The History and Mystery of Yemen’s ‘Well of Hell’ - The first-ever expedition to the bottom of a startling desert sinkhole found wonders—but only natural ones, by Sarah Durn October 20, 2021
"...Actually, there was a concern more sinister than reptiles and spirits when Al-Kindi finally reached the bottom: unexploded ordnance. Since 2014, Yemen has been in the midst of a bloody civil war and, Al-Kindi explains, pilots sometimes drop bombs into caves, since people seek shelter inside. “So that got me worried a bit,” he says. “Apart from that, it was a very enjoyable moment.” ...Al-Kindi estimates the sinkhole could be several million years old, but its origin, too, is the subject of local legend. One legend says an ancient king forced jinn to carve the “well” as a place to hide his treasure. In others, the well has always served to contain evil, uncontrollable jinn..."
I am reading an article about how every time ancient art depicts a goddess as sexually alluring, they always get labeled a "goddess of fertility". Even when there is no indication of children, pregnancy, or anything fertile.
The article argues that some goddesses were deities of sex and pleasure, without the maternal fertility aspect.
I am like 🤯 🤯 I have a whole entire archaeology degree and we never addressed this...
Hello, Myth Lovers! Join us for tomorrow's theme: Mythical Places. What myth features a mythical or legendary place, location, or landscape? Use the tag #MythologyMonday for reposts. See you tomorrow!
Disney had a lot to answer for. Apart from Ursula. Mermaids are horrible in folklore and mythology. Beautiful woman with the lower half of the body the tail of a fish. They enchant people with their song and lead them to their death by drowning them for shits and giggles. If they do fall in love with a human they drag them underwater as they think they can breath. #folklore#mythology#mythologymonday
The Amazon River is the domain of Iara. Once an indigenous warrior, Iara was drowned as punishment for killing her jealous brothers in self defense, but instead of dying, she became a mermaid. Now, Iara gets her revenge by luring men into the river to drown them. #MythologyMonday
Two Shintō shrines on Awaji Island are associated with the creation myth of Japan (国生み神話) in the earliest chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. At Onokoro Island Shrine (自凝島神社), visitors are encouraged to perform rituals to sacred stones for good fortune. The sekirei stone (鶺鴒石) is for couples, with a white and red cord, and I was surprised that my wife grasped my hand and prayed as we held the cords.
We also went to Izanagi Shrine (伊弉諾神宮), dedicated to the two founding gods or pillars (二神、又は二柱) of the archipelago. Worshippers believe that the founding gods dwell in the 900-year-old husband-and-wife camphor tree (夫婦楠). We have seen a similar tree at Ōmiwa Jinja in Nara (大神神社) where two trees merged into one at the base. We also noticed a connection to the Onokoro Island Shrine at the Izanagi Shrine, a small sekirei monument to married couples (夫婦鶺鴒像), and both sites included a bird motif.
The flower and herb I have been studying over the last week has been St.Johns wort so made a pixel art of it.
In European folklore St.Johns wort (AKA Hypericum perforatum) has strong connections to protecting against spirits and St.John’s Eve was the day that the herb was the most potent. June 23rd.
It has strong associations with midsummer. It was also used in love spells as well.
One of my favorite museums in the world is the Villa Giulia in Rome. It houses the National Etruscan Museum. It falls outside most quick tour routes, and it is a lovely, peaceful, elegant museum with a very rich collection.
See the pretty vases below, with various mythological scenes :) Recongize them?
Hello, Myth Lovers! To celebrate International #MuseumDay, we'd love to see your posts about #museums! Which museums have great mythological art? Which are your favourite artifacts? Do you have a favourite #museum? Where have you seen an amazing work of art related to mythology? Use the hashtag #MythologyMonday for boosts!
Each Fenian warrior was equipped by the smiths working in the caves of Keshcorran with a sword and spear of superlative quality. „Each sword had a different name, details of which were related in the tale. Fionn’s sword was called Mac an Luin. The happy warriors were also provided with accommodation and when they awoke next morning,
they found themselves back on Slieve Luachra still bearing their new weapons.“
Source: Antiquarian Research in Co. Sligo as a Background to the #Mythology and Archaeology of Moytura by Eamonn P. Kelly #Celtic
9yo: Dad, when you cut off a hydra’s head and two more grow back, is it two more consciousnesses or just one new one or is there just one for the whole thing?
#MythologyMonday: The #TuathaDéDanannrefined the art of brewing until the ale of their smith and brewer #Goibniu was strong enough to endow the drinker with immortality. #Irish epics connect ale with the festival of #Samhain, when the boundaries between this world and the #Otherworld were blurred.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
Hello, Myth Lovers! Join us for Monday's theme: Brews and Potions. Write out a story that talks about brewing beverages or potion making of special liquids and use the tag #MythologyMonday for boosts!
According to Northern Finnish folklore, the northern lights are caused by the mythological firefox running around flinging sparks when its tail brushes against the vegetation. The Finnish name for northern lights, revontulet, literally translates to "fox fires". #Mythology
A selkie for #MerMay (the mermaid 🧜♀️ celebration month)!
This is a hard-carved and printed lino block print of a selkie shedding her skin, seated on rocks, surrounded by harbour seals. In Celtic, Norse, Faroese and Icelandic mythology, selkies (also spelled silkies, sylkies, selchies) or selkie folk meaning 'seal folk' can change from seal to human form by shedding their skin. 🧵1/n
In one of the Nahua creation myths, “The giant earth monster Tlaltecuhtli (“Earth Lord”), a crocodile-like creature, swam in the sea searching for flesh to eat. The gods turned themselves into serpents, entered the sea, and tore Tlaltecuhtli in half. The upper part of her body became the land, and the lower part was thrown into the sky to become the stars and heavens.” (Michael E. Smith, The Aztecs (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996)
Greetings, myth lovers! To celebrate #CincoDeMayo, today's theme is: #Mexican and Mexican-American myths and legends. Write out a story and use the hashtag #MythologyMonday for boosts. See you all soon!