Around the World in Five Myths & Legends

For as long as humanity has existed, we have shared stories, told while gathered around a fire cooking the day’s spoils, or whispered to children as they fall asleep. Myths and legends are an intrinsic part of human nature and provide a touchpoint to people, places, and our communities.

Through sharing stories orally, and eventually committing them to paper, we’ve been able to preserve customs, traditions and folklore over many centuries. They have played an important role in shaping cultural identity, providing us with a purpose, instilling morals and community values in society, and giving meaning to the way we experience the world around us.

Myths and legends are so influential that they also appear in our day-to-day lives. From Nike trainers, named for the goddess of victory, to the Trojan computer virus inspired by the legendary horse, these compelling stories touch on many aspects of modern life.

In our Myths series, we explore the rich history of myths, from the folklore of Korea to the mythology of ancient Egypt. We’ve compiled a selection of fascinating facts and stories from each culture to ignite your passion and help kickstart your journey into the wonderful, and sometimes weird, world of mythology.

1. From Korean mythology: gumiho, the fox demon
One of the perks of the 21st century is that we are able to enjoy the fruits of cultural exports. Take a scroll through social media and you’ll find elements of Korean culture are becoming hugely popular, from K-pop megastars and fashion trends to K-dramas and graphic novels.

It’s particularly fascinating to see these stories being played out in new formats, such as films, TV and even videogames. For example, in The Korean Myths we meet gumiho, an ancient nine-tailed fox associated with divinity and magic. This creature appears in many East Asian legends, typically portrayed as a harmless harbinger of mischief, but in Korean culture it is often more bloodthirsty, appearing as a woman to seduce young men and eat their heart.

In K-dramas, we see the gumiho appear in the aptly named My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021), a rom-com about a nine-tailed fox who longs to become a human. It’s also been suggested that the supernatural gumiho inspired the creation of Ninetails, the red-eyed fox from the global Pokémon franchise, who battles against other Pokémon at the behest of their trainers.

The Korean Myths by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Bella Myŏng-wŏl Dalton-Fenkl is out now.

2. From Egyptian mythology: Bastet, the ancient cat lady  
Nobody loves cats more than the internet, except for the goddess Bastet, of course. Ancient Egyptians are well-known for their adoration and worship of cats. As well as their practical role as chief mousers and crop protectors, cats were thought to be demi-deities, acting as the physical embodiment of Bastet.

In her earliest incarnation, Bastet was thought of as a fierce lioness, symbolising protection, strength and grace. In later legends, she became a woman with the head of a lioness or a domestic cat, demonstrating her dual nature of a goddess of war and strength, as well as a gentle, nurturing protector.

This duality is reflected in the changing nature of her legend. In one story, she is a dangerous lioness who cuts the head off her enemy by hiding a knife in her paw. Later, as she became more associated with domesticated cats, she became a motherly figure worshipped in the home. Ultimately, she inspired generations of crazy cat people, with a cult forming around her that led to almost 300,000 mummified cats being discovered in her shrine and a legacy that stretched as a far as Rome, Ostia, Nemi and Pompeii.

The Egyptian Myths by Garry J. Shaw is out now.

3. From Greek and Roman mythology: the origin of Pandora’s Box
Greek and Roman mythology can be incredibly complex, and yet many of the most popular stories lie at the heart of western culture. Even the most dedicated of mythology fans can sometimes find themselves confused when the same legend goes by multiple aliases. This comes from the merging of the two civilizations, as Romans sought to find common ground between their gods and those of Ancient Greece.

You’ve probably heard the metaphor Pandora’s Box in daily conversation, but what does it actually mean? Pandora’s story comes to us from ancient Greek mythology in a series of epic poems… According to legend, Pandora was the first woman, and a curse sent by Zeus to punish Prometheus for stealing from the gods. Her name means ‘she who gives all gifts’ and came with her very own jar, filled to the brim with every trouble known to humanity.

She was given to Prometheus’ brother Epimetheus, and despite being warned to never accept gifts from Zeus, she promptly became his bride. Once established in his home, she decided to open her jar and thus, unleashed chaos on humanity. In later translations, her jar became a box. Sound familiar? It’s very likely that she was the inspiration for Christianity’s Eve, but Christianity wasn’t recognised by the Romans until 325 CE.

The Greek and Roman Myths by Philip Matyszak is out now.

4. From Japanese mythology: the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
Next on our tour comes Japan, a country rich in tradition and with a great appreciation for their ancestors. Japan’s oldest history record is the Kojiki – which translates as Records of Ancient Matters – believed to have been completed in 712 CE. It opens with the legend of Izanagi and Izanami, believed to have created the islands of Japan, and the stories of their lives and divine offspring.

The modern-day incarnation of Japanese mythology comes to us through anime, where ancient deities become the heroes. Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s most famous animation studios, has produced many beloved films with a focus on mythology, including Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, released in 2013, is a direct adaptation of one of the oldest recorded pieces of Japanese folklore, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

In this story, a princess from the Moon is discovered in a shining bamboo stalk by a childless couple, who choose to raise her as their own. This decision brings them great wealth, and the baby grows into a beautiful woman who attracts the attention of the Emperor of Japan. However, she yearns for her true home, and she chooses to drink an elixir of immortality and return to the Moon. Legend has it that this story inspired the name of the tallest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji, which is close to the Japanese for immortality, fushi.

The Japanese Myths by Joshua Frydman is out now.

5. From Norse mythology: a world made of body parts
Last but most certainly not least, we turn to Norse mythology, a vivid and often violent collection of stories that has inspired fiction, TV and film, and even Marvel Comics characters such as Loki and Thor. Norse mythology can trace its roots to pre-Christian Scandinavia and Iceland, and these surviving artefacts and stories have influenced the work of some of our greatest artists, including Wagner, William Morris and J.R.R. Tolkien.

But forget those glamorous, Hollywood-esque Norse gods. Norse mythology is known for its weird and wonderful tales, the most compelling and possibly disgusting of which has to be the Norse creation myth.

According to legend, in the beginning, there was nothing but a void known as the Ginnungagap. One day, the glaciers and fire within the void collided and created Ymir, a hermaphroditic being who in turn created the first giant. After a few generations of giants, Odin, Vili and Vé were born, and that’s where the trouble began.

Bored with Ymir’s world, they conspired to create a new one, which could only be done by murdering Ymir. So they slaughtered him and used his corpse to fashion a world more to their liking, using his blood for the ocean, his brain for clouds, his skull the sky, and his bones for the mountains.

The Norse Myths by Carolyne Larrington is out now

Interested in learning more? Delve into our entire ‘Myths‘ series.