, Penelope. He has a central role in......
Tellus
Tellus, ancient Roman earth goddess. Probably of great antiquity, she was concerned with the productivity of the......
Tereus
Tereus, in Greek legend, king of Thrace, or of Phocis, who married Procne, daughter of Pandion, king of Athens.......
Terpsichore
Terpsichore, in Greek religion, one of the nine Muses, patron of lyric poetry and dancing (in some versions, flute......
Teshub
Teshub, in the religions of Asia Minor, the Hurrian weather god, assimilated by the Hittites to their own weather......
Teutates
Teutates, important Celtic deity, one of three mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century ad, the other......
Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca, god of the Great Bear constellation and of the night sky, one of the major deities of the Aztec pantheon.......
Thalia
Thalia, in Greek religion, one of the nine Muses, patron of comedy; also, according to the Greek poet Hesiod, a......
Thamyris
Thamyris, in Greek mythology, a Thracian poet who loved the beautiful youth Hyacinthus. Thamyrisâ attentions, however,......
Thanatos
Thanatos, in ancient Greek religion and mythology, the personification of death. Thanatos was the son of Nyx, the......
Thargelia
Thargelia, in Greek religion, one of the chief festivals of Apollo, celebrated on the sixth and seventh days of......
The Easter Story
The principal festival of Christianity, Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his betrayal and......
The Story of Christmas
Christmastime is a season rich with traditions that bring together family, faith, and culture and that emphasize......
Themis
Themis, in Greek religion, personification of justice, goddess of wisdom and good counsel, and the interpreter......
Theodosius I
Theodosius I was a Roman emperor of the East (379â392) and then sole emperor of both East and West (392â395), who,......
Theseum
Theseum, temple in Athens dedicated to Hephaestus and Athena as patrons of the arts and crafts. Its style indicates......
Theseus
Theseus, great hero of Attic legend, son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, king of Troezen......
Thesmophoria
Thesmophoria, in Greek religion, ancient festival held in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros and celebrated by women......
Thetis
Thetis, in Greek mythology, a Nereid loved by Zeus and Poseidon. When Themis (goddess of Justice), however, revealed......
Thor
Thor, deity common to all the early Germanic peoples, a great warrior represented as a red-bearded, middle-aged......
Thoth
Thoth, in Egyptian religion, a god of the moon, of reckoning, of learning, and of writing. He was held to be the......
thyrsus
thyrsus, in Greek religion, staff carried by Dionysus, the wine god, and his votaries (Bacchae, Maenads). In early......
tietÀjÀ
tietÀjÀ, the principal religious specialist of the Baltic Finns, functioning in the tradition of the Finno-Ugric......
Tinia
Tinia, principal Etruscan deity, god of the thunderbolt, sky, and storm. He was identified with the Greek god Zeus......
Tiresias
Tiresias, in Greek mythology, a blind Theban seer, the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. He is......
Titan
Titan, in Greek mythology, any of the 12 children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth) and some of their descendants.......
Tithonus
Tithonus, in Greek legend, son of Laomedon, king of Troy, and of Strymo, daughter of the river Scamander. Eos (Aurora)......
Tlaloc
Tlaloc, Aztec rain god. Representations of a rain god wearing a peculiar mask, with large round eyes and long fangs,......
Tlazoltéotl
Tlazoltéotl, Aztec goddess who represented sexual impurity and sinful behaviour. She was probably introduced to......
Today in HistoryâJuly 10: Lady Godivaâs Legendary (Emphasis on Legend) Ride
If âGodivaâ rings a bell, youâre probably thinking of the famous Belgian chocolate brand. But almost a thousand......
Today in HistoryâJuly 12: The Day Wild Billâs Legend Started
On this day in 1861, in a postal station in Rock Creek, Nebraska, a legend was born. This was the day that the......
Today in HistoryâNovember 12: On Camera for the First Time: Nessie?
On this day in 1933, Hugh Gray was walking with his dog along the shore of Scotlandâs Loch Ness, near the mouth......
Tonalpohualli
Tonalpohualli, 260-day sacred almanac of many ancient Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya, Mixtec, and Aztec.......
Tonatiuh
Tonatiuh, in Mesoamerican religion, Nahua sun deity of the fifth and final era (the Fifth Sun). In most myths of......
Tragic Death of the Sons of Usnech, The
The Tragic Death of the Sons of Usnech, in the Ulster cycle of Irish heroic myths, the love story of the ill-fated......
Trimurti
Trimurti, in Hinduism, triad of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The concept was known at least by the......
Trinity
Trinity, in Christian doctrine, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The......
Triton
Triton, in Greek mythology, a merman, demigod of the sea; he was the son of the sea god, Poseidon, and his wife,......
triumph
triumph, a ritual procession that was the highest honour bestowed upon a victorious general in the ancient Roman......
Troilus
Troilus, Trojan prince in Greek mythology, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. It had been prophesied that......
Trojan horse
Trojan horse, in Greek mythology, a huge hollow wooden horse constructed by the Greeks to gain entrance into Troy......
Trojan War
Trojan War, legendary conflict between the early Greeks and the people of Troy in western Anatolia, dated by later......
Tshangs-pa Dkar-po
Tshangs-pa Dkar-po, in Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protection deities. See...
Tuatha DĂ© Danann
Tuatha DĂ© Danann, (Gaelic: âPeople of the Goddess Danuâ), in Celtic mythology, a race inhabiting Ireland before......
Tudi Gong
Tudi Gong, in Chinese religion, a god whose deification and functions are determined by local residents. The chief......
Turnus
Turnus, legendary warrior and leader of the Rutuli people, best known from his appearance in the second half of......
Tyche
Tyche, in Greek religion, the goddess of chance, with whom the Roman Fortuna was later identified; a capricious......
Typhon
Typhon, in Greek mythology, youngest son of Gaea (Earth) and Tartarus (of the nether world). He was described as......
Tyr
Tyr, one of the oldest gods of the Germanic peoples and a somewhat enigmatic figure. He was apparently the god......
ujigami
ujigami, in the ShintĆ religion of Japan, the tutelary deity of a village or geographic area. The meaning of ujigami......
Ukemochi no Kami
Ukemochi no Kami, (Japanese: âGoddess Who Possesses Foodâ), in ShintĆ mythology, the goddess of food. She is also......
Ukko
Ukko, in Finnish folk religion, the god of thunder, one of the most important deities. The name Ukko is derived......
Ull
Ull, in Norse mythology, a god associated with skis and the bow, according to the Icelandic poet and historian......
undine
undine, mythological figure of European tradition, a water nymph who becomes human when she falls in love with......
unicorn
unicorn, mythological animal resembling a horse or a goat with a single horn on its forehead. The unicorn appeared......
Urania
Urania, in Greek religion, one of the nine Muses, patron of astronomy. In some accounts she was the mother of Linus......
Uranus
Uranus, in Greek mythology, the personification of heaven. According to Hesiodâs Theogony, Gaea (Earth), emerging......
ushabti figure
ushabti figure, any of the small statuettes made of wood, stone, or faience that are often found in large numbers......
Utnapishtim
Utnapishtim, in the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic, survivor of a mythological flood whom Gilgamesh consults about the......
UáčŁáčÄ«áčŁavijayÄ
UáčŁáčÄ«áčŁavijayÄ, popular Buddhist goddess in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. Her name in Sanskrit means âvictorious goddess......
Vairochana
Vairochana, the supreme Buddha, as regarded by many Mahayana Buddhists of East Asia and of Tibet, Nepal, and Java.......
VajrapÄáči
VajrapÄáči, in MahÄyÄna Buddhist mythology, one of the celestial bodhisattvas (âBuddhas-to-beâ), the manifestation......
Vajrayogini
Vajrayogini, in Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism), female embodiment of the cognitive function leading to Buddhahood.......
Valhalla
Valhalla, in Norse mythology, the hall of slain warriors, who live there blissfully under the leadership of the......
Valkyrie
Valkyrie, in Norse mythology, any of a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields......
Vamana
Vamana, fifth of the 10 incarnations (avatars) of the Hindu god Vishnu. In the Rigveda, Vishnu took three strides,......
vampire
vampire, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood.......
Vanir
Vanir, in Norse mythology, race of gods responsible for wealth, fertility, and commerce and subordinate to the......
Varaha
Varaha, third of the 10 incarnations (avatars) of the Hindu god Vishnu. When a demon named Hiranyaksha dragged......
Varuna
Varuna, Hindu deity who is associated with the ocean and waters in classical Hinduism. In the era of Vedic Hindu......
Vasudeva
Vasudeva, in Hindu mythology, the patronymic of the deity Krishna, a son of Vasudeva. The worshippers of Vasudeva-Krishna......
Vayu
Vayu, ancient Iranian wind-god, likely related to the Hindu god VÄyu; he was also connected with battle as an avatar......
Ved-ava
Ved-ava, among the Mordvins, the water mother, a spirit believed to rule the waters and their bounty; she is known......
Vejovis
Vejovis, in Roman religion, a god of uncertain attributes, worshiped at Rome between the two summits of the Capitoline......
Velikovsky, Immanuel
Immanuel Velikovsky was an American writer, proponent of controversial theories of cosmogony and history. Educated......
Velnias
Velnias, in Baltic religion, the god of the Lithuanian vÄlÄs or Latvian velis, spirits of the dead. He is a one-eyed,......
Venus
Venus, ancient Italian goddess associated with cultivated fields and gardens and later identified by the Romans......
Veralden-radien
Veralden-radien, (Sami: âRuler of the Worldâ), the deity believed by the Sami (Lapps) to be closest to the starry......
Vessantara
Vessantara, in Buddhist mythology, a previous incarnation of the Buddha Gotama. A crown prince, Vessantara was......
Vesta
Vesta, in Roman religion, goddess of the hearth, identified with the Greek Hestia. The lack of an easy source of......
Vestal Virgins
Vestal Virgins, in Roman religion, six priestesses, representing the daughters of the royal house, who tended the......
Victoria
Victoria, in Roman religion, personification of victory, the equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike. She was often......
Vilokan
Vilokan, the mythological abode of the Vodou spirits (lwas). Vodou, an African-derived religion, was taken to Haiti......
Viracocha
Viracocha, creator deity originally worshiped by the pre-Inca inhabitants of Peru and later assimilated into the......
Vishnu
Vishnu, one of the principal Hindu deities. Vishnu combines many lesser divine figures and local heroes, chiefly......
Vishvakarma
Vishvakarma, in Hinduism, the architect and craftsman of the gods and the patron god of craftsmen. The name Vishvakarma......
Vohu Manah
Vohu Manah, (Avestan: âGood Mindâ), in Zoroastrianism, one of the six amesha spentas (âbeneficent immortalsâ) created......
vorĆĄud
vorĆĄud, among the Finno-Ugric Udmurt (Votyak) people, a family spirit, literally âluck protectorâ; the term also......
Vulcan
Vulcan, in Roman religion, god of fire, particularly in its destructive aspects as volcanoes or conflagrations.......
VÀinÀmöinen
VÀinÀmöinen, in Finnish folklore, a central figure of many ancient mythological songs and a culture hero to whom......
vÀki
vÀki, supernatural power believed by the Baltic Finns to reside in those natural sites, objects, and animals that......
VÇ«lsunga saga
VÇ«lsunga saga, most important of the Icelandic sagas called fornaldarsÇ«gur (âsagas of antiquityâ). Dating from......
Wadjet
Wadjet, cobra goddess of ancient Egypt. Depicted as a cobra twined around a papyrus stem, she was the tutelary......
Wagner, Richard
Richard Wagner was a German dramatic composer and theorist whose operas and music had a revolutionary influence......
wandering Jew
wandering Jew, in Christian legend, character doomed to live until the end of the world because he taunted Jesus......
Waterhouse, John William
John William Waterhouse was an English painter of the Victorian era known for his large-scale paintings of Classical......
Wayland the Smith
Wayland the Smith, in Scandinavian, German, and Anglo-Saxon legend, a smith of outstanding skill. He was, according......