Braving societal norms, Mulan, a legendary Chinese warrior woman, challenges traditional gender roles, sparking curiosity with her inspiring tale of courage and honor.
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Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and the central traveler of Homer’s Odyssey. He is known for endurance, persuasive speech, disguise, planning, and deception. These qualities can save lives or cause harm, and the poem does not reduce him to a flawless hero. Odysseus in the surviving tradition After the Trojan War, Odysseus spends ten
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Hades is both the name of the ancient Greek god who rules the dead and a common name for the underworld itself. He is a brother of Zeus and Poseidon and the husband of Persephone in the dominant literary tradition. Hades in the surviving tradition After the defeat of the Titans, the three brothers divide
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Peer into the celestial realm of Horus, the Egyptian Sky God, and unravel the intriguing tales of divine power, royalty, and ancient mythology.
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Awaken the mysteries of the Cihuateteo, Aztec malevolent female spirits, and delve into their dark influence on Aztec rituals and beliefs.
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Harnessing fierce courage, Boudica, the Iceni Queen, launched an unprecedented revolt against Rome; delve into her compelling tale of rebellion and resilience.
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Achilles is the greatest Greek warrior in Homer’s Iliad, but the poem does not call him physically invulnerable. His defining traits are speed, martial excellence, intense anger, grief, and a short life chosen for lasting fame. Achilles in the surviving tradition The Iliad opens with Achilles withdrawing from battle after Agamemnon takes Briseis from him.
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Huli jing are fox spirits in Chinese tradition. Stories range from dangerous seducers to loyal partners, scholars, tricksters, and beings seeking spiritual refinement. Treating every fox spirit as evil leaves out much of the record. Huli jing in the surviving tradition Chinese texts associate foxes with transformation, longevity, graves, omens, and sexuality. A fox may
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The Minotaur is a creature of Greek myth associated with King Minos of Crete, the Labyrinth built by Daedalus, and the Athenian hero Theseus. Ancient authors and artists did not preserve one perfectly consistent version. The number and timing of the Athenian victims, the Minotaur’s name, and details of the killing vary across the tradition.
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Selkies are seal people in the folklore of Orkney, Shetland, and parts of northern Scotland and Ireland. On land they can take human form by removing a seal skin. The hidden skin is the key to many marriage and escape stories. Selkies in the surviving tradition A common tale begins when a man finds a
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