On May 2, 1933, the newspaper Inverness Courier ran the first story of a couple who claimed to have seen “an enormous animal” splashing around in the local lake. Over the subsequent 92 years, the legend has only grown. What about you? Do you think there is something in Loch Ness? What convinced you?
How much do you know about Aztec mythology? For many people, the gods and goddesses of this culture are something of a mystery. For example, do you know why Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, was associated with hummingbirds? Or that one of his most powerful weapons was a turquoise snake? Read this article to learn many interesting facts about the “Turquoise Prince” of Aztec mythology.
If you’re looking for a few extra ways to cultivate good fortune for 2025, check out this list of New Year’s Eve superstitions that includes customs from across the globe. Make like the Danes and jump off a chair, wake to see the run rise like they do in Japan, or eat twelve grapes (no more, no less) at midnight, just as they do in Spain. This list will give you many good ideas for your celebrations!
Did you know that Sleepy Hollow is a real place? And that many of the characters in the story were loosely based on real people? Take a brief tour of the area with National Geographic and learn how Washington Irving got some of his ideas for America’s most famous ghost story.
Hear the creative artists behind the Black Panther movies, including director and writer Ryan Coogler, discuss Afrofuturism and how it influenced their superhero films to create a world unlike anything seen on the big screen before—and how those films would go on to shatter box office records and start a discussion about an art movement many had never heard of before then.
The legend of King Arthur, the hero who saved Britain, may not be true, but it has inspired people for more than 1,000 years. Read an article about what we know of Arthur tales, accompanied by a video summing up the most famous stories.
While scientists don’t believe there is a giant monster hiding out in Loch Ness, they are considering what creatures could live there based on DNA testing.
In 2019, NASA announced that the agency’s efforts to return to the Moon would be named the Artemis program. The goddess Artemis was heavily associated with the moon, and she’s also the twin of Apollo, whose name graced NASA’s first lunar missions in the 1960s. But why does NASA choose mythological names in the first place?
How much do you know about Hera, one of the original Olympians, wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage and fertility, and fan of peacocks and cows? There’s a lot more to this goddess than most people think. Check this article out to learn 10 fun facts about Hera that most people probably aren’t familiar with.
You may know a lot about mythology, but is evertying you think you know correct? Mental Floss discusses some of the most common misconceptions people have about Greek and Roman myths.
The imprint of Greek and Roman mythology is all around us, from the names of our shoes (Nike, the goddess of victory) to the names of the planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, etc). And maybe a certain recent movie series has made you familiar with a little Norse mythology, like Thor and Loki, too. Now a new show is introducing Western audiences to Chinese mythology. Find out how costume designers approached dressing ancient Chinese gods for a modern American audience.
D’Aulnoy helped create the fairytale genre we know and enjoy today. Skim the article to find out some interesting facts about her life and work.
Words like “myth” and “legend” often make you think of stories from thousands of years ago, but new legends are always being created. America is no exception, with a number of popular myths spreading during the 1800s as the country expanded westward. This article provides a high-level summary of nine of the most well-known American frontier legends–some entirely fictional, but some based on exaggerations around real people and events.
There’s a lot of talk in the news these days about advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. But, while the technology is new, the ideas for it are not. Many scholars consider the Greek myth of Talos to be the first representation of a robot in literature and art. Watch this video to learn more about this ancient, and powerful, mechanical man.
Mythology from around the world is full of creatures that are half-animal and half-human. It is the perfect blend of mankind and nature. Here are 10 examples of half-human monsters from mythology and how they originated.
Stories rooted in different traditions, time periods, and experiences appeal to families this holiday season.
Some legends are ancient, but others have risen more recently. Read the history and inspiration of one of America’s first–and most enduring–ghost stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Every culture has used myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Watch this short video on the story early Irish residents used to explain a particularly strange rock formation on the northern coast of the island.
Poe’s death is an unsolved mystery. This article present nine theories for the demise of this famous American writer.
How far did the stories of ancient gods and heroes spread? New evidence suggests that many ancient cultures may have overlapped even more than we realized.
