All Questions
2,053
questions
41
votes
6
answers
100k
views
Are Excalibur and Caliburn different swords?
Arthurian legend features swords called "Excalibur" and "Caliburn". It is not clear to me whether these two swords are the same entity (at minimum, the names are clearly cognate), or whether they ...
- 2,972
34
votes
3
answers
38k
views
23
votes
1
answer
780
views
Were any Buddhist narratives ever folded into the myths of the Greeks, or vice versa?
The cultural exchange between the Greeks (under Alexander, at first) and the Buddhists of northwestern India is known to have had impacts on both parties. I'm aware of some theological influences, at ...
- 2,972
28
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are there any myths we can plausibly trace back to a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor?
It is well-known today that many peoples trace their origin back to a group of people known as the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who probably lived c. 4000 BCE. Among them are some of the most mythologically-...
- 2,972
19
votes
1
answer
249
views
Do we know of the existence of Japanese mythological texts that predate the Kojiki?
The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) is the oldest surviving work of Japanese mythology (and, indeed, the oldest surviving work in the Japanese language, period), and as I understand it, much of our ...
- 2,972
24
votes
5
answers
4k
views
How were djinn traditionally depicted in pre-Islamic Arabic myth?
Today, many people are aware of "genies" as beings from Arabic myth, mostly thanks to Disney's Aladdin. Other works of fantasy have often co-opted djinn as creatures in their worlds.
But Disney's ...
- 2,972
43
votes
3
answers
102k
views
What is the difference between a God and a Titan?
In Greek mythology, the words "Titan" and "God" seem to be used interchangeably. For example, Zeus is a God, but Cronus (his father) was a Titan. So what is the difference between a Titan and a God in ...
- 541
34
votes
7
answers
78k
views
How was it decided which warriors would go to Fólkvangr and which to Valhalla?
I have read numerous times that some Norse warriors, upon death, would go in Fólkvangr, while some others would go to Valhalla. How was it decided which warrior would go to which place? Why did the ...
anon
12
votes
2
answers
23k
views
Did Zeus have any male lovers?
Many of the Greek gods were bisexual. Did Zeus have any male lovers?
user28
27
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Was the Minotaur a single being, or a race?
In the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, we know that the Minotaur dwelled at the center of the maze built by Daedalus. However, the creature itself (part man, part bull) doesn't appear to show up ...
- 2,483
26
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Did the Gods and Goddesses in Norse mythology act as patron gods?
I know in mythologies such as Greek mythology, gods and goddesses would act as patrons. For example, Athena was the patron goddess of Athens. Did the gods and goddesses in Norse mythology have any ...
- 619
23
votes
1
answer
570
views
Did the Greeks build temples for all of the children of Cronus?
I know that the Ancient Greeks built temples for a lot of the children of Cronus, such as the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera. Were temples built for all of the children of Cronus, or were they ...
- 619
22
votes
1
answer
186
views
Where can I find the earliest literary compendium for the Greek Pantheon?
I know that much of Greek mythology was passed on by word of mouth but someone must have been the first to collect this in one source. What was that Compendium and is there a version available in ...
- 436