A '
mythological place' (also called "mythical place") is a place that a particular culture describes in their
mythology and
folklore as existent, that might have existed in earlier times but its actual location is now lost. Unlike
fictional places, which are only used in
fictional writings, mythological places are often considered un(re)discovered places in the real world. While they may appear in fictional stories, there is often some scientific, historical or archeological evidence, as well as myths and legends that indicate such places may have existed or are awaiting discovery, rediscovery or at least explanation about their location.
"Mythical" can also refer to a state of religious influence.
Some examples of ''mythological places'' are:
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Agartha - A legendary city that supposedly resides in the Earth's core.
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Annwn - The "afterworld" of Welsh mythology.
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Atlantis - The legendary(and almost archetypal) lost continent that was supposed to have sunk into the
Atlantic Ocean; there are many differing opinions on what and where Atlantis was.
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Avalon - Legendary Island of Apples in the
British Isles. It is believed by some to be the final resting place of
King Arthur.
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Ayotha Amirtha Gangai - An instrumental river in
Ayyavazhi mythology.
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Biarmaland - A mighty kingdom described in
Norse sagas as lying to the north of
Russia
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Camelot - Supposedly the city from which King Arthur reigned.
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Cockaigne - In medieval mythology, it is a land of plenty where want does not exist.
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Garden of Eden - The original birthplace and home of humanity according to
Abrahamic religions. The first humans were banished from it after disobeying God and it was destroyed in a
Deluge.
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El Dorado - Rumored city of gold in
South America.
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Hawaiki - The ancestral island of the
Polynesians, particularly the
MÄori.
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Heaven - According to many religions, the place in which noble souls reside.
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Hell - According to many religions, the place in which evil souls reside.
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Kyöpelinvuori
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Lemuria - A supposed "lost land" that was found in either the
Indian or
Pacific Ocean.
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Lyonesse - A fingerlike spit of land that was many believe once branched off the southwestern coast of
Cornwall in
England.
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Mag Mell or ''Tir na nÓg'' - The afterworld of Irish mythology; it is similar in many respects to the
Norse Valhalla.
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Mu - It is believed to be a sunken continent in the Pacific Ocean. It is often confused with Lemuria.
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Nibiru - A mythological planet described by the
Babylonians.
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Phaeton - A hypothetical planet between Mars and Jupiter that was suggested by
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers. He supposed that the planet's destruction formed the
Asteroid Belt. Some scientists refer to this proposed planet as
Tiamat.
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Quivira and CÃbola - Two of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold supposed by Spanish
conquistadors to have existed in the Americas.
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Kingdom of the Saguenay - In
Algonquin Indian belief, it was a rich city of blonde men that existed in
Canada prior to the French colonization of the landmass. It is currently believed to have been a city of early, unrecorded European colonists.
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Kvenland - Land next to Sweden at the northern shores of Baltic sea, propably ancient
Finland or some of its parts
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Shambhala - In
Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this kingdom is hidden somewhere in the
Himalayas.
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Shangri-La - A peaceful, isolated land in the Himalayas suggested by British author
James Hilton.
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Terra Australis Incognita - The great unknown southern land that cartographers believed occupied most of the southern hemisphere until Captain
James Cook discovered and circumnavigated
Australia,
New Zealand, and
Antarctica.
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Thule - An island that was supposed to have existed somewhere in the belt of
Scandinavia, northern
Great Britain,
Iceland, and
Greenland.
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Thuvaraiyam Pathi - In
Ayyavazhi mythology, it was a sunken island some 150 miles off the south coast of
India.
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Ys- A city located in
Brittany,
France that was supposedly built below sea level, protected by a dam, and eventually destroyed when the Devil released the water held back by the dam.
See also
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Mythology
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Legendary creatures
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Lost city
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Phantom island
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Fictional realm