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1500 questions
16
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2 answers
Why was the Minotaur enclosed in a labyrinth and not in jail of some sort?
Is there a specific reason the Minotaur was kept in a labyrinth instead of a normal jail?
If not mentioned in the original writings, are there any speculations as to why go through the trouble of making a labyrinth?
smurf
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16
votes
2 answers
What is the River Styx?
The River Styx is mentioned quite a lot when a Greek hero meets his demise.
However is this really a body of water in Hades?
Is it made out of something else?
What is the River Styx?
Young Guilo
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16
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2 answers
Why is it so bad to be born in the Year of the Fire Horse?
Japan's birth rate dropped precipitiously in 1966, only to recover completely in 1967.
This is apparently because 1966 was the "Year of the Fire Horse" - that is, in the 60-year zodiacal cycle you get by crossing the twelve zodiac animals with the…
senshin
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16
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2 answers
How many gods were there in olympus?
Ares and Athena are both gods of war.
About Athena:
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, strength, war strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill in ancient Greek religion and…
anon
16
votes
1 answer
What is the meaning of the half burning tree in the Mabinogion?
In the story Peredur the Son of Evrawc (part of the Mabinogion), Peredur encounters:
And he saw a tall tree by the side of the river, one half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other half was green and in full leaf.
(This…
user62
16
votes
1 answer
Did Jörmungandr and Fenrir have any relationship/interaction aside from sharing a father?
Both Jörmungandr and Fenrir are Loki's children and are mentioned in connection to Ragnarok.
But do they as beings have any sort of relationship/interaction between each other mentioned in any of the sources?
DVK
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16
votes
4 answers
Why does Ishtar go to the underworld?
In the short story Descent of the Goddess Ishtar into the Lower World, Ishtar travels to the underworld, and then returns.
To the land of no return, the land of darkness,
Ishtar, the daughter
of Sin directed her thought,
...
Ishtar on…
user62
16
votes
1 answer
In Leviticus, who or what is Azazel?
In Leviticus 16.8-10, there is a reference to Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל):
חוְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם גֹּרָלוֹת גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַיהֹוָה וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל:
טוְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַשָּׂעִיר אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַיהוָֹה…
durron597
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16
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2 answers
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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16
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2 answers
Why were the Greek Gods on Olympus?
It's a well known fact that the Greek Gods resided in the fabled mountain of Olympus. However most mythology was created based on factual stories that have been twisted or altered. Why is Mount Olympus so important to the Greeks that the Gods would…
Young Guilo
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16
votes
1 answer
In what Native American myth does the Sun stand still?
In this answer, I saw this in a quote-in-a-quote:
during the Third Age [equivalent to the Age in which the Popol Vuh places the invention of shooting out such magical darts], the sun stood still for one full day without moving from its place; -…
El'endia Starman
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16
votes
1 answer
Role of the North Star in arctic mythologies
In his 1907 essay on Chukchi mythology, Bogoraz describe their cosmogony as follows:
According to the cosmogonical beliefs of the Chukchee, there are several worlds situated one above another, in such a manner that the ground of one forms the sky…
plannapus
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16
votes
1 answer
Which cities had chthonic Zeus cults?
The Wikipedia article on Zeus tells us (emphasis mine):
Although etymology indicates that Zeus was originally a sky god, many Greek cities honored a local Zeus who lived underground. Athenians and Sicilians honored Zeus Meilichios ("kindly" or…
yannis
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16
votes
1 answer
Does Iroquois legend tell where the Sky People came from?
The Iroquois creation myth tells of Sky people that lived in the Sky World.
From firstpeople.us:
In the beginning, the world was not as we know it now. It was a water
world inhabited only by animals and creatures of the air who could
survive…
David Stratton
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16
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1 answer
How are the two humans selected to repopulate the world after Ragnarök?
According to Norse Mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events that means great disasters for the world and the end of many important and powerful gods:
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle…
Anthony Pham
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