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Curated category

Religious cosmologies

  • MidgardThe word Midgard appears in the Old Norse form Miðgarðr, meaning middle yard or middle enclosure. This term shares a common ancestor with Gothic Midjun-gards…
  • PurgatoryThe word purgatory entered English via Anglo-Norman and Old French, appearing as a noun perhaps only between 1160 and 1180.
  • Norse cosmologyThe Poetic Edda stands as a collection of poems compiled in the 13th century. This text preserves earlier oral sources regarding Norse cosmological beliefs.
  • Buddhist cosmologyA Buddhist mandala from ancient India depicts Mount Meru standing at the center of a terrestrial universe. This immense mountain rises 80,000 yojanas above…
  • Myth of ErA man named Er, son of Armenios from Pamphylia, died in battle. Ten days after his death, his body remained undecomposed among the collected dead.