Under this page I explore similar themes that can be found in many different cultures such as Elementals, judges of the dead, thunder deities and much more!

In mythology, an Ouroboros is a snake or dragon that is swallowing it's own tail. They are meant to represent life and eternity.

Jörmungandr - Norse

Hahuba - Warao (Venezuela)

Quetzalcoatl - Aztec

Danh - Dahomey (West Africa)

Atum - Egyptian

In mythology, you can often find stories of a deity or creature that lends a helping hand to humans or even other animals by bringing them fire that was stolen from the gods or other powerful creatures.

Prometheus - Greek

Rabbit - Creek/Muscogee tribe

Azazel - Book of Enoch

Raven - tribes of the Northwest coast

Vulture - Hopi tribe

Maui - Polynesian

Grandmother Spider - Cherokee

Nanabozho - Ojibwa

Amirani - Georgian (Eruasia)

Mātariśvan - Hinduism

Coyote - tribes of the Northwest

Somnus, god of sleep - Roman

Hypnos, god of sleep - Greek

Morpheus, god of dreams - Greek

Oneiroi, spirits of dreams - Greek

Incubus and Succubus, demons who have sex with people while they're sleeping - multiple cultures

Baku, creatures that devour dreams and nightmares - Japanese

Nue, causes illness and nightmares - Japanese

Mara, sits on your chest and turns you dreams into nightmares - German

Breksta, goddess of twilight and dreams - Lithuanian

In honor of being on iFunny for 666 days (been here longer than that but ya know whatever it still says 666 days) I will be talking about the meaning the number 666.

In the book of Revelation in the Bible it is said that 666 is the mark of the beast. In chapter 13:15-18 of the book of Revelation talks of the beast:

"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666".

In some older versions such as Papyrus 115 (an old manuscript of the New Testament written in Greek on Papyrus) the number of the beast is actually 616. The Hebrews have a system called Gematria which translates letters into numbers. When you take the name of the Roman leader Nero Caeser, put it into the Hebrew alphabet NRON QSR and then translate them into numbers you get: 50 200 6 50 100 60 200 which adds up to 666. Then, if you translate Nero's name into Latin it comes out as Nro Qsr which adds up to 616 when put into Gematria. They did this as a way of going against the Emperor because they hated him as a ruler.

Also in the Bible, 666 is the amount of talents in gold (weight in gold or silver) that king Solomon was given in Kings 1 during the course of a year. Gold is later on associated with things such as hubris and idolatry.

The number 6 itself is also associated with man because God created man on the 6th day so 666 is representative of the beast who chooses the authority of man over the authority of God.

In different cultures some deities will often have an animal companion used for different purposes to assist them.

Odin - Sleipnir who is an 8 legged horse, Huginn and Muninn are two ravens who tell him everything they see/hear when they fly around the world, Geri and Freki are two wolves that Odin gives all of his food to at the table.

Hades - Cerberus who is the three-headed guard of the underworld and eats souls who try to escape.

Zeus - Pegasus who is a winged horse that carries Zeus' thunderbolts.

Thor - Tanngiost (teeth grinder) and Tanngrisnir (teeth barrer) are the 2 goats who pull his chariot and he kills to eat for dinners while on journey's and revives them with Mjolnir.

Artemis - Arcadian hunting dogs that were given to her by the god Pan. She was given two black and white ones, three reddish ones, one spotted one, and 7 female dogs as well. They were said to be strong enough to take down lions.

Vishnu - Shesha is a Nagaraja (king of the Nagas) who holds all the planets in its hood. Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha.

Definition: Gateway dogs are guardians of the gateways to hell/underworld and prevent the dead from leaving.

Cerberus - Greek

A three-headed dog in Greek mythology that prevented the dead from trying to escape Hades. Some accounts say that he even has 50 heads. The demigod Heracles had to fetch the guard dog as one of his 12 labors. His name is thought to mean either Spotted or Spot. He is the son of Echidna and Tyhpon and the brother of Orthrus.

Garm - Norse

A dog (sometimes said to be a wolf) from Norse mythology who guards the gateway to the underworld. He is said to be to dogs what Odin is to gods and Yggdrasil is to trees; essentially the best/greatest among them. During Ragnarok (end of the world) Garm and Tyr will fight and kill eachother. Some think that Garm could also possibly be Fenrir.

Opiel Guabiron - Taino

A half-human half-dog in Taino mythology that only allows those who were worthy to enter Coabey (underworld) and denied spirits who didn't do good deeds during their lifetime.

Shyama and Sabala - Hindu

They each have four eyes and are brindled, they are the offspring of Sarama (female wolf of the gods). They are also messengers for Yama (god of death).

In many different cultures, souls must be judged before they can move on to the afterlife. Judges have different ways of deciding if a soul is worthy of a good or bad afterlife. In this post I will be going over who the judges of the dead are and the processes they use to judge the souls.

Egypt: In Egyptian religion, those who died would have their heart weighed against the feather of justice on a scale. The weighing of the heart is presided over by Osiris (God of the underworld). In front of Osiris standing on a lotus, the pad is the four sons of Horus who protect the deceased's organs - Qebehsenuef, the protector of intestines in a Canopic jar. Hapy, the protector of lungs in a Canopic jar. Duamutef, protector of the stomach in a Canopic jar. Imsety, protector of the liver in a Canopic jar. Then, Ammut is there as well who waits to consume any souls whose hearts are heavier than the feather of justice. Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing records the results of the heart. Horus, the god of the sky, makes sure the scales are accurate. Thoth, this time in the form of a baboon sits atop the scales. Lastly, there is Anubis, god of the dead, who weighs the heart against the feather. If the heart and feather are equal in weight then the person may continue on to the afterlife. If their heart is heavier than the feather, then Ammut will devour their soul and they will never go to the afterlife.

Greece: In Greek religion, when a person died they would go to the underworld known as Hades and be judged by three demigods that are the sons of Zeus. The judges are Rhadamanthys, Minos and Aiakos. These demigods were granted their position as a reward for establishing law and order during their time on earth. Rhadamanthys is the lord of Elysium and judges the men of Asia. Aiakos is the guardian of the keys of Hades and judges the men of Europe. Minos is judge of the final vote. Some sources say that there is a fourth judge named Triptolemos who presides over the souls of the initiates of the Mysteries.

Mesopotamia: In Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Akkadian religions, a person would be judged by a group of gods known as the Anunnaki after they died. Some sources say that there are seven Anunnaki who sits before the throne of Ereshkigal in the underworld. They are said to be the oldest generation of gods and were put in the underworld when they were overthrown by a younger generation of gods. In Sumer, the seven Anunnaki are An, Enki, Utu, Enlil, Ninhursag, Nanna, and Inanna. There is a problem however in that sources vary and contradict each other as to the exact number of the Anunnaki and the functions/roles they play. Some say there are seven while others say there are up to fifty Anunnaki.

Persia: In Zoroastrian religion, souls who died would hover over the heads of their body for three days before they can be judged. All souls will be judged by Rashnu, a genie or angel of justice, and by Mithra. Any good deeds a person has will be put into a ledger as credits while bad deeds will count as debts. Their reckoning is made at the Chinvat Bridge which leads to the underworld. If their deeds are positive, the soul will be lead by Daena, who is accompanied by two guard dogs, to the House of Song. If their deeds are negative then they will go to Hell which is ruled by Yama/Yima. If their deeds are even however, then they will go to a limbo-like place called Hammistagan until the apocalypse.

India: In Hindu religion, souls are judged by Yama, god of the underworld. The souls of the dead first go to Yama's Kalici Palace where they are greeted by Vaidhyata, Yama's porter, and then Kalapurusa and Chanda take the soul to meet with Yama. The soul's deeds while on earth are read aloud by Citragupta, Yama's scribe, who consults the Agrasandhani, a giant register. Yama, who sits upon his throne of judgement called Vicarabhu then considers three options for the soul. The first option is to grant them immortality by giving them Soma to drink and they will go on to a happy eternal afterlife in the heavens. The second option is to send the soul back to earth to be reborn to have a chance at a better life. The third and final option would be to send the soul to the one of the 21 different levels of hell, the lower the level, the worse the punishments become.

Fiji: In Fijian religion, Degei, supreme god and creator of the world and men, judges souls of the dead after they pass through one of two different caves. The two caves are called Cibaciba and Drakulu, some souls will be sent to paradise known as Burotu. Others will be sent to the bottom of the lake known as Murimuria where they will be either rewarded or punished.

Caucasus: In Ossetian religion, Barasatyr is the god of the underworld as well as the psychopomp and judge of the dead. He decides if the soul will go to heaven or hell.

China: In the Buddhist religion, soul fates will be decided by Ch'eng Huang (god of walls and moats). Ch'eng Huang will decide if they are pure enough to go onto the Buddhist paradise, the dwelling place of Taoist Immortals, or down to the courts of hell for rebirth.

Indonesia: In Toraja religion, souls are taken to the afterlife by riding on the backs of either pigs or buffalo. Pong Lalondong which means "the lord who is a cock" judges the dead. The souls then climb a mountain to reach heaven which is Known as Puya "Land of the Souls".

Cerberus - Greek

A three-headed dog in Greek mythology that prevented the dead from trying to escape Hades. Some accounts say that he even has 50 heads. The demigod Heracles had to fetch the guard dog as one of his 12 labors. His name is thought to mean either Spotted or Spot. He is the son of Echidna and Tyhpon and the brother of Orthrus.

Garm - Norse

A dog (sometimes said to be a wolf) from Norse mythology who guards the gateway to the underworld. He is said to be to dogs what Odin is to gods and Yggdrasil is to trees; essentially the best/greatest among them. During Ragnarok (end of the world) Garm and Tyr will fight and kill eachother. Some think that Garm could also possibly be Fenrir.

Opiel Guabiron - Taino

A half-human half-dog in Taino mythology that only allows those who were worthy to enter Coabey (underworld) and denied spirits who didn't do good deeds during their lifetime.

Shyama and Sabala - Hindu

They each have four eyes and are brindled, they are the offspring of Sarama (female wolf of the gods). They are also messengers for Yama (god of death).

Surma - Finnish

Embodies sudden and violent death and guards the gates to Tuonela and prevents souls from escaping. It is described as being a very large dog with a snake-tail and can turn people to stone with its stare. It's name in Finnish means kill. 

In mythology, many different cultures have some type of mythical bird that can bring about good or bad omens or are companions of gods.

Thunderbird - In Native American mythology, Thunderbirds are said to mark the beginning of spring and animal migration. When it flaps its wings it is said to be as loud as thunder.

Phoenix - In Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a bird of fire that can live up to 500 years and is reborn after it dies.

Roc - In Arabian mythology, Roc is a giant bird featured in The Arabian nights: 1001 Nights. It was said to be large enough to carry off an elephant.

Huginn & Muninn - In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn are the familiars of the God Odin. They travel around the nine realms and collect all the information they can and bring it back to Odin at the end of the day.

Yatagarasu - In Japanese mythology, Yatagarasu is a three-legged raven that is the reincarnation of Kamo Taketsunumi. He also serves the goddess Amaterasu.

Valravn - In Danish mythology, Valravn are ravens that eat the bodies of the dead on the battlefield and can take on the form of a knight after eating a child's heart.

Garuda - In Hindu mythology, Garuda is an eagle-like bird that acts as the vehicle (Vahana) of Vishnu. He represents birth and is enemy to all snakes.

In many different cultures, there are stories of werewolves (lycanthropes) which are people who can change into either a humanoid form of a wolf or an actual wolf. Sometimes it is a gift they are born with or they are cursed by the gods or even a saint or shaman to turn into a wolf involuntarily.

Gizotso - Spain

Lycaon - Greece

Sigmund and Sinfjotli - Iceland

Luison - South America

Beast of Gevaudan - France

Beast of Bray Road - North America

Wulver - Scotland

Faoladh - Ireland

Kurtadam - Turkey

Vilkacis - Latvia

In different cultures there are a few creatures that are headless with their facial features on their stomach. Idk a good umbrella term for them.

Greece - Blemmyae were originally mentioned in The Histories by Herodotus and were called akephaloi (without a head). They were later called Blemmyae by Pomponius Mela who was a Roman geographer.

China - Xing Tian is a deity that helped fight against the Supreme Divinity. The Supreme Divinity decapitated Xing Tian but he still pursued by using his nipples as his eyes and his naval as his mouth.

Japan - Dōnotsura only appears on yokai picture scrolls as a headless being with facial features on its chest.

In many cultures, there are deities that control lightning, thunder and sometimes other weather elements.

Norse - Thor

Greek - Zeus

Slavic - Perun

Mayan - Chaac

Mesopotamian - Enlil

Hinduism - Indra

Roman - Jupiter

Basque - Orko

Japanese - Raijin

Aztec - Tlaloc

Finnish - Ukko

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the main 4 elements which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Vayu - The Deva (God) of wind and/or air. He is also called Anil, Tanu, Prāna, or Pavan.

Prithvi - The Devi (Goddess) of the Earth. She is married to Dyaus Pita (Father Sky).

Agni - The Deva of fire and the guardian God of the southeast direction. He also acts as a messenger between gods and men.

Varuna - The Deva of oceans. His vehicle is a Makara (part fish, part human) and he is the guardian God of the west direction. 

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Aeolus - The God of the winds and king of the island Aeolia. Aeolus keeps violent storm winds locked on the island with him. This bag of storm winds was once given to the hero Odysseus to help him and his get home.

Gaea - The Primordial Goddess of the Earth. She was one of the deities born at the dawn of creation. As well as the mother of the Titans.

Hephaestus - The God of fire, metalworking, smiths, and more. He is married to the Goddess Aphrodite.

Poseidon - The God of the sea, earthquakes, horses, and floods. He fought with Athena at one point over who would get to rule Athens and lost.

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Fujin - The God of the winds and one of the eldest gods. He is described as having red hair and green skin and carries a bag of wind on his shoulders.

Ohonamochi - The God of the Earth and leader of the Earthly Kami. He is a symbol of strength and guidance.

Kagutsuchi - The God of fire who burned his mother Izanami to death. His father Izanagi, in grief, beheaded Kagutsuchi and cut him up into right pieces which became eight volcanoes.

Suijin - The God of water and the guardian of fisherman and patron saint of fertility.

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Enlil - God of Air, wind, and storms. He is also chief of the gods and was considered to be so holy that no other gods could look at him.

Ki - Goddess of the earth that mates with Anu (Sky God) and gave birth to the Anunnaki.

Gibil - God of fire and the one who maintains the sharp points of weapons.

Tiamat - Goddess of salt water and creation who mates with Abzû to give birth to the gods.

*This one is a bit confusing for me cause sources seem to switch around Sumerian/Babylonian/akkadian with names and roles so for water there are a few different deities of water so i just chose the more commonly known one.*

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Feng Po Po - Goddess of the wind. She is depicted as an old crone that rides on the back of a tiger through the clouds.

Tudigong - God of the soil and the ground.

Zhurong - God of fire and of the direction South.

Mazu - Goddess of the sea and protector of seafarers.

In most cultures, there are deities that are responsible for creating the earth or the universe. Sometimes they are always there and other times they bring themselves into existence.

Nareau - Kiribati (Oceania) (pictured above)

Chaos - Greek

Atum - Egyptian (multiple other creator deities as well)

Makemake - Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Unkulunkulu - Zulu

Nanaozho - Ojibwe

Izanagi - Japanese

Kamuy - Ainu (Japanese tribe)

Ranginui - Māori

Viracocha - Inca

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Paracelsus was an alchemist during the 16th century in Europe. He thought of these beings as something between creatures and spirits that are normally invisible. They are able to move through their elements as easy as we move through air.

Sylph - Being of Air

Pygmy - Being of Earth

Salamander - Being of Fire

Nymph - Being of Water

In some cultures, there are stories that tell why some birds (mostly crows and ravens) have black feathers. It can most often be to help people or animals obtain fire.

Yanomami - Birds steal fire from alligator who kept it in his mouth so no one else could have it. As some were carrying it to give to others they burned themselves which is why some have black feathers.

Sioux - Ravens were once white and would warn buffalo when hunters were coming to help them escape. A shaman became angry and threw the bird into a fire which turned it back. After that, Ravens stopped helping buffalo.

Lenape - Crow used to be rainbow-colored and one day flew to ask the Great Sky Spirit for help during a cold winter. He gave the Crow fire to bring back to the other animals. However, on the way back the fire scorched his feathers black and turned his voice into a harsh croak.

Quillayute - Raven stole the sun, moon, stars, and fire from Grey Eagle who was hoarding them from people because he hated them. Raven was originally a man but turned himself into a white bird and was invited to Grey Eagle's house by his daughter. As soon as he was alone, Raven stole all the things that Grey Eagle was hoarding and hung up the sun, moon, and stars. As Raven was flying with the fire, at last, it burned his feathers, turning them black. When it became too hot he dropped the fire where it landed on rocks. That is why when you strike two rocks together it sparks and why Ravens are all black.

Greek - Ravens are associated with the God Apollo and are thought to be a symbol of bad luck. One day, Apollo sent a white Raven (or sometimes a Crow) to spy on his lover, Coronis. When the Raven told Apollo that Coronis was unfaithful, Apollo scorched the Raven in fury which is why their feathers are all black. 

Fairy Rings (Elf Circles, Fairy Circles, Pixie Rings) are rings usually formed from mushrooms that can grow up to 33ft in diameter. They can be found in places such as forests or grasslands. Most regard Fairy Rings as dangerous places that should be avoided.

 They have quite a few myths associated with them in a few different cultures.

Germany - They are usually referred to as Hexenringe (witches' rings) and they believed that they were the spot where witches danced on Walpurgis Night.

Dutch - They are places that the devil set his milk churn.

Tyrol - This is a spot that was created by a dragon. After it was made, nothing could grow there except toadstools for seven years.

France - These rings are protected by toads who cursed those who violate the circles.

Celtic and Scandinavian - These rings are the spots where fairies danced.

English - These rings are the spots where elves danced and by entering one you could see the elves but also be able to fall for their illusions.

Irish - Fairies will often dance around Hawthorn trees which is why there are fairy rings around them.

Scottish - Fairies sit on the mushrooms of the fairy rings and use them as dinner tables.

Welsh - They believe these rings sit on top of an underground fairy village.

Some say that those who violate fairy rings and enter them will become invisible to those outside of one and will not be able to leave it. Also the fires can force the person in the fairy circle to dance to the point of extreme exhasution or even death.

Elementals are deities or creatures that represent one of the 4 elements in mythology which are: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Ayao - The Orisha of Air. She is said to reside in the eye of a tornado.

Babalu Ayé - The Orisha of the Earth, infectious disease, and healing. He has been associated with AIDS, smallpox, leprosy, influenza, and Ebola in West Africa.

Ogun - The Orisha of fire, metal workers, and smith makers. He was the first Orisha to defend to earth to find a suitable place for human life.

Yemoja - The Orisha of water, lakes, rivers, fishermen, shipwreck survivors, and moonlight. She is able to cure women's infertility and cares deeply for all her children.

Korean: In Korean religion, Yeomna is the supreme ruler and fifth of the ten kings of the underworld (Shi-Wang). He is the one who judges the sins of the dead and decides their fate in the afterlife. He was originally the first human to die. His Hindu counterpart is Yama.

In most cultures they have some form of an afterlife. These realms aren't always entirely a place for only bad souls. Sometimes they can be a mixture of both good and bad people in the same place. They all usually have a deity that rules over them to insure they run properly.

Greek - Hades

Norse - Hel

Egyptian - Osiris

Hindu - Yama

Aztec - Mictlantecuhtli

Elamite (Iran) - Jabru

Inca - Supay

Mesopotamian - Ereshkigal

Inuit - Pana

Finnish - Tuoni

Slavic - Veles

Klamath (Indian Tribe) - Llao

Etruscan - Nantus

Hawaiian - Kanaloa

Hungarian - Erlik

Javanese - Batara Kala

In many different cultures, ravens are seen as symbols of death, creators of the world, tricksters, mediators of the gods, prophecy and more.

Greek - Ravens are associated with Apollo. They are a symbol of bad luck and his messenger to the mortal world. Apollo sent one of his white Ravens to spy on his lover Coronis; when the raven returned to tell that he had been unfaithful, Apollo scorched him and turned his feathers black. 

Islamic - In the Qur'an, a raven is the one who taught Cain how to bury Able after he murdered him.

Norse - Odin has two Ravens named Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory) that tell him everything they see and hear as they fly around Midgard (Earth).

Irish - Ravens are associated with the goddess Morrígan, Badb, the battleground, and warfare. 

Hindu - The deity Shani uses a raven (or sometimes a crow) as his Vahana, which is a sort of vehicle that is usually an animal.

Serbian - In Serbian epic poems, Ravens are associated with death and bloody battles. They can often appear in pairs and will usually bring bad news. They are also known to announce the death of heroes and sometimes bring body parts of the hero to let people know of their heroes' fate.

Tlingit (Alaskan tribe) - There is creator Raven who created the universe and light to the darkness.

Puget Sound - There was once a raven who lived in the Land of Spirits (Bird Land) that has been around before humans. Raven became bored and flew away with a rock in his beak. He eventually got tired of carrying it and dropped it into the ocean and it then expanded into the firmament that humans now live in.

Yakut (Turkic tribe) - If two ravens or crows fly over a warriors head in battle it is said to symbolize two evil spirits of war and violence named Ilbis Kyyha and Ohol Uola.

In many cultures, people will have festivals to honor and remember the dead and can last for multiple days at a time.

Mexico - The Day of the Dead festival (Día De Muertos) is the most well known festival for the dead of any culture. This festival lasts 3 days and starts on October 31st and goes till November 2nd. During this time, families get together and pray for their ancestors that have died and help them on their journey in the afterlife. They will leave offerings on the graves such as that person's favorite food or drink and sometimes build small alters for them called ofrendas (Check out the movie Coco that's based entirely around the festival).

China - The Chinese have a similar festival called The Hungry Ghost Festival which is held on the 15th night of the seventh month according to the Chinese Lunisolar calendar (this date can change year to year using the Gregorian calendar). The whole month is also called Ghost Month. During this festival, ghosts and spirits come out of the lower realm and interact with the living. To appease the spirits, people will set out plates of food, burn incense, burn Joss paper (ghost money that when burned can be used for the ghosts in the afterlife), and give the ghosts entertainment with things like music/live concerts. (There's a really good book called A Thousand Beginnings and Endings which is a compilation of retellings of Asian myths and legends and one of the stories revolves around this festival). 

In many cultures, people will have festivals to honor and remember the dead and can last for multiple days at a time.

Bolivia - Day of the Skulls (Día de las Ñatitas) is a festival that takes place on November 8th. The people of Bolivia will keep the skulls of their ancestors to share the day with on the 3rd year after the person was buried. The skulls are usually kept at people's homes during the year so they can watch over and protect the family. During the festival, skulls are dressed up in flower crowns, and they give them offerings such as cigarettes, candy, alcohol, and coca (pictured above).

Japan - The Obon (Bon) Festival can last for 3 days and starts on the 15th day of the seventh month and the exact day changes every year. During this time, families get together and go and clean the graves of their ancestors and it is said that their spirits revisit household altars (called Butsudan). There is even a dance people perform called Bon Odori and can vary in style and music depending on where it is performed. This dance is used as a way to welcome spirits of the dead. 

In many cultures, people will have festivals to honor and remember the dead and can last for multiple days at a time.

Scottland/Irland- Samhain is a festival that marks the end of harvesting season and begins the darker half of the year. The festival goes from October 31st to November 1st. During this time, cattle is brought back from their summer pastures and livestock is slaughtered for the winter. Also during this time, special bonfires are lit that are said to have protective and cleansing power (pictured above). This time of the year is a liminal time which means that the boundary between this world and the Otherworld are at its weakest allowing Aos Sí (spirits or fairies) to come into our world. Some scholars think that Aos Sí are remnants of gods and nature spirits. These spirits need to be appeased while they're here to ensure that people and their livestock will survive the winter. In order to do this, people would leave food and drink offerings outside their houses as well as a seat at their table during dinner. Another part of this festival involves guising, where people go door-to-door in costumes and recite verses for food in return. It is thought that using the costumes was a way to hide from the Aos Sí.

Yes, this is one of the festivals that inspired Halloween.

India - Pitru Paksha, which means "fortnight of the ancestors" is a 16 lunar day festival where people pay homage to their ancestors (a.k.a. Pitris which are spirits) through food offerings. During this festival, they perform a ceremony known as Shraddha or Tarpan. Shraddha is when a person takes a Brahmanaa (priest) into their home and treats them as their parent and gives them food and shows them hospitality. Crows are seen as ancestors as well and so during this festival people will often give food offerings to them (such as Pinda which are balls of rice).

In different cultures there are stories of tribes of small people. I guess you can't really call them a tall tale this time. I have put together a short list that only includes a small amount of info compared to the larger story. If you would like a full list of all posts I have made on little people/spirits feel free to dm me. 

Pukwudjie - In Wampanoag myths (Native American tribe) they are said to be 4-5ft tall and their name translates to "little man of the woods that vanishes". They can appear and disappear at will and will often times lure people to their death.

Alux - In Mayan mythology, Alux are little spirit people that are around knee height. They are invisible most of the time but can take on a physical form to interact with and scare humans.

Goblin - In European folklore, they are seen as malicious, grotesque, greedy and and mischievous. Their characteristics can change frequently depending on the country/area.

Below I will be listing multiple different themes/motifs that can be found in many different cultures across the world and give an explanation for each one.

Fire Theft: The theft of fire is usually done by a being or animal that is considered a trickster in most cultures (such as Coyote, Raven or Prometheus). The trickster will be stealing from a being that has sole possession over fire and refuses to let anyone else have it. The trickster will take it and bring it to others so that everyone can use it. However, a lot of the time, the tirckster will have to pay some sort of price for stealing it afterwards (Raven's white feathers were scorched black or Prometheus being tied to a rock and having his liver eaten everyday by a giant eagle).

World Flood: A world flood will happen when a supreme deity decides that the humans on earth have become too disrespectful/corrupt and in order to punish them, will wipe out almost all life on earth to start over. In most cases, the supreme deity will chose a handful of people who they deem worthy to survive and repopulate the earth.

Hero's Journey: A hero will be chosen to go on a heroic quest and along the way facing a multitude of challenges along the way. They will be sent on a quest to retrieve an item or defeat a monster or a variation of other things. You can learn more about this if you look into Joseph Campbell's Monomyth.

Creation: Obviously if there was no form of creation then nothing would be here today. But how it comes about varies in different cultures. Sometimes it is a being that spews out a mother earth/father sky siblings - such as Gaea and Ouranos from Greek mythology - who become the world we live on. Other times it is the death of one being whose body is used to form the universe itself, such as Ymir who is ended by Odin and his brothers to form the nine realms. 

End of the World: The end of the world can come about in a multitude of ways whether it be a permanent end to all life or a constant cycle of death and creation such as Ragnarök from the Norse myths. Or it can be like the Mayans who believe the world was created and destroyed 5 times in different ways each time until they got it how they wanted it. 

Norse - Skadi is the goddess of winter and skiing.

Greek - Boreas is the god of the cold North wind and winter.

Greek - Khione is the Goddess of snow and daughter of Boreas

Greek - Khiemon is the Hora/goddess of winter.

Gaelic - Beira is the Queen and personification of winter.

Russia - Grandfather Frost

Slavic - Marzanna is the goddess of winter, death and rebirth

Persian - Grandma Frost

In Arabian mythology, Djinn have been known to very briefly to grant people wishes. Djinn are very powerful beings that are made of fire and are invisible to us unless they want to be seen. There was a story in 1001 Arabian Nights called The Fisherman and the Ifrit (type of Djinn) where an old fisherman pulls a brass bottle with a lead seal on it out of the sea. Inside is trapped an Ifrit who was sealed there by Solomon. The Ifrit told the man that the only wish he grant him was to choose how he would die. He then said that for the first 100 years of his entrapment he would give whoever freed him enough wealth to last forever. Then the next 100 years he would give to whoever freed him all the treasures of the earth. No one freed him yet and so the next 100 years he would grant the person who freed him 3 wishes. But since no one found him and freed him he decided that he would kill the person and let them choose how they die. The fisherman then decided that he would trick the Ifrit saying that he didn't believe that he could fit inside the bottle, so the Ifrit proved it by shrinking back down and into the bottle. Quickly, the fisherman put the lid back on and trapped him inside. The Ifrit pleaded with the fisherman and said he would help him if he was released. The fisherman finally agreed and let him out. The Ifrit led the fisherman to a pond that had many exotic fish and told him to take out 4 which he would bring to the sultan for money.

Owls are featured in many different cultures around the world. Beliefs revolving around them vary, some cultures see them as wise and helpful, others see them as a bad omen and could be associated with witchcraft or death. Below I will be listing owls from different cultures and the roles they play.

Greek - The Goddess Athena's owl was a representation of knowledge and wisdom. She is often depicted with an owl on her arm.

Cahuilla Tribe - The God Muut is an owl who guides souls to the afterlife.

Apache - The Apache people believe that if you dream about an owl it can signify approaching death.

Hopi - The Burrowing Owl is their God of the dead and guardian of fires.

England - It is believed that if an owl flies past the window of a person that is sick, it means imminent death.

Roman - It is believed that if you nail a dead owl to your door it was a good way to keep evil spirits away.

Zuni Tribe - If you place an owl's feather in a baby's crib it keeps evil spirits away.

Cameroon - The people of Cameroon have such a fear of owls that they only call it "the bird that makes you afraid" because they believe it is a very strong source of evil.

Today is Valentine's day, and in honor of that I am making a compilation of deities of love from different cultures.

Greek:

Aphrodite - Goddess of love, pleasure, beauty, and procreation.

Eros - God of love who went around with a bow and arrow making people fall in love.

Anteros - God of requited love and avenger of unrequited love.

Himeros - God of sexual desire.

Pothos - God of sexual longing and desire.

Efik:

Anansa - Goddess of the sea, allure, and beauty.

Yoruba:

Oshun - Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, sexuality, and fertility.

Aztec:

Teicu - Goddess of sexual appetite.

Tiacapan - Goddess of sexual hunger.

Tlazolteotl - Goddess of lust and sexual misdeeds.

Xōchiquetzal - Goddess of sex and beauty.

Hinduism:

Kamadeva - Goddess of love and desire.

Rati - Goddess of love, lust, carnal desire, and sexual pleasure.

Irish:

Aíne - Goddess of love, summer, and wealth.

Cliodhna - Goddess of love and beauty.

Norse:

Freyja - Goddess of sex, beauty, war, and death.

Freyr - God of lust, pleasure, and peace.

In cultures all over the world, there are spirits that are trees, or that are the protectors of them and the forests that they live in.

Greek

- Meliai, nymphs of ash trees.

- Oreads, nymphs of mountain conifers.

- Hamadryads, nymphs of oak and poplar trees.

- Maliades, nymphs of apple and fruit trees.

- Daphnai, nymphs of laurel trees.

Turkic

- Äbädä, forest spirit that protects animals of the forest, has blue skin and great horns.

- Archura, forest spirit that also protects animals of the forest, can shapeshift into trees but most often in form of a man.

Tatar

- Surale, lives in forests, and kills people by tickling them to death

Brazilian

- Chullachaki, shapeshifter that lures people away from the path and gets them lost in the forest.

Mongo (Africa)

- Eloko, dwarf-like forest creature, that live in hollow trees with grass growing on their bodies.

Slavic

- Samodiva, woodland fairy or nymph, they can cause a drought and make people's cattle die. Men fall for them and will pursue them till they die of exhaustion.

- Leshy, protector of forests, surrounded by a pack of wolves or sometimes bears.

Serpents are a common theme within myths and are often times regarded in a negative light. They can be seen as bad omens or manifestations of evil, but they are also good and they can be creators of life.

Aboriginal - The Rainbow Serpent is the creator god, it is the one who created gullies and channels as it slithered across the land. When it broke out of the earth it created mountains, gorges and ridges.

Greek - Python lived in a cave located in the Oracle of Delphi and was the daughter of Gaea. Gaea had sent her there to protect it and that place was considered to be the center of the earth. Apollo went to Delphi and slew Python, taking over the Oracle.

Bassari - Snake was made along with Antelope, man and woman. There was a tree that had red fruit that no one was allowed to eat from except for the God Unumbotte. One day Snake convinced the the man and woman to eat from the tree. Because of this Unumbotte made Snake have the desire to attack humans and was given poison while humans were given plants to cultivate and eat.

Egyptian - Nehebkau is a two-headed snake that guards the entrance to the underworld. He also protected Ra during his journey through the underworld every night.

Hindu - The God Vishnu sleeps floating on the Cosmic waters on the serpent Shesha. Shesha also holds all all the planets on its hoods and sings of the glories of Vishnu.

Aztec - Quetzalcoatl is a feathered serpent and God who created the fifth earth after the last one was destroyed by a flood.

Definition: In many different cultures there are myths describing mermaids, which are creatures with the top half of a woman and the bottom half of a fish. Their male counterparts are called merman/mermen. I will be going over mermaids from different cultures and what they're known for or associated with.

Assyrian - The Goddess Atargatis turned herself into a mermaid in shame after she killed her human lover. This is one of the oldest mermaid myths dating back to around 1000 B.C.

British - In British myths, mermaids are seen as bad omens and have been a sign of bad weather approaching and the doom of ships they interact with.

Irish - Lí Ban was a women who was turned into a mermaid after her family drowned in a flood and she was trapped in an underwater chamber for one year.

European - Melusine is a female spirit of fresh water. She is depicted as a woman with the lower body of a fish with two tails (The possible inspiration for the Starbucks logo).

Korean - Sinjike was a mermaid that warned fishermen of oncoming storms by throwing rocks into the sea from Geomun Island and singing to them.

Greek - The Sirens are not necessarily mermaids in the sense of having partial bodies of fish. They are usually depicted as women with the legs and wings of birds. However, they were later on commonly depicted more like mermaids. 

South Africa - Mami Water or Mami Wata is a water spirit. They can sometimes depicted as men, they have been known to lure men to their deaths.

In many different cultures, there are myths of large black dogs that appear before people. Depending on the culture they can either be a good or bad omen, sometimes appearing before a tragedy or a changing point in a person's life.

Church Grim - A black dog that guards over churches against people who would do harm to it. It was once a custom to bury a dog at a church whose ghost would then become the Church Grim. 

Black Shuck - This is a name used for black dogs found in areas such as The British Isles. It is said to be a black dog the size of a horse. Descriptions can vary by area.

Cadejo - The Cadejo is located in Central America and there is even a white version of it. Sometimes the white dog is considered good and the black dog bad. But sometimes it can be the other way around. They are said to be dogs the size of cows, with glowing red eyes and hooves instead of paws.

Barghest - Barghest is from Northern England and is and has been known to take many other shapes than just a dog; such as a headless man, white cat, or rabbit. It is said to be an omen of death. When it walks there is the sound of rattling chains.

Hellhound - Hellhounds are usually associated with the underworld and can guard the entrance to them (such as Cerberus or Garm). It is said that if you were to look into the eyes of a Hellhound three times then you would die. It is an omen of death and seeing it or hearing it howl will be a sign of that.

Named after the Hydra from Greek mythology, the Hydra has many tentacles, one is used to lure its prey in while the others shoot the prey with poisonous darts until it dies. It can essentially live forever because it regenerates all of its cells every few weeks.

They can fly about half the length of a football field and don't fly if it's rainy or windy. They use their tales to steer as they fly.

Named after Harpies from Greek mythology, the Harpy Eagle's wingspan is over 6 feet and had claws that are bigger than a Grizzly Bear's. The female's are almost twice as big as the males.

The Dracula Ant will sometimes bit holes in larvae and drink some of their blood.

These sharks live at the depths of the oceans and have a lineage dating back to around 125 million years ago.

In mythology, flaming swords are wielded by beings of great power and used to either protect or destroy depending on the being and their purpose.

Manjushri - Buddhism

Surtr - Norse

Archangel Uriel - Christianity

Asaruludu - Sumerian

Rhydderch Hael - Welsh

Dumah - Yiddish

DEFINITION: A scaled or fire spewing creature with traits similar to a reptile that is told about in myths all around the world.

ORIGIN: Although there is no concrete theory as to where the origin of dragons comes from there is many theories as to what inspired these mysterious creatures.

1. Crocodiles - the saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile are two of the biggest reptiles currently living on Earth. The Nile crocodile is located today in the rivers and lakes of sub-saharan Africa while saltwater crocodiles live in Indonesia and along the eastern coast of India. Thousands of years ago these crocodiles had a much larger habitat range than what they do today and it is said that the Nile crocodile lived on the northern side of the Mediterranean where it could have threatened the inhabitants of places like Greece, Italy and Spain.

Also the Nile crocodile can grow up to 20ft in length and will sometimes lift their trunks up off the ground which may explain why dragons are portrayed as reptiles rearing up to slay warriors. Saltwater crocodiles can propel themselves up out of the water in order to catch their prey.

2. Dinosaurs - Archeologists believe that ancient people may have discovered fossils large and long-necked dinosaurs which may have been the inspiration behind the myths about dragons. One dinosaur that may have been an inspiration for dragons would be the Quijianglong which was alive around 160 million years ago and could grow up to 49ft in length. Back then people most likely created stories about the bones in order to explain what the creatures were. 

3. Whales - Another possibility for the origin of dragons would be that the bones of whales would wash up along the shore which would have most likely puzzled coastal dwellers. Most ancient humans didn't hace the nautical technology to go out to sea so they would only ever catch glimpses of these giant creatures; because whales only ever spent most of their time underwater or far out at sea. 

In the bible (the book of Jacob) the leviathan (eho is believed to be Cetus, the whale who was sent by the Greek god Poseidon to attack Ethiopia) is described like a dragon in detail: 

12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs, 

    its strength and its graceful form. 

13 Who can strip off its outer coat? 

    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor [b]?

14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth, 

    ringed about with fearsome teeth?... 

18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light; 

    its eyes are like the rays of dawn. 

19 Flames stream from its mouth; 

    sparks of fire shoot out. 

20 Smoke pours from its nostrils 

    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. 

21 Its breath sets coals ablaze, 

    and flames dart from its mouth… 

25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; 

    they retreat before its thrashing. 

26 The sword that reaches it has no effect, 

    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. 

27 Iron it treats like straw 

    and bronze like rotten wood… 

33 Nothing on earth is its equal— 

    a creature without fear. 

34 It looks down on all that are haughty; 

    it is king over all that are proud.”

4. Snakes - In Egypt there was a deity named Apep who was the serpent of the Nile and was the Lord of chaos and the opponent of light and truth, he was said to be just below the horizon waiting for his chance to swallow the sun. Other stories say that descend into the underworld to devour the souls of the dead. Although Apep is a far cry from the Wyverns that circulate through Eastern and Western folklore, it does point to a fear that humans have had throughout history. David E. Jones wrote a book called, An Instinct for Dragons and said that like monkeys and dogs, humans are afraid of snakes and as a result of that fear we overtime invented dragons and it could explain how myths about dragons could have risen in seperate parts of the globe.

It is a fairly well established theme among myths that dragons have a tendency to hoard/protect huge caches of gold or other gems/jewelry. This theme is the most common among Germanic cultures but can be found in other areas as well. The reasons for their hoard/guarding can vary depending on the story. Sometimes a dragon is put in place by a deity of some sort to protect a place or object; or the dragon is protecting a wealth of gold for it's own desire. Below I will be going over different dragons from different cultures and explaining what they're protecting and why.

Greek:

The Hesperian Dragon - Ladon was a hundred-headed dragon or serpent that was tasked with guarding the Hesperides' golden apples. These apples were a gift from Gaea (Earth) to the goddess Hera on her wedding day. Ladon was later slain by Heracles during his 12 Labors and placed among the stars as the constellation Draco.

The Colchian Dragon - There was once a dragon who has tasked with guarding the Golden Fleece that hung from an oak tree in Ares' sacred grove. The fleece was later stolen by Jason and the Argonauts. Depending on the source, the dragon was either slain by Jason or put to sleep by the witch Medea.

Norse:

Fáfnir - Fáfnir was originally a dwarf and son of Hreidmar. He has two brothers named Regin and Otr. He was cursed by the gold of Andvari which caused him to kill his father and steal all of his fortunes. He then moved into the wilderness to better protect it and transformed into a dragon/serpent. Fáfnir was later killed by Sigurd who had dug a trench and laid in it till Fáfnir walked over it and Sigurd thrust his sword, Gram, into his left shoulder.

European:

Beowulf - Beowulf's last battle was between him and a dragon who had been terrorizing the Geats after a slave stole a jeweled cup from the dragon's lair. Beowulf ends up getting killed by the dragon and is then slain by Wiglaf.

Possible reasoning:

It seems that dragons most of the time do not have an actual use for the gold/gems as they do not seek to spend it or get rid of it. Instead, they just lay on top of it and prevent anyone from taking it. Some people say that this is because the belly of the dragon is the only soft spot on their body, they lay on their hoard in order to protect that part of them. Others say that a dragon guarding its hoard is a representation of Greed.

Another theory is that dragons are inspired by dinosaur fossils which makes the claim that because miners who were digging for coal would sometimes come across dinosaur bones. Or the fact that snakes often live in caves where precious stones can be found.

Pokémon have a lot of their own creations when it comes to the creatures that are in their games, but they do draw their inspiration from myths & legends around them. Below I will be listing a small amount of the myths and the Pokémon they inspired.

Sneasel is based of off Kamai Itachi (Sickle Weasel) which is a weasel that moves so quick that it is invisible to the naked eye and they have steel-like razor sharp claws that they use to cut people up with. However, they move so fast and heal them so fast that the victim doesn't even know they have been attacked.

Manectric comes from the Japanese Raiju which is an electric wolf who lives in the sky and ride bolts of lightening to the earth causing tons of destruction by starting fires and causing buildings to burn down.

Ho-Oh comes from the Chinese (and Japanese) version of the Phoenix which is called Hōō. It is described as a bird that has the beak of a rooster, head of a pheasant, legs of a crane, tail of a peacock and the back of a tortoise. It is a heavily honored animal and is seen as peaceful and appears in lands that are blessed with peace and happiness. It never brings harm to any living things. 

Xerneas comes from the Norse deer named Eikyrnir which stood on the roof of Valhalla and from his horns drips water that turns into all the rivers of the world.

Mawile is based off of the Japnese Futakuchi Onna which is a woman who has an extra mouth on the back of her head and eats a ton of food and uses the hair like tentacles to take in more food.

Zapdos was inspired by the Native American Thunderbird, which is found in many different tribes. The thunderbird can create thunder with the clap of its wings and throws lighting at the world.  

Japan: In Shintoism, after you die you journey through what is known as Meido which leads you to your fate being judged. Along the way there are many difficult trials you must face, but that is for a later post. After your journey through Meido you will be met by Enma Daiō who is the ruler of both Meido and Jigoku (Hell). He is the foremost of 13 judges of the dead. Enma Daiō judges the souls by reading from a great scroll that has a record of all of their good and bad deeds. He has a Honji (true form) of a Buddha named Jizō Bosatsu that is the guardian of the underworld, protector of children and God of travelers. He is considered to be a compassionate God that vowed not to fully become a Buddha until all souls are free of suffering. For that reason he will give them (the souls) many tests/trials to make sure that they're less likely to end up in hell. 

Ninetales is based off of the Japanese Kitsune. Once a Kitsune reaches 100 years old it gains a second tail. The most powerful Kitsune (kyūbi no kitsune) will have up to nine tails and white-gold fur. They are said to hold infinite wisdom and can hear and see anything that is going on in the world.

Froslass is based off of the Japanese Yuki-Onna, a vengeful yokai that takes on the form of a Beautiful woman. She lures her victims into snow storms. They can also use their icy breath to freeze their victims solid.

Drowzee is based off of the Japanese Baku. Baku is a yokai that feasts on people's bad dreams. It is said that the Baku was created by the gods using all of the leftover pieces.

Absol comes from the Japanese myth of Hakutaku which is a wise beast that appears in lands where rulers are very virtuous and will often tell of oncoming disasters and are seen as a sign of good luck.

Background: Zombies can be found in many different cultures throughout the world and are the oldest mythological creatures. They are the undead, reanimated corpses that come back in different ways depending on the culture they originate from.

Characteristics: Reanimated corpses of the dead.

Oldest Origin: The oldest known mention of zombies date back to The Epic of Gilgamesh (written c. 2150-1400B.C.) in which Ishtar threatens the god Anu that she will raise the dead against him if she doesn't get the Bull of Heaven:

“If you do not give me the Bull of Heaven,

I shall smash [the gates of the Netherworld, right down] to its dwelling,

I shall bring up the dead to consume the living,

I shall make the dead outnumber the living".

(Andrew George’s translation, VI 96-100)

Name Origin: The origin of the name for zombies comes from the Voodoo religion in Haiti. It originates from the Kongo word for 'soul' which is nzambi. This type of zombie can come back to life using dark magic.

In Different Cultures:

Norway - In Norse mythology, these zombies are called Draugr. Their name means "again-walker". They are often buried with treasures that they protect. You can be turned into one by being buried in a sitting or upright position or by being killed by one.

(Have a full-length post made on this in the past)

Africa - In Zulu mythology (South Africa), they have a zombie-like creature called Tokoloshi which is made by a shaman. They take a corpse, remove its eyes and tongue and melt its brain. They are only harmful to adults.

(Have a full-length post made on this in the past)

Germany - In German mythology, these zombies are called Wiedergänger which means " the one who walks again".

Britain - Zombies in Britain were called Revenants which were corpses that had come back from the grave seeking revenge or to harass villagers.

Greece - In Sicily, there has been evidence found of corpses that had been weighed down with things like rocks and amphora fragments (tall jars) as if to try and prevent the corpses from rising.

Therianthropy is the term for humans that have the ability to turn into animals. This list is incomplete. (I think this term can also be used the other way around for animals that can take on a human form? Not 100% sure though).

Werewolves - Humans turning into wolves found in multiple cultures.

Werehyena - Turning into a hyena, found in multiple African cultures.

Werecat - Similar to werewolves, but like, with cats instead of wolves, found in European myths.

Skinwalkers - Shamans/Medicine Men turning into coyotes or other animals from the Navajo tribe. 

Naguals (Nahuals) - Turning into a jaguar from Mesoamerica.

Selkie - Seal women who can shed their skin and be human and even marry humans. Found in Scottish myths.

Ungnyeo - A bear that became a woman after praying to the God Hwanung in Korean myths.

In mythology there a creatures that are depicted as having only one leg. So they probably just have to hop around all the time, that would probably suck.

Monopod - Greek

Nasnas - Arabic

Patasola - South American

Saci-Pererê - Brazilian

Fachan - Scottish

Empusa - Greek

Ippondatara - Japanese

Definition: The idea of a spiritual twin (not sure what else to call it (soul doppelganger??)) is a reoccurring theme where a human is born with a twin that is a spirit that can sometimes be with them their entire life. They can also act as a guardian to the human they are born with.

Qareen  - In Arabic myths, the Qareen (Qarin) is a spiritual double of a person that is either a part of the person or is complimentary to it within a parallel dimension. It is said that the Qareen can also influence the decisions that a person makes and whether they will be a good or bad one.

Vörðr - In Norse myths, the Vörðr is a guardian spirit that is with a lerson from the time that they are born until they die. Vörðr have been known to reveal themselves in the form of either a small light or in the shape of the person that they watch over. 

Abyan - In Filipino myths, Abyans can be ancestral spirits but not always. Most of the time they will be a non-human spirit. It is said that the Abyan will be with a person from their birth they most often accompany shamans but they will have to give continual offerings to the Abyan to stay in good company with them. Abyan can also help shamans when they are visiting the spirit world and make sure that their soul doesn't get lost.

Listen, they just all have a fucking red hat/cap that they wear. That's it. That's the comparative post. Most of them however are short in height so idk I guess that's also a thing. 

Saci-Pererê - Brazilian

Merrow - Irish

Redcap - English

Far Darrig - Irish

Trasgu - multiple cultures

Lutin - French

Definition: In many different cultures, there are myths of creatures who will find different ways to get your attention and lure you away (usually into the forest) where you will never be seen again.

Nokken - German: A shapeshifting water spirit who play violins to lure people in and then drown them.

Sirens - Greek: Sirens are creatures who use their beautiful singing voice to entrance sailors at sea and cause them to shipwreck.

Kelpie - Celtic: Shapeshifting water spirit that resides in lakes and pools. It can take on the form of either a horse or a beautiful woman. 

Skogsrå - Swedish: This forest spirit is similar to the Scandinavian Huldra. Skogsrå appears as a beautiful woman but her back is hollow and she has a tail. Whoever follows her into the woods are never seen again.

Patasola - South American: A monster that only has one leg and takes the form of a human woman. She appears to male loggers or hunters and lures them into the jungle. There she drains her victims of their blood.

Tunda - Colombia: The Tunda is similar to the Patasola however one of her legs is a Molinillo (wooden kitchen utensil) and she can take on the form of people you know.

Nishi Daak - Bengali: This ghost will use the voice of a loved one to call you out into the woods at night. However, the Nishi Daak can only call for you twice.

Definition: Often sailors will come across interesting figures out at sea who can either good or bad for their journey, listed below is only a small part of them and their interactions.

Draugr - The Norse Draugr has a sea variation in which a sailor who dies at sea will have his head become seaweed and he wears an oilskin and sails in half a boat.

Klabautermann - In European myth, Klabautermann is a ship elf. During storms, he will put his back to the mast to prevent it from breaking. But he can also warn of death or shipwrecks to come.

Mermaids - Mermaids, like others, have both good and bad interactions with sailors. They can appear before sailors who will take that be an omen of death and that their ship will sink. 

Storm Kelpies - In Scottish myth, Storm Kelpies (Blue Men of the Minch) look for men to drown and boats to sink. They also have the power to create storms.

Kraken - This Giant octopus like creature is said to live off the coasts of Norway and Greenland. It terrorizes sailors and can sink their ships.

Sirens - In Greek myth, Sirens are bird-like women who use their beautiful singing voice to lure sailors to their deaths by making swim to them and drown.

Definition: In Greek mythology, there is a surprising number of myths that include bees and honey. There are also a lot of nymphs that have the name Melia which is derived from the word meli which means "honey-sweet" and applies to spring waters.

Thriai: Bee women who raised Apollo and have prophetic powers by the use of rocks and birds. They feed on honeycomb. They tell the truth when eating yellow honey.

Melisseus: demi-god (daimon) of honey and beekeeping.

Aristaeus: the rustic God of beekeeping, honey and honey-mead, and much more.

Meliteus: A child of Zeus and an Oread named Othreis. His name means bee-man because when he was a baby he was fed by bees after being left in the woods.

Pan: Some offerings made to Pan can include cows, lambs, milk, and honey.

Zeus: When Zeus was being hidden by Rhea as an infant and taken care of on Mount Dykte. He was fed milk from the goat Amaltheia and the bees fed him honey.

Definition: In world mythology, many cultures fear the sun and moon disappearing. They will more often than not see it as a bad omen or in some cases that the world will end. There are other reasons for eclipses happening in myths but these focus on the sun or moon being consumed by something.

Hindu - Rahu is a floating head that swallows the sun and moon. But because he is only a head, the sun and moon come back out.

Filipino - Bakunawa is a giant dragon that tries to eat the moon. The Filipinos would go out and bang pots and pans to scare the dragon off. Others would play soothing sounds to try and make it fall asleep.

Chinese - Tiangou is a giant black dog that eats the moon. There is a white version of him as a fox that is the good side who brings peace and tranquility.

Persian - Jawzahr is a dragon that was banished to space and is bigger than the sun and moon. He catches them but they always escape. 

Mayan - Ah Ciliz is a servant of the sun. He waits at the table to devour him, causing eclipses.

Vietnamese - A giant frog is trying to escape his master Lord Hahn and eats the sun. Lord Hahn is the only one who can convince him to release the sun.

Korean - There are fire dogs called Bul-Gae who consume the sun and moon. However, when the dog bites the sun it is too hot so it let go of it. Another dog is sent to get the moon, but it is too cold so it lets it go as well.

P.S. I don't think Sköll and Hati fit into this list as they consume the sun and moon at Ragnarok, the end of the world, and don't release them.

The body of creation, or as Carl Jung called it, the Cosmic Man, is a reoccurring theme in world mythology in which the body of a being is destroyed/dismembered in order to create the earth. 

Ymir - Norse

Tiamat - Mesopotamian

Ta'aroa - Polynesian

Pangu - Chinese

Cipactli - Aztec

In Greek mythology, there are a lot of constellations that have their own mythical origins. Some of them were put up in honor of a certain being or they were turned into the constellation.

Capricorn - The goat Amaltheia was turned into this constellation by Zeus as a way of thanking her for taking care of him when he was an infant.

Aquarius - This constellation was the mortal Ganymede who was so loved by Zeus that he made him his cupbearer.

Pisces - The two fish that make the constellation of Pisces represents when the Gods went into hiding from Typhon. Aphrodite and her son Eros took the forms of fish and hid at the bottom of the sea.

Aries - Aries came from the Golden Fleece that Jason acquired on his journey. Zeus put the ram in the sky to be honored.

Taurus - Taurus came to be because of the Minotaur who was defeated by Theseus in the labyrinth.

Gemini - The twins of the Gemini constellation represent Castor and Pollux. In an homage to the brothers and their inseparability, Zeus placed their image in the stars.

Cancer - The crab of the Cancer constellation is the same crab who Heracles defeated during his second labor. It had been sent by Hera to attack Heracles and in its honor, she put it among the stars.

Leo - Also from the labors of Heracles, Leo was the Nemean Lion defeated by Heracles. Zeus placed the lion among the stars.

Virgo - Virgo is used to represent the changing of the seasons, this constellation also represents Persephone losing her virginity (which I talked about in my post on Persephone that one interpretation of her taking Hades' seed -the pomegranate- was that she was giving him her virginity).

Libra - Libra is represented by Dike, a chthonic deity of justice through retribution. Libra is placed between Virgo and Scorpio as a symbol of balance.

Scorpio - The Scorpion that later became Scorpio was originally the one who stung Orion. One version of the myth states that the scorpion was sent by Gaea (Earth) because he was arrogant and boastful. Orion was also placed in the stars as a constellation.

Sagittarius - This constellation represents centaurs. The most famous of centaurs in the Greek myths was Chiron.

Scylla and Charybdis - In Greek mythology, these 2 monsters live close together on the straight between Italy and Cicily. Scylla has 12 feet, 6 long necks, and has a voice like yelping dogs. Charybdis is a giant whirlpool. Sailors passing through, such as the infamous Jason and the Argonauts or Odysseus and his crew, would have to risk either going close to the whirlpool and chance everyone dying. Or they can go closer to Scylla and lose up to 6 men and get away with the rest.

Umi Bōzu - In Japanese mythology, Umi Bōzu are the spirits of monks who died at sea. They appear as a giant black humanoid figure only ever seen from the shoulders up. Umi Bōzu appears on nights when the sea is calm and suddenly the weather and waves become chaotic, the creature will rise up and destroy the ship by smashing it with a single blow. Sometimes the creature will demand of the crew a giant barrel which it will then use to fill up the ship with water, sinking it. 

Aspidochelone - This is more of a generalized name for a creature found in multiple cultures. It is such a larger creature that it is often mistaken for an island by sailors. Once the sailors walk onto it the best goes under the water drowning them all. Aspidochelone is said to be either a large whale or turtle. 

Cirein-cròin - In Scottish Gaelic mythology, this sea-monster was said to be so large that it could eat 7 whales as its meal. However, it could shrink itself to a small silverfish when fishermen came in contact with it. The Cirein-Cròin would then change back into its original form and eat the fisherman.

Cmentarna Baba - In Slavic myths, Cmentarna baba (Cemetery woman) is an evil spirit that wonders graveyards, digging up graves and scattering the bones. Any person she comes across she will capture them and drag them into a grave.

Church Grim - In English folklore the Church Grim is a dog who is buried in the foundation of a church to protect it. During a funeral, a clergyman will determine if a person who died is going to heaven or hell depending on its aspect.

Vampires - In many different cultures there are stories of undead who rise from the grave to feast on the blood of the living. People would often go through a lot of different measures to insure that these creatures couldn't rise again.

Ghoul - In Arabic myths, Ghouls are a type of Djinn that live in graveyards and feed on human flesh. It is said that a ghpul can take on the form of the last person it ate. 

Kubikajiri - In Japanese mythology, during the autumn equinox, Kubikajiri will go to graveyards and look for fresh corpses to feed on. They are ghosts that have long hair, sunken eyes and discolored skin. It is said that these ghosts are created when a person is buried without their head. 

Zombies - In Multiple cultures mythologies, zombies are the reanimated corpses that are brought back in a variety of different ways for different purposes. (I have a separate post that goes into more detail on these creatures).

In many different cultures around the world, there is a reoccurring theme of sky gods (or gods that control some form of weather) are in a battle against a serpent or dragon. In some ways, I could see the incentive for a god to fight a dragon in the sense that they both have some sort of a domain over the air/sky. In regards to the serpent, I have read one theory that states that it was to symbolize the primal nature of man's fears and overcoming chaos/terror. However, this doesn't mean that they were always thought of negatively as some of these cultures also have snake cults/worshippers within them.

Greek - Zeus vs Typhon or Apollo vs Python

Norse - Thor vs Jormungandr

Hindu - Indra vs Vritra

Slavic - Perun vs Veles

Egyptian - Ra vs Apophis

Japanese - Susanoo vs Yamata-no-Orochi

There are a lot more elements that go into this world theme, if you would like a more in-depth review of it lookup "To Rust Metallic Gods: An Anarcho-Primitivist Critique of Paganism" by Autumn Leaves Cascade.

Japanese - Jorōgumo is a spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to lure men to their death.

Roman - Arachne is a weaving woman who tried to kill herself because she lost against Minerva (Athena). Minerva took pity on her and turned her into the first spider.

Akan (West Africa) - Anansi is a trickster that can take the form of a spider. He also has all knowledge of stories. He is constantly outwitting his opponents.

Lakota Tribe - Iktomi is a sort of trickster and cultural hero who can take on the form of a spider or man. He tricks people and other Gods but also comes to assist people in their times of need. 

Sumerian - Uttu is the Goddess of weaving. The cuniform symbol used to write her name is the same one used for the word "spider".

Kiribati (Oceania) - Nareau, whose name means "spider lord" is the creator deity.

Mochica (Peru) - Ai Apaec who is more often than not depicted as a crab rather than a spider.

Boobrie - In Scottish myth, along the west coast and some lochs there is a shape-shifting creature. It is sometimes said to transform into a cormorant or a Great Auk, but it has many other forms as well. It is known to attack livestock on ships such as calves or sheep.

Hafgufa and Lyngbakr - In Iceland myth, these 2 monsters are reported to be close to each other and will fool sailors into thinking they are 2 rocks and an island. The 2 rocks are the nose of Hafgufa and the island is the back of Lyngbakr. 

Sverðhvalur - In Iceland myth, there are many different kinds of illhveli (evil whales) this one has a long, bladed dorsal fin which it will use to slice holes in the hulls of ships or break smaller boats apart. 

Sea Witch - In European folklore, sea witches will sell rope with three knots in them to sailors to use to improve the winds out at sea by untying one of the knots. It is believed that untying the third knot however would create a hurricane.

Albatross - It is believed by some sailors that Albatross are the souls of sailors who died, therefore killing one would bring bad luck to them.

In many different myths around the world, there are stories of spirits who died by drowning. A lot of the time these spirits will come back to either haunt the place they died at and lead others to their death. Or they will come back to get revenge on the person that drowned them. 

Chinese - Shui Gui 

Norse - Draugr 

Japanese - Funayūrei 

Sami - Water Draug 

Slavic - Rusalka

Definition: The Grim Reaper is the personification of death and goes by many different names in mythology. The Grim Reaper collects souls to take them to the afterlife.

Characteristics: One of the most common depictions of the Grim Reaper is a skeletal figure in a hooded robe and carries either a scythe or sickle.

In different cultures:

Thanatos - Greek

Cu'Sith - Scottish

Valkyries - Norse

Ankou - Breton

Eshu - Yoruban

Shinigami - Japanese

Anubis - Egyptian

Azrael - Islamic

Ixtab - Mayan

Xolotl - Aztec

In mythology, tricksters are gods, spirits, or animals who use their knowledge to play tricks on others or break the rules to get what they want. They can be helpful to others at times so long as it benefits them in some way.

Enki - Mesopotamian

Loki - Norse

Prometheus or Hermes - Greek

Sun Wukong - Chinese

Anansi - West African

Maui - Hawaiian

Tanuki - Japanese

Nanbozho - Ojibwe

Reynard the Fox - European

Kokopelli - Hopi tribe

Coyote - Navajo

Seth - Egyptian

In many cultures, there is an association with horses and water. More often than not they are seen as an evil spirit that will try and drown you.

Greek - hippocampus are creatures with the front half of a horse and the back half of a fish. They also pull Poseidon's chariot. 

Scottish - Kelpie are black horses that live in lakes and rivers and will lure people in and drown them.

Faroese - The Nykur is a horse who is said to live in lake Sørvágsvatn. If you say the horses' name it will lose its power and go away.

Orcadian - Nuckelavee is a horse that has a torso of a man attached to its back. It was said to be the cause of droughts and epidemics even though it is mainly in the sea.

Shetland - The Nuggle is a more playful water horse that is more prone to playing tricks rather than trying to drown people.

In terms of mythology, Katabasis is the term used to describe a deity or hero's brief descent into the underworld and their return.

Greek - Orpheus goes to Hades to try and bring back his wife Eurydice, playing his somber music as he descends.

Norse - Hermóðr, the son of Odin, goes to the underworld to talk to Hel and try and convince her to allow Balder to live again.

Mesopotamian - Nergal goes to the underworld to kill Ereshkigal for not attending a feast. She instead offers to marry him but he will only spend 6 months at a time in the underworld.

Egyptian - Ra travels through the underworld (Duat) after his journey across the sky as the sun. He is escorted by a host of other gods who protect him while in the Duat from Apophis and other monsters.

Chochenyo Tribe - Kaknu, a mythical hero and grandson of Coyote, descends into the earth as a dove to confront Wiwe (Body of Stone). Kaknu killed Wiwe and his body burst and became all the stones of the world.

Phi Thale - In Thai mythology, Phi Thale is a spirit of the sea that manifests itself as St. Elmo's Fire and other weird phenomena that are experienced by sailors at sea.

Isonade - In Japanese mythology, Isonade are large shark-like monsters whose fins are covered in metallic barbs. They use the barbs to hook onto prey. It sneaks up on sailors and snatches them away using its barbs, it can also use its tail to capsize boats. It never reveals more than its tail, its body is always hidden beneath the water. 

Adaro - In the Solomon Islands mythology, the Adaro is a merman-like creature that has a dorsal fin protruding from his head and gills behind his ears. They are known to kill unwary fishermen by throwing flying fish at them.

Pincoya - In Chiloean mythology, the Pincoya is said to guide dead sailors onto a boat called the Caleuche. At night they sail around the island of Chiloé. On this boat, the sailors keep on living as if they were alive again.

Ceasg - In Scottish mythology, the Ceasg also called the maid of the sea is a type of mermaid with the tail of a salmon. They have been known to marry humans and their kids become famous sailors. The Ceasg will always look after their descendants by guarding them during storms or guiding them to good fishing grounds. 

Nordic - When Thor was in Utgard-Loki's palace, one of the feats he had to accomplish was to empty a horn, he took three immense gulps but was unsuccessful. What he later found out was that the horn was actually the ocean and he had lowered it so much that it created the tides.

Japanese - The water god Ryūjin uses two Tide Jewels called Kanju and Manju, which means tide ebbing jewel and tide flowing jewel, to control the tides.

Hawaiian - Rona, a daughter of the god Tangaroa, is trapped on the moon with her water gourd. She is given a gift by Marama gives her a cloak made of stars and she is also given the ability to control the tides.

Greek - Charybdis, a giant whirlpool in the straits of Messina was believed to be the cause of the three daily high and low tides as she sucked in and expelled out water.

In many different cultures folklore, the crossroad is considered to be a location that is between worlds. It is a liminal place where contact with the dead or spirits is much easier. It is a place to go where you can sell your soul for money and fame among many other things.

Greek - Both Hermes and Hecate are considered to be gods of the crossroads. For Hermes, there were usually Herma placed at crossroads in honor of him. Herma is a type of sculpture that is usually a block of stone with his head on it. For Hecate, on each new moon, her worshippers would leave suppers for her.

Haitian Voodoo - Papa Legba is the loa that acts as an intermediary between other loa and people. He is at a spiritual crossroads and decides if people are allowed to speak with the other spirits.

United Kingdom - Murderers and suicides were buried at crossroads, this was done because it was believed that it would confuse or confined the spirit.

United States - Many people believe that musicians will sell their soul to the devil at a crossroads to gain talent and fame. The most famous of them being Robert Johnson, a blues guitarist. It is usually believed that they will only be given a certain amount of time before their soul is taken.

Ningyo - In Japanese mythology, Ningyo is a hideous mermaid whose flesh is believed to grant eternal life. However, Ningyo can place curses on people who try to capture them by causing earthquakes or tidal waves to destroy whole towns.

Ventolin - In Cantabrian mythology, Ventolin are air spirits that help sailors at sea. They can help by either loading fish sailors caught onto the boat or putting wind into the sails to help them get home. They are described as angels with green wings and white eyes.

Aleya - In Bengali mythology, the Aleya is a type of will-o-the-wisp that is believed to be the ghost of fishermen who died while fishing. They tend to confuse other fishermen and sometimes cause them to drown.

Taniwha - In Māori mythology, Taniwha is a creature that can come in many forms of animals like whales, sharks, or geckos. It is said that these creatures protected the Māori when they sailed from Hawaiki to New Zealand.

Massacooramaan - In Caribbean and Guyana mythology, this being is said to be ape-like and will attack people by upturning their small boats and drowning them in different bodies of water.

Bakekujira - In Japanese mythology, these are the animated skeletons of whales that were killed by fishermen. They are always out to seek revenge on humans and will curse them causing plagues, famine, and even fires to erupt in the sailor's villages.

Vahanvati Mata - In Hindu mythology, Vahanvati Mata is a goddess that protects sailors as they cross the sea. When sailors lost their way, they would pray to her and she would light a lamp on her temple to guide them.

Rán - In Norse mythology, is the wife of Ægir, the personification of the sea. Rán will often drown sailors and take them to her hall under the sea.

Castor and Pollux - In Greek mythology, these twin gods are the gods of St. Elmo's Fire and protector of sailors. They help calm the winds and seas of whoever prays to them in need.

Kāmohoaliʻi - In Hawaiian mythology, Kāmohoaliʻi is a shark god. Whenever a ship is lost at sea, he will appear before them and guide them home after they give him awa, a narcotic drink. Kāmohoaliʻi was also believed to have led the original people of Hawaii to those islands from the mainland.

Njord - In Norse mythology, Njord is a god that is associated with seafaring. Sailors will often invoke him for good winds and a plentiful catch while fishing.

Crossroads can act as a place of worship and ritual where people have a better chance at communicating with the gods and spirits. They may ask for protection or guidance among other things.

Welsh - Cyhyraeth is a banshee-like creature that acts as an omen of death. She wails and cries over family deaths that are far from home or multiple deaths within a community. She can be found at crossroads or the coast of Glamorganshire.

Yoruba - Eshu is a trickster deity of the crossroads. He acts as an intermediary between gods and humans and protects them on their journeys. Eshu has his abode at the crossroads as well.

Hindu - Bhairava is a guardian of boundaries and his worshippers will often put statues of him at crossroads.

Maya - Ma'am (Maximón or Saint Simon) is a catholic folk deity that blended with the Maya god Mam. He is the saint of tobacco, the opener of the way, and male sexual power. He is seated at the crossroads.

In many different cultures, there are myths of a person or multiple people who have to hold up the sky to prevent it from falling.

Norse - Norðri, Suðri, Austri, and Vestri are four dwarves who hold up the sky (skull of Ymir) at one of the four cardinal directions.

Maya - The Four Bacabs are brothers who were placed at the four points of the world after its creation to hold up the sky. But they escaped when the world was destroyed by a great flood.

Greek - Atlas, one of the Titans who fought against Zeus in the Titanomachy was forced to bear the weight of the sky after he lost. It was briefly taken over by Heracles but he was tricked into taking it back.

Hittite - Ubelluris is a mountain God who carried the western edge of the sky on his shoulders.

In the afterlife, after a soul dies they are sometimes given the option to forget their past life. This could be so they can be reincarnated and have a new life, or just a part of the process of the afterlife. 

Finnish - In the underworld called Tuonela, a soul must cross the river (also called Tuonela) on a boat guided by Tuoni's daughter Tuonen Tytti. They would then be greeted by Tuonetar (Queen of the Underworld) who would give them a memory-erasing beer.

Greek - In Hades, there are 5 rivers that run through it, one of them being the river Lethe. The river Lethe is Forgetfulness, it flows around the cave of Hypnos (Sleep) anyone who drinks from will lose all their memories and they can then be reincarnated. However, some initiates of Mystery religions (like Orphism) were taught to drink from a river of Memory or Mnemosyne so they keep their memories upon reincarnation.

Chinese - Meng Po, is the goddess of forgetfulness. She created a soup that wipes your memory and is given to you on the Bridge of Forgetfulness before you are reincarnated so you are not burdened with your past life. Some people have been said to avoid taking the soup and are reborn with their memories.

Definition - Geomythology is the study of myths that explain the origins of geological events and such as earthquakes, floods, impact events (such as asteroids), and other things. Geologists will look at these myths and break them down to find truth in them from a historical/geological standpoint.

Greek - Weak tremors in the earth were associated with the giants that Zeus trapped in the Earth who were struggling to get out. Meanwhile, tsunamis and earthquakes were associated with the god Poseidon.

Hawaiian - The origins of the Hawaiian volcanoes comes from the goddess Pele, who formed them as she was trying to escape from her sister and create her fires on each of the islands.

Australian Aboriginal - Fern fossils in Australia were believed to be the impressions of feathers from the Emu-man, and tracks from Carnosaurs that go out to sea and return are believed to be his trail.

Great Deluge - In more cultures than any other mytheme is the myth of the Great Deluge or World Flood (with over 200 versions recorded).  For example, Geologists studied sediments in the Black Sea and concluded that the Mesopotamian flood myth arose when the Mediterranean flooded the area around 6,000 years ago.

Many different cultures believe in ghosts or spirits. A lot of the time they will tell stories of spirits that have come back from the dead to seek revenge against people that wronged them. More often than not these spirits are women. 

Korean - Gwishin

Roman - Lemures

Javanese - Wewe Gombel

Mexican - La Llorona

South American - Patasola

Romanian - Strigoi

Navajo - Chindi

Thai - Phi Tai Hong

Japanese - Onryō

Brazilian - Dama Branca

Dakuwaqa

In Fijian mythology, Dakuwaqa is a shark god and protector of sailors from harm and danger at sea. He also protects all ocean creatures.

Atlas

In Greek mythology, Atlas, the bearer of the sky, instructed mankind on how to use astronomy. This was used by sailors to help with navigation.

Tangaroa

In Māori mythology, Tangaroa is the god of the sea, rivers, fish, and lakes. He also has control over the tides. When going out to sea, sailors always make offerings to Tangaroa for safe passage.

Ebisu

In Japanese mythology, Ebisu is the god of luck and fishermen. Ebisu is often associated with large marine animals like whales and whale sharks which bring in fish and protect fishermen.

Isis

In Egyptian mythology, Isis sometimes goes by the name Isis Pelagia which means "Isis of the Sea" because she acted as the protector of ships at sea. In one myth recorded by Hyginus, she is the creator of sails when she sailed on a ship in search of her son Harpocrates. Isis was also connected to the lighthouse of Alexandria and was depicted on Alexandrian coins with the lighthouse.

Plagues and disease, in general, can oftentimes be a very devastating experience, especially if said disease spreads and kills quickly, some people see it as a divine punishment, or for others, it is the work of evil spirits.

Greek - The Nosoi are spirits of plague and sickness that escaped from Pandora's jar. Apollo has plague arrows which he used to shoot at the Greeks with for nine days during the Trojan War.

Japanese - Itsumade are creatures with the body of a winged snake, the head of a human with a beak, and claws. They appear over areas that are experiencing bad times such as plagues, natural disasters, or battlefields.

Aztec - Chalchihuihtotolin is the god of disease and plague that can take on the form of a turkey.

Akkadian - Erra is the god of mayhem and pestilence that has been associated with the Sumerian god Nergal. 

Sami - Ruohtta is the god of sickness and death. He is also the ruler of the land of the dead (Rotaimo).

Arabic - Djinns are said to be able to take on the form of a black dog and are seen as evil dogs because of this.

French - Some black dogs have been reported to appear before a storm. Specifically, in Jersey (an island in France) there is a myth of the Tchian d'Bouôlé (Black dog of Bouley). Which is a giant dog with large eyes that carries chains behind it.

Wisconsin - in Meridean Island, Wisconsin, there have been reports of a black dog that appeared following a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Then a black dog with red eyes appeared and chased them until they were out of the area.

Suffolk - The Beast of Bungay is an encounter with a large black dog that burst into a church at the clap of thunder. It left scratch marks on the doors and once inside it killed a man and a boy.

Connecticut - In Hubbard Park, located in Meriden, there have been rumors of a black dog that, if seen three times will cause you to die. There is an old saying about this black dog that goes "If you meet the Black Dog once, it shall be for joy; if you meet him twice, it shall be for sorrow; and if you meet him a third time, you will die."

Definition - Many people fear death and what may happen to them after they die. There have been many who did whatever they could to prolong their life for as long as possible; whether it be finding the fountain of youth of fighting Death itself hands-on. 

Greek - Sisyphus was a mythical king of Corinth. Sisyphus was able to cheat death on two different occasions; the first time he tricked Thanatos into chaining himself up so he could escape. The second time he had his wife throw his dead body into the public square, once in Hades convinced Persephone to allow him to return home to make sure he was given a proper burial by his wife. Afterward, he was sentenced to roll a rock up a hill for eternity, each time the rock got near the top of the hill it would always roll back down to the bottom.

Mesopotamian - Gilgamesh feared death after his friend Enkidu was killed by the gods and so he went on a journey to try and figure out how to become immortal. He came across Utnapishtim (the man who survived the World Flood) who told him of ways he might be able to gain immortality. The first was to stay awake for 7 days and 7 nights but he fell asleep right away. The next challenge was to get a plant that grew at the bottom of a lake. He collected the plant but before he had a chance to use it, a snake came along and ate it.

Nordic - The Nordic gods that live in Asgard and Vanaheim are different from most other Pantheons in the fact that they are not immortal. They rely on the Golden Apple of Idunn to make them live longer. Without these, they would wither and die of old age normally. 

Greek - Mount Olympus has many palaces, it is the place where the gods live and hold their meetings. It has golden gates that are guarded by the three Horae (goddesses of the seasons). During their feasts, they eat Nectar and Ambrosia, as well as whatever is given to them through sacrificial offerings/burnings. Then there is Mount Othrys, which was home to the Titans who were overthrown during the Titanomachy.

Hawaiian - Mauna Kea is the home of both divine deities (Na Akua) and divine ancestors (Na'Aumakua). It is also the place where Papa and Wakea meet (Earth Mother and Sky Father respectively). 

Hindu - Mt. Meru is a golden mountain that is said to be the center of the universe (similar to the World Tree). All deities have their kingdoms within Mt. Meru. The sun rotates around Meru, but for those living in the center of it, the sun stays still.

The sea can be a very dangerous and unpredictable place, this leads to many sailors dying at sea. There are many different places one can end up if they were to die at sea, there is even a Japanese proverb that says "if you were born at sea, you will die on it".

Davy Jone's Locker - Davy Jones presides over all the evil spirits of the deep. Anytime an evil sailor dies, he is taken by Davy Jones and put into his sea chest along with any sunken treasure or other goods from shipwrecks.

Rán's Hall - Rán, the Nordic goddess of the sea, is believed to drag sailors underwater using her net. Under the sea, she has her hall of the dead but very little is known about it.

Fiddler's Green - This place is considered to be a sailor's heaven. It is a place of endless happiness where women are dancing and men have an endless supply of drinks and tobacco to smoke.

Adlivun - This is where the spirits of the dead go in the beliefs of the Inuk (Inuit). It is located under the sea. This place is ruled by Sedna. But Adlivun is only a temporary afterlife where the soul stays for one year and prepares for its journey to the next afterlife or sometimes reincarnation.

Greek - the Symplegades are 2 rocks that would clash together whenever sailors would pass through. At the advice of Phineus, Jason of the Argonauts let a dove fly through the Symplegades to see how fast they would have to row. After they got through having only lost a stern ornament, the rocks never clashed together again. 

Chilean - La Pincoya is a Chilean goddess of the fertility of the sea. Sailors rely on her for their food and to know if their fishing will be abundant or not. If La Pincoya dances facing the sea, then the shores will be abundant with fish. If she dances facing her back to the sea, fish and other seafood will be scarce. La Pincoya also guides dead sailors to a ghost ship called Caleuche that sails the seas at night.

Japanese - Kagewani is a large shadow fish that lives in the sea of Japan. It is said that if a person's shadow is on the water, a Kagewani will consume it, and both the shadow and person vanish forever.

Finnish - Iku-Turso, also known as Meritursas or Tursas, is a giant sea monster. It lacks a consistent description but has epithets such as thousand-headed, thousand-horned, and even "the one who lives on the brink". Iku-Turso lives in Pohjala which is home to all evil things. He is the father of all diseases with Loviatar, the daughter of Tuoni, god of the dead, and ruler of the underworld called Tuonela. This monster was defeated by Väinämöinen and was no longer seen by sailors. 

Nekyia is a way of communicating with the dead using magic. A person may perform this act if they want to bring the dead back to life, to find hidden knowledge, or to have the future told to them. Sometimes the hero of the story may descend into the underworld (Katabasis) to contact the dead. 

• Odysseus' Makes A Sacrifice.

After leaving Aeaea, the island of the sorceress Circe, Odysseus and his crew sail to the River Oceanus and down into the realm of Hades. Here he dug a pit and poured out libations of milk, honey, sweet wine, water, and barley meal. He then emptied the throats of lambs over the pit. Out from Erebus the Shades came and Odysseus kept them at bay with his sword until Teiresias the prophet came to the front. Odysseus asked him about his journey home and Teiresias told him that it would not be easy. Poseidon still held a grudge against him for blinding his son Polyphemus. He also warned him to keep his men in line and not let them hunt and eat the sacred red bulls of the sun god Helios for it would bring him a great misfortune when he returned home to Ithaca. Teiresias finished his prophecy and disappeared back into the realm of Hades.

• Odin Resurrects A Völva.

Balder, the son of the Allfather Odin, has been having nightmares. To figure out their meaning, Odin himself mounts the eight-legged Sleipnir, the fastest of all horses, and rides to Helheim to look for an answer. He passed through the Gates to Hel and went to the east door where the grave of a Völva (Seeress) lay. Odin used magical charms to make the Völva rise from her grave. She asked who she was speaking to and he told her he was Vegtam the Wanderer and asked who Hel was expecting. She told him they expect to have Balder soon and that he will be put an end to by Hod. The Völva then realizes Odin's true identity and refuses to answer any more of his questions and sinks back into the earth.

• Saul Consults A Witch.

After the death of Samuel, Saul, the king of Israel, seeks advice from God on how to act against the Philistine army. After getting no answer from many failed attempts, Saul seeks out a witch while in disguise. He finds one in Endor who says that she can see Samuel's ghost rising from the house of the dead. The witch is frightened by the voice, she then scolds Saul for disobeying God and predicts his downfall. She tells him of a prophecy told by Samuel and adds that Saul's life will come to an end tomorrow in battle along with his whole army. Saul is terrified by this and, the next day, he is fatally wounded by the Philistines and ends it with his sword.

Ferrymen of the dead have a similar role to psychopomps who bring the souls to the underworld. Instead, they ferry them across a river in the underworld, sometimes with a fee involved, such as Charon's Obol (buried with the person as part of the ritual). 

Egyptian - Mahaf

Mesopotamian - Urshanabi

Finnish - Loviatar

Greek - Charon

• Apotropaic Magic Part 1 •

Apotropaic magic, which means “to turn away,” is a type of magic used to ward off evil spirits. There are countless variations of this type of magic across all cultures, and it takes many different forms.

Figureheads are placed on the ship's bow to ward off evil. It is in cultures like Norway, Greece, Egypt, Europe, and more. Each culture would have a different animal or deity that they believed would best protect them.

Church Grims were black dog spirits that guarded churchyards in England against thieves, vandals, witches, and the devil himself. To get a Church Grim, you needed to bury a live dog under the cornerstone of the church's foundation.

The Aegis Shield is the shield used by both Zeus and his daughter Athena that wields the face of the Gorgon Medusa that Perseus slew. When wielded in battle, enemies would flee in terror at the sight of it.

Thunderstone - A Thunderstone is a prehistoric stone tool, fossil, or hand ax that people used as an amulet to protect themselves or their buildings. It was believed that these were created at the place where lightning struck. These can be found in many different European, Asian, and Native American cultures.

Iraq: In Mandaeism, Abatur is an angel of the star Polaris and the judge of the dead. He was put in the boundary between the worlds of Light and Darkness where he judges all souls. Abatur sits upon a golden throne and weighs the souls on a scale to see if they are light enough to return to the light after having gone through all the purgatories.

Mesopotamian - Pazuzu demon of the wind that is made into amulets and used as protection against Lamashtu. Lamashtu is a demon that attacks women during childbirth.

Hawaiian - Planting ti shrubs around their house will protect them from all evil spirits, including Nightmarchers, the ghosts of dead warriors who come out during the night to march for a sacred king or priest.

Builder's Rites - Burying an animal, person, or money under the foundation of a new building to ward off evil spirits and ensure stability. Sometimes they are buried alive.

Evil Eye - An amulet in the shape of an eye or sometimes painted on cups is used to capture malicious intent that is aimed towards someone.

Egypt - Multiple Gods wear a sun disc crown, such as Ra, Horus, Hathor, and Isis. This crown is drawn with a sun disc with cow or ram horns on either side of its head.

Greece - The Titan God of the sun Helios is depicted as having a crown of sun rays on his head, as does Apollo. The ancient statue called the Colossus of Rhodes was designed in the image of Helios and adorned the same crown. This would later give inspiration to the design of the Statue of Liberty. 

Bolivia - The Gate of the Sun is a giant monolith carved from a single rock that depicts a god linked with different figures such as Viracocha and Tunupa. It adorns a sun crown and holds two staffs to represent thunder and lightning.

Lithuania - Saulė is the goddess of the sun, fertility, life, and patron goddess of the unfortunate, such as orphans. She wears clothes made with golden thread and has a shining crown on her head. And, like Helios takes a horse-drawn chariot across the sky, pulling the sun.