Mythology

Loki (Marvel Comics) Loki is Marvel Comics' trickster figure: an Asgardian sorcerer and shape‑shifter who shifts between villain and antihero. He is Thor’s adoptive brother and a major figure in comics…

Luke Castellan (Percy Jackson character) Luke Castellan Fictional demigod son of Hermes from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series; a complex antagonist who betrays Camp Half-Blood, aligns with the Titan Kronos, and ultimately pursues a t…

Luke Skywalker Fictional protagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy: a moisture-farming youth from Tatooine who becomes a Jedi Knight, a leader in the Rebel cause, and an enduring figure of po…

Luluwa (daughter of Adam and Eve) Luluwa Luluwa, sometimes called Aclima or Kalmana, is a daughter of Adam and Eve in later Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions and folklore; she does not appear in the canonical Bible…

Ma'at — Egyptian concept and goddess of truth, order and justice Ma'at Ma'at is the ancient Egyptian concept and goddess who personifies truth, balance, law and cosmic order. Central to kingship, religion, and funerary judgment, Ma'at governed moralit…

Mafdet: early Egyptian goddess of protection against snakes and scorpions Mafdet Mafdet was an early Egyptian protective deity associated with felines or mongooses, depicted in art as an animal or a woman with a feline head and linked to protection, justice and…

Magi: the Wise Men of the Nativity and Their Cultural Legacy Magi The Magi are the “wise men from the east” in the Gospel of Matthew who visited the infant Jesus. Their visit, guided by the Star of Bethlehem, is central to Christian Epiphany trad…

Magic: practices, illusion, and cultural meanings Magic A concise encyclopedia overview of magic in its major senses—performative illusion, ritual or occult practice, and fictional systems—covering methods, history, social roles, and ke…

Mahdi: Islamic concept of a messianic figure and its historical impact Mahdi The Mahdi is an Islamic eschatological figure—'the rightly guided one'—expected to restore justice before the Day of Resurrection; beliefs and historical claimants vary across Musl…

Maia: Greek goddess of the fields and mother of Hermes Maia Maia, eldest of the Pleiades in Greek myth, is a pastoral goddess associated with spring, nurturing and motherhood; she is best known as the mother of Hermes and as a figure in Arc…

Maid Marian — companion and counterpart to Robin Hood Maid Marian Maid Marian is the traditional female companion and romantic figure linked to Robin Hood in English folklore, later appearing in stage plays, ballads, and modern retellings in vari…

Maleficium (sorcery): meaning, history, and cultural impact Maleficium (sorcery) Maleficium, from Latin, denotes harmful or wrongful magic. Historically used to describe acts of sorcery blamed for illness, crop failure, or death, it shaped medieval and early mo…

Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat): Origins, Symbolism, and Uses Maneki Neko Maneki Neko, the Japanese "beckoning cat", is a widely seen talisman believed to attract luck, customers, or money. This article explains its appearance, meanings, history, uses, a…

Máni — the Moon personified in Norse mythology Máni Máni is the Old Norse personification of the Moon. In surviving myth he guides the moon across the sky, is pursued by wolves, and figures in accounts of lunar phases and Ragnarök.

Manticore: legendary man‑eating creature of classical and medieval lore Manticore A mythic predator with a lion’s body and human head, the manticore appears in classical and medieval sources as a triple‑toothed, often tail‑armed beast symbolizing danger and the…

Manu (Hinduism) Manu is a mythic progenitor and lawgiver in Hindu tradition, variously described as the archetypal man, the first human, and a title borne by successive progenitors in cosmological…

Mark of Cornwall Legendary ruler in the Arthurian Tristan and Iseult cycle, husband of Iseult/Isolde and a central figure in medieval and later retellings whose portrayal ranges from cuckolded vict…

Mars (Roman god of war) Mars (mythology) Mars, a principal deity in Roman religion, embodied military power, civic protection, and agricultural fertility; father of Romulus and Remus and namesake of the planet Mars and th…

Marzanna — Slavic goddess of winter and the spring‑farewell ritual Marzanna Marzanna (also Morana, Marena, Mara, Morė, Morena and other names) is a personified figure in Slavic folklore linked to winter, death and seasonal renewal; communities traditionall…

Matsya: the Fish Avatar of Vishnu Matsya Matsya, the fish incarnation of Vishnu, is a foundational Hindu myth about recovery of sacred knowledge and preservation of life during a great flood; it appears in Puranic literat…

Mazu — Chinese sea goddess and patron of sailors Mazu (goddess) Mazu (Matsu) is a Chinese sea goddess venerated across coastal China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Originating as Lin Moniang of Fujian, she became a protector of sailors, with templ…

Medea — Greek mythological sorceress and tragic heroine Medea Medea, daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis and granddaughter of Helios, is a central figure in Greek myth known for sorcery, her role in the Argonauts' saga, and the tragic revenge…

Medusa: Greek myth, iconography, and cultural legacy Medusa Medusa, originally one of the Gorgons in Greek myth, became a symbol of danger, protection, victimhood, and artistic fascination—known for her snake hair, petrifying gaze, and the…

Megingjörð — Thor's Belt in Norse Mythology Megingjörð Megingjörð is the legendary belt worn by the Norse god Thor. Medieval Old Norse sources depict it as a supernatural girdle that increases his strength and complements his other arm…

Mehit — Egyptian lioness and warrior goddess Mehit Mehit is an ancient Egyptian lioness goddess associated with warfare, protection, and sometimes lunar imagery. She is traditionally named as the consort of the war-god Anhur and li…

Meili (Norse god) Meili Meili is an obscure figure in Norse mythology, named as a son of Odin and Jörð and called Thor's brother. He appears only in brief lists and skaldic references; no myths about him…

Melinoe — Greek goddess associated with ghosts and phantoms Melinoe Melinoe is a little-attested chthonic figure in ancient Greek religion linked to ghosts, nocturnal phantoms, and rites of the dead. Her attributes, parentage, and cult appear mainl…

Memnon (mythology) Memnon, a heroic Ethiopian king in Greek epic tradition, was a son of Eos who fought for Troy; famed for his prowess, his death at Achilles' hand and later cultural legacy includin…

Menoitios (Menoetius) — Titan of violent anger and doomed fate Menoitios Menoitios (or Menoetius) is a lesser-known Titan in Greek myth, associated with violent anger, rashness, and a fated punishment by Zeus; traditions vary about his identity and link…

Menrva (Etruscan goddess) Menrva Menrva, an important deity in Etruscan religion, embodied war, craft, wisdom and health; she influenced Greek-Roman parallels and left a distinctive archaeological and cultural leg…

Mercury (Roman god of commerce, messages and travellers) Mercury (mythology) Roman deity Mercury (Mercurius) presided over trade, communication, travel, boundaries and trickery. Son of Jupiter and Maia, he corresponds to Greek Hermes and is associated with…

Merlin — legendary magician and advisor in Arthurian tradition Merlin Merlin is a central figure in Arthurian legend: a prophetic wizard, mentor to King Arthur, and a composite character shaped by Welsh tradition and medieval romances.

Mermaid: the mythic half‑human, half‑fish figure Mermaid A mermaid is a mythological being with a human upper body and a fish tail, found in folklore worldwide; associated with sea lore, siren songs, artistic imagery, and varied cultural…

Meskhenet — Ancient Egyptian goddess of childbirth and giver of the Ka Meskhenet Meskhenet, an early Egyptian goddess, presided over childbirth and was believed to breathe the Ka (life‑force) into each newborn. She was invoked in birth ritual, midwifery practic…

Methuselah (biblical patriarch) Methuselah Methuselah, son of Enoch and father of Lamech in Genesis 5, is recorded as living 969 years. His name is synonymous with extreme old age and appears across religious texts, literat…

Metis — Greek goddess of wisdom and cunning Metis Metis, a Titaness in Greek myth personifying crafty intelligence and prudent counsel; daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and mother of Athena. Her swallowing by Zeus explains Athena’s…

Michael (archangel) Archangel Michael is a principal angel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, known as a defender, healer, and leader of heavenly hosts; overview of his name, scriptural references,…

Midas: the Phrygian King and the Golden Touch Midas Midas is a legendary king of Phrygia in classical mythology famed for a wish that turned things to gold. The story contrasts wealth with happiness and has inspired art, language, a…

Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Mythic Continent and Legendarium Middle-earth Middle-earth is the mythic continent created by J. R. R. Tolkien as the setting for his epic tales. It has its own peoples, languages, history and geography within the wider world…

Middle-earth characters An encyclopedic overview of the characters who inhabit J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth: their types, roles, origins in the legendarium, and how they appear in adaptations and schol…

Midgard (Miðgarðr): The Norse Concept of the Middle Enclosure Midgard Midgard is the Norse mythic realm of humans, a bounded 'middle enclosure' in Old Norse sources. This article summarizes its meaning, place in the Norse cosmos, literary attestation…

Mimikyu: the Disguised Pokémon (Ghost/Fairy introduced in Sun & Moon) Mimikyu Mimikyu, introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, is a Ghost/Fairy Pokémon that hides under a rag resembling Pikachu. Its Disguise ability and mysterious true form are central to its lo…

Mímir: Norse figure of wisdom and counsel Mímir Mímir, a Norse figure of memory and counsel, whose beheaded head and the well Mímisbrunnr embody hidden wisdom and whose advice Odin and the gods sought.

Minerva — Roman goddess of wisdom, crafts and healing Minerva Minerva is the ancient Roman goddess associated with wisdom, the arts and crafts, and medical healing. She parallels the Greek Athena but emphasizes crafts, learning and civic prot…

Minos: Mythical King of Crete and Judge of the Dead Minos Minos, son of Zeus and Europa, is the legendary king of Crete associated with the Minotaur, the labyrinth, and later as a judge in the underworld. His name also inspired the term “…

Minotaur (Greek mythological creature) Minotaur A bull-headed monster from Greek myth confined in the Cretan Labyrinth, slain by Theseus. Associated with King Minos, Daedalus, Ariadne, and Minoan Crete; a symbol in art, literatu…

Mister Mxyzptlk (DC Comics trickster villain) Mister Mxyzptlk Mister Mxyzptlk is a fifth‑dimensional imp from DC Comics who uses reality‑warping mischief against Superman; presented variously as prankster, villain, and antihero across comics…

Mithril (Tolkien's fictional metal) Mithril Mithril is a legendary metal in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, prized for its silvery appearance, extraordinary lightness and strength, and chiefly associated with Dwarven mines of…