When we're taught mythology in school, we're generally only given the basics. We learn about the Greek gods and heroes, maybe some Egyptians thrown in here and there, and maybe some Norse stuff if our teacher was a Marvel fan. If we look deeper into stories from around the world, though, we can discover some delightful, fascinating, and inexhaustible characters and stories. Here are some figures from Greece, India, Ireland, Japan, and West Africa that I particularly enjoy.
1. Diomedes
Regrettably limbless statue of Diomedes
When we think of Homer, we automatically think of the "big" names on the Trojan War battle roster, Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, Agamemnon and the like. But do we ever hear about that Diomedes, the perennial badass of the Greek side? He kills many more warriors than any of the warriors I mentioned, even the famed Achilles, and his "aristaea" (a common set piece of epic poetry describing a hero's finest hour in battle) is the longest of anyone else in the Iliad.
In Book V, Diomedes has cornered the Trojan prince Aeneas and is about to strike. Diomdes, instead of using a sword like a normal person, instead chooses to choose a more dramatic route, picks up a boulder and crushes Aeneas' hip. When he's about to go in for the kill, Aeneas' mother, the Goddess Aphrodite, swoops down and scoops up Aeneas from the battle, but not before Diomedes jumps up, catches up to the Goddess in mid air, and slices her hand. He's such a badass that not even a goddess can best him.
2. Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto
Ame-no-Uzume dancing
Few figures in Japanese mythology are more beloved than Ame-no-Uzume, goddess of joy, love, and the dawn. She first appears in the Kojiki, a mythological account of the origins of the Japanese islands and the deeds of the gods. In one story, the sun goddess Amaterasu shut herself up in a cave after being assaulted by the storm god Susan-oo. This plunged the world into eternal darkness, and the earth was barren and nothing grew. The eight million gods gathered outside the cave, wondering what was to be done, until Ame-no-Uzume came up with an unusual solution. She stood on an upturned washtub and began a wild dance, flashing her breasts and vagina, symbolizing the life-giving power of the sun. The gods thought this was a hilarious spectacle, and began to laugh hysterically. Amaterasu, meanwhile, wondered what was going on outside of the cave, and finally came out. Another god shut the door behind her, and the sun returned to the sky once more.
3. Amba
Ratan Rajput as Amba in a 2013 Mahabharata adaptation for Indian T.V
Featured in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Princess Amba's story is a tale of betrayal, hardship, and sweet, sweet, vengeance. She was kidnapped along with her two sisters by Bishma, head of the Kuru clan, who wished to find a suitable bride for his step-brother. When Amba confessed to Bishma that she already had a fiancee,she was sent back home, only to find that her husband-to-be wanted nothing to do with her because she had been fairly kidnapped by another man, and was, according to him, damaged goods. She retired to the forest and became an acetic, and harbored a burning resentment for Bishma.
Through her intense austerities and meditation, she attracted the attention of Lord Shiva, who gave her the boon that in her next life she would be born as a man, and kill Bishma in battle. After killing herself on a giant funeral pyre, Amba was re-born as Shikhandi, a young child in a royal court. In the court hung a garland of ever-fresh garland of lotuses and it was said that whoever put it on would be fated to kill Bishma - so that's exactly what Amba did.
When the time came to face Bishma in battle, Bishma realized that in the past he made a vow to not kill anyone who was, or had ever had the name of a woman. When he saw Amba/Shikhandi coming to strike, he laid down his weapons and gave himself up, and Amba was finally satisfied.
4. Eshu
A traditional bust of Eshu
One of world mythology's most recognizable tropes is that of the trickster, a sly figure who seeks to create chaos wherever he goes, often teaching life lessons along the way. Eshu, god of the storms in the pantheon of the west African Yoruba tribe, certainly fits the bill with his relentless attempts to destroy order and "punk" humanity.
In one story, he disguised himself as a farmer and walked down a road with two fields on the either side. He wore a hat that was red on one side and black on the other side, and after he passed the people from either field got into an argument over whether the hat was red or black. The argument turned into a violent brawl, with people killing each other on both sides over the hat's color.
Eshu looked on at this face and laughed heartily, leaving the humans to their folly. Oh, how people can see the same situation and make such a fuss without understanding the other side.
5. Cuchulainn
A mosaic of Cuchulainn killing Conor's hound
The Irish epic of The Ulster Cycle is a collection of stories of war, violence, greed, love, and cow theft (seriously, so much cow theft). One of its greatest figures is Cuchulainn, a warrior prodigy so powerful that he's become an Irish national hero.
The most famous story about Cuchilainn is of how he got his name. His birth name was Setanta, and he was very skilled at hurling, a kind of Irish proto-lacrosse. A bard came to his castle and told stories about king Conor MacNessa and his mighty warriors called the Red Branch Nights, and he was so spellbound that he picked up his hurling stick and set forth for Conor's castle.
When he arrived, he entered a local hurling match and squashed the competition with his superhuman skills. This impressed King Conor greatly, and he invited him for dinner at his castle that night. When Setanta got there, however, the King had forgotten about him, and had placed a giant guard dog before the door. Armed with only his hurling stick and his bare hands, Setanta tackled the mighty beast, about ten times his size, and killed him fast. King Conor was astonished, and declared Setanta to be the new guardian of his house, giving him the name "Cuchulainn", which means "Hound of Culain."
