page_title: Christian mythology
section_title: Other examples
hierarchical_section_title: Christian mythology / Other examples
caption_attribution_description: Rosa Celeste: Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven, The Empyrean
context_page_description: Christian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. The term encompasses a broad variety of legends and stories, especially those considered sacred narratives. Mythological themes and elements occur throughout Christian literature, including recurring myths such as ascending to a mountain, the axis mundi, myths of combat, descent into the Underworld, accounts of a dying-and-rising god, flood stories, stories about the founding of a tribe or city, and myths about great heroes of the past, paradises, and self-sacrifice.
  Various authors have also used it to refer to other mythological and allegorical elements found in the Bible, such as the story of the Leviathan. The term has been applied to myths and legends from the Middle Ages, such as the story of Saint George and the Dragon, the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and the legends of the Parsival. Multiple commentators have classified John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost as a work of Christian mythology. The term has also been applied to modern stories revolving around Christian themes and motifs, such as the writings of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R.
context_section_description: Examples of (1) Christian myths not mentioned in canon and (2) literary and traditional elaborations on canonical Christian mythology:
  Versions of Christian mythology used by Gnostic Christianity
  The Valentinian creation myth involving Sophia and the demiurge.
  The Manichaean creation myth.
  The Gnostic accounts of Jesus, some of which present a Docetic view of Jesus. See Gnostic Gospels.
  Literary treatments of Christian canon or theology
  John Milton's Paradise Lost, which describes Satan's revolution against God and the Fall of Man, and his Paradise Regained, which describes Satan's temptation of Christ
  Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, a literary allegory that describes a visit to Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven
  John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, a Christian spiritual allegory
  C.S. Lewis's The Pilgrim's Regress, a more modern Christian spiritual allegory
  According to some interpretations, C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe allegorically represents Christ's death and resurrection (although Lewis denies that the story is a direct allegory; see section on "Mythopoeia" above).
  Legends about Christian saints and heroes. Examples include Abgarus of Edessa, John the Dwarf, and Saint George. Legends about saints are commonly called hagiographies. Some such stories are heavily miraculous, such as those found in Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend; others, less so.
  Stories about artifacts such as the Holy Grail, Holy Lance and Shroud of Turin.
  Names and biographical details supplied for unnamed Biblical characters: see List of names for the Biblical nameless
  The legends of King Arthur and Charlemagne as Christian kings, notably the Quest for the Holy Grail.
  Legendary history of the Christian churches, such as the tales from the Crusades or the paladins in medieval romance.
  Legends of the Knights Templar and the Priory of Sion.
  Medieval Christian stories about angels and guardian angels.
  Non-canonical elaborations or amendments to Biblical tales, such as the tales of Salomé, the Three Wise Men, or St. Dismas.
caption: Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven (The Empyrean), illustration for the Divine Comedy by Gustave Doré (1832-1883), Paradiso Canto 31.
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