Eldermyth

Eldermyth is a compendium of ancient mythological narratives that was established in the early 2000s by a consortium of folklore scholars. The project was created to provide an accessible and academically rigorous repository of myths from both well‑known civilizations such as the Greeks, Norse, and Mesopotamians and less‑studied traditions from Africa, Oceania, and indigenous cultures of the Americas. Eldermyth is maintained by a partnership of university departments, including comparative literature, anthropology, and digital humanities. All entries are peer‑reviewed, with translations and annotations supplied by specialists in the relevant languages.

The database is organized by cultural region, epoch, and thematic categories such as creation myths, hero journeys, and demonic archetypes. Each myth includes a summary, a translated text, bibliographic references, and links to related myths within the collection. A notable feature is the optional “cross‑cultural comparison” tool, which allows users to view parallel narratives side by side, highlighting common motifs and divergent elements.

Eldermyth has been cited in scholarly works on comparative mythology, religious studies, and narrative theory. It has also been leveraged by educators in secondary and undergraduate courses to illustrate the universality of mythic patterns. The project has received funding from national research councils and foundations committed to digital preservation of cultural heritage. In 2021, Eldermyth published a comprehensive thematic index, which has been used by a number of researchers as a starting point for interdisciplinary studies linking mythology with archaeology and linguistics.

The current editor-in-chief is Dr. Amina Hassan, a professor of folklore at the University of Nairobi, who has overseen the expansion of the database to include over 1,200 myths. Eldermyth’s mission statement emphasizes the preservation of cultural memory and the promotion of cross‑cultural understanding through scholarly collaboration.