Explore Myths
A database of ancient myths related to the story
of the Nephilim, antediluvian giants, & ‘sons of God’ in Genesis 6.
Middle East
Ancient myths from the Middle East that aren’t explicitly Jewish or Christian in origin.
Enuma Elish
- Babylonian creation myth.
- Estimated date of writing: 1900 – 1200 BC
- Writer: Unknown
About
Similiar to the Hesiod’s Theogony and the Greek Titanomachy, the Enuma Elish tells how the old Gods were displaced by their progeny in a great war between heaven and earth.
The following excerpt has striking similarities to the imprisonment of the Titans (Greek), the Watchers (Enoch), and the ‘angels that disobeyed‘ during the time of Noah (Apostle Peter).
111~He bound them and broke their weapons,
112~And they lay enmeshed, sitting in a snare,
113~Hiding in corners, filled with grief,
114~Bearing his punishment, held in a prison.
115~The eleven creatures who were laden with fearfulness,
116~The throng of devils who went as grooms at her right hand,
117~He put ropes upon them and bound their arms,
118~Together with their warfare he trampled them beneath him.
119~Now Qingu, who had risen to power among them,
120~He bound and reckoned with the Dead Gods.
Sanchuniathon
- Phoenician creation myth
- Estimated date of writing: c. 700 BC
- Writer: Hesiod
About
Sanchuniathon
The date and significance of this reference is still very much debated, since it exists only in Praeparatio Evangelica by the Christian bishop Eusebius, who summarizes a Greek translation of the original work. But no other references exist.
The original author is supposed to be a Phoenician named Sanchuniathon. The work says that it was written around 1200 BC, and was written down after reading the inscriptions on ancient Phoenician temples. Since this account claims to be the original account that Greek myths elaborated on, Eusebius uses it as evidence against belief in the pagan gods of his time – since they were based on this earlier account.
The full text is fascinating – as it retells many aspects of the creation stories, discovery of knowledge, and the generations of mankind and their exploits that parallel closely the stories of Genesis, Greek myth and other early myths.
In the last 100 years, excavations at Ras Shamra (Ugarit) in Syria have uncovered documents with Phoenician origins that seem to corroborate the account attributed to Sanchuniathon by Eusebius.
“From Genos, son of Aeon and Protogonus, were begotten again mortal children, whose names are Light, and Fire, and Flame. These, says he, discovered fire from rubbing pieces of wood together, and taught the use of it. And they begat sons of surpassing size and stature, whose names were applied to the mountains which they occupied: so that from them were named mount Cassius, and Libanus, and Antilibanus, and Brathy. From these, he says, were begotten Memrumus and Hypsuranius; and they got their names, he says, from their mothers, as the women in those days had free intercourse with any whom they met. (trans. E. H. Gifford)
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‘But the Greeks, surpassing all in genius, appropriated most of the earliest stories, and then variously decked them out with ornaments of tragic phrase, and adorned them in every way, with the purpose of charming by the pleasant fables.
Hence Hesiod and the celebrated Cyclic poets framed theogonies of their own, and battles of the giants, and battles of Titans, and castrations; and with these fables, as they travelled about, they conquered and drove out the truth.
But our ears having grown up in familiarity with their fictions, and being for long ages pre-occupied, guard as a trust the mythology which they received, just as I said at the beginning; and this mythology, being aided by time, has made its hold difficult for us to escape from, so that the truth is thought to be nonsense, and the spurious narrative truth.
Europe
Ancient myths from Europe that aren’t explicitly Jewish or Christian in origin.
Theogony
- First Greek Mythical Cosmogony
- Estimated date of writing: c. 700 BC
- Writer: Hesiod
About
Hesiod’s Theogony is considered to be the first written account of traditional Greek myths about the creation of the world and the gods.
The whole account is worth reading, but the following sections seem to relate most closely to the tale of Genesis 6. We see that in the Theogony, unions between Heaven (Uranus) and Earth brought forth the old gods who then were fought by the younger gods.
There are many parallels that can be drawn between these tales of heaven and earth producing demi-gods and giants to the Genesis 6 story. It’s possible that these pagan myths then inspired 2nd Century Jewish writers to create their own ‘Jewish’ origins stories like the Book of Enoch and others.
Many early church fathers and Jewish historians like Philo of Alexandria claimed that the Greek myths were founded in the Genesis 6 story.
176 – And Heaven came, bringing on night and longing for love, and he lay about Earth spreading himself full upon her. Then the son from his ambush stretched forth his left hand and in his right took the great long sickle with jagged teeth, and swiftly lopped off his own father’s members and cast them away to fall behind him. And not vainly did they fall from his hand; for all the bloody drops that gushed forth Earth received, and as the seasons moved round she bare the strong Erinyes and the great Giants with gleaming armour, holding long spears in their hands and the Nymphs whom they call Meliae all over the boundless earth…
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[207] But these sons whom be begot himself great Heaven used to call Titans (Strainers) in reproach, for he said that they strained and did presumptuously a fearful deed, and that vengeance for it would come afterwards.
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[664] So he said: and the gods, givers of good things, applauded when they heard his word, and their spirit longed for war even more than before, and they all, both male and female, stirred up hated battle that day, the Titan gods, and all that were born of Cronos together with those dread, mighty ones of overwhelming strength whom Zeus brought up to the light from Erebus beneath the earth. An hundred arms sprang from the shoulders of all alike, and each had fifty heads growing upon his shoulders upon stout limbs. These, then, stood against the Titans in grim strife, holding huge rocks in their strong hands. And on the other part the Titans eagerly strengthened their ranks, and both sides at one time showed the work of their hands and their might. The boundless sea rang terribly around, and the earth crashed loudly: wide Heaven was shaken and groaned, and high Olympus reeled from its foundation under the charge of the undying gods, and a heavy quaking reached dim Tartarus and the deep sound of their feet in the fearful onset and of their hard missiles. So, then, they launched their grievous shafts upon one another, and the cry of both armies as they shouted reached to starry heaven; and they met together with a great battle-cry.
[687] Then Zeus no longer held back his might; but straight his heart was filled with fury and he showed forth all his strength. From Heaven and from Olympus he came forthwith, hurling his lightning: the bold flew thick and fast from his strong hand together with thunder and lightning, whirling an awesome flame. The life-giving earth crashed around in burning, and the vast wood crackled loud with fire all about. All the land seethed, and Ocean’s streams and the unfruitful sea. The hot vapour lapped round the earthborn Titans: flame unspeakable rose to the bright upper air: the flashing glare of the thunder- stone and lightning blinded their eyes for all that there were strong. Astounding heat seized Chaos: and to see with eyes and to hear the sound with ears it seemed even as if Earth and wide Heaven above came together; for such a mighty crash would have arisen if Earth were being hurled to ruin, and Heaven from on high were hurling her down; so great a crash was there while the gods were meeting together in strife. Also the winds brought rumbling earthquake and duststorm, thunder and lightning and the lurid thunderbolt, which are the shafts of great Zeus, and carried the clangour and the warcry into the midst of the two hosts. An horrible uproar of terrible strife arose: mighty deeds were shown and the battle inclined. But until then, they kept at one another and fought continually in cruel war.
[713] And amongst the foremost Cottus and Briareos and Gyes insatiate for war raised fierce fighting: three hundred rocks, one upon another, they launched from their strong hands and overshadowed the Titans with their missiles, and buried them beneath the wide-pathed earth, and bound them in bitter chains when they had conquered them by their strength for all their great spirit, as far beneath the earth to Tartarus. For a brazen anvil falling down from heaven nine nights and days would reach the earth upon the tenth: and again, a brazen anvil falling from earth nine nights and days would reach Tartarus upon the tenth. Round it runs a fence of bronze, and night spreads in triple line all about it like a neck-circlet, while above grow the roots of the earth and unfruitful sea. There by the counsel of Zeus who drives the clouds the Titan gods are hidden under misty gloom, in a dank place where are the ends of the huge earth. And they may not go out; for Poseidon fixed gates of bronze upon it, and a wall runs all round it on every side. There Gyes and Cottus and great-souled Obriareus live, trusty warders of Zeus who holds the aegis.
[736] And there, all in their order, are the sources and ends of gloomy earth and misty Tartarus and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven, loathsome and dank, which even the gods abhor. It is a great gulf, and if once a man were within the gates, he would not reach the floor until a whole year had reached its end, but cruel blast upon blast would carry him this way and that. And this marvel is awful even to the deathless gods.
Bibliotheca historica
- History of the world
- Estimated date of writing: c. 50 BC
- Writer: Diodorus Siculus
About
This expansive work of history is a fascinating read, and the following excerpt retells in brief Hesiod’s epic war between the giants and the gods, using terminology that relates to the Genesis account and emphasises Zeus’ promiscuity with mortal women.
The first mortal woman, for instance, with whom Zeus lay was Niobê, the daughter of Phoroneus, and the last was Alcmenê, who, as writers of myths state in their genealogies, was the sixteenth lineal descendant from Niobê. It appears, then, that Zeus began to beget human beings with the ancestors of this Alcmenê and ceased with her; that is, he stopped with her his intercourse with mortal women, since he had no hope that he would beget in after times one who would be worthy of his former children and was unwilling to have the better followed by the worse. [4.14.4]
After this, when the Giants about Pallenê chose to begin the war against the immortals, Heracles fought on the side of the gods, and slaying many of the Sons of Earth he received the highest approbation. [4.15.1]
Metamorphoses
- Poetic history of the world
- Estimated date of writing: 8 AD
- Writer: Ovid
And when this God—which one is yet unknown—had carved asunder that discordant mass, had thus reduced it to its elements, that every part should equally combine, when time began He rounded out the earth and moulded it to form a mighty globe….
On earth the brute creation bends its gaze, but man was given a lofty countenance and was commanded to behold the skies; and with an upright face may view the stars:—and so it was that shapeless clay put on the form of man till then unknown to earth….
Piety was slain: and last of all the virgin deity, Astraea vanished from the blood-stained earth.
…
And lest ethereal heights should long remain less troubled than the earth, the throne of Heaven was threatened by the Giants; and they piled mountain on mountain to the lofty stars. But Jove, omnipotent, shot thunderbolts through Mount Olympus, and he overturned from Ossa huge, enormous Pelion. And while these dreadful bodies lay overwhelmed in their tremendous bulk, (so fame reports) the Earth was reeking with the copious blood of her gigantic sons; and thus replete with moisture she infused the steaming gore with life renewed. So that a monument of such ferocious stock should be retained, she made that offspring in the shape of man; but this new race alike despised the Gods, and by the greed of savage slaughter proved a sanguinary birth….
The time when serpent footed giants strove to fix their hundred arms on captive Heaven, not more than this event could cause alarm for my dominion of the universe. Although it was a savage enemy, yet warred we with a single source derived of one. Now must I utterly destroy this mortal race wherever Nereus roars around the world….””
“
Gigantomachia
- A retelling of the war between the gods and the giants
- Estimated date of writing: c. 370 – 404 AD
- Writer: Claudian
Once upon a time mother Earth, jealous of the heavenly kingdoms and in pity for the ceaseless woes of the Titans, filled all Tartarus with a monster brood, thus giving birth to that which proved a very bane. Her womb swollen with this monstrous birth she opened Phlegra’s side and brought forth foes against heaven. With a noise as of thunder they burst forth in profusion and, scarce born, prepare their hands for war,…
Then their angry mother stirred up her sons to war with words such as these:
“Children, ye shall conquer heaven: all that ye see is the prize of victory; win, and the universe is yours. At last shall Saturn’s son feel the weight of my wrath; shall recognize Earth’s power. What! can any force conquer me? Has Cybele born sons superior to mine? Why has Earth no honour? Why is she ever condemned to bitter loss? Has any form of injury passed me by? There hangs luckless Prometheus in yon Scythian vale, feeding the vulture on his living breast; yonder, Atlas supports the weight of the starry heavens upon his head, and his grey hair is frozen stiff with cruel cold. What need to tell of Tityus whose liver is ever renewed beneath the savage vulture’s beak, to contend with his heavy punishment? Up, army of avengers, the hour is come at last, free the Titans from their chains; defend your mother. Here are seas and mountains, limbs of my body, but care not for that. Use them as weapons. Never would I hesitate to be a weapon for the destruction of Jove. Go forth and conquer; throw heaven into confusion, tear down the towers of the sky. Let Typhoeus seize the thunderbolt and the sceptre; Enceladus, rule the sea, and another in place of the sun guide the reins of dawn’s coursers. Porphyrion, wreathe thou thy head with Delphi’s laurel and take Cirrha for they sanctuary.”…
This exhortation filled their minds with vain hopes. They think themselves already victors o’er the gods,…
Deathless army, whose dwelling-place is, and must ever be, the sky, ye whom no adverse fortune can ever harm, mark ye how Earth with her new children conspires against our kingdom and undismayed has given birth to another brood? Wherefore, for all the sons she bore, let us give back to their mother as many dead; let her mourning last through the ages as she weeps by as many graves as she now has children.”…
…The puissant company of the giants confounds all differences between things…
…Exulting in his victory he drives his chariot over the dying giant’s limbs till the wheels ran red with blood…
…“What is happening to me? What is this ice that creeps o’er all my limbs? What is this numbness that holds me prisoner in these marble fetters?” Scarce had he uttered these few words when he was what he feared, and savage Damastor, seeking a weapon wherewith to repel the foe, hurled at them in place of a rock his brother’s stony corpse…
Beowulf
- Old English Epic poem
- Estimated date of writing: c. 700 – 1000 AD
- Writer: Unknown
this horrible stranger
Was Grendel entitled, the march-stepper famous
Who dwelt in the moor-fens, the marsh and the fastness;
The wan-mooded being abode for a season
In the land of the giants, when the Lord and Creator
Had banned him and branded. For that bitter murder,
The killing of Abel, all-ruling Father
The kindred of Cain crushed with His vengeance;
In the feud He rejoiced not, but far away drove him
From kindred and kind, that crime to atone for,
Meter of Justice. Thence ill-favored creatures,
Elves and giants, monsters of ocean,
Came into being, and the giants that longtime
Grappled with God…
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[Engraving on Beowulf’s sword]
“…the beginning of the ancient strife, what time the flood, the rushing ocean, destroyed the giant race. They had behaved frowardly. That people was estranged from the eternal Lord; wherefore the Ruler gave them their final reward in the flood of waters…”