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Why were the Isles of the Blest ruled over by Cronos and Rhea?
As I was researching Isles of the Blest, I came across something very confusing. According to Maicar...
Rather, after three lifetimes, the souls of the good are conveyed to the Island of the Blest, ruled by Cronos and Rhea:
"With these wreaths and…
bleh
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6 answers
Who is the oldest being in Greek mythology?
Who was the oldest being ever to have existed in Greek mythology? In other words, were there a set of beings before all of the primordial gods? Who was to have created the primordial gods? What was the beginning of everything? If this is a chicken…
bleh
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What is the origin of the Hippogriff?
The Hippogriff is said to be the symbol of the Greek god Apollo. A Hippogriff is a mixture of a horse and an eagle/griffin. There are some practices that consider the Hippogriff a symbol of love. This is because the parents of a Hippogriff,…
anonymous
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What reason, if any, is there for the exact number of men and women who went with Cesair to Ireland in the Lebor Gabála Érenn?
In the Book of Invasions Cesair flees Noah's flood to Ireland as a kind of matriarch of her fleet. The sources all agree there was an incredible sexual imbalance between men and women, with a total of three males and at least 36 females.…
Travis Smith of Bexar
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Forests and The Epic of Gilgamesh
This might be a stupid question, but I was hoping that someone could explain the role forests played in Mesopotamia at the time The Epic of Gilgamesh was written. I'm asking because one of the major quests that Gilgamesh attempts is to go to a Cedar…
user62
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4 answers
What are good sources to introduce people to mythology?
I would like to learn more about mythology, but I'm unsure where to start. Could anyone recommend some good websites or books for me to take a look at?
Related meta discussion: Helping users with recomendations for sources
user62
10
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2 answers
If there is a preponderance of seductive water nymphs in mythology, then why is that so?
Is there a preponderance of seductive water nymphs in mythology? That is, among the more sexually inclined maidens in mythology, are they more likely to embody or be connected to water than other elements?
For example, there's the Russian Russalka,…
Malady
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What are the origins of Wu Song the Tiger Slayer?
Wu Song is a major character in the Chinese classical novel Water Margin; his claim to fame is killing a tiger with his bare hands.
Since Water Margin draws heavily from folklore, and the story of fighting off a large predator isn't exactly original…
congusbongus
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Why did many ancient civilizations believe that giants created the world?
From what I know, there were at least three ancient civilizations that believed that giants created the world.
Firstly, we have the Chinese, where the creation myth dates back to 600 BC, according to which, the giant Phan Ku creates the world and…
Shevliaskovic
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Why does the Lady of the Lake only accept half baked bread from Gwyn?
(Note: this "Lady of the Lake" is different from the arthurian "Lady of the Lake.")
In the welsh story associated with the lake Llyn y Fan Fach, Gwyn attempts to woo the "Lady of the Lake" by giving her bread.
He stood on the brink, gazing fixedly…
user62
10
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4 answers
What is the meaning of Sage in respect of eastern folklore?
I am looking for a more concrete definition of what an eastern sage is and an explanation of the background of the eastern sage.
Many translations of eastern martial arts feature sages. They are generally people who have "transcended" humanity,…
anon
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1 answer
Does the Prose Edda have a Hungarian translation?
This question is cross-posted at hu.wikipedia where it's also on-topic, because that site has some mythology enthusiasts.
Does the Prose Edda have a translation to Hungarian? If it does, please give any details you know and availability of the…
b_jonas
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Symbolism of Irish characters with multiple pupils in each eye
Multiple translations of the Táin Bó Cúalnge describe Fedelm as having three pupils in each eye:
She had a blue-grey and laughing eye; each eye had three pupils.
(Dunn)
Each of her two eyes had three pupils.
(Faraday)
Why is that?
On a related…
user62
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Does Greek mythology list a calendar date for creation?
I'm reading "Apollodorus : The Library of Greek Mythology" and I've noticed that it simply starts with "Ouranos was the first ruler of the universe."
There is no mention of dates that would allow for a chronological representation of when they…
randomblink
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Why is Gylfe trying to deceit his way into Asgard?
In the Gylfaginning, king Gylfe travels to Asgard disguised as an old man. When asked, he introduces himself with a fake name (Ganglere). The Aesir are on to him from the start, however they don't seem to care; Gylfe gets answers to his questions,…
yannis
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