A fallen angel is an angel that has been banished from Heaven because of their disobedience to the orders of God. Following some sources many angels were exiled from Heaven. One of them is Lucifer (Luzbel), whose name, in a first moment, meant "the bearer of Light". After being exiled, he was named Satan. The Waiting Of The Dark Angel, by Emma Alvarez Lucifer was a very beautiful Cherubim that because of his pride he rebelled against God and wanted to be like Him. It is said that he was the most beautiful angel that God created. After his offense, he was exiled from Heaven and one third of the angels created by God followed him. Those were the fallen angels. They were thrown from Heaven to a pond of fire and sulfur. There is the theory that says that Satan can enter and exit Heaven until the resurrection of Christ in which the almost definitive battle between the fallen and the angels happened, and the gates of Heaven were closed for them completely. The same way that there is a hierarchy for the angels of God, there is also one for the fallen angels. Satan divided his forces in principalities. Princes of the darkness that will rule on the land and influence and tempting the Humanity. There is also the authorities and governors of the darkness, demons and malign spirits that influence the social and cultural system. There are also the fallen angels that defend and worship Satan and will operate in the religious structure of humanity. The Witching Hour, by Emma Alvarez The hierarchy of angels is very rigid, each one is in charge of a task. This doesn't seem to happen in the world of fallen angels, were they can change their tasks. These evil angels may be responsible of tempting with impure thoughts, depression, acting to weaken the mind of people. Other spirits may afflict the physical bodies bringing disease and temptation. Other malign spirits may be in charge of seducing mankind and afflict their minds with false doctrines full of confusion. The fallen angels or demons follow the orders of Satan. Their mission is to go against God's will and the order of God. The same way that God sent his son Jesus to Earth, Satan will send his son the Antichrist in human shape, who will contradict the word of Christ creating a doctrine that negates Christ. The main reason of disobeying God is the wish of Satan of being worshiped by all creatures. The same way that there is a trinity of Father, Son and Sacred Spirit, there is an opposite trinity: Lucifer, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. The same way that there are angels with hierarchy there are fallen angels of similar rank: - Astaroth is the archduke of Hell. - Beelzebub means "the lord of the flies", and is the prince of demons. His mission is to tempt. - Mephistopheles is a subordinate of Satan in charge of capturing souls. - Belial is the devil of arrogance and pride. Angels and Fallen Angels all come from the same source, created by the same hand, although at some point they take different paths. God created them, and they chose.

The definition of the word "angel" comes from the ancient Hebrew and means "the hidden face of God". In ancient Greece angels were considered as messengers or emissaries of God. Angels are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible more than 108 times and more than 175 in the New Testament. Although there are many religions that mention beings that serve a supreme being. The emotion Of The Angel, by Emma Alvarez Between the angels, there are hierarchies. In a 1st hierarchy, there are: Seraphs, Cherubims, and Thrones or Ophanims. - Seraphs are beings that can only be seen by those who are elevated to a superior dimension, in a mythic paradise or heaven. - Cherubims are depicted as winged children and form a celestial chorus that accompanies the Seraphs. Cherubim comes from the Hebrew word "Korubim", "little angel". - Thrones are angels that hold the throne of God and transmit the will of God to Seraphs and Cherubims. In a second hierarchy: Dominions, Virtues and Powers or Authorities. - Dominations is the fourth of the 9 celestial chorus that distribute the functions and ministries of the other angels and receive the orders of Seraphs, Cherubims, and God. They are in charge of maintaining the order of the universe. They can manifest themselves physically amongst mortals and possess the gift of healing emotionally, physically, and mentally. They protect the vegetable, mineral and animal reign. - Virtues are the angels in charge of helping the humans. They are abstract entities that are servers of Virgin Mary. Their mission is to instill values in people. The Guardian Angel, by Emma Alvarez - Powers are those angels that protect the physical laws, and guard the limits of the spiritual world and the physic world. The third hierarchy are Principalities or Rulers, Archangels and Angels. - Principalities are in charge of the manifestation of the power of God over nature. They are the guardians of groups (cities, nations, communities). - Archangels. They are the superior hierarchy to angels. They are angels of high rank. There are three, recognized by the Catholic Church: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Michael commands the army of Heaven. Gabriel is the celestial messenger. Raphael, the protector of travelers, health and love. Although the Catholic Church admits only 3 Archangels, other religions add up to 7 to this list: Uriel, Raquel, Remiel, and Saraqael. Uriel is depicted with a book or a papyrus. Symbolizes the protective wisdom of the arts. Uriel possess the key that will open the gates of Hell at the End of Days. Raquel will be in charge of playing the trumpet at the End Times to open the gates of Hell. Raquel is the Archangel of Justice, Impartiality, and Harmony, and controls the actions of other angels correcting their mistakes so the law of God is not altered. Raquel is in charge of maintaining the purity of Heaven, free of corruption and in harmony with the will of God. Remiel is in charge of the resurrected. He is who controls how much should the just wait to obtain their reward, until the number of just people is completed and comes the End of Days. Saraqael is who will guide the souls at the Judgment Day. He is the Archangel that looks for the mortals and specially for children. - Angels are the messengers and execute the will of God, and help the believers. They are creatures of enormous purity. In this group we find the guardian angels. It is said that God created the angels before Adam and Eve. Their mission is to reign in the stars and planets. Their way of communicating with humans is through the chain of events that happen in the lives of a person. The most ancient mention of an angel is from 4,000 BC. Saint Thomas of Aquino, who studied angels deeply, stated that the angels were made of astral light. The number of angels is stable. All were created at the same time, and are not subject to death or extinction. They were created to execute a series of tasks and serve God. The appearance of angels has been reported on the Bible as well as in mystic or religious books. They don't always have a humanoid appearance. There are sources in which angels looked like made of metals and precious jewels and and their face is like flash of lightning. The wings and the luminous halo is often reported in all writings in History. Angels are meant to be pure energy but they can have human appearance when they consider it's necessary.

In ancient Greece, the oldest depiction of justice was the goddess Astraea. Astraea was a Titanide, a descendant of the Titans, a powerful race of gods that ruled the Earth in the so called Golden Age. Astraea was daughter of Zeus (the supreme god) and Themis (the second wife of Zeus). For some time, Astraea and her mother were in charge of administer justice. Astraea judged the humans whereas her mother Themis represented the divine justice. "Justice" by Emma Alvarez But Astraea, horrified by the evil and cruel human condition abandoned the Earth. It is said that she was the last immortal that lived amongst the humans. Zeus granted her to go back to the Olympus and Astraea became the assistant of her father, being the carrier of his lightnings. She was a loyal assistant, so Zeus gave her permission to keep her virginity, being the only virgin amongst all the Titanides. And as a reward, he placed her amongst the stars to become part of the constellation of Virgo (that means "the virgin"). The scales she was carrying in her hands became the constellation of Libra. So Themis had to represent Justice in the Earth, appearing in the Iliad of Homer, and being depicted as a sweet goddess that gives wise advice to humans although other times she dictates the orders of her husband Zeus. Photo by mira66 If humans didn't accept the punishments of Themis, Nemesis was sent, a vindictive goddess that gave punishments full of rage and fury. The judicial sentences had the name of "Themistas" in honor of goddess Themis. In Roman mythology, the goddess of Justice is depicted with a helmet, a scales, and a cornucopia (the Horn Of Abundance), and is in company of a lion that represents the strength and fear of facing Justice. She was called "Fas", that meant "what is just". But since year 452, with pope Leo the Great, this depiction changed progressively. The lion was replaced by a sword, with the purpose to exert authority with firmness, and the scales was sometimes replaced by a papyrus or a book that represented the written law. It was some centuries later and during the French Revolution when Justice started to appear blindfolded, wanting to depict a more objective and impartial justice.

In the Greek tradition, the first 10 numbers (12 in Asia) had an archetypal symbology. The rest were combinations of these first 10 numbers, and thus less important. Numerology was developed by Hebrews, Gnostics and alchemists. By Pink Sherbet Photography D. Sharon Pruitt Zero means death or the dead point where something begins. As a circle, it means the eternity. Its meaning is a beginning or end. Number 1 symbolizes the spiritual unity, the light. The beginning that originated multiplicity. The support of everything. Number 2 symbolizes duality, and also opposition, and sexuality. The power of creation and destruction, of female nature and male nature, moon against sun, life and death, and conflict. Three means the spiritual synthesis, the resolution of the conflict that dualism generates. Symbolizes the heaven, the spirit. Number 4 symbolizes totality, organization, reason, order, what is established. It is associated with the 4 lunar phases, 4 cardinal points, 4 seasons, 4 elements. It is also the symbol of the Earth. By Pink Sherbet Photography D. Sharon Pruitt Five is the balance, the human perfection. Five mediates between the mundane world and the divine one, and that's why the pentagram has 5 points. The head rules the 4 limbs,as the spirit rules over the 4 elements (earth, water, fire and air). It also symbolizes health and love, and the fifth element, the quintessence. Number 6 symbolizes beauty. In the Tarot, the sixth major arcanum, represents The Lovers. It also symbolizes the balance, effort, and justice. Seven is the harmony. The manifestation of the order and organization of the cosmos (the 7 days of the week, 7 musical notes). It also symbolizes pain (7 mortal sins, 7 plagues). Number 8 symbolizes the final balance. It represents the Earth, and is symbol of love and the virtues of prudence and reflection. By adamned.age - H.ADAM Nine symbolizes the hierarchy and perfection of ideas. Number 9 symbolizes the truth, and is a sacred number because it is 3 times 3. Ten is the symbol of spiritual realization and return to the unity and perfection. Eleven symbolizes transition, excess, danger. Number 12 symbolizes salvation, order. It is a number linked to space and time (the 12 zodiac signs).

Midsummer Night is considered, in many cultures, a magic night. It's the night between day 23 and 24 of June. Since ancient times it was celebrated and coincides with the Summer solstice. It is a holiday in which fire is the main protagonist. Photo by nurpax But did you know that...? This tradition is related, in Christianity, to St. John the Baptist's nativity, as he was born 6 months before Jesus Christ, in the solstice of Summer, and prophesied the birth of the Messiah on a solstice of Winter. Some pagan origin of St. John's Night was the Celtic celebration of Beltaine, and was the 1st of May and meant "Bel's fire", or "Beautiful fire". It was in honor of god Belenos. During the celebration of Beltaine big bonfires were lit, and some people jumped over them with the help of poles. The Druids made the cattle pass near the bonfires to purify them and keep them away from illness. The herbs collected in a date near the solstice of Summer were attributed curative powers. Solstices are considered as magic days in sorcery, as in these days powerful solar energies are present. Photo by kozumel In the Greek tradition it was related with the cult to Apollo, when they lit purifying bonfires. Ancient Greeks called solstices as "gates". In these dates there were legends and myths of translation, people that disappeared and magically appeared in another place. The Romans made celebrations in honor of the goddess Minerva, and jumped over the flames of bonfires. In the past, it was a date in which farmers said thanks for the fruits of Summer and future good harvest, and saw Summer as a time of fun, harvesting, and rest. Another ancient tradition is dancing around a fire to purify oneself and celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. Fire has a purifying symbolism for all those who stare it. Bonfires are made in which old junk is burnt, as a symbol or renewal and change. Photo by Leo-setä A traditional rite was jumping up to 3 times the bonfire in St. John's Night, to be in good health and luck for the next year. Another tradition was to put bay laurel leaves in the window to summon good fortune. Some people write 3 wishes in a paper sheet and burn that paper at 12 o'clock at night.

Kraken was a creature from the deep sea that belonged to Scandinavian and Finnish mythology. The Vikings described with fear a marine creature that emerged from the depths sinking ships and devouring mariners. For the Vikings, Kraken was a monster with so enormous size that his head can be mistook with an island, and was so big that when he submerged, he produced whirlpools that may make ships sink. These sea legends remained alive during centuries. In 1752 a Danish bishop assured that he had seen a horrible creature, some kind of giant squid that spat ink and dragged the ships to the ocean depths. In Jules Verne's famous book "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", he describes the attack of a giant octopus. In 1804, scientist Pierre Denys of Montfort recognized two species of giant octopus that were very similar to the Kraken of the Norse mythology. He even stated that up to 10 British ships were considered victims of the giant octopus. The British government denied these facts and the career of Montfort reached an end, and died in complete misery in Paris. Nowadays there are strong proofs of the existence of giant squids that reach 15 or 20 meters long approximately. But these creatures were not proven to be as aggressive to the point of sinking ships and devouring mariners. But anyway, Kraken will still be in the legends of the sea for a long time.

This is maybe one of the stories from the Greek and Roman mythology (it is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses.) that has more strongly influenced the universal literature. And this is what inspired William Shakespeare to write his Romeo And Juliet. Thisbe was one of the most beautiful women that lived in Babylon. Beside her house lived an attractive boy called Pyramus. They were deeply in love, but their families hated each other, so their parents were opposed to that relationship. But the bigger that this opposition was, the bigger the love between the couple grew. Both Thisbe and Pyramus tried endlessly to convince their families but they refused to accept this relationship. In despair because they couldn't marry, they fled one night. Their plan was to get away from Babylon, and they agreed to meet in the mausoleum of Nino, near a mulberry tree. Thisbe arrived first, hiding her face with a veil. She sat under the mulberry tree, waiting Pyramus. In the mausoleum of Nino there was a fountain, and a lioness approached to drink. She had her face covered with blood, as she had just devoured two oxen. When Thisbe saw the lioness, she felt frightened and fled away to a nearby cave. Due to her hurry, she did not notice that her veil fell to the ground. The lioness found the veil. Her fangs were still with blood, and tore the veil, that laid on the ground ripped and dirty with blood. When Pyramus arrived to the mausoleum, he saw the footprints of the lioness. He searched for Thisbe desperately, but he didn't find her. What he found was the veil of Thisbe, torn and covered with blood. Then Pyramus imagined the worst. Feeling broke by this pain, thinking that Thisbe was devoured by the lioness, he fell on his knees under the mulberry tree, crying of sadness. His pain was so deep that he couldn't stand it, and killed himself with his own sword. At the moment, Thisbe noticed this terrible confusion, and filled with pain and tears, said to the corpse of Pyramus: "Oh, my love, you couldn't survive to my death, and I can't survive to yours. I'll never abandon you, and no one will never separate us. Our parents will have to bury our bodies in the same sepulcher". After this, she put the sword aiming to her heart, and fell over it, dying side by side to her loved one. The mulberry tree turned red with the blood of the two lovers, darkened with that pain. And since that day, mulberries were black, with shades of red.

The myth of the Muses comes from the Greek mythology. According to the Greeks, the Muses where goddesses that provided inspiration to musicians, poets, and artists. There are two versions of the origin of the Muses: that they are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, or Uranus and Gaia. It was said that there were nine Muses, and that they were part of the entourage of Apollo. According to the Greek tradition, the Muses love to sing and their first song praised the victory of the Olympian gods over the Titans, when a new cosmic order was established. It is said that sometimes the Muses accompanied the Kings, inspiring their words and filling them with wisdom, giving them the power of justice and virtue. In the tradition, those were monarchs inspired by the Muses, worshiped by their people. They said that the Muses dwelt in the Parnassus, which is a mount consecrated to Apollo, and they may also be found in the fountain Hippocrene in Beotia, in the sanctuary of Helicon. There is a legend that tells that a king had 9 daughters, and these daughters were very proud of being good singers, so they traveled to Helicon and challenged the Muses. The Muses accepted the challenge. The daughters of that king sang a song that raised the enthusiasm of the birds themselves, but the one sang by the Muses was even better, so they lost the challenge and were punished for their arrogance. They were turned into magpies, and since that moment only nasty squawk got out of their mouths, being the magpies one of the birds with the most nasty voice. It is told that the Sirens also challenged the Muses, and their punishment was to loss the feathers of their wings and the Muses used them as ornaments. In the ancient epic Greek stories, the Muses were invoked in the beginning of the book, to help the author to choose the correct words to tell the historical events. The 9 Muses are: Calliope, mother of Orpheus, and muse of poetry. She is depicted with a scroll or with a board an a chisel. Clio is the muse of history. She is depicted with a scroll or with a chest full of books. Erato is the muse of erotic poetry, that was depicted with a lyre. Euterpe is the muse of music, and was depicted with a flute. Melpomene is the muse of tragedy, and was depicted with a knife in one hand and a tragedy mask in the other. Polyhymnia is the muse of sacred poetry and geometry. She appears depicted with a serious expression, and sometimes with her elbow laying in a column, and other times with a finger in her lips asking for silence. Thalia is the muse of comedy and is depicted with happy expression in her face, and crowned with ivy, or with a comedian mask. As she is also the muse of bucolic poetry, sometimes she appears with a shepherd walking stick. Terpsichore is the muse of dance and appears depicted with a string instrument like a lyre, and sometimes dancing. Urania is the muse of astrology and astronomy, and is depicted with compasses or a world globe. Images (in order): Terpsichore, by Thisisbossi; Melpomene, by Thisisbossi; Clio, by Thisisbossi.

The story of Daedalus and Icarus comes from the Greek mythology. Icarus was son of Daedalus, an architect, inventor, and sculptor, that was very well-known in Athens. The Goddess Athena herself had instructed Daedalus, and he felt very blessed for this. But his nephew Talos was equal or better in his profession. This tortured Daedalus deep within, and the jealousy grew inside him, so one day, Daedalus threw Talos off from the temple of Athena. So Daedalus was found guilty and sentenced to death, but he escaped and went to Crete, where King Minos welcomed and protected him. One day, the wife of Minos, Pasiphae, asked Daedalus to do a strange work: a wooden cow of the size of a real one, to fool the white bull of Crete. And a new creature was born, a being that was half bull and half man. It was called the Minotaur. After this aberration, King Minos decided to hide this creature, so he asked Daedalus to build a labyrinth where the Minotaur could never find the exit. The Minotaur only ate human flesh. So Minos ordered that the Athenians gave him human sacrifices. Theseus, son of the King of Athens, decided that he had to assassinate the Minotaur, and convinced Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, to help him. Ariadne gave a ball of wool to Theseus. Ariadne hold one of the ends of the thread, so he may come back to the entrance. That way, he may find the exit of the labyrinth. And he killed the Minotaur. Daedalus had had a son with a slave, and that boy was called Icarus. Minos was very enraged for the death of the Minotaur, and blamed Daedalus for that, so he shut up him with his son Icarus inside the labyrinth that Daedalus himself had built. Daedalus, after some time thinking in how to get out of the labyrinth, only found a way to escape: through the air, because the labyrinth had no ceiling. Daedalus built two pairs of wings with feathers and attached them to their shoulders using wax. And this way, they started to fly. Daedalus warned his son Icarus: "Don't fly too high, nor too low. If you fly too low the feathers may get wet with the sea, and if you fly too high the wax that hold your wings may be melted by the sun". But Icarus was so fascinated with the dream of flying that is the dream of every human, that he did not follow his father's advice. Icarus flew so high that the sun melted the wax that attached his wings, and fell to the ocean and died drowned. The sea where Icarus died was called the Icarian Sea. Daedalus arrived to Sicily, and King Cocalus took him under his protection, but Minos continued to chase him. Daedalus took revenge on Minos boiling him when he was having a bath with the hot water that Daedalus had installed in Cocalus' palace. This way, Daedalus avenged his son Icarus. Images (in order): Icarus, by eWKn on deviantART; Minotauros, by DocUhu on deviantART; Theseus and Ariadne, by IdleProdigy on deviantART; Ikarus fell, by ~darick on deviantART.

The celebration of Halloween is of Celtic origins, and has more than 2,500 years. It's original name was Samhain, and was celebrated, like nowadays, in October 31th, the last day of the harvest time and the beginning of winter. The Christian tradition joined the celebration of Samhain with November 1st, the day of All Saints, and the name of Halloween was born ("All Hallows' Eve"). The night of Samhain was considered as the most magical night. The Druids lit numerous fires, and made sacrifices both of animals as human sacrifices. These sacrifices were done in honor of the God of Sun and the God of Death. The people wore terrifying customes made with animal skins, willing to be mistaken with the evil spirits that came to the world of the living in this ceremony. In that day, divination was practiced, and people jumped through a bonfire, and danced around it to frighten away the evil spirits. The use of masks was not only practiced in these date. Masks were also used each time that some natural disaster happened, or a flooding or drought, with the will to scare the evil spirits. The Celts believed that the dead returned in that day to visit their families and come back to their homes where they had lived. This was the day in which the world of the dead joined with the world of the living. To avoid that the dead ones could disturb their familiars, a candle was lit in each window. A candle for each one of the deceased persons in the family. October 31 is one of the 4 big rituals of witchcraft of the year. The first one is on February 2nd (Imbolc), that is the day of the healing, of wisdom and of lore. The second one is on 1st of May (Beltane), when some rituals to stimulate the growing of the harvest were done. The third is Lughnasa, in August. The festival of Lugus, the God-King, when the matrimony of Lugus with the Earth was celebrated. Albeit nowadays one of the most representative elements of Halloween is the pumpkin, it's not a symbol of the ancient Samhain. The Irish did not had knowledge of the existence of pumpkins until the first colonizers arrived to America. The pumpkin is an element that belongs to an ancient Irish legend. The legend says that a man called Jack couldn't go to Heaven when he died but not to Hell either. So Jack started to lurk though the land with no direction. He put a burning charcoal inside a turnip to be able to walk at night. He was called Jack of the Lantern (Jack O'Lantern). Some time later, it was a candle inside a pumpkin, and symbolizes the souls of those damned to lurk without direction. The candies have a very ancient origin. The Celts put food and candies to keep the spirits away from the houses. It was a kind of treat ("trick or treat") with the spirits: food in exchange of not frightening the mortals with their presence. The consumption of apples in this date is also very ancient. Apples were the symbol of good fortune. Apple peelings were used for centuries for divination. There's a game that consists in getting to take an apple with the teeth, and who gets that, it is said that will be very fortunate in love with the person that he/she chooses. Hazelnuts were also used for divination methods for romance issues. Other symbols of Halloween are: The owl, that is said to scare the powers of darkness with its sound. Its image is the symbol of good luck. Bats, that were supposed to be able to communicate with the dead. The half-moon, symbol of the magic. To know more about the moon, read this article. The brooms, that symbolize the liberation of energies. Black cats. They were worshiped as gods in the ancient pagan cultures. But later, they were used in black magic. Witches: they're the most "modern" depiction of the ancient druids. A nexus of the union of the magical and the mundane. The pentagram with a circle around it. It is a symbol of protection that was used in magical rituals as a secure place that marks the limit between the world of Magic and the world of the living. But although many symbols have arrived to our days, they have little to do with the ancient celebration of the magical day when the circle of the living and the dead opens. Only a day of fun remains, where people make jokes with the paranormal and laugh about all that frightens them, or they simply ignore. Images (in order): Masks, by Tallkev; Alleycat Bonfire, by Britt Selvitelle; spooOOooky Halloween, by Striatic; Halloween, by Kasia/flickr.

Elves belong to the Scandinavian mythology. They are fantasy beings of great beauty, and fragile and delicate appearance. The elves are attributed magical powers and a long life of hundreds of years. The origin of elves is uncertain, just like if it was a distant race that had fallen in the shadows of time. Some call them "the Huldre folks". There are two main types of elves in the Nordic mythology: the elves of light (called Ljosalfar) and the elves of darkness (called Dokkalfar). The elves are similar to humans but their skin is more pale, their ears are pointed, they are very thin, agile and quick. They are also silent and stealthy beings, and this makes them almost invisible in the woods. In the stories of elves, they always appear suddenly emerged from nothing. The legends tell that the elves possess the knowledge of ancient cultures. They are also lovers of music, dance and art. They master the secrets of nature, use magical herbs and can forsee the future. The elves are also great warriors. They are trained since they are children with the sword and the bow. There was a legend that told about an army of elven women that rode on unicorns. Although the arrogance of elves was often reported, they have a strong sense of friendship, and many legends have told about stories of friendship between elves and beings of other species. There were also love stories, as there's a race called semi-elves, half elf half human. In the Norse countries, the elves were worshiped as demigods. They were the guardians of Magic. As a curiosity, the mandrake (which root was very often used in Magic) was called, in ancient German, "albrun" ("secret of elf"), and the sun was called, in the same language, "alfrothul" ("elven ray"). The Dark Elves were considered as cursed elves. They are dammed to never see the sunlight and they hide in dark places. Their hair can be gray, silver or white, and their eyes red or pale. They are described as the most cruel race of elves, and they were protagonists of the most feared legends told by the peasants. It was told that the dark elves stole babies and raised them in the darkness, telling them the dark arts and turning them into dangerous warlocks. Their biggest desires were getting out of their sinister hide-out and dominate the Earth. Other elven races are the Gray, lovers of culture and nature and riders of griffins. There are also other minor races of elves, that are named depending on their physical characteristics. The elves were the main characters in numerous legends and poems. But with the oblivion of all the pagan culture, the elves were one of the most forgotten creatures. It was Tolkien who returned the elves to their ancient splendor, and since then, elves have filled illustrations and stories recovering their past glory. Pictures (in order): Elfs, by Fish-KA; Elves, by Nell-Fallcard; Moon Elf, by Peachysticks; Clawed Elf Night, by Socar.

There are 4 magical animals in the Chinese mythology: dragon, phoenix, turtle, and kirin. The dragon was for centuries an imperial symbol. When the Emperor died, it was said that he had raised to the Heaven over a dragon. Chinese legends tell that when a dragon is in the water, is covered with five colors. In China, the dragon has the power of changing its shape. They can turn into water, fire... even become invisible. The dragon is depicted like a snake with claws, sometimes with whale tail, deer horns, face of camel, ears of bull, tiger feet, eyes of lobster, and bat wings. Sometimes the dragon also has a pearl in its chin. This pearl has the power of granting wishes. In addition, it has influence over the moon's phases, the tides of the sea, the rain, the thunder, the lightning, birth, death and reincarnation. These pearls are sometimes spit by some dragons. Then, the pearl fills with light everything around it. For this reason, it is said that Chinese dragons glow in the dark. The dragon has a male nature (yang) and brings rain to the earth. There was a king in China called Wuyue, that was known as the Dragon King, because he did many projects of hydraulic engineering. There are some dragons without horns called Jiao, that are female dragons. There are 4 major Dragon Kings. Each one represents one of the seas: the north, south, east and west sea. Many temples were consecrated to dragons, and in times of drought or flooding, they celebrated ceremonies to ask the dragons for water or the end of the rains. Number 9 is associated with dragons. Number 9 is like number 7 in the Western, a symbol of good luck. The name of the dragon reflects its nature and how it is depicted in art and literature. Here there are some examples: Tianlong, the dragon of the Heaven. Shenlong, the spiritual dragon. Fucanglong, the dragon of the hidden treasures. Dilong, the subterranean dragon. Yinglong, the winged dragon. Jialong, the horned dragon. Panlong, the dragon that inhabits the waters. Huanglong, the yellow dragon that emerged from the waters of River Luo to teach the writing to humanity. Feilong, the dragon that walks over the clouds and the mist. As a curiosity, it is said that the biggest enemy of Chinese dragons are the tigers. So it's not strange to see Chinese artworks in which fights between dragons and tigers are depicted. In martial arts, the so called dragon style is used to describe the power of mind and concentration on movements, while the tiger style describes the brute force. Images (in order): Chinese Dragon, by Pascargo; Chinese Dragon, by Zamkowa; Chinese Dragon, by J-C ; Tiger And Dragon, by Bungies.

From the Antiquity, and in all cultures, the Sun, the Moon and the stars have been depicted. This is not done by mere observation of the skies, but it goes much beyond, acquiring a symbolic value. When we see these depictions, we give them an unconscious meaning, even if we ignore it rationally. The Sun The Sun has a male essence, of protection. Suns were often sculpted in warriors' shields. From the Antiquity, the Sun was thought as son of the sky. It symbolizes reasoning, justice and will. The symbolic value of the Sun is so strong that everything that is similar to it, like for example, gold, acquired soon a big material or spiritual value, by association with the Sun. The Sun also symbolizes energy, heat and sexual passion. Many ancient people thought that the Sun was who gave life to humans and animals. They thought that the heat of bodies came from the Sun. This way, the Sun was seen as a life giver. The Moon The Moon has a female nature. In the Antiquity some defined the Moon as the lord of women. The Moon was identified with women because the lunar cycles are linked to the physiological cycles of women. The Moon also represents renovation, resurrection due to the lunar phases, in which the Moon evolves. As the Moon is the cause of tides, it is identified as the medium between the sky and the earth. The associated metal of the moon is silver. The Moon is also related to the unconscious, to mystery, because its light wraps the objects and things can't be seen clearly, giving them a mysterious halo. This way, it is connected with magic and fantasy. The Stars The Stars symbolize the spirit. They are often depicted in big number, and then they symbolize the battle against darkness. They are also associated with the cosmical order and destiny. Depending on the number of points, the symbolic meaning varies, influenced by the symbolic value of each number. The 5 points inverted star is the symbol of the Devil. It's like the spirit against the order of God. The star of 5 points not inverted symbolizes the human being and is used in white magic. The 6 points star is the star of David, and its meaning is the union of God with humanity. It's the star of the Hebrew religion. The star of 7 points as a mystical meaning, and is often used in magic. We mustn't forget that the number 7 is a sacred number from the Antiquity. The star of 8 points symbolizes plenitude, maturity, and reincarnation, the cycle of life. The 9 points star symbolizes success, stability, and positiveness. Images (in order): The Bird And The Sun, by Luza; Full Moon Night, by Luza; Dreams And Stars, by Rosemary McKevitt;

Uranus was, in Greek Mythology, the god of the Sky, and Gaia was the goddess of the Earth. Gaia was also the mother of Uranus, but even being his mother she had several sons with her own son. Cyclopes were the sons of Gaia and Uranus. Cyclopes were giants that had only one eye in the middle of their foreheads. They were very strong and powerful beings, with a very irritable personality. The three cyclopes sons of Uranus and Gaia were called Brontes, Steropes and Arges. They had more children. This way the race of the cyclopes was born. Uranus feared the strength of his sons the cyclopes, and sent them to Tartarus, a hellish place of punishment worser than Hades. But Uranus not only feared the cyclops, he felt that his other sons will also dishonor him. So he threw them to the abysses thinking that Gaia won't notice this. Gaia, enraged, decided to take revenge on him, and did a plan with her son Cronus to use an enormous sickle to castrate Uranus. From the drops of blood of Uranus emerged nymphs and giants. From the spilled blood that fell on the sea, Venus was born. Uranus powers were lost since then, and he only retained the power to predict the future. But Cronus was not alone when he defeated his father Uranus. He freed his brothers the giants that helped him. But once Uranus was beaten, Cronus locked them up, guarded by Campe, a monster with body of woman and scaled skin, whose hair were snakes and scorpions. It was Zeus who killed Campe and freed the Cyclopes and their brothers the Hecatonchires (giants with 100 arms and 50 heads). The Cyclopes helped Zeus forging the thunderbolts, that became the weapon of Zeus with which he is always depicted. Arges did the thunder, Steropes did the lightning. Zeus, using the thunderbolts forged by the Cyclopes, managed to beat Cronos and the other titans. The Cyclopes also forged the trident of Poseidon, that had the power to invoke earthquakes, and the bow and arrows of Artemis. But Apollo, to get revenge on Zeus that had killed his son, murdered the 3 cyclopes. And that's how the first generation of cyclopes became extinct. But there were other generations of cyclopes that inhabited a mysterious island. One of them was Polyphemus, son of Poseidon and a nymph. Polyphemus is mentioned in the Odyssey of Homer. Odysseus arrived to the island of the cyclopes, and entered with his men in the house of Polyphemus, and ate his supplies. Polyphemus, in rage, stuck them inside his house and started to devour them one by one. But Odysseus escaped and made him drunk, and when he was sleeping, they crossed his only eye with a big club. Later on, Odysseus took advantage on Polyphemus blindness and he and his men escaped tying themselves to the undersides of the cyclops' sheep. This way, Odysseus escaped from the island of the cyclopes. Images (in order): Cyclops, by Shadowless; Bringer Of The Fall, by Ridvan; Pilgrims, by Sb51075; Polyphemus, by Maestro Tomberi.

The first informations about Atlantis were found in one of the books of the Greek philosopher Plato, in 350 B.C. In one of his books there were some dialogs between Timaeus and Critias (disciple of Socrates), in which they mentioned how the Athenians did defeat the Empire of Atlantis. The Atlanteans lived in an island called Atlantis. When the Atlanteans tried to subdue Greece and Egypt, the Athenians stopped and defeated them. After this, there was a big earthquake and a big flood, and Atlantis was sunk and disappeared forever. The mythological version is the following. The god Poseidon fell in love with a mortal called Cleito. They had ten children. Their first son was called Atlas, and was the King of the island and the ocean. Atlas gave its name to the island (Atlantis) and the sea that surrounded the isle (Atlantic Ocean). They other 9 children were given 9 fiefdoms inside Atlantis, where they ruled. In Atlantis there was an enormous temple in honor of Poseidon, with a giant statue of the god, with 6 horses, that was made of gold. The legend says that the Atlanteans became corrupt and vain beings. So the Gods punished them destroying them and their civilization. From the antiquity, the existence of Atlantis was questioned. Aristotle, disciple of Plato, denied its existence. But many wise from the antiquity affirmed it. The search for the lost city of Atlantis has lasted until today. Finding that mysterious island, that belonged to a superior culture full of treasures is a challenge for many. There are many theories about Atlantis. One of them is that the island of Atlantis may be in Thera, which is nowadays called Santorini, and the civilization that inhabited there were the Minoans. The Minoan civilization was very advanced for their times, and disappeared mysteriously. The island of Thera had a big volcano, and it had an eruption. That eruption created a tsunami that affected the nearest islands. The great power of the Minoan civilization lied in their fleet. This big wave made these ships disappear, and once they were weakened, they were defeated by the Greeks. This is one of the theories about how the Minoans disappeared, and their relationship with the legend of Atlantis There were many adventurers that searched for the lost city. With the discovery of America, they tried to find mythical places. One of them was Atlantis. Later, not only dreamers searched for the lost city. Even some countries spent funds for finding it, like the British government, that thought that the island may be near the Azores, following the book by Ignatius Donnelly. Nazis also searched for Atlantis in a mad search for the origins of the Aryan race. Recently, Robert Sarman affirmed that after 10 years of investigation, he has proofs of the existence of Atlantis. Atlantis may be at 80 Kms of the Cyprus coast, and at 1.5 Km of depth. Sarman says that he has found remains of city walls and an acropolis. The search for Atlantis still continues, because maybe as all the great mysteries, it will never be solved.

Nymphs are spirits of Nature. They belong to the Greek mythology. Nymphs are depicted as young women of great beauty. Often they are depicted nude and dancing surrounded by flowers. They are the retinue of gods like Dionysus, Artemis, Apollo... Nymphs are daughters of Zeus. They are cheerful spirits that watch the actions of mortals, helping them sometimes. They are also inspiring beings. Muses are nymphs of the fountains, that inspire the artists. There are several types of nymphs, from the earth and the waters. The nymphs from rivers and fountains are called Naiads, and have the power of healing and divination. Dryads are the nymphs of the forests. They protect them, and their lives are tied to a tree. When that tree disappears, the dryad also dies. Nereids are daughters of the sea, and they protect the sailors. Other nymphs care about the mountains, the caves, the meadows... and others are defenders of the animals. In ancient wedding ceremonies, the bride was sprayed with water from a spring, so the nymph of that spring may protect her matrimony. Healing powers are attributed to water springs due to the nymphs that lived in them. One of the most popular myth about nymphs was the legend of Echo. Echo was a nymph with a beautiful voice that loved to sing. Her voice was very captivating. So the Goddess Hera felt very jealous, and stole her voice. Echo could only repeat the last word said by those who talked with her. Echo fell in love with Narcissus. But Narcissus rejected her. With her heart broken, she sheltered in a cave. Pain destroyed her, and only her voice's echo remained. The Gods felt offended by what Narcissus did. And many women prayed to the Gods asking the punishing of Narcissus. So they sent Nemesis, the God of Vengeance. Narcissus watched his own image reflected in the waters, and fell in love with his own reflection. And trying to reach it, he drowned. The legend says that in the Styx river, where the dead abode, Narcissus is still watching his own reflection.