List of mythological objects

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sampo, a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought riches and good fortune to its holder, in the Finnish epic poetry Kalevala (The Forging of the Sampo, Joseph Alanen, 1911)

Mythological objects encompass a variety of items (e.g. weapons, armor, clothing) found in

from across the world. This list is organized according to the category of object.

Armor

Armor

Achilles wearing his armor

Helmets

Headgear from Greek mythology

  • Cap of invisibility (also Helm of Darkness or Helm of Hades), which can turn the wearer invisible. In addition to its owner, the god of the underworld Hades, wearers of the cap in Greek myths include Athena, the goddess of wisdom; the messenger god Hermes, and the hero Perseus.
  • Ariadne's diadem, a diadem given to her by her husband Dionysus that was made by Hephaestus as a wedding present.

Shields

  • Shield of El Cid, a shield which bears the image of a fierce shining golden dragon.[1]
  • Svalinn, a shield which stands before the sun and protects Earth from burning. If the shield were to fall from its frontal position, the mountains and seas would burn up. (Norse mythology)
  • Dubán, the shield of Cú Chulainn. (Irish mythology)
  • Han Feizi's shield, from a Chinese parable that tells of a man who was trying to sell a spear and a shield. When asked how good his spear was, he claimed it could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield was, he claimed it could defend from all spear attacks. When he was asked what would happen if his spear should strike his shield, the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom of "zìxīang máodùn" (自相矛盾, "from each-other spear shield"), or "self-contradictory". (Chinese folklore)
  • Oba's shield, which she uses to cover her right ear. (Yoruba mythology)

Shields from Arthurian legend

Shields from Græco-Roman mythology

Shield of Achilles (illustration)

Shields from Hindu mythology

Gauntlets

Clothing

Crowns

The Crown of Immortality, held by the allegorical figure Eterna (Eternity)
  • Crown of Immortality, represented in art first as a laurel wreath and later as a symbolic circle of stars. It appears in a number of Baroque iconographic and allegoric works of art to indicate the wearer's immortality. (Christian mythology)
  • Conquest's crown, the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Conquest, rides a white horse and a crown was given to him. (Christian mythology)
  • Crown of twelve stars, the Woman of the Apocalypse is seen wearing a crown of twelve stars on her head. (Christian mythology)
  • Crown of thorns, which was placed on the head of Jesus during his crucifixion. (Christian mythology)
  • Iron Crown of Lombardy, said to be made from the nails used during the crucifixion of Christ. (Christian mythology
    )
  • Radiate crown (also Solar crown, Sun crown, Eastern crown or Tyrant's crown), a crown or other headgear symbolizing the sun or more generally powers associated with the sun.
  • Corona Borealis (Northern Crown), the crown was considered to represent a crown given by Dionysus to Ariadne, after she had been abandoned by the Athenian prince Theseus. When she wore the crown at her marriage to Dionysus, he placed it in the heavens to commemorate their wedding. (Greek mythology)
  • Corona Australis (Southern Crown), the crown has been associated with the myth of Bacchus and Stimula. Jupiter had impregnated Stimula, causing Juno to become jealous. Juno convinced Stimula to ask Jupiter to appear in his full splendor, which the mortal woman could not handle, causing her to burn. After Bacchus, Stimula's unborn child, became an adult and the god of wine, he honored his deceased mother by placing a wreath in the sky. (Roman mythology)

Belts

Thor wearing the magic belt Megingjörð
  • Megingjörð (Power-belt), a magic belt worn by the god Thor. (Norse mythology)
  • Peter Stumpp's magical belt, Peter claimed that the Devil had given him a magical belt or girdle, which enabled him to metamorphose into a werewolf. Removing the belt made him transform back to his human form. (German legend)

Girdles

  • Aphrodite's Cestus, a magic girdle that enhanced the wearer's beauty and made others fall in love with the wearer. (Greek mythology)
  • Girdle of Hippolyta, a girdle that was a symbol of Hippolyta's power over the Amazons, and given to her by Ares. Heracles' 9th Labor was to retrieve it. (Greek mythology)
  • Tyet, the ancient Egyptian symbol of the goddess Isis. It seems to be called "the Knot of Isis" because it resembles a knot used to secure the garments that the Egyptian gods wore. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Girdle of
    Brynhildr lose her supernatural strength. (Norse mythology
    )
  • Bridle of Constantine, said to be made from the nails used during the crucifixion of Christ.

Gloves

  • Letter Gloves, or kirikindad were believed to have protective or magic powers. They are decorated with special patterns and are imbued with whispers and spells by the singing of the crafter making them. (Estonian mythology)

Veils

Veronica holding her veil, Hans Memling, c. 1470
  • Veil of Isis, an artistic motif in which nature is personified as the goddess Isis covered by a veil, representing the inaccessibility of nature's secrets. Helena Blavatsky, in Isis Unveiled in 1877, used the metaphor for the spiritual truths that her Theosophical belief system hoped to discover, and modern ceremonial magic includes a ritual called the "Rending of the Veil" to bring the magician to a higher state of spiritual awareness. (Western esotericism)
  • Veil of Veronica, according to legend, was used to wipe the sweat from Jesus' brow as he carried the cross. (Christian mythology)

Caps and hats

Garments

Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat of many colors
  • Hagoromo (Feather Dress), a colored or feathered kimono of a tennin. Tennin are unable to fly without these kimono and thus will be unable to return to Heaven. (Japanese mythology)
  • Velificatio, a stylistic device used in ancient Roman art to frame a deity by means of a billowing garment. It represents "vigorous movement", an "epiphany", or "the vault of heaven", often appearing with celestial, weather, or sea deities. (Roman mythology)
  • Coat of many colors, the garment that Joseph owned, which was given to him by his father, Jacob. (Jewish mythology)
  • Penelope's burial shroud, which Odysseus's wife Penelope pretended to weave for her deceased father-in-law. She claimed that she would choose a suitor when the shroud was complete, but secretly unraveled it every night to delay the decision. (Greek mythology)
  • Devil's green coat, given to a soldier by the Devil, who claims its pockets are always full of limitless money, as told in the tale Bearskin. (German fairy tale)

Footwear

Boots

Hop-o'-My-Thumb stealing the Seven-league boots from the Ogre, by Gustave Doré

Sandals

Shoes

Outerwear

Coats

Cloaks

  • Fjaðrhamr (Feather-skin), the goddess Freyja owns a cloak of falcon feathers. She assists other deities by allowing them to use her feathered cloak. (Norse mythology)
  • Swan Cloak, a magic robe made of swan feathers belonging to a swan maiden.
  • Tarnkappe, Sigurd's magical cloak that made the wearer invisible. (Norse mythology)

Mantles

Holy Robe in Trier
  • Mantle of Arthur (also Llen Arthyr yng Nghernyw), whoever was under it could not be seen, and he could see everyone. One of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain. This item is known from two other sources, the prose tales Culhwch and Olwen (c. 1100) and The Dream of Rhonabwy (early 13th century). A very similar mantle also appears in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, in which it is used by Caswallawn to assassinate the seven stewards left behind by Bran the Blessed and usurp the throne. (Welsh mythology)
  • Mantle of Elijah, the waters of which, touched by the Mantle (monastic vesture)mantle, divided, so as to permit both to pass over on dry ground across the Jordan River. (Abrahamic religion)
  • Mantle of Tegau Gold-Breast, Tegau Gold-Breast (Tegau Eurfron, wife of Caradoc) was a Welsh heroine. Her mantle would not serve for any woman who had violated her marriage or her virginity. It would reach to the ground when worn by a faithful woman but would only hang down to the lap of an unfaithful wife. (Welsh mythology)

Robes

Pants and shirts

Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules

Weapons

Yama with his famous Yama Pasha

Swords

An angel (Camael) expelling Adam and Eve with a flaming sword
Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder.
  • Cura Si Manjakini, a sword mentioned in the legends of the Malay Annals as originally possessed by Sang Sapurba, the legendary ancestor of Malay kings. (Malay folklore)
  • Flaming Sword, a sword glowing with flame by some supernatural power.
  • Jökulsnautr (Jokul's Gift), a sword belonging to Grettir which was later given to his brother Atli. (Sagas of Icelanders)
  • Kalevanmiekka, Kaleva's sword. (Finnish mythology)
  • Kársnautr (Karr's-loom), Grettir defeats Kárr who was guarding the treasure in his own funeral tumulus from looters. The treasures are taken from the mound after Grettir's triumph, including an heirloom sword Kársnautr. (Sagas of Icelanders)
  • Mmaagha Kamalu, a sword that belongs to the Igbo god of war Kamalu. This sword glows red when people with evil intentions are close by and it can cause tremors when struck on the ground. It gifts mere mortals victory in battle. (
    Igbo mythology
    )
  • Sword of Laban, after nearly being killed by a powerful and nefarious Laban, the young prophet Nephi later finds him drunk and unconscious. He's then commanded of God to use Laban’s sword to kill him as he was wicked and would hurt future generations by withholding sacred records revealing God's Plan of Happiness. The sword was made of "precious steel" with a hilt of "pure gold".[2] After slaying Laban, Nephi put on Laban's armor to disguise himself to obtain the records, and escape the city. He would later use it as a model for manufacturing similar weapons for his people's defense. Laban's sword was passed down through the centuries to future prophets, kings, and warriors. (Book of Mormon)
  • suzerain at the time. According to legend, it was said that the moment the blade arrived in Bangkok, seven lightning strikes hit the city simultaneously, including the city gate, where the blade entered, and over the main gate of the Grand Palace. (Thai folklore
    )
  • Thuận Thiên (Heaven's Will), the mythical sword of the Vietnamese King Lê Lợi, who liberated Vietnam from Ming occupation after ten years of fighting from 1418 until 1428. (Vietnamese mythology)
  • War's great sword, the second of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a Red Horse is War, a great sword was given to him. (Book of Revelation)
  • Goliath's sword, which was used by David to decapitate the fallen giant, and then given to him by the priest Achimelech when he ran away from King Shaul. (Jewish mythology)

Swords from Celtic mythology

Claíomh Solais on an Ireland stamp printed in 1922
  • Beagalltach (also Begallta) or "Little Fierce One", a short sword given to Diarmuid Ua Duibhne by his father Aengus. It broke in two pieces after hitting a boar with it. Paired with Móralltach.
  • Caladbolg (also Caladcholg), the sword of Fergus mac Róich and powerful enough to cut the tops off three hills; related to the Caledfwlch of Welsh mythology.
  • Caledfwlch
    , often compared to Excalibur. This sword is used by Llenlleawg Wyddel to kill Diwrnach Wyddel and his men.
  • Ceard-nan Gallan, the Smith of the Branches, sword of Oisín.
  • Claíomh Solais (Sword of Light), the sword of Nuada Airgeadlámh. The sword glowed with the light of the sun and was irresistible in battle, having the power to cut his enemies in half.
  • Cosgarach Mhor, the Great Triumphant One, sword of Oscar.
  • Crocea Mors [fr], formerly the sword of Julius Caesar, captured by Nennius according to the legends presented by Geoffrey of Monmouth
    .
  • Cruadh-Chosgarach, the Hard Destroying One, sword of Caílte mac Rónáin.
  • Cruaidín Catutchenn, the sword of Cú Chulainn.
  • Dyrnwyn (White-Hilt), the Sword of Rhydderch Hael. When drawn by a worthy or well-born man, the entire blade would blaze with fire. Rhydderch was never reluctant to hand the weapon to anyone, hence his nickname Hael "the Generous", but the recipients, as soon as they had learned of its peculiar properties, always rejected the sword.
  • Fragarach (also Sword of Air, Answerer or Retaliator), forged by the gods, wielded by Manannán mac Lir and Lugh Lamfada. No armor could stop it, and it would grant its wielder command over the powers of wind.
  • Mac an Luin, the Son of the Waves, sword of Fionn mac Cumhaill.
  • Móralltach (also Morallta) or "Great Fierce One", a sword given to Diarmuid Ua Duibhne by his father Aengus, which left no stroke or blow unfinished at the first trial.
  • Orna, the sword of the Fomorian king Tethra, which recounts the deeds done with it when unsheathed. It was taken by Ogma and it then recounted everything it had done.
  • Singing Sword of Conaire Mór, a sword that would sing in battle.

Swords from Continental Germanic mythology

Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand fight against dragons

Swords from Anglo-Saxon mythology and folklore of the British Islands

Swords from Arthuriana

The famous sword of Excalibur painted by Howard Pyle
  • Clarent, a sword of peace meant for knighting and ceremonies as opposed to battle, which was stolen and then used to kill Arthur by Mordred.
  • Coreiseuse (Wrathful), the sword of King Ban, Lancelot's father.
  • Excalibur, it is also sometimes referred to as: Caliburn, Caledfwlch, Calesvol, Kaledvoulc'h, Caliburnus due to inconsistencies within the various Arthurian legends. Sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Stated that it was forged on the Isle of Avalon.
  • Cortain (also Corte, Cortana, "Short"; Danish: Kortone), the shortened sword of Ogier the Dane, which was broken when test-cutting a marble block and had to be refashioned with the shorter blade.[4] And when Ogier was about to strike Prince Charlot dead in vengeance, but the archangel Michael stays the sword Short, and the prince is spared.[5] Ogier's sword had originally been the broken-tipped sword of Tristan according to the 13th century Prose Tristan. There appears to be some conflation between this sword from literature and the actual British regalia sword Curtana aka Sword of Mercy.
  • Galatine, the name of the sword given to Sir Gawain by the Lady of the Lake.
  • Grail Sword, a cracked holy sword which Sir Percival bonded back together, though the crack remained.
  • Morddure, Arthur's sword crafted by Merlin in The Faerie Queene; "neither steele, nor stone" could fend its attack. (Renaissance fiction)
  • Secace, the sword that Lancelot used to battle the Saxons at Saxon Rock. It is translated as Seure (Sequence) in the
    Vulgate Cycle
    .
  • Sword in the Stone or Caliburn, a sword in the Arthurian legend which only the rightful king of Britain can pull from the stone; sometimes associated with Excalibur. In Mallory, the sword in the stone is not Excalibur and is not named. When the sword is broken in a fight with King
    Pellinore, the Lady of the Lake gives him Excalibur as a replacement. At Arthur's death, Excalibur is returned to the Lady of the lake by Sir Bedivere
    .
  • Sword with the Red Hilt, one of the swords wielded by Sir Balin. After his death, Merlin sealed it in the float stone where it remained until it was drawn by Sir Galahad. After Galahad, the sword passes to his father, Sir Lancelot who fatally wounds Sir Gawain with it.

Swords from English Romance

(non-Arthurian, noncyclical)
  • Chrysaor, the golden sword of Sir Artegal in The Faerie Queene. It was tempered with Adamant, and it could cleave through anything. (Renaissance fiction)
  • Egeking, a sword in the medieval poem Greysteil. Sir Graham obtains the sword 'Egeking' from Eger's aunt, Sir Egram's Lady.
  • Guy of Warwick's Sword, belonged to the legendary Guy of Warwick who is said to have lived in the 10th century.
  • Morgelai, the king makes Beves a knight and presents him with a sword called Morgelai.

Swords from Norse mythology

King Svafrlame Secures the Sword Tyrfing
  • Angrvaðall (Stream of Anguish), a magical sword of
    Runic
    letters which blaze in time of war but gleam with a dim light in time of peace.
  • Dáinsleif (Dáinn's legacy), king Högni's sword that gave wounds that never healed and could not be sheathed without killing a man.
  • Dragvandil [sv], the sword of Egill Skallagrímsson.
  • Sword of Freyr, the sword of the Norse god of summer Frey, it is a magic sword which fought on its own.
  • Gambanteinn, a sword which appears in two poems in the Poetic Edda.
  • Fafnir
    . After being reforged, it could cleave an anvil in half.
  • Heimdallr, the guardian of Bifröst
    .
  • Hrotti, part of Fafnir's treasure, which Sigurd took after he slew the dragon.
  • Lævateinn, a sword mentioned in an emendation to the Poetic Edda Fjölsvinnsmál by Sophus Bugge. it was forged by the elf Völundr.
  • Magnus III of Norway
    .
  • Mistilteinn, the magical sword of Thráinn, the draugr, later owned by Hromundr Gripsson and it could never go blunt.
  • Quern-biter, sword of
    quernstones
    .
  • Ridill (also Refil), sword of the dwarf Regin
    .
  • Hrólf Kraki. It was renowned for supernatural sharpness and hardness, as well as for being imbued with the spirits of the king's twelve faithful berserker
    bodyguards. A cut made by Skofnung will not heal. The only way to stop this is by touching the cut with the Skofnung stone.
  • Tyrfing (also Tirfing or Tyrving), the cursed sword of Svafrlami with a golden hilt that would never miss a stroke, would never rust and would cut through stone and iron as easily as through clothes. The dwarves made the sword, and it shone and gleamed like fire. However, they cursed it so that it would kill a man every time it was used and that it would be the cause of three great evils.

Swords from the Matter of France

Joan of Arc with her famous sword

Swords from Spanish mythology

"Tizona", the sword attributed to El Cid, on exhibit in the Army Museum of Madrid

Swords from Greek mythology

  • Harpe, an adamantine sword used by the hero Perseus to decapitate Medusa.
  • Sword of Damocles
    , a huge sword hung above the throne where Damocles sat, it was held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse's tail.
  • Sword of justice, in Themis right hand, she is seen to have a sword that faces downward. This sword represents punishment.
  • Sword of Peleus, a magic sword that makes its wielder victorious in the battle or the hunt.

Swords from Roman mythology

  • Attila the Hun; claimed to have originally been the sword of "Mars", the war god of the Scythic barbarians.[9]

Swords from Hindu mythology

Vishnu holding his legendary sword Nandaka
  • Karupannar in (Tamil mythology
    )
  • Asi, a legendary sword mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.
  • Chandrahasa, the divine sword given to Ravana by Shiva
  • Khanda (also Mahābhārata Sword), Khanda is represented as wisdom cutting through ignorance. In Hinduism, the Khanda is a symbol of Shiva. Khanda often appears in Rajput history but later on, it was used by Sikh warriors, scriptures, and art.
  • Nandaka (also Nandaki), the sword of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • Nistrimsha, the sword of Pradyumna, a son of Krishna.
  • Pattayudha, the divine sword of the
    Veerabhadra, a commander of Shiva's troops
    .

Swords from Japanese mythology

Artist's impressions of the (unseen) Imperial Regalia of Japan

Swords from Chinese mythology

  • Feijian, a sword borrowed from Lü Dongbin to Xuanwu in order to subdue the spirits of the tortoise and the snake.
  • Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, the legendary Chinese twin swords named after their creators.
  • Glory of Ten Powers, a legendary Chinese sword allegedly forged in Tibet by husband-and-wife magicians of the ancient
    Bön
    tradition.
  • Huàyǐng, a branch that morphed into a sword in the hands of
    Zhuānxū
    , has the ability to command the elements and animals.
  • Kunwu, a sword given to Huangdi by Jiutian Xuannü during his war against Chiyou. Able to slay gods, demons and repel evil magic.
  • Téngkōng, a sword that descended from heaven into the possession of
    Zhuānxū
    . Said to levitate and points towards the direction of war.

Swords from Buddhist mythology

Swords from Slavic legend

Swords from Middle Eastern mythology

Pole weapons

Clubs and maces

Clubs and staffs from Hindu mythology

  • Kaumodaki, the mace of the Hindu god Vishnu, found in iconography of some of Vishnu's avatars.
  • Kaladanda, the staff of Death[12] is club used by Yama, the god of death in Hindu mythology. Once fired, it could kill anyone, no matter what boons they had to protect themselves.
  • Gada, the main weapon of the Hindu god Hanuman.
  • Mace of Bhima, a club that was presented by Mayasura. It was a weapon of the danava King Vrishaparva.

Rods and staffs

A 19th-century drawing of Sun Wukong featuring his staff

Scythes

Greek God Kronos/Saturnus with sickle
  • )
  • Grim Reaper's scythe, a large scythe wielded by the Grim Reaper.
  • Scythe of Father Time, during the Renaissance, Father Time was depicted as wielding the harvesting scythe, and became the representative of the cruel and unrelenting flow of time which, in the end, cuts down all things.
  • Death's scythe, the fourth of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a Pale Horse is Death, he is commonly depict carrying a scythe. (Christian mythology)

Spears

Longinus with his famous Spear

Spears from Celtic mythology

  • Areadbhar (also Areadbhair), the spear of Lugh, which originally belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. Lugh had no need to wield the spear himself. It was alive and thirsted for blood that was only stayed by steeping its head in a sleeping-draught of pounded fresh poppy seeds. When battle was near, it was drawn out; then it roared and struggled against its thongs, fire blazed from it, and it tore through the ranks of the enemy once slipped from the leash, never tired of slaying.
  • Crann Buidhe, the spear of
    Manannán
    .
  • Del Chliss, Cú Chulainn's spear that first belonged to Nechtan Scéne, and used to kill the sons of Nechtan Scéne. Formerly the name for the charioteer's goad, a split piece of wood.
  • Gáe Buide (Yellow Shaft), a yellow spear that can inflict wounds from which none could recover. The spear of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by Aengus.
  • Gáe Bulg, the spear of Cú Chulainn, made of the bone of a sea monster. According to the legend, this spear was crafted by the warrior maiden Scáthach and had the power to explode into dozens of barbs, producing instant death.
  • Gae Assail (Spear of Assal), another spear belonging to Lugh, the incantation "Ibar (Yew)" made the cast always hit its mark, and "Athibar (Re-Yew)" caused the spear to return.
  • Gáe Dearg (Red Javelin), the red spear of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, given to him by Aengus. It inflicted wounds that none could recover from similar to Gáe Buide.
  • Celtchar mac Uthechar and wielded by other heroes, such as Dubthach, Mac Cécht and Fedlimid
    .

Spears from Japanese mythology

Onogoro-shima
, from the sea

Polearms from Chinese mythology

Erlang Shen (二郎神), or Erlang is a Chinese God with his spear
  • Erlang Shen's spear, a three-pointed and double-edged spear with two cutting edges of a Saber used by Erlang Shen. It is powerful enough to penetrate and cleave through steel and stone like wool.
  • Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a legendary weapon wielded by Guan Yu in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is a guandao, a type of traditional Chinese weapon. It is also sometimes referred to as the Frost Fair Blade, from the idea that during a battle in the snow, the blade continuously had blood on it; the blood froze and made a layer of frost on the blade.
  • Jiuchidingpa (Nine-tooth Iron Rake), the primary weapon of Zhu Bajie.
  • 1.8 zhang long Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei's spear from the Three Kingdoms period in China.
  • King Fuchai of Wu
    .
  • Yueyachan (Crescent-Moon-Shovel), a Monk's spade that is the primary weapon of Sha Wujing. A double-headed staff with a crescent-moon blade at one end and a spade at the other, with six xīzhàng rings in the shovel part to denote its religious association.
  • Han Feizi's spear, a man was trying to sell a spear and a shield. When asked how good his spear was, he said that his spear could pierce any shield. Then, when asked how good his shield was, he said that it could defend from all spear attacks. Then one person asked him what would happen if he were to take his spear to strike his shield; the seller could not answer. This led to the idiom of "zìxīang máodùn" (自相矛盾, "from each-other spear shield"), or "self-contradictory".

Bidents

Javelins

Lances

Tridents

Shiva with his Trishula
  • Kongō, A trident-shaped staff which emits a bright light in the darkness, and grants wisdom and insight. The staff belonged originally to the Japanese mountain god Kōya-no-Myōjin. It is the equivalent of the Sanskrit Vajra, the indestructible lightning-diamond pounder of the king of the gods/rain-god Indra. There the staff represents the three flames of the sacrificial fire, part of the image of the vajra wheel. (Japanese mythology)
  • Trident of Poseidon, associated with Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology and the Roman god Neptune. When struck the earth in anger, it caused mighty earthquakes and his trident could stir up tidal waves, tsunamis, and sea storms. (Greek mythology)
  • Trident of Madhu, Madhu handed everything over to his son Lavanasura including his trident before drowning himself in the ocean because of shame. (Hindu mythology)
  • Trishula, the trident of Shiva, stylized by some as used as a missile weapon and often included a crossed stabilizer to facilitate flight when thrown. Considered to be the most powerful weapon. (Hindu mythology)

Whips

Daggers

  • Arthurian legend
    )
  • Dagger of Rostam, a glittering dagger that Rostam used to behead the white daeva Div-e Sepid. (Persian mythology)
  • Knife of Llawfrodedd the Horseman,
    Llawfrodedd Farchog (from marchog "the Horseman"), or Barfawc "the Bearded" in other manuscripts, is said to have owned a knife which would serve for a company of 24 men at the dinner table. (Welsh mythology
    )
  • Roma, or the Emperor, giving them the aura of courage. (Roman mythology
    )

Daggers from Indonesia and Malay folklore

  • Kris Mpu Gandring, Ken Arok's cursed dagger. The unfinished or incomplete kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok.
  • Kris Taming Sari (Flower Shield or Beautiful Shield), one of the most well-known kris in Malay literature, said to be so skilfully crafted that anyone wielding it was unbeatable.
  • Kris Setan Kober, belong to Arya Penangsang, the mighty viceroy (adipati) of Jipang who was killed by his own kris called Setan Kober ("devil of the grave"). Forged by Empu Bayu Aji in the kingdom of Pajajaran, and had 13 luk on its blade.

Axes

The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and his famous Golden Axe
  • Axe of Perun, the axe wielded by the Slavic god of thunder and lightning, Perun. (Slavic paganism)
  • Forseti's axe (also Fosite's axe), a golden battle axe that Forseti (or Fosite in the Frisian mythology) used to save the old sages of the wreck and then threw the axe to an island to bring forth a source of water. (Norse mythology)
  • Hephaestus's Labrys, a double-headed axe used by Hephaestus to slice open Zeus's head and free Athena, whose pregnant mother Zeus swallowed to prevent her offspring from dethroning him. (Greek mythology)
  • Lightning axe, an axe that is wielded by the Maya rain deity Chaac and used to produce thunder and rain. (Maya mythology)
  • Parashu, the battle-axe of Shiva who gave it to Parashurama. (Hindu mythology)
  • Pangu's axe, an axe wielded by Pangu. He used it to separate yin from yang, creating the Earth (murky yin) and the Sky (clear yang). (Chinese mythology)
  • Paul Bunyan's axe, an axe wielded by Paul Bunyan. It was responsible for carving the Grand Canyon after Paul once dragged it behind him while walking. (American folklore)
  • Gobán Saor's axe, it could hold back the tide when it was thrown onto the seashore. (Irish mythology)
  • Yoruba mythology
    )
  • lotus-tipped sceptre upright in his left hand and the double-headed axe over his right shoulder. (Greek mythology
    )
  • Golden axe, a woodcutter accidentally dropped his axe into a river and sat down to weep. Hermes dived into the water and returned with a golden axe. Hermes asked if this is his axe, but the woodcutter said it was not. (Greek folklore)
  • Silver axe, the woodcutter returned the same answer when a silver axe was brought to the surface by Hermes. Only when his own axe is found does he claim it. Impressed by his honesty, Hermes allows him to keep all three axes. (Greek folklore)

Hammers

Bow and arrows

Bows

Houyi, the God of Archery
  • Arash's bow, Arash used the bow to determine the border between Persia and Tooran, it is said that the arrow was traveling for three days, and Arash sacrificed himself while firing the bow by putting his life force in the arrow. (Persian mythology)
  • Fail-not, the bow of
    Arthurian legend
    )
  • Houyi's bow, the God of Archery used his bow to shoot down nine out of ten sun-birds from the sky. (Chinese mythology)
  • Conquest's bow, the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rides on a White Horse is Conquest, and he who sat on it had a bow. (Christian mythology)
  • Ofas, bows and arrows used by the divine odés (hunters). (Yoruba mythology)

Bows from Classical Greek and Roman mythology

  • Apollo's bow, a bow that was crafted of sun rays.
  • Artemis's bow, a golden bow wielded by Artemis that was crafted of moonlight and silver wood or made of gold.
  • Eros's bow, a bow wielded by Eros that could cause one to love or hate the person they first saw after being struck.
  • Heracles's bow, which also belonged to Philoctetes, its arrows had been dipped in the blood of the Lernaean Hydra, which made them instantly lethal.
  • Iphitus, who later gave the bow to his friend Odysseus. It was this bow that Odysseus used to kill the suitors who had wanted to take his wife, Penelope
    .

Bows from Hindu mythology

Arrows

Killing of Ravana Painting by Brahmstra of Arrow of Brahma
  • Apollo's arrow, an arrow that was crafted of sun rays. It could cause health or cause famine and death in sleep. (Greek mythology)
  • Artemis's arrow, an arrow that was crafted of moonlight and silver wood or made of gold. It could be used to bring sudden death and disease to girls and women. (Greek mythology)
  • Arrow of Brahma, the demi-god Rama faced the demon king of Sri-Lanka, Ravana. Rama fired the arrow of Brahma that had been imparted to him by Agastya. The arrow of Brahma burst Ravana's navel, and returned to Rama's quiver. (Hindu mythology)
  • Teen Baan, Shiva gave Barbarika three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). A single arrow was enough to destroy all opponents in any war, and it would then return to Barbarika's quiver. (Hindu mythology)
  • Elf-arrow (also Pixie Arrow), were arrowheads of flint used in hunting and war by the aborigines of the British Isles and of Europe in general. Elf-Arrows derived their name from the folklore belief that the arrows fell from the sky, and were used by elves to kill cattle and inflict Elfshot on human beings. Elf-Arrows were sometimes worn as amulets, occasionally set in silver, as a charm against witchcraft. (English folklore
    )
  • Heracles' arrows, arrows wielded by Heracles that were coated in poisonous Hydra blood. (Greek mythology)
  • Gusisnautar [sv], magic arrows given to Örvar-Oddr by his father. (Norse mythology)
  • Sagitta (Arrow), regarded as the weapon that Hercules used to kill the eagle Aquila that perpetually gnawed Prometheus' liver. (Greek mythology)

Crossbows

  • William Tell's crossbow: the governor of Altdorf forced William to shoot with his crossbow at an apple placed over his son's head a hundred feet away, as a way of punishing him for not bowing to the governor's statue. William, despite being a master of the crossbow, loaded two arrows into it. At the first attempt he hit the target. Amazed, the governor asked the reason for loading the second arrow. William replied that, in case the first projectile hit his son, he would shoot the second arrow into the evil heart of the one who caused his death. (Swiss folklore)

Projectile weapons

Projectile weapons from Hindu mythology

Hooks

Jewelry

Necklaces

Amulets and Charms

Fig trees often represent talismans with the udumbara

Rings

Goetia seal of solomon

Arm rings

The third gift — an enormous hammer (1902) by Elmer Boyd Smith and the ring Draupnir is visible among other creations by the Sons of Ivaldi

Earrings

  • Karna Kundala, the ear-rings of Karna (was present at his birth). (Hindu mythology)
  • Makarakundala, makara shaped ear-rings are sometimes worn by the Hindu gods, for example Shiva, the Destroyer, or the Preserver-god Vishnu, the Sun god Surya, and the Mother Goddess Chandi. (Hindu mythology)
  • Shiva Kundala, the Hindu God Shiva wears two earrings or Kundalas. Traditional images of Shiva depict the two earrings named – Alakshya and Niranjana. (Hindu mythology)

Gemstones

bestiaries
, the lynx in this late 13th-century English manuscript is shown urinating, the urine turning to the mythical stone Lyngurium
  • Lyngurium (also Ligurium), the name of a mythical gemstone believed to be formed of the solidified urine of the lynx. (Medieval legend)
  • Batrachite
    , gemstones that were supposedly found in frogs, to which ancient physicians and naturalists attributed the virtue of resisting poison. (Medieval legend)
  • Draconite, a mythical gemstone taken from the head of a dragon and believed to have magical properties.
  • Tide jewels, the kanju (干珠?, lit. "(tide-)ebbing jewel") and manju (満珠?, lit. "(tide-)flowing jewel") were magical gems that the Sea God used to control the tides. (Japanese mythology)
  • Mermaid tears, Neptune forbade the mermaids to use their abilities to change the course of nature. In a horrible storm, one mermaid weathered the crossings for a ship. She had, over time, grown to fall in love with the ship's captain from afar. When she calmed the wind and waves to save the man's life, Neptune angrily exiled her to the depths of the ocean, and ordered her to never to swim to the surface again. Still, today, her brightly gleaming tears wash up on the shore as sea glass as a reminder of true love. (Medieval legend)
  • Five-colored Jewel from a Dragon's Neck, a jewel that shines five colors found in a dragon's neck. One of Kaguya-hime's suitor set out to search for the jewel. (Japanese mythology)
  • Hope Diamond, the diamond has been surrounded by a mythology of a reputed curse to the effect that it brings misfortune and tragedy to persons who own it or wear it, but there are strong indications that such stories were fabricated to enhance the stone's mystery and appeal, since increased publicity usually raised the gem's value and newsworthiness. Unsubstantiated legends claim that the original form of the Hope Diamond was stolen from an eye of a sculpted statue of the goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, the seventh Avatar of Vishnu.
  • Flaming pearl (also Wish-granting pearl), oriental dragons are shown with a flaming pearl under their chin or in their claws. The pearl is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon. (Chinese mythology)
  • Gem of Kukulkan, the Mayan god brought fire, earth, air, and water to the world. Kukulkan, though, only has the wind gem, and with it can control the air. (Maya mythology)[citation needed]

Gemstones from Hindu/Buddhist mythology

Ksitigarbha
holding a cintamani

Stones

The Stone of Destiny (Lia Fáil) at the Hill of Tara, once used as a coronation stone for the High Kings of Ireland
  • Baetylus, a sacred stone endowed with life. (Greek mythology)
  • Bezoar, a stone believed to provide an antidote against any poison.
  • Philosopher's stone, said to perform alchemy without an equal sacrifice being made, such as turning lead to gold, and creating something out of nothing. (Medieval legend)
  • Sesshō-seki (also Killing Stone), a stone that kills anyone who comes into contact with it. (Japanese mythology
    )
  • Stone of Giramphiel, a stone described in
    Arthurian legend
    )
  • Heimdallr's fight in the form of seals. (Norse mythology
    )
  • Llech Ronw (also Slate of Gron), a holed stone located along Afon Bryn Saeth in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales. The stone is described as being roughly forty inches by thirty inches with a hole of about an inch in diameter going through it. (Welsh mythology)
  • Adder stone, believed to have magical powers such as protection against eye diseases or evil charms, preventing nightmares, curing whooping cough, the ability to see through fairy or witch disguises and traps if looked at through the middle of the stone, and recovery from snakebite. (Welsh mythology)
  • Toadstone (also Bufonite), a mythical stone thought to be produced by a toad that provides an antidote to poison. (Medieval legend)
  • Stone of Scone (also Stone of Destiny), an oblong block of red sandstone. (Matter of Britain)
  • Sledovik, a sacred stone venerated in Slavic and Finnic pagan practices. (Slavic paganism)
  • Lia Fáil (also Stone of Destiny), a stone at the Inauguration Mound on the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland. In legend, all of the kings of Ireland were crowned on the stone up to Muirchertach mac Ercae c. AD 500. (Irish mythology)
  • Thunderstone, throughout Europe, Asia, and Polynesia – flint arrowheads and axes turned up by farmer's plows are considered to have fallen from the sky. They were often thought to be thunderbolts and are called "thunderstones".
  • Gjöll, the rock to which Fenrir the wolf is bound. (Norse mythology)
  • Vaidurya, a precious stone worn by the goddesses
    Hindu Mythology
    )
  • Seer stone, some early-nineteenth-century Americans used seer stones in attempts to gain revelations from God or to find buried treasure. From about 1819, Joseph Smith regularly practiced scrying, a form of divination in which a "seer" looked into a seer stone to receive supernatural knowledge. (Mormon mythology)
  • Urim and Thummim, a set of seer stones bound in a breastplate, or by silver bows into a set of spectacles. (Mormon mythology)
  • Lapis manalis (Stone of the Manes), was either of two sacred stones used in the Roman religion. One covered a gate to Pluto, abode of the dead; Festus called it ostium Orci, "the gate of Orcus". The other was used to make rain; this one may have no direct relationship with the Manes, but is instead derived from the verb manare, "to flow". The two stones had the same name. However, the grammarian Festus held the cover to the gate of the underworld and the rainmaking stone to be two distinct stones. (Roman mythology)
  • Charmstone (charm-stone and charm stone), a stone or mineral artifact associated with various traditional cultures, including those of Scotland and the native cultures of California and the American southwest.
  • Snakestones (also Serpentstones), fossilized ammonites were thought to be petrified coiled snakes, and were called snakestones. They were considered to be evidence for the actions of saints, such as Hilda of Whitby, a myth referenced in Sir Walter Scott's Marmion, and Saint Patrick, and were held to have healing or oracular powers. (Medieval legend)
  • Benben, the mound that arose from the primordial waters Nu, and on which the creator god Atum settled. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Omphalos, Zeus sent two eagles across the world to meet at its center, the "navel" of the world. Omphalos stones marking the center were erected in several places about the Mediterranean Sea; the most famous of those was at Delphi. Omphalos is also the name of the stone given to Cronus. (Greek mythology)
  • Australian Aboriginal mythology
    )
  • Skofnung stone, a stone that can heal wounds made by the sword Skofnung. (Norse mythology)
  • Colored Stones of Nüwa, five colored stones crafted by the goddess
    Chinese Mythology
    )
  • Madstone, a special medicinal substance that, when pressed into an animal bite, was believed to prevent rabies by drawing the "poison" out. (American folklore)
  • Alatyr, a sacred stone, the "father to all stones", the navel of the earth, containing sacred letters and endowed with healing properties. (Slavic folklore)
  • Edun Ara, stones struck by lightning, used by Shango. (Yoruba mythology)

Vehicles

  • La Carreta Nagua (The Wagon), a haunted cart that is driven by Death and pulled by two skeletal oxen. It could supposedly be heard at night because of the sound of chains it made being dragged along the streets. (Nicaraguan culture)

Airborne

Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov

Vimana from Hindu mythology

The Celestial Chariot, Pushpaka Vimana from Ramayana
  • Pushpa Vimana (An Aeroplane with flowers), a mythical Aeroplane found in Ayyavazhi mythology. In Maharashtra, it is the Pushpak Viman (a heavenly aircraft shaped as an eagle) which took Saint Tukaram (a devotee of Vishnu
    ) to heaven.
  • Vishvakarma for Brahma, the Hindu god of creation; later Brahma gave it to Kubera, the god of wealth; but it was later stolen, along with Lanka, by his half-brother, the king Ravana
    .

Chariots

Chariots from Abrahamic Mythology

  • Merkabah (chariot), Ezekiel's vision of the four-wheeled chariot driven by four hayyot, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle.
  • Chariot of fire, the chariot that carried the prophet Elijah to heaven.

Chariots from Classical Greek and Roman mythology

  • Aphrodite's chariot, Hephaestus presented Aphrodite with a golden chariot as bridal gift.
  • Apollo's chariot, was pulled by his sacred swans. He also gave his lover Hyacinthus a swan-drawn chariot.
  • Ares's chariots, Ares received his chariots from the forge of Hephaestus.
  • Artemis's chariot, it was made of gold and was pulled by the four golden-horned deer she caught. The bridles of her chariot were also made of gold.
  • Cabeiri's chariot, drawn by metallic, fire-breathing horses.
  • Dionysus's chariot, drawn by panthers.
  • Eos's chariot, drawn by two horses.
  • Hades's chariot, golden chariot drawn by four black horses.
  • Helios's chariot, a golden chariot drawn by four fiery horses driven across the sky by the Greek sun god, Helios. Also, according to Apollodorus, Helios owened a chariot, drawn by winged dragons, which he gave to his granddaughter Medea.[19]
  • Hera's chariot, a chariot drawn by peacocks.
  • Nemesis's chariot, a chariot drawn by griffins
    .
  • Poseidon's chariot, pulled by hippocampi.
  • Rhea's chariot, drawn by lions.
  • Selene's chariot, drawn across the night sky by her bulls or horses.
  • Sol Invictus's chariot, depicted riding a quadriga on the reverse of a Roman coin.
  • Zeus's chariot, drawn by the four directional winds (Anemoi) in horse-shape.

Chariots from Hindu & Ayyavazhi mythology

Surya on His Celestial Chariot

Chariots from Norse mythology

Ships

The Flying Dutchman

Ships from Egyptian mythology

Ships from Greek mythology

The Argo (c. 1500 – 1530), painting by Lorenzo Costa
  • Argo, the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed. She contained in her prow a magical piece of timber from the sacred forest of Dodona, which could speak and render prophecies.
  • Phaeacian ships, in the Odyssey, are described as being as fast as a falcon, steered by thought and requiring no helmsman, and able to travel even through mist or fog without any danger of being shipwrecked.
  • Boat of
    Charon, which carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron
    that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.
  • Ship of Theseus, the ship Theseus rode on his trip to kill Minotaur. He set off with a black sail, promising to his father, Aegeus, that if successful he would return with a white sail. Theseus forgot to put up the white sails instead of the black ones, however, so Aegeus, believing his son was dead, committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea, leading this body of water to be named Aegean Sea. This ship is more famous as the thought experiment Ship of Theseus.

Ships from Norse mythology

Thor kicks Litr onto Baldr's Hringhorni, illustration by Emil Doepler (ca. 1905)
  • Ellida, a magic
    Aegir
    .
  • Hringhorni, the ship of the god Baldr, described as the "greatest of all ships".
  • Naglfar, a ship made out of fingernails and toenails of the dead. It will set sail during Ragnarök.
  • Sessrúmnir, is both the goddess Freyja's hall located in Fólkvangr, a field where Freyja receives half of those who die in battle, and also the name of a ship.
  • Skíðblaðnir, a boat owned by Freyr.
  • Ullr's bone, Ullr could traverse the sea on his magic bone.

Trains

  • Silverpilen (Silver Arrow), a Stockholm Metro train which features in several urban legends alleging sightings of the train's "ghost". (Swedish folklore)
  • St. Louis Ghost Train, visible at night along an old abandoned rail line in between Prince Albert and St. Louis, Saskatchewan. (Canadian legend)
  • Phantom funeral train, a funeral train decorated in black bunting said to run regularly from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois, around the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's death, stopping watches and clocks in surrounding areas as it passes. (American folklore)

Unidentified flying objects

  • Black triangle, UFOs reported as having a triangular shape and dark color, typically observed at night, described as large, silent, hovering, moving slowly, and displaying pulsating, colored lights. (Ufology)
  • Flying saucer (also Flying disc), a supposed type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. (Ufology)
  • Foo fighter, a type of UFO reported and named by the U.S. 415th Special Operations Squadron, the term was also commonly used to mean any UFO sighting from that period. (Ufology)

Treasures

Jug from Lydian Treasure Usak
  • Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann (also Hallows of Ireland), consisting of the Claíomh Solais, Lug's Spear, Cauldron of the Dagda, and the Lia Fáil. (Celtic mythology)
  • Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consisting of the Kusanagi, the jewel necklace Yasakani no Magatama, and the mirror Yata no Kagami. (Japanese mythology)
  • Karun Treasure, said to belong to King Croesus of Lydia. (Persian mythology)
  • Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, consisting of the Dyrnwyn, the Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, the Horn of Brân Galed, the Chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr, the Halter of Clydno Eiddyn, the Knife of Llawfrodedd the Horseman, the Cauldron of Dyrnwch the Giant, the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd, the Coat of Padarn Beisrudd, the Crock and Dish of Rhygenydd Ysgolhaig, the Chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, the Mantle of Arthur in Cornwall, the Mantle of Tegau Gold-Breast, and the Stone and Ring of Eluned the Fortunate. (Matter of Britain)
  • Rheingold (also Rhinegold), a hoard of gold in the Nibelungenlied where three Rheinmaidens swim and protect the treasure. (Norse mythology)
  • Yamashita's gold, also referred to as the Yamashita treasure, is the name given to the alleged war loot stolen in Southeast Asia by Imperial Japanese forces during World War II and hidden in caves, tunnels, underground complexes, or just underground in the Philippines—most commonly the island of Mindanao. According to the legend, it is named after the Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita, nicknamed "The Tiger of Malaya". (Japanese urban legends)
  • Eight Treasures, consisting of the wish-granting pearl (flaming pearl), the double lozenges, the stone chime, the pair of rhinoceros horns, the double coins, the gold or silver ingot, coral, and the wish-granting scepter. (Chinese mythology)
  • Nidhi (also Nidhana, Nikhara, or Sevadhi) is a treasure, which consists of nine precious objects (navanidhi) belonging to Kubera, god of wealth. (Hindu mythology)
  • Štěchovice treasure, a purported hoard of Nazi treasure. It is said to be hidden in the town of Štěchovice in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. (Czech legend)
  • Nazi gold train (also Wałbrzych gold train), a Nazi Germany-era train buried in a tunnel in Lower Silesia between Breslau (Wrocław) and Waldenburg (Wałbrzych) in May 1945 during the last days of World War II. (Polish legend)
  • Confederate gold, a hidden cache of gold lost after the American Civil War. Millions of dollars' worth of gold was lost or unaccounted for after the war and has been the speculation of many historians and treasure hunters. Allegedly, some of the Confederate treasury was hidden in order to wait for the rising again of the South and at other times simply so that the Union would not gain possession. (American legend)
  • Lasseter's Reef – A fabulously rich gold deposit said to have been discovered – and then subsequently lost – by bushman Harold Bell Lasseter in a remote and desolate corner of central Australia towards the end of the 19th century. (Australian folklore)


Relics

Relics from Buddhist mythology

  • Cetiya, "reminders" or "memorials" (Sanskrit caitya) are objects and places used by Theravada Buddhists to remember Gautama Buddha.
  • Relic of the tooth of the Buddha, venerated in Sri Lanka as a cetiya "relic" of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
  • Śarīra, a generic term referring to Buddhist relics. In Buddhism, relics of the Buddha and various sages are venerated. After the Buddha's death, his remains were divided into eight portions. Afterward, these relics were enshrined in stupas wherever Buddhism was spread.

Relics from Christian mythology

The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral
  • Relics of Jesus
    , a number of relics associated with Jesus that have been claimed and displayed throughout the history of Christianity.
  • Shrine of the Three Kings (German Dreikönigsschrein), a reliquary said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men.

Relics from Islamic mythology

  • Sacred Relics (also Holy Relics and Sacred Trust), consist of religious pieces sent to the Ottoman Sultans between the 16th century to the late 19th century.
  • Sacred Cloak of the Prophet
    , a cloak believed to have been worn by the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Books

Byzantine Leo Bible

Cauldrons

Botany

  • Blue Lotus, a symbol of the sun, since the flowers are closed at night and open again in the morning. The origin of the world was taught to have been when the sun god Ra emerged from a lotus flower growing in "primordial waters". At night, he was believed to retreat into the flower again. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Magic bean, Jack trades the family cow for a handful of magic beans which caused a gigantic beanstalk to grow outside Jack's window during the night. (British fairy tale)
  • Mandrake, In the past, mandrake was often made into amulets which were believed to bring good fortune, cure sterility, etc. In one superstition, people who pull up this root will be condemned to hell, and the mandrake root would scream and cry as it was pulled from the ground, killing anyone who heard it.
  • White Lotus, the Egyptians believed that the lotus flower gave them strength and power. Horus was occasionally shown in art as a naked boy with a finger in his mouth sitting on a lotus with his mother. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, is a believed to grow sheep as its fruit. (Central Asian legend)

Plants and herbs

Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910's
  • Aglaophotis, a herb used for warding off demons, witchcraft, and fever.
  • Slavic mythology
    )
  • Hungry grass (also Féar Gortach), a patch of cursed grass which causes perpetual and insatiable hunger. (Irish mythology)
  • Moly, a magical herb Hermes gave to Odysseus to protect him from Circe's magic. (Greek mythology)
  • Slavic mythology
    )
  • Ausadhirdipyamanas, healing plants used for healing and rejuvenations in battles. These are used by Ashvins. (Hindu mythology)
  • Avestan language
    name of a plant and its divinity, both of which play a role in Zoroastrian doctrine and in later Persian culture and mythology.
  • Silphium, a plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning and as a medicine. Legend said that this plant was a gift from the god Apollo. (Roman mythology
    )
  • Verbena, a plant which has long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces. It was called "tears of Isis" in ancient Egypt, and later called "Hera's tears". In ancient Greece it was dedicated to Eos Erigineia. In the early Christian era, folk legend stated that V. officinalis was used to staunch Jesus' wounds after his removal from the cross. It was consequently called "holy herb" or (e.g. in Wales) "Devil's bane".
  • Yao Grass, a type of mythical plant. (Chinese mythology)
  • Shamrock, a plant honored as sacred by ancient Druids. The Druids believed the shamrock had the power to avert evil spirits. Some people still believe the shamrock has mystical, even prophetic powers. It is said that the leaves of shamrocks turn upright whenever a storm is coming. (Irish mythology)
  • Sanjivani, a magical herb which can cure any malady. It was believed that medicines prepared from this herb could revive a dead person. (Hindu mythology
    )

Trees

"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Tree of Knowledge is on the right

Trees from Norse mythology

Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus
(1555). To the right of the tree is a depiction of a man being sacrificed in the spring
  • Barnstokkr (Child-trunk), a tree that stands in the center of King Völsung's hall.
  • tree or grove described as "the most beautiful among gods and men", bearing golden leaves located in the realm of Asgard, outside the doors of Valhalla
    .
  • Valhöll. Two animals, the goat Heiðrún and the hart Eikþyrnir
    , graze its foliage.
  • Mímameiðr (Mimi's Tree), a tree whose branches stretch over every land, is unharmed by fire or metal, bears fruit that assists pregnant women, and upon whose highest bough roosts the rooster Víðópnir.
  • Sacred tree at Uppsala, a sacred tree located at the Temple at Uppsala, Sweden, in the second half of the 11th century. It is not known what species it was, but a scholar has suggested that it was a yew tree.

World trees

The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine

Foods

Drinks

Lord Vishnu took the form of Beauty Mohini and distributed the Amrita (Ambrosia, Elixir) to Devas. When Rahu (snake dragon) tried to steal the Amrita, his head was cut off
  • Ambrosia, the food or drink of the gods, which gives longevity or immortality to whoever consumes it. (Greek mythology)
  • Amrita, the drink of the gods which grants them immortality. (Hindu mythology)
  • Mead of poetry (also Mead of Suttungr), a mythical beverage that whoever "drinks becomes a skald or scholar to recite any information and solve any question. (Norse mythology)
  • Zoroastrian mythology
    )

Fruits

Eggs

Snake and world egg of the inhabitants of Tyre
  • Golden egg, the main object of the folk tale "
    Russian folklore
    )
  • Myrrh egg, the phoenix would build itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignited; both nest and bird burned fiercely and would be reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arose. The new phoenix embalmed the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg made of myrrh and deposited it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis ("the city of the sun" in Greek). (Greek mythology)
  • World egg (also Cosmic Egg or Mundane Egg), found in the creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. The world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth.

Substances

Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object
  • Manna (also Mana), an edible substance that God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert. (Christian mythology/Jewish mythology/Islamic mythology)
  • Ectoplasm, a supposed physical substance that manifests as a result of energy.
  • Aureola, the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure.
  • Aura, a field of luminous radiation surrounding a person or object.
  • Tears of Ra (also Tears of Re), which are produced when the sun god Ra cries, and become honey bees upon touching the ground. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Breath of life, in countless stories from different cultures featured gods breathing life into object that brought them to life.
  • Cosmic energy, the translation into English by Sir John Woodroffe of the term Shakti in Hindu religion, based on the Hindu philosophy known as Kashmir Shaivism; a term for spiritual energy; also referred to as prana; thought in Hindu philosophy to be the source of kundalini; identified by some New Age authors with the quantum vacuum zero point energy and as orgone energy it is believed in New Age thought to be a vital force that animates all forms of life.
  • Inuit mythology
    )
  • Hellfire, the fires from the lake of fire located in Hell. (Christian mythology)
  • Odic force (also Od, Odyle, Önd, Odes, Odylic, Odyllic, Odems), the name given in the mid-19th century to a hypothetical vital energy or life force by Baron Carl von Reichenbach.
  • Nebu, the ancient Egyptians believed that gold was an indestructible and heavenly metal. The sun god, Ra, was often referred to as a mountain of gold. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Xirang (also Hsi-jang, Swelling Earth, Self-renewing soil, Breathing earth, and Living earth), a magical substance in Chinese mythology that had a self-expanding ability to continuously grow – which made it particularly effective for use by Gun and Yu the Great in fighting the Great Flood. (Chinese mythology)
  • Humorism (also Humoralism), a system of medicine detailing the makeup and workings of the human body, adopted by Ancient Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers. (Greek mythology)
  • Alien metal, the rancher William Brazel found mysterious paper-like metals across his sheep pasture. Believe to have been the remains of an extraterrestrial flying saucer crash near Roswell, New Mexico. The event would later be known as the
    Roswell UFO incident. (Ufology
    )
  • Solomon's shamir, a substance that had the power to cut through or disintegrate stone, iron and diamond. King Solomon is said to have used it in the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem in the place of cutting tools. (Jewish mythology)

Substances from Greek mythology

  • Orichalcum, a metal that was considered second only to gold in value, and was mined in Atlantis in ancient times.
  • Panacea, a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely.
  • Water of Lethe, which flows through the river Lethe, and causes those who drink it to experience forgetfulness.
  • Aether, the pure essence that the gods breathed, filling the space where they lived, analogous to the air breathed by mortals.
  • Miasma
    , "a contagious power... that has an independent life of its own. Until purged by the sacrificial death of the wrongdoer, society would be chronically infected by catastrophe".
  • Kykeon, ancient Greek drink of various descriptions used at the climax of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Substances from Norse mythology

  • Eitr, a liquid substance that is the origin of all living things, and is produced by Jörmungandr and other serpents.
  • Surtalogi (Surtr's fire), the fire with which the giant Surtr will burn the world with fire, thus destroying it.
  • Yggdrasil dew, dew that falls from the ash tree Yggdrasil. When Líf and Lífþrasir seek refuge within Yggdrasil, they find that they can survive there by drinking the dew of Yggdrasil.

Substances from Medieval legend and European folklore

Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend)
  • Adamant(also Adamantine), a hard substance, whether composed of diamond, some other gemstone, or some type of metal.
  • Alkahest, a hypothetical universal solvent which can dissolve every other substance, including gold. It was much sought after by alchemists for what they thought would be its invaluable medicinal qualities. (Medieval legend)
  • Azoth, a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy. (Medieval legend)
  • Cold iron, is historically believed to repel, contain, or harm ghosts, fairies, witches, and/or other malevolent supernatural creatures. (European folklore
    )
  • Elixir of life, a mythical potion that, when drunk from a certain cup at a certain time, supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. (Medieval legend)
  • Fairy dust, fairy ring are circles of mushrooms that seem to pop-up over night in yards. It is said to grow from the magic dust left behind by faeries as they danced and celebrated during the night, before returning to their hidden land. (English folklore)
  • Four Thieves Vinegar, a concoction of vinegar infused with herbs,spices or garlic that was believed to protect the user from the plague (disease). (European folklore
    )
  • Holy water, believed to ward off or act as a weapon against mythical evil creatures, such as vampires. In eastern Europe, one might sprinkle holy water onto the corpse of a suspected vampire to destroy it or render it inert. (European folklore)
  • Love potion,
    Arthurian legend
    )
  • Prima materia (also Materia Prima or First Matter), is the ubiquitous starting material required for the alchemical magnum opus and the creation of the philosopher's stone. It is the primitive formless base of all matter similar to chaos, the quintessence, or aether. (Medieval legend)
  • Sandman's sand, which the Sandman uses to put people to sleep and bring good dreams by sprinkling it into their eyes while they sleep. (European folklore)
  • Yliaster, is the formless base of all matter which is the raw material for the alchemical Great Work. (Medieval legend)
  • Unspoken Water, water believed to have healing properties when collected "from under a bridge, over which the living pass and the dead are carried, brought in the dawn or twilight to the house of a sick person, without the bearer's speaking, either in going or returning". (Scottish folklore)
  • Water of life, water from the Fountain of Youth that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. (Medieval legend)
  • Sleeping potion, the troll princess who lives in a castle
    Scandinavian folklore
    )

Substances from Mesoamérican mythology

Substances from Asian mythology

Golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha by Manaku
  • Hihīrokane, described in the apocryphal Takenouchi Document, an alleged ancient writing in a lost script which details Japan's early history, Hihīrokane was used in the time of
    Law of Conservation of Energy. (Japanese mythology
    )
  • Hiranyagarbha, the source of the creation of the universe or the manifested cosmos. (Hindu mythology)
  • Halahala, a poison created from the sea when the gods and demons churned it to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality. (Hindu mythology)
  • Prana, is all cosmic energy, permeating the Universe on all levels. Prana is often referred to as the "life force" or "life energy". It also includes energies present in inanimate objects. (Hindu mythology)
  • Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness,a brew created by Meng Po that is given to each soul to drink before they leave Diyu. The brew induces instant and permanent amnesia, and all memory of other lives is lost. (Chinese mythology)
  • Qi (also Chi or Ki), an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi literally translates as "breath", "air", or "gas", and figuratively as "material energy", "life force", or "energy flow". Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. (Chinese mythology)
  • Chakra, an energy point or node in the subtle body. Chakras are believed to be part of the subtle body, not the physical body, and as such, are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels called Nadi. (Hinduism/Jainism/Buddhism)
  • Yin and yang, a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. (Chinese mythology)

Musical instruments

Conchs

Vishnu with his Panchajanya
  • Nandi Vardhanam, the conch shell of Satyaki. (Hindu mythology)
  • Panchajanya, a Shankha conch shell of the Hindu god Vishnu. As per Valmiki Ramyana, Purushottama (Vishnu) killed a Danava named Panchajana on a mountain named Chakravan constructed by Vishwakarma and took away conch shell known as Panchajanya from him. (Hindu mythology)
  • Shankha, a conch shell and sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver god Vishnu. (Hindu mythology)
  • Triton's conch shell, a twisted conch shell on which Triton blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves. (Greek mythology)

Drums

  • Sir Francis Drake took with him when he circumnavigated the world. Shortly before he died he ordered the drum to be taken to Buckland Abbey and vowed that if England was ever in danger and someone was to beat the drum he would return to defend the country. According to legend it can be heard to beat at times when England is at war or significant national events take place. (English folklore
    )
  • Cultrun, a Mapuche drum that the Machi's use for healing. (Chilean mythology)

Flutes

Pied piper

Harps

  • Bragi's harp, a magical golden harp given to Bragi by the dwarfs when he was born. (Norse mythology)
  • David's harp (also Kinnor David), a harp hung above King David's bed, and precisely at midnight a north wind arrived and blew on the harp and it would play by itself. (Jewish mythology)
  • Kantele, the mage Väinämöinen makes the first kantele from the jawbone of a giant pike and a few hairs from Hiisi's stallion. The music it makes draws all the forest creatures near to wonder at its beauty. (Finnish mythology)
  • Uaithne (also Dur da Blá, The Oak of Two Blossoms, and Coir Cethar Chuin), the harp which belongs to The Dagda. After the Second Battle of Mag Tuired the Fomorians had taken The Dagda's harp with them. The Dagda found it in a feasting-house wherein Bres and his father Elathan were also. The Dagda had bound the music so that it would not sound until he would call to it. After he called to it, it sprang from the wall, came to the Dagda and killed nine men on its way. (Irish mythology)
  • Binnorie's harp (also Minnorie's harp), when the murdered girl's body floats ashore, a musician made a musical instrument out of it, a harp, with a frame of bone and the girl's "long yellow hair" for strings. The instrument then plays itself and sings about the murder. (Northumbrian folklore)
  • Talyn Arthur (Arthur's Harp), the name of the constellation of Lyra in Wales. (Welsh mythology)
  • Canola's harp (Cana's Harp), Canola realised the wind had created the music by blowing through partially rotted sinew still attached to a whale skeleton. She designed the harp based on this. (Irish mythology)

Horns

Lyres

  • )
  • Apollo's lyre, Hermes created the lyre for him from the entrails of one of Apollo's cows. Apollo was furious at Hermes, but after hearing the sound of the lyre, his anger faded. The instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. (Greek mythology)
  • Orpheus' lyre, a golden lyre given to him by Apollo. It is said that Orpheus' music and singing could charm the birds, fish and wild beasts, coax the trees and rocks into dance, and divert the course of rivers. It is state that his lyre was placed in the sky by Zeus. (Greek mythology)

Rattles

Trumpets

seven angels with seven trumpets
  • Seven trumpets, seven angels with seven trumpets are sounded and the events that follow are described in detail from Revelation Chapters 8 to 11. (Christian mythology)
  • Pheme's trumpet, Pheme is the goddess of gossip and she was said to have pried into the affairs of mortals and gods. She then repeated what she had learned by sounding her trumpet to spread the gossip to people near and far. (Greek mythology)
  • Joshua's shofars (also Joshua's trumpets), the walls of Jericho fell after Joshua's Israelite army marched around the city blowing their trumpets during the Battle of Jericho. (Jewish mythology)

Springs

Fountain of Youth
  • Fountain of Youth, a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. (Medieval legend)
  • Mímisbrunnr (Mímir's well), a well associated with the being Mímir, located beneath Yggdrasil. The water of the well contains much wisdom, and that Odin's eye sacrifice to the well was in exchange for a drink from it. (Norse mythology)
  • Hvergelmir (Bubbling Boiling Spring), a major spring. (Norse mythology)
  • Urðarbrunnr (also Well of Wyrd), a well that lies beneath Yggdrasil, and is associated with a trio of norns (Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld). (Norse mythology)
  • Holy well (also Sacred Spring), a spring revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term holy well is commonly employed to refer to any water source of limited size (i.e. not a lake or river, but including pools and natural springs and seeps), which has some significance in the folklore of the area where it is located, whether in the form of a particular name, an associated legend, the attribution of healing qualities to the water through the numinous presence of its guardian spirit or Christian saint.
  • Wishing well, wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and often a scarce commodity. (European folklore)
  • Lake of fire, a lake of fire where the wicked dead are thrown into. (Egyptian/Christian)
  • Connla's Well (also Well of Coelrind, Well of Nechtan or Well of Segais), one of a number of otherworldly wells that are variously depicted as "The Well of Wisdom", "The Well of Knowledge" and the source of some of the rivers of Ireland. Much like the Well of Nechtan (and some sources equate the two), the well is the home to the salmon of wisdom, and surrounded with hazel trees, which also signify knowledge and wisdom. (Irish mythology
    )

Furniture

Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle
  • Hlidskjalf, Odin's all-seeing throne in his palace Valaskjálf. (Norse mythology)
  • Arthurian legend
    )
  • Arthurian legend
    )
  • Golden Throne, Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him by making her a magical golden throne which when she sat on it, did not allow her to stand up. (Greek mythology)
  • )
  • Ark of the Covenant (also Ark of the Testimony), a wooden chest clad with gold containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and a pot of manna. (Jewish mythology)
  • Busby's stoop chair (also Dead Man's Chair), a haunted oak chair that was cursed by the murderer Thomas Busby before his execution by hanging in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. (English folklore)
  • Seventh Heaven
    .
  • Khnum's potter's wheel, he was thought to be the creator of the bodies of human children, which he made at a potter's wheel, from clay, and placed in their mothers' wombs. (Egyptian mythology)
  • The bed of Procrustes, An iron bed used by Procrustes in which he would place his victims inside of. (Greek mythology)

Ropes and chains

  • Thread of
    Greek Mythology
    )
  • Lædingr, a chain forged by Thor to bind and were broken by
    Norse Mythology
    )
  • Dromi, another chain to bind
    Norse Mythology
    )
  • Gleipnir, the fetter that successfully bound the wolf Fenrir. It was light and thin as silk but strong as creation itself and made from six impossible ingredients. (Norse mythology)
  • Red string of fate, an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red cord around the ankles of those that are destined to meet one another in a certain situation or help each other in a certain way. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎorén (月下老人), often abbreviated to Yuè Lǎo (月老), the old lunar matchmaker god, who is in charge of marriages. (Chinese mythology
    )
  • Prometheus's chains, unbreakable shackles of adamantine that were made by Hephaestus. (Greek mythology)

Body parts

Heads

  • Brazen head (also brass head or bronze head), a legendary automaton reputed to be able to answer any question. (Medieval legend)
  • Mímir's head, the severed head of Mimir, which was magically preserved by Odin so it could continue to provide knowledge and counsel as his advisor. (Norse mythology)
  • Medusa's head, the severed head of Medusa, which was given to Athena by Perseus to place on her Aegis. (Greek mythology)
  • Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri each support one of the four cardinal points. Together, they uphold the heavenly dome, created from the skull of the jötunn Ymir. (Norse mythology
    )
  • Bendigeidfran's head, the severed head of Brân the Blessed, which was buried in London facing France to magically ward off invasion. (Welsh mythology
    )

Eyes

  • Odin's eye, Odin sacrifice his eye to Mímir for the price of wisdom, a drink from the Mímisbrunnr. (Norse mythology)
  • Eye of Horus, Set and Horus were fighting for the throne after Osiris's death, Set gouged out Horus's left eye. The majority of the eye was restored by Thoth. When Horus's eye was recovered, he offered it to his father, Osiris, in hopes of restoring his life. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Graeae's eye, three sisters who shared one eye among themselves. (Greek mythology)
  • Eye of Ra, Ra was becoming old and weak and the people no longer respected him or his rule. Ra did not react well to this and decided to punish mankind by sending his Eye to find them. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Balor's eye, a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. The Cath Maige Tuired calls it a "destructive" and "poisonous" eye that no army can withstand. (Irish mythology)
  • Eye of Providence, a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle. It represents the eye of God watching over mankind or divine providence.
  • Þjazi's eyes, Odin took Þjazi's eyes and placed them in the night sky as stars. (Norse mythology)
  • Shiva's third eye, it could burn even gods to ashes. (Hindu mythology)

Limbs

Hand of God
  • Hand of Glory, a severed pickled hand of a man who was hanged alive. Said to have the power to unlock any door and, if a candle was placed within made from some body part of the same person, would freeze in place anyone who it was given to. (European folklore)
  • Týr's hand, which was bitten off by Fenrir. (Norse mythology)
  • Hand of God (also Manus Dei and Dextera domini/dei), ", a motif in Jewish and Christian art, especially of the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods, when depiction of Jehovah or God the Father as a full human figure was considered unacceptable. The hand, sometimes including a portion of an arm, or ending about the wrist, is used to indicate the intervention in or approval of affairs on Earth by God, and sometimes as a subject in itself. (Christian mythology/Jewish mythology)
  • Aurvandils-tá (Aurvandill's toe), the god Thor tosses Aurvandill's toe which had frozen into the sky to form a star called Aurvandils-tá. (Norse mythology)

Hair, feathers and skin

Jason returns with Golden fleece
  • Golden Fleece, sought by Jason and the Argonauts. The fleece of the golden winged ram, which was sought by Jason and the Argonauts. (Greek mythology)
  • Firebird's plumage, the feathers of a
    Slavic mythology
    )
  • Feathers of Simurgh, the legendary Simurgh gave three of her feathers to Zal, the Persian hero and also father of Rostam, so that whenever he needed the guidance or help of Simurgh, he could burn one of the feathers and Simurgh came to his aid. (Persian mythology)
  • Feather of Ma'at (also Feather of Truth), her ostrich feather was the measure that determined whether the souls of the departed would reach the fields of Aaru successfully. The hearts of the dead were said to be weighed against her single feather in the Hall of Two Truths. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Peacock's feather, the peacock was the patron bird of the Goddess Hera. According to myth, she adorned the tail of a peacock with Argus's eyes on its feathers in his honor, symbolizing all-seeing knowledge and the wisdom of the heavens. (Greek mythology
    )
  • Leviathan's hide, could be turned into everlasting clothing or impenetrable suits of armor. (Jewish mythology)
  • Nemean lion's hide, the lion could not be killed with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attacks. (Greek mythology)
  • Selkie's skin, selkies are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land. If a man steals a female selkie's skin, she is in his power and is forced to become his wife. If she finds her skin she will return to her true home in the sea. (European folklore)
  • Coma Berenices (Berenice's hair), Berenice II of Egypt dedicated her hair to Aphrodite for her husband's safe return from Syria, and placed it in the temple of the goddess at Zephyrium. The hair had been carried to the heavens and placed among the stars. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Ymir's hair, Odin, Vili and Vé used his hair for the trees. (Norse mythology)
  • Ymir's eyebrows , Odin, Vili and Vé used his eyebrows to create the middle realm in which humans live, Midgard. (Norse mythology)

Blood and flesh

Heracles would use arrows dipped in the Hydra's poisonous blood to kill other foes during his Labours, such as Stymphalian birds and the giant

Bones and horns

Organs

Containers

  • Basket of Existence, a raffia basket containing the divine ingredients that were to be used by
    Yoruba mythology
    )
  • Óðrerir, refers either to one of the vessels that contain the mead of poetry (along with Boðn and Són) or to the mead itself. (Norse mythology)
  • Pot of Gold, which is used by leprechauns to store away all their coins at the end of the rainbow. (Irish mythology)
  • Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, Gwyddno Garanhir possessed a hamper which would multiply food: if one was to put food for one man in the basket and open it again, the food was found to be increased a hundredfold. (Welsh mythology)
  • Horn of Brân Galed, the Horn of Brân Galed from the North is said to have possessed the magical property of ensuring that "whatever drink might be wished for was found in it". (Welsh mythology)
  • Pandora's box (also Pandora's pithos), a large jar given to Pandora which contained all the evils of the world. Pandora opened the jar and all the evils flew out, leaving only Hope inside once she had closed it again. (Greek mythology)
  • Excalibur's scabbard, was said to have powers of its own. Injuries from losses of blood, for example, would not kill the bearer. In some telling, wounds received by one wearing the scabbard did not bleed at all. (
    Arthurian legend
    )
  • Osiris's coffin, a beautifully carved coffin made by Set. Osiris was tricked by Set to enter the chest, and was enclosed inside it by 72 accomplices of Set. Set flung the coffer in the Nile so that it would drift far away. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Purple Gold Red Gourd, a powerful magic gourd that sucks anyone who speaks before it inside and melts them down into a bloody stew. (Chinese mythology)
  • Trojan Horse, a wooden horse where a select force of men hide inside during the Trojan War, the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy and win the war. (Greek mythology)
  • Ark of bulrushes, a container which carried the infant Moses. (Christian mythology/Jewish mythology)

Bags

  • Bag of Mysteries, the pouch containing the secrets that were supposed to be the reward of the spirit responsible for the
    Yoruba mythology
    )
  • Bag of Wind, Aeolus gave Odysseus a tightly closed leather bag full of the captured winds so he could sail easily home to Ithaca on the gentle West Wind. (Greek mythology)
  • Corrbolg, a bag crafted by Manannán mac Lir from the skin of Aoife who had been transformed into a crane at the time of her death. It was later given to Conaire Mór and then eventually to Cumhall mac Trénmhóir. The crane bag contained a variable amount of items depending on if the tide was high or low. (Irish mythology)
  • Qiankun Dai, one of the ten ancient artifacts, the universe bag or cosmos bag is a bag belonging to
    Chinese Mythology
    )
  • Kibisis, the sack in which the mythical hero Perseus carried the severed head of the monster Medusa. (Greek mythology)
  • Santa's bag, carries a bag full of presents for children. (Modern folklore)

Cups and chalices

The Giving of the Seven Bowls of Wrath / The First Six Plagues, Revelation 16:1–16. Matthias Gerung, c. 1531

Lamps and lanterns

  • Lantern of
    Greek philosophy
    )
  • Magic Lamp, an
    Arabic mythology
    )

Sculptures

Golem and Loew
  • Palladium, a wooden statue that fell from the sky. As long as it stayed in Troy, the city-state could not lose a war. (Greek mythology
    )
  • Ushabti, a funerary figurine used in Ancient Egypt. Ushabtis were placed in tombs among the grave goods and were intended to act as servants or minions for the deceased, should they be called upon to do manual labor in the afterlife. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Igbo mythology
    )
  • Obelisk, a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. The obelisk symbolized the sun god Ra, and during the brief religious reformation of Akhenaten was said to be a petrified ray of the Aten, the sundisk. It was also thought that the god existed within the structure. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Galatea, a statue carved of ivory by Pygmalion of Cyprus, which the goddess Aphrodite brought it to life and united the couple in marriage. (Greek mythology)
  • Golem, an animated anthropomorphic being that is magically created entirely from inanimate matter (specifically clay or mud). The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing. There are many tales differing on how the golem was brought to life and afterwards controlled. (Jewish folklore)
  • Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. (Chinese mythology)

Mirrors

Dispensers

Bridges

Adam's Bridge also called as Rama Setu

Columns

Gates

  • Gates of Alexander, a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great to keep the uncivilized barbarians of the north from invading the land to the south. (Medieval legend)
  • Gates of hell, various places on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld. Often they are found in regions of unusual geological activity, particularly volcanic areas, or sometimes at lakes, caves or mountains.
  • Pearly gates, a conceptual entry to Heaven. (Christian mythology)
  • Torii, the world was plunged into darkness and chaos. The wrath of Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun, led her to retreat to a cave in Amano-Iwato. To make her come out again, the Gods thought over several solutions and decided to set a perch with roosters at the entrance of the cave. They would then sing eternally. Intrigued by their songs, the Amaterasu walked out of the cave, and the world was again bathed in light. Later, people decided to build bird perches at the entrances of shrines. (Japanese mythology)
  • Gates of Tartarus, a gate flanked by adamantine columns, a substance so hard that nothing can cut through it, akin to diamond. (Roman mythology)

Nets

  • Indra's net, one of the weapons of the sky-god Indra, used to snare and entangle enemies. The net also signifies magic or illusion. (Hindu mythology)
  • Rán's net, a net in which she tried to capture men who ventured out on the sea. Her net is also mentioned in Reginsmál and in the Völsunga saga, where she lends it to Loki so that he can capture Andvari. (Norse mythology)
  • Yoruba mythology
    )
  • Sobek's net, Sobek caught the Four sons of Horus in a net in the Nile river. (Egyptian mythology)

Weighing scales

Sharpening stones

  • Odin's whetstone, Baugi had nine thralls who killed each other in their desire to possess Odin's magical sharpening stone. (Norse mythology)
  • Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd, sharpens the blade of a fine warrior. It shall draw blood from any enemy of its user if its user be brave; if its user shall be cowardly, than the blade shall not be sharpened and draw no blood whatsoever. (Welsh mythology)

Wheels

Fortune Wheel
  • Rota Fortunae (Wheel of Fortune), a concept referring to the capricious nature of Fate. The wheel belongs to the goddess Fortuna, who spins it at random, changing the positions of those on the wheel – some suffer great misfortune, while others gain windfalls. (Greek mythology)
  • Wheel of time (also wheel of history and Kalachakra), is a concept found in several religious traditions and philosophies, which regard time as cyclical and consisting of repeating ages. (Hindu mythology)
  • Wheel of fire, which Ixion was bound to as punishment for lusting after Zeus's wife, Hera. (Greek mythology)

Buildings

Giza pyramids
  • Pyramid, a belief that the ancient Egyptian pyramids and objects of similar shape can confer a variety of benefits. Among these assumed properties are the ability to preserve foods, sharpen or maintain the sharpness of razor blades, etc. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Proto-Indo-European religion
    )
  • Tower of Babel, a united humanity agreed to build a tower "tall enough to reach heaven"; seeing this, God, confounded their speech so that they could no longer understand each other and scattered them around the world. (Jewish mythology/Christian mythology)
  • Anglo-Saxon mythology
    )
  • Ryūgū-jō (Dragon Palace Castle), undersea palace of Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea. Depending on the version of the legend, it is built from red and white coral, or from solid crystal. (Japanese mythology)
  • Reynard
    the Fox's principal hideaway, which is full of holes which Reynard can open and shut to elude his enemies. (Medieval legends)
  • Caer Dathyl, a fortress in Arfon in northern Gwynedd referred to in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the Tale of Math fab Mathonwy. (Welsh mythology
    )
  • Caer Sidi (also Caer Siddi), a legendary otherworld fortress mentioned in Middle Welsh mythological poems in the Book of Taliesin. (Welsh mythology)
  • Chicken-legged hut,
    Russian folklore
    )
  • Soria Moria Castle, the three princesses live in Soria Moria Castle, and only the West Wind knew where the castle was located. (
    Scandinavian folklore
    )
  • Santa's workshop, the legendary workshop where Santa Claus is said to make the toys and presents given out at Christmas. (Modern folklore)

Wings

The fall of Icarus
  • Icarus' wings, which were made by Daedalus out of wax and bird feathers.
  • Nidung's court. To help his brother, Egil shoots birds and collects their feathers, of which Völund makes a pair of wings and flies away. (Norse mythology
    )

Astronomical objects

  • Nibiru, a pseudoscientific proposed outer planet within our solar system, described by Zecharia Sitchin.
  • Planet X
    , a hypothetical planet, now disproven, proposed in 1906 by Percival Lowell to have existed beyond the planet Neptune.
  • , the raven stole the sun and placed it in the sky.
  • Counter-Earth (also Antichthon), a hypothetical planet always on the other side of the Sun from Earth.
  • Kolob, a star or planet described in the Book of Abraham. It is the heavenly body nearest to the Throne of God. (Book of Mormon)
  • Neith, a hypothetical natural satellite of Venus reportedly sighted by Giovanni Cassini in 1672 and by several other astronomers in following years.
  • Chiron, the name given to a supposed moon of Saturn sighted by Hermann Goldschmidt in 1861. It has since been determined that no such moon exists.
  • Themis, William H. Pickering announced the discovery of a tenth satellite of Saturn. The photographic plates on which it supposedly appeared, thirteen in all, spanned a period between April 17 and July 8, 1904. However, no other astronomer has ever confirmed Pickering's claim.
  • Phaeton, an hypothetical planet hypothesized by the Titius–Bode law to have existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the destruction of which supposedly led to the formation of the asteroid belt (including the dwarf planet Ceres).
  • Tyche, an hypothetical gas giant located in the Solar System's Oort cloud, first proposed in 1999 by astrophysicists John Matese, Patrick Whitman and Daniel Whitmire of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
  • Vulcan, a small hypothetical planet that was proposed to exist in an orbit between Mercury and the Sun. The 19th-century French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier hypothesized that peculiarities in Mercury's orbit were the result of another planet.
  • Vulcanoid, a hypothetical population of asteroids that orbit the Sun in a dynamically stable zone inside the orbit of the planet Mercury. They are named after the hypothetical planet Vulcan, whose existence was disproven in 1915 with the advent of general relativity. So far, no vulcanoids have been discovered, and it is not yet clear whether any exist.
  • Planet V, a hypothetical fifth terrestrial planet posited by NASA scientists John Chambers and Jack J. Lissauer to have once existed between Mars and the asteroid belt.
  • Nemesis, a hypothetical red dwarf or brown dwarf, originally postulated in 1984 to be orbiting the Sun at a distance of about 95,000 AU (1.5 light-years), somewhat beyond the Oort cloud, to explain a perceived cycle of mass extinctions in the geological record, which seem to occur more often at intervals of 26 million years.
  • Walter Gorn Old
    .
  • Mesopotamian mythology
    )
  • Winged sun, a symbol associated with divinity, royalty and power. (Egyptian mythology)

Torture devices

Perillos being forced into the brazen bull that he built for Phalaris
  • Brazen bull (also Bronze bull or Sicilian bull), an alleged torture and execution device invented by Perillos of Athens, who offered it to Phalaris, the tyrant of Akragas, Sicily, as a new means of executing criminals.
  • Paolao, a legendary torture device created by the wicked fox spirit
    Chinese Mythology
    )

Tools

Miscellaneous

Voodoo doll with pins in it, Museum of Witchcraft
  • Chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, a large chess board made of gold with pieces of silver and crystal. The pieces play by themselves if set up correctly. (Welsh mythology)
  • Neith's loom, which Neith uses to weave all of existence into being. (Egyptian mythology)
  • Father Time's hourglass, carrying an hourglass representing time's constant movement. Many believe that Father Time, like the Grim Reaper, is constantly watching humans and has each and every one of their hourglasses slowly decreasing, sand casually slipping through the hands of time.
  • Bangu, a bell in Glasgwm Church which was gifted by Saint David. Once a woman took the bell to the nearby town of Rharadr. Her husband was imprisoned in the castle and she believed that if she rang the bell he would be released. But the guards seized it and chased her out of town. That night the town was destroyed by fire, and the only part of it which escaped the flames was the wall on which the sacred bell was hanging. (Medieval legend)
  • Voodoo doll, an effigy into which pins are inserted. Although it comes in various different forms, such practices are found in the magical traditions of many cultures across the world. (English folklore)
  • Dreamcatcher, the Ojibwe storytellers speak of the Spider Woman, known as Asibikaashi; she took care of the children and the people on the land. Eventually, the Ojibwe Nation spread across North America and it became difficult for Asibikaashi to reach all the children. So the mothers and grandmothers would weave magical webs for the children, using willow hoops and sinew, or cordage made from plants. The dreamcatchers would filter out all bad dreams and only allow good thoughts to enter our mind. Once the sun rises, all bad dreams just disappear. (Anishinaabe mythology)
  • Ibong Adarna's droppings, said to turn living beings into stone upon contact. (Philippine mythology)
  • )
  • Koschei's needle, Koschei cannot be killed by conventional means targeting his body. His soul is hidden separate from his body inside a needle, which is in an egg, inside of a duck, inside of a hare, in an iron chest buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Buyan. (Slavic folklore
    )
  • Shirikodama, Kappas can gain power by taking human's shirikodama, a mythical ball said to contain the soul. (Japanese mythology)
  • Crystal skull, some individuals believe in the paranormal claim that crystal skulls can produce a variety of miracles.
  • Vasilisa's doll, Vasilisa's mother gave her a tiny wooden doll with instructions to give it a little to eat and a little to drink if she were in need. (Russian folklore)
  • Sheelah's brush (also Sheelagh's brush or Sheila's brush), the alleged wife of Saint Patrick who would sweep the winter away and gives one last snowstorm after Saint Patrick's Day. (Irish folklore)
  • Jacob's ladder, a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis. (Abrahamic religions
    )

From Greek mythology

From Norse mythology

From Germanic heroic legend

From Christian mythology

Early Hebrew Conception of the Universe
  • Firmament, the structure above the atmosphere, conceived as a vast solid dome according to the Biblical cosmology. According to the Genesis creation narrative, God created the firmament to separate the "waters above" the earth from the "waters below" the earth.
  • True Cross, the name for the physical remnants which, by a Catholic church tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
  • Shroud of Turin (also Turin Shroud), a length of linen cloth bearing the image of a man, is believed by some to be the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth.
  • Sudarium of Oviedo (also Shroud of Oviedo), a bloodstained piece of cloth that is claimed to be the cloth wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died.
  • Image of Edessa, a holy relic consisting of a square or rectangle of cloth upon which a miraculous image of the face of Jesus had been imprinted.
  • Holy Sponge, a sponge dipped in vinegar (or in some translations sour wine), most likely posca, a favorite beverage of Roman soldiers, and offered to Christ to drink during the crucifixion.

See also

From the Book of Mormon

  • Liahona, a compass-like device given by God to the prophet Lehi and his family to help them navigate through the wilderness. It was powered by faith and obedience to God and if anyone in the party lost faith or sinned, it would stop working until that person repented.
  • Title of Liberty, a battle standard used by Captain Moroni to rally the Nephites to arms against the armies of Amalickiah. It was made from Moroni's torn cloak, upon which he wrote, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children".

References

  1. ^ a b Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Peripheral Annals, Vol. 1, sections 6b-7b
  1. ^ Carmen Campidoctoris o Poema latino del Campeador, Madrid, Sociedad Estatal España Nuevo Milenio, 2001
  2. ^ "1 Nephi 4". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
  3. .
  4. ^ Ludlow (1865), p. 296.
  5. ^ Cantar de mio Cid. Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
  6. ^ Don Juan Manuel. El Conde Lucanor. Barcelona: Losada, 1997.
  7. ^ Cantar de mio Cid Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
  8. ^ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Vol. 3 Ch. XXXIV Part 1. Archived from the original on 2007-01-28.
  9. ^ "GORZ". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  10. ^ Sri Dharmaraja[permanent dead link]
  11. .
  12. ^ Florus. Epitomae, 1.33.
  13. ^ D'après l'épigraphie cambodgienne du X° siècle, les rois des "Kambuja" prétendaient descendre d'un ancêtre mythique éponyme, le sage ermite Kambu, et de la nymphe céleste Mera, dont le nom a pu être forgé d'après l'appellation ethnique "khmèr" (George Cœdès). [1][permanent dead link]; See also: Indianised States of Southeast Asia, 1968, p 66, George Cœdès.
  14. Kelley, Liam C.
    (2014). "Constructing Local Narratives: Spirits, Dreams, and Prophecies in the Medieval Red River Delta". In Anderson, James A.; Whitmore, John K. (eds.). China's Encounters on the South and Southwest: Reforging the Fiery Frontier Over Two Millennia. United States: Brills. pp. 78–106.
  15. ^ Taylor 1983, p. 21.
  16. ^ Épica medieval española (Cantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara). Madrid, Cátedra, 1991
  17. ^ Apollodorus, 1.9.28.

External links