The Origins of Samhain: The Celtic Festival That Became Halloween and What the Sources Actually Say
Samhain is the oldest ancestor of Halloween, and almost everything that most people believe about it is either oversimplified, invented, […]
Ancient Mythology
Ancient Mythology
Ancient Mythology: The Stories That Shaped the World
Before history was written down, it was told. The great mythological traditions of the ancient world were not simply entertainment or primitive attempts to explain natural phenomena. They were the frameworks through which entire civilisations understood their place in the universe, the nature of their gods, the obligations of the living to the dead, and the rules that governed everything from the weather to the proper conduct of war. They were serious business, and they deserve to be treated as such.
This section covers the major mythological traditions of the ancient world. At present the coverage is deepest in Greek mythology, which has the largest body of content on the site, but the section will expand over time to include Norse, Chinese, Native American, and other traditions as that content develops. Each tradition is covered on its own terms rather than filtered through the lens of the popular culture versions that have accumulated around them, because the original material is almost always stranger, richer, and more interesting than any adaptation has managed to convey.
The articles here are written for people who want to understand what the myths actually said, who the figures in them actually were, and why the civilisations that produced them considered these stories worth preserving across centuries. Browse by subcategory below, or explore the articles directly.
Delphi in Greek Folk Tradition: The Oracle Site That Never Lost Its Supernatural Reputation
Delphi was the most important religious site in ancient Greece, home to the Oracle of Apollo whose pronouncements shaped the
The Mani: The Isolated Peninsula Where Ancient Greece Never Quite Ended and Blood Feuds Lasted Centuries
The Mani is the middle finger of the three peninsulas that extend from the southern Peloponnese into the Mediterranean, a
Mount Olympus in Greek Folk Tradition: The Mountain the Gods Left and the Spirits That Stayed
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,917 metres, a massif of extraordinary dramatic character rising from the
The Dönme: The Secret Jews of Thessaloniki Who Converted to Islam and Kept Their Faith Hidden for Three Centuries
The Dönme are one of the most extraordinary communities in the history of religion, a group of Sephardic Jews in
The Klephts: The Mountain Outlaws of Ottoman Greece Who Became the Heroes of a Nation
The Klephts were armed Greek brigands who lived in the mountains of Greece during the period of Ottoman rule, from
Alexander the Great in Greek Folklore: The King Who Never Died and the Legends That Grew Around Him
The historical Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BCE at the age of thirty-two, almost certainly of typhoid
Stoicheio: The Spirit Bound Into a Building’s Foundations and the Dark Ritual That Put It There
The Stoicheio is one of the most disturbing figures in Greek folk tradition, a supernatural spirit that is created rather
Drakos: The Greek Dragon of Folk Tradition and the Giant Who Guards Treasure in the Mountains
The Drakos of Greek folk tradition is a very different creature from the serpentine monsters of ancient Greek mythology. Where
Telchines: The Mysterious Sorcerer Craftsmen of Rhodes Who Made the Gods’ Weapons and Were Destroyed for It
The Telchines are one of the most enigmatic figures in Greek mythology, a group of supernatural craftsmen who inhabited the