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Why does Horagalles have a nail on his head?
According to Wikipedia, the Sami thunder god Horagalles was depicted with a nail or spike on the head:
Idols of Horagalles are made of wood and have a nail or spike and a piece of flint in the head. He has a hammer called Wetschera, Aijeke…
yannis
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Is there any Norse mythological figure associated with victory?
Is there an equivalent in Norse mythology to the goddesses Nike of the Greeks or Victoria of the Romans?
Any god or mythological being in Norse cult associated mainly with victory?
Rodia
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Goods reads about Herakles/Hercules twelve labors?
I would like to read more about Herakles twelve labors.
I would like to know if there are any remaining work about it ?
I am looking for work dating from the Greek or Roman era.
Kevin Amiranoff
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What deities/creatures personify the universe in the aspect that it manifests as varied duplexity (that serve the same symbolic function as Yin/Yang)?
I'm looking for deities or mythological creatures that symbolize the universe in the aspect that it manifests as a duality (which is for example symbolized by the Yin/Yang), but as a fictional organism/spirit rather than a plain symbol, an example…
01AutoMonkey
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Is Ravana's true intent to be slain by Rama?
In the William Buck's English translation I recall a note left by Ravana indicating he was aware of his impending demise at the hands of Rama, and got the impression that being slain by Rama was something of an honor, possibly an enlightening…
DukeZhou
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Have runes ever been used to bring someone back to life?
In stanza 156 (or 157 depending on translation) of Hávamál, we learn that runes have the power to bring back the dead:
156.
A twelfth I know: if I see in a tree
a corpse from a halter hanging,
such spells I write, and paint in runes,
that…
yannis
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Why did Brynhild disobey Odin?
When Sigurd wakes up Brynhild, we learn that her imprisonment was the result of her defiance to Odin's command:
Then Brynhild speaks again and says, "Two kings fought, one hight Helm Gunnar, an old man, and the greatest of warriors, and Odin had…
yannis
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Why does Sigurd reveal himself to Fafnir?
Sigurd refuses to tell his name to the dying Fafnir:
So whenas Fafnir had his death-wound, he asked "Who art thou? And who is thy father? And what thy kin, that thou wert so hardy as to bear weapons against me?"
Sigurd answered, "Unknown to men is…
yannis
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How large were Norse dragons?
In chapter 10 of the Saga of the Völsungs, Regin is trying to convince Sigurd that Fafnir is an average size dragon:
"Young am I," says Sigurd, "yet know I the fashion of this worm, and how that none durst go against him, so huge and evil is…
yannis
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Suicide in the Sagas?
I was recently thinking about the suicides of Hedda Gabler and Miss Julie in relation to Sophocles' Ajax.
In all three plays, the main characters come from cultures based on honor/shame. (Gabler is the daughter of a General, and Julie, daughter of…
DukeZhou
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Virgin goddesses outside of the Greek and Roman traditions?
The Greeks and Romans seem to have had something of an obsession with virgin goddesses, which seems somewhat counter to pagan traditions in general. Who are some virgin goddesses not from Greek or Roman mythology?
DukeZhou
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4 answers
Examples of female agency in the Norse tradition
When I first read Grettir's Saga. I was impressed by his indomitability and that his foes had to use magic to weaken him in order to overcome him. To this end they employed a crone. (She enchants a log which floats to Drang Isle and Grettir's axe…
DukeZhou
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How is Wonder Woman related to the Amazons of Greek Mythology and Atlantis?
Does anyone have any real proof not from comics or movies that Diana of Themyscira is an actual figure from mythology? How does Atlantis relate to this?
For background, Diana of Themyscira is name of the modern superhero, Wonder Woman. In the…
user3327
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What is the significance of the very long time Völsung spent in the womb?
Völsung's mother carried him in her womb for six years:
Now no otherwise it goes with the queen's sickness than heretofore, nor may she be the lighter of her child, and six winters wore away with the sickness still heavy on her; so that at the last…
yannis
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Why does Odin favour Sigi at the beginning of the Saga of the Völsungs?
In the beginning of the Saga of the Völsungs, we learn of the senseless murder of the thrall Bredi at the hands of Sigi. Although Sigi is condemned and declared a "wolf in holy places" (an outlaw), Odin helps him attain warships and troops and he…
yannis
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