List of mythological objects
Mythological objects (also known as mythical objects) encompasses a variety of items (e.g. weapons, armor, clothing) appearing in world mythologies. This list will be organized according to category of object.
Armour
- The Armour of Achilles, created by Hephaestus and said to be impenetrable (Greek mythology)
- The Armour of Thor, consisting of the Girdle of Might, a magic belt (Megingjörð) that doubled his strength; and iron gloves (Járngreipr) so he could wield Mjolnir (see below)
- The Armour of Beowulf, made by Weyland the Smith
- The Armour of Karna, known as Kavacha.
Headgear
Shields
Weapons
Swords
- Zulfiqar, the sword given to Ali during the Battle of Uhud.
- Crocea Mors, the sword of Julius Caesar according to the legends presented by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
- Heaven's Will, also known as Thuận Thiên, was the sword of Vietnamese King Le Loi.
- Totsuka no Tsurugi, the sword Susanoo used to slay the Yamata no Orochi.
- Taming Sari, the Kris belonging to the Malay warrior Hang Tuah of the Malacca Sultanate.
- Kris Empu Gadring, the cursed Kris forged by Empu Gandring for Ken Arok.Not yet finished but had been used and killed the beloved ones of the user.
- Sword Kladenets, magic sword in Russian and Slavic mythology. Probably occurs from the huge sword of Swentowit.
- Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (Japanese: 草薙の剣) (also known as Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣?) or Tsumugari no Tachi Japanese: 都牟刈の太刀), sword of the Japanese god Susanoo, later given to his sister Amaterasu. It is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. (Japanese mythology)
- Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar (Persian: شمشیر زمردنگار) "The emerald-studded Sword" in the Persian mythical story Amir Arsalan. The hideous horned demon called Fulad-zereh was invulnerable to all weapons except the blows of Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar. This blade originally belonged to King Solomon.
- The Sword of Peleus, a magic sword that makes its wielder victorious in the battle or the hunt (Greek mythology)
- Sword of Attila – legendary sword that was wielded by Attila the Hun; claimed to have originally been the sword of Mars, the Roman god of war.[2]
- Angurvadal, sword of Frithiof.
- Balmung/Gram, the sword that Odin struck into the Branstock tree which only Sigmund the Volsung was able to pull out. It broke in battle with Odin but was later reforged by Sigmund's son Sigurd/Siegfried and used it to slay the dragon Fafnir. After being reforged, it could cleave an anvil in half.
- Dáinsleif is king Högni's sword, according to Snorri Sturluson's account of the battle known as the Hjaðningavíg.
- Freyr's sword, Freyr's magic sword which fought on its own. It might be Lævateinn.
- Hofud, the sword of Heimdall, the guardian of Bifrost.
- Laevateinn, a sword mentioned in an emendation to the Poetic Edda Fjölsvinnsmál by Sophus Bugge.
- Mistilteinn, the magical sword of Prainn, the draugr, later owned by Hromundr Gripsson
- Quern-biter, sword of Haakon I of Norway and his follower, Thoralf Skolinson the Strong.
- Skofnung, a sword with mythical properties associated with the legendary Danish king Hrólf Kraki.
- Tyrfing (also Tirfing or Tervingi), the cursed sword of Svafrlami, from the Elder Edda; also said to be the sword of Odin in Richard Wagner's works.
- Almace (also Almice or Almacia), sword of Turpin, Archbishop of Reims.
- Balisarda, the sword of Rogero from Orlando Furioso.
- Courtain (also Curtana or Cortana in Italian), first of the two magical swords of Ogier the Dane, a legendary Danish hero.
- Durandal (also Durendal or Durlindana in Italian), the sword of Roland, one of Charlemagne's paladins, (Orlando in medieval Italian verse) — alleged to be the same sword as the one wielded by Hector of Ilium
- Hauteclaire (also Halteclere or Altachiara in Italian), the sword of Olivier.
- Joyeuse,(sword of earth) sword of Charlemagne.
- Murgleis, sword of Ganelon, traitor and cousin of Roland.
- Précieuse, sword of Baligant, Emir of Babylon.
- Sauvagine, second of the two magical swords of Ogier the Dane.
Polearms
- The Gae Bolg, the spear of Cuchulainn
- The Gae Buide (“Yellow Shaft”) and the Gae Derg (“Red Javelin”), spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, could inflict wound that none can recover from.
- The Spear Luin (also Spear of Fire or Spear of Destiny), forged by the Smith of Falias for Lugh to use in his fight against Balor.
- Ogma's Whip - the spear of Ogma (the Celtic sun god)
- Rhongomiant, which was the spear of King Arthur.
- Gungnir, Odin's magic spear created by the dwarf Dvalin.
- Spears of the Valkyrie
- The lance of Olyndicus, the celtiberians' war chief who fought against Rome. According to Florus, he wielded a silver lance that was sent to him by the gods from the sky.[7]
- The Spear of Achilles', created by Hephaestus and given to Peleus at his wedding with Thetis.
- Amenonuhoko (heavenly spear), the naginata used by the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami to create the world - also called tonbogiri (Japanese mythology)
- The Spear of Destiny (also Spear of Longinus or the Holy Lance), the spear said to have pierced the side of Jesus at the crucifixion.
- Ascalon , the spear said that St. George used to kill the dragon.
- The Tonbogiri (蜻蛉切?) is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane Fujiwara, said to be wielded by the legendary daimyō Honda Tadakatsu. The spear derives its name from the myth that a dragonfly landed on its blade and was instantly cut in two. Thus Tonbo (Japanese for "dragonfly") and giri (Japanese for "cutting"), translating this spear's name as "Dragonfly Cutter/Cutting spear".
- Trishula, the trident of the Hindu deity 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.
- 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 (高野明神). It is the equivalent of the Sanskrit Vajra, the indestructible lightning-diamond pounder of the mountain-god Indra. There the staff represents the three flames of the sacrificial fire, part of the image of the vajra wheel.
- Poseidon's Trident, used to create horses and some water sources in Greece. It could cause earthquakes when struck on the ground. Greek.
- Gandiva, Arjuna's bow in The Bhagavad-Gita ("Song of God")
- Pinaka,Shiva's bow in Hindu Mythology.
- Saranga,Vishnu's bow in Hindu Mythology.
- Brahmastra is a weapon created by Brahma.
- Apollo's bow, could cause health or could cause famine and death in sleep.
- Cupid's bow, could cause one to love or hate the person he/she first saw after being struck.
- Heracles's bow, Which also belonged to Philoctetes, its arrows had the Lernaean Hydra poison.
Clothing
- Babr-e Bayan, the mythical coat worn by the Persian legendary hero Rostam in combat
- Hermes's winged sandals (Talaria), which allowed him to fly
- The Hide of Leviathan was supposedly able to be turned into everlasting clothing or impenetrable suits of armor.
- The Hide of the Nemean lion, which Heracles earned overcoming the Nemean lion, was supposedly able to endure every weapon and was unbreakable.
- Aphrodite's Magic Girdle, a magic material that made whoever you desired fall in love with you.
- The Girdle of Hippolyta, sometimes called a magical girdle and sometimes a magical belt. It was a symbol of Hippolyta's power over the Amazons; given to her by Ares. Heracles' 9th Labor was to retrieve it.
- Llen Arthyr yng Nghernyw: The Mantle of Arthur in Cornwall: whoever was under it could not be seen, and he could see everyone. One of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain.
- Pais Badarn Beisrydd, The Coat of Padarn Red-Coat: if a well-born man put it on, it would be the right size for him; if a churl, it would not go upon him. One of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain.
- The Falcon Cloak owned by Freyja, it allows the wielder to turn into a falcon and fly.
- Seven-league boots allowed the wearer to travel seven leagues with each step.
- Tarnkappe Sigurd's magical cloak that made the wearer invisible.
- The Shoes of Vidar These shoes gave the god Vidar unparalleled foot protection. (Norse mythology)
- Wigar the armor of King Arthur.
Jewelry
- The Necklace of Harmonia allowed any woman wearing it to remain eternally young and beautiful, but also brought great misfortune to all of its wearers or owners. It was made by Hephaestus and given to Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, as a curse on the House of Thebes for Aphrodite's infidelity.
- Andvarinaut was a magical ring capable of producing gold, first owned by Andvari. (Norse mythology)
- Brísingamen is the necklace of the goddess Freyja (Norse mythology)
- Draupnir is a golden arm ring possessed by Odin. The ring was a source of endless wealth. (Norse mythology)
- The Ring of Mudarra is the ring that Gonzalo Bustos breaks in two pieces to later on recognize his future son. When Mudarra joins the two halves, it becomes again a complete ring and Gonzalo Bustos heals his blindness, as shown in the epic poem Cantar de los siete infantes de Lara.[8]
- The Agimat or bertud or anting-anting
- Kaustubha is a divine jewel, the most valuable stone "Mani" is in the possession of Vishnu. (Hindu mythology)
- Seal of Solomon is a magical brass or steel ring that could imprison demons. (Judeo–Christian Mythology)
- Necklace of a Lady of the Lake was a jeweled necklace given to Sir Pelleas after assisting an old woman across a river. It was enchanted so that its wearer would be unfathomably loved. Its true name isn't known.
Vehicles
Airborne
- The Flying Throne of Kai Kavus was an eagle-propelled craft built by the Persian king Kai Kavus, used for flying the king all the way to China
- The Flying Carpet or the "Prince Housain's carpet", the magic carpet from Tangu in Persia.
- The Vimana is a mythological flying machine from the Sanskrit epics, of Hindu origin.
Boats
Chariots
Treasure
- The Relics of Jesus
- Yata no kagami a mirror offered to the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu in Japanese mythology. One of three Sacred Imperial Relics of Japan. It represents Wisdom.
- Yasakani no magatama a bejeweled necklace of magatamas offered to Amaterasu in Japanese shinto mythology. One of three Sacred Imperial Relics of Japan. It represents benevolence.
- Cintamani Stone a stone believed to have fallen from the skies during the reign of king Lha Tototi Nyentsen in a chest with four other objects.
- The Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples drank from during The Last Supper, and which was used to catch drops of his blood upon his crucifixion.
- Pandora's Box The sealed box that contained all the evils of mankind.
Books
Miscellaneous
References
- ^ Carmen Campidoctoris o Poema latino del Campeador, Madrid, Sociedad Estatal España Nuevo Milenio, 2001
- ^ The History of the Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire vol. 3 Ch. XXXIV Part 1
- ^ Garbáty, Thomas Jay (1962). The Fallible Sword: Inception of a Motif. The Journal of American Folklore. American Folklore Society. ISBN 1-898577-10-2
- ^ Cantar de mio Cid. Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
- ^ Cantar de mio Cid. Edition of Alberto Montaner. Ed. Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
- ^ Don Juan Manuel. El Conde Lucanor. Barcelona: Losada, 1997.
- ^ Florus. Epitomae, 1.33.
- ^ Épica medieval española (Cantar de los Siete Infantes de Lara). Madrid, Cátedra, 1991