Sometime between 1700 and 1100 B.C.E., four massive books, written in Sanskrit, were codified to create the Vedas. These included groupings of various myths, rituals, prayers and… Read more “The March of the Ants: Indra’s New Palace”
MythBlogs
We’ll Need a Priest, and a Plumber: Japanese Toilet Ghosts
There are some questions you never want to hear when you’re in a public restroom stall. “Got any spare toilet paper?” comes to mind. “Is your toilet… Read more “We’ll Need a Priest, and a Plumber: Japanese Toilet Ghosts”
Got Pandemics – Pt. 2: Which of the Gods, in the Name of Truth, Fixed These Absurd Proportions?
Remember Old Mithridates, the King who couldn’t die by his own poison? Here’s a reminder from poet A.E. Houseman (collected in A Shropshire Lad, 1896): There was… Read more “Got Pandemics – Pt. 2: Which of the Gods, in the Name of Truth, Fixed These Absurd Proportions?”
Silent Like the Trees: Eglė and the Serpent King
Imagine this: you’re bathing outside with your two sisters, your clothes on dry land, when you hear a voice coming from your blouse. “Hi there!” says the… Read more “Silent Like the Trees: Eglė and the Serpent King”
Got Pandemics? We’ve Got Panaceas! Mithridate, Pt. 1
First, a few etymologies: Pandemic comes from pandēmos (Greek) = pan ‘all’) + dēmos ‘people’; therefore “all people”, as opposed to epidemic (epi=upon, hence “upon people”). Panacea… Read more “Got Pandemics? We’ve Got Panaceas! Mithridate, Pt. 1”
The Master of Thieves: Autolycus
Autolycus – roughly translated to lone wolf (self + wolf) was know for his great mastery and theivery. He was the son of the God Hermes, and… Read more “The Master of Thieves: Autolycus”
Inanna Prefers the Farmer: Marriage, Sex and Divorce in Ancient Sumeria
Imagine this: two men, one a farmer, the other a shepherd, attempt to win divine affection. In the end, the deity favors the shepherd. Now, this might… Read more “Inanna Prefers the Farmer: Marriage, Sex and Divorce in Ancient Sumeria”
The Goddess and the Lioness: Tefnut
Feline imagery can be found throughout the mythic world, often associated with Goddesses. Babylonian Inanna, Hindu Durga, Egyptian Sekhmet, even the Strength card in the Tarot… Read more “The Goddess and the Lioness: Tefnut”
