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Where did Morgana le Fay come from?
Where did Morgana le Fay come from? From where did she get her power?
As the primary antagonist of many Arthurian legends, it always seems to me that she's just there because she's always been there, she has so much power; but no one else (except…
durron597
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According to the Vulgate Cycle, can the Holy Grail ever re-appear in Britain?
As written on timelessmyths.com's page on the Vulgate Cycle,
The Quest of the Holy Grail introduced the new Grail hero: Galahad, the son of Lancelot and Elaine, daughter of King Pelles. Galahad with his two companions, Sir Perceval and Sir Bors…
HDE 226868
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When did Hades leave the Underworld?
Although an Olympian, Hades preferred the Underworld and rarely left his kingdom.
As seen in my source, Hades loved being in his "beloved" Underworld rather than being in the outside world and Olympus, like all other gods. Yet it says that Hades…
Anthony Pham
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Pre-Tolkien Orcs in myths or folklore?
So what I'm trying to understand is what exactly pre-Tolkien orcs were like in regards to folklore. I understand that Tolkien has had a massive influence on how we conceptualize many creatures from different myths such as dragons, wargs, and…
johnna_nyet
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Status of Euhemerus theory on Zeus
Euhemerus (4th Century BC) is famous for his attempt to interpret myths as deformed historical events. In particular he thought that Zeus was originally a Cretan king whose tomb could be found in Crete. This theory was followed by a few of his…
plannapus
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Has the mind's eye always been seen as residing in the head?
Our modern representations of imagination usually involve things being emitted from or contained within our heads. (Thought bubbles, for example, and the many pieces of "imagination" clip-art where things are exploding out the back of people's…
Display Name
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How were eclipses explained in Egyptian mythology?
Eclipses were probably one of the phenomena that puzzled the ancient people. How was it explained in Egyptian mythology, and were there any gods connected with it (like thunder is connected to Zeus)?
anon
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What kind of distinctive clothing depicted Sumerian gods?
Was there any distinctive clothing which depicted Sumerian gods (Anunnaki) and their ranks? Like wearing helmets with horns?
Few examples:
cylinder seal VA/243
Akkadian Cylinder Seal of Adda (c. 2250 B.C.) with, left to right, Ninurta, Ishtar,…
kenorb
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Does Hel have a role in Ragnarok?
During Ragnarok, Fenrir the wolf kills Odin and is then killed by Vidar. The Midgard Serpent Jormungandand and Thor kill each other.
What role does Hel, Loki's other child by Angrboda, play?
Girsan Virlee
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14
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What is the significance of gods eating offspring in Greek mythology?
In Greek mythology Cronus ate his children. After he dies Zeus eats Metis, while she is pregnant with Athena. What is it with gods eating their children?
Young Guilo
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Why did Heracles transform into a fawn, during the gods flight to Egypt?
In some tellings of Typhon's revolt, the gods take animal forms and flee to Egypt in panic. The version in the Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis references Nicander of Colophon and explicitly mentions the animals each god transformed into:
[28.…
yannis
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Why did Tāne marry his own daughter?
In Maori mythology, the progenitor of humanity was Tāne, a child of Father Sky and Mother Earth. In the more popular version of the tale, Tāne - desiring a mate - created the first woman using the soil of Kurawaka. Her name is Hineahuone, and…
Semaphore
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What is the symbolism behind Psyche's tasks?
The taskmaster in the story of Cupid and Psyche was Cupid's mother, the love goddess Venus or Aphrodite. Venus had never liked Psyche, so the opportunity of putting her to a series of tests gave Venus a chance to demand the seemingly impossible. In…
Hanilucas
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Does Baba Yaga ever desire the heart of Koschei the Deathless?
I've been re-reading Fables and Reflections, the sixth volume of The Sandman, and in the story title "The Hunt", I stumbled upon the following dialogue:
The story is full of Slavic folk lore, being told by a Slavic immigrant. Vassily, the man on…
Gallifreyan
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Why didn’t Zeus withhold fire from humans the second time?
It looks like Zeus punished Prometheus for stealing fire for humans, but that he then did nothing to take that fire away. While Prometheus was hanging on the rock, humans still possessed fire.
Was this because Zeus did not want to withhold fire from…
h22
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