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Turin, Italy

Fontana dei Dodici Mesi

See every month of the year personified at this opulent Turinese fountain.
Janakpur, Nepal

Janaki Mandir

An enormous white temple that honors the birthplace of a Hindu goddess.
In Mexico, today's <em>teyollohcuani</em> is a terrifying, shape-shifting, vampire-like witch, but the figure has deep precolonial roots and a complex evolution.
vampires

Mexico's Vampire Witch Has a Twisted Origin Story

The terrifying teyollohcuani is a shape-shifter of ancient indigenous lore, dark colonial history, and pop culture.
Roxanne Hoorn October 23, 2024
The world of competitive pumpkin growing has come a long way since 1901, when this giant pumpkin weighed a mere 91 pounds.
mythology

5 Stories to Make You Fall in Love With Autumn

It's the season of harvest-guarding stones and cities of squash.
Roxanne Hoorn September 19, 2024
The blood Voltaire drank came from a bull on his country estate in Ferney, France, now called Ferney-Voltaire.
science

Why Voltaire Drank Bull’s Blood

Bull’s blood isn’t poisonous; so why did people think it was for centuries?
Andrew Coletti September 5, 2024
Pula, Croatia

Quarter of Saint Theodore

An excavation site that signified Hercules in Pula, and a glimpse into the city's Roman history.
The snow-laden, misty entrance of Iceland's Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge resembles the entrance to Helheim, the realm of the dead who did not make it into Valhalla.
vikings

Viking Hell Is Just as Metal as You'd Expect

Judged unworthy of Valhalla? Welcome to Helheim.
Nicky Nielsen August 8, 2024
This colored wood engraving shows the pig-faced Miss Atkinson.
victorian

Regency Londoners Were Obsessed With Pig-Faced Ladies

In 1815, the obsession with swine-ish, upper-class ladies reached a fever pitch.
Sarah Crocker August 6, 2024
Both Krishna and Shiva are sometimes depicted wielding a rope tied in a pasha knot, which is associated with binding souls—and the occasional demon or evil spirit.
mythology

How to Tie Knots That Have Tales to Tell

Humans figured out long ago how to turn a length of rope or cord into something both functional and symbolic.
John Bucher July 10, 2024
Glasgow, Scotland

Bella the Beithir

A mythological Celtic beast built with thousands of colorful tiles stands guard over a historic canal junction.
Machida, Japan

Tengu Stelae of Naruse

Three rare “road guardian” stelae with reliefs of the Tengu can be found in the town of Naruse.
Syracuse, Italy

Fonte Ciane

According to legend, after Hades pulled Persephone into the underworld, one of her attendant nymphs cried so much that her tears formed this spring.
Roskilde, Denmark

Grave of the Hel-Horse

According to legend, this is the burial place of a mythical three-legged death omen horse.
Tokyo, Japan

Zen’yō-ji Temple

An eclectic temple with Chinese architecture, Korean lion-dogs, an Indian god and a legendary 700-year-old tree.
Pula, Croatia

Kažnjavanje Dirke (The Punishment of Dirce)

A Roman mosaic depicting a classical myth was only rediscovered after bombing during World War II.
Pozzuoli, Italy

Lake Avernus

Smack-dab in Campania’s volcanic fields, this scenic lake was once thought to be the gate of hell.
Manama, Bahrain

The Legends of Dilmun

Is this amazing tableau depicting Gilgamesh and Enki 4,000 years old?
Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.
mythology

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.
Roxanne Hoorn May 1, 2024