Mythology

Demeter: Greek goddess of agriculture, grain and the seasons Demeter Demeter, elder sister of Zeus, presided over grain, harvest and fertility in ancient Greek religion. Mother of Persephone, central to the Eleusinian Mysteries and widely honored as…

Demigod: half-god, half-human figures in myth and culture Demigod Overview of demigods: their definition, traits, notable examples from Greek and Roman traditions, cross-cultural parallels, and their role in myth and literature.

Demon: supernatural beings, cultural roles, and modern uses Demon An overview of demons — spirit beings viewed across cultures, their historical development and characteristics, roles in religion and folklore, and modern meanings including comput…

Diana — Roman goddess of the hunt, moon, and chastity Diana (mythology) Diana is a major Roman goddess linked with hunting, wild nature, the moon, and chastity. Twin sister of Apollo and daughter of Jupiter and Latona, she was identified with Greek Art…

Dii Consentes: the Twelve Principal Deities of Ancient Rome Dii Consentes The Dii Consentes were the canonical group of twelve major Roman gods and goddesses, a literary and cultic catalogue that echoes the Greek Twelve Olympians and shaped Roman religio…

Diomedes: Greek Hero of the Trojan War Diomedes Diomedes, son of Tydeus, is a principal Achaean warrior in Homeric epic and later Greek myth, noted for his courage, leadership of the Argive contingent, and prominent exploits in…

Dione (Greek mythology) Dione (mythology) Dione is a minor but ancient Greek goddess, sometimes named as the mother of Aphrodite and associated with oracular cult at Dodona. Her identity and origin vary across literary and…

Dionysian Mysteries: rites, history and cultural significance Dionysian Mysteries The Dionysian Mysteries were ancient Greek and Roman religious rites for Dionysus involving music, dance, intoxicants, and ecstatic practices that challenged social norms and offer…

Dionysus — Greek god of wine, ritual ecstasy and theater Dionysus Dionysus is the ancient Greek god associated with wine, ritual frenzy, fertility, theater and rebirth; a complex deity with varied local cults, myths and cultural influence across…

Divination: Practices, History, and Cultural Contexts Divination Overview of divination: methods and materials, historical and cultural roles, distinctions from fortune‑telling, social functions, and contemporary perspectives on ritual and inter…

Doppelgänger: identity doubles, folklore, and cultural meanings Doppelgänger A doppelgänger is a lookalike or double of a living person. This article explains origins, folkloric omens, psychological and literary roles, common variants, and why doubles remai…

Dragon: Mythical creature, cultural symbol, and literary figure Dragon An overview of dragons: defining features, cultural variations, historical roles, literary appearances, and modern symbolism across myth, religion, and popular culture.

Duat: The Ancient Egyptian Underworld Duat Duat is the ancient Egyptian conception of the underworld — a complex, symbolic realm of dangers, judgments, and renewal described in funerary texts and associated with the nightly…

Dvergr (Norse dwarves) Dvergr Dvergr are supernatural smiths and earth-dwelling beings from Old Norse tradition, associated with craft, metalwork, wisdom and subterranean life; they appear throughout the Eddas…

Dwarf: Myth, Folklore, and Cultural Influence Dwarf Dwarf: beings of folklore and myth—especially Germanic and Norse traditions (dvergr)—and their characteristics, origins, distinctions, and influence on modern fantasy and culture.

Dwarf (mythology): Origins, characteristics and cultural role Dwarf (mythology) Short, humanlike beings from Norse and Germanic traditions—skilled smiths and miners with varied moral roles in folklore, later shaped into modern fantasy races in literature and g…

Dysnomia: word‑finding difficulty, Greek daimon, and moon of Eris Dysnomia Dysnomia has three principal meanings: a speech disturbance (word‑finding difficulty), a personified spirit of lawlessness in Greek myth, and the name of the dwarf planet Eris’s na…

Easter Bunny (Easter Hare): Origins, Traditions, and Cultural Role Easter Bunny A folkloric figure often depicted as an egg-bringing rabbit, the Easter Bunny blends pre-Christian symbols of fertility with Christian spring celebrations and modern customs like e…

Ebenezer Scrooge: Dickens's famous miser and his cultural legacy Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge, the central figure of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, is a miserly businessman whose supernatural visits lead to repentance; his name and phrase 'Bah! Humbug…

Ebisu — Japanese god of fishermen, commerce, and good fortune Ebisu Ebisu is a native Japanese deity associated with fishing, commerce, good luck and the protection of children. He is one of the Seven Lucky Gods and appears widely in festivals, shr…

Echidna (Greek mythology) Echidna (mythology) Echidna, a chthonic monster in Greek myth often called the 'mother of monsters', is a half-woman, half-serpent figure whose offspring include many famous beasts defeated by heroes.

Echo (mythology) Echo, an Oread nymph of Greek myth, became famous for losing the ability to speak independently and for her tragic love for Narcissus; her story explains the phenomenon of repeatin…

Edda: the Poetic and Prose collections of Old Norse myth and verse Edda Two medieval Icelandic compilations—the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda—preserve Norse myth, heroic poetry, and skaldic technique; primary sources for Old Norse religion, literature…

Eileithyia — Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery Eileithyia Eileithyia was the ancient Greek goddess who presided over childbirth and midwifery. A daughter of Zeus and Hera, she held local cults and appears in several mythic birth stories;…

Einherjar: Warriors of Valhalla in Norse Tradition Einherjar Einherjar are the warriors who die in battle and are brought to Valhalla to feast, fight daily, and await the final battle of Ragnarök. Medieval sources vary and later reception re…

Eir — Norse goddess of healing Eir Eir is a figure in Norse mythology associated with healing, medicine, and mercy. Mentioned in medieval Old Norse sources, she is variously treated as a goddess, a skilled physician…

El Dorado: legend, origins, and legacy of the 'City of Gold' El Dorado El Dorado is a legendary South American figure and place—originating as a ritual 'Golden Man'—that inspired centuries of exploration, colonial ambition, and enduring cultural metap…

Elektra — daughter of Agamemnon in Greek myth Elektra Elektra is a figure of Greek mythology, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, known for her role in avenging her father's murder and for her portrayal in ancient and modern drama…

Eleusinian Mysteries: Ancient Greek Initiations for Demeter and Persephone Eleusinian Mysteries A comprehensive overview of the Eleusinian Mysteries: their rites, mythic basis, organization, historical development and cultural significance in ancient Greece and beyond.

Elf: Origins, folklore, and modern representations Elf A structured overview of elves: appearance, etymology, folklore motifs, evolution in literature and modern fantasy, and distinctions across cultures and media.

Emperor Kōgen — legendary eighth sovereign in Japan's traditional order Emperor Kōgen Emperor Kōgen is numbered as the eighth emperor in Japan's traditional lists. Regarded as a legendary figure, his life and reign have no verifiable dates and are known mainly from…

Empusa — a shape‑changing female spirit of Greek myth Empusa Empusa (Empousa) is a solitary female spirit from ancient Greek tradition, depicted as a shape‑shifter and bogey used to frighten travellers and children; linked to Hecate and to o…

Enceladus: the Greek giant and Saturn's icy moon Enceladus Enceladus refers to a figure of Greek myth—a Giant defeated in the Gigantomachy—and to a bright, geologically active moon of Saturn notable for icy plumes and a subsurface ocean.

Endymion: the sleeping youth of Greek myth and his cultural legacy Endymion Endymion, a handsome figure of Greek myth loved by the Moon goddess Selene, appears in many variants as a shepherd, hunter, or king. His story influenced ancient sources, art, poet…

Ennead — the ninefold grouping of deities in ancient Egyptian religion Ennead The Ennead is a canonical grouping of nine deities, best known from the Heliopolitan tradition in ancient Egypt. It structured creation accounts, temple theology, and ideas of king…

Enyo — Greek goddess associated with war and bloodshed Enyo Enyo is a minor Greek war deity linked with battle, violence and the frenzy of combat; she accompanies Ares and was later identified with the Roman Bellona. Her cult is obscure but…

Eos — Greek goddess of the dawn Eos Eos is the personification of dawn in ancient Greek religion and literature, sister of Helios and Selene, known for her 'rosy-fingered' epithet and for myths involving the mortal T…

Ēostre: Anglo‑Saxon spring figure and the name behind Easter Ēostre Ēostre (Ēostre/Eostre) is the name recorded in Anglo‑Saxon sources for a springtime figure linked to dawn, renewal and fertility. Historic evidence is limited and modern meanings m…

Gilgamesh: Ancient Mesopotamian Epic on Kingship, Friendship, and Mortality Epic of Gilgamesh Survey of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem about a king's rule, the friendship with Enkidu, quests confronting mortality and the gods, its transmission across ta…

Epic poetry: definition, history, features and notable examples Epic poetry Long narrative poems that recount heroic deeds and wide-ranging events; developed from oral performance into written literature and shaped national, religious, and artistic traditi…

Epimetheus — Greek titan associated with afterthought and the Pandora myth Epimetheus Epimetheus, a Titan of Greek mythology whose name means 'afterthought', is known as Prometheus's brother and a central figure in the creation and Pandora stories; his role symboliz…

Erebos (Greek god and personification of darkness) Erebos Erebos (or Erebus) is the ancient Greek personification of deep darkness and shadow, born of Chaos. He appears in classical cosmogonies, has few cultic traces, and his name endures…

Erinyes (the Furies): goddesses of vengeance in Greek myth Erinyes The Erinyes, also called the Furies or Eumenides, are three chthonic goddesses in Greek mythology who pursue and punish crimes against family, oaths, and natural order.

Eris (dwarf planet and Greek goddess) Eris Eris: a trans-Neptunian dwarf planet whose discovery reshaped planetary definition, and the ancient Greek goddess personifying discord; this article explains both meanings, their h…

Eros — Greek god of love and desire Eros Eros is a figure in Greek mythology associated with love, sexual desire, and procreative force. His myths, symbols and later cultural legacy span ancient poetry, philosophy, art an…

Erymanthian Boar (Greek mythology) Erymanthian Boar The Erymanthian Boar: a fearsome wild boar of Greek myth captured by Heracles as one of the Twelve Labours; tied to Mount Erymanthos and recurring in ancient art and legend.

Europa (mythology) — Phoenician princess and eponym of Europe Europa (mythology) Europa, a figure from Greek myth, is a Phoenician princess abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull. Her story explains royal lines in Crete and the naming of Europe and appears in m…

Euryale — one of the Gorgons in Greek mythology Euryale Euryale, sister of Medusa and Stheno, is a Gorgon in Greek myth known for serpentine hair, a petrifying aspect, and loud, mournful cries after Medusa's death.