Gods of thunder: Did you mean...?

Mesopotamian religion was central to the people's lives. Humans were created as co-laborers with their gods to hold off the forces of chaos and to keep the world running smoothly. As in ancient Egypt, the gods were honored daily for providing...

Fenrir is the great wolf in Norse Mythology who breaks free from his chains at Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods, kills Odin, and is then killed by Odin’s son Vidarr. Fenrir is the son of the trickster god Loki and brother of the World Serpent...

If you are reading this, you probably love history and archaeology. And if you have children, then you have probably struggled at times to excite them about ancient ruins and archaeology. Here is an idea: let them be an archaeologist and...

The 12 gods of Mount Olympus were the most important deities in ancient Greece. In this collection, we examine each of the 12 in detail. With their all-too-human qualities in Greek mythology, the Olympian gods were capable of displaying great...

Thor, the god of the sky, thunder and agriculture in Norse Mythology, is best known today from his depiction as a superhero in graphic novels and movies which draw on his role in tales from Norse Mythology. He developed from an older Germanic...

Today, traveling an hour by ferry from Piraeus, the port of Athens, the first remnant of Aegina's great past a visitor will see is the lonely pillar of Apollo rising from the trees on the hill of Kolona. Once a splendid complex of three buildings...

The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan (Shichifukujin) are a group of deities associated with prosperity, happiness, and longevity. Blending Shinto, Buddhist, Taoist, and even Hindu influences, they came together as a collective pantheon during Japan’s...

The Aztecs of northern Mesoamerica (c. 1345 and 1521 CE) worshipped some of the weirdest, most fantastic and downright scary gods seen anywhere in history. The Aztec civilization and the empire it created revolved around winning special favour...

The Cheyenne Creation Story is the account of the beginning of the world, the seasons, and the first people in the time before time when all was water, and nothing existed but the Creator and aquatic birds. There are many versions of the...

The Seven Lucky Gods (aka Shichifukujin) of Japanese folklore on their treasure ship or takarabune. By Hiroshige (1797-1858 CE). Woodblock print, c. 1840 CE. (Victoria & Albert Museum, London)