Comparative Mythology
31 entries in the Comparative Mythology compendium.
Comparative mythologyComparing myths across cultures to reveal shared human themes.Apples in mythologyA symbol of knowledge, temptation, and discord across traditions.Barton CylinderSumerian creation myth on a clay cylinder from Nippur.Bees in mythologyBees appear as sacred, magical beings across global mythologies.Sacred bullThe bull as a sacred symbol across cultures and eras.Fyodor BuslaevRussian philologist and folklorist of the Mythological school.Creation of life from clayDivine shaping of humans from clay across world traditions.Crossroads (folklore)A liminal site for spirit contact, ritual, and burial.Death or departure of the godsA motif where gods die or depart from Earth permanently.Doves as symbolsDoves symbolize peace, love, and the divine across cultures.Dying-and-rising godA deity who dies and is later resurrected.Eclipses in mythology and cultureEclipses interpreted across cultures as omens, myths, and scientific events.FatesThree goddesses who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life.Fertility in artArtistic representations of fertility across cultures and eras.Flood mythA divine flood destroys civilization, sparing only a culture hero.Genesis flood narrativeHebrew flood myth adapted from older Mesopotamian traditions.The Golden BoughA comparative study of mythology, religion, and magic.Hamlet's MillA controversial study of myth and ancient astronomical knowledge.The Hero Pattern and the Life of JesusDundes applies Rank and Raglan's hero pattern to Gospel narratives.Historical Atlas of World MythologyCampbell's unfinished magnum opus on mythic evolution.Horned deityDeities with horns appear across global mythologies and religions.Insects in religionInsects serve as ritual agents and sacred symbols across world religions.Joseph Campbell and the Power of MythSix conversations on myth with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers.Kishu ryūritanJapanese archetype of the exiled noble's journey.Lightning in religionLightning appears as deity, weapon, or divine sign across cultures.Local flood theoryInterprets Noah's flood as a regional Mesopotamian event.Milky Way in mythologyMyths worldwide explain the Milky Way as a celestial path or river.Miraculous birthDivine or supernatural conception and birth across cultures.Mother goddessA major goddess embodying motherhood, creation, and destruction across cultures.Mother NaturePersonification of nature as a nurturing mother goddess.The Myth of the Birth of the HeroPsychoanalytic study of mythological hero birth legends.
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