World Turtle
E470360
The World Turtle is a mythological giant turtle or tortoise that supports or carries the world on its back in various cosmological traditions.
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
cosmological symbol
ⓘ
mythical creature ⓘ mythological motif ⓘ |
| appearsInTradition |
Chinese mythology
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Hindu cosmology ⓘ Hindu mythology ⓘ Indigenous North American cosmologies ⓘ Native American mythology ⓘ world mythologies ⓘ |
| associatedWithConcept |
axis mundi
ⓘ
cosmic animals ⓘ earth-diver myths ⓘ world-bearing animals ⓘ |
| hasAlternativeName |
Cosmic Tortoise
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Cosmic Turtle NERFINISHED ⓘ World Tortoise NERFINISHED ⓘ World-bearing Turtle ⓘ |
| hasFamousParaphrase | turtles all the way down ⓘ |
| hasForm |
giant tortoise
ⓘ
giant turtle ⓘ |
| hasInterpretation |
allegory for the earth’s stability
ⓘ
metaphor for the unknowable foundations of reality ⓘ symbol of longevity and endurance ⓘ |
| hasNotableVariant |
Akupara
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Chukwa NERFINISHED ⓘ Great Turtle NERFINISHED ⓘ Kurma NERFINISHED ⓘ World Turtle in Lenape tradition ⓘ |
| influenced |
modern fantasy literature
ⓘ
popular culture depictions of cosmic turtles ⓘ |
| mentionedIn |
comparative mythology studies
ⓘ
folklore scholarship ⓘ religious studies literature ⓘ |
| relatedMythologicalMotif |
World Elephant
ⓘ
cosmic serpent ⓘ world tree ⓘ |
| roleInMyth |
acts as cosmic foundation
ⓘ
carries the earth ⓘ supports the world on its back ⓘ |
| symbolizes |
cosmic order
ⓘ
foundation of the cosmos ⓘ stability ⓘ support of the world ⓘ |
| usedInPhilosophicalDiscussion |
critiques of naive cosmology
ⓘ
problem of infinite regress ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.