Mythology comes in all shapes and sizes, but it’s guaranteed that almost any culture has some kind of mythological legends hidden (or maybe not!) in their past. Celtic mythology has some interesting characters, and you’re sure to know about the Greek and Roman myths. The most interesting thing is that many cultures share characters and legends (albeit with different names). For example, many Greek Gods and Goddesses have Roman equals – there’s Zeus and Jupiter (Jupiter is the Roman God), Hades and Pluto (Pluto is Roman), and the Greek Goddess Athena has a Roman counterpart in Minerva.
The concept of a mythological family is also present amongst different cultures. The Greeks had Zeus’s many lovers (mortals and immortals alike) and their children, the Norse had Odin and his relatives, and the Celts had Danu, the Mother Goddess of the ancient Tuatha De Danaan and her husband, Daghda (the leader of the Tuatha De Danaan). Some texts also state that Danu is the mother of Daghda (odd, but it makes sense if you remember she is the Mother Goddess).
Or course, apart from the families and their legends, there are heroes to be had as well. Who hasn’t heard of the Greek legend of Jason and the Argonauts, with his companions Orpheus, Heracles the son of Zeus (and the mortal Alcmene), Pollux and Castor (sons of Zeus and Leda, brothers to Helen of Troy). Such as it is with mythology, it goes on –Leda conceived when Zeus came to her in the form of a swan seeking protection from a pursing eagle (the legend of ‘Leda and the Swan’). As Leda was also with her husband that same night, two eggs produced Helen, Pollux, Castor and Clytemnestra.
Causing the Northern Lights is said to be the clanging of the armour of the legendary Valkyries, who patrol the battlefield and choose the bravest of the deceased fighters to attend Odin’s Hall. These brave warriors will assist Odin in his fight at the end of the world. This ‘Doom of the Gods’ is a lot like the Christians’ Revelations. One of the Valkyries is Brunhilde, a heroine of German mythology.
Myths play an important part in a culture’s sense of identity and self-being. They explain who a people are, why they are who they are, and how they got to be who they are. The lay down the groundwork of law and provide an account for events both natural and man-made. Every culture has a mythological past, and the study of any set of myths is bound to be endless, and endlessly entertaining.