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1500 questions
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What was the oak branch of Dodona (within Argo) called?
This link makes it seems like it was referred to as "Koraki" but it seems like fan-fiction and I cannot validate using any of the accessible references.
Jedi
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Why was the Greek deity of warfare and wisdom (Athena) female, and how did the Greeks rationalize this?
While of course descending from a diverse cultural genealogy, Greek deities appear to have become consistent with what would have been familiar gender associations to the Greeks. This can especially be seen among the twelve Olympians, with one…
TheChymera
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4
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Are there mythological examples of a friendship between people who fundamentally disagree?
The ones I can think of may be a little silly (?) but:
Professor X and Magneto in X-Men.
Naruto and Sasuke (or to an extent their senseis Jiraya and Orochimaru) in the manga of the same name.
More generally, I'm interested in representation of a…
rahmu
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Identifying Greco-Roman Mythology reference in Krazy Kat Kartoon
Some months ago I answered a question over on the Literature SE. The question was about a Krazy Kat strip from 1936.
In the cartoon, Offisa Pupp takes a nap; he dreams that he meets Krazy and then catches Ignatz Mouse. Offisa Pupp and Ignatz start…
Spagirl
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4
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1 answer
What are the earliest and latest reference of black dog apparitions in folklore?
I'd like to know what is the earliest reference for Black Dogs such as Black Shuck, Hairy Jack, Barghest, etc. Is there anything before the 1577 Black Shuck of Blythburgh in worldwide folklore? And are there any recent "sightings" or articles…
Alex
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4
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Do the myths of Malayalam Onam, Egyptian Osiris Myth and Vietnamese Tet show cultural contacts?
Were there any contacts between the ancient Egyptian, Keralan (South Indian), and Vietnamese civilizations that may have been significant enough for these people to have borrowed elements from each other's mythos?
In Kerala (Malayalam), the most…
Jayadevan Vijayan
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4
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3 answers
Where did lizardmen come from?
Usually, fantasy creatures are easy to track back to mythology and folklore and there is only a handful I can't trace back. Of course, that can be because they're actually original, but oftentimes I feel like I've seen them before, and I can't grasp…
Mephistopheles
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4
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What was the Aztec religion's view of virginity?
This is a follow-up question to: "Why did druidesses vow perpetual virginity?"
What was the Aztec religion's view of virginity? Did they, like the Romans with their vestal virgins, view virginity as a sort of stored-up power upon which their…
Geremia
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4
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Did Sif (the Norse Goddess) ever become a Warrior in mythology?
In modern recreations of the character (e.g. in the Marvel Universe), Sif is depicted as a Warrior, usually of Justice*), generally associated with the aspect(s) of Justice. However, in the original mythology, Sif was known as the Goddess of the…
Ben
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4
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Why did Pittheus trick Aegeus?
The story of Theseus' birth has already been covered in this forum. My question is about Pittheus' motivation behind getting Aegeus drunk and offering him his daughter Aethra. In Euripedes' Medea, Aegeus describes Pittheus as 'closest of all my…
dwolfeu
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4
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2 answers
Does the cap of Hades keep one's accessories hidden?
In Greek mythology, Hades' magic cap or helmet renders its wearer invisible. The most famous user of this piece of equipment is Hades' nephew, the hero Perseus, while on his mission to slay the Gorgon Medusa.
For the mission, Perseus was outfitted…
Adinkra
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What does internet-transmitted folklore reveal about how we generate and spread folkore?
Even before the internet, information was being faithfully replicated through global communication networks like faxes. Then they replicated through email chains, and finally broke free of a specific application thanks to copy and paste…
TZubiri
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4
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2 answers
Where can I find a detailed description of the Akuma?
I've been trying to find information on the Akuma, the fire demon of Japanese folklore, for a manga I'm writing. But all of the sources I went to didn't provide enough detail. And I fear that without the knowledge I need, my depiction won't be as…
JeremiahTDK
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4
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Why was the Aztec god Xolotl associated with Venus?
I was reading about the Aztec god Xolotl and how he was associated with fire, lightning, and death. He was also, apparently, associated with Venus. If this is true, is there any particular reason why the Aztecs associated this particular god with…
Tyler Mc
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4
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Who or what is Vergil referring to when he mentions God/Divine Intelligence in the Georgics?
So, I'm reading the book IV of Virgil's Georgics and was puzzled by the "God" mentioned in the following lines (starting at line 219 of James Rhoades' translation)
Led by these tokens, and with such traits to guide,
Some say that unto bees a…
Othin
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