Myths & Legends

CERF™ “Just-In-Time” Resources 2004-02-20

CERF staff created this list to provide students with a variety of Web sources to use for a research project on African, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Native-American, Peruvian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, and Viking (Norse) deities, their legends and associations with nature.

What are myths?

http://www.artsmia.org/world-myths/whatismyth.html

http://www.artsmia.org/world-myths/artbyculture/index.html

http://www.artsmia.org/world-myths/viewallart/compare-contrast.html

“Gods & Goddesses”

General References

http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/welcome.html

http://researchmag.asu.edu/articles/lightning.html

http://www.pantheon.org

Egyptian Mythology

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/egyptian_mythology.htm

http://www.civilization.ca/civil/egypt/egcr02e.html

Greek & Roman Mythology

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi?link=/mythology/myths.html&sn=0&art=ok&cdp=/windows3.html&cd=false&frp=/windows3.html&fr=f&sw=false&tour=&edu=elem

Roman Gods

http://www.roman-empire.net/religion/pantheon.html

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/life/life5a.html

Mayan

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/maya/maya3.htm

World Mythology

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/worldmap_new.html

Weather

Native Americans:

Hopi

http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/katsina/

Deities--Astronomy—Constellations

http://einstein.stcloudstate.edu/Dome/clicks/constlist.html

Deities--Nature--Sea

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Haida/

http://www.mariner.org/exhibits/women/myths/index.htm

Deities--Lightning

Aboriginals

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mamaragan.html

Africa

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/sogbo.html

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/mythology/shango_storm.html

Shango (also spelled Sango and Sagoe) creates thunder and lightning by casting "thunderstones" down to earth; wherever lightning strikes, priests search the surrounding area for the thrown stone. The Yoruba believe these stones have special powers, and they enshrine the stones in temples to the god. Shango has four wives, each personified by a major Nigerian river; his chief wife, Oya, is represented by the River Niger. One myth about Shango tells of when he was human and ruled as the fourth king of the ancient Yoruba capital of Oyo. He had a charm that could cause lightning, with which he inadvertently killed his entire family. In remorse he hanged himself, and upon his death he became deified. Although the "foremost national deity", according to some, the Yoruba do not consider him the most powerful or even the most important god; rather, his popularity may have resulted from attempts to ward off the frequent tornadoes that strike western Africa.

http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/nigeria/yorubarel.html

Celtic

Taranis God of thunder and lightning (taren is Welsh for "thunder"), symbolized by a wheel. Known archaeologically in Gaul and Germany, and mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in his play Pharsalia, he is linked to Jupiter in an altar from Chester.

http://www.romans-in-britain.org.uk/clb_celtic_religion_and_beliefs.htm