Mythology
The Hindu tradition
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and is alive today for more than a billion people: that is why we present its deities with respect, as revered figures and not as fictional characters. Its accounts are found in the Vedas, in the Puranas and in two great poems, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The divine shows itself in many forms: three of these, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, create, preserve and transform the world.
A living religious tradition: its deities are described with respect, as revered figures. How we tell myths.
Who they were, where, and how we know
Hinduism is the religious tradition of India and is followed today by over a billion people. It is not a story of the past: its gods are worshipped every day, in temples and in homes, and for this reason we tell about them with respect, as sacred figures.
The oldest texts are the Vedas, hymns composed between about 1500 and 500 BC and passed on by voice for centuries. The great stories come from the two epics, the «Mahabharata» and the «Ramayana» (written between about the 4th century BC and the 4th AD), and from the Puranas, collections of stories about the gods.
At the centre is a trimurti, three aspects of the divine: Brahma who creates, Vishnu who preserves (and comes down to earth in forms such as Krishna and Rama), Shiva who destroys and renews. Around them are Lakshmi, Ganesha, Durga, Hanuman and many others: for Hindus all are faces of one reality.
The cards
BrahmaIndia · deity of creation not scary at all
VishnuIndia · deity who protects the world not scary at all
ShivaMount Kailash · deity of transformation not scary at all
Ganeshaall of India · deity of beginnings not scary at all
DurgaBengal and all of India · warrior goddess a little scary
HanumanIndia and Sri Lanka · deity of strength and devotion not scary at all
Rama and SitaAyodhya and Lanka · prince and princess of the Ramayana a little scary
GarudaIndia and Southeast Asia · king of the birds not scary at all
The NagasIndia, Nepal and Southeast Asia · serpent beings not scary at all
IndraSvarga, the heavens · deity of thunder and rain a little scary
Lakshmiall over India · goddess of prosperity not scary at all
Saraswatiall over India · goddess of knowledge not scary at all
KaliBengal, India · powerful form of the Goddess scary
KrishnaMathura and Vrindavan · avatar of Vishnu not scary at all
The descent of the GangesGangotri and Varanasi, India · the sacred river that came down from the sky not scary at all
ArjunaKurukshetra, India · hero of the Mahabharata a little scaryWho comes from whom
Tap a name: its parents and children light up. Names with a medallion open their card (with a finger: tap them twice).
Places of the myths
- The Ganges
- the sacred river of India, which according to tradition came down from the sky through Shiva's hair.
- Mount Kailash
- the Himalayan mountain regarded as the home of Shiva.
- Ayodhya
- the city of Rama, in northern India.
- Lanka
- the island of King Ravana in the Ramayana, often identified with Sri Lanka.
Main sources
- Rigveda
- Valmiki, Ramayana
- Mahabharata
- Puranas (Vishnu, Shiva, Bhagavata)
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Who's behind this
Ciro Simone Irmici
I build websites, apps and games. I built the Atlas with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I am not a scholar of mythology: I tell these legends with respect and always say where they come from. If you know a legend from your town, write to me.
More of my work: free audiobooks on YouTube · ebooks on Gumroad · Apple Books · music on Spotify and YouTube Music