Questions tagged [history]
For questions about the place of mythology in history, as opposed to potentially fictional mythological accounts of history.
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Was there a god called Tyrimnas or Tyrimnos worshipped at Thyatira?
I've seen a few Christian sources (such as this one) mentioning a god called Tyrimnos (I've also seen it spelled Tyrimnas) that was worshiped at Thyatira, but I have not been able to find any ...
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Oldest provable myth or legend
What is the oldest myth or legend which is known to mankind?
It's rather simple to determine the age of physical objects, be that pieces of everyday objects, but also written documents. These latter ...
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Is there any documentation of the use of scientific knowledge or technology in pagan temples?
One of the great rabbinic scholars from the Geonic period, Rabbi Hai Gaon (939-1038 CE) wrote a responsum wherein he mentions as something "well-known" that that idolatrous temples would set ...
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Was early Judaism polytheistic?
Was early Judaism polytheistic, and were "angels" originaly minor gods? It is supposedly one of the points argued for in the book "Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan". ...
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Is there any evidence of the Ancient Greeks worshipping Zeus's daughter Helen?
Is there any evidence of the Ancient Greeks worshipping Zeus's daughter Helen? For example, did they build any shrines in her honor or did they offer sacrifices to her?
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Why Mahabharata or Ramayana did not considered as earlier civilisation than IVC?
As we all know IVC is the first civilisation in India between 3300 to 1300 BCE. But Mahabharata and Ramayana should dated before this period based on Yuga cycle. Then we haven’t considered these are ...
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Is the practise of standing on stones at election consigned to mythology and folklore?
Humblus
I was reading up about legendary Danish kings when I came across a character named Humblus and a rather sensational claim is made at the bottom of the article, and that claim is that political ...
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Was the Grim Reaper originally depicted with a scythe or a sickle?
Was the Grim Reaper originally depicted with a scythe or a sickle? I have seen both versions of the Angel of Death's weapon and was wondering which one is considered the older, more original version.
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Is there any historical documentation about witches using windows for divination?
Is there any historical documentation about witches using windows for divination?
I have seen some rabbinic scholars (like Alshich, Albo, Abarbanel, and Saba) ntrepret the Biblical passages concerning ...
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Refraining from whistling while out at sea
A friend who served in the IDF Navy told me that some soldiers there believed it was bad luck to whistle while at sea, because it might infuriate Neptune. Supposedly it was like whistling at his wife ...
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What does Rome, Conquerors & Titans have in common?
I think something with Heracles, but I am unsure.
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Way to measure the probability a story evolving in a given culture
I am wondering if there exists a way to get a numerical estimate of the probability of whether or not a given society will evolve a story with certain characteristics within a certain amount of time. ...
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Do any ancient sources describe Set as a mortal? And could Set be Sekhen?
Set
Set /sɛt/ or Seth /sɛθ/ (Egyptian: stẖ;[a]) is a god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion.1 In Ancient Greek, the god's name is given as Sēth (Σήθ). ...
user7122
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Was the historical Hyksos account, the real story behind the biblical exodus narrative?
Hyksos
The Hyksos (/ˈhɪksɒs/; Egyptian ḥqꜣ(w)-ḫꜣswt, Egyptological pronunciation: hekau khasut,[4] "ruler(s) of foreign lands"; Ancient Greek: Ὑκσώς, Ὑξώς) were people of probable Levantine ...
user7122
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Was Eannatum, the real historical figure that was characterised as Adam, in the Garden of Eden narrative?
Eannatum
Eannatum (Sumerian: 𒂍𒀭𒈾𒁺 É.AN.NA-tum2) was a Sumerian Ensi (ruler or king) of Lagash circa 2500–2400 BCE. He established one of the first verifiable empires in history: he subdued Elam ...
user7122