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What is the link between Odin and Santa Claus?
What is the link between Odin and Santa Claus? How does Santa trace his origins to the Norse god?
Vixen Populi
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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…
Jon Riel
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When were "air quotes" first used?
When did speakers first draw in the air with their fingers to indicate that a word or phrase should be heard as if between quotation marks?
user1618
6
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2 answers
Was King Polydectes the last petrified by Medusa?
After beheading Medusa, Perseus uses her head to turn the Titan Atlas, the sea monster Cetus, and King Polydectes of Seriphos to stone. Perseus then gives the head of the Gorgon to the goddess Athena, who places it on her shield.
Was this petrifying…
Rodia
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Was Rumplestiltskin intended as a Jewish caricature?
In a reworking of the Rumplestiltskin folktale, novelist Elizabeth Bunce notes the following:
The anti-Semitic overtones of the Grimm version are deeply disturbing to
me—and should be to any modern audience—and I have tried
to steer well clear from…
Obie 2.0
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Has Athena, Greek goddess of Wisdom, ever lost?
I only know of one myth in which Athena lost. I talk of Arachne, a mortal that challenged Athena to a weaving competition. In one account, Athena won. In another, it was a tie and Arachne hung herself. In the third account, Arachne won. In all…
Andrew Johnson
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What is the story of Eurymedon, the giant king who brought destruction on his people?
Homer mentions the giant king Eurymedon ("ruling far and wide") in the Odyssey (Book 7.56):
Nausithous at the first was born from the earth-shaker Poseidon and Periboea, the comeliest of women, youngest daughter of great-hearted Eurymedon, who once…
yannis
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Who is Er Kishi in Mongol mythology?
Are there any myths about him? I can't find much about him besides the fact that he became a demonic god at some point.
TeachMe
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3 answers
Where do Easter eggs come from?
In Christian cultures, many people give Easter eggs as presents at Easter. They can be painted chicken's eggs, or they can be chocolate. What are the origins of this practice as a Christian tradition?
user1618
6
votes
3 answers
Hades, in Greek Mythology, was he really a bad guy, or just a hard to understand God?
I'm writing a research paper on Hades, king of the underworld, and I really wanted to know if Hades was really a bad guy.
I have many pages of evidence saying that he isn't. But I would like to know your guys' opinion.
Aspen the Artist and Author
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Did the Greeks have an offering of blood, wine and milk, similar to the Cretan one?
So I found this big old book about ancient cultures and in it, the typical offering on Crete was blood, wine and milk. Mixed together in a big bowl. The book describes the mix as a symbol for the drink of gods.
It's interesting because I heard that…
Nuloen The Seeker
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Did the inhabitants of the ancient Near East believe in an ocean in the sky?
An ocean in the sky shows up quite a lot in depictions, for example Psalms 148:4:
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
But finding good evidence for it in Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythology, etc is hard. It does…
Reggie O'Donoghue
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Is Odin Thor's father?
Before you automatically downvote this question, I highly suggest reading this article: Thor vs. Odin.
The article background covers the relationship of Thor and Odin, and reveals that things are not as straight forward as is commonly believed:
The…
DukeZhou
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2 answers
How did Agamemnon win the hand of Helen for his brother?
I don't remember where I read this, but I've got the feeling that Agamemnon, somehow won Helen for his little brother Menelaus. If so, how did he do it?
If not, then how was Helen's suitor chosen?
An old man in the sea.
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Is Homer a good overview, or an encompassing view, of Greek Mythology?
I read philosophy, and so often is Homer referenced as giving extraordinary accounts of Greek Mythology, and it seems that he might as well be the standard for the gospel. Do his books delve deep into the lore of the gods? If one were to learn about…
user31078
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