Questions tagged [origins]
For questions about the mythology and folklore behind the creation or existence of a being, object or idea.
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One day blinding stew - fact or fiction
I’ve been hearing a little chat about a ‘one-day blinding stew’ which purportedly causes temporary blindness. Details seem predictably hard to come by although I’ve heard rumours (verbally, can’t ...
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Need help identifying a specific prophetic or cursed book of unknown origin
My mum recently told me about a book that her own mother (my grandmother) mentioned to her when she was a child. Neither of them actually had a physical copy of the book, but I'd like to know if ...
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Where did the ancient (the ones who fought the Trojans) Greeks believe the world to be?
Atlas holds up the world on his shoulders. On what does he stand?
I've heard the ancients depicted the world being supported by 4 elephants which were standing on the back of a turtle. I'm not sure ...
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Mythology of Crete
Are there any mythological beings that are Cretan ,and not Greek .For example the minotaur is set in Crete but a Greek story .Are there any pure Cretan legends or Myths .
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Were Cambions originally the demon offspring of a Succubus and Incubus?
The earliest evidenced appearance of the word "cambion" in the sense of an offspring of two demons is in the 1818 French-Language Dictionnaire Infernal. The 1825 edition of that book has the ...
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Folkloric Origins of the Ghost Rider
Marvel's Ghost Rider character always reminded me of tales of the headless horseman for intuitive reasons I was not able to explain, so I always wondered whether there is a connection between this ...
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What is the origin of fortune-telling cards with faces divided into four triangles, which were known in Russia in 1850?
In her book Reading Russian Fortunes (Cambridge University Press, 1998), Faith Wigzell refers (p.33) to a type of fortune-telling card deck that reached Russia in 1850, ascribed to Marie Anne ...
user1637
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Prior to the 1800s are there any examples of a (preferably mortal) being described as possessing telekinetic abilities in the modern sense?
For the purposes of this question, by telekinesis I mean the generalized ability to pick up and move most objects at will, not the ability to move a particular object under specific circumstances (...
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Ancient prophecies involving alcohol?
Are there any ancient prophecies involving alcohol?
I asked this question on Beer, Wine & Spirits SE some two years ago and have not received an answer: Prophecies involving alcohol?
When we read ...
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Are there any references in mythology/folklore to a concept similar to teleportation?
The earliest mention of teleportation that I can find is a mention of "matter transfer" in 1877, but I'm wondering if there's a concept similar to it in folklore. I found something about ...
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The Phoenician Months MTN and P'LT
I'm doing some research into the names of the months in the Phoenician calendar. I have a theory that all but three of the names have ties to the Phoenician pagan practices, but don't have evidence ...
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Is there any folklore in non-European culture that may be an attempt to "explain" similar to changeling myths in Western Europe and Scandinavia?
It has been suggested by some authors that stories of changelings in Scandinavia and western Europe are an attempt by ancient peoples used to try and explain developmental abnormalities in children, ...
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Need help identifying creature or character
I need help to find the creature or character or tale or whatever linked to the following description:
Have a connection:
With dreams, like maybe as a bridge.
With secrets or maybe contracts? Or the ...
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what was the reason for rape in greek myths and culture
Is the reason gods assaulted women because of Eros?
Did gods and mortals alike blame Eros for their act of "passion"?
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What is the origin of a common Christmas tree quotation concerning an old Babylonish fable about an evergreen tree?
Searching for "evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump" gets nearly 3000 hits.
The Seed of the Woman and the Power of Darkness - Donbor Syiemlieh - Google Books is an example:
&...
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