December 20, 2017

Mythical creatures of the Bogeyman type are a common occurrence in many cultures. From the Middle East to the Americas, these dark creatures are commonly imagined as monsters that punishes children— and adults at times— for misbehaving and breaking taboos. The reasons they punish people are as varied as their punishments, that go from eating small children to stealing the soul of those who enter their territory.

Particularly, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia children are frightened by the Bubák...

November 30, 2017

In its exquisite weather chapter (traduced by Sahagún), the Tepepulco Codex (recording of Aztec times and traditions) embodies a series of meteorological seasons in the figures of Eheeatl, Tlaloe, and Itztlaeoliuhqui.

“In the year cycle the presence of Itztlacoliuhqui means the arrival of frost, and the following days of cold. And we say that the cold is over, only after 20 days after Itztlacoliuhqui disappears, this is the time of green maize leaves, the warm time, the good time.”

In Aztec mythol...

November 21, 2017

Among the Celts, the Old European wintertime Old Hag-Goddess became An Cailleach (literally An Old Woman) in Ireland, who in Scotland is known as Cailleach Bheur (meaning Genteel Old Lady) the blue-faced hag of winter, and as Caillagh Ny Groamagh (Old Woman of Gloominess)  in Manx Gaelic. This last version of the Old Hag appears to be particularly unlucky, for she fell into the crevice -that nowadays bears her name- after trying to step from the top of Barrule to the top of Cronk yn Irree Lhaa....

October 15, 2017

Legend has it, that in the deep waters of the river Rhône, near it crosses the ancient town of Beaucaire, lived the Drac, a powerful water dragon cunning in the ways of sorcery. This dragon, also referred as the Invisible Demon, would walk unseen among the townsfolk in the middle of the day searching for prey. Using dark arts, he would lure any children who wander away from their mother and snatch them for food. For centuries, children vanished from the Beaucaire and no one knew why or how, no o...

August 6, 2017

Naga is the Sanskrit word that identifies a deity with the form of a great snake —specifically the king cobra— that is found in Hinduism and Jainism. The word, however, also refers to a group of mythological beings of serpentine features.

The interpretation of the Naga myth as describe in the great epic Mahabharata (one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India), depicts nagas in a negative light. It calls them "persecutors of all creatures", warning us "the snakes were of virulent poison,...

June 25, 2017

In Aztec mythology, Tzitzimime were demons-gods that lived in the darkness of the sky vault. These deities were commonly depicted as skeletal female figures wearing skirts often with skull and bones designs. Their ultimate purpose was in waiting until both humans and gods could not keep the world alive any longer, and then attack to destroy humankind. However, as with most of Mexica’s deities, there is duality in Tzitzimime, as they were both protectors of the feminine and progenitors of mankind...

January 8, 2017

Raiju (or Raijū), meaning thunder animal or thunder beast, is a legendary creature from Japanese mythology said to be companion of Raijin, the Shinto (i.e., an ethnic religion of Japan) god of lightning.

Descriptions of Raiju appearance vary, ranging from dog to squirrel, but it’s more often seen as a wolf or badger. Its celestial form is that of a wolf wrapped in lightning, and it is said that its cry sounds like thunder.

While Raiju is generally a calm and harmless creature, during thunderstorms...

Please reload

Archive
Please reload

  • Facebook - White Circle
  • Twitter - White Circle