Newest Questions
2,102 questions
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How many years did Eusebius say Heracles' Olympic Games were before the first Olympiad?
The English translation of the Armenian version of Eusebius' Chronicle (original Greek lost) says:
Many writers state that 459 years elapsed between the institution of
the games by Heracles the son ...
- 586
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How did Banshees go from wailing fairy women to evil ghosts attacking people with screams?
In old Irish stories, Banshees were fairies who would wail when a member of a household died or was about to die. An ill omen, but not considered evil. In modern media, the interpretation of Banshees ...
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Is a basilisk born from a rooster's egg or a snake's egg?
I have been doing some personal research on the basilisk, and I have seen it claimed on some of the not-terribly-reliable places of the internet that a basilisk is born from serpent's or toad's egg ...
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Can someone explain the story of shikhandi to me?
I know the story of Amba and why she wanted revenge on bhisma pitamha. And she died took rebirth. Then all I know is someone named shikhandi was responsible who was actually amba reincarnated for the ...
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I imagine the Iliad's original Greek audience cheering for the Greeks to conquer Troy. Would they still feel this after Hector & Andromache in Book 6?
I assume original Ancient Greek audiences for Homer's Iliad were mostly proud of their ancestors' legendary victory in the Trojan War, admired Achilles, Odysseus and the warriors inside the Wooden ...
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Why are Melinoe and Hel so similar?
Why is it that Melinoe the Greek Goddess of ghost and madness, and Hel Norse Goddess of death so similar? Both are split in half, Melinoe being half black, half white. Hel being half beautiful, and ...
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Did Indra, Zeus, Thor and Jupiter killed a giant snake like demon?
Abhijit chavda claims in this video
in ancient mythology Indra, Zeus, Thor, Jupiter. All these gods killed a giant snake like demon. He claims Indra killed a snake demon named Vritra.
It could maybe ...
user15009
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Bodily duality in Levantine mythology
The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin 39a relates:
"A certain magus (Zoroastrian clergyman) said to [the Jewish sage] Ameimar: From your midpoint and up is in the domain of Hormiz [the god ...
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What's the meaning behind "Riðill"?
The Wikipedia article for the Norse Mythology sword Riðill doesn't mention a meaning for the sword's name, nor does anywhere else, unlike the article for similar sword Gram, which means "wrath&...
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Meaning of Apollo's Epithet "Komaios"?
In the Thracian city of Philippi (originally called Krenides) and the nearby island of Thasos, there was a version of Apollo called "Apollo Komaios." Some think this means "Apollo of ...
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Why is Anubis the brother of Bata in "The Tale of Two Brothers"?
I have learned about the Tale of Two Brothers, but what I don't get is: Why Anubis? The folklore has nothing do with Anubis at all. There is nothing in it bearing any resemblance to him nor even any ...
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Port of Hercules in Tropea?
Pliny the Elder writes:
Situated upon a peninsula is the river Acheron, from which the people
of Acherontia derive the name of their town; then Hippo, now called
Vibo Valentia, the Port of Hercules, ...
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Is there a mythology with a god associated with both war and music?
Are there any gods associated with both war and music?
Google said Apollo, but looking further it seems he is not associated with war at all.
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Mythology or folklore about the ability of reasoning and the will to use it
Once, somehow (deleted somewhat lengthy explanation about how as suggested by @MardukTrimegistus ) the idea found me that there is a difference between the ability to reason, and the will to do it.
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Recommendations on good surveys of prehistoric/ancient religions
I'm looking for a book (or perhaps research paper) that gives a good survey of religion in prehistoric (i.e. hunter-gatherer) and early agricultural societies (in particular, how these religions ...
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