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What kind of snakes were the Gorgons' hair made of?
So, the Gorgons had hairs of the snakes. Was it ever recorded what kind of snakes they were?
I have a couple of quotes
The spattered desert gave them life as snakes, smooth snakes of many kinds, and so that land still swarms with deadly serpents to…
bleh
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How did Poseidon became lord of Helicon?
In Homeric Hymn 22 (to Poseidon), we learn that Poseidon is lord of mount Helicon:
I begin to sing about Poseidon, the great god, mover of the earth and fruitless sea, god of the deep who is also lord of Helicon and wide Aegae. A two-fold office…
yannis
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Does anything in the Matter of Britain ever explain or otherwise address Stonehenge?
Is there anything in the Matter of Britain (or, if I'm using that term wrong, medieval British mythology in general) that discusses Stonehenge?
I'm curious, given how Stonehenge has captured the modern imagination, whether medieval mythographers…
senshin
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8
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What is the significance of the number of orishas?
According to Wikipedia, different oral traditions refer to different numbers of orishas:
Yoruba tradition often says that there are 401 orishas, which is associated with a sacred number. Other sources suggest that the number is "as many as you can…
yannis
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8
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How were the Orishas born?
Orishas are the deities that form the Yoruban pantheon. Their ruler is Olorun. However, while I was reading up on them, I was unable to find out about how the Orishas were created. How were these gods born?
user1385
8
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1 answer
Is there a legend or an explanation for the symbol of a swan with a woman's head?
This was found in a grave of a knight in Romania and I am wondering what the symbol of the swan with a woman's head could symbolize.
The grave has a templar cross at the feet of the knight, the star of David at the head and on the top the tree of…
samca
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Traditional beliefs regarding guardians of burial grounds
Many years ago (the mid-1980s) someone described to me a belief that a Christian burial ground was guarded by the spirit of the most recently interred body. For this reason, when a burial ground was being 'retired' it was traditional to bury a dog…
arboviral
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8
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What are the dates of the “Five Suns” in the Aztec calendar?
The Aztecs believed that our world was created 5 times, and 4 times destroyed before; these are the so-called "Five Suns". I know that the present epoch by the Aztec calendar, i.e. the "Fifth Sun", began on 3113 BCE. What are the dates of the…
Milchar
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How did the Trimurti come into power?
How did Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva come to replace Indra as the Chief of the Hindu pantheon? Was there a war (e.g. Titans vs Olympians)? Or were they consumed (e.g. Amun + Ra = Amun-Ra)? What changed and was the cause of the change in the Hindu…
RedWold321
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What are the earliest known origins of Sasquatches in Native American culture in the Americas?
What are the earliest known origins of Sasquatches in Native American culture of North or South America?
Almost everybody has heard about these mysterious creatures known as Sasquatches or Bigfoot, but can anyone tell me the earliest know legend…
Ken Graham
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What is the earliest source to claim that Zeus and Ganymede were lovers?
On this question, I and another poster claim on the basis of internet sources that Ganymede was Zeus' male lover. A commenter challenged that, however, and I haven't yet found a reliable source to say that he was. So what is the earliest source to…
Mr. Bultitude
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Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
The following Bible passages mention “Anakim” and “Anak”:
Num 13:22; 13:28; 13:33
Deut 1:28; 2:10-11; 2:21, 9:2
Josh 11:21-22; 14:12; 14:15; 15:13-14; 21:11
Judg 1:20.
They sound similar.
Is there any known connection between the biblical…
kenorb
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Why was dissection taboo in Greek antiquity?
Looking at the development of medicine in Greek antiquity, in particular at the time of Hippocrates, you see references made to the poor understanding Greek medicine shows of anatomy, and chalks this up to a taboo against dissecting the human body. …
femtoRgon
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What exactly was in Pandora's Box?
So, only Hope remained in that box. And a whole bunch of bad stuff came out.
But, what exactly was in there? I'm looking for the greek proper names.
bleh
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How rare is a dead god?
Someone was telling me about deicide and I wondered, because gods are so powerful by definition, which of them are killed or from what culture are mortal gods prevalent. The only example I could think of other than Jesus was Norse gods being killed…
SophArch
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