Questions tagged [myth-identification]
For questions about identifying a particular myth based on certain known facts or a basic description of its context, characters and events.
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Are there mythological examples of a friendship between people who fundamentally disagree?
The ones I can think of may be a little silly (?) but:
Professor X and Magneto in X-Men.
Naruto and Sasuke (or to an extent their senseis Jiraya and Orochimaru) in the manga of the same name.
More ...
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Where did this story about stars being part of a board game come from?
I have a memory that must be from before the year 2000, so I'm very unsure of the details, of reading what I think was a mythology book from a country with less famous mythology, maybe from the Middle ...
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God/Goddess of clones or duplicates
Is there any god/goddess who had the power of clones or represented them?
Like Dionysus is a god of wine and many other related things, is there a god of clones/duplicates/mirror images across any ...
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Identifying Greco-Roman Mythology reference in Krazy Kat Kartoon
Some months ago I answered a question over on the Literature SE. The question was about a Krazy Kat strip from 1936.
In the cartoon, Offisa Pupp takes a nap; he dreams that he meets Krazy and then ...
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What is the original story of Fox Spirit/Nine tails fox in India's myths?
I read in wikipedia and some mythology sites about the fox spirit that came from India but surprisingly they never mentioned any story in an Indian version.
I can only find stories from China - Daji, ...
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When and why did necromancy became a bad thing?
Talking about Europe and cultures that influenced it...
Why and since when was the revival of the dead considered evil?
In Greek mythology bringing back a loved one is hard or comes at a price, but ...
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What is the origin of a tale of hummingbird extinguishing a fire in Mesoamerica or South-America?
There's a so-called story about a hummingbird trying to extinguish a forest fire, supposed to originate from South-America, of which I've been trying to find the origin - in vain.
Someone knows ...
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Identifying a mythical creature
I had a dream one day where i was being stalked through a house by a creature made of twigs. Initially the creature was normal height about 6ft with a face like the chester cat but with normal pupils. ...
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Which legend has a warrior wash his sword in the source of the river?
When reading in Wikipedia about the Tigris, Euphrates, and other rivers in the general vicinit, I read about a transmitted story of one warrior who, after winnning in battle, washed his sword in the ...
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Why was Marduk made ruler before his victory?
Babylonian
In the begining of Babylonian mythology, their is a war between the older generation of gods and the newer generation.
Apsu and Tiamat's descendents became an unruly crowd. Eventually Apsu,...
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Can you help me identify this creature?
I bought this necklace recently which had no info about the creature on it. I was just wondering if it's just made up or if it features in any myths/legends? Thanks
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Is there a myth about someone who constantly creates their own demise?
Since this is certainly a common theme, I'm wondering if there is a myth about someone who ignorantly walks themselves repeatedly into ill-fate or their own misery. It would be like Sisyphus, but ...
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Are these images of identifiable pre-Columbian mythic entities?
This is the front and back of a t-shirt that was bought in Colombia. Stylistically to my naive layman eyes, they both look consistent with a modern riff on Muisca or Tairona art. Are they identifiable ...
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Is there a god called Iob/Job/Yov?
R. Simon Ashenburg in Debek Tob reconciles a contradiction in the Bible regarding the name of Issachar's son which is given as Yov (יוב) in Genesis 46:13 and elsewhere as Yashuv (ישוב) in Numbers 26:...
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Stories of living people that journeyed into the underworld and back?
This is inspired from: What items are necessary for a mortal to travel safely in the underworld?
Which living people made it into the underworld and back? What are their stories, and what ...
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What were medieval European myths about redheads?
I have heard that redheads were thought to be vampires, or Judas's descendants, good for spell ingredients, etc...
What were common myths these about redheads in the medieval period of Europe (300 AD ...
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Why is tragedy a goat song?
Tragedy literally means
a goat's song or ode.
Is there any indication in mythology of why a goat song would be sad or dramatic?
As far as I know, Pan, Faunus, Silvanus... all part goat deities ...
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Are there any myths about rational beings (except gods/immaterial beings) that walked the earth before humans?
Are there myths that feature such beings?
My answer to a question by a commenter: The question says no gods. Supernatural beings that aren't gods and deities that aren't gods (if this possibility ...
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Trying to find a hunter myth I was told as a child
When we were small children, our grandma would tell my sister and I stories at bedtime. She loved the Greek myths and Aesop's fables, but I have no idea where this particular story comes from.
It's ...
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Legendary forgotten Kingdom of Lechia
In the past I heard couple of legends about some mythic land in the north of Europe called Lechia. But after reading couple of articles about legendary Kingdom of Lechia I decided to find more ...
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What is the source of the belief that the seventh son of a seventh son is a clairvoyant?
The Iron Maiden song Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was inspired - according to Steve Harris - by the folklore belief that the seventh son of a seventh son has clairvoyant powers:
“I just had a ...
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When a person brings much good to people, but they reject it?
Is there an archetypal myth in which a person does something really good to humanity, but contrary to common sense that says that he should be thanked and praised, he's attacked by those whom he ...
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Which Greek heroes used pankration?
In Greek mythology, it was said that the heroes Heracles and Theseus invented pankration as a result of using both wrestling and boxing in their confrontations with opponents. Theseus was said to have ...
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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 ...
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Objects, substances or entities that compel or discern truth in traditional mythological canons?
In modern mythologies I'm noticing increasing reference to objects/substances that can tell or discern truth. Most famously, the use of truth serum as a trope in the spy genre in particular, and ...
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Are there any ancient myths about humans travelling back in time?
Does such a way of human time travel occur in ancient myths?
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What is the legend of the Knight Tondalo?
I was recently reading Martin Luther's commentary on the Sermon on the Mount (English translation by Charles A. Hay, 1892) and I was intrigued by a reference to "the legend of the Knight Tondalo".
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What is the origin of the idea that Man is "half god and half beast"?
I'm looking specifically for the idea that it is the human condition to be a combination of beast and God, not just a reference to an individual who unlike most people had aspects of both, or a ...
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Is it Lucifer or Venus?
Which deity, according to Greek and Roman mythology, is represented by the planet that we call Venus? Is it the goddess Venus (Aphrodite in Greek) or is someone named Lucifer?
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Any examples of dying and resurrecting gods that exist only in heaven, not earth?
In recent years proponents of the Christ-myth theory (e.g., Earl Doherty in his writings) have begun to argue that St. Paul in his epistles was setting forth the view that Christ was wholly divine and ...
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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 '...
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Traditional beliefs regarding guardians of burial grounds
Many years ago (the mid-1980s) someone described to me a belief that a Christian burial ground was guarded by the spirit of the most recently interred body. For this reason, when a burial ground was ...
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In What Myth the Octopus Hails from a Previous World?
I have at some point in my life encountered a claim that according to some islanders' myths, octopodes are the only survivors from a previous world, and managed to squeeze through a rift between ...
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Legend about inconsistent person
Is there a myth or a legend about some inconsistent person? Some young and ambitious man, who want a lot of fame and fortune, but don't know exactly how to reach that. Who demonstrates in his actions ...
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Is there a tale of Zeus having sex with a deer?
I heard about a myth saying Zeus had sex with a deer, but after hours of research, I hold nothing. Can anyone tell me of this myth?
I am especially interested in acquiring any information about a ...
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Is there a myth involving a female warrior and a cloak that renders people invisible?
I fail to remember the name of a myth I heard several years ago, in which a man marries a beautiful female warrior deceitfully. The woman isn't attracted to him and refuses to sleep with him. She ...
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Are there any gods who are in a different species than humans?
As we probably know, most gods look like humans e.g. Zeus, Osiris. I am interested to find out if there are any gods that are a different species than humans. The only god that I found so far is ...
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Why is Chhinnamasta called The self-decapitated Goddess?
She is a Mahavidya, a list of Sakta and Buddhist goddesses, and the sixth listed on the Wikipedia page. (I don't know if that's important.) Here, she is described as the 'self-decapitated Goddess.' ...
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Hondurean folklore name like "Sumadi" or "Sumati"?
A team of friends/colleagues from Honduras mentioned that they will name their project after a local legend, myth, or hero in Honduras / Central America.
They told me the name several times, but ...
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Is there a myth were Heracles chooses duty over pleasure?
Last year, I was handed a worksheet. It was an excerpt of an autobiography if I recall correctly.
One part I remember in particular involved Heracles, that he was given a choice between duty and ...
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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 ...
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Are there any myths that prove Athena was the favorite daughter of Zeus?
In Greek mythology, Athena is often said to be favourite child of Zeus.
The only proof that I know of is him gifting her his shield (Aegis).
But are there any other myths that provide proof for this ...
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Which tale has choice between two bowls, one of which contains a death sentence and the other a reward?
I have a vague recollection of a story involving an emperor asking the hero to choose between two bowls. If the hero picks the one covering a coin he will be rewarded, but if he picks the empty one he ...
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Looking for an obscure myth where Zeus kills one of Apollo's male lovers
I remember reading a myth as a child, but have not been able to find it again ever since.
It starts like a typical Apollo myth: Apollo has a young best friend/lover, and they are inseparable. Then ...
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Are there any Norse stories that feature trials to claim the throne?
I’m writing a story where the main character is the heir to a throne but has to pass 3 trials to actually claim the throne as hers.
Are there any trials that the Norse used in similar cases?
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Are there any homosexual gods?
I have recently came across Tu'er Shen, a Chinese deity who manages the love and sex between homosexual men. After reading about him, I am interested to find out if there are any homosexual gods(...
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Creatures known for excessive planning - demonic or evil favored
I'm looking for creatures that are mostly known for either acting very carefully planned or for providing well thought out plans to others. Specifically creatures that are demonic or otherwise of a ...
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How did the belief of "marrying" a deity emerge?
According to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Canaanite_religion#Cosmology and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_prostitution#Sacred_marriage, a deity would marry a city or a goddess would ...
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Where did the idea of the 'City in Bottle' Originate?
Where did the well known trope of a 'City in a Bottle', as associated with middle eastern mythology, originate?
It is referenced in modern culture (see the City in a Bottle Magic the Gathering Card, ...
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Is there a concept of a ‘realm of secrets’ in any mythology?
Especially concerned with things such as fate, death, tie, love, is there a metaphysical place that deals specifically with things that humans do not comprehend?
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