13
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Where does the idea that dragons hoard gold come from?
The Colchian dragon isn't the only dragon protecting treasure in Greek mythology. A couple more examples:
Ladon guarded the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides,
Python guarded the centre ...
- 17.1k
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 ...
- 14.2k
11
votes
Accepted
What is the oldest known religious song/chant?
Religious song is likely as old as religion or song. The Standard of Ur dated to the 26th century BCE, shows someone playing a harp:
.
(Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain, my highlighting).
...
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9
votes
What are the origins of the snowman?
Bob Eckstein is the author of a the book The History of the Snowman. In the book, he says that the first documentation of a snowman that he found was in 1380 in an illuminated manuscript, where he ...
- 2,863
9
votes
What are the origins of the snowman?
Snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular ...
- 1,273
8
votes
Accepted
What mythology is the story of Alduin The World Eater and The Dragonborn (as seen in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) based on?
Elder Scrolls Lore
This passage is for people wanting to know a little bit about Skyrim lore.
Skyrim is the 5th official game in the Elder Scrolls series (I do not count the other games and spin-off ...
- 3,512
8
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Are there any old religions/mythologies where people would get tattood to get closer to or for their god?
The Maori and their tattoos, the Ta Moko and Kiri Tuhi
I'll start by saying that the Ta Moko is well represented of course in the Maori folklore and traditions.
For the mythology:
The legend of ...
- 615
7
votes
Why is salt used to get rid of ghosts and keep out demons?
Salt is a preservative. The Tarim Mummies were preserved in salt for 4000 years. If you pack meat in salt it will not rot. (Because it sucks all the water out and kills any bacteria. Water is ...
- 144
7
votes
What is the origin of the centaurs?
Centaurs are borne from a cloud nymph named Nemphele and the Lapith king Ixion.
The story goes like this:
Ixion is a terrible person, and deceitfully invites some poor dude to a "banquet" where he ...
- 6,718
7
votes
What is the earliest ghost story we know of?
Pliny the Younger tells the story of a haunted house in Athens, featuring the stoic Athenodorus Cananites, in his letter to Sura:
Now the following story, which I am going to tell you just as I heard ...
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7
votes
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How were trolls created in Norse mythology?
Well, it depends. A big problem here is that the sources are not entirely clear on the classification of different non-humans. Thus, what in modern minds (perhaps influenced by role playing games) are ...
- 6,037
7
votes
Accepted
Character that created themself?
This might be a lot more common than you'd think. Many examples come from creation myths, perhaps because having a creator at all begs the obvious question, "who created the creator?" One solution is ...
- 7,877
7
votes
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What is the connection between Poseidon and horses?
I can't find a classical source for this, but from what I understand it's related to the myth of the founding of Athens and the competition Poseidon had with Athena over who would be the city's patron....
- 486
6
votes
Why can't vampires walk in the sun?
We should perhaps first note that vampires are hardly the only creatures that can not stand sunlight; it is a common attribute among mystical creatures that they only appear at night, and that some of ...
- 6,037
6
votes
What is the origin of the story that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole?
Complicated
Well, it definitely doesn't claim to be folklore at all, it was just in a book by Thomas Nast.
(Linked full size image is over 7 MiB; Wikimedia Commons page; image is in the public domain)...
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6
votes
What is the inspiration behind the dark forest in Dante?
The metaphor was (probably) inspired partly by Medieval literature (courtly or theological) and partly by Virgil's works, for example the "Georgics" that, in part, discusses the myth of Orpheus, who ...
- 161
6
votes
Why do we call the pentagram a "star"?
This turned out to be interesting - thanks for the question.
Wiktionary - Etymology
From Middle English sterre, from Old English steorra (“star”), from Proto-Germanic *sternô, *sternǭ (“star”), from ...
- 719
6
votes
Is it possible that the Heracles myths are a compilation of stories from multiple cultures?
Absolutely. I can think of at least three separate strands in the development of Heracles/Hercules:
Walter Burkert mentions in his book "Greek Religion" that Heracles at least partially ...
- 176
6
votes
Who was the first Satan like deity/creature/person in mythology?
As @Codosaur Pointed out, Satan is a character that rises up against the supreme deity of the mythology. I would add that in the Christian religion, he comes by many names I'll start a list here and ...
6
votes
Where does the idea of counting crows come from?
I did some quick searching and found this page recounting a British nursery rhyme, with the oldest version accounted to be:
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a funeral
And four for ...
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6
votes
Accepted
Are there any hunter gatherer gods?
According to Wikipedia We Homo sapiens were Hunter-Gatherers some 0.2 million or 200,000 years ago
But this trait was even previously employed by Homo erectus some 1.8 million years ago. By ...
- 271
6
votes
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The unreadable book: Voynich manuscript?
Since the V.M. has been extensively studied, as far as its physical properties go, I don't think much can be said for "mythical origins" of the book. It's known to be old and most likely made in ...
- 623
6
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of the Grim Reaper?
One obvious reference for the iconography is Cronus, god of the harvest, depicted with a sickle, and later with a scythe:
Forthwith she made the element of grey flint and shaped a great sickle, and ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
In Abrahamic religions, what is the origin of angels?
There is no specific myth of the origin of angels in mainstream Christianity or Judaism, but more apocryphal stuff abounds. The closest you'll get in the Bible proper is Psalm 148, where Yahweh ...
cmw♦
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5
votes
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The Origin of Werewolf: Deities Cursing People into Animals?
A possible candidate for the story you have in mind is the legend of Lycaon:
In Greek mythology, Lycaon (/laɪˈkeɪɒn/; Greek: Λυκάων) was a king of Arcadia, son of Pelasgus and Meliboea, who, in the ...
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5
votes
Where did the various artistic depictions of the Chimera originate?
Theoi to save the day!
The two earliest Greek works both attest to its general composition:
Homer, Iliad 6. 179 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :
"First he [King Iobates of Lykia (...
cmw♦
- 7,401
5
votes
Accepted
Why do we "trick or treat" on Halloween?
As I briefly mentioned in my answer on your other question, this too comes from the traditions of old.
Performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which ...
- 1,273
5
votes
Origin of "horses that instinctively open a vein with their teeth in order to breathe more freely"
Here is the original Goethe text: http://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/goethe_werther02_1774?p=24
Man erzaͤhlt von einer edlen Art Pferde, die, wenn ſie ſchroͤklich erhizt und aufgejagt ſind,...
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