This manual provides the official content creation prompts for all mythology-based articles published on the site.
Please read carefully before beginning any writing.
1. Research Before You Write
Before you use any prompt:
- Always research the original myth, deity, creature, or ritual from reliable folklore or mythological sources.
- Cross-check details between at least two credible references (books, museum archives, academic sources, or cultural repositories).
- Focus on authentic origins — not pop-culture summaries or fantasy adaptations.
- Note variant versions if they exist, but always preserve cultural integrity.
2. Rewrite and Expand
Once you understand the authentic source:
- Use the prompt for your category below to rewrite the story in a clear, immersive 850–900-word format.
- Keep the tone human, narrative, and reverent — as if retelling an ancient myth to a modern audience.
- Each article must include:
- A Title
- A Subtitle
- The Origin (culture or country)
- The Full Story or Entry
- An Author’s Note (reflective paragraph)
- A Knowledge Check with 6 titled Q&As
3. Writing Goals
- Prioritize accuracy + storytelling beauty.
- Do not invent new mythic details — interpret and expand real ones.
- Keep folktales (moral village stories) for OldFolktales.com only.
- OldFolklore.com is about mythology, gods, spirits, rituals, and cosmic origins.
🏺 MYTHS & LEGENDS – General Prompt
Write a detailed 850–900-word mythological story from the topic list below.
Each story should explore a foundational myth — creation, destruction, the afterlife, or the shaping of the world — from the named culture.
Use an ancient, reverent tone that reads like an oral tradition but remains clear and engaging.
Include:
- Title
- Subtitle (1 line summary of the myth)
- Origin (Country/Culture)
- Full story (with clear beginning, conflict, and resolution)
- Author’s Note (a short reflection on its deeper meaning)
- Knowledge Check: 6 titled Q&A related to the story
Topics:
[List your myths here — e.g., The Creation of Ra (Egypt), The Death of Baldr (Norse), Izanagi and Izanami (Japan), Dreamtime of Creation (Aboriginal), etc.]
⚡ GODS & DEITIES – General Prompt
Write an 850–900-word article about each god or goddess listed below.
Each piece should introduce the deity’s origin, powers, symbols, relationships, and one defining myth that showcases their role in the pantheon.
End with an interpretive Author’s Note and 6 Knowledge Check Q&As.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Description/Profile, Mythic Story, Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List deities — e.g., Odin, Amaterasu, Quetzalcoatl, Isis, Tangaroa, Eshu, Vishnu, etc.]
🐉 MYTHICAL CREATURES – General Prompt
Create a 900-word descriptive and cultural entry about each mythical creature listed below.
Describe its appearance, powers, behavior, and the myths or beliefs surrounding it.
Explain what moral or natural concept it symbolizes in its culture.
Include an Author’s Note and 6 Knowledge Check Q&As.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Description, Cultural Role, Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List creatures — e.g., Tokoloshe (Zulu), Phoenix (Greek/Egyptian), Naga (Asian), Leviathan (Hebrew), Bunyip (Australian), Kappa (Japanese), etc.]
👻 SPIRITS & DEMONS – General Prompt
Write a 900-word cultural and mythological profile for each spirit or demon listed below.
Describe its origin, domain, purpose, and one myth or encounter that defines its role.
Highlight what moral or spiritual lesson it represents in its culture.
End with an Author’s Note and 6 Knowledge Check Q&As.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Profile, Mythic Example, Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List spirits/demons — e.g., Oni (Japan), Djinn (Arabia), Asiman (Ghana), Wendigo (North America), Ammit (Egypt), Tupua (Polynesia), etc.]
🛡️ EPIC HEROES – General Prompt
Write an 850–900-word mythic epic retelling for each hero listed below.
Each story should portray their divine origin, heroic challenge, moral struggle, and symbolic outcome.
Keep a grand, timeless tone. End with an Author’s Note on the hero’s legacy and a 6-question Knowledge Check.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Story, Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List heroes — e.g., Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia), Heracles (Greece), Sundiata Keita (Mali), Rama (India), Maui (Polynesia), Achilles (Greece), etc.]
🔥 RITUALS & TRADITIONS – General Prompt
For each ritual or tradition listed below, write an 850–900-word article explaining its origin, mythological meaning, and how it reflects the culture’s relationship with gods or nature.
Include how it was practiced and what it symbolized spiritually or socially.
End with an Author’s Note and 6 Knowledge Check Q&As.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Description, Mythic Connection, Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List rituals — e.g., The Eleusinian Mysteries (Greece), Obon Festival (Japan), New Fire Ceremony (Aztec), Zulu Rainmaking Rite (Africa), Kava Ceremony (Oceania), etc.]
💬 PROVERBS – General Prompt
For each culture or theme listed below, create a list of 10–20 traditional proverbs and short explanations of their meanings.
Begin with a 2–3 sentence introduction about that culture’s view of wisdom.
End with a brief reflective Author’s Note and 6 Knowledge Check Q&As.Format: Title, Subtitle, Origin, Introduction, Proverbs List (with meanings), Author’s Note, Knowledge Check.
Topics:
[List groups — e.g., African Proverbs on Wisdom, Japanese Proverbs on Patience, Greek Proverbs on Fate, Native American Proverbs on Nature, Oceanian Proverbs on Family.]