Examples of Myths and Fairytales

Myths and fairytales have shaped cultural imagination for centuries, offering a window into how different societies understand qualities and themes like courage, the natural world, and the mysteries of human behavior.

See the examples below to catch a glimpse of the richness and breadth of global storytelling traditions!

Fairytales from Around the World

• The Seven Ravens — A girl undertakes a perilous journey to rescue her brothers, who have been transformed into ravens.
• The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter — Japan’s earliest recorded folktale tells of a moon-born princess found inside a bamboo stalk in a story that blends wonder with sadness.
• Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom — The West African trickster spider tries to hoard all the world’s wisdom, only to scatter it.
• Baba Yaga — This figure of Slavic folklore blurs the line between villain and guide.
  
  

Myths from Ancient Traditions

• Persephone and the Seasons — Persephone’s annual return from the Underworld restores spring, expressing the ancient Greek belief in cyclical death, rebirth, and renewal.
• The Five Suns — In Aztec cosmology, the gods create and destroy successive worlds, with the current sun powered by divine self-sacrifice.
• Māui Slows the Sun — The Polynesian demigod uses his intelligence and bravery to slow the sun’s movement, giving humans longer days.
• The Descent of Inanna — In this ancient Mesopotamian myth, the goddess Inanna journeys to the Underworld and is reborn.

Such stories remind us that while cultures may differ in their details and deities, a shared desire to understand the world through narrative exists. Whether passed down orally or preserved in written form, myths and fairytales still serve to inspire us here in the modern day. There are, of course, many more examples than those included here, and we encourage you to further explore on your own!

More Inspiration: Fairytales and Short Myth Stories Written by Students 

Myths and fairytales continue to evolve as contemporary writers reinterpret ancient stories, blend old traditions with new perspectives, and create original work inspired by classic tales.

Young writers from around the world reimagined traditional stories and mythic themes in creative, unexpected ways in these winning and standout teen-written pieces from our Fairytales and Myths competition.

Hear directly from teen writers about their creative process, inspirations, and challenges when reworking classic fairytales for modern audiences. Their insights offer valuable inspiration for anyone interested in myth-based storytelling.

“Writing with mythology and understanding it from a present-day lens can give us the opportunities to recognize and uplift those similarities in each other now too.”
- Giselle Vriesen, author, on the power of rewriting myths and fairytales.

Happy writing!