Appendix:Mythological objects
Mythological items
[edit]This page is a list of links to Wiktionary entries for the names of characters from mythology and folklore. These entries are not intended to be encyclopedic — fuller entries can, in most cases, be found in Wikipedia — but to provide a place where translations, etc., can be given.
Note: do not add names of characters from literature, film, etc., here. These belong at Fictional objects.
See also Appendix:Mythological characters.
Objects from Chinese mythology
[edit]- 青龍偃月刀 (Green Dragon Crescent Blade), a mythic Chinese sword wielded by hero Guan Yu.
Objects from Christian mythology
[edit]- The Holy Grail – the cup from which Jesus drank at the last supper, said to possess miraculous powers.
- The Shroud of Turin – believed to be the cloth worn by Jesus as he was crucified.
Objects from English mythology
[edit]- adder stone - a type of stone, usually glassy, with a naturally-occurring hole through it, thought to have magical powers; also called a hag stone, witch stone, serpent's egg, snake's egg, or (pl.) glain neidyr in Wales / Cymru and milpreve in Cornwall / Kernow.
- Excalibur - from the legend of King Arthur, arguably the most famous of magic swords, although it is not clear from the various accounts of the Arthurian legend whether the sword itself possessed magical powers or merely had a magical origin (i.e., the legend of "The Sword in the Stone"), though its scabbard protected its bearer from physical harm. Many interpretations of the legend appear to endow the sword with a cutting strength and durability beyond that of ordinary weapons, making it unbreakable by anything but wrongful acts of its user. Excalibur's primary power was apparently spiritual, as it served to identify the chosen king and instill loyalty to him, as given to him by The Lady of the Lake.
- Hrunting - the magical sword given to Beowulf by Unferth, used in battle against Grendel's Mother.
Objects from French mythology
[edit]- Durendal - an indestructible sword possessed by Roland, which he could not destroy but instead threw into a poisoned stream to prevent its capture.
- Hauteclere - sword of Olivier, a character in the French epic, "The Song of Roland", described as rough, brownish steel, with a crystal embedded in a golden hilt.
- Joyeuse - sword used by Charlemagne
- Almace - sword used by Bishop Turpin.
Objects from Greek mythology
[edit]- ægis or aegis, the shield of Zeus
- The Argo, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts
- The Golden Fleece
- The Sword of Damocles
- Pandora's Box, a box given to Pandora by the gods.
- The staff of Hermes
- The cornucopia, the horn of a goat, supposedly filled with fruits, flowers, or grain
Objects from Hindu mythology
[edit]- Parashu, (Battle-Axe) - the choice weapon of Parshuram, one of the few Brahmin 'Guru' who were also masters of hand to hand combat. Known to have super natural powers, it had four cutting edges, one on each end of the blade head and one on each end of the shaft.
- Kasthuba (alternatively Kaustubha) - a divine jewel.
Objects from Irish mythology
[edit]- Caladbolg ("hard belly", or possibly "hard lightning"), sometimes written Caladcholg ("hard blade"), the sword of Fergus mac Róich from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
- The Gáe Bulg (also Gáe Bulga, Gáe Bolg, Gáe Bolga, meaning "notched spear", "belly spear", "bellows-dart," or possibly "lightning spear"), the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
Objects from Islamic mythology
[edit]- ذو الفقار (Zulfiqar, Dhu'l-Fiqar), the sword of early Islamic champion Ali.
Objects from Japanese mythology
[edit]- Amenonuhoko, a spear used to raise the primordial land masses
- Kusanagi, a magical sword.
Objects from Norse mythology
[edit]- Dainsleif - a sword from the legend of Hedin and Högni, made by the dwarf Dain; gave wounds that never healed and could not be unsheathed without killing a man.
- Gleipnir - binding that holds the mighty wolf Fenrisulfr in Norse Mythology; thin as a silken ribbon, yet stronger than any iron chain
- Tyrfing - magic sword crafted and cursed by dwarves.
- Gungnir (also Gungni, Gungner, or Gungrir, "Swaying One" or "influential") was the name of Odin's javelin.
- Mistelteinn - sword from the Hrómundar saga Gripssonar, which could never go blunt and which Hrómund won from the undead witch-king Þrainn. Like Tyrfing, it was taken from a barrow-wight.
- Mjollnir (see entry for alternative forms) - the hammer of Thor
Objects from Persian mythology
[edit]- شمشیر زمردنگار (Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar, "The emerald-studded sword"), a sword in the Persian mythical story Amir Arsalan, said to have originally been wielded by King Solomon.