Mythos has become almost synonymous with any elaborate fictional creation too, such as the Cthulhu Mythos, so you can refer to those as well if you want to
Mythical beings
- Thread starter Kyriakos
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Mythos has become almost synonymous with any elaborate fictional creation too, such as the Cthulhu Mythos, so you can refer to those as well if you want to
Mega biblion, mega kakon (A big book is a great evil)
I have read recently some philosophical wiew of Perseus-Andromeda myth where this legend serves as a symbol of the defeat of the unregenerate barbaric forces and the triumph of intelletual evolution.
I have read recently some philosophical wiew of Perseus-Andromeda myth where this legend serves as a symbol of the defeat of the unregenerate barbaric forces and the triumph of intelletual evolution.
Neonanocyborgasm
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The cutoff between the Titans and Olympians may be explained by the Greek Dark Age, c.1200-800 BC, where Greek civilization collapsed and was reborn with only minimal semblance to its old self. Another suggestion has been that the Titans represented a pantheon that predated Greek migration into the Balkans, which they eventually replaced.
aronnax
Let your spirit be free
The Chinese Creation myth is a good one.
The whole universe was once but a massive egg in which a man called Pangu slumbered. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became the fish and animals throughout the land.
From Wiki
With Chinese Dragons, it is thought that early Chinese civilisation dug up bones of dinosaurs and believed it to be the bones of the dragon.
I think the skull of an elephant was responsible for the Greek Cyclops mythology.
The whole universe was once but a massive egg in which a man called Pangu slumbered. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became the fish and animals throughout the land.
From Wiki
With Chinese Dragons, it is thought that early Chinese civilisation dug up bones of dinosaurs and believed it to be the bones of the dragon.
I think the skull of an elephant was responsible for the Greek Cyclops mythology.
Nice points arronax,
I see you went from the symbolic to the literal. I think both can co-exist of course, but i am more into the symbolisms of things.
For example a cyclops (i am not sure, but it might be from the term cyclos, which means circle, and ope, which means opening) is a one-eyed person, whereas the norm is to have two eyes. But then this can signify many a symbolic one-eyedness, such as living only in the present, seeing only what matters to you, having a non-spherical view of things etc.
I recall being gifted an edition of the Odyssey with images, and feeling horrified when by chance i opened the book at the page with the illustration of Polyphemus. I definitely closed it back quickly and moved away, as if the horror was contained now in those pages
I see you went from the symbolic to the literal. I think both can co-exist of course, but i am more into the symbolisms of things.
For example a cyclops (i am not sure, but it might be from the term cyclos, which means circle, and ope, which means opening) is a one-eyed person, whereas the norm is to have two eyes. But then this can signify many a symbolic one-eyedness, such as living only in the present, seeing only what matters to you, having a non-spherical view of things etc.
I recall being gifted an edition of the Odyssey with images, and feeling horrified when by chance i opened the book at the page with the illustration of Polyphemus. I definitely closed it back quickly and moved away, as if the horror was contained now in those pages
Neonanocyborgasm
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It's Κύκλωψ, which means "round-eye". The presumption is that there is only one eye, but ὤψ can also mean "face", so it could very well just be "round-face." Meanwhile, Πολύφημος means "much spoken", in the sense of famous or renowned. (The verb φημι means "to speak".) The same word is used in the Odyssey as an adjective in that sense.
Πολύφημος survives in current greek too, and has the meaning "very famous". Φήμη means fame now. There exists also the adjective kakophemos (κακόφημος
which means having a bad reputation.
which means having a bad reputation.There always seems to be at bit of an artistic licence with these creation myths
The norse equivalent (from wiki):
As heat and cold met in Ginnungagap, a living Jǫtunn, Ymir, appeared in the melting ice. From his left armpit, the first man and woman were born. From his legs, the frost jötnar were born. Ymir fed on the milk of the cow Auðhumla. She licked the blocks of salty ice, releasing Buri.
Buri's son Bor had three sons, the gods Óðinn, Vili and Vé. The three slew Ymir, and all of the frost giants but Bergelmir were drowned in the blood. From Ymir's body, they made the world of humans: his blood the seas and lakes, his flesh the earth, his bones the mountains and his teeth the rocks. From his skull they made the dome of the sky, setting a dwarf at each of the four corners to hold it high above the earth. They protected it from the jötnar with a wall made from Ymir's eyebrows. Next they caused time to exist, sending Night and Day to drive around the heavens in horse drawn chariots. They also set a girl Sun and a boy Moon on paths across the sky.
Im particular fond of the seemingly off-hand creation of time.
I have always found it interisting to find the same cratures in different mythologies. For examples, the dragons can be seen in most of the myths. In the slavic mythology it is called zmei (which has the same root as zmia which means snake). And ussualy it has more than one head 
The phoenix is called jar- ptica (which means fire-bird )
Other interesting personage is Koschei the immortal.
The phoenix is called jar- ptica (which means fire-bird
)Other interesting personage is Koschei the immortal.
trader/warrior
Deity
It's interesting to see the roles old gods play in later folklore. For example Odin leads the Wild Hunt and Tor fights trolls with his thunder. Can't remember much more though.
One interesting creature from here (probably not unique) is the Utburd. Unbaptized children left in the woods to die. If you encounter one it will jump on your back screaming and raging demanding you carry it to a cemetery to get a proper burial. As you get closer to the cemetery the Utburd gets heavier and heavier untill you are flattened into the ground.
In the unlikely case you reach a cemetery the Utburd freaks out and kills you. Some say you can save the Utburd by giving it a name, though, sort of a late baptizing.
And there is the Fossegrim, a handsome man that sits under waterfalls playing the fiddle making beautifull music out of the sounds of nature. If you bring him a nice piece of meat as an offering four thursdays in a row, he will theach you to play the fiddle, this must be done in utmost secrecy however, or the Fossegrim will get naked and dance for you. Apparently a very traumatic experience
. And if the meat you gave him was not satisfactory he will just teach you to tune the fiddle, not play it.
The most common mythical creature here seems to be the beings that live under the ground. There are so many variations I couldn't even begin naming them.
One interesting creature from here (probably not unique) is the Utburd. Unbaptized children left in the woods to die. If you encounter one it will jump on your back screaming and raging demanding you carry it to a cemetery to get a proper burial. As you get closer to the cemetery the Utburd gets heavier and heavier untill you are flattened into the ground.
In the unlikely case you reach a cemetery the Utburd freaks out and kills you. Some say you can save the Utburd by giving it a name, though, sort of a late baptizing.
And there is the Fossegrim, a handsome man that sits under waterfalls playing the fiddle making beautifull music out of the sounds of nature. If you bring him a nice piece of meat as an offering four thursdays in a row, he will theach you to play the fiddle, this must be done in utmost secrecy however, or the Fossegrim will get naked and dance for you. Apparently a very traumatic experience
. And if the meat you gave him was not satisfactory he will just teach you to tune the fiddle, not play it.The most common mythical creature here seems to be the beings that live under the ground. There are so many variations I couldn't even begin naming them.
Linkman226
#anarchy
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Honestly I've always found Christian mythology and its beings particularly fascinating.
Neonanocyborgasm
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Πολύφημος survives in current greek too, and has the meaning "very famous". Φήμη means fame now. There exists also the adjective kakophemos (κακόφημος
No change, then.
Berzerker
Deity
why is the #7 considered sacred in so many cultures?
Heretic_Cata
We're gonna live forever
All numbers from 1 to 10+ are considered sacred in many cultures.
It's prolly because math = magic.
you have seven days in week, seven chakras(main energetic centres in subtle physical body), there is seven higher and seven lower worlds recognized by most esoteric teachings, seven notes in musical scale....
Probably 3 is sacred too, being the third prime number, and the third actual number as well.
Two as well, two genders, two arms/legs/lungs/eyes etc.
I am more surprised by the number 12, 12 months, 12 deities in the Olympian pantheon.
Two as well, two genders, two arms/legs/lungs/eyes etc.
I am more surprised by the number 12, 12 months, 12 deities in the Olympian pantheon.
Winner
Diverse in Unity
Personally, I hope our future selves won't be that petty. Although, the guy who is role-playing as Jahve is even worse.
Europe owes much to the ancient Greece. All the modern science, literature, arts, philosophy has its roots in Greece. As I have read the Greek religion did not survive becouse the Greeks themself detoured from the earlier mystics... Also it is worthy to note that the Greek art is beautiful which is something Europe didnt manage to assimilate.
