For questions about the names of people, creatures, deities and beings, and how they influence mythology.
Questions tagged [names]
22 questions
18
votes
3 answers
Did the word "fairies" originate after the creation of stories about fairies?
From Wiktionary: Fairy : Etymology
From Middle English fairie, from Old French faerie, the -erie abstract of fae, from Vulgar Latin Fāta (“goddess of fate”), from Latin fātum (“fate”)
This seems to indicate that 'fairies' is a term that was made…
Malady
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16
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Is there a deeper meaning to Utgard-Loki, Loki, and Logi?
In the myth of Utgard-Loki, Thor and friends visit the castle Utgard, where several beings have nearly identical names:
Utgard-Loki, a giant and the ruler of Utgard
Loki, an Aesir and the half-brother of Thor
Logi, another guest, the…
B. Szonye
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10
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1 answer
What were the original names of Mochdref, Mochtref, Mochnant and Mochtref?
In the fourth branch of the Mabinogion, Gwydion and company move through the areas surrounding the court of Dryfed after receiving pigs from Pryderi:
That night they made it as far as the uplands of Ceredigion - and the place [where they stopped]…
HDE 226868
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8
votes
1 answer
A monster made of many insects
The concept of a monster that presents as a single entity, but is composed of a multitude of worms, bugs, or insects can be found in many media. Examples of this type of monster include The Nightmare Before Christmas's Oogie Boogie, Buffy the…
jdobres
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8
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2 answers
Which cultures have the concept of a "true" or "secret name?"
A true name, to my limited understanding, is a concept of a name(s)/phrase specific to one person/being that gives the speaker power over the person the true name belongs to. It is a semi-popular concept in media, but not often used. I was wonder…
Andrew Johnson
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8
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2 answers
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 26:24 by explaining that his name was really Yov but…
Reb Chaim HaQoton
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7
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1 answer
Why was one of the Hecatoncheires known by a different name by men and the gods?
It is said in the Iliad that one of the Hundred Handers was known by two names, one for the gods to call him and one for men to call him. His name by the gods was Briareus but men called him Aegaeon.
Why was he the only one of the three to have…
Andrew Johnson
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7
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1 answer
Hoenir in Tolkien's writing
The Norse god Hoenir is very confused from what I can tell, but my question is about his mention in the book The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien. In I.1, he writes
at [Odin's] right Hoenir
roamed beside him.
This is fairly…
auden
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6
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1 answer
Are there any other deities whose name is a declension of the verb "to be"?
Are there other examples of deity names in various traditions that are etymologically cognate with the concept of existence or the verb "to be," similar to the way the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in Hebrew is linked to the root meaning "is/was/will be/to…
Reb Chaim HaQoton
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5
votes
1 answer
Is there any evidence of a Jewish demon named Khoyzek?
The Yiddish term khoyzek refers a "mockery" of something else. According to Dov Sadan (cited here) this word derives from Khoyzek a demon in Jewish folklore. I looked high and low and could not find any evidence of a demon name Khoyzek in any Jewish…
Reb Chaim HaQoton
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5
votes
4 answers
Why did the Romans name the planets after their gods?
Why did the Romans name the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn after their gods? Or did they consider these planets those gods?
Geremia
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5
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1 answer
How many Ancient Greek names got their English names from French or nativised in English?
The majority of Ancient Greek people (be it mythological or real) or places got their English names from their Latinized Greek names (Uranus, Achilles, etc.), except for a select few that got their names from French or nativised in English instead.…
Vun-Hugh Vaw
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5
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2 answers
Is Phoebus an alternate name for Apollo or is a description of Apollo?
Is Phoebus an alternate name for Apollo or is a description of Apollo?
In other words, I want to know if Phoebus is a name or simply a common noun that means "light" or "brightness". There was also a Greek Titaness named Phoebe who was also related…
Reb Chaim HaQoton
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3
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1 answer
What is the origin of the akhlut's name?
The akhlut is a creature from Inuit myth, a monstrous wolf that can take the shape of an orca. However, I haven't been able to find this word in any reliable Inuktitut dictionaries (looking for akhlut, akłut, or ak&ut—since ł is hard to type on…
Draconis
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Why does the witch invoke "Zachiel" in "Jorinde and Joringel"?
In the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale "Jorinde and Joringel", the witch who has captured Jorinde and Joringel seems to cast a magic spell, as seen in the following excerpt:
Joringel could neither speak nor move from the spot; the nightingale
was gone.…
40EridaniB
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