History Main / AllMythsAreTrue

* The ''Creepypasta Land'' series is this, but with {{creepypasta}}s. [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slender Man]], Literature/JeffTheKiller, WebVideo/BenDrowned, Laughing Jack...

* ''Anime/BraveRaideen'': In RealLife, Mu was a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(mythical_lost_continent)#/media/File:Book_map1.jpg fabled continent]] introduced by Augustus Le Plongeon. James Churchward subsequently identified it with the hypothetical land of Lemuria while also claiming that it was later destroyed, hence why it was unlocatable on the world map. It's existence is dismissed by many modern-day geologists because it is physically impossible for a continent to sink in the timespan Churchward provided[[note]]Since continents float on the sima much like icebergs float on water, a continent cannot simply "sink" under the ocean. It would take several millenia for the sial rocks to erode, and the bottom of the ocean has no records of them.[[/note]]. In the anime, it turns out that those RealLife geologists were wrong all along and Mu really did exist - Barao just wrecked it, and then it was swept away by a tsunami.

-->'''[[spoiler:Satan]]''': ''(a montage of different still images during [[spoiler:his]] monologue [[FreezeFrameBonus shows images]] of [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent a Wolf-Man]], [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad III the Impaler]], [[Myth/HinduMythology Ganesha]], [[Myth/EgyptianMythology a Sphinx]], [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a Minotaur]], [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a Centaur]], [[Myth/HinduMythology Hayagriva]], and the prehistoric fossils of [[MixAndMatchCritter a chimeric monster with an avian head and lobster pincers]] and a [[OurManticoresAreSpinier manticore-like]] fossil)'' "The legends of [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] and [[OurOgresAreHungrier ogres]] are likely derivatives of demons who had merged with humans. Myths and stories throughout time show that there were people who were aware of our existence."

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Manga/RecordOfRagnarok''. While pretty much all of the characters from various religions and mythologies exist in the manga, there were plenty of instances where some of the finer details were misinterpreted or changed.
* This is brought up in the second season of ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'''s anime adaptation, when Holo's past is being discussed.

* Double Subverted in the AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho adventure ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho033Neverland Neverland]]''. [[spoiler: The Doctor and the Time Lords head into a universe of Anti-Time to fix Charley's paradox, but it is revealed that the Time Lords have other motivations for heading there. It is revealed that legends on multiple planets speak of the great Time Lord Rassilon heading into the empire of Zagreus (the Anti-Verse) to face the beast himself. The legends seem to be true when they find the casket of Rassilon, which is given to them by the denizens of the Anti-Verse. However, it is revealed that the legends of Rassilon and Zagreus were planted by these so-called Neverpeople in order to lure the Time Lords into bringing the casket, which actually contains enough Anti-Time to destroy the universe. However, when the Doctor absorbs the Anti-Time into himself and the TARDIS to save the universe, a creature of Anti-Time is created inside him. It decides to take its name from a creature of legend.]]

* Creator/DCComics is like Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} in its 'everything we published counts' approach, though with a few more notable exceptions -- which of their Creator/{{Vertigo|Comics}} line of comics stories count and which don't isn't terribly clear, for example. Or at least, it exists in ''some'' form (like Batman of Zur-En-Arrh being a psychological construct, a 'backup' for if Batman's mind should be otherwise broken.) These days, with a CrisisCrossover {{Cosmic Retcon}}ning out everything the current writer doesn't like at least once every other year, it's hard to know what of the previous month's comics counted at any given time, let alone one from fifty years ago. However, we do have the approach to myth and legend as the trope describes: Ancient Greek & Egyptian gods? [[Franchise/WonderWoman Totally exist]]. King Arthur? Ditto. Ghosts, TheLegionsOfHell, things [[OurDemonsAreDifferent called demons]] that ''aren't'' TheLegionsOfHell, vampires, Biblical figures? Even characters who don't primarily deal with the supernatural have had multiple run-ins with all of the above. We have ''main characters'' in most of those categories, in fact.
** In Franchise/TheDCU, even if you just look at the Marvel Family, you've got [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] whose powers come from Solomon and a selection of Greek and Roman figures, as well as his rival, [[Characters/ShazamBlackMarvelFamily Black Adam]] who gets HIS powers from the Egyptian pantheon. Both collections of myths spell out "SHAZAM", so they both have the same magic transformation word.
** The map of the Multiverse tying into ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'' puts it up front, with Dream (the home of [[ComicBook/TheSandman1989 the Endless]]), Heaven, New Genesis, Skyland (the home of the various pantheons), Nightmare, Hell, Apokolips and the Underworld (also known as the PhantomZone) all co-existing in the Sphere of the Gods. On another level, many of the Earths have heroes that are fictional in each other's worlds.
** Comically {{lampshade|Hanging}}d and [[ZigZaggingTrope zigzagged]] by Harvey Bullock during the ''ComicBook/ThroneOfAtlantis'':

* ''ComicBook/DraculaMarvelComics'': In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, {{Dracula}} and his nemesis Abraham Van Helsing really existed, with Creator/BramStoker's [[Literature/{{Dracula}} novel]] being a fictionalized account of real events. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in an issue of ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'', where, upon being told that Dracula is behind an attack on Avengers Mansion, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMarvels Monica Rambeau]] reacts in disbelief and assumes Strange is joking.
* This was the original premise of ''ComicBook/TheEternals'', before they were [[CanonImmigrant shoehorned into]] the mainstream Franchise/MarvelUniverse. The Creator/JackKirby series had these beings and their enemies the Deviants, mistaken for gods and monsters and inspiring all of humanity's myths, legends and ancient religions. When they got switched to the FantasyKitchenSink of the MU, they were relegated to having merely been [[MistakenIdentity mistaken for actually-existing gods]].

* ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} IS this trope, except when he's fighting [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]], who are more often than not [[{{Ghostapo}} allied with the supernatural]] anyway.

* ''ComicBook/{{The Sandman|1989}}'': Where we learn that not only are all myths true, they themselves take a back seat to an even deeper and all-encompassing group of seven siblings known as The Endless, who embody seven big forces powering all the mythos throughout the entire universe.

* ''ComicBook/{{Smite}}'', just like its game.
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'': The Creator/{{Elseworlds}} ''ComicBook/TitansScissorsPaperStone'' features a character who has this trope as a superpower. Jamadagni Renuka is a magician who is able to cast spells from any system of magic -- even systems that explicitly contradict each other, or aren't commonly perceived as magic. She knows this, and she doesn't actually ''believe'' in any of it, but everything still works for her. [[spoiler: The entire story of the crossover is her attempt to stop a disaster she foresees by invoking a super team origin -- specifically, the start of the Wolfman-Perez ''Titans'' -- because that would mean the good guys would win.]]
* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse you have [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] and [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] able to work together. Heck, in the Marvel Universe, ALL pantheons are real. Their leaders have the occasional meeting, for crises such as, say; [[ComicBook/SecretInvasion2008 Skrull invasions]]? In fact, the approach taken by Marvel seems to be that EVERYTHING they have ''ever'' published--not just the superhero comics, but horror, science fiction, romance, western, humor etc. are ALL TRUE and part of the same setting--details to be worked out on a case by case basis. Yes, even ComicBook/HowardTheDuck.

* While ''ComicBook/FinePrint'' takes place in a world once ruled by the gods of Myth/ClassicalMythology, nowadays what remains of TheOldGods have been forced to adapt, most of them being the very angelic Cupids and demon-like Succubi and Incubi. One of the Cubi families are the Morningstars, Lucifer being its patriarch.

* ''Fanfic/CosmicWarriors'', an AU ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' retelling, the author starts the story off with the first villain Usagi faces being a reincarnated hero from Irish mythology, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
* Fanfic/PercyJacksonAnAgeGoneBy: Like in canon Multiple pantheons are confirmed to be real. Just to name a few, the Persian, Greek and Egyptian pantheons are all confirmed to be real.

* ''Fanfic/{{Mortified}}'': It's all but stated that all of the Earth's myths are related to ghosts and the Infinite Realms, via the natural portals between the real world and the Ghost Zone. For example, Ereshkigal, the core of the Ghost Zone, has also been called Hades and Hell, the Ancients were once known as the Anunnaki during the time of Ancient Sumeria, and they were once attacked by a sorceress named Inanna who tried to conquer the Ghost Zone, referencing [[Literature/InannasDescentToTheNetherworld the famous myth of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna's descent into the underworld]].

-->'''Pooka''': [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/8438425/ You know, I kind of want to know how the cosmology of the Indiana Jones-verse works, given that it has, at least, an active Judeo-Christian God, active pagan gods, extraterrestrials, and psychic phenomena. And Nazis EVERYWHERE. It's like freaking Rifts.]]

* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse establishes that at least three sets of ancient beliefs are true, though somewhat misinterpreted by humanity; the Norse Gods (established in ''Film/{{Thor}}''), the Egyptian Gods (established in ''Series/{{Moon Knight|2022}}'') and the Greek Gods (established in ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder''). [[Film/BlackPanther2018 Wakanda]] also has its own set of (real) gods, while the Film/{{Eternals}} are also shown to have been the inspiration for many human mythical figures. And all of these coexist with even more godlike beings, such as [[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 the Watchers]], the [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Celes]][[Film/{{Eternals}} tials]], [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Dormammu]], [[Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings the Dweller-in-Darkness]] and [[Series/Loki2021 the Time Variance Authority]].

* ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy'' establishes that the Egyptian gods existed and they cursed a priest by turning him into an [[MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil mummy with immortality and unholy powers]] and an Akkadian warlord into a [[ScorpionPeople scorpion-like humanoid monstrosity]]. ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' introduced yetis, Chinese sorcerers as well as a completely different type of mummy with the Chinese emperor UsefulNotes/QinShiHuangdi being able to manipulate the elements and transform into monsters. And if we count ''Film/TheScorpionKing'' series (which is a spin-off from the second movie), we can include Summerian mythology with the existence of an underworld guarded by the goddess Astarte, who has empowered her own champions to enforce her will and can be summoned using the Book of the Dead.

* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': PlayedForLaughs as Winston's job interview with the Ghostbusters involves Janine asking whether he believes in a LongList of legends and myths, including the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis, with Winston answering "[[PunchClockHero If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say]].". PlayedForDrama later when Ray and Winston have a discussion about the potential end of the world.
-->'''Ray:''' Every ancient religion has its own myth about the end of the world.
-->'''Winston:''' Myth? Ray, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason we've been so busy lately is 'cause the dead '''''have''''' been rising from the grave?

* Stephen Marley's ''Literature/ChiaBlackDragon'' trilogy ''Sorceress'', ''Spirit Mirror'', and ''Mortal Mask'' take place in 2nd century China, but there also appear Indian Buddhists, ancient Egyptians (in the back story) and a few Christians. It is suggested that the mythologies and afterlives of all four religions (Chinese, Buddhist, Egyptian and Christian) all exist. In addition to Stephen Marley's own original myths and creatures, of course.

* To the utter lack of surprise of many, ''Literature/DigitalDevilStory'', the original source material for the famous ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' video game series, features such specimens as Kerberos, Loki, [[spoiler:Izanami]] and [[spoiler:Set]].

* Literature/TheEgg by Creator/AndyWeir discusses this trope. Upon learning that "you" are going to be reincarnated, the protagonist posits this must mean Hinduism had it right. God just says that all religions are right in their own way. Echoes of imagery and teaching is scattered throughout the story, such as God identifying the protagonist as "my child", an Abrahamic idea, or the Buddhist teachings of sunyata or anatman, in which there is no true separation between one person and another.
* In Creator/KAApplegate's ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' series, the {{Top God}}s from various world mythologies got together and created the titular Everworld, moving there along with a random collection of their followers. We meet gods from Myth/NorseMythology, Myth/AztecMythology, Myth/CelticMythology, Myth/EgyptianMythology, the Yoruba religion and Myth/ClassicalMythology -- ''both'' kinds, since the Greeks and Romans both exist [[OtherMeAnnoysMe and hate each other]]. Also a few characters from [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Arthurian stories]]. (And some aliens.) We even get a scene where [[EverybodyHatesHades Hel]], Norse goddess of the underworld, mentions that her territory borders those of Hades and [[UsefulNotes/{{Zoroastrianism}} Ahriman]], and that she's already conquered [[Myth/MesopotamianMythology Ereshkigal]]'s.
** [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Galahad]] actively wonders if he's "real," and notes that while he can remember getting the Holy Grail, Percival can as well, alluding to the different versions of the legend.

** Generally anything considered a silly myth in-series will turn out to exist like the PhilosophersStone, [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber Of Secrets]] and [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]], the latter of which being the subject of a wizard fairytale.

** The Seal of Solomon binds demons and certain dead things but succubi and incubi are not actually demons. The [=D&D=] manuals get it wrong, possibly due to cryptids in their editing and publishing departments.

* In Creator/DouglasAdams' ''Literature/TheLongDarkTeaTimeOfTheSoul,'' all the Norse gods and legends are true. Also involves a subversion of GodsNeedPrayerBadly, as Thor comments at one point that humanity created the gods, but just because we no longer need them doesn't mean they go away. I Ching also has a truth, as do other "impossibilities".

* In [[Literature/{{Reckless}} The Mirrorworld Series]] All {{Fairy Tale}}s Are True. Even [[DarkerAndEdgier Sleeping Beauty]] shows up!

* Arguably one of the most influential pioneers of this trope, the ''Literature/PercyJackson'' series by ''Creator/RickRiordan'' utilizes this trope as the main foundation of his extended universe. Stretching across the Percy Jackson books and all of their spinoffs, such pantheons and mythologies like the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse are all real, and all of their deities exist within one world. It is even implied that the Abrahamic God and Jesus exist and interact with these other pantheons.

-->'''Greater Poop''': Is Eris true?
-->'''Malaclypse the Younger''': Everything is true.
-->'''GP''': Even false things?
-->'''M2''': Even false things are true.
-->'''GP''': How can that be?
-->'''M2''': I don't know man, I didn't do it.

* Lizzie visits several worlds in Literature/SpiderCircus and encounters werewolves, vampires, selkies and more. It seems that people who can travel to other worlds are responsible for the spreading of these myths.

* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': Or at least some of them. The animals that travel through the anomalies explain gaps in the fossil record, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_taxon Lazarus taxa]], the Loch Ness monster, [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaids]], {{chupacabra}}, [[DinosaursAreDragons dragons]], sea serpents and other monsters, thunder birds, [[AncientEgypt Egyptian]] mythical beasts and even [[GripingAboutGremlins gremlins]] and {{haunted house}}s.
* The final ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}}'' serial has stone circles (which do nothing; the stones only mark the places where people congregated in the past) around the world becoming activated; people congregate there (an activated race memory), expecting to be: contacted by aliens, 'raptured' into heaven, 'go to the planet', etc. Instead, they are 'harvested' by an interstellar energy beam that reduces them to dust, with a tiny fraction lost to the beam. It is further suggested that all religions, and by extension, all of human politics, wars and history, have been the result of this race memory: to congregate and be harvested.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'', the gods of the old polytheistic pantheons are real, and you play one of their children. Second edition tweaks this; ''most'' of the gods are real, but some gods assume different aspects in different cultures. The Greek pantheon are the most notorious in this regard, also being the Etruscan and Roman gods in their other aspects.
** In ''Scion'' 1e, however, the Abrahamic god is ultimately a facade for one of the [[OurTitansAreDifferent Titans.]]

* There is a general ''TabletopGame/WorldOfDarkness'' skill called "Occult" which allows you to attempt to tell whether some myth is true or not. This is exceptionally valuable in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' because of the nature of [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve a mage's power]]: if they get it wrong, it may be correct for exactly as long as they're paying attention to it, then revert to the way it actually really is the moment they stop paying attention. This can be even worse than getting it wrong in the first place. Consider trapping a vampire in a corner by leaving a holy symbol in the middle of the room, then going out for coffee... with the vampire no longer trapped the moment your back is turned.

** The ''Legacy'' DLC for ''II'' confirms the Golden City story, as Corypheus was one of the mages who did it, he was a Tevinter Magister, and he did get turned into a Darkspawn. He, however, claims that the city was ''always'' black, but ''Inquisition'' brings up the possibility that he misremembered.
** ''Inquisition'' brings Elven mythology into focus, but even as the player learns that the Dalish were right about a lot of things (for example, the player has ''met'' a few of their gods), it's also emphasized that the Dalish are still a remnant of the old Elven empire, had most of their records destroyed over the centuries, and are generally working off incomplete information. So their myths are true, but somewhat misleading as a lot of context is missing.[[spoiler: For one thing, the pantheon they revere were ''evil''; they were slaveholding nobility who murdered Mythal (the goddess of justice and motherhood), who was the only reasonable one among them. The Loki equivalent, Fen'Harel, was actually the leader of a slave rebellion and sealed them away with the Veil to protect the world ''from'' them. Also, his name isn't even Fen'Harel; it's [[GodWasMyCoPilot Solas]], and Fen'Harel was an AppropriatedAppelation.]]

* The UsefulNotes/GameBoy game ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegendII'' avoids this. One world your characters explore has a myth that turns out to be true and another myth that turns out to be false. [[spoiler:Also, there are actually 78 "MAGI", not just 77 as mentioned at the beginning of the game.]]

* ''VideoGame/MetroLastLight'' does this to a fair degree. While [[Literature/Metro2033 the novel of]] ''VideoGame/Metro2033'' was pretty steeped in ambiguity, ''Last Light'' takes a different route with its storytelling. The nosalis rhino is said to be a legend one level before it's fought and, of course, who could forget: "You may still harbor dreams of looking for some legendary artifacts, like the proverbial Map of Secret Metro, but... I think I'll have to disappoint you.".

* ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'' is a MOBA where you can have deities and mythical beings from almost every major human civillization and culture in the world's history fight each other. There are also several Arthurian, Voodoo and Lovecraftian characters.

** Atlantis was ruled by alien gods and Myth/KingArthur's Excalibur was a supernaturally-powerful weapon. A shard of Excalibur was later used by a Crusader. The rebooted games, from ''Legend'' onwards, establish the idea of the "monomyth", that all the legends and folklore of the world can be traced back to a "[[OneMythToExplainThemAll single remnant of the ancient world]]".

* ''WesternAnimation/RoswellConspiraciesAliensMythsAndLegends'': All mythological creatures are actually aliens who have been on Earth for centuries, or millennia.

* The Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse establishes that Myth/ClassicalMythology is real, with [[Characters/ClassicalMythologyOlympians Zeus]] having created humanity. However, other legends with seemingly no relation also exist in this setting like [[Film/Aquaman2018 underwater kingdom of Atlantis]], South-American gods like the [[Film/SuicideSquad2016 Enchantress and her brother Incubus]], the [[Film/JusticeLeague2017 New Gods]] [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague of Apokolips]] that attempted to invade Earth millennia ago before being stopped by an alliance between humans, Amazons and Atlanteans, and according to WordOfGod, Native American legends are real too with [[spoiler:one of [[Film/WonderWoman2017 Wonder Woman's companions in World War I]] actually being a demigod from Blackfoot myths]]. And that is not even counting the alien civilizations such as [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Krypton]] and the several races that compose the [[Franchise/GreenLantern Green Lantern Corps]].

* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': PlayedForLaughs as Winston's job interview with the Ghostbusters involves Janine asking whether he believes in a LongList of urban legends, including the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis, with Winston answering "[[PunchClockHero If there's a steady paycheck, I'll believe anything you say]].". PlayedForDrama later when Ray and Winston have a discussion about the potential end of the world.

* The ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' {{Elseworld|}} ''ComicBook/TitansScissorsPaperStone'' features a character who has this trope as a superpower. Jamadagni Renuka is a magician who is able to cast spells from any system of magic -- even systems that explicitly contradict each other, or aren't commonly perceived as magic. She knows this, and she doesn't actually ''believe'' in any of it, but everything still works for her. [[spoiler: The entire story of the crossover is her attempt to stop a disaster she foresees by invoking a super team origin -- specifically, the start of the Wolfman-Perez ''Titans'' -- because that would mean the good guys would win.]]

* ''ComicBook/DraculaMarvelComics'': In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, {{Dracula}} and his nemesis Abraham Van Helsing [[ComicBook/TheTombOfDracula really existed]], with Creator/BramStoker's [[Literature/{{Dracula}} novel]] being a fictionalized account of real events. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in an issue of ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'', where, upon being told that Dracula is behind an attack on Avengers Mansion, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMarvels Monica Rambeau]] reacts in disbelief and assumes Strange is joking.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, {{Dracula}} and his nemesis Abraham Van Helsing [[ComicBook/TheTombOfDracula really existed]], with Creator/BramStoker's [[Literature/{{Dracula}} novel]] being a fictionalized account of real events. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in an issue of ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'', where, upon being told that Dracula is behind an attack on Avengers Mansion, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMarvels Monica Rambeau]] reacts in disbelief and assumes Strange is joking.