General Mythology Thread.

THE SEA

Ehem, since Robby turned on the green light, I feel like making one. I think part of the Tree of Life thread can be moved here.
So, talk about anything mythology related. Like your favorite deities, even if you don't believe in them.
–----

Kitsune Inferno

Norse mythology and Aztec mythology.

Can't say much about each, only how ridiculously interesting they are.

Cyan D. Funk

Greek mythology is pretty much the coolest shit ever.

THE SEA

Artwise, this is the most frightening picture I saw in classic art.
http://i.imgur.com/gQROY.jpg

!
Yeah Cronus eating his boy.

piratemarimo

My favorite kind of mythological creatures :ninja: :
Es_9Ek2Q71s

Wait, there are no unicorns! I am disappoint Oda. :sad:

Sakonosolo

@THE:

Artwise, this is the most frightening picture I saw in classic art.
http://i.imgur.com/gQROY.jpg

! http://i.imgur.com/gQROY.jpg
Yeah Cronus eating his boy.

Too bad it didn't happen like that . I wish I could find a class on a mythology other than Greek/Roman. I want to learn more about Norse, Aztec, Mayan, etc. And just going through a bunch of info doesn't really help.

Cyan D. Funk

I love flipping through Theogony and noting where the inbreeding took the gods.

Generally, the only god you could screw without genetic defects was Aphrodite (Even then, that's rather shaky considering her conception.)

dirt monkey AL

I like mythologies that involve stamping down on women in creation myths.

Like Tiamat whose head was bashed in, and she was ripped to shreds to create the earth and sky and other goodies.

Always fun to watch other women rage.

THE SEA

How many men/male deities did Gaia sleep with?

Cyan D. Funk

@THE:

How many men did Gaia sleep with?

Her husband/brother Ouranos
Her grandson Poseidon

…

I think that's it. Huh.

dirt monkey AL

Seems way too low a number for Gaia.

I'm sure she's tapped some Titans.

Sakonosolo

@Cyan:

Her husband/brother Ouranos
Her grandson Poseidon

…

I think that's it. Huh.

I think Hephaestus impregnated Gaia when he came after seeing Aphrodite.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_%28mythology%29#Family_tree

THE SEA

@Cyan:

Her husband/brother Ouranos
Her grandson Poseidon

…

I think that's it. Huh.

Ouranos was her son.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_(mythology)#Family_tree
Here:
With Uranus-her son
With Pontus-her son
With Tartarus
With Zeus-her grandson
With Poseidon-her grandson
With Hephaestus-her great grandson
With Aether-her brother
And some unknown guys.
.

Cyan D. Funk

She got a lot of brotherfucking.

THE SEA

@Sakonosolo:

I think Hephaestus impregnated Gaia when he came after seeing Aphrodite.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_%28mythology%29#Family_tree

Nope. Hephaestus was horny when he saw Athena and was about to rape her, but Athena was too badass so he failed and impregnated Gaia instead, because she's easy and would accept anyone's semen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena#Erichthonius

ChesCa

I got a book with world mythology for Christmas that I still have yet to read (but I should), but so far Greek, Native American, some Japanese and Chinese and bits and pieces (really small) from Europe and Australia. Also Hindu mythology (or whichever one has Garuda, Nagas and the like).

Chrissie

Well I got raised learning Greek Mythology so yeah. :U The lulz and wtf's were plenty but it was still awesome. Egyptian and Norse Mythology I started studying later in my life.

It's funny how I always take a liking to the gods of death and war

Aphrodite was born in Cyprus mothafuckahs! :ninja:

Outerspec

@Cyan:

Greek mythology is pretty much the coolest shit ever.

Agreed, I love me some Greek mythology. It's amazing to read all the crazy things the Gods could do to the mortals and get away with. Crazy bastards.

THE SEA

~~Ashina's inspiration~~Athena is the coolest goddess ever except for that one time she turned a girl into a spider for satirizing Zeus's pervertedness.

piratemarimo

I'm always hearing people talk about their favorite mythologies, but does anyone have one that they HATE? I've always wondered….

Akumu

@Cyan:

Greek mythology is pretty much the coolest shit ever.

Yup.

Since my focus for my history major is Classical (Greek/Romans ftw) I get to take classes on both of their mythologies, which have some major differences which does not allow for them to be interchangeable as many people believe they are.

I want to get in a class about Norse mythology, since the little I already know is really interesting.

Greek is easily my favorite (no that doesn't count the Roman as well, while I love The Aeneid, Roman mythology is easily worse than the Greek, in my opinion) and Egyptian mythology would be second.

As for least favorite…probably Chinese; I was just never all that interested in it.

Johnny B. Decent

@Cyan:

Her husband/brother Ouranos
Her grandson Poseidon

…

I think that's it. Huh.

I know she slept with Tartarus to create the demon Typhon, at any rate.

IrishLuigi

I recently read the Lucifer series.

I didn't realise how cool biblical mythology was.

Mrs. Iceburg

I love Greek mythology, they have the best stories. Hermes is my favourite, with the wings he can attach to his feet and all.

Biblical mythology is a little boring to me, I don't like the middle ages as a whole.

Apart from that pretty much every kind of mythology is interesting to me. When I was younger I had this book by Anthony Horowitz that collected myths and legends from all over the world, I must have read it twenty times.

Havoc

You know, let's not forget Egyptian mythology, even though there are far less sources left. For example, I always enjoyed reading through the Osiris cycle, a guy who's killed and dismembered but becomes a god in the process. That's badass. :ninja:

Mr M

greek is easily my favourite

somewhere i should have a book about it , and also the others

Tijnn.

Greek is definitely my favourite. I take Ancient Greek in school, and we're currently translating the Odysseia and I absolutely love Homeros' writing style. The Argonautica epic is amazing too.

Egyptian myths are pretty awesome too.

Cymelion

Would anyone be interested in some of the Australian Aboriginal Mythos?

Mrs. Iceburg

@Cymelion:

Would anyone be interested in some of the Australian Aboriginal Mythos?

Sure! I remember this one story about a guy who was left on a really high rock for punishment where vultures ate his buttocks? And then something with a lizard.

Edit: Not sure if it really was Aboriginal…

Cymelion

@Mrs.:

Sure! I remember this one story about a guy who was left on a really high rock for punishment where vultures ate his buttocks? And then something with a lizard.

Edit: Not sure if it really was Aboriginal…

Sounds more like some of the Rural Pub games to be honest

But I will do some research including some youtube links to the dreamtime stories for the thread from home.

Sheep

Mythology is my secret passion. I was always very interested on the whole subject, with the egyptian deities clearly being my favorites.
Not only are the epic tales of the gods interesting, they also give insight into cultures long lost and how their morals and ethics were.
My favorite god is without a doubt seth. Not only because he was responsible for aspects I took large interest in, also because he kind of seems like a tragic figure to me. He also is an example for how hebrew religions even corrupted these deities, turning seth into the equivalent of the biblical lucifer.
Talking about Lucifer, I also adore the biblical mythology and I also agree with IrishLuigi on the Lucifer series, which is just fucking fantastic.

Cyan D. Funk

The only part of Judaic/Biblical mythology I don't find to be incredibly bland in comparison to the Greek, Egyptian, Norse, etc. mythologies is the angels.

Ah, the angels. A nice way for a monotheistic religion to seem unintentionally polytheistic.

camel.d

My favorites are greek and japanese mythology .

They are very interesting and i read about them in wikipedia .

IrishLuigi

@Mrs.:

Biblical mythology is a little boring to me, I don't like the middle ages as a whole.

What are you talking about? Biblical mythology is basically stories about archangels, angels, cherubims, God and all that.

Mrs. Iceburg

@IrishLuigi:

What are you talking about? Biblical mythology is basically stories about archangels, angels, cherubims, God and all that.

I know, but I associate that with Christianity in the Middle Ages.

IrishLuigi

@Mrs.:

I know, but I associate that with Christianity in the Middle Ages.

The Crusades? They were real, not mythical.

Mrs. Iceburg

@IrishLuigi:

The Crusades? They were real, not mythical.

Not with the whole of Christianity in the Middle Ages. Mostly the literature produced then.

Big_Bad_Lith

man, Norse mythology is pretty fucking intense.

If you die a glorious death, you get to go to Valhalla, where you just drink and fight and sex all day, and then at the end of days you get to fight in Ragnarok, the mother of all battles. Shit doesn't get any more intense than that.

Also, Thor rides around in a cart pulled by two goats, and he can kill and eat them, but as long as he doesn't break any bones, he can just bring them back to life again. INTENSE.

THE SEA

@camel.d:

My favorites are greek and japanese mythology .

They are very interesting and i read about them in wikipedia .

I own a Vietnamese version. A huge book translated from English.
So far the coolest book I ever had.

Wagomu

@Cyan:

The only part of Judaic/Biblical mythology I don't find to be incredibly bland in comparison to the Greek, Egyptian, Norse, etc. mythologies is the angels.

Ah, the angels. A nice way for a monotheistic religion to seem unintentionally polytheistic.

Nah, even then Abrahamic mythologies are boring as all hell because they're all supplemental to the religion. A bunch of parables explaining law or telling you to shut up and kneel before ~~Zod~~ God.

Akumu

Anyone have any particular favorite tales?

One that I have always loved is Prometheus and how he was punished for giving fire to mankind.
Also, tying in to Prometheus, I've always loved the tale of Pandora and the jar she opened out of curiosity unleashing evil into the world, and leaving only hope within it. It's tragic.

Wagomu

Same thing I posted in the closed thread. Loki's Binding just feels like norse mythology in a nutshell.

tarrin4ever

@Cyan:

The only part of Judaic/Biblical mythology I don't find to be incredibly bland in comparison to the Greek, Egyptian, Norse, etc. mythologies is the angels.

Ah, the angels. A nice way for a monotheistic religion to seem unintentionally polytheistic.

There's an interesting theory that before 600 BC the hebrew religion were more akin to polytheism, and that the later authors in an attempt to strengthen and keep their religion going reworked a lot of it to eliminate the idea of many gods in favor of their chosen deity (Yahweh.)

Which does make that whole "have no other gods before me" and a few other passage take on a very different meaning.

Insider2000

@Akumu:

Anyone have any particular favorite tales?

When I was a kid, my sister told me Greek tales as bedtime stories. Oedipus, Clash of the Titans, Pyramus and Thisbe (enjoyed this one as a kid), and general stories of Greek Gods.

But more importantly, she told me the entire story of the Odyssey. If I had to pick one story as a favorite, the Odyssey takes the cake for me. There isn't a moment of the story I don't love, and the end of story just blows my mind. The entire bit with the suitors trying to shoot and arrow through the ax rings, and then then Odysseus performing the act. Just….beautiful. I remember that entire scene, and the battle afterward, had me jumping with excitement, when my sister told the story.

Akumu

Good old Oedipus (the "first motherfucker" to quote Bo Burnham). Definitely a great story to tell a kid

God yes, the Odyssey is fantastic. I always enjoyed it a lot more than The Iliad.
One of my absolute favorite parts of the Odyssey is when he tricks Polyphemus by telling him his name is Nohbdy. It really showed just how intelligent Odysseus was.

The only other epic poem that can rival The Odyssey, is the Aeneid. The take of Aeneas is one of the most fun things I have ever read. I always feel bad for poor Dido….

IrishLuigi

@Wagomu:

Nah, even then Abrahamic mythologies are boring as all hell because they're all supplemental to the religion. A bunch of parables explaining law or telling you to shut up and kneel before ~~Zod~~ God.

You obviously haven't read the Lucifer series.

Wagomu

That's probably not a part of actual mythology and Satan himself is just a spook story to get the children clean.

Outerspec

@Akumu:

Anyone have any particular favorite tales?

One that I have always loved is Prometheus and how he was punished for giving fire to mankind.
Also, tying in to Prometheus, I've always loved the tale of Pandora and the jar she opened out of curiosity unleashing evil into the world, and leaving only hope within it. It's tragic.

If I had to pick a favorite it's The Oddysey. Odysseus's journey to get back home and to his wife was epic on all scales. I especially loved the part where he outsmarts the giant by dressing up as sheep.

C_uggs

a question:
what differs a legend from a myth?

Mrs. Iceburg

@captain:

a question:
what differs a legend from a myth?

A legend is a story, told by people throughout many years. This story mostly revolves around one (iconic) person who does something noteworthy. There also tend to be different versions of the same legend.
A myth is more a sort of explanation. It is a story made up to explain certain natural phenomena, or cultural uses. They mostly involve gods and often have a religious nature.

However, there's not really a sharp line between the two.