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Gods

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London, England

Pimlico Priapus

This sanitized yet surreal depiction of a Greek fertility god looks over a square in one of central London’s residential areas.
games

The Video Game 'Black Myth: Wukong' Has Ancient Roots

A trickster monkey hero, a complex pantheon, and more than a millennium of storytelling are behind the hit.
Michael Naparstek October 1, 2024
Tokyo, Japan

The Zodiac Gods of Horikiri

All 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are depicted in anthropomorphized deity form.
Shiroi, Japan

Embracing Kangiten of Torimi Shrine

A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.
Oarai, Japan

Kamiiso no Torii

A lone torii arch stands on a coastal rock where a deity is said to have landed.
Syracuse, Italy

Fountain of Arethusa

According to Greek mythology, this natural spring is the home of a freshwater nymph.
Farnham, England

Mother Ludlam's Cave

This place is the subject of local legends about a good witch and a Celtic God.
Constanța, Romania

Glykon

An ancient Roman snake god, carved expertly into stone.
Kulasekharapatnam, India

Arulmigu Kulasai Mutharamman Temple

Every year, massive crowds flock to this 300-year-old temple to celebrate a unique, goddess-centric Hindu festival.
After death, an individual's heart was weighed; hearts heavy with sin were devoured by the terrifying Ammit, a chimera of ancient Egypt's most feared predators: crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus.
mummies

In Ancient Egypt, Judgement of the Dead Was Severe

To enter the realm of Osiris, the dead had to complete a long to-do list—and face a terrifying devourer of souls.
Nicky Nielsen October 24, 2023
Each night during his journey across the netherworld, the sun god Ra's barque crosses the desert Rostau, realm of the falcon god Sokar, borne by snakes.
maps

In Ancient Egypt, the Duat Was a Netherworld of Gods and Monsters

A guide called the Amduat helped pharaohs navigate the complex afterlife.
Nicky Nielsen October 3, 2023
A river winds along paved banks lined with pilgrims.
Haridwar, India

Har Ki Pauri

The Hindu god Vishnu is said to have walked at this Hindu pilgrimage site.
Nagareyama, Japan

Tone Canal Billiken Shrine

An American mascot that became a lucky god in Japan, enshrined in a city far from the main center of his worship.
Wander into our forest of blood-chilling spring tales—if you dare.
cryptozoology

Spring Is for Monsters, Ancient Rituals, and Scary Stories

From haunting tales of the Bell Witch to child-eating swamp monsters, the season is full of frights.
Sarah Durn May 8, 2023
In 2015, this effigy of the Pagan goddess Marzanna met a fiery end.
witchcraft

In Poland, Drowning the Pagan Goddess Marzanna Ushers in Spring

A straw effigy of the winter goddess is burned and then submerged in chilly waters.
Sarah Laskow May 3, 2023
Pune, India

Baneshwar Cave Temple

A centuries-old Hindu cave temple is tucked away in a quiet suburb.
Archaeologists believe this head belonged to a figurine representing a high priestess of Ur.
relics

History’s First Named Author Was a Mesopotamian Priestess

Her name was Enheduanna.
Sarah Durn December 22, 2022
Chinese Kali Mandir
Kolkata, India

Chinese Kali Mandir

In Kolkata's China Town, a temple to the Hindu goddess Kali.