Mythology

Imp (mythical creature) Imp An imp is a small, often mischievous supernatural being found in European folklore and later literature, associated with trickery, household spirits, witches' familiars, and minor…

Inanna — Sumerian goddess of love, war, and kingship Inanna Inanna, later known as Ishtar, is a major Mesopotamian deity associated with love, desire, fertility, war and political authority; her cult centered on Uruk and influenced neighbor…

Inari — Japanese deity of rice, fertility, and prosperity Inari (mythology) Inari is a major Japanese Shinto deity linked to rice, agriculture, fertility, industry and prosperity. Often paired with fox messengers, Inari is venerated at thousands of shrines…

Incubus: folktale demon of nocturnal assault and its cultural meanings Incubus An encyclopedic overview of the incubus—male nocturnal demon from folklore—covering traditional descriptions, history, medical interpretations, cultural influence and distinctions…

Indra: Vedic Sovereign of Storms and King of the Devas Indra Indra is a principal deity of the early Vedic tradition, associated with storms, thunder, and warfare. This article summarizes his attributes, major myths, historical development,…

Interpretatio graeca: Greek interpretation of foreign gods and religions Interpretatio graeca Interpretatio graeca describes how ancient Greeks equated foreign gods and practices with their own deities, shaping syncretism, iconography, and intercultural religious understand…

Inugami: the dog spirit of Japanese folklore Inugami Inugami are canine yōkai in Japanese folklore believed to bind to households or possess people. Accounts vary on origin, ritual creation, powers, and social consequences in histori…

Iolaos: Companion and Nephew of Herakles in Greek Myth Iolaos Iolaos, nephew and close companion of Herakles, assisted in his Labors as charioteer and aide. Remembered for aiding the Lernaean Hydra, he appears in ancient sources and later cul…

Iphicles: mortal half-brother of Heracles in Greek mythology Iphicles Iphicles was the mortal son of Alcmene and Amphitryon and the half-brother of Heracles. A figure in Theban myth, he is best known as the father of Iolaus and as a recurring compani…

Iphigenia (Greek mythological figure) Iphigenia Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek myth; central to stories about sacrifice, divine intervention, and family tragedy, and the subject of classical and later dramas.

Iris (goddess) Iris, in Greek mythology, is the winged goddess of the rainbow and a chief divine messenger who links gods and humans; she appears in ancient literature, art, and later symbolism.

Isis — Egyptian goddess of magic, motherhood, and the throne Isis Isis, a principal goddess of ancient Egypt, was revered for magic, healing, motherhood and protection of the royal line. Her cult influenced Mediterranean religion and art from pha…

Itihasa: Classical Indian Epic Histories and Their Role Itihasa Itihasa denotes the classical Indian corpus of epic narratives and histories—stories that combine remembered events, moral instruction and social memory, exemplified by the Ramayan…

Izanagi — primordial creator deity in Shinto and Japanese mythology Izanagi Izanagi is a principal kami in Shinto and Japanese myth who, with Izanami, fashioned the islands and many deities; his descent to and return from the underworld explain death, puri…

Izanami: Japanese goddess of creation and death Izanami Izanami is a central kami in Japanese mythology, associated with both creation and death. Her descent to Yomi and subsequent role in Shinto ideas of life, death, and ritual impurit…

James, son of Zebedee (Saint James the Greater) James (son of Zebedee) One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, brother of John, called a 'Son of Thunder', traditionally considered the first apostle martyred and venerated as Saint James the Greater.

Janus: Roman god of beginnings, doors, and transitions Janus Janus, the two-faced Roman deity of gates, doorways, beginnings and endings; guardian of transitions, associated with January, temples with doors opened in war and closed in peace,…

Japanese divinities: kami, bodhisattvas and syncretic gods Japanese divinities Overview of divinities in Japanese religion and culture: indigenous kami, imported Buddhist and Taoist figures, major deities, history of syncretism, rituals, and cultural roles.

Japanese dragon (ryū or tatsu): appearance, origins, and cultural role Japanese dragon An overview of the Japanese dragon (ryū/tatsu): its appearance, origins from East Asian traditions, symbolic meanings, roles in myth and art, and distinctions from Chinese and Kore…

Japanese folklore: creatures, tales, and cultural influence Japanese folklore Overview of Japanese folklore: key traditions, typical supernatural beings, tale types, religious influences, performance forms, regional variation, and modern cultural impact.

Japanese mythology: Shinto, kami, creation myths, and imperial origins Japanese mythology Overview of Japanese myths and beliefs rooted in Shinto and related traditions: key texts (Kojiki, Nihonshoki), kami, creation stories (Izanagi/Izanami, Amaterasu), imperial ancest…

Jason — leader of the Argonauts in Greek mythology Jason Jason, a legendary figure of Greek mythology, led the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece. His story includes family conflict, the sorceress Medea, and many literary and c…

Jedi (Star Wars): Order, Philosophy, Abilities and Role Jedi An overview of the Jedi: their philosophy, training, abilities derived from the Force, tools such as the lightsaber, organization within the Jedi Order, history in the galaxy, and…

Jor‑El — Kryptonian scientist and father of Superman Jor-El Jor-El, a leading figure in Superman fiction, is the Kryptonian scientist who warned of his planet's doom and sent his son Kal‑El to Earth; his character appears in comics, films,…

Jörð (Jord): Norse Earth-personification, giantess and goddess Jörð Jörð is the personified earth in Norse myth, named as a giantess and sometimes an Asynja. She is known chiefly as Thor’s mother and Odin’s consort; this article surveys names, sour…

Jörmungandr — the Midgard Serpent of Norse myth Jörmungandr Sea-serpent of Norse mythology, child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, famed for encircling Midgard and for its destined combat with Thor at Ragnarök.

Joseph Campbell: scholar of myth and the hero's journey Joseph Campbell Overview of Joseph Campbell (1904–1987), his comparative study of myth, the monomyth or hero’s journey, major works, influences, and cultural legacy.

Jötnar: Giants of Norse Mythology Jötnar Jötnar (singular jötunn) are diverse giant beings in Norse myth. They appear as primordial forces, adversaries and kin of the gods, and inhabit Jötunheimr and remote wild places in…

Jötunheimr (Jotunheim) — the realm of the jötnar in Norse myth Jotunheim Jötunheimr (Jotunheim) is the mythic homeland of the jötnar in Norse cosmology: a wild, liminal region populated by frost and rock giants and central to many encounters with gods a…

Judith (given name) Judith Judith is a feminine name of Hebrew origin, often interpreted as “woman from Judea” or “praised.” It has biblical roots, many international variants and a long cultural and artisti…

Juno (Roman goddess) Juno (mythology) Juno, principal Roman goddess, queen of the gods and protector of women, marriage and the state; a complex deity with public cult, private rites, and ties to the Greek Hera.

Jupiter (Roman mythology): chief sky god and ruler of the gods Jupiter (mythology) Jupiter is the principal deity of ancient Roman religion, god of the sky and thunder, symbol of authority and law. He was central to public cult, represented by the thunderbolt, ea…

Juroujin — Japanese god of longevity and member of the Seven Lucky Gods Juroujin Juroujin is a Japanese deity of long life, one of the Shichifukujin. Shown as an old man with a staff and a scroll, he is linked with cranes, deer and tortoises and appears widely…

Kaleva (Kalevi): Mythic Ancestor in Finnic Folklore Kaleva Kaleva (Kalevi) is a legendary figure in Finnish, Karelian and Estonian tradition—often a giant or founding ancestor whose name and stories shaped place names, epics and folk motif…

Kalevala: The Finnish National Epic Kalevala Kalevala is a 19th-century compilation of ancient Finnic oral poetry that shaped Finnish cultural identity; it contains mythic songs, heroes, and the distinctive Kalevala metre.

Kalki — the prophesied tenth avatar of Vishnu Kalki Kalki is the final avatar of Vishnu in Hindu eschatology, expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga to eradicate adharma and inaugurate a renewed age of truth (Satya Yuga).

Kallisto (Callisto): nymph of Artemis and mythic bear Kallisto Kallisto, a nymph of Artemis in Greek myth, mother of Arcas by Zeus, transformed into a bear and later set among the stars as Ursa Major. Her story appears in ancient poetry and mo…

Kamikaze: the 'Divine Wind', its origins, WWII special-attack units and legacy Kamikaze Kamikaze originally meant the 13th‑century 'divine wind' that repelled Mongol invasions. In WWII it became shorthand for Japanese special‑attack suicide missions and now denotes su…

Kartikeya (Murugan): Hindu god of war, victory, and Tamil devotion Kartikeya Kartikeya, also called Murugan or Skanda, is a major Hindu deity associated with war, victory and youth. Revered especially in Tamil culture, he has six principal abodes and a rich…

Kaumodaki: the mace of Vishnu in Hindu tradition Kaumodaki Kaumodaki is the legendary gada (mace) carried by the god Vishnu. This article explains its attributes, mythic origins, iconography, and role as a symbol of divine power and protec…

Kebechet — Ancient Egyptian goddess of purification and embalming Kebechet Kebechet, daughter of Anubis and Anput, is an Ancient Egyptian funerary deity associated with freshness, purification and the fluids of mummification; often shown as a snake or ost…

Keres: mythic spirits, Pueblo peoples, and notable names Keres Keres denotes several related but distinct subjects: the Keres of Greek myth (death spirits), the Keresan Pueblo peoples and languages of New Mexico, and the Estonian surname exemp…

Keres (Greek spirits of violent death) Keres (spirits) In Greek mythology the Keres are female spirits associated with violent death, battlefields and the personification of doom; daughters of Night and embodiments of bloodthirsty fate…

Kevin Sorbo: actor known for Hercules and Andromeda Kevin Sorbo Profile of Kevin Sorbo, an American actor noted for his television leading roles, career development, later work in independent and faith-based films, and public life.

Khepri — Egyptian god of the rising sun and the scarab Khepri Khepri is the ancient Egyptian deity of the morning sun, creation, and regeneration, often depicted as a scarab or scarab-headed man and associated with the daily renewal of life a…

Khnum — Ancient Egyptian ram-headed creator and guardian of the Nile Khnum Khnum, an ancient Egyptian deity often depicted with a ram's head, was a creator god and controller of the Nile's flood, associated with pottery, fertility, and several cult center…

Khonsu — Egyptian god of the moon, time, and protection Khonsu Khonsu is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with the moon, lunar light, the measurement of time and healing. Son of Amun and Mut, he forms part of the Theban triad and had an im…

Kinahmi — the whirl or passage to Tuonela in Finnish mythology Kinahmi Kinahmi is a liminal water feature in Finnish and Karelian folklore: described variously as a deadly whirlpool, a deep passage to Tuonela or a calm black river, with several cosmol…