What are the Symplegades? 

In Greek and Roman mythology, they were two enormous rocks near the western end of the Black Sea that crashed together to crush anything or anyone passing between them. When the Greek hero Jason approached the waterway in his ship Argo, he sent a bird to fly between them first. Then, as the rocks opened, Jason maneuvered his ship through the opening before the rocks could reposition and close shut again.

What are the Pillars of Hercules?

According to Greek and Roman mythology, the mythical hero Hercules had to capture the prized red cattle of Geryon, a huge monster with three heads, three bodies, six arms, and six legs. When Hercules arrived at Geryon""'s island far to the west, beyond the boundaries of the known world, he found the cattle guarded by a herdsman and a two-headed dog. After killing all of them, he took the cattle and headed home. He re-crossed the ocean waters in the gold bowl the sun god had lent him. To commemorate his success, Hercules erected two stone pillars. One is at Calpe (present-day Gibraltar) in Europe; the other is at Abyla (present-day Ceuta) in Africa. Today, these two promontories that separate the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea are known as the Strait of Gibraltar.

Can you tell me the meaning of the caduceus?

According to ancient Greek mythology, when Hermes, the messenger god, was a very young boy, he saw two serpents fighting and thrust the wand he was carrying between them. The snakes then immediately wrapped themselves around the wand. Hermes adopted the snake-wrapped wand as his symbol. The medical profession also took the wand as its symbol, because the snake is the one animal that periodically sheds its old skin for a new one - a feat many people and doctors would love to duplicate.

Who was Chac in Mayan mythology?

Chac was very important to the ancient Maya, since they considered him the god of rain and lightning and they needed rain to grow their crops. Chac has a combination of fish and reptile features. His body is covered with fish scales, and he has a long nose and catfishlike whiskers. In some paintings, he holds an axe made of lightning or a netted bag for fishing. He rules over all bodies of water and is believed to live in caves, where underground springs and rivers are often found.

What's a pysanka?

A pysanka is a Russian painted egg. An old legend says that if no pysankas are decorated, a chained monster with an evil eye will break its bonds and wipe out every living being on Earth. Traditionally, pysankas are decorated by making lines on an egg with liquid hot wax applied using a special tool - a tiny funnel fastened to a stick. The egg is then dipped into colored dyes, light colors first. To preserve each color, designs are made with hot wax lines after each dipping. Today, the custom continues of giving pysankas to relatives and friends as a token of love and friendship.

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