As we saw last week, there’s more to astrology than newspaper horoscopes and star signs. In this blog series, we’re looking at the Greek origin myths of the signs in the zodiac. Who or what gave their name or image to each sign? What are the myths behind the famous names? We’ll look at their […]
mythology
The Origin Myths of the Zodiac’s Fire Signs
Astrology has seen something of a resurgence in recent years. Star signs were once relegated to snippets of vague predictions at the back of the newspaper. Yet now, you can find highly skilled astrologers on Instagram and Tik Tok. It’s an ancient discipline, with its roots in several cultures. What we call the zodiac in […]
Why did these 3 hybrid mythical beasts fall out of fashion?
There is always something strange about a creature made up of different parts. They exist in a liminal space, not belonging to one particular species, and often endowed with the strengths of all. Hybrid mythical beasts are particularly popular, bleeding from classical legends into medieval literature. We’ve already looked at griffins, which are essentially hybrid […]
Griffins of Legend: A Tale of Fossils, Guardians, and Heraldry
Most people’s first introduction to griffins (also gryphon) might come via popular culture. Mine was via its appearance on the logo of the Midland Bank, and also as part of the Vauxhall car insignia. They’re a striking example of a mythological beast, more ferocious than unicorns but more approachable than dragons. Typically, griffins are hybrid […]
Weaving in Mythology: Creating Fate and Fantastic Images
Where crafts appear within stories and folk tales, they’re often more than just a craft. Weaving in mythology and legend tied into ideas around fate and creation. Take ancient Egypt. Some consider Neith to be the first creator of ancient Egypt (though Ptah, the god of smiths we briefly met last week, also held this […]
Blacksmith Gods: Making Magical Items of Myth and Mayhem
Blacksmithing looks like a magical art at the best of times. Take metal from underground, apply fire and pressure, and create something wonderful – or deadly. It’s hardly surprising that so many cultures would have blacksmith gods among their deities. From Ptah in ancient Egypt to Vulcan in ancient Rome, these creators were also often […]
