The earliest mention of teleportation that I can find is a mention of "matter transfer" in 1877, but I'm wondering if there's a concept similar to it in folklore. I found something about pukwudgies being able to appear/disappear at will, but couldn't find any actual myths relating to this. Can anyone help?
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1You would need to distinguish it from both invisibility and very rapid motion, which is the sort of distinction that folklore rarely makes.– MaryJul 3, 2021 at 16:18
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2 Answers
In Japanese mythology there is the term 縮地 shukuchi, composed of:
- 縮 : to contract, to shorten
- 地 : earth, location, distance
Shukichi is a collective term for various mythical techniques of rapid movement. The term is used in mythology, but can also be found in texts on Daoism and Buddhism. It is also a popular ability in several manga and anime.
The related term 縮地脈 suōdìmài denotes the power of teleportation attributed to some xians. Those possessing this ability were believed to be capable of moving vast distances in a single step.
What about Hermes in the greek mythology? His appearances and disappearances are somewhat different from those visions the gods projected simulating their presence, right?
