Don’t Know Much About® Mythology (78 page)

New Year celebrations, 128, 139–40, 153

New Zealand, 501–3

’Ngai (African), 421–22

Nigeria, 397, 409–10, 420, 424–25

Nihongi
, 387

Nike (Greek), 203

Nile River, 63–70

Nineveh, 38–39, 134, 137, 156

Ninhursaga or Ninki or Nintur (Mesopotamian), 147, 149, 158

Ninlil (Mesopotamian), 167–68

Ninurta (Mesopotamian), 149

Nippur, 132

Njord (Norse), 301

Nkuba (African), 417

Noah flood story, 38–40, 157–60

Noble Eightfold Path, Buddhist, 350–51

nomes and nomarchs (Egyptian), 75, 92, 106

Norse myths, 295–308.
See also
Celtic myths

creation myth, 299–300

gods, 300–306

milestones, 266–68

Sigurd, 306–8

Vikings and, 295–98

North American myths, 481–501.
See also
American myths

characteristics of, 27, 481–86

gods, 488–92

of, 10, 498–501

Sedna, 492–94

The Song of Hiawatha
and, 495–98

Nuadu or Nudd (Celtic), 284

Nü Gua or Nü Kua or Nu Wa (Chinese), 369, 371–73, 374, 377

Nun (Egyptian), 75, 76, 77

Nut (Egyptian), 79–82

Nyame (African), 409, 422, 424

nymphs (Greek), 208

Nyx (Greek), 195

Obatala (African), 409–10, 428

Oceanus (Greek), 195

Odin (Norse), 296, 299–300, 304–5

Oduduwa (African), 409–10, 428

Odysseus, 1, 248–51

Odyssey, The
, 1, 4, 24, 181, 195, 203, 214, 241–45, 248–51, 255–57

Oedipus (Greek), 47, 239–41

Ogdoad (Egyptian), 76

Oisin (Norse), 289–90

O-kuni-nushi (Japanese), 390

Olmec civilization, 457–62

Olorun or Olodumare and Olokun (African), 409–10, 428–29

Olympians (Greek), 196–216

Olympic Games, 59, 179, 189

Ometecuhtli or Ometeotl (Aztec), 472

omphalos.
See
navel concept

One Hunahpu (Mayan), 457, 460

Oppenheimer, Robert, 317

oracles.
See also
divination

Greek, 189, 237–39

Chinese, 365–69

Egyptian, 97

Mesopotamian, 127–28

oral traditions.
See also
history

African, 406–7, 413–15

American, 447

Celtic, 274

new world, 395

Orisha and orishis, 409, 428–30

Orpheus (Greek), 211

Osiris (Egyptian), 27, 42, 64, 80–82, 85–87, 92, 93

outcast term, 328

Ovid, 199, 201, 219–20, 229, 234, 241

O-wata-tsumi (Japanese), 390

Pachacuti (Incan), 477–78

Pacific Island myths, 393–96, 501–6

Aborigines and Dreamtime, 504–6

creation myths, 503–4

milestones, 502–3

pagans, 14, 35

Pah (North American), 491

Palestine and Philistines, 165

Pan (Greek), 213

Pandora (Greek), 192, 211, 217–19

Panku or Pan Gu (Chinese), 371, 377

pantheism, Celtic, 278

pantheons.
See
godspapyrus, 63

parades, 189

paradise, Mesopotamian, 147

Parashurama (Indian), 344–45

pariahs, 329

Paris (Greek), 27, 243–45, 246

Parthenon, 179, 205

Parvati (Indian), 342–43

Pauahtun (Mayan), 463

Paul (Judeo-Christian), 200, 257–58, 270

Pegasus (Greek), 221

Persephone (Greek), 205–6

Perseus, 30, 221

Persian Empire, 186

Persian magi, 169–70

personal unconscious, 48

peyote, 499–500

Phaedrus, 31

Phaeton (Greek), 202

pharaohs, Egyptian, 61–62, 70, 105–6

philosophy, Greek, 186–87, 190

Phobos (Greek), 203

Phoebus (Greek).
See
Apollo (Greek)

Phoenicians, 165, 183, 185

Pillars of Hercules, 225, 232

pipestone, 482

Pizarro, Francisco, 477

planets, 492–94

Plato, 25, 171, 186, 231–34

Plutarch, 88–89, 260

Pluto (Roman), 209–11, 494

Poetic Edda, 264, 298, 306

polis, Greek, 185–86

pollution concept, 330

Polynesian myths, 501–6

Pomona (Roman), 253, 291

Popol Vuh, 46, 431, 447, 454–57

Portuguese, 393–94

Poseidon (Greek), 184, 195, 214, 249–50

prayers, 43–45

Priapus (Greek), 201

priests.
See also
shamans

American, 442

Egyptian, 62, 68

Chinese, 367

Indian, 322

Mesopotamian, 125, 127

Prometheus (Greek), 193, 216–18, 220, 225

Prose Edda, 298

Proserpina (Roman), 253

psychology, myths and, 47–49

Ptah (Egyptian), 75–76, 96, 97

Ptolemies (Egyptian), 36, 111–12

Puranas, 324

purification rituals, 45

Pygmalion (Greek), 201

Pygmies, 405, 407, 410

pyramids

Aztec, 7, 440

Egyptian, 1, 61, 67–69, 84, 95, 99–101, 105

Great Seal of the United States, 104–5

Mayan, 458

Pyramid Texts, Egytian, 71–72, 77

Quaoar, 494

Questions of Heaven
, 362, 370

Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), 443, 467–69, 472–73

Quian Long, 361

Quirinus (Roman), 252

Ra (Egyptian), 62, 78, 82–85, 94, 105

rabbits, trickster.
See
Hare (African)

Radha (Indian), 341

Ragnarok, 298, 300, 302, 304

Rainbow (North American), 488

raja yoga, 340

Rama, 323–24, 345, 347–48

Ramayana
, 323–24, 347–48

Ravana, 347

Raven (North American), 490

Re (Egyptian), 62, 78, 82–85, 94, 105

Regin (Norse), 307

reincarnation, 327

religions.
See also
priests; shamans

African, 406, 408, 409, 427–30

American, 396

worship, 410, 505

Buddhism, 9, 319, 348–51, 363, 386, 388

Celtic pantheism, 278

Chinese, 362–64, 381–82

Confucianism, 45, 353, 362–63, 368, 379–83, 386

Eastern vs. Western, 309–11

Falun Gong, 364

Goddess movement, 41–42, 140–42, 309

Greek philosophy and, 186–87, 190

Hinduism (
see
Indian myths)

Islam, 9, 58–59, 309, 394, 406

Jainism, 319, 348, 351–52

Judeo-Christian (
see
Judeo-Christian religion)

monotheism, 13, 45, 17–11

mystery, 89

as, 11, 16–17, 24–27, 43–46 (
see also
myths)

Santeria and Voodoo, 6, 396, 410, 425, 427–30, 500

Shinto, 386–87

Taoism, 362–63, 382–84

Zoroastrianism and Mithraism, 169–70

Remus and Romulus (Roman), 254–55

resurrection theme, 16, 41–42, 89, 147, 206, 208–9, 472–73.
See also
Jesus Christ

Rhea (Greek), 184, 191, 195, 213, 237–38

Rhea Silvia (Roman), 254

Rhiannon (Celtic), 293

Rig-Veda, 40, 45, 321–22, 331, 334

rituals

Indian, 329–30

Japanese ritual suicide, 385

myths, religion, and, 42, 45

ritualism, 329

of hearts in Egyptian, 90–93

Roman myths, 199–216, 251–61

Bacchanalia and Saturnalia holidays, 257–61

Celtic myths and, 291

gods, 199–216

Greek myths as, 199, 251–54 (
see also
Greek myths)

Mithraism and, 170

Romulus and Remus, 254–55

Virgil’s
Aeneid
, 255–57

Romulus and Remus (Roman), 254–55

Rosetta Stone, 36, 67

rulers.
See also
democracy; kleptocracy; monarchy; theocracy

Chinese, 368–69

Egyptian, 61–63, 105–6

Japanese, 9, 384–87

and, 12

Roman, 254

runes, 298, 304

Rus and Russia, 297

Sabines, 255

sacrifice, animal, 16, 45, 367, 430.
See also
human sacrifice

sadhus and sadhvis (Indian), 352

Sagbata and Sogo (African), 421

sage kings, Chinese, 375, 377–79

St. Barbara, 429

St. Brigid, 30, 282–83

St. George, 29–30

St. Mark, 58

St. Patrick, 271, 278, 290

Salmon of Knowledge, 288–90

saltwater, Mesopotamian, 131–33, 149

Sama-Veda, 321

Samhain festival, 290–92

samurai, Japanese, 385–86

Sanjina (Indian), 336

Sanskrit, 318, 321–22, 338

Santeria, 6, 396, 410, 427–30, 500

Sarasvati (Indian), 333, 337–38

Sargon, 135, 254

Sati (Indian), 343

Saturn (Roman), 259

Saturnalia holiday, 5, 257–61

satyrs, 208

Schliemann, Heinrich, 37–38, 184, 247–48

science.
See also
archaeology; natural world

Delphic Oracle and, 238

Greek, 182, 187, 190

and, 10–11, 17, 24, 33, 46

scrolls, Egyptian, 71

sculpture, Greek, 181

seasons

Greek myths about, 205–6

Mesopotamian myth about, 150–51

Sedna (North American), 492–94

Sekhmet (Egyptian), 96

Semites, 135, 165

Septuagint, 251

serpents.
See
dragons; snakes

Serqet (Egyptian), 96

Sétanta, 286

Seth or Set (Egyptian), 27, 64, 81–82, 85–87, 95

Seven Hunahpu (Mayan), 457, 460

sexuality

Celtic, 286–87, 292

Egyptian, 89–90

gods, 26–27, 47

Greek, 181, 200–201, 212. 215

(
see
incest)

Judeo-Christian, 146, 168

Mesopotamian, 147–48, 151–55

Norse, 301–2

Roman, 259

Shakaru (North American), 491

Shakti (Indian), 339

shamans.
See also
priests

African, 406, 411–12

American, 442, 451–52

and, 12, 412

world, 395

Shamash (Mesopotamian), 143, 150

Shamhat (Mesopotamian), 154–55

Shang Di (Chinese), 368

Shango (African), 410, 427–30

shape-shifting gods, 281, 284, 307, 424, 451

She (Chinese), 376

Shem, 135

Shen Nong (Chinese), 374, 377

Shinto religion, 9, 385–87

Shiva, the Destroyer (Indian), 332, 337, 343–44

shoguns, Japanese, 385–86

Shu (Egyptian), 78, 79