Discover the MythCloud

Project 2025, a comprehensive political roadmap developed by The Heritage Foundation to guide conservative policy in the United States, draws heavily on enduring American myths that resonate deeply within the national psyche. These narratives function not merely as political strategies but as cultural frameworks that shape values, define collective identity, and establish ideological parameters for governance.

Designed as a blueprint for a potential Republican administration in 2025, the roadmap represents the collaborative efforts of over 400 contributors from conservative think tanks and organisations. It outlines an ambitious agenda to reshape the U.S. federal government, prioritising government size reduction, environmental and social regulation curtailment, states' rights reinforcement, and traditional conservative value promotion. Central to its implementation strategy is a proposed strengthening of executive power, including the replacement of career civil servants with politically aligned appointees.

Project 2025 exemplifies the creation of a shared narrative—a cornerstone of modern mythology—that frames governance as a heroic battle to "restore America." Like ancient myths that defined collective identity and purpose, it employs recurring themes of decline, redemption, and renewal. The initiative positions its vision as a national rescue mission, with bureaucratic elites and progressive policies cast as antagonists in a larger narrative of revival, employing archetypal patterns of heroism, villainy, and promised utopia to create a powerful ideological rallying point for those disenchanted by rapid social and political change.

However, like all modern myths, this framing risks oversimplifying complex realities. By reducing governance to a binary struggle between good and evil, it can deepen societal divisions and hinder constructive dialogue about policy trade-offs and compromises. Understanding how initiatives like Project 2025 leverage mythological structures reveals them as more than political strategies—they are attempts to define a comprehensive vision for society's future through narrative frameworks that resonate with deeply held cultural beliefs.

Seven Ages: The Story of the Irish Stateis a landmark documentary series produced in 2000 by Araby Productions for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland. Directed by Seán Ó Mórdha, this influential seven-part series chronicles Ireland's evolution since its founding in 1921 through key political, social, and cultural moments in history.

The series offers a comprehensive exploration of how Ireland, as a new nation-state, evolved a collective identity over its first seven decades. The shared national narrative, initially framed by founding leaders, evolved through a dynamic interplay of internal and external socio-economic-cultural forces. It reveals the complex process through which societies construct and sustain their sense of collective self

Episode 3 explores how Ireland's neutrality during World War II represents a fascinating case study in how nations craft narratives of exceptionalism during global crisis. The mythology of resilient independence that emerged during this period reveals the complex relationship between national storytelling and political decision-making, showing how countries often mythologise pragmatic choices to align them with grand historical narratives.

Seán Ó Mórdha's documentary series presents Ireland's wartime experience as a critical moment in its identity formation, illustrating how the decision to remain neutral—controversial internationally but broadly supported domestically—was incorporated into a larger narrative of Irish sovereignty and self-determination. This process reflects the universal tendency of societies to create cohesive stories that make sense of complex political realities.

Each episode examines pivotal moments in Ireland's development, revealing how national mythologies are not merely decorative but fundamentally constitutive of political reality. The series features perspectives from influential Irish figures including former Presidents and Taoisigh, offering unique insights into how national narratives are shaped by those who simultaneously create and are created by them.

By analysing the delicate balance between historical contingency and narrative construction, the series provides a sophisticated framework for understanding how societies integrate challenging periods into their collective identity. First broadcast in 2000, Seven Ages remains an invaluable resource for examining how national mythologies evolve to incorporate even the most difficult historical circumstances into a coherent story of national purpose and character.

Few musical artists embody the raw energy of cultural rebellion as powerfully as Shane MacGowan, the iconic frontman of The Pogues, who from the early 1980s until his death in 2023 created music that transcended simple entertainment to become a vital expression of diasporic identity and cultural reclamation.

Born in Kent to Irish parents and raised between England and Ireland, MacGowan's personal geography mirrored the cultural hybridity of his most significant musical project. The Pogues emerged from London's vibrant multicultural environment, crafting a sound that blended traditional Irish folk with the insurgent energy of punk rock. Their music reflected the complex social reality of London's Irish community—a diaspora navigating between inherited traditions and contemporary urban experience.

This hybrid approach carried profound mythological resonance, weaving traditional narratives of exile, identity, and resilience into new musical forms accessible to younger generations. MacGowan's lyrics, remarkable for their literary quality and emotional depth, evoked the archetypal journeys found in Irish folklore—tales of wanderers, rebels, and dreamers seeking meaning in a fractured world. His unvarnished vocal style and poetic sensibility captured the experience of marginality while transcending it through artistic expression.

Songs like "A Pair of Brown Eyes," "The Body of an American," and "Fairytale of New York" transformed specific experiences into universal emotional landscapes, demonstrating MacGowan's gift for finding the mythic within the ordinary. These narratives connected the modern Irish diaspora to cultural traditions that might otherwise have seemed remote or irrelevant in contemporary urban contexts.

MacGowan's legacy extends beyond music to encompass his role in reimagining Irish cultural identity for a globalised world. By embracing both the romanticism and the gritty reality of his dual heritage, he created a body of work that serves as a testament to the power of storytelling in shaping both individual and collective identity across national boundaries.

This Lithuanian folk tale about the origin of hag children belongs to the category of sakmė, narratives that explain mysterious occurrences through supernatural frameworks. The tale addresses the anxiety surrounding unexplained developmental differences in children by attributing them to mystical exchanges between humans and supernatural beings.

According to the story, a woman has her child taken by a hag, who leaves her own child in return. This substitution goes undetected because the hag's child appears human but cannot speak, growing into adulthood in silence. The narrative reaches its climax when the mother, frustrated by her child's muteness, follows a beggar's advice to perform a specific ritual involving oak logs, a bonfire, and eggs—elements that combine sympathetic and contagious magic principles.

When exposed to this ritual, the child finally speaks, revealing his true nature by referencing the oak as a century-old entity, demonstrating knowledge impossible for someone of his apparent age. Having exposed his identity, the hag's child vanishes, returning to the supernatural realm from which he came.

This tale reflects common themes in Lithuanian mythology, where the boundary between natural and supernatural worlds remains permeable, allowing for uncanny exchanges and intrusions. The narrative addresses the profound anxiety surrounding children who do not develop as expected, providing a cultural framework for understanding difference through supernatural rather than medical explanations.

Like many folk narratives across cultures, this sakmė draws on concepts of age, transformation, and the mysterious forces that control life's cycles. It demonstrates how traditional societies developed narrative explanations for developmental differences, creating cultural spaces for understanding the unexpected while reinforcing the importance of correct ritual action when confronting the supernatural.

Bram Stoker, the renowned author of Dracula, maintained a special connection to Marsh's Library in Dublin, Ireland's first public library founded in 1707. This historic institution served as a quiet sanctuary for his writing during his youth.

Between 1866 and 1867, Stoker regularly visited the library, immersing himself in its extensive collection of books on history, folklore, and the supernatural. While no direct evidence confirms that these visits inspired Dracula, several texts he consulted discuss Transylvania and historical figures that would later influence his iconic vampire novel.

Intriguingly, the library holds clues to some of the more subtle elements in Dracula. Stoker's fascination with the 5th of November—a date of historical significance in Britain—can be traced to books he read at Marsh's. This date, commemorating both the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and the Williamite victory over King James II in 1688, becomes central to the plot of Dracula, marking the vampire's period of vulnerability.

This connection between Stoker's literary creation and his research at Marsh's Library exemplifies how mythological narratives often draw from multiple historical and cultural sources, transformed through the creative process into new stories that capture the public imagination. It also demonstrates how physical spaces—libraries, archives, and collections—serve as crucial repositories not just of information but of narrative inspiration.

Peter Paul Rubens' woodcut for the title page of Pompa Introïtus Ferdinand exemplifies how Renaissance ceremonial culture deliberately deployed mythological imagery to create sophisticated political narratives. As visual documentation of Ferdinand's ceremonial entry into Antwerp, this title page frame adorned with mythological figures demonstrates how classical references served both aesthetic and political functions in early modern European courtly contexts.

The "joyous entry" tradition itself functioned as ritualised performance that established mutual obligations between rulers and cities through carefully choreographed symbolic actions. By documenting these ephemeral ceremonies in permanent form, publications like Pompa Introïtus Ferdinand transformed temporary spectacle into lasting record, allowing the symbolic frameworks established during the ceremony to circulate more widely and persist over time.

The integration of mythological figures into the frame creates visual rhetoric that positions contemporary political authority within established patterns of legitimate rule. Classical references provided Renaissance courts with sophisticated symbolic language for articulating political relationships and aspirations, creating continuity between ancient precedents and current power structures. This visual strategy exemplifies how early modern political culture relied heavily on mythological frameworks to legitimate authority and articulate political ideals.

The preservation of this woodcut reflects ongoing cultural interest in understanding how visual culture participated in establishing and maintaining political authority during this formative period of European state development. Rather than representing mere decoration, the mythological imagery constitutes an integral component of how political relationships were conceptualised and communicated during this period. The woodcut thus provides valuable evidence of how mythological frameworks shaped political imagination in early modern Europe, creating symbolic language through which power relationships could be articulated, negotiated, and maintained.

The pencil sketch Various Mythological and Religious Scenes, Inventory No. 2138(II)/124, by Nicaise De Keyser (1813-1887), forms part of the prestigious collection at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium's leading art institution established in the early 19th century.

De Keyser, who served as director of the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts from 1855 to 1879, was known for his historical paintings and portraits in the Romantic style. This particular sketch illustrates his practice of combining mythological and religious themes, demonstrating the fluid boundaries between these narrative traditions in 19th-century European art.

The work offers insight into De Keyser's creative process, showcasing his narrative-driven approach and detailed draftsmanship. Through such sketches, we can observe how artists of this period drew parallels between classical and Christian traditions, using both as repositories of moral and philosophical meaning.

This combination of mythological and religious imagery reflects the 19th-century European tendency to view both traditions as complementary sources of cultural authority and symbolic meaning. De Keyser's work exemplifies the scholarly approach to narrative art during this period, when artists were expected to demonstrate familiarity with both classical mythology and biblical stories.

The preservation of preliminary sketches like this one in major museums provides valuable insights into artistic methodology and the intellectual frameworks that guided narrative art during this period, revealing how mythology continued to serve as a vital source of artistic inspiration alongside religious themes.

Bluiríní Béaloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.

Peig Sayers
"Long as the day is, night comes, and alas, the night is coming for me too... Someone else will have pastime out of my work when I'm gone on the way of truth. A person here and a person there will say, maybe, 'Who was that Peig Sayers?' but poor Peig will be the length of their shout from them."

This poignant quote from Peig Sayers (1873-1958) captures both her awareness of mortality and her understanding of how storytellers live on through their narratives. For this episode of Blúiríní Béaloidis, hosts from Ireland's National Folklore Collection dedicate their exploration to a single remarkable individual whose life exemplifies the power and significance of the oral tradition.

Mairéad 'Peig' Sayers stands as one of Ireland's most significant tradition bearers, known for her masterful storytelling that expressed "the wisdom of the many in the wit of the few." Born on the mainland but married into the isolated Blasket Islands community off Ireland's southwest coast, Peig preserved hundreds of folk tales, songs, prayers, and poems that might otherwise have been lost.

Ironically, as noted by scholar Irene Lucchitti, Peig's printed autobiographies later "experienced a decline in reputation, suffering critical disdain and schoolyard ridicule" when they became required reading in Irish schools. This mixed reception reflects the complex relationship between oral tradition and literary representation, and between lived experience and cultural symbolism.

Nearly sixty-five years after her death, this programme aims to reintroduce Peig to new audiences who might find in her storytelling a source of insight and inspiration. By examining her life and work, we gain understanding of how individual tradition bearers serve as crucial links in the chain of cultural transmission, adapting ancient narratives to speak to contemporary concerns while preserving their essential power.

This woodblock from 1652, crafted by Christoffel Jegher (c. 1596-1653), features the printer's mark of the prestigious Plantin Press (Officina Plantiniana), one of the most significant printing establishments in 16th and 17th century Europe. Now preserved in the Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp, Belgium—a UNESCO World Heritage site—this artefact represents the intersection of visual symbolism, commercial identity, and early modern print culture.

The design includes a compass held by a hand emerging from a cloud, flanked by two allegorical figures: Hercules symbolising labour (Labor) and a female figure representing constancy (Constantia). This iconography encapsulated the press's motto: "Through work and constancy," reflecting the values of its founder, Christophe Plantin, and his successors, the Moretus family.

The mark served as both a commercial logo and a symbolic representation of the press's commitment to precise, consistent work. Used in notable publications such as various editions of the Breviarium Romanum, this visual identifier helped establish the Plantin Press's reputation for quality across Europe during a period when books were becoming increasingly central to knowledge dissemination.

Jegher, a master woodcutter who collaborated with Peter Paul Rubens on numerous projects, brought exceptional craftsmanship to this small but significant piece. His technical skill exemplifies the artistic standards maintained by the press, where visual and textual elements were integrated with equal attention to detail and quality.

The block stands as a testament to the development of brand identity in early modern publishing, demonstrating how symbolic visual language was deployed to communicate values and establish recognition in an expanding marketplace of printed materials.

This Lithuanian folk tale about Death, classified as a sakmė or etiological legend, offers a mythological explanation for why death always seems to have a cause. The narrative demonstrates how traditional societies created meaningful frameworks for understanding inevitable but often inexplicable aspects of human existence.

According to the tale, when God assigned various forces of nature their duties, Death was tasked with taking human lives. However, Death expressed concern about facing human anger and resentment for this necessary but unwelcome role. Understanding this dilemma, God promised to provide a reason for each death—whether through injury, illness, drowning, or other circumstances—ensuring that there would always be an explanation for mortality that would deflect blame from Death itself.

This simple yet profound narrative addresses a fundamental human need to find meaning and causality in mortality. By establishing that every death has a specific cause, the legend creates an explanatory framework that helps communities process loss while maintaining belief in a purposeful cosmic order. Death is positioned not as arbitrary or malevolent, but as an agent fulfilling a necessary function within a divinely ordered system.

The story reflects a sophisticated theological perspective that acknowledges death's inevitability while suggesting that the reasons behind individual deaths are part of a greater design, even when they appear harsh or unfair to human understanding. This perspective offers a way to reconcile belief in divine benevolence with the reality of suffering and loss.

Compiled by the noted Lithuanian folklorist Norbertas Vėlius in How the Earth Came to Be: Lithuanian Etiological Legends, this tale represents an important element of traditional Lithuanian understanding of mortality, demonstrating how mythological narratives helped communities make meaning from fundamental existential questions.

This traditional Lithuanian folk song, recorded by the influential scholar Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1927) in the late 19th century, represents an important element of Lithuania's intangible cultural heritage. Sung by villagers from Dziegcioriai, the song exemplifies how cultural memory and identity were preserved through oral tradition during periods when Lithuanian national expression was suppressed under Tsarist Russian rule.

The title, which translates as "Quietly, Quietly the Nemunas River Flows," immediately establishes the central natural symbol of the song. The Nemunas River holds profound significance in Lithuanian cultural identity as the country's largest river and a defining geographical feature. In folk tradition, rivers often symbolise the passage of time, continuity, and connection to ancestral lands, making this reference rich with cultural meaning.

Lithuanian folk songs, known as dainos, typically feature distinctive musical characteristics, including modal scales, parallel harmonies, and regional variations in performance style. The lyrical content often addresses themes of nature, agricultural life, love, family relationships, or historical events, creating a comprehensive cultural archive of rural experience and values.

Basanavičius's work in documenting such cultural expressions was crucial to the Lithuanian National Revival movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a physician, folklorist, and national activist, he recognised that preserving Lithuania's distinct cultural heritage was essential to maintaining national identity during a period of intense Russification policies that restricted Lithuanian language and cultural expression.

The preservation of this song by the Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Institute ensures that this cultural expression remains accessible to current and future generations, maintaining connections to traditional ways of understanding and relating to the natural environment through artistic expression.

This engraving of Neptune and Amphitrite's Triumphal Chariot, created for the 1599 joyous entry of Archdukes Albert and Isabella into Antwerp, exemplifies how classical mythology served essential political functions in early modern European court culture. Designed by Joos de Momper and engraved by Pieter van der Borcht in 1602, this copper engraving represents the sophisticated integration of mythological references into public ceremonial designed to legitimise political authority.

The "joyous entry" tradition itself functioned as a ritual performance that established mutual obligations between rulers and cities. By incorporating classical deities into these ceremonies, organisers created symbolic frameworks that positioned contemporary rulers within established patterns of legitimate authority. Neptune, as god of the sea, held particular significance for maritime powers like the Spanish Netherlands, creating resonance between mythological references and practical concerns of trade and naval power.

The translation of ephemeral ceremonial elements into permanent engraved form represents an important aspect of how such mythological performances extended their influence beyond immediate participants. Connected to Joannes Bochius' historical narrative of the event, this engraving transformed temporary spectacle into lasting documentation, allowing the symbolic frameworks established during the ceremony to circulate more widely and persist over time.

This artifact demonstrates how classical mythology provided Renaissance and Baroque societies with sophisticated visual language for articulating political relationships and aspirations. By invoking Neptune and Amphitrite in ceremonial contexts, organisers drew on established symbolic associations while adapting them to address contemporary political circumstances. The Museum Plantin-Moretus' preservation of this engraving reflects ongoing cultural interest in understanding how mythological frameworks shaped political culture during this formative period of European state development.

The reed sculpture exhibition in Amber Bay, Juodkrante, represents a sophisticated contemporary reinterpretation of ancient seasonal rituals. By combining traditional craftsmanship with public art installation, this annual event demonstrates how pre-modern mythological thinking can be adapted to serve modern cultural needs while maintaining connection to historical practices and beliefs.

Situated on the Curonian Spit, a landscape imbued with centuries of folklore and natural significance, the exhibition consciously positions itself at the intersection of nature, culture, and mythology. The deliberate timing of the display during the Autumn Equinox—a period of balance between light and darkness—connects the event to universal human patterns of marking seasonal transitions, reflecting the fundamental role of cyclical time in mythological thinking across cultures.

The sculptures themselves, crafted from local materials and displayed on water, embody transformation—a central theme in mythological narratives worldwide. Rising from the water, they evoke the common mythological motif of emergence, while their illumination during the festival creates a visual metaphor for enlightenment or revelation. The use of amber in the regional context further layers the symbolism, incorporating a material that has itself been mythologised in Baltic cultures as the tears of gods or goddesses.

This exhibition exemplifies how contemporary societies continue to create ritual spaces that serve functions similar to those of traditional mythological practices—marking time, connecting communities to landscapes, and creating shared experiences that transcend ordinary reality. The merger of art, nature, and local history in this context demonstrates that mythological thinking remains a vital force in contemporary culture, adapting ancient patterns to address modern needs for meaning and connection.

The Lithuanian goddess Giltinė exemplifies how traditional societies personified abstract concepts like death through mythological figures with distinctive visual and narrative characteristics. Her name's etymological connection to words meaning "to sting" and "thorn" demonstrates how linguistic associations shaped mythological personification, creating coherent symbolic systems that connected abstract concepts to tangible physical experiences.

Giltinė's distinctive appearance—elderly, blue-faced, with a long nose and poisonous tongue—created vivid visual representation of death's fearsome aspects. This visualisation exemplifies how mythological thinking made abstract phenomena comprehensible through concrete imagery, translating invisible processes into recognisable forms that could be conceptually managed if not physically controlled. The specificity of her attributes demonstrates how mythological figures were not vague entities but precisely articulated symbolic constructs.

Her transformation narrative—from youthful beauty to ghastly form after seven years in a coffin—provides explanatory framework for understanding death's inevitability and irreversibility. As sister to Laima, goddess of life's beginnings, Giltinė represents the complementary force that completes life's cycle, demonstrating how mythological systems created coherent cosmic order by establishing balanced relationships between opposing forces.

Stories of mortals attempting to outwit Giltinė reflect universal human desire to postpone death while acknowledging its ultimate inevitability. The Christian influence that later introduced the scythe to her iconography exemplifies how mythological figures evolve through cultural contact, incorporating new elements while maintaining core symbolic functions. Giltinė thus demonstrates how mythological personifications create meaningful frameworks for understanding mortality, evolving through changing historical circumstances while addressing enduring human concerns about life's inevitable end.

Finnish mythology represents a fascinating synthesis of cultural influences, sharing connections with Estonian, Slavic, Baltic, and Norse traditions while maintaining distinctive characteristics shaped by Finland's specific historical and environmental context. The persistence of mythical poem-singing and storytelling into the 19th century demonstrates how oral traditions maintained cultural resilience despite political pressures and religious changes, preserving distinctive worldviews and values through narrative transmission.

The bear's sacred status in Finnish mythology—referred to by euphemisms such as "mead-paw" (mesikämmen) and "browed one" (otso) rather than by its actual name—exemplifies how traditional societies developed complex linguistic and ritual relationships with powerful natural forces. The prohibition against direct naming reflects sophisticated understanding of language's power, suggesting that verbal identification could potentially summon or offend the being in question. This linguistic caution demonstrates how mythological thinking extended beyond abstract belief into practical engagement with environmental forces through careful management of human behaviour.

The bear's ambiguous status—not strictly a god yet more than mere animal—reveals how pre-Christian European traditions often recognised intermediate categories between human, animal, and divine domains. The association between bears and ancestors suggests conceptual frameworks that understood human relationship to nature as familial rather than adversarial, creating ethical frameworks for environmental interaction based on kinship rather than domination. This relational understanding provided sophisticated guidelines for sustainable coexistence with powerful natural forces.

The modern revival of interest in Finnish mythology demonstrates how traditional narrative frameworks continue to provide meaningful ways of understanding cultural identity and human-environment relationships even in secularised modern contexts. By reconnecting with traditional ecological knowledge embedded within mythological frameworks, contemporary Finnish culture finds resources for addressing current challenges while maintaining distinctive cultural identity. This ongoing engagement exemplifies how mythological thinking evolves through creative reinterpretation rather than mere preservation, maintaining relevance by addressing contemporary concerns through established symbolic patterns.

"Spotkanie z Warszawą" ("Meeting with Warsaw") represents contemporary Polish musician Monika Brodka's reinterpretation of a 1964 song originally performed by Irena Santor, a leading figure in Polish popular music of the post-war era. This musical reimagining, featured on Brodka's 2021 album BRUT, demonstrates how cultural narratives evolve through artistic reinterpretation across generations.

Brodka's adaptation maintains a connection to the original composition's melodic structure while transforming it through contemporary alternative sensibilities. The accompanying black-and-white video, which Brodka directed herself, features the artist in the symbolic role of the Warsaw Mermaid (Syrenka Warszawska)—the emblematic figure that has represented Poland's capital since at least the 14th century and appears on the city's coat of arms.

Through this visual narrative, Brodka recounts Warsaw's tumultuous history, particularly focusing on the city's resilience and rebuilding after the devastation of World War II, when approximately 85% of the city was destroyed. This historical reference connects contemporary audiences with the collective memory of trauma and renewal that has shaped Warsaw's urban identity.

By embodying the mermaid figure, Brodka places herself within a lineage of cultural symbols that have helped define Warsaw's character through centuries of political upheaval. Her modern reinterpretation demonstrates how mythological figures can be reinvented to speak to contemporary concerns while maintaining their connection to historical narratives.

This project reflects the fluid nature of cultural mythology in contemporary artistic practice, showing how traditional symbols and narratives can be reimagined to create dialogue between past and present, continuity and innovation, in the ongoing construction of urban and national identities.

The Lithuanian tale explaining why the Moon has spots provides a fascinating example of a sakmė, a type of folk narrative used to explain natural phenomena through mythological frameworks. This particular story belongs to the category of Lithuanian etiological legends, which address the origins of the world and its features.

According to the tale, the spots on the Moon represent a girl carrying water, who was once an orphan mistreated by her stepmother, a witch. Subjected to endless tasks, including fetching water, the girl ultimately became the victim of her stepmother's rage and was cursed and sent to the Moon. There, she was condemned to carry a yoke and buckets eternally, her silhouette forming the dark spots visible on the lunar surface.

This narrative exemplifies how celestial observations were integrated into cultural explanations before scientific understanding was widespread. The Moon's distinctive markings, visible to all, invited storytelling that connected cosmic phenomena with human experiences of hardship, cruelty, and injustice.

The tale incorporates common motifs found in folk narratives across cultures: the mistreated orphan, the wicked stepmother, and supernatural punishment. However, its specific attachment to lunar features gives it a distinctly Lithuanian character, reflecting how universal storytelling patterns adapt to local contexts and natural observations.

Compiled and edited by Norbertas Vėlius, a prominent Lithuanian folklorist, in How the Earth Came to Be: Lithuanian Etiological Legends (Kaip atsirado žemė: lietuvių etiologinės sakmės), this tale demonstrates how mythological explanations serve not only to account for natural phenomena but also to articulate moral lessons about human relationships and behaviour.

Grzegorz Piątek 's analysis of Gdynia's rapid transformation from seaside resort to major industrial port in interwar Poland exemplifies how urban development projects often function as physical manifestations of national mythology. The city's evolution from small village to bustling port represented not merely infrastructure development but a tangible embodiment of Poland's aspirations for economic advancement and national self-determination following independence.

The speed and scale of Gdynia's development created a powerful national symbol that transcended its practical economic functions. As an emblem of modernity and progress, the city served as concrete evidence of Poland's capacity for self-directed development after extended periods of foreign domination. This symbolic dimension helps explain the intensity of debates surrounding the city's planning and construction, which concerned not just practical considerations but competing visions of Polish national identity and future direction.

Particularly significant were the ideological narratives surrounding the city's development, which positioned it as a triumph of national will and organisation. These narratives exemplify how modernisation projects often generate mythological frameworks that interpret material developments through nationalist lenses, creating compelling stories of collective achievement that reinforce national solidarity while potentially obscuring more complex historical realities.

The continued resonance of Gdynia as a potent symbol in Polish culture demonstrates how built environments acquire mythological significance that persists beyond their original historical contexts. The city's rapid rise and the ideological currents surrounding its growth have made it an enduring reference point in Polish discourse about national development and identity, demonstrating how physical spaces become repositories of collective meaning that evolve through changing historical circumstances while maintaining connection to foundational national narratives.

Within the context of mythology and operatic representation, Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide (1823) offers a fascinating exploration of legendary themes transformed through musical narrative. Based on Voltaire's tragedy Sémiramis, itself inspired by the semi-legendary Assyrian queen Semiramis, the opera exemplifies how historical figures become mythologised through artistic interpretation.

The historical Semiramis (or Shammuramat) ruled Assyria as regent from 811-806 BCE, but her story has been embellished over centuries with legendary exploits and supernatural elements. By the time her narrative reached Metastasio, whose libretto inspired Rossini's composition, Semiramide's character had evolved into a complex blend of power, tragedy, and mythic dimension.

Rossini's operatic treatment draws parallels between Semiramide and figures from classical mythology, particularly in themes of forbidden love, betrayal, and fate—echoing narratives such as the Greek myths of Oedipus and Phaedra. The queen's tragic downfall follows recognisable mythological patterns, where characters cannot escape prophecy despite their attempts to circumvent destiny.

In the opera, Rossini introduces Semiramide's complex emotional landscape through sophisticated musical characterisation, reflecting these mythological undercurrents. The work delves into the consequences of family transgressions and inescapable prophecies, central motifs in classical mythology where characters' lives are governed by forces beyond their control.

The 2010-2011 season performance by Kunsthuis Opera Vlaanderen, now available on DVD, showcases this operatic retelling of a mythologised historical figure. For those interested in the intersection of history, myth, and artistic expression, this production offers insight into how ancient narratives continue to resonate through musical interpretation, transforming historical figures into vehicles for exploring enduring themes of human vulnerability in the face of fate.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's most prestigious cultural institutions, houses Pegasus, Inventory No. 218, a remarkable painting by Jacob Jordaens I (1593-1678), one of the leading Flemish Baroque painters alongside Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck.

This artwork captures the mythical winged horse Pegasus, a compelling figure from Greek mythology born from the blood of Medusa after she was beheaded by Perseus. In classical tradition, Pegasus is associated with poetic inspiration—creating the spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon with a strike of his hoof—and heroic quests, particularly through his association with the hero Bellerophon.

Jordaens, known for his dynamic compositions and rich colour palette, likely presents Pegasus in a manner that reflects the Baroque era's preference for dramatic intensity and narrative depth. His interpretation would have drawn on classical sources while adapting them to contemporary artistic sensibilities and the tastes of 17th-century Flemish patrons.

The painting exemplifies how classical mythology continued to provide powerful symbolic material for artists throughout the European Baroque period. Pegasus, as a symbol of divine inspiration, creativity, and transcendence, offered artists a vehicle for exploring themes of imagination and artistic achievement while demonstrating their mastery of classical subject matter.

This work stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of mythological subjects in Western art history and their ability to convey complex ideas about human aspiration, creativity, and the relationship between the earthly and the divine through visual narrative.

The Heritage Foundation, established in 1973 as a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., represents a significant force in shaping American political discourse through strategic narrative construction. Its influence extends beyond traditional policy analysis to include the deliberate crafting of compelling national narratives that resonate with specific segments of the American electorate.

Operating at the intersection of policy development and ideological promotion, the Foundation serves a dual function: providing detailed policy recommendations while simultaneously framing these proposals within broader narratives about American identity and values. Central to its mission is advocacy for limited government, free-market economics, and traditional social values, positioned as foundational principles essential for national prosperity and success.

One of the most significant examples of the Foundation's narrative-shaping capacity emerged during the Reagan administration with its influential Mandate for Leadership, a comprehensive policy agenda that profoundly influenced the government's approach to conservative governance in the 1980s. This initiative helped establish Heritage not merely as a policy research organisation but as a mythmaker, crafting visions of America as a land of opportunity and strength while framing progressive policies as existential threats to national vitality.

The Foundation's role in shaping modern conservative thought continues today through ambitious initiatives like Project 2025, which aims to advance a comprehensive conservative vision for governance, emphasising themes of national restoration in response to perceived social and political decline. By embedding policy proposals within narratives of American exceptionalism, self-reliance, and moral clarity, Heritage effectively engages with its audience's desire for purpose and direction in uncertain times.

This approach exemplifies how contemporary political organisations function as modern mythology creators, developing narrative frameworks that explain current circumstances, predict future outcomes, and prescribe solutions based on specific value systems and interpretations of national identity and purpose.

Kneecap represents a fascinating intervention in the performative dimensions of Irish national identity. This Belfast-based rap trio operates at the intersection of linguistic revitalisation, post-conflict cultural production, and subcultural expression, embodying a provocative reimagining of Irish vernacular practice.

Their linguistic strategy—deploying Irish as a dynamic, living language of urban experience—challenges traditional modes of cultural preservation whilst creating new forms of collective identity. By transforming nationalist narratives through hip-hop's transgressive idiom, Kneecap enacts a cultural translation that destabilises conventional frameworks of political and linguistic belonging.

Their recent film and album further elaborate this critical project through a multimedia exploration of identity that refuses calcified representations. Instead, they perform a nimble, irreverent negotiation of contemporary Irish subjectivity, demonstrating how shared narratives can both preserve tradition and radically reimagine it for new generations.

Bluiríní Béaloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.

Séala
This episode of Blúiríní Béaloidis explores how seals have inspired a rich tradition of Irish coastal folklore that blurs boundaries between natural and supernatural realms. Tracing diverse beliefs about these creatures—variously seen as enchanted beings, fallen angels, or reincarnated fishermen—host Jonny Dillon and guest Ailbe van der Heide reveal how these traditions functioned as sophisticated frameworks for understanding the relationship between human communities and their natural environment.

The association of specific Irish families (Coneelys, O'Kanes, Dowds, O'Sheas, Gallaghers) with seal ancestry through mythological marriages between mortals and seal-people demonstrates how folklore connected human lineages to the natural world. These narratives of interspecies relationships reflect a worldview that understood humans as participants in, rather than separate from, natural systems. The recurring motif of mortal men discovering and marrying seal-women, only to lose them when they reclaim their magical cloaks, reflects universal patterns of temporary transcendence and inevitable separation found in folklore worldwide.

Seals' liminal characteristics—their ability to inhabit both land and sea, their seemingly human-like expressions, their haunting vocalisations—made them ideal vehicles for exploring the boundaries between known and unknown realms. As creatures existing at the interface between worlds, they provided coastal communities with frameworks for conceptualising their own relationship to the mysterious and sometimes dangerous marine environment upon which their livelihoods depended.

The podcast's journey around Ireland's coasts and islands to explore these stories demonstrates how geographical features themselves became repositories of cultural memory through associated narratives. By examining traditions that "blur the boundaries between nature and culture, appearance and reality," this episode illuminates how folkloric traditions provided coastal communities with sophisticated ecological knowledge embedded within mythological frameworks. These traditions represent not primitive misunderstandings but complex cultural adaptations that helped human communities navigate their relationship with a challenging and mysterious natural environment.

The Sága project, created by Belgian band Dez Mona in collaboration with early music ensemble B.O.X (Baroque Orchestration X), represents a sophisticated musical exploration of narrative, mythology, and human experience. Drawing its name from Sága, the Norse goddess of history and storytelling, this innovative performance piece blends contemporary composition with historical musical forms to create what has been described as a "concertante opera."

Dez Mona, known for their distinctive fusion of jazz, classical, gospel, and French art songs, partnered with B.O.X, specialists in historical instruments like the baroque harp, theorbo, and baroque guitar. Together, they created a soundscape that bridges centuries and genres, demonstrating how mythological frameworks continue to inspire contemporary artistic expression.

Thematically, Sága explores fundamental human concerns—homecoming, belonging, and the search for light in a flawed world. Through a series of ballads, the project reflects on the soul's journey and the desire for connection to place and community. This exploration uses historical narrative as a mirror for contemporary experience, creating a poetic and musical journey that resonates across temporal boundaries.

The collaboration showcases how mythological structures provide enduring frameworks for artistic expression, allowing contemporary musicians to draw on ancient narrative patterns while addressing modern human concerns. By invoking Sága, the goddess who remembers and recounts all things, the project positions itself within a tradition of storytelling that connects past and present through shared human experiences.

The project received critical acclaim for its innovative musical arrangements and artistic execution when performed at events like the PROTOTYPE Festival, demonstrating the continuing appeal of mythologically-inspired narratives in contemporary performing arts.

In the evolution of Irish cultural expression, The Dubliners emerge as transformative figures who reimagined traditional music for contemporary audiences while maintaining its essential character and social function. Founded in 1962, the group—Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, Ciarán Bourke, and John Sheahan—became cultural intermediaries who bridged Ireland's musical past with its modernising present.

Like the ancient seanchaí (storytellers) who preserved oral histories through generations, The Dubliners became custodians of a sonic landscape that reimagined Ireland's narrative through song. Their approach was neither simple preservation nor mere entertainment, but rather a ritualistic reclamation of cultural memory that connected urban audiences with rural traditions during a period of rapid social change.

Each ballad in their repertoire—from the rollicking "Seven Drunken Nights" to plaintive rebel songs like "The Foggy Dew"—performed a mythological function by reinterpreting historical struggle, challenging colonial narratives, and reconstructing collective identity through shared musical experience. Their distinctive performance style, featuring raw vocals, virtuosic instrumental work, and unvarnished delivery, created an authentic counterpoint to more polished folk revivals occurring elsewhere.

The Dubliners' cultural significance extended beyond Ireland's borders, introducing international audiences to Irish traditional music while influencing subsequent generations of musicians. Their collaborations with younger artists, most notably The Pogues, demonstrated their willingness to evolve while maintaining continuity with tradition—a quality that enabled their sustained relevance across decades of changing musical tastes.

Through their four-decade career, The Dubliners enacted a form of cultural resurrection, breathing contemporary life into traditional forms and transforming folk music from a nostalgic artifact into a dynamic, living mythology of Irish experience that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.