As all mythologies arguably have some version of mythic geography or chthonic underworlds, how do my mythology special mentions rack up against my top ten mythologies when ranking them for their mythic geography or underworlds?

Not too differently as it turns out.

As I noted when ranking my top ten mythologies by their mythic geography or underworlds, it was the same order as their general rankings, with only a slight difference in tiers – not surprisingly since both their general rankings and mythic geography rankings overlap my interest in them.

My mythology special mentions don’t really change much about that – three special mentions score top ten sacred space and chthonic rankings, while a fourth special mention scores higher for sacred space and underworld rankings than some of my top ten mythologies.

 

SCORE:

3 SPECIAL MENTIONS – TOP TEN SACRED SPACE & UNDERWORLD RANKINGS

(4 SPECIAL MENTIONS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN TOP 10 MYTHOLOGIES)

 

Anyway, here’s the complete mythic geography and underworld rankings for all my top ten mythologies and special mention entries

 

S-TIER (GOD TIER)

 

(1) BIBLICAL – HEAVEN & HELL

(EDEN & ARMAGEDDON / BABYLON & JERUSALEM)

 

(2) CLASSICAL – OLYMPUS & TROY (HADES)

 

(3) NORSE – ASGARD & VALHALLA (HEL)

 

There really was no question of these three mythologies retaining the same top three places (and in the same order) for their general rankings, given how iconic their mythic geography and underworlds are.

 

A-TIER (TOP TIER)

 

(4) CELTIC (ARTHURIAN) – OTHERWORLD (AVALON)

 

So far, so good as it is all the same order as my top ten except with Norse mythology in S-tier rather than A-tier, but it’s now in A-tier or top tier that we see two of my special mentions that rival my top ten entries for their mythic geography or underworlds.

 

(5) FAIRIES – FAIRYLAND

 

Not surprisingly, fairy folklore ranks close to Celtic mythology, as it is to a large extent a de facto Celtic mythology, overlapping or adjacent to that mythology as distinctively British and Irish folklore. The close ranking between Celtic mythology and fairy folklore will be a running theme through these rankings, with the odd exception.

Ditto the mythic realm of fairy or Fairyland, overlapping with Celtic mythology’s Otherworld.

There’s also the mythic geography of fairies – all the fey geographic features and locations, particularly in Britain and Ireland, associated with fairies or fairy folklore, as well as the different regional variations.

Fairies, fairy folklore and Fairyland itself all have some chthonic or underworld associations – with my favorite being the legend of the tithe Fairyland has to pay Hell, which is why it abducts human babies and leaves changelings in their place.

 

(6) ATLANTIS & BERMUDA TRIANGLE

 

The mythic geography is right there in the name – Atlantis and the Bermuda Triangle respectively – and those names have recognition or resonance throughout popular culture and imagination, hence the top tier ranking. They may not have quite the same quality as higher realms of other mythic geography, as say Asgard or Olympus, although I have seen some wild theories of each involving higher or at least other dimensions. You could even argue for chthonic associations – or at least oceanic abyssal ones.

Their mythic geography goes beyond the names, as the location of each is pretty elastic – Atlantis has been speculated as a number of geographic locations, and those speculations could be the subject of a mythic geography all of themselves.

In addition, you have what each represents. Atlantis not only has its own mythos but is representative of mythic lost or sunken continents, lands and kingdoms, including phantom islands and even hollow earth or subterranean realms.

The Bermuda Triangle is representative of mysterious disappearances and ‘vile vortices’ in general.

 

B-TIER (HIGH TIER)

 

(7) EGYPTIAN

 

(8) MIDDLE EASTERN (BABYLO-SUMERIAN)

 

(9) HINDU

 

Again so far, so good matching up to my top ten entries (albeit dropping down two places for special mention entries ranked above them but now we have the third of my three special mentions to rival those top ten entries

 

(10) ZEN

 

This seems to naturally rank close to the mythic geography of Hinduism, as the other major world religion (of Buddhism) in Asia and indeed originating from India as well. There’s the geographic locations associated with legendary practitioners of Zen or the Buddha himself (such as the mythic location of the Bo or Bodhi Tree), as well as those associated with Buddhist religion or ritual practice – notably temples or monasteries.

Buddhism in general and Zen in particular also tend to align sacred spaces with the natural world, art of it, or an aesthetic of simplicity – Zen gardens, anyone? For that matter, there’s Zen practice of seeing the world itself as the sacred space you make of it – “you wake up in the morning and the world is so beautiful you can hardly stand it”. Nirvana, anyone?

 

(11) GHOSTS

 

Ghosts might seem strange to rank so highly for sacred space but just substitute the word haunted for sacred and there you have it. After all, haunted might be regarded as synonymous with sacred, as in god-haunted.

So in terms of the mythic geography of ghosts, you have all the world’s haunted places or spaces.

And you don’t get stronger chthonic associations than with ghosts. They might well claim all the world’s underworlds or mythic realms of the dead – ghostworlds or astral planes.

 

(12) MESO-AMERICAN (AZTEC)

 

(13) NATIVE AMERICAN (LAKOTA)

 

(14) AFRO-AMERICAN (VOODOO)

 

Rounding out B-tier with the last of my top ten mythology entries – that rank only a little below my top ten sacred space rankings, knocked down slightly by a few special mention entries from my general mythology rankings.

 

X-TIER (WILD TIER)

 

My wild-tier rankings are where the mythic geography gets somewhat more abstract and, well, wild than other tiers. Almost all my special mention entries fall in this tier – with those four exceptions above – and mostly in the same order as they do for their general rankings starting with…

 

(15) WITCHCRAFT

 

There’s the different beliefs or forms of witchcraft that attach to different geographic regions, although European witch folklore is most prominent, particularly that of the early modern witch hunts and trials. Which brings me to…

There’s the mythic geography of witchcraft as attached to actual or historical locations associated with European (and north American) witchcraft or witches – perhaps foremost for the locations of witch hunts or trials. Salem in the United States for example, or Lancashire and Pendle Hill in Britain.

Witchcraft tends to have chthonic or underworld associations – and not just Biblical or Christian, as for example with Hecate in classical mythology.

 

(16) DRAGONS

 

Here be dragons!

Geography doesn’t get much more mythic than this phrase used to indicate dangerous or unexplored territory on maps, even if that phrase is more anecdotal or anachronistic than reflecting historical usage in maps – or depictions of dragons themselves appearing on maps, even if only decorative.

Well, I suppose it does and in similar ways to witchcraft or other entries – the different beliefs in or forms of dragons that attach to different geographic regions, as well as geographic locations associated with dragons.

Dragons also tend to have chthonic or underworld associations – as denizens of the underworld, or even as the jaws or mouth of hell itself

 

(17) GIANTS

 

“There were giants in the earth in those days.”

And they had their own mythic geography, in a manner similar to dragons – or even their own mythic realms, with perhaps the most famous being that of Jotunheim in Norse mythology.

They also had their own underworld to an extent – as with the titans or giants imprisoned in Tartarus in classical mythology, giving rise to earthquakes.

 

(18) VAMPIRES

 

Transylvania!

Vampires rank closely to witchcraft for mythic geography and in much the same way, indeed often overlapping with that of witchcraft.

There’s the different beliefs or forms of vampires that attach to different geographic regions, although European vampire folklore is most prominent – or alternatively the actual or historical locations associated with vampires or vampire folklore.

As the hungry dead, vampires have obvious chthonic or underworld associations. One of the most memorable scenes in the Odyssey is Odysseus pouring out blood to attract the dead shades in the underworld. And if any mythic realms were associated with vampires – vampire worlds, if you will – they would be similar to underworlds or even hell…

And to quote The Smashing Pumpkins, “the world is a vampire”.

 

(19) LYCANTHROPES

 

Aroo – werewolves of London!

And everywhere else as well.

Like witchcraft and vampires – with which werewolves overlap to substantial extent – there’s the mythic geography of werewolves and werebeasts consisting of the variations of such legends between different geographic regions as well the actual or historical locations associated with werewolves and wolves.

Also there’s similar chthonic or underworld associations, if only as the dogs of hell.

 

(20) LEGENDARY CREATURES

 

Pretty much like all the preceding entries from witchcraft onwards – that is, the mythic geography of variation from place to place for legendary creatures or particular places associated with particular creatures. I mean, really, you could do this for mermaids alone.

Legendary creatures don’t quite come to mind for underworld associations, unless you include demons.

 

(21) CRYPTIDS

 

Same as legendary creatures, with a mythic geography more for sightings – less the mermaids or underworld demons.

 

(22) UFOS

 

Same as for cryptids with a mythic geography of sightings – and places such as Roswell.

 

(23) URBAN LEGENDS

 

Same as for all preceding entries or indeed any folklore – while some urban legends seem almost universal or at least move from place to place with little change, there is still a mythic geography of urban legends localised to different geographic locations or regions.

 

(24) CONSPIRACY THEORIES

 

Similar to urban legends, while some conspiracy theories transcend place (or even time), there remains a mythic geography of conspiracy theories, both of geographic variation from place to place of ‘local’ conspiracy theories and of geographic locations associated with conspiracy theories. Roswell, Fort Detrick, Dealey Plaza or Dallas (for the Kennedy assassination) – and for that matter, Washington DC.

 

(25) PAGANISM

 

Paganism is one of the few exceptions that sees it placed a lot lower than its top spot for special mentions in my general rankings. That’s essentially because its mythic geography is mostly derivative from those of the mythologies of its original forms – notably classical mythology, Norse mythology and Celtic mythology in western culture.

Modern paganism or neopaganism may add or adapt other sacred spaces from its founding practitioners, ritual practice, or the natural world – but its primary mythic geography is for the different geographical variations of it.

 

(26) SHAMANISM

 

Shamanism is similar to paganism as it is largely derivative of other mythologies for its sacred spaces, mythic geography and underworlds. Again, one might add the different geographic variations of it, both in its original and modern forms.

 

(27) TAROT

 

Yeah, when it comes to mythic geography, we’re pretty much down to geographic locations of significance for the development of the Tarot itself.

However, the Tarot arguably has its own underworld. Of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana, you could argue for over half of them or 12 cards – essentially from the Hermit through to Judgement – as depicting the descent into and return from the underworld that is the centerpiece of the Major Arcana. You could argue more Major Arcana cards have chthonic or underworld features, as well as cards from the Minor Arcana, notably in the suit of Swords (or the suit of sorrow as I like to call it).

 

(28) MAGIC

 

Magic doesn’t so much have its own sacred spaces or mythic geography as it tends to be a feature or quality of sacred space or mythic geography. That is, a sacred space or location is magic, has magic, or is a source of magic.

 

(29) DISCORDIANISM

 

There’s not much mythic geography – let alone chthonic associations – for Discordianism. Perhaps if we broadened it to the geographic locations for parody religions in general? Although of course the question remains whether Discordianism is a joke disguised as a religion or a religion disguised as a joke.

 

(30) TANTRA

 

It would mostly seem to overlap with the mythic geography of Hinduism (or Buddhism) – but otherwise it might be a mythic geography associated with Tantra such as sites with sacred linga or temples with er0tic sculpture? Or perhaps just locations with er0tic associations or connotations, even if only by visual metaphor?