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Is there a specific bird that a harpie had under her human part? So there is a mythical creature called a harpy, who was a half woman, half bird. Anything on what type of bird it was?

I'm not aware of any specific species being mentioned in the myths. Traditional depictions generally seems to have considered the bird part to be some kind of bird of prey (given the size and the claws). Further, given their nature as befouling creatures, I'd expect some kind of scavenger bird, like a vulture or buzzard.

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How are the internal organs of centaurs arranged? My question is about the internal organs of this creature. How are these organs arranged? It is confusing, because it is basically a horse with its head replaced by a human upper body. For example, if it has both the human and horse organs, that would mean it has multiple hearts, livers and two pairs of lungs. Can someone explain how this creature works?

You are essentially correct: If a centaur were real, it would have a lot of duplicate structures which don't make anatomical sense: , gryphons (lion/eagle cross), hippogriffs (eagle/horse cross), and jackalopes (jackrabbit/antelope cross). They _looked_ cool.

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Do the gods Ameteratsu and Inari have any consorts? The goddess Ameteratsu is the Japanese Sun goddess and the queen of the deities of the Shinto pantheon. Inari is the Japanese deity of agriculture and food.Both of these gods are very popular in the Shinto pantheon and I am wondering if they have any consorts?

Amateratsu is traditionnaly the spouse of her very own brother Tsukuyomi. You can check Wikipedia. In case of Inari he was married with Ukemochi and after Tsukuyomi slain her he married Mitama (Uga-no-Mitama). Note also that Inari is vastly renown to have both a male and female form and those spouses are much more the "traditionally in some myths" spouses than the definitives wifes. Some other traditions mention that Ukemochi and Mitama are a form of Inari.

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Fate of Norns and their web I am wondering about one thing: What is the fate of Norns and their web during the Ragnarök?

Unknown. Our main sources for Ragnarök are the Völuspá, the Vafþrúðnismál, and what Snorri retells of these. The Norns are introduced in verses 19-20 of Völuspá, but that is before Ragnarök starts, and they are not mentioned again. They don't seem to be mentioned at all in Vafþrúðnismál. Snorri does not provide more information. At a guess? Since we know that some gods and goddesses, as well as some forces of evil, are going to survive Ragnarök, it would be reasonable to suppose that the Norns will as well.

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Are there freely available texts of Geseriad in English? I was trying to do some research of Geseriad (aka Epic of King Gesar/Kesar) details (for this), but while I found a couple of academic references, some even re-telling many parts of the epos, I wasn't able to find freely available text (in English telling or translation) of ANY version of Geseriad, Tibetian or Mongolian or Chinese. Is there one that escaped my notice? I'm fine if it's a very close re-telling, and not literal translation, e.g. like "The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling" By Alexandra David-Neel.

You can find this one, certainly not the best, but a good one, and as free as you like.

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Myths of the Bermuda Triangle and its validity The enigma of the Bermuda triangle is a time old tale and it is often even called the Devil's triangle. There are tales of a sea monster living in that area, extraterrestrial actions, etc., happening in that region that cause ships and planes to disappear. Do the tales and myths surrounding the mysterious affects of the Bermuda Triangle have any validity? I have read that there are very erratic waves in that area and strong magnetic effects. But is it just these reasons that have given way to all these tales or is there a deeper scientific answer?

Not sure of the Mythological nature of your question. The Bermuda Triangle is a modern thing dating from 1945 and lost of 5 airships. They totally and simply vanished. No wreckage. No bodies. Silence. By the way Spielberg used that event in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But anyway, put the Bermuda Triangle in the usual basket: * Area 51 * Nessie * Crop circles * Nostradamus/Saint Malachy/Paco Rabanne prophecies There is dozen of such hoaxes and the modern Internet so love hoaxes!

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What is a Planetnik? From what I gathered, a Planetnik seems to be an air spirit that is somehow associated with Perun, the Slavic god of thunder and lightning. However, my sources are not particularly credible, sometimes contradictory and fail to mention any actual tales featuring the creature. What exactly is a Planetnik? What does it look like, and what are its main properties? How is one created? What is its relationship with Perun, if any?

This is the abstract a paper published in an (apparently) respectable academic journal (2010): the russian original ' _planetnik_ ' is rendered as ' _hobgoblin_ ': > In the regions of Orawa and Podhale, among the local elders, beliefs about hobgoblins , able to bring or mitigate thunderstorm, survived up to this day. The hobgoblins are supposed to travel on clouds, perceived as dragons, and depending upon peasants' fulfillment of request for food, or failure to fulfill one, are able to either destroy or protect the harvest. This work discusses features and properties of the hobgoblins, including their relation to the Lateran ringing tradition. The hobgoblins occur also in fiction literature, which enables a discovery of the topos of naming ordinary people "a hobgoblin". The paper is online in Russian.

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Was Apollo the exact same in Greek and Roman mythology? Apollo is Apollo. So, are they the exact same in qualities in both Roman and Greek mythology? If not, what qualities did they share?

Yes Apollo is the same god in both Greek and Roman mythology. From Wikipedia The Roman worship of Apollo was adopted from the Greeks. As a quintessentially Greek god, Apollo had no direct Roman equivalent, although later Roman poets often referred to him as Phoebus. A similar question was asked here: Was Apollo the sun god in Augustan Rome?

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Are there parallels between Ymir/Auðumbla and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox besides the obvious? It's something I've been thinking about for many years now and I figured I might as well ask, as there seems to be an exceptional Norse mythology braintrust on this site. * * * By "obvious" parallels, I am referring to a giant with a bovine companion the color of glacial ice.

In a sense - but while Bunyan and Babe actively change the landscape, Ymir is chopped up by others (Odin & Co) to make the world. Both Bunyan and Ymir are associated with cold - PB with the "blue winter" in North Dakota, while Ymir was the first frost-giant. (Prose Edda 18)

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How big were the Nine Realms of Norse mythology? Is it mentioned anywhere in the scriptures how big the ancient Norse believed the Nine Realms of their myths were?

If you take the realms as parts of the earth (as some scholars do) some realms were as big as today's Germany, some about the size of Denmark (The Prose Edda, page 14). A more mythological answer would be the realms were not only different sizes but also wildly different in shape: ![enter image description here](

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Who was the ruler of the Japanese Yomi? The Japanese Underworld (Yomi) is said to be ruled by Izanami. However, in the tale of Ōkuninushi, Susanno is said to reside there as its king. In addition to that, Izanamzi told Inzangi that she had to ask for permission to get out of Yomi. Who did she need to ask for permission? A ruler/god of Yomi? Who is the real ruler of Yomi?

As I understand it, Izanagi is the original ruler of Yomi, however, when Susanoo was banished there, he became ruler. Texts on Yomi are very scarce, and finding out exactly how he became ruler, and what later became of Izanagi, remain scarce. I'll do some investigating soon for you.

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Are there any instances where non-Greco-Roman goddesses fall in love with mortals? However, I will not be taking into account the Greco-Roman and Mesopotamian stories as they are the only stories that I know of in which a goddess loves a human.

There are a couple that I could find. Clídna, the Irish goddess/Fairy Queen, had an affair with Ciabhan, John Fitzjames, and Earl Gerald Fitzgerald, among others.1 Bai Mudan was worshiped as a goddess who tempted men with sex. It's not quite love, but it's close. Wiki) The West African Mami Wata spirits are analogous to Greek nymphs. They seem to fall in love, not just want sex, too. Saxo mentions that Frigg slept with a servant, but Saxo had a Christian agenda and stated up front that he believed Frigg and Odin were actually people, not gods.

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Is there a preferred, scholarly edition of the Gesta Danorum in English? Been meaning to read this for a while, but there are quite a few translations out there.

The translation by Peter Fisher, with an introduction and commentary by Hilda Roderick Davidson, is easy to find, and reputable.

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Prose Tristan: versions vs parts As stated in many scholarly books, there are two "versions" of Prose Tristan: short version (attributed to Luce de Gat) and long version (attributed to Helie de Boron). But I cannot understand why these texts are called "versions", instead of "parts". From my point of view, it is just two successive parts, like Volume 1 and Volume 2. Maybe the "version" is just incorrect term, or maybe I don't have enough understanding about something? To be precise, at this time I haven't read not the first nor the second version of the text itself. Instead, I started my journey from reading scholarly books, like this one.

It's less of a myth thing and more of terminology. It's not called "volume" because that would imply authorial or official continuity. Same with "part". Volumes and parts assume a whole, but Helie de Boron's work builds off of and even reworks parts of Luce de Gat's version. That makes it a true version and not just a sequel. For a general overview, check out J. Douglas Bruce's Evolution of Arthurian Romance.

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How is Hina related to Maui in Hawaiian mythology? According to Wikipedia&oldid=752355988): > he is the son of ʻAkalana and his wife Hina-a-ke-ahi (Hina) and according to Encyclopedia Mythica: > Maui's mother Hina complained that the sun traveled too fast across the sky. However, in the tale of Tuna,the eel god, Hina is the wife of Maui. And in another tale, Hina is the sister of him who lends him her hair to make a net to trap the Sun. How exactly is Hina related to Maui in Hawaiian mythology?

Hina depending on where you get the story could be the grandmother in other Polynesian cultures, but Hina yes in Hawaiian mythology Hina is Maui's mother. You can see relations of Maui to Hina in this story by W. D. Westervelt in _Legends of Maui:_ <

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Friday: the day of Frigg, or Freyja? The Wiki page says Friday is named after the goddess Frigg. Other articles say its both or Freyja, and there are some that say Frigg and Freyja are the same goddess. Is there a consesus that I don't know about?

Friday is named for Frigg, see e.g. Gro Stensland's _Fornnordisk Religion_ (if you can read Scandinavian) or Etymology Online. A few Icelandic writers appears to have called it "Freyjudagr" (it would for sure fit better with the Latin name), but this did not catch on and the modern name is derived from Frigg's. For the question of identity, I will refer to this question.

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What is the source of the fable of Thor’s attempt to drink up a small spring? Moncure D. Conway references the tale in passing in the introduction to his “Demonology and Devil-lore”: > The fable of Thor’s attempt to drink up a small spring, and his failure because it was fed by the ocean, seems aimed at such efforts as mine. Do we know of a fuller version of the story? What prompted Thor to attempt to drink up a spring?

This seems to be a somewhat distorted version of a story from _Gylfaginning_ , in which Thor, Loki and Tjalvi travels to Útgarða-Loki, a jotun and sorceror, who presents Thor, Loki and Tjalvi with different challenges, among which is that Thor should empty a horn with mead. Thor makes an attempt, but ultimately fails. After several other failed tasks, and a night, when the travellers leave, Útgarða-Loki reveals the truth of what they have attempted, and points out how much less water there is in the ocean. He also says that he is so impressed by what especially Thor did that he never wants to have them as visitors again.

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Who is Cleverman? The titular hero of the television series _Cleverman_ is - according to Wikipedia \- a "superheroic version" of an "important figure in many Australian Aboriginal cultures". I'm trying to find more information about the traditional Cleverman, but all of my searches so far ended up being about the series. Who or what is Cleverman? What is his connection to the Dreamtime?

A whole book has been written about the Cleverman, title _Aboriginal Men Of High Degree_ by A.P. Elkin. Elkin was a anthropologist who actually lived with the tribes to get the knowledge. The Cleverman has the power of weather control, curing illness, hypnotism, the strong eye, visiting the Sky-world and so much more. He has magical powers of invisibility, psychic displays, clairvoyance and telepathy. The life of the tribe revolved around this spiritual man.

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Where do satyrs and fauns come from? Gods and monsters are (usually) born. What about satyrs and fauns? Were they created? Born? * * * I'm tagging Greek and Roman mythology, but open to other mythologies as well.

Like many similar topics, the answer is slightly muddled by different sources, but there is an excellent collation available at: < in the section 'Parentage of the Satyrs' To summarise though, the answer is 'Born' - the union of a minor, rustic god and something else.

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Who was the Greek god Iudaios? I keep getting references to this deity (they cite the work of Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher "Detailed dictionary of Greek and Roman mythology") in some websites regarding it as the origin of the word Judaism so I was wondering whats the story of this god, a god over what was he, where did it come from, how was he worshipped, what did it do, etc. One of the websites mentioning this deity: The Word "Jew" and the Scriptures.

From page 284 of volume 2, part 1 of the mentioned book: : > **Iudaios** (Ioudaios), **1)** Son of Typhon, brother of Hierosolymos, after which the Jews are named, _Plut. Is. et Osir. **31._** \-- **2)** One of the Spartoi, otherwise called Udaios (q. v.) and said to have given Judea its name (Steph. Byz. q. v. Ioudaia); q.v. _Meineke_ spelling him Oudaios. [Höfer] So I don't think he's actually supposed to be a god (based on this text). I couldn't find any real reference to "Hierosolymos", but this might actually be "Hierosolymus" as well. Not that I'd have any more luck with that, but maybe this could help someone else who's more versed regarding Greek mythology. Also note that there's actually a Wikipedia entry on the alternative spelling "Ioudaios".

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Why was Loki bound, really? I grew up believing it was all because of Baldur. But murder, especially by proxy, was not quite the capital crime in the age or heroes as it is today. _(Not to mention, what's the rationale for "We really love this guy so much and he's nigh-invincible. Hey, I know, let's throw axes at him all day to express our affection!" Is it just me, or were they asking for trouble?)_ As an adult however, I came to believe Loki's binding was actually because of the flyting delivered to the self-satisfied gods who denied him his due honor. _(And let's face it, Loki's gifts were pretty sweet--Sleipnir and the walls of Asgard come to mind.)_ So what's the answer? Is it black & white or shades of grey?

In a way, you could say that Loki was bound to fufill a prophecy. As the cosmological poem Voluspa tells us, when Loki frees himself from his bonds, the doom of the gods will begin. So Loki has to be bound so he can get free and lead the giants against the gods. One of the most convincing explanations I've ever seen for Loki's behaviour in _Lokasenna_ is that he wants the gods to bind him so that he can bring on the end. His first step in that direction was to kill Baldr, so now he has to force the gods to doom themselves. (John McKinnell's "Motivation in Lokasenna" is one article that takes this view. You can see the pdf here.)

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Who is Völsung's mother? Völsung's mother, despite giving birth to the clan's namesake in a rather bizarre manner, is never named in the Völsunga saga. Is her name mentioned anywhere else in the Völsung cycle? Do we know anything about her, other than being Rerir's wife and Völsung's mother?

**No.** Outside of the brief description of her, she is never given a name.

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Was divination a job reserved to women? In Greek and Roman mythology, most of the famous oracles I've heard of were female. * The Oracle of Delphi (Pythia) * The Cumaean Sibyl (who sold books of prophecies to the king of Rome Tarquinius) * Cassandra, princess of Troy Of particular interest is the blind oracle Teiresias, who was born male, but the gods have transformed him to female. Is this observation representative? Did the ancient Greeks and Romans believe that women are more suitable to serve as oracles than men? If so, what is the reason for this? If not, do we know of famous male oracles? I would prefer living mortals who served as oracles, as opposed to dead people who had to be consulted in the underworld.

Certainly not the Romans, in general. For sure, the Roman haruspex and augurs were male. However, it is entirely possible that certain kinds of divination were linked to either sex, so that the kind of direct inspiration that seem to be the basis of the Cumaean Sybil or the oracle at Delphi were thought to be more of a female thing. As for famous oracles, the most well-known haruspex is likely Spurinna, who warned Caesar to beware the Ides of March, according to Suetonius.

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Can Thor fly in Norse mythology? In the Marvel Universe, flight is one of Thor's powers. (It's been a veeeeeeeery long time since I read the comics, but in the recent films he flies by holding onto Mjolnir's strap or handle, and is pulled along into the air by the hammer itself.) But my recollections of the Eddas are of Thor doing a lot of walking, and he even seems to slow down Odin and Loki, both expert shapeshifters, when they need Thor's companionship pending confrontations that can only be solved by exceptional feats of strength.

AFAIK, there is actually nothing that explicitly says that he can fly, even when he uses his chariot. _Þrymskviða_ , verse 21, describes how he goes to Jotunheim: > Then home the goats | to the hall were driven, > They wrenched at the halters, | swift were they to run; > The mountains burst, | earth burned with fire, > And Othin's son | sought Jotunheim. > This does not suggest flying. Furthermore, in Hárbarðsljóð, Thor is returning from Jotunheim in the east, and gets involved in a flyting with a ferryman who refuses to carry him across. It is strange to imagine why he would have to do so if he could have taken his goats instead. The only thing that comes close is how he is said to cause thunder, but there is no absolute need for that to come from free flight.

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Goods reads about Herakles/Hercules twelve labors? I would like to read more about Herakles twelve labors. I would like to know if there are any remaining work about it ? I am looking for work dating from the Greek or Roman era.

If you're looking for a summary of what the ancient poets wrote about, your best bet would be to look at Pseudo-Apollodorus' _Bibliotecha_. The _Bibliotecha_ is a work that collates nearly all of Greek mythology into a single, coherent narrative, including the Labors of Heracles. If you want an even quicker summary, there's also Hyginus' _Fabulae_, but you'll notice a major difference in length! If you're looking for something comparable to the _Iliad_ or _Odyssey_ , I'm afraid you'll be at a lost, as none of the epics about Heracles' labors survived. That said, if you check out the Theoi page on Heracles' labors, you'll find a hefty collection of allusions and references about them scattered throughout extant Greek and Roman works.

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Are there any deities that personify realms other than the earth or sky? Many mythologies have deities whom either personify the earth or sky (e.g. Gaia and Uranus). However, are there any deities that represent other realms, like how Tartarus is the personification of Tartarus? Also, please take note that by "realms", I mean places that are inhabited (e.g. Asgard of Norse mythology, Aaru of Egyptian mythology) and not places such as the sun or moon.

## Hel Hel) personified and rules the "bad" afterlife in norse mythology. In fact, she took her name from it). There has been speculation that she as a mythological figure was an invention by Snorri, however, as other sources always talk about figures being "in Hel". Margaret Clunies Ross says that most poetic contexts are not sufficiently clear for us to distinguish between Hel as a place and Hel as "the personified guardian of that place", and that she and her attributes are "tangliable" personifications. (I'm translating back from a translation of _Prolonged Echoes_ , so the quotes are likely not exact).

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Is there any Norse mythological figure associated with victory? Is there an equivalent in Norse mythology to the goddesses Nike) of the Greeks or Victoria) of the Romans? Any god or mythological being in Norse cult associated mainly with victory?

**No, none that is exclusively associated with victory.** The closest we get is probably Odin, who is said to be able to give victory in war. Note however, the _Sigrdrífumál_, with accompanying prose introductions, in which it is told that Odin promised victory to the king Hjalmgunnar, but the valkyrie "Sigrdrífa" ('driver to victory'; she is actually Brynhilde) defeated him instead, so Odin's power is only worked through intermediaries. There is a part of Njal's saga in which a group of women weave witha gruesome set of tools: human skulls as loom-weigths, innards as the warp, etc, and sing of how they are valkyries and "weave victory". If there would have been a norse personificiation of victory, the name would likely be _Sigr_.

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The repertoire of the Sphinx In ancient Greek tradition, what riddles did have the Sphinx in her "repertoire", besides the famous: > Which creature goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening? Wikipedia also mentions this one: > There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters? Of course, with one "killer" riddle, the Sphinx would have had enough but, quoting Wikipedia again (emphasis mine): > Michael Maier in his book, the Atalanta Fugiens (1617) writes the following remark about the Sphinx's riddle: > > **Sphinx is indeed reported to have had many Riddles** , but this offered to Oedipus was the chief, "What is that which in the morning goeth upon four feet; upon two feet in the afternoon; and in the Evening upon three?" I'm curious if tradition or ancient authors assign her any other riddles besides those two quoted above.

Ps.-Apollodorus implies that there is only one riddle, which she learned from the Muses. From Theoi: > Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 52 - 55 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : > > "While he [Kreon (Creon)] was king, quite a scourge held Thebes in suppression, for Hera sent upon them the Sphinx, whose parents were Ekhidna (Echidna) and Typhon. She had a woman's face, the breast, feet, and tail of a lion, and bird wings. She had learned a riddle form the Mousai (Muses), and now sat on Mount Phikion (Phicium) where she kept challenging the Thebans with it. The riddle was: what is it that has one voice, and is four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? Check the link for more sources, too. Only Statius has "riddles" instead of "riddle," but as Oedipus only solved one, it's probably a poetic plural intended (i.e. plural in form to fit the meter of the poem, but singular in meaning).

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How are bears associated with the world of dreams? I was looking for information on bear cults when I stumbled upon this little gem: > In Native American folklore there are many tales about bears. It is highly respected as the 'keeper of dreams', and 'the keeper of medicine', and is one of the most powerful totems. (Bears hibernate, giving them associations with the world of dreams.) > > "Mythology And Folklore Of The Bear | Trees For Life". Treesforlife.org.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 Mar. 2017. Why are bears thought of as "keepers of dreams"? How does their hibernation connect them with the world of dreams?

Bear hibernation was likely perceived as a form of deep sleep, and recent studies have confirmed this: > Historically there was a question of whether or not bears truly hibernate since they experience only a modest decline in body temperature (3–5 °C) compared with the much larger decreases (often 32 °C or more) seen in other hibernators. Many researchers thought that their deep sleep was not comparable with true, deep hibernation, but recent research has refuted this theory in captive black bears. From Bear Medicine: the Spirit of Bear > The Bear is the keeper of the dream time, and stores the teachings of dreams until the dreamer wakes up to them. Many tribes have called this space of inner-knowing the Dream Lodge, where the death of the illusion of physical reality overlays the expansiveness of eternity. It is in the Dream Lodge that our ancestors sit in Council and advise us regarding alternative pathways that lead to our goals.

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Are there any stories which are about a species that is neither human nor divine? I am aware that some mythologies/religions include species apart from humans and gods (e.g. Islam and Norse mythology). However, are there any stories which are written about them? My definition for "stories" for this questions, will be stories that are about individuals or groups seen as the protagonists, or heroes, of the stories. Please note that I am _not_ looking for origin stories of a particular species, nor stories about people who are (semi-)divine, like avatars of Hinduism or demigods of Greco-Roman mythology.

You mention nymphs, so I'll direct you to Daphne, who is the heroine of her story. It may start with Apollo, but he is distinctly the antagonist, thus, while the story _involves_ him, it is _about_ her. (I suspect Ovid's Metamorphosis will be fertile ground for you in your search.) I am also going to propose John Gardner)'s Grendel), which may not be strictly canonical, but is certainly worthwhile and a part of the overall Beowulf body of literature. (Also, technically, Sun Wukong is neither human nor a god, but a monkey born from a magical stone who gains power through Taoist training.)

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Why did Freyja have first pick? (Of dead heroes, that is.) _My guess, based on my own gut inclination, has to do with Freyja's glamour, which clouds my senses, and makes me want to wait for Ragnarök in her most pleasant company, even though Odin probably has better stories. Thus, she has her pick of the litter, and those she rejects go with dad._

We had this question in a slightly different form a while ago, and I'm going to give the same answer I did then - that it goes back to the Aesir - Vanir war and the settlement between the two sides. One deity from each side gets half the dead. This is speculation, and I'm going to go further and say that Freyja goes first because of her particular power. Ursula Dronke suggested, in her book on the poems of the _Poetic Edda_ , that the reason neither side won that war is that Odin's power to kill and Freyja's power to renew life meant a permanent standoff. (Dronke's book is available from Scribd, by the way, if you want to check it out.) Since Freyja can bring the dead back (see Sorla thattr for an example of her using this power) I figure she gets first pick of the dead. This would tie in with her being a death goddess, or a goddess of the gates of life and death.

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Did any Greek mythological hero father a son who surpassed him in fame? I can't think of any case of a Greek mythological hero having a son who achieved more fame, glory and "heroic status" than him. Looking the descendency of Perseus, Heracles, Theseus, Jason, Achilles, Odysseus, etc, they all had sons. Some of them were noble and quite heroic, but still they were way far from achieving the feats and fame of their fathers. So, is there any case in Greek mythology of a son surpassing or even equaling the fame of his heroic father?

If you only look at the greatest Greek heroes, yes, of course their offspring don't surpass them. They are the _greatest_ heroes, after all. I mean, Telemachus is no slouch, but you're comparing him to _Odysseus_. The greatest heroes do have heroic fathers as well: * Peleus was king of the Myrmidons, a member of the Argonauts, and participant in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. He overcame the sea nymph Thetis with the help of a god, to gain her as his wife, and it was at his wedding feast that Eris would interrupt with her famed apple, starting a chain of events that would lead to the Trojan War. He was surpassed by his son, Achilles. * Aegeus was the conqueror and founder of Athens. He is the namesake of the Aegean Sea. He was surpassed by his son, Theseus. * Laërtes was king of the Cephallenians, a member of the Argonauts, and participant in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. He was surpassed by his son, Odysseus.

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Is Chronos Kronos? Well, I saw a youtube comment on the latest Crash Course Mythology video- > Chronus has nothing to do with time. That's Kronos, a primordial deity separate from the titans and infinitely more important. > Chronus took over the position of Sky God from his father Ouranos, and was later usurped by his own son Zeus who took the same position. > I'm sick and tired of people misrepresenting Chronus and Kronos. This is Renaissance era confusion and it needs to stop. I also see > No they didn't actually. Kronos (the titan) was spelled Κρόνος whereas Chronos was spelled like Χρόνος, which makes perfect sense since 'chrono-' is used as a root to convey time. As used in chronological, chronicle, and chronic pain. So, now I'm confused. Is Chronos Kronos or not? Preferably either using a primary source that says Chronos is the lord of time, or something.

First of all, never get your mythology from Youtube comments. Second, the second comment is the accurate one. Χ in Greek is transliterated as _ch_ , and that's where we get our time words from (as they mention). I believe the first comment is just confused, where the user once read what the second person is saying, but got it exactly backwards. In both cases they're right in saying that originally _Chronus_ and _Cronus_ (or Khronos and Kronos, Greek Χρόνος and Κρόνος, "Time" and "Father of Zeus") weren't the same. The first person got it backwards, and the second one got it right.

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Maruti, is this the name of Lord Hanuman or his mother Or both? I have heard so many times that **Maruti** is the other name of Lord Hanuman. Also heard that Maruti Nandan (The son of Maruti) > _Hey dukh bhanjan Maruti nandan Sunlo meri pukar.._ Which one is correct? Or Lord Hanuman is named as though his mother is Maruti?

This should explain (source): > Maruti is a highly popular name used to address Hanuman. The literal meaning of the word 'Maruti' is the one who is born from 'Marut', meaning air. The other names that suggest Hanuman is the son of Air god include Maruti Nandan (Air god's son), Marutadmaja (the one born from Air), Vayu Putra (Air god's son), and others. There is an interesting story how Vayu or the Air god became Hanuman's father. Essentially, Marut refers to air, and Maruti can refer to Vayu (god of air) or Hanuman (born from/of air or Vayu). In the name of Maruti-Nandan, Maruti refers to Vayu.

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Are there any females who have many consorts but are still celebrated? Many heroes and gods have many consorts but are still popular and worshipped and good examples of these are Zeus of Greek Mythology and Arjuna of Hindu Mythology. Are there any females similar to them? I am only aware of the heroine Draupadi but I am mostly looking for goddesses as compared to humans(although human examples will also be appreciated), but I am not looking for goddesses like Aphrodite and Ishtar, whom just take and discard lovers as they are extremely lustful. Note that I am not just looking for any females but ones that are celebrated. **Edit** I would just like to explain what I mean. This female must be celebrated despite having many consorts and this female's consorts could probably be obtained due to lust. What I was trying to say was that unlike Aphrodite and Ishtar, this female _can_ be lusty, but like, not evil, e.g. pursuing lovers who scorned them, flunging curses for nothing, etc

Artemis famously had consorts (although, at least by the time of the Greeks, these relationships were understood to be chaste.) Consorts of Artemis: * Actaeon: _"[According to] Lamar Ronald Lacey's The Myth of Aktaion: Literary and Iconographic Studies, the most likely original version of the myth is that Actaeon was the hunting companion of the goddess."_ * Hippolytus: A devotee of Artemis who vowed to pursue a chaste life as a hunter and was undone by Aphrodite in revenge. * Orion: A favorite companion of Artemis, who was also undone. * Callisto: The most famous of Artemis female companions. Artemis was definitely celebrated, and cannot be claimed to be lustful.

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A mythical/legendary/demonic creature that steals talents or abilities I swear I heard about this a long time ago but I can't remember it for the life of me (to the point that I am beginning to doubt if it exists). I faintly remember some type of monster that was able to mimic or outright steal the abilities of other people... Can anyone help me out here?

* The Mead of Poetry is a prime example. The power is transferred not once, but twice: Kvasir was a man considered most wise, who is murdered by a pair of dwarves. The motivation of the dwarves is to create a magic potion that would confer this wisdom to any who drank it. Odin, likely not content to allow such a power to be freely accessed, uses trickery to steal the mead, and is mostly successful. (The part that spilled confered a lower form of capability in simple rhyming, while Odin himself keeps the greatest form of the gift to bestow at his discretion.) * Mimir is another such example: When Mimir's severed head is sent to Asgard, Odin uses magic to re-animate it, and afterwards benefits from Mimir's knowledge and secrets.

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Why was the Worship of Zeus and his kin banned? I read somewhere that before Christianity, the Greeks worshiped the seven Greek Gods and eventually it was outlawed or forbidden. My question is, Why was the Worship of Zeus and his kin banned? I'm assuming there was a war somewhere in the answer and somewhere down the line, the people converted. (I understand if this gets closed, I looked to see if their was a duplicate. Didn't see one)

Well, first of all, the Greeks had a polytheistic (pagan) society, which the Christians didn't have. They instead practiced monotheism. The Greeks never actually banned the practice of polytheism, but the Christians did. While the Christians were in the process of recruiting gentiles to Christianity, many people were still pagans.The Christians slowly recruited more and more people and there were less and less pagans in the world. Once Christianity became the religion of most societies, anyone, and I mean anyone, who was not Christian, was targeted, not only pagans. In a Christian society, if you weren't Christian, you were treated badly, and that meant the banning of polytheism. Now, there are modern pagans, but had they lived when Christians controlled most societies (they still technically do, but not in the same way they used to), they would most likely have been executed or forced to convert. Christian religion control More info on polytheism ban/end of Greco-Roman polytheism

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Does the study of mythology find evidence of Jung's "Universal Psychic Structure?" Are there universal myths, regardless of culture, that we retell over and over? The example often used is The Cosmic Hunt.

Yes, like Chenmunka says, there are dozens of proposed explanations for it from various authors, but who bring light to this matter on the past century was really Jung. There's a plenty of studies of Carl Jung (this studies where the source was Alchemical books and alchemists). In Alchemy itself you will find various explanations of this Universal Structure. The issue is the language-code of this sources are confuse for many poeple. But you can check here for good quite examples! < I'm sure it's gonna be a good start.

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Why did Beowulf order to leave his sword to Unferth? In chapter 9 of the Beowulf epic (line 582), Beowulf dismisses Unferth as someone who only talks but but doesn't participate in heroic deeds. But later in chapter 22 (line 1488), Beowulf makes a last will in case he dies in the fight, and in this, he has Unferth inherit his sword. Why did Beowulf suddenly change his view?

**Because Unferth changed his mind first.** First, he stopped his boasting when Beowulf had slain Grendel (line 980). And, just before passage you quote (line 1455 and forward), Unferth had lent Beowulf his named sword, Hrunting, further conceding that Beowulf was the greater man. The logic here seems very straightforward: Unferth borrows Beowulf a sword to use in a combat from which it is not certain he will return. If the worst should come to happen, Beowulf does not want Unferth to have suffered because of him, so he offers his own sword as collateral. Note that Beowulf's initial view of Unferth is correct, but that it is true also for the rest of the court, and for most of the other characters; apart from Beowulf, Wiglaf is the only character in the poem whose courage does not desert him. It is not Unferth's lack of courage that is the main issue, but rather his boasting - and that had stopped.

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Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang? So there appears to be an astrology tag with very few questions. This somewhat represents mythology around cancer specifically. ![enter image description here]( Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang? According to this > This is also seen as two crab's claws, intertwined in a way which represents the dual nature of the Cancerian personality. In this form, it would be understood as similar to the Asian Yin and Yang symbol. Is this all there is to it?

If you read the book "Divine Love Astrology: Revealing Spiritual Truth for Personal Transformation" it briefly mentions the following. > The symbol for Cancer represents a crab's claws and also symbolizes the yin and yang or the male and the female joined in the fertilized egg. Cancer I believe has often been viewed as very carrying so maybe this has to do with the opposing opposites of male vs female characteristics but I haven't found a source for this.

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What is the name of Brokkr's forge in Norse mythology? I've read up and searched on Google. I've also read stories on the matter but I noticed that every item around Brokkr's and Eitri's workshop seems named except the magical forge with which they built the items for the gods. Does anyone know the name of the forge itself? Does it have a name?

**Unknown** First, note that it's Brokk's brother who is clearly the master smith and does the actual smithing, while Brokk works the bellows. This brother is given as either Eitri or Sindri in different manuscripts of _Snorri's Edda_. The name Sindri also appears in _Völuspa_ , where it is told he had a hall in Nithavellir ("the Dark fields"). The forge in itself goes unnamed in the story (it's short, you can read it in a few minutes. See e.g. here). Furthermore, I can't recall any forge that are given a name in Norse mythology. It would seem that forges were not in themselves considered that important, and certainly not when compared to the skill of the smith, which is emphasized several times in several completely different tales.

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If Athena was born from Zeus' brain, does this mean Athena is a manifestation of Zeus' intelligence? I have heard that Athena was born out of thoughts, sprang from Zeus' head. In that case, does this mean Athena is a manifestation of Zeus' intelligence?

The Metis story is interesting because according to the prophecy Metis would have two children - Athena and then a son who would ovethrow Zeus. This would have represented a triumph for the Titans, including Metis, over Zeus and his Olympians. So Zeus prevented this next generation from being born by swallowing Metis whole, thus absorbing her wisdom as well. So we have to assume that Athena has the prudence and forethought of her mother, and the cunning of her father. (Metis had cunning too, as she came up with the plan to free the Olympians by making Kronos vomit them up.)

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What is the exact type of coin that Charon accepts for a ferry to the Underworld? I am not sure whether to believe in Greek mythology or not, but I certainly don't want to spend my afterlife as a ghost, so I'm thinking of keeping a silver coin to pay that ol' Charon. But what kind of silver coin would he demand? Would any silver coin do, or anything in particular?

A danake/obol it seems to be > _Suidas s.v. Akherousia :_ > "Akherousia (Acherusia) : A lake in Haides, which the dying cross over, giving to the ferryman [Kharon (Charon)] the coin which is called a **danake**." (emphasis mine) And > _Callimachus, Hecale Fragment 31 (from Etymologicum Graecum s.v. Danakes) :_ > " **Danakes** (Danaces) : a barbarous coin more than an obol, which used to be put in the mouth of the dead." Danake also can mean the silver coin of the Persian empire, so this could be the danake of the sources.  (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) :** > Herakles : An ancient mariner [Kharon (Charon)] will row you over in a wee boat, so big. The fare's two obols. > Dionysos : Fie! The power two obols have, the whole world through! How came they thither! ![obol]( There are some websites that may imply any old silver coin, but I could find any sources on that.

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Why does Atlas care about the golden apples? Hera received a golden apple tree as a gift from Gaia. She planted it near the place Atlas was imprisoned, and employed a dragon named Ladon, and Atlas' daughters, the Hesperides, to guard it. I have heard about a legend where Atlas refused to let Perseus rest near the apple tree, for the fear of the apples being stolen. But why does Atlas care? Those are Hera's apples, not his.

It's not uncommon for Greek myths to have several variations, and it's not always possible to reconcile different versions of a myth. The Atlas and Perseus story is a late variation of the myth of the Garden of the Hesperides that appears in Book 4 of Ovid's _Metamorphoses_. In this version, the garden and its golden apples belong to Atlas, not Hera (who isn't involved at all). Another notable difference in Ovid's telling is that Atlas is a giant, not a Titan. The story is built around a prophecy that a son of Zeus will steal the golden apples and with them the giant's glory. This was not Perseus' intention, the hero was only looking for a place to rest. However, when Perseus identified himself as a son of Zeus Atlas naturally assumed that he was there to fulfil the prophecy. Perseus was left with no other option than to turn Atlas to stone by using Medusa's head.

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How was the world tree Yggdrasil created? Cannot find any origin story for the world tree on wikipedia. Was it created from the body of Ymir too?

Yggdrasil doesn't seem to have an origin; in the _Prose Edda_ , which is a compendium of Norse myth, we get a description of the various beings that live in and around the tree, and how its three roots extend across the cosmos, but nothing about how it came to be. (You can find a pdf of Faulkes' translation here, or an older one on this page.) It doesn't seem unreasonable to suppose that it has always been there, since in the poem _Voluspa_ , which tells of the creation and destruction of the world, Yggdrasil also just exists, and may possibly have survived the fatal battle of gods and giants. Two humans survive the cataclysm, Lif and Lifthrasir, by hiding in "Hoddmimir's holt", and if he is the same as Mimir who owned the well at the foot of the tree, then we have to assume the tree survived as well.

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Why is Athena "gray eyed"? Obviously because her eyes are that color, but I suspect there are deeper, symbolic reasons for that particular color and description. This is in regard to the epithet γλαυκῶπις, in the lexicon defined as "bright eyed", but which is often translated as "gray eyed" by poets.

The word γλαυκῶπις shares its root with γλαύξ, the word for owl. Owls are known for their large and distinctive eyes, which are adapted for low light hunting. Thus, I believe the epithet is a comment on Athena's perceptiveness, telling us that the goddess of wisdom can see even through the dark. You may find more information on Athena's association with owls in Wikipedia.

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Was Ymir ever awake? Seems like he was always asleep, until Odin created the world out of his body. He drank the milk of the cow Auðumbla, and he is illustrated to be conscious while doing so, but that need not be. Jotun are spontaneously created from his armpits, it is not clear he created them. And though he is shown as awake when he was killed by some illustrations, I did not find language anywhere that says he was awake and he fought back. My research is limited to wikipedia and online sources, hoping for some input from experts.

It is true that he created other giants spontaneously, from the sweat of his armpit, and from between his feet (same idea). However, the Prose Edda (ch. 8) tells us that the cow Audhumla fed him with her milk, and while he could have been passively fed like a patient on a drip, it seems unlikely. So presumably he was awake at least some of the time.

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What is considered the most authentic illustration of Yggdrasil? Is there an etching or drawing of Yggdrasil, the Norse Tree of Life, that is the oldest, or considered the most authentic? If so, what information was it based on?

Some Norse myths are depicted on rune stones or other objects, but I am not aware of anything like that for Yggdrasil. The oldest depiction I know of is an illustration in a 17th century manuscript of Snorri's _Edda_ (can be seen here), so it's quite a bit younger than the actual myth. Snorri's _Edda_ is also the source that gives most details of the tree, even if it is also mentioned a few times in the poetry.

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Do leprechauns derive their power from gold? I am trying to use them in a book I'm writing but I can't find a lot of details regarding Leprechauns. Do they have significant power, do they grant wishes, and if so with what magic? Any answers will help. Please don't answer if you don't know anything about leprechauns. Only if you know or can point me in the right direction.

Leprechauns aren't a great option in that they're highly location dependent. Of course if your story is entirely set in Ireland that's no problem, but if you want to be anywhere else, no leprechauns. Their gold is not magical, it's treasure buried during an ancient war that they happen to know the location of. All you need to do is dig at the bottom of the rainbow. They do however grant wishes if captured, being magical creatures. They're otherwise a good wildcard though, one could consider them chaotic neutral. In terms of using a magical creature for your own purposes with your own mythology, you're better laying off the leprechauns. You could pick something from the less well known Orkney fairy folk, though they're almost universally malicious, or a more obscure Irish fairy like the Grogoch, you could even try rehabilitating the household fairy or hobgoblin. Folklaw is knee deep in miscellaneous magical creatures without the pitfalls and fixed associations of leprechauns.

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Did the vikings/medieval Scandinavians actually worship Odin, Thor, etc? Or were they seen more as folklore, like, for example, Holger Danske or St George and the Dragon?

Yes, they did. The god Freyr was popular in Sweden, and had a huge temple at Uppsala. According to Adam of Bremen, a Christian historian, the temple also had images of Thor and Odin, flanking a central image of Freyr. (He was considered an ancestor of the royal family, making him the main god.) The temple, which Adam describes as something like Roman ones, was probably uncommon, but sacred fields and groves were set aside for various deities, and sometimes the name of the place reflects this, i.e. Odinsve, which might have been) a shrine or simply a space dedicated to Odin. All this makes it sound as if Thor had no cult, but his hammer was a symbol of blessing, and the sagas record the Icelandic settlers' devotion to the thunder-god. Further, Snorri Sturluson's _Heimskringla_ describes the gods as mortals, but still tells how people made offerings to them after they "died", his way of rationalizing the sacrifices that people had offered to them before Christianity took over.

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Is there a 'Messenger of the Gods' figure in Egyptian mythology? While Thoth is often equated with Hermes, he seems to be more of a keeper of secret wisdom than a messenger. Is there any such figure in Egyptian mythology?

Other than the little known Apt, arguably the closest direct Egyptian analog to Hermes would be the synthetic deity Hermanubis. Who is, as you might guess from the name, the result of combining of Anubis and Hermes. He only emerged in Ptolemaic Egypt however, so a little on the late side of ancient mythologies. The combination was rooted in the role of Anubis as the conductor of souls, a trait he shares with Hermes. However Anubis was also the messenger of Osiris in the Book of the Dead, and, according to E. A. Wallis Budge, the "chief envoy of Ra". The ancient writer Apuleius likewise calls Anubis the messenger of gods, although that's probably the Roman projecting attributes from Mercury or Hermes. * Budge, A. E. W. _The Papyrus of Ani: The Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead._ The Medici Society, London 1913.

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Why is Thor's chariot pulled by goats? It seems like a weird choice for a draft animal.

Thor's "ride" fits with his role as god of the common people. While most of the gods ride horses, Thor drives a wagon, or walks. (He walks across Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, according to the _Prose Edda_.) As for the goats, I'm just guessing here, but there's a verse in the poem _Havamal_ , which is supposed to be the widsom of Odin himself: > One's own house is best, though small it may be; > each man is master at > home; though he have but two goats and a bark-thatched hut > 'tis better than craving a boon. So a goat would be the least that a subsistence farmer could get by with - but Thor's goats are special, because he can eat them and use them for draft animals time and again. Also, anyone who can yoke a goat and make it pull a wagon is clearly possessed of supernatural powers.

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Was the rule of Zeus ever challenged? Zeus became king of the gods and absolute ruler of the cosmos when he overthrew his father Cronus in the Titanomachy. I wonder if his reign was ever challenged after that?

In the _Iliad_ , Hera rebels against Zeus, and gets the other gods to bind him to his throne after she drugs him: > "You [Thetis] said you only among the immortals beat aside shameful destruction from Kronos' son [Zeus] the dark-misted, that time when all the other Olympian gods sought to bind him, Hera and Poseidon and Pallas Athene. Then you, goddess, went and set him free from his shackles, summoning in speed the creature of the hundred hands to tall Olympos, that creature the gods name Briareos, but all men Aigaios' son, but he is far greater in strength than his father. He rejoicing in the glory of it sat down by Kronion, and the rest of the blessed gods were frightened and gave up binding him." I found this on Theoi.com, which also quotes the _Argonautica_ on how Zeus hung his wife in the sky by her hair, with anvils attached to her feet, as punishment.

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What culture does this duality symbol belong to? While browsing today I came upon this symbol tagged as duality, but I am unable to identify it. ![enter image description here]( Does anybody recognize where this symbol comes from? Is it part of a culture/religion or just something an artist doodled?

I don't think it would be possible to know for certain unless we ask the artist who drew it, but the symbol looks like a very simplified version of the Chinese taijitu, the "yin and yang symbol": ![yin and yang symbol](

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Who are the seven kings mentioned in the book of Revelation? From Revelation 17 (KJ21): > 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. > > 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, yet is one of the seven and goeth into perdition. Who are these seven kings, that precede Satan?

Here's a decent analysis of the passage. > It is these seven kings that we want to deal with in this paper. Basically, there are three different interpretations that could be considered about who these seven kings are: > > **Seven Individual Kings** : This interpretation has a couple variations. Some try to identify seven individual emperors (a typical preterist view), and others seven individual popes. > > **Seven Kingdoms** : This interpretation typically identifies the first five kings either as being Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome; or as being Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. > > **Seven Forms of Roman Government** : This interpretation typically identifies the first five kings as being five of the following forms of government: a) kings, b) consuls, c) dictators, d) decemvirate, e) military tribunes with consular power, and f) triumvira

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Why is the left-hand path in regards to Baphomet associated with the female side? Why is the left-hand path in regards to Baphomet(the Baphomet of Levi) associated with the female side? I would like to add the left-hand path is often associated with the denial of God and things that can be considered taboo. In regards to Christianity and other religions, it does appear men are often associated with being pastors more. I would like to add at least today men are less likely to attend church, not the other way around. To quote Wikipedia: > Robert Beér's Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs clarifies widespread taboos and deprecation that associate the left hand as dark, female, inferior and 'not right'

> The reasons for this association are lost in time. Gooch points out that because the left hand is frequently weaker than the right that this might have lent itself to the comparison to womankind. <

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Are there any deities or mythological beasts inspired by snow leopards? I don't know a lot about the mythology of central Asian cultures (where the snow leopard comes from). I'm trying to find more information on the cultural impact the animal could have.

There is a collection of snow leopard myths on the Snow Leopard Conservancy website: * Nepalese Myths Surrounding Snow Leopards (1) * Nepalese Myths Surrounding Snow Leopards (2) * Tibetan Myths Surrounding Snow Leopards * Snow Leopards, Mountain Spirits and Sacred Space in Northern Pakistan * The Otter and the Snow Leopard * The Four Harmonious Brothers * Snow Leopard, Otter, and Domestic Cat

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Fenrir vs Odin. Did he die? I read that Fenrir killed or devoured Odin and he was dead. Is that true or false? Also, if it’s true, how does he come back to life? Is it him resurrecting himself or other gods doing the work?

The story of Odin's demise is recorded in the _Völuspá_. The relevant stanza is number 53. I found a translation here, which has some idiosyncrasies, but looks reliable: > Now comes to Hlin | yet another hurt, > When Othin fares | to fight with the wolf, > And Beli's fair slayer | seeks out Surt, > For there must fall | the joy of Frigg. "Hlin" is apparantly another name for Odin's wife, Frigg. "Beli's slayer" is Frey. So, Odin is killed by Fenrir, and no more is told of him; he is certainly not among the few gods who survives Ragnarök and goes on to govern the reborn world. This is also confirmed by a later stanza, which states that > Then comes Sigfather's | mighty son, > Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf; > In the giant's son | does he thrust his sword > Full to the heart: | his father is avenged. So Odin is well and truly dead, and will not be reborn (the only god to come even close to that is Baldr).

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Why did humanizing Enkidu take a work of a prostitute and not of an ordinary woman? The following lines suggest that Enkidu was humanized as a result of having sex with Shamhat: > When with her delights he was fully sated > he turned his gaze to his herd. > The gazelles saw Enkidu, they started to run, > the beasts of the field shied away from his presence. > > ... > > Enkidu was weakened, could not run as before, > but now he had reason, and wide understanding. If, then, having sex was what made him realize he was a human, why did it have to be a prostitute to do this labor? Why was not an ordinary woman assigned to do it?

Perceptions on prostitution have changed significantly over time. While it may seem strange today that Shamhat is a prostitute, in the ancient Near East her role was sacred, a role akin to a priestess. An ordinary woman would lack the divine favour Shamhat's role offered her. Therefore she would not be able to civilize Enkidu. Further reading: Sacred prostitution

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Anyone know what this symbol means? Someone drew this symbol on my arm, and said it was an egyptian one and had some meaning, but I can't find it anywhere. The top that is obscured curls to the left. ![enter image description here](

Looks like the Adinkra "Aya" (fern) symbol: .

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Does Hel have a role in Ragnarok? During Ragnarok, Fenrir the wolf kills Odin and is then killed by Vidar. The Midgard Serpent Jormungandand and Thor kill each other. What role does Hel, Loki's other child by Angrboda, play?

None, as far as we know. She is not mentioned at all in either the poem _Voluspa_ , which describes the event of Ragnarok, nor in Snorri's version of events in the _Prose Edda_. All he says is that when Loki arrives at the battle-field of Vigrid, he will have "all Hel's people with him". (Faulkes: 51) After the Ragnarok, "Balder and Hod will arrive from Hel", where they were both living since their deaths earlier in the mythology. (Faulkes: 56) Snorri also says that there will be places for good and bad people after Ragnarok, the bad one being at Nastrands. Whether Hel will occupy it, or whether she died, is unknown. (I'm quoting from Anthony Faulkes' translation of the Prose Edda. You can find a PDF version here, or you can see another translation at Sacred Texts.

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Who was the Erlking? I know he was the king of the fairies but what was his purpose and how did he rule? I looked him up on google, but none of my searches made any sense.

The tale of the Erlking follows a common motif in Germanic folklore; a forest-dwelling evil creature, ensnaring human victims. Unfortunately, neither Johann Gottfried Herder's _Erl King's Daughter_ nor Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's _Erlkönig_ includes details on the Erlking's realm or attempt to explore the motivations or purpose of the creature. What both poems have in common is the creature's method of luring its victims; the promise of gifts. Further, the stories take place in or very near a forest, and the victim doesn't survive in either one. And, both poems tell us of the Erlking's daughters, although Goethe reduces them from main characters in Herder's version to a single reference. I think that's all the details we can extract from the poems.

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Why do we dress up to celebrate Halloween? Why do people wear elaborate masks and costumes to celebrate Halloween? Did people dress up during the pagan festivals that inspired Halloween, or is the practice a modern addition?

On the Wikipedia page for Halloween Costumes it says: > An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585. Looking at the external links on the page I found something that sort of explains this. > As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. This seems to be why we do it. In Samhain (the Celtic pagan ritual from which a large portion of Halloween tradition is derived), people would dress up. So yes, the tradition does come from the pagan holidays that it is based on.

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Is there a tale of Zeus having sex with a deer? I heard about a myth saying Zeus had sex with a deer, but after hours of research, I hold nothing. Can anyone tell me of this myth? I am especially interested in acquiring any information about a supposed child that came of this union.

This is the story of the nymph Taygete, one of the Pleiades. When Zeus pursued her, Artemis transformed her to a hind (or a cow) with golden horns. However, Zeus wasn't fooled by the disguise and raped the nymph. The result of their union is Lacedaemon), the legendary founder of Sparta.

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Who did Zeus punish by having poison/acid dripped on them? I am not sure if this is a real myth, as I learned about it from a Tumblr post: ![transcription below]( > > charlesoberonn: >> >>> Hades was the least evil entity in the entire Greek pantheon. Just look at the punishments. >>> >>> Pushing a rock uphill forever, > Have venom slowly dripping on your face for eternity, have a bird eat you [sic] liver alive every day, that's all Zeus. >>> >>> Hades' punishments were like 'solve this million piece puzzle or whatever' >> >> 'be married to me for half the year' > > He just wanted someone to love him and play game [sic] with him. I see no crime in that. One of the punishments mentioned is poison acid dripping on someone. Is this true? Who did Zeus punish in this fashion?

I do not think there's a tale were Zeus punishes someone with poison, as in Greek mythology punishment by poison is more often associated with women. See, for example, the story of Medea, or how Hera attempted to poison baby Hercules with snakes. I think it's likely whoever wrote the comment in your screenshot was mistaken, and were actually thinking of Loki's punishment (as already mentioned by Lauren Ipsum).

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Why is Aether shown battling a lion-headed giant? In this picture, the primordial god of the upper air, Aether), is depicted wrestling a lion-headed giant. ![Aether in battle with a lion-headed giant - Pergamon Museum]( Is there a myth/story for this anywhere?

The lion-headed giant apparently is Leon, who, according to Ptolemy Hephaestion was slain by Herakles during the Gigantomachy#The_Gigantomachy): > Herakles did not wear the skin of the Nemean lion, but that of a certain Leon (Lion), one of the Gigantes (Giants) killed by Herakles whom he had challenged to single combat. > > Source: Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 5 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) Unfortunately, I do not think a tale of Leon battling Aether survive.

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Searching for a deity of water and fire? The title says it (almost) all. I'm searching for a deity whose aspects are **BOTH** fire and water. Any religion/pantheon is ok. It could be a greater spirit or something like that, but I prefer a god. Edit 1: I'm looking for a deity that whose domains are exclusively fire and water. No omnipotence and other bigger stuff.

Yannis on the rignt track: the Celts had a number of deities whose healing power combined a solar element with water: Grannus, Sul, Brigit and Borvo/Bormanus. (The Brigit lore relates mainly to the saint, as a number of healing wells were sacred to her, and an everlasting flame was kept at her sanctuary in Kildare. But it's assumed that the lore is a continuation of earlier beliefs.) The deity Apam Napat, who appears in Zoroastrian texts and the Hindu Vedas, is another contender. Although he's the son of the waters, the Indian texts associate him with the fire-god Agni. One theory is that he represents fire in the water, a sort of stored fire.

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Does the Christian bible forbid marriage out of Christianity? Does the bible, specifically say a Christian can not marry someone who is not Christian?

No Christian text in the bible forbids Christians from marrying non-Christians. (Some Christian 'old testament' texts do forbid or discourage Israelites from marrying non-Israelites.) Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7.12-16, addresses a circumstance in which a Christian is already married to a non-Christian: don't seek out a divorce, the Christian spouse uplifts his/her non-Christian family. However, Paul in 2 Corinthians 6.14 forbids becoming 'partners' with non-Christians, though it is a little unclear how far this extends (the immediate context is of not compromising Christian beliefs by mixing with non-Christian beliefs).

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What is the Norse equivalent to the Great Flood? I have constantly heard that every mythology has its own version to explain why the ocean rose after the last ice age ended(roughly 10,000 years ago). But, I have only heard the christian version with Noah, and the Greek version.

The Norse flood myth is actually a flood of blood, created when Odin, Vili and Vé slew Ymir, the primeval ancestor of the jötnar. From Snorri's _Prose Edda_: > The sons of Bor slew the giant Ymer, but when he fell, there flowed so much blood from his wounds that they drowned therein the whole race of frost-giants; excepting one, who escaped with his household. Him the giants call Bergelmer. He and his wife went on board his ark and saved themselves in it. The resemblance to the biblical flood myth is apparent, apart from Norse Noah being a frost giant and the whole blood thing. Though Norse mythology also says that the world is fashioned from Ymir's body, with his blood being used to create the oceans.

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Does Hel have any relationship to bees? There was a very interesting segment on Vikings, (S5/ep3 "Homeland") in which a dying Floki has a vision. One of the figures in the vision is a dark robed woman, who opens her mouth to release a swarm of bees. The close-up shot of the woman's face gave the distinct impression of necrotic flesh, so my assumption was it was probably Hel. I found this great article on Hel, but no mention of bees, and another great article on bees and the goddess, but no mention of Hel. * * * Extra points for any thoughts on the second woman in the vision, who transformed into a murder of crows.

I don't think Hel is particularly associated with bees, but I am going to guess that the woman who turns into crows is either a valkyrie (a logical association, carrion birds and choosers of the slain) or else a dis, a sort of personal (or familial) protective spirit. Bees feed from the honeydew that drips from Yggdrasil, according to the _Prose Edda_ ( _Gylf_ 16) and the Norns live by the root of the tree, so perhaps the bees are agents of fate, or psychopomps? (Although the latter is proabably a Mycenean idea, not Norse.)

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Japanese Trickster Demons Are there any trickster demons in Japanese mythology, I am aware of the somewhat tricksy Japanese god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, but are there any demons known for tricking people in Japanese mythology?

* Tengu () A lot of my knowledge about them comes from the oral tradition, but the Wiki makes an interesting point that they were originally regarded as demons in the Buddhist context. In the Shinto contexts, they were simply yōkai (). Tengu are often thought of as a type of forest goblin, and may be benefactors or adversaries, which is typical of tricksters. Tengu are known for their long noses and, often, their martial skills, particularly with the sword.

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Benevolent king gives greatest gift: yourself/himself Story of a benevolent king (or queen?) who disguises himself among peasants and then reveals himself or is revealed as king and then one of the peasants with whom he interacts thanks the king for the greatest gift a king could give: the gift of himself ('the gift of yourself'), better than gold or something and then this somehow relates to Christianity (perhaps the story came after as a reference to Jesus). Any ideas please and thank you for the gift of yourself through time, effort, comments or answers? Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

The main thing it: it is quite a typical story. Example: Haroun Al Rashid in 1001 nights exactly did that: being hidden. Fact is: we don't know what he is doing as a king, but during his night we know... That is also a common theme in old egyptians tales. You find the Pharoahs lurking in their cities at nite. Including to pay a visit to their vizir??? ??? Quite common story. Aragorn is another fair example. Richard Lion Heart generally faking being a random bard. Odysseus upon his return in Itaque... – Gibet Dec 21 '17 at 15:53

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How did Odysseus's ship get wrecked, and how did Odysseus himself land to Ogygia? I have tried to read Homer's _Odyssey_ and commentaries to find out details about how Odysseus's shipwreck happened, how many men were involved and saved and so forth. It looks like the first book starts when Odysseus was already in the Ogygia island, and information is scattered to several books. Is there a good summary giving this kind of information about this famous story?

This is detailed in book 12 of the Odyssey. Odysseus' crew disobeyed his (and the gods') command not to eat the cattle of Helios, which led to Helios' and Zeus' displeasure. So Zeus sends a storm destroying the survivors, as they had just made it through Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus is swept back to the latter, and sort of just floats on to Ogygia. You can read the passage yourself on Theoi. Start from line 374.

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Is there a Greek god/goddess of freedom? according to Wikipedia, Ananke is > the personification of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. She is often depicted holding a spindle. One of the Greek primodorial deities, Ananke marks the beginning of the cosmos along with her father and consort, Chronos, the personification of time. She is also the mother of the Fates. Is there a Greek god/goddess/deity of freedom. Or is freedom a peculiarly modern Western concept that has no purchase on the ancient Greek imagination and so no personification of such? If so, what is the closest approximation?

Freedom is definitely an important concept in Ancient Greece, which is reflected in the status of independent city-states throughout it's early history _(prior to Athenian hegemony, Alexander, Roman Empire, etc.)_ The word democracy is based on the Greek δημοκρατία (dēmokratía) "rule by the people". This freedom was, of course, qualified, and only extended fully to landowners. * The goddess Eleutheria See: ἐλευθερία, ἐλευθ-ερίαleuqeri%2Fa1), ἐλευθ-έρια (festival)leuqe%2Fria2) The name is said to be an epithet of Artemis, who was quite free in the sense that she was the goddess of the wilderness, and never subject to a husband's rule. Similarly, Eleutheria has been linked to Aphrodite, also quite unrestrainable. Libertas is the Roman equivalent, and was the inspiration for Lady Liberty. * * * Eleuthereuseleuqerai%2F) is also an epithet of Dionysus, as the one who "sets free" Pausanias, _Description of Greece_ 1.38.8, referring to his ecstatic rites.

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What gods were there that dealt with games? What gods were there in ancient religions related to games? I know there were gods related to chance, but even in the ancient world, not all games relied on luck (Olympic games, other sports competitions, Go, Chaturanga). I'm searching for gods, but will welcome other mythical creatures as well, for the sake of this question most prominent immortals/wise kings/saints etc. can be swapped for gods. The relation between them and games has to be direct, no "well they were about strategy, so they are also gods of strategy games" etc. Unfortunately, when searching for gods related to games on google, your results are flooded with modern game titles with "god" in the title, and I can't seem to find a related page on Wikipedia.

Hermes \- was the emissary and messenger of the gods. Wikipedia don't says that, but he was also a god of games and luck.

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The Enchantress and the blue rose tree Does anyone know the title of this story and where it was translated from? !enter image description here Source: _the Golden Bough_

Sir James George Frazer cited this story from the 1873 book _Russian Folk-Tales_ by William Ralston Shedden-Ralston. Ralston, in turn, translated it from Ivan Khudyakov's 1861 collection _Russian Fairy Tales_ , where it was numbered 109. Clearly the story is Russian in origin. Ralston did _not_ give the story a title, which probably indicates that neither did Khudyakov (but I can't read Russian, so someone else would have to confirm this). Traditional folk tales rarely come with names, or rather, only one widely accepted name. Hence many fairy tale collections use numbering instead. So we could reasonably say, **there isn't a title.** On the other hand, in his _The Golden Bouch_, Frazier gave the paragrap containing the story the subtitle, **"Death in the blue-rose tree"**. You could treat this as a title - it's as close to a name as there is for this story, in English at least.

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Books analysing Norse mythology (specifically Odin)? What I am looking for is not a collection of stories and myths per se, but something more general like an analysis/dissection or meta discussion of the myth of Odin and Norse mythology in general. Something like Campbell's "Hero with a thousand faces". Odin fascinates me by the scale on which he was revered (the guy has over 100 names!) and his character (combining the wisdom/wanderer god and the warrior/leader god aspects). If any of you could provide me with some worthwhile material on this I would be truly grateful!

Stephan Grundy's _Odhinn the Cult of Death_ , and Diana Paxson's _Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Practical Magic_ are both pretty good, and available on Amazon. If you've already read the _Prose_ and _Poetic Edda_ you'll have a good grounding in Norse myth generally, these two books will probably answer your questions.

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Where did the notion the moon was made of cheese originate? We've all at one point or another heard something about the moon being made of cheese- does anyone know where this myth got started?

The earliest occurrence I have found of the association between Moon and cheese is in Aesop's fable "The Fox, The Moon, and the River". This is number 264 in the edition of Laura Gibbs's translations (Laura Gibbs, Aesop's Fables: a New Translation Laura Gibbs [Oxford: OUP, 2002]) and has Perry number 669. Aesop lived in the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. > A fox was out walking one night next to a river. She saw the light of the moon reflected in the water and mistook it for a piece of cheese. The fox started to lap at the water, thinking that if she could drink up all the water, she would find the cheese in the dry riverbed. The fox lapped and lapped at the water until finally she choked and died. > > So every greedy man goes chasing after profit with such an intensity that he destroys himself without achieving anything.

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When did Zeus get the aegis? Every version I have read has Perseus given a shield by Athena. He uses the shield to see Medusa's reflection to cut her head off. Some time later, he gave the shield and the head to Athena. Athena then put the head in the shield. If the shield is Athena's, why is Zeus sometimes said to have it? Also, I think I remember a point in the Iliad that had Apollo wield the shield. Why would Apollo have it? Why would Athena lend anyone her aegis?

The nature of the aegis depends on what source you're looking at. Euripides suggests that the aegis was the skin of the slain Gorgon, but the Gorgon is commonly held to be a later addition. Diodorus Siculus claims it was the skin of a monster that Athena killed and flayed. The twelfth century Byzantine poet John Tzetzes claims it was the skin of the giant Pallas), who Athena slew. But I think Hyginus has it right, that the aegis was originally a goat skin. This is because the word "aegis" (αἰγίςgi%2Fs)) means "goatskin". _(My most knowledgeable Greek professor even related it to the golden fleece.)_ The Autenriethgi%2Fs) entry is also worth looking at because it relates it to a storm cloud, which is domain of Zeus, and may carry the implication that it is an inherent part of his nature, and was with him as soon as he could exercise power over the sky and related natural forces. * * * See Also: <

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Where does the idea that dragons hoard gold come from? Where does the idea that dragons hoard gold come from? I can't think of many myths of dragons hoarding gold. The closest I come up with is the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece. And even that's a stretch as it wasn't gold specifically.

The Colchian dragon isn't the only dragon protecting treasure in Greek mythology. A couple more examples: * Ladon) guarded the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides, * Python) guarded the centre of the earth at Delphi, and * Ares assigned a dragon to protect his sacred spring near Thebes (look up the myths of Cadmus). However, if you are looking for a dragon protecting gold specifically, then I think the more characteristic examples from European folklore are: * Fafnir, the dwarf-turned-dragon in the Völsunga, and * The firedrake) in Beowulf. In fact, unless I'm horribly mistaken, the latter one is often credited as the main inspiration behind Smaug, the iconic gold-hoarding dragon in J. R. R. Tolkien's _The Hobbit_.

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Who was the man whom Athena gave the gift of prophecy, and from whom did Athena learn it from? I remember a myth I read once. It talked of a man who was the only mortal to be taught prophecy, or some form of it, by Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. But I cannot recall the name of this man. Nor was I told how Athena came to know or learn prophecy. Who taught Athena the art of prophecy? Was it taught to Athena by Pallas, Pallas's father Triton, Pallas's mother or some other manner of being? Who was this man that was taught by Athena? I ask this next question because prophecy is not usually associated with Athena.

The man that Athena gave the gift of prophecy, or more exactly augury, was Tiresias. He had seen her bathing naked in a stream, and in retaliation she made him blind. His mother, Chariclo, one of Athena's nymphs, begged Athena to undo her curse, but she could not. Athena then cleaned his ears, enabling him to understand birdsong, from which he could foretell the future. She did not teach him it, and as far as I am aware she did not herself have it.

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What are Hera's favorite cities? In the Iliad, Zeus and Hera are fighting. Somehow, for reasons I don't remember, Zeus asks the names of Hera's favorite cities. After she tells him, he says he shall sack them. What are the names of Hera's favorite cities? Are direct reasons given in Mythology of why they are her favorites? Any indirect reasons (i.e. she is the patron goddess)?

First result in a quick Google search brings Ancient History Encyclopedia article on Hera: > In the Iliad, Hera mentions three cities particularly dear to her - **Argos, Sparta, and Mycenae** (or Mykene). Wikipedia article on Hera: > "The three cities I love best," the ox-eyed Queen of Heaven declares (Iliad, book iv) "are **Argos, Sparta and Mycenae** of the broad streets." In the Iliad: > Then in answer to him spake ox-eyed, queenly Hera:“Verily have I three cities that are far dearest in my sight, **Argos and Sparta and broad-wayed Mycenae**. Hom. Il. 4.50 I don't know why she liked Sparta or Mycenae, but Argos had been always her town, where her cult was particularly strong. Homer refers to her sometimes as "Argive Hera". You can read more in Wikipedia article about the Heraion of Argos.

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How powerful were Greek gods without their items? Many magical items Greek gods have are very powerful. But sometimes they hand them out like its Christmas. **So how powerful are greek gods?** Could, for example, Zeus still control weather without his lightning bolts? Were the items just a weak reflection of god power and modern fantasy gives them too much power?

The gods have powers of their own. As evidenced in the many hymns epics and poems. Immortality Transformation or shape shifting Enhanced intelligence The ability and powers to move from one place to another in an instant Powers to manipulate animals to obey their commands **Powers to manipulate the weather** Powers to become invisible Powers to create fantastic beings with supernatural powers Their blood was a bright unearthly fluid called Ichor that had the power of producing new life This is without their weapons . So if you take away their weapons, they still have a lot of powers left. source Zeus • Facts and Information on Greek God of the Sky Zeus". Greek Gods & Goddesses.

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Did Hephaestus and Aphrodite get divorced? I come across every now and then that the smith god and the love goddess got a divorce. But to contrast that, I read they are still together in Roman myths and times. Though I also have contrast to that and I suppose it could be a copy of the Greek myths. Can anyone clear this up for me?

Probably yes. Several writers, including Homer and Hesiod, mention that Hephaistos married Aglaea, one of the three Charites. It is not entirely clear whether this happened before or after his marriage to Aphrodite, I could not find a source that explicitly mentions the order of Hephaistos's marriages. There's also a possibility that a second marriage doesn't imply a divorce. Polygamy was rare in ancient Greece, but we can't rule it out completely. There's also the story of the birth of Erichthonius. In most versions, it is explicitly mentioned that Hephaistos's' attempt to rape Athena happens after he had been "deserted by Aphrodite". Although again this doesn't necessarily mean divorce, it certainly sounds like it. * * * You may find more details, including sources, on theoi.com: * Hephaestus Myths 2 Loves: Aphrodite * Hephaestus Myths 2 Loves: Athena & Gaea * Hephaestus Myths 2 Loves: Aglaea

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What is the story of the Rape of Hera? A while ago, I read something along this phrase: could be the same (filler name) that raped Hera. I do not know where I read this and have not been able to find it again. The only lead I got was with Zeus. Not what I'm looking for. Who raped Hera and what is the story?

Porphyrion, the "greatest of the Giants" according to Apollodorus, attempted to rape Hera during the Gigantomachy#The_Gigantomachy): > But in the battle Porphyrion attacked Hercules and Hera. Nevertheless Zeus inspired him with lust for Hera, and when he tore her robes and would have forced her, she called for help, and Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt, and Hercules shot him dead with an arrow. > > Source: Source: Apollod. 1.6.2 The Hellenistic poet Euphorion also tells a tale of a giant raping Hera. This time, though, the culprit is Eurymedon, a relatively unknown king of giants mentioned in Book 7 of the _Odyssey_. This story could possibly be a retelling of the Porphyrion tale, or even an attempt by Euphorion to flesh out Homer's story.

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A battle between Maximo and Digenis in Greek Folklore While working on an essay, I came across a book called the "The study of Russian folklore" which mentions encounters between an Amazon Maximo and Digenis Akritas and also between Siegfried and a warrior maiden in which the belligerents make love after the battle. Was it consensual sex or rape? Where can I find more information about these encounters?

Here, it briefly mentions her, saying no one can match Digenes, not even Maximo with whom he committed the sin of adultery (non-forced sex with a married person). This source describes them as lovers, but also mentions that it could have been against her will. But, on literature stack exchange, an answer to this question says there is nothing to imply sex was forced. It portrays her showing up with an army to win against a solitary man, Digenes. Finding this unethical, they have a one on one battle/duel. Maximo loses and Digenes spares her for her beauty. She convinces him to met the next day for another battle. Maximo is disarmed and defeated. Maximo then says, "I am a virgin still by none seduced. You alone have conquered, you shall win me all..." My interpretation of this is she is offering herself, rather then offering sex. But, that's what happened _willingly_.

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Is it said what kind of tree it is? Is it ever said what kind of tree the world tree was? By kind, I mean type. Is it: oak, laurel, plane, sequaia...?

**It's an ash tree** In e.g. _Völuspá_ , stanza 19, this is explicitly stated: > An ash I know, > Yggdrasil its name ... Translation: Henry Adams Bellow

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Why is Odin called the Wanderer? On the Wikipedia page, under a depiction of Odin is a caption. The caption calls Odin the Wanderer, gives the year made and artist. It is mention again at the end, saying J.R.R. Tolkien used Odin's Wanderer guise as inspiration. But, it doesn't why he is called that.

Odin is called "wanderer" already in some of the primary sources. Wikipedia has a very handy list of names of Odin, in which we can find at least three which has the meaning of "wanderer": _Gangleri_ , _Váfuðr_ and _Vegtam_. The two first of these appear in _Grímnismál_ and _Gylfaginning_ (where also, amusingly, the king Gylfi who is trying to ferret out the secrets of the gods is calling himself _Gangleri_ ), the third in _Baldrs draumar_. Despite owning Sleipnir, the best of all horses, there are several stories which depict Odin out on wanderings, often in disguise, so the name is apt. (However, there is also something that is clearly wrong with the caption of the image you're referring to. It's presented as a proper name for the drawing, when it is in fact only a description.)

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Why is Chhinnamasta called The self-decapitated Goddess? She is a Mahavidya, a list of Sakta and Buddhist goddesses, and the sixth listed on the Wikipedia page. (I don't know if that's important.) Here, she is described as the 'self-decapitated Goddess.' What is the legend/myth behind this title?

The legend behind the severed head of Chhinnamasta is described in the Pranatoshini Tantra text. The story goes as follows: Goddess Parvati was bathing in Mandikini river where she gets sexually excited and as a result, her complexion turns dark. Her two attendants, Dakini and Varnini, ask her for food at the exact same time. The Goddess tries to convince them to wait till they reach home, but due to the constant requests of the two attendants, She severs her head using her own nails and feeds her attendants her blood. The severed head of Goddess Chhinnamasta, also has two symbolical meanings: 1) Sacrifice of Ego: Since the head is severed by Her own Will, it symbolises the sacrifice of one's ego. 2) Turiya: Turiya is a state where an individual's mind is dissolved. Since Her head is severed, it signifies a state of mindlessness.

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What is the Myth that had Shakespeare inspired to write Romeo and Juliet? In my last question, I mentioned a love story that Shakespeare based his Romeo and Juliet story on. I said I tried and failed to find their names. The following is what I know of this story. They were neighbors that fell in love. Their family band them from getting married. They spoke with each other though a crack/hole in the fence/wall and planed to meet up. Greek Romeo arrived second to see blood on Greek Juliet's veil and a lion over it. He killed himself, wishing to be with her in Death or something. Greek Juliet came back, saw Greek Romeo and killed herself with the same sword. I believe they were in the same grave together. What is this Myth in more deatail?

The story is that of Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovid's _Metamorphoses_. You have already covered almost everything he tells us in your question, but there are a couple of extra details: They were living in Babylon; they were meeting under a mulberry tree), and it's fruit took colour from Pyramus' blood (the transformation that makes it fit in the Metamorphoses), and their ashes are kept in the same urn. The story was retold several times; Shakespeare himself used it as the play that the "rude mechanicals" enacted in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. It was also used by Chaucer and Boccaccio. If you want to read Ovid's account, Wikisource has several translations that are in public domain.

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Who was Thalia's mother? I do not mean Thalia the muse/grace/nereid. I speak of Thalia the nymph), daughter of Hephaestus. She has a stub Wikipedia page that says Zeus forced he in the form of an eagle and buried her body to avoid Hera's jealousy. But , it makes no note of who Thalia's mother was.

I've done some preliminary research, and found nothing on Thaleia. This is one of those wonderful little "mythical myths" where the only sources are secondary: all we know of this nymph comes from a mention in ancient text "The Life of Aeschylus" with no author attributed. The mention is apparently in relation to a lost play of Aeschylus. So that's all the information there is, and it's highly unlikely there will be any more information forthcoming. * * * _PS- thanks for raising this question. The wikipedia article should be amended to use the spelling in the sole reference,Thaleia, because the current spelling in the wiki injects needless confusion._

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Is there a myth were Heracles chooses duty over pleasure? Last year, I was handed a worksheet. It was an excerpt of an autobiography if I recall correctly. One part I remember in particular involved Heracles, that he was given a choice between duty and pleasure. Can anyone recall a myth like this?

This is **The Choice of Hercules** , or sometimes **Hercules at the Crossroads** , a story that was once rather highly regarded. First told by Prodicus, whose works have been lost. Prodicus was apparantly a friend of Socrates, and is mentioned by Plato and Xenophon, through which some of his teachings survive. This one comes from Xenophon's _Memorabilia)_ , 2.1.29-40 (here is a a free translation into English) Hercules at the crossroads is a rather simple parable, where the young hero meets two ladies, one clad simply and with modest manners, the other clad more richly and revealing. The latter urges him to choose a life of pleasure, while the former tells him to live a life of virtue, and that the joy of doing what is right and just will be greater than the simple pleasures of a dissipated life. The story was taken up in renaissance and baroque art, and there are several paintings that depict the scene, as well as retellings in operatic and poetic form.

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Who was served his own children cut into pieces? I'm looking for the name of an ancient man who was subject to being served his own children in pieces and eating them unknowingly. He was invited for dinner by the king where this took place. Later, he had the chance to revenge himself, helping with a battle in which that king was killed. Does anyone recall who might fit this description? This may have been an actual event, but my memory fails me(probably in more ways than this), so I'm putting this into the myths section. Thanks! **Update:** Tantalus may be a candidate for the "king" whereas Demeter for the victim, but I am pretty sure in this case it was a father who ate his children, and he was later shown the rest of their bodies cut into pieces in baskets.

After some searching, I found the reference I was looking for: It was Harpagus, and it was an "actual event" written up by Herodotus. Source [Garden History Reference Encyclopedia] Wiki, quoting Burkert ( _Homo Necans_ ) states that: > Herodotus accounts for the turn of Harpagus' support to a version of the cannibal feast of Thyestes. See: Herodotus, _The Histories_ , 111 ff. and Herodotus: Book One; Early History of Persia (reed.edu) for a guide. * * * _Gee, my memory is still really really sharp when it comes to the details of unfoldings._ _Thank you everyone!_

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Japanese god of tea Is there a Japanese god or goddess of tea? I’ve read that Inari is a god of various things, such as rice, sake, and tea... But is there a deity that is god of tea in particular?

My understanding of the Japanese tea ceremony is that it arose out of the Zen tradition, which has no gods. However, I did find mention of a Japanese kami associated with tea, Inari Ōkami. There is also god of tea, Lu Yu, author of The Classic of Tea, in Chinese folklore, .

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How did Aphrodite even help the Trojans during the Trojan war? I am a Latin student, and currently studying the Trojan war myths How could Aphrodite, being the goddess of love (being almost as far from a war goddess as possible) help Paris and the Trojans during the Trojan war?

Being the goddess of beauty and love doesn't turn Aphrodite harmless. Quite the contrary... Theoi site gives a full summary of Aphrodite's role in the Trojan war. * Convinced Ares to side with the Trojans. * Saved Paris when he lost his duel against Menelaus. * Wounded by Diomedes while trying to save Aeneas. * Takes part in the battle of the gods after Patroclus's death. * She and Apollo protected the corpse of Hector until it could be ransomed by his father Priam. And this is only in the _Iliad_ , Aphrodite also protects Aeneas (his son), helping him escape after the fall of Troy, and saves Helen from the wrath of Menelaus, rekindling their love. It's also notable that in the myths, the Trojan War is originated by love and a beauty contest in which Aphrodite bought the jury (Paris) by offering him the most beautiful mortal in the world to be his wife, which happened to be Helen.

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Why was it important that the cattle have 'never yet felt the goad?' In the Iliad, book 6, there is a line were Hector is speaking to his mother. > "...Get the matrons together, and go with offerings to the temple of Athena driver of the spoil; there, upon the knees of Athena, lay the largest and fairest robe you have in your house - the one you set most store by; promise, moreover, to **sacrifice twelve yearling heifers that have never yet felt the goad** , in the temple of the goddess if she will take pity on the town, with the wives and little ones of the Trojans, and keep the son..." Retrieved here Note: Bold is my own format. Goad has the meaning of a cattle prod. Why was it important for the young heifers to have never been steered with a goad?

Sacrifices are usually expected to be of high quality and worth, pure, strong or unusual in some way. That's why virgins tend to be sacrificed in many myths and stories or rams, bulls and stallions (i.e. strong examples of masculinity). This is easily explained as sacrificing something of great value shows the strength of your devotion or desire. A heifer is a young female cow that hasn't calved, and specifying a yearling enforces the youth aspect. So you're basically talking about a virgin cow. This fits the expected mould of the sacrifice being pure. The sacrificed cows should be perfect and pure, untouched and unsullied in any way. Goading usually means using a sharp implement, which is likely to scar or mark the cow's hide in some way. This could be seen to mar their purity or perfection and I would assume this is the reason it was specified the cows should not have felt the goad.

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Do gods know all other gods? In the Odyssey, Hermes takes flight to Ogygia, Calypso's island, at Zeus's command to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go home. When he arrives Calypso recognizes him right away because: > the gods all know each other, no matter how far they live from one another > Retrieved, paragraph 7 How true is this? Is there a point in Greek mythology in which a god does not recognize another?

Yes, gods can recognise each other because through their eyes, they appear as columns of fire and cloud. Case in point is the birth of Dionysus, as Hera saw through Zeus's mortal disguise while he was in Thebes dating Semele. To all he appeared as a rich prince, but to Hera and other Olympians/Titans (Calypso is the daughter of Atlas the Titan from your question) the mortal disguises are nothing.

stackexchange-mythology

How were trolls created in Norse mythology? Is there a mythical/folklore origin for them? I haven't managed to find any sources on this.

Well, it depends. A big problem here is that the sources are not entirely clear on the classification of different non-humans. Thus, what in modern minds (perhaps influenced by role playing games) are differing monsters, such as giants and trolls, are sometimes indistinguishable in Norse sources. Thus, depending on your interpretation, there are at least two ways to see the origins of trolls: * If you see trolls as a clearly distinct category, where they would be a race rather close to humans in size, knowledgeable in magic (in modern continental Nordic languages, the word for "magic" is derived from "troll"), possibly demonic, then no, there is no particular origin for them. They simply exist. * If you instead see "troll" as more of less a synonym of "jötun", then their origin can be found in Snorri's _Edda_ : They were the offspring of Ymir, a man and a woman sprung from each of his armpits, and more were generated from a joining of his legs.

stackexchange-mythology

Norse god/goddess of law or justice Is there a Norse god/goddess of law or justice? Or is law/justice a too western of concept to have back then?

Yes! **Tyr** was a norse God of law and war. Evidence suggests that he was once head of the pantheon, but was supplanted by Odin and Thor. He was wise and brave, the only of the gods courageous enough to offer his hand as collateral when they wanted to bind Fenris. **Forseti** , the son of Balder, is mentioned by Snorri as a good mediator and judge. His name also means "the presiding one", so he has been linked with law and justice by scholars.

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What is this symbol on my necklace? I bought this pendant in Italy around 10 years ago, I think from Rome. I’ve always been curious as to what the bird with the sun above it (etched onto the red glossy background) represents. I was a child at the time... I only picked it up because I thought it looked cool without really asking what it is. Could it be a specific symbol in Italian culture/history? ![necklace](

This is the dove with a halo, as a christian symbol for the Holy Spirit or the soul. The colour red is associated with the blood of Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The fact that you bought it in Italy (Rome) supports this, as there is a big christian community as well as many pilgrims and tourists visiting Rome and Vatican City.

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