All Questions
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What are good sources to introduce people to mythology?
I would like to learn more about mythology, but I'm unsure where to start. Could anyone recommend some good websites or books for me to take a look at?
Related meta discussion: Helping users with ...
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What is the meaning of Hercules' self-immolation?
Per my previous question, we've established that Heracles' had committed suicide of the pain of poison.
The idea that the poison will kill him, however, is not universal. The Heracles of the ...
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When and how did the Greek mythos transfer to the Romans?
It seems that there are a great many similarities between Roman and Greek Mythology. In fact, many people consider them synonymous and only really differ in the names. For example:
Greek ⇄ Roman
Zeus ...
user93
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Where did the Roman gods live?
The ancient Greek gods lived on the famous Mount Olympus, which is an actual mountain in Greece.
The Romans borrowed quite a bit of mythology from the Greeks, so I at first assumed that the Roman ...
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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
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Was Loki originally a fire god?
A number of sources claim Loki to have originally been a fire god of some description. This, for instance:
Loki was originally a fire deity before he became more closely associated with the ...
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26
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1
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What differences were there in Greek soldiers worship of Ares and Roman soldiers worship of Mars?
I am looking for a comparison/contrast of war gods. (Feel free to mention other deities in your answer if they are relevant or helpful in explaining)
Considering their direct linkage I am curious to ...
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What exactly did Apollo do with respect to the Sun?
My understanding is that Helios (a Titan) was actually the one who drove the Sun Chariot across the sky every day. But why, then, was Apollo the god of the Sun?
Am I correct in this understanding? ...
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11
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How does one search for patterns/motifs in folklore or mythology?
I'm currently attempting to research how often a specific type of story (i.e. a motif) occurs in the global corpus of folklore (mythology). For instance, I might be interested in whether there are ...
user62
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Do dragon myths share a common origin?
We can see ancient references to dragon-like creatures in European, Asian and also many other civilizations.
Did these civilizations come up with the concept of dragons independently and just ...
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How could Heracles ensure the victory of the Olympians against the Titans if he was born mortal?
In ancient greek mythology, Heracles is the hero with the most adventures ever. There is, however, a temporal paradox between the different myths about him that bothers me a bit.
Heracles was born ...
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Why were there exactly 12 main Olympian Gods?
Did the ancient Greeks believe that the number 12 symbolized everything? Was it random that there were 12 Olympian gods and no more (or less)?
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What is the earliest known dragon myth?
The myth of dragons can be found in many different traditions, with the major two being the European dragon and the Chinese dragon.
"There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the ...
- 888
36
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Why was it a good thing that hope remained in Pandora's box?
One thing has always confused me about the story of Pandora. When she opened her box (or jar, whatever), all sorts of evil things escaped outside the box, and this is why we have evil in the world now....
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