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Of whom was the Trojan Palladium supposed to be an image?
I've been studying book two of the Aeneid, in which Diomedes and Odysseus steal the Palladium from Troy.
My translation notes say that the Palladium was an image of Pallas, "whom the Greeks identified with Athene and the Romans with Minerva".…
Cataline
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Can succubus be loyal to her lover?
Like in the title can a succubus be loyal to her lover or it has to have sexual intercourse men?
Hegao
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Are there any good Jungian studies of Irish myth ( not generic 'Celtic')?
This kind of stuff is what I am interested in: Myths of Irishness: The Fomorian Connection.
Articles would be ideally the best.
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A mythical/legendary/demonic creature that steals talents or abilities
I swear I heard about this a long time ago but I can't remember it for the life of me (to the point that I am beginning to doubt if it exists). I faintly remember some type of monster that was able to mimic or outright steal the abilities of other…
SemperAmbroscus
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Why did Hercules murder his first wife?
I am speaking, of course, of the ill-fortuned Megara. (Literal answer is fine, although I'd welcome commentary and analysis. Ideally, links will come from Academic sources where possible.)
DukeZhou
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Cows as symbols of Wisdom
I just finished a very interesting article "Boand" river-goddess and rebel" that talks about the bovine origin of her name, and makes a good case for cows as a symbol of wisdom in Irish lore.
The article also references the Vedas, and my first…
DukeZhou
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Is it the Greek primordial deity Chaos male or female?
I want to know whether the Greek creator of the universe is a woman or man. I looked at many resources and each said one or the other.
Thanks in advance.
12944qwerty
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Characteristics, associations, or icons pertaining to Zoroastrian demons?
I'm working on an undergraduate term paper about the impact of the Achaemenid empire (so literature would have to be pretty old) on the development of Judeo-Christian demonology. I've found some lists of the major arch-demons in Zoroastrianism and…
bitter_rice
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Is Baba Yaga always the antagonist, or sometimes the protagonist?
I ask because I only know her from folktales, children's plays, and secondary sources, but the general impression I formed was of Baba Yaga as the protagonist. Is this incorrect or is she sometimes the hero of stories?
DukeZhou
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How could Heracles ensure the victory of the Olympians against the Titans if he was born mortal?
In ancient greek mythology, Heracles is the hero with the most adventures ever. There is, however, a temporal paradox between the different myths about him that bothers me a bit.
Heracles was born as a mortal son of Zeus. He has done a lot of…
Matt Cloudy-grid
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In what groups of twelve gods did Hebe, Helios, Selene, Eos, Eros and Persephone appear?
The following quote is from the Wikipedia article on the Twelve Olympians:
Hebe, Helios, Selene, Eos, Eros and Persephone are other important gods and goddesses who are sometimes included in a group of twelve. Eros is often depicted alongside the…
yannis
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Were events from the sagas or eddas ever used a precedents at medieval Althings?
The reason I ask is because Snorri, widely regarded as a genius of the first rank by those who know his work, was not only a great poet, but a lawyer and historian, and was twice elected lawspeaker.
DukeZhou
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Why are Dido and Cleopatra in the second circle of Hell?
Dante places Cleopatra and Dido in the second circle of Hell, on account of their lust.
However, both queens took their own lives. Shouldn't they be placed in the seventh circle, with the other suicides?
Girsan Virlee
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Is "The Secret of Roan Inish" derived from a specific myth?
In the wonderful John Sayles film The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), the director presents a touching tale of a family with selkie connections.
The film was based on the the novel Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry, by Rosalie K. Fry.
(Although the novel…
DukeZhou
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What is the origin of the Vanir?
There are two tribes of Norse gods, the Aesir and the Vanir. What is the origin of the Vanir? How are the Vanir distinct from the Aesir?
DukeZhou
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