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Why is Odin called the Allfather?
He is the father of many gods, but certainly not all, and he is not the creator of the Norse universe.
Is this epithet merely an honorific, referencing Odin's status as patriarch, or are there other meanings?
DukeZhou
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6
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Who are the twelve Olympian gods?
Everyone agrees that there are twelve Olympians, but the identities of the twelve seems to vary. What is the deal?
DukeZhou
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6
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Did Odin heal Sinfjotli?
In chapter 8 of the Saga of the Völsungs, Sigmund (in wolf form) attacks and almost kills his son Sinfjotli (also in wolf form). Sinfjotli is only saved when Sigmund is pointed to a miraculous herb by a couple of weasels and a raven:
Then Sigmund…
yannis
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6
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1 answer
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…
yannis
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6
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2 answers
Is Baphomet more closely associated with Satanism or the Templars?
The Knights Templar were a Catholic military order. They were very wealthy and very skilled, but after the Holy Land was lost in the crusades, mistrust built on them and rumors started to spread about them. One of these rumors was that the order…
William
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6
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4 answers
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…
freethinker36
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6
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What is the name of the lake in Frogs?
In Aristophanes' Frogs, Dionysus crosses a lake to reach Hades. The lake is where we first (and last) meet the eponymous frogs of the play, and Aristophanes does not name it. We do know, however, that it's the same lake Herakles crossed on his…
yannis
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6
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1 answer
What is the difference between folklore and fakelore?
What is the difference between fakelore and folklore?
user62
6
votes
2 answers
Would the gods often take the form of another god?
Greek mythology is full of stories where gods would disguise themselves as humans, beasts or elements to deceive humans. Especially with Zeus, this appears to be a favourite plot element. A particularly interesting story of Hermes disguising as…
yannis
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6
votes
1 answer
Why do Ethiopians play gena on Christmas?
Traditionally, people in Ethiopia play gena - a rugby/field hockey like game - on Christmas day.
Where does this tradition come from?
Girsan Virlee
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6
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2 answers
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.
user1385
6
votes
1 answer
What does "distributing by lot" mean among Apollo's epithets?
I've often seen the word "Clerius" (Κληριος, "Klêrios") listed as an epithet of the Greek god Apollo, translated to "Distributing by Lot". I've searched a lot for the possible meanings of this phrase, but couldn't find a thing.
apeman333
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6
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2 answers
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…
user1385
6
votes
1 answer
To what degree is the villainization of Cao Cao a function of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
Also his depiction in Chinese Opera.
I ask because, although he often does troubling things such as the murder of Lü Boshe's family, Mengde is a man of exceptional talents and has many admirable qualities.
I feel he is in some ways similar to…
DukeZhou
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6
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5 answers
Mythological figures "with" REAL(?) amputation-like or paralysis features
Are amputees misrepresented in mythology? What about people with dysfunctional body parts, such as paralysed parts or the like?
Much, of the mythology, I have seen, has figures, with some regular body post replaced by something else. But, so as to…
Jack Maddington
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