Questions tagged [comparative]
For questions that compare mythology or folklore from multiple cultures.
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What would be an efficient data structure for cataloging deities?
I'm ready to begin building a databased-website that will provide cataloged details about the various gods, goddesses and pantheons.
I'm looking for the most efficient structure for cataloging them. ...
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How does one search for patterns/motifs in folklore or mythology?
I'm currently attempting to research how often a specific type of story (i.e. a motif) occurs in the global corpus of folklore (mythology). For instance, I might be interested in whether there are ...
user62
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Are there any other mythological beings that got a replacement metal arm, other than Nuada, Lugh Llaw Ereint, and Sigurd?
Are there any other mythological beings that got a replacement metal arm, other than Nuada, Lugh Llaw Ereint, and Sigurd?
I found these three from the Mythology section in TV Tropes:
The Battle of ...
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How did the importance attached to the number seven originate?
I was reading Why 7? on SFF, and it got me thinking. I know that there are plenty of occurrences of the number 7 (see for example Wikipedia), some for quite a long time, for example the seven deadly ...
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What are some examples of "Mothers of Monsters"?
I'm looking for other "Mother of Monsters" examples to supplement a post I wrote involving Lilith and Angrboda and their status as "Mother of Monsters." Over time, I'd like to add more examples to the ...
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Differences in the Greek and Roman portrayals of Cronos/Saturn
I just read a blog post that talks about the Roman feast of Saturnalia:
During the time of the Republic, gambling was prohibited except during the festival of the Saturnalia which was held in ...
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Why do several myths portray snakes as good things?
In western culture, being compared to a snake is bad thing. Snakes are portrayed as lying, sneaky animals who are not to be trusted. You can refer to someone as a "snake in the grass" and snakes are ...
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If there is a preponderance of seductive water nymphs in mythology, then why is that so?
Is there a preponderance of seductive water nymphs in mythology? That is, among the more sexually inclined maidens in mythology, are they more likely to embody or be connected to water than other ...
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Did any ancient cultures or scholars recognize the Hero's Journey monomyth?
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell talked about the monomyth, and the overarching structure of the Hero's Journey: the hero is called on an adventure, may have a helper, goes through ...
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Are there any relations between Norse elves and Celtic fairies, or their home realms?
A lot of, if not most, modern fantasy tends to have 'Elven' races that seem to be largely inspired by the Norse Elves, likely by way of Tolkien. There also seems to be a large amount of Celtic ...
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Did different Greek mythology sources ever explicitly acknowledge the contradictions between themselves?
Greek mythology is full of different accounts of the same exact facts, based on which source you use.
As a random example, here's the assorted sourced details on Prometheus' parentage from Wikipedia:
...
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Are there Kali-types deities in other pantheons?
Is Kali, the dancing goddess, with skull necklaces, and blood licking tongue, unique? Specifically the mix of joyous rapture, death embrace, yet mothering and sexual.
Eros and Thanatos, at once a ...
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What cultures have myths related to the origin of aurora phenomena?
Basically, which nations have stories explaining either the Northern or Southern Lights?
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Did myths involving Loki influence Christian myths?
There is a lot of influence from non-Christian myths on Christian myths. There are numerous examples of syncretism, especially revolving around the various saints and what they might have done. ...
user93
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Prevalence of Underwater Panther
I was researching my tribe's clan history and came across something interesting. Osages, like most American Indian tribes, name their clans after either mythological creatures, or common animals (...
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Where did the Roman gods live?
The ancient Greek gods lived on the famous Mount Olympus, which is an actual mountain in Greece.
The Romans borrowed quite a bit of mythology from the Greeks, so I at first assumed that the Roman ...
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Were the Olympians unique in everyone being descended from single parentage?
In most sources, Olympian gods were (nearly?) all directly descended from Chaos.
Were they unique in this (having a shared ancestor deity, not too far up the family tree), or was it a common thing ...
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Does Roman folklore feature an account of The Dream of Macsen Wledig?
The Dream of Macsen Wledig is a Welsh tale that may be loosely based on Emperor Magnus Maximus, of Rome. The story tracks his search for a fair maiden he sees in a dream, eventually bringing him to ...
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Are there any apocalypse myths other than Ragnarok in which some people survive to repopulate the world?
In the story of Ragnarok, Lif and Lifthrasir survive by hiding in Yggdrasil, and presumably they go on to repopulate the world after all the fighting is over.
Are there any other cultures whose end-...
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Role of the North Star in arctic mythologies
In his 1907 essay on Chukchi mythology, Bogoraz describe their cosmogony as follows:
According to the cosmogonical beliefs of the Chukchee, there are several worlds situated one above another, in ...
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Which myth says that Eve wasn't the first wife of Adam, but Lilith?
According to the Hebrew Bible and Islamic tradition, Eve is known as Adam's wife.
However some other works suggested something opposite.
Which myths suggest that Biblical Eve wasn't the first wife ...
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What is the difference between Igigi and Anunnaki deities?
On Anunnaki Wikipedia page we can read:
Their relation to the group of gods known as the Igigi is unclear – at times the names are used synonymously but in the Atra-Hasis flood myth the Igigi are the ...
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Are Noah and Ziusudra the same person?
There are similarities between the stories of Noah from the Bible and Ziusudra hero of the Sumerian flood epic.
Both stories describe a flood myth.
Based on what kind of information/similarities we ...
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Are there any points of mythology/religion that all Native Americans have in common?
I have been exposed to some different Native American mythologies and there seem to be many differences. Are there any beliefs or stories that they all share?
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What parallels are there beween the myths of Atlantis and Mu?
Atlantis is a mythic civilisation lost underwater according to European mythology.
The Continent of Mu is a mythic civilisation lost underwater according to pre-columbian South American mythology.
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What is the earliest known dragon myth?
The myth of dragons can be found in many different traditions, with the major two being the European dragon and the Chinese dragon.
"There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the ...
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Who is god El in Legend of Keret?
In Legend of Keret we can read that:
King Keret of Hubur (or Khuburu), despite being reputed to be a son of the great god El himself.
To which El god this legend refers to?
Could be the same El ...
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Are there any cultures with no known interactions that have notable similarities in their creation myths?
Roman and Greek mythologies and religions are intertwined because of the occupation of Greece by the Roman empire.
But are there any occurrence of two different cultures having similarities in their ...
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When and how did the Greek mythos transfer to the Romans?
It seems that there are a great many similarities between Roman and Greek Mythology. In fact, many people consider them synonymous and only really differ in the names. For example:
Greek ⇄ Roman
Zeus ...
user93
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Why, according to Joseph Campbell, is the monomyth so common?
The Wikipedia page on the Monomyth has these statements in the summary at the top:
Campbell held that numerous myths from disparate times and regions share fundamental structures and stages,
and
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Is there a connection between Adam and Eve, and Ask and Embla?
The creation myths of the Abrahamic religions declares humanity's protoplasts to be Adam and Eve. Norse lore declares them to be Ask and Embla.
Linguistically, these seem to be fairly similar names. ...
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Were any Buddhist narratives ever folded into the myths of the Greeks, or vice versa?
The cultural exchange between the Greeks (under Alexander, at first) and the Buddhists of northwestern India is known to have had impacts on both parties. I'm aware of some theological influences, at ...
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Are there any myths we can plausibly trace back to a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor?
It is well-known today that many peoples trace their origin back to a group of people known as the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who probably lived c. 4000 BCE. Among them are some of the most mythologically-...
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Did the Gods and Goddesses in Norse mythology act as patron gods?
I know in mythologies such as Greek mythology, gods and goddesses would act as patrons. For example, Athena was the patron goddess of Athens. Did the gods and goddesses in Norse mythology have any ...
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