17
votes
Odin's Counterpart
The key point here is Roman Syncretism. The romans believed the world was full of different gods, and they didn't presume to know about all of them, or to know everything about the ones they already ...
- 9,188
17
votes
Accepted
What is the Norse equivalent to the Great Flood?
The Norse flood myth is actually a flood of blood, created when Odin, Vili and Vé slew Ymir, the primeval ancestor of the jötnar. From Snorri's Prose Edda:
The sons of Bor slew the giant Ymer, but ...
- 7,786
16
votes
Accepted
What was the earliest werewolf myth?
There's a wolf transformation in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and as written texts go they don't come any earlier. Although in this case it was a spell cast upon him and he never had a chance to transform ...
- 428
16
votes
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Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
Taking a look at a few things here.
The word Yggdrasil itself firstly. "Ygg," means Death. "Drasil" is a Nordic term that has the dual meanings of both "gallows" and "horse." So Yggdrasil itself ...
- 427
13
votes
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Did the Sami affect Norse mythology?
Yes, both as figures in historical and semi-legendary stories, and possibly through borrowings of mythological themes and ideas.
History and semi-legendary material
First, let's note the actual ...
- 6,006
11
votes
Accepted
Which mythologies had demigods?
The word "Demigod" does not necessarily refer to the offspring of a god and a mortal. It's also used to refer to deified mortals, or even just minor deities.
Word choice aside, yes, the phenomenon ...
- 9,188
11
votes
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Who was the first Satan like deity/creature/person in mythology?
This is a complex question, and entire books have been written on it. The modern conception of Satan is a mixture of qualities arising from paganism (horns, etc.) but the conception of Satan as evil ...
- 14.1k
10
votes
Differences in the Greek and Roman portrayals of Cronos/Saturn
This is a more fascinating question than many might think at first glance.
Kronos is the Greek god and probably comes from Proto-Indo-European * gern- which meant germ or seed and yields the modern ...
10
votes
Accepted
Are there any epics featuring a female protagonist with less explored male characters?
Yes, several!
First, of the Greek world, we have the Catalogue of Women (sometimes called the Ehoiai). This is a debatable entry, as it lacks a strict narrative. Instead, it's the account of the ...
- 7,157
10
votes
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Mythologies with goddesses as the main deity?
Yes
I take this question to refer to the chief deity of the “day to day” pantheon. Many religions have primordial goddesses that are arguably older and more powerful than the deities that are the ...
- 1,249
10
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Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
It would be hard to know definitively if this was due Christian influence on Odin's narrative b/c we don't have pre-Christian textual sources for Odin's. (i.e. This material was first recorded about ...
- 14.1k
10
votes
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Is there a common theme of dragon meat being toxic?
I'm going to guess that the stories of toxicity of dragon meat is largely modern, as I can't think of stories from the traditional canons where this is a story element.
It may derive from the story ...
- 14.1k
10
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Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
It depends what you mean by "demi-god".
They are of somewhat divine origin, by most understandings of "sons of God" (ancient Hebrew sources identify them with angels of some description). They were ...
- 324
9
votes
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Are there any instances where non-Greco-Roman goddesses fall in love with mortals?
There are a couple that I could find.
Clídna, the Irish goddess/Fairy Queen, had an affair with Ciabhan, John Fitzjames, and Earl Gerald Fitzgerald, among others.1
Bai Mudan was worshiped as a ...
- 7,157
9
votes
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Is there any Norse mythological figure associated with victory?
No, none that is exclusively associated with victory.
The closest we get is probably Odin, who is said to be able to give victory in war. Note however, the Sigrdrífumál, with accompanying prose ...
- 6,006
8
votes
What would be an efficient data structure for cataloging deities?
I would use a graph.
Graphs (the data structure) allow interconnections between data in a flexible way, and given the often complex relationships depicted in various mythological traditions, I think ...
- 551
8
votes
How did the importance attached to the number seven originate?
I'd say the likeliest early source for the significance of the number 7 is the seven visible "planets" (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn).
There's textual evidence of systematic ...
- 134
8
votes
What is the connection between Asherah and the custom of Christmas Trees?
There is no historical connection.
The cultures that worshiped Asherah were mostly destroyed when the Babylonians invaded the kingdom of Judah and took a large portion of the populace as captives. ...
- 217
8
votes
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What are the differences between fauns and satyrs?
According to theoi, Satyrs are depicted as having:
the tail of a horse, assine ears, upturned pug noses, reclining hair-lines, and erect members.
Another group of 'rustic' spirits called the Panes ...
- 3,539
8
votes
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Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
How could they be related ? Anakim just means "sons of Anak".
It is just a race of giants, and there is nothing giving them godlike power or something.
Anunnaki, as I explained in another post, means ...
- 467
8
votes
Which gods have been killed in their myths?
The Irish god Donn was killed when his people, the Milesians, invaded Ireland and took it from the Tuatha de Danann. He then became the god of the dead, who lived on Bull Rock (Tech Duinn) off the ...
- 5,878
8
votes
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Why did Christians, who take a huge part of their Bible from Jews, not have to follow the same rules as Jews?
The relevance and applicability of the Mosaic Code to Christians, especially gentile Christians, is a vexed theological question that Paul addresses and tries to finesse in more than one of his ...
- 1,335
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How are Norse and Celtic mythology related?
How are Norse and Celtic mythology related? In a few different ways, I suppose.
Because they are the mythologies of similar human societies.
An example: the “Green Man” isn’t exclusively Celtic, ...
- 581
8
votes
Stories of children raised out of human society?
Enkidu, companion of Gilgamesh was definitely raised outside of human society
Essentially, he is a wild man that is tricked into losing his kinship with the wild beasts by laying with a woman.
...
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7
votes
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What is the difference between Igigi and Anunnaki deities?
If I remember well, they are 2 different classes of gods.
In this myth of the creation of the Human (saga of Atrahasis), It is said that Anunnaki deities were ruling in the heaven, it comes from the ...
- 467
7
votes
What are some examples of "Mothers of Monsters"?
A prime example of a mother of monsters from Greek mythology is Echidna:
Men say that Typhaon the terrible, outrageous and lawless, was joined in love to her, the maid with glancing eyes. So she ...
- 17k
7
votes
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Are there parallels between Ymir/Auðumbla and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox besides the obvious?
In a sense - but while Bunyan and Babe actively change the landscape, Ymir is chopped up by others (Odin & Co) to make the world. Both Bunyan and Ymir are associated with cold - PB with the "blue ...
- 5,878
7
votes
Accepted
Does every culture have a deluge myth?
Does every culture have some sort of deluge myth? Possibly, but it is impossible to say for sure. Major culture systems are a different matter. For example, if we combine all North American Indian ...
- 2,842
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