Questions tagged [comparative]
For questions that compare mythology or folklore from multiple cultures.
170
questions
0
votes
1answer
33 views
Other Gardens of Eden?
Outside the Abrahamic religions and mythology are there any equivalents to the Garden of Eden? More specifically:
A garden, orchard, or similarly cultivated or designed space distinct from wilderness ...
5
votes
1answer
126 views
Are there major differences between Continental Germanic and Scandinavian mythology?
Continental Germanic and Scandinavian/Norse mythologies are often grouped together under Germanic mythology, usually a few deity names change but keeping the same roots, unlike Roman/Greek mythology. ...
2
votes
1answer
154 views
Are there any reconstructions of possible early religions like Proto-Indo-European mythology for other cultures?
I was reading the Proto-Indo-European mythology Wikipedia page when I started to wonder if there were any similar reconstructions for other related groups of mythology. I'm particularly curious if ...
2
votes
2answers
66 views
Has divine prowess always been considered a factor in determining the outcome of wars?
In reading both fiction and nonfiction materials over the years, involving Egyptian, Roman, Persian, Greek, and Jewish cultures, I have seen statements to the effect that the locals believed their war ...
1
vote
4answers
145 views
Do any Mediterranean mythologies depict souls escaping from the Underworld without the help of a living rescuer?
Persephone was rescued from the Underworld (for a little while) by Hermes, who brought her back to Demeter.
Eurydice was (almost) rescued from the Underworld by Orpheus.
Semele was rescued from the ...
2
votes
2answers
127 views
Are there any beings from Norse Mythology that could be mistaken for a Kitsune (fox-person spirit)?
I'm starting a new Roleplaying campaign soon, and my character is norse/icelandic themed.
One of the other character is inspired by Kitsune.
I want to find out what, if anything, might my character ...
1
vote
2answers
106 views
Are/were there are any culutures where darkness is good and light is bad?
We have an association of light=good and dark=bad, to the point where we even use them as synonyms. There are a lot of pretty obvious historical bases for these metaphors:
Sunlight is the ultimate ...
1
vote
2answers
97 views
Sources which explore traditional mythologies and their relevance to modern times
I'm interested in finding suggestions for sources who write about exploring traditional mythologies and their relevance to modern times. This would be a book that contains analysis, interpretation, ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Which world mythologies depict humans directly harming or killing gods in combat?
In The Iliad, the Greek warrior Diomedes directly attacks and wounds both Aphrodite and Ares in a single day. He does so with the blessing of Athena, but the story makes it clear that it is Diomedes ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Why does the Greek Silenus and the Egyptian Bes look similar?
Today I was going through an old book on Greek sculpture and I notice that a number of pre-classical Greek statues feature Silenus and form in which he is depicted, full frontal nudity with tongue ...
2
votes
2answers
110 views
What high school subject would mythology & creation myth be covered in?
Not sure if this is the best site to ask this question, but what high school subjects would generally cover mythology and creation myth? I have heard that possibly ancient history or literature in ...
2
votes
0answers
73 views
Did any cultures worship an actively malevolent being as their primary deity?
Every culture I've ever heard of has primarily worshipped a being that deserved to rule the universe. Whether the sole figure in a monotheistic religion like the Christian God, or the primary god in a ...
1
vote
0answers
66 views
Why Mahabharata or Ramayana did not considered as earlier civilisation than IVC?
As we all know IVC is the first civilisation in India between 3300 to 1300 BCE. But Mahabharata and Ramayana should dated before this period based on Yuga cycle. Then we haven’t considered these are ...
7
votes
0answers
207 views
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, ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
Besides the Chinese and Western Zodiacs, are there other folk traditions with a different set of creatures? [closed]
I'm a writer working in a book and I need a set of creatures for a fantasy book. To give you an idea of what I intend I already use the animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac in an idea with each one ...
7
votes
0answers
70 views
Perception of echoes and myths concerning its nature in Northern America
I was recently listening to a song from the movie "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", this song to be more precise. Anyway, at some point as you can see in the video, the voice of the singer ...
3
votes
2answers
87 views
How did dasavataras end?
We know the stories of Narasimha (man with lion head), Rama and Krishna.
I am seeking answers for how other incarnations of lord Vishnu was ended.
Let’s take an example of incarnation ended.
Lord ...
4
votes
0answers
55 views
Mythological figure for self-motivated seeking of unprejudiced knowledge
I am looking for the name of a mythological person, god, spirit etc. or narrative which stands for the unbiased search for knowledge or naive learning. I am not so much looking for famous examples for ...
2
votes
2answers
127 views
Other names for Drákaines?
The greek Drákaines (Δράκαινες) is a race or group of serpent-like creatures with human features, generally female. Basically what the Medusa from the original 80's Clash of the Titans, minus the ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
Non-Greek myths related to weddings
There are a few Greek myths that are tied to weddings, like Thetis wedding as the origin of the Trojan war. Are there other tales in major mythologies that include weddings? I am looking for myths ...
2
votes
1answer
233 views
Are there any gods or similar beings other than Nemesis that laid eggs?
Castor and Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra are considered twins, and may or may not have hatched from eggs laid by Nemesis after being impregnated by her father Zeus as swans https://www.theoi.com/...
3
votes
1answer
560 views
Tubal-cain (תּוּבַל קַיִן) and Vulcan
In Hebrew, "B" and "V" are the same letter (ב), so without the "Tu", Tubalcain (תּוּבַל קַיִן) and Vulcan are very similar names.
The French spelling is "Vulcain&...
5
votes
1answer
81 views
Are there any examples of gods or people boasting of their ability to engage in multiple acts of sex in succession?
Are there any examples in mythologies of gods or people boasting about their ability to engage in multiple acts of sex (multi-orgasmic) in succession? I am looking for examples in which they specify ...
5
votes
2answers
199 views
Could ancient myths of “giants” hint to contact with other species of homini?
Many mythologies mention some form of "giants". Those giants may or may not be described as greater in height, but are always described as greater in strength and are portraied as violent. Examples ...
6
votes
3answers
341 views
Why did Snorri Sturlson link the Norse Gods to the Trojans?
In the Prologue to the Prose Edda, he seems to develop a genealogy of the Norse Gods being descendants of the Trojans. Starting with the Trojan king Priam, he develops connections, like for example ...
-2
votes
2answers
227 views
What are the similarities and differences between Greek gods and Roman gods?
I've seen that sometimes gods in Greek mythology have different names than the gods in Roman mythology. I've also seen that they are basically the same god just with a different name. What makes Greek ...
4
votes
1answer
54 views
What does internet-transmitted folklore reveal about how we generate and spread folkore?
Even before the internet, information was being faithfully replicated through global communication networks like faxes. Then they replicated through email chains, and finally broke free of a specific ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Is Hebe related to the concept of Xenia?
Does anyone knows if theres classical reference for relating the Goddess Hebe with Xenia or Theoxenia (receiving well the guests)?
I found relations of Hebe with marriage and pardoning supplicants, ...
6
votes
2answers
171 views
Are there any older cases of exorcism in other mythology than the Abrahamic religions?
In the Gospel of luke, Jesus exorcises a multitude of demons who call themselves Legion into a herd of pigs which he then drove into a lake.
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is ...
6
votes
3answers
946 views
Examples of castration myths besides Ouranos
I'd like to know of other castration myths besides the one with Gea, Cronos and that poor guy Ouranos.
I didn't find much with a quick Google search, and the only other case that comes to mind is ...
0
votes
2answers
266 views
What succession myths exist other than the Greek one?
Where the gods are killed/overthrown. Ragnarok sort of applies, though there's no replacement of the previous gods.
3
votes
1answer
83 views
How was Mongol religion influenced by Christianity?
One story stands out to me in particular. Erlik, a deity in Mongol mythology, was either the brother of or created as the first human by the supreme god Ülgen. I read that Erlik wanted to become equal ...
2
votes
1answer
223 views
How have ignorance and wisdom been represented in mythology?
Wisdom and Ignorance is a common dichotomy across many religions, and I was wondering if there are any specific examples of personifications or deities of wisdom and/or ignorance in mythological ...
5
votes
1answer
67 views
Does anyone know any good sources/books regarding ancient Armenian mythology?
I have been trying to find sources online about Armenian mythology but since the culture is so old and the Church burned so many texts about their paganism, I have difficulty finding anything. Most ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
What Christian influences are there in the Prose Edda, besides the prologue?
I've often read that there are Christian influences in the Prose Edda:
Snorri’s Edda was later nicknamed the 'Younger Edda' because much of it derives from older sources. What those sources were ...
-1
votes
1answer
62 views
Where are these ancient texts online in Unicode format? [closed]
I am looking for some potentially lesser well-known texts from these languages:
Korea
Georgia
Kannada
Bengali
Persian (Avesta)
Gujarati
Amharic
Urdu
Cyrillic
etc.
Agama (Sufi)
Tantra
Thai
Telugu
...
5
votes
2answers
928 views
The Great Bear and Dragon encircling the Tree of Life
In "Yeats Poems" by W. B. Yeats, pg. 522, (in notes to his poem 'The Poet pleads with the Elemental Powers') it is written,
Yeats commented that the Great Bear and the constellation of the Dragon '...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Are there any examples of human sacrifice in tribal societies?
Specifically, I mean human sacrifices of their own members (not outside members or prisoners). After watching a chilling movie related to the topic I started thinking more about human sacrifice and ...
2
votes
1answer
165 views
Why are Gods in the Greek pantheon portrayed as performing unsavory & amoral acts?
I was perusing the series 'Crash-course: Mythology' by John Green (Great Show) about pantheons. When it arrived on the Hellenic Pantheon, Its a web of confusing genealogy rivaled only by the Egyptian ...
2
votes
0answers
54 views
What is the relevant book for comparative mythology nowadays?
Since i am not in the field of mythology & folklore scholar but a reader.
I have interested some of topic in comparative mythology especially:
The diffusions of mythology across the world.
The ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Are there any Demigods who became gods of their own power?
The only "demigod" I know who would apply would be Dionysus in Greek mythology who had to prove his divinity but didn't need other gods to raise him up to godhood. Are there any others like him in any ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
Do Modern Cults Create Their own Myths?
I would define a "modern" cult as being in the age of the internet. This is fair to me; a cult relies upon spreading its message and the internet has changed that. So the earliest cults were in the ...
10
votes
3answers
992 views
Is there any link between Achilles and Sigurd/Siegfried?
The two heroes are invulnerable, Achilles because he was dipped in the river Styx by his mother Thetis, and Siegfried because he took a bath in the dragon's blood.
Both have a weak spot though, ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
Do Indians openly adopt and syncretize foreign religions? [closed]
I don't know much about Hinduism and the details of Indian history, but I feel that in India it is very common to nationalize foreign religions, beginning with the indianization of Sumerian deities, ...
6
votes
2answers
155 views
Are Greek Myths and Heroes Rooted in actual History and People?
I completed reading a book titled "Old Greek Stories" by James Baldwin.
It features some well known Ancient Heroes such as Theseus & Perseus.
But the way it was told seemed like several nations ...
7
votes
2answers
125 views
Are there any stories or fables in mythology that have an anarchist message?
Most mythologies that I read are used to justify the power structures in society.
Are there any that instead preach democracy, anti-authority, pro-education, or free love?
7
votes
2answers
166 views
Stories of children raised out of human society?
I am interested in the theme of human children nursed and/or raised out of human society (e.g. Mowgli or Romulus and Remus), whether by animals, gods, flowers, aliens, etc.
Are there any myths in ...
7
votes
2answers
202 views
What are some myths that combine the scatological and the sacred?
A quick warning to all, for obvious reasons this question will be very explicit. But to the point, when Carl Jung was a small boy he had the following thoughts on being overwhelmed by the beauty of a ...
5
votes
0answers
205 views
What are some sentient creatures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican mythology?
I have read a bit about the five suns world creation myth, and I am curious if the original peoples of Mesoamerica believed in other sentient beings similar to the fairies, centaurs and such of ...
2
votes
2answers
786 views
Do all (or most) religions believe in the existence of an afterlife?
I'm talking about both modern and ancient religions that we know of.
Christianity -> Heaven, Hell
Greco Roman -> Hades
Egyptian -> Anubis, Osiris
among many others. Are there any exceptions to this ...