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8
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Name of Electra's brother
In Sophocles' Electra, it is revealed at the end that one of the guards there is Electra's long lost brother. What is the name of this guard? I have looked for it online, and in the book he is referred to by his title.
Morella Almånd
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What is the significance of kissing someone's shoulder in the Shahnameh?
I have been reading the Shahnameh, and there's a scene where a demon kisses a character's shoulders, which causes "two black snakes [to grow from the character's] shoulders."
"I have one request to ask of the victorious king, even though I am quite…
user62
8
votes
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Is there any folklore in non-European culture that may be an attempt to "explain" similar to changeling myths in Western Europe and Scandinavia?
It has been suggested by some authors that stories of changelings in Scandinavia and western Europe are an attempt by ancient peoples used to try and explain developmental abnormalities in children, particularly autism spectrum disorder. The latter…
user2352714
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8
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Which Kamuy are the 'bad ones'?
Chamberlain, in 'Aino folk-tales', reports the following tale, referred to as 'How it was settled who should rule the World', from the Ainus (Hokkaido, Japan):
When the Creator had finished creating this world of men, the good and the bad gods were…
plannapus
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Are there tales where people are turned into rats?
In Cinderella, the fairy godmother turns a rat into a coachman, but while I have read many tales where people are turned into other kinds of animals -- crows, wolves, swans, bears, frogs -- I haven't found one where a person is made a rat.
Are there…
Mary
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8
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Who were the Cimmerians, the Hyperboreans, and the Ethiopians? Were they races of men or something else?
Who were the Cimmerians, the Hyperboreans, and the Ethiopians mentioned in Greek mythological texts? Were they races of men or something else? The Cimmerians lived in endless night while the Hyperboreans who lived across Ocean were exceedingly…
user28
8
votes
1 answer
What is sásq'ets, from Halkomelem myths?
The modern term Sasquatch is a loan word (first used by Indian Agent J.W. Burns) based on the Halkomelem First Nations people's word sásq'ets.
In the myths of the Halkomelem people, what was sásq'ets? Were there identifiable stories told about it,…
femtoRgon
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8
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How does the "mighty man of magic" atone for his plague?
In Lludd and Lleuelys, three plagues fall upon Britain. The first consists of a fierce race, the Coranians; the second consists of a terrible noise which renders the Britons terrified, and the third is a plague of disappearing food and drink.
Lludd,…
HDE 226868
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8
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Does Medusa's head turn one's clothing to stone together with its wearer?
Medusa and her two triplet Gorgon sisters, Sthenno and Euryale, are monsters from Greek and Roman mythology notorious for their ability to turn whoever looked upon them (or directly into their faces) into stone.
Is there any ancient (or even…
Adinkra
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Are there any ancient myths about adventuring parties?
Role playing games are usually focused on a relatively small and disparate party of adventurers, that come together to achieve a common goal. More often than not each member's motivation for joining the party is unique; some join for honour, some…
yannis
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8
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2 answers
Where did the idea come from that fairies must tell the truth?
I keep coming across the idea in blog posts and books that fairies are required to tell the truth, or speak very literally, and may use tricky language to get around it. This is a major theme in Holly Black's faerie books, for instance.
Where does…
Sarah
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8
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A monster made of many insects
The concept of a monster that presents as a single entity, but is composed of a multitude of worms, bugs, or insects can be found in many media. Examples of this type of monster include The Nightmare Before Christmas's Oogie Boogie, Buffy the…
jdobres
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8
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In the Mabinogion does “black man” mean black haired?
Many of the tales in my translation from Welsh by Jones and Jones use the phrase “black man”. Is this referring to someone with black hair or someone of African origin?
Nic Cottrell
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8
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Who is the female figure in the Nirgul tablet?
The Nirgul tablet (also known as Cerberus relief) was a Parthian relief carving of the Mesopotamian god Nergal, a three-headed dog and a seated female figure:
According to Wikipedia, which cites Lucinda Dirven's paper A Goddess with dogs from…
yannis
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8
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1 answer
In What Myth the Octopus Hails from a Previous World?
I have at some point in my life encountered a claim that according to some islanders' myths, octopodes are the only survivors from a previous world, and managed to squeeze through a rift between worlds when our world created and the previous one was…
vicky_molokh
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