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
Jim the Wonder Dog! Because…People?
On a recent trip to see friends in Missouri, I challenged them to give me a bit of local folklore… This is what they, dear reader, gave… Read more “Jim the Wonder Dog! Because…People?”
Don’t Order the Fish: The Mermaid and the 800 Year-Old Nun
Imagine this: The place is Japan; the time is pre-10th century C.E., and you have a friend. A friend who’s a fisherman. Having a friend who’s a… Read more “Don’t Order the Fish: The Mermaid and the 800 Year-Old Nun”
Bake-Danuki: Mocked by the Japanese Racoon Dogs
Our mythologies are littered with malicious spirits and malcontent, sometimes murderous monsters. This is understandable, because life can often be terrible; the horrors of the day revisit… Read more “Bake-Danuki: Mocked by the Japanese Racoon Dogs”
Chief of Chiefs and the Mardi Gras Indians: Art Trumps Violence
Imagine this: generations ago, your ancestors were bought and sold into slavery and sent to a new world, a new world where all memories of the past… Read more “Chief of Chiefs and the Mardi Gras Indians: Art Trumps Violence”
Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld
Before getting into the origin(s) and function(s) of Batara Kala, the Javanese/Balinese God of the Underworld, a little back story is necessary. Hinduism enjoyed a brief but… Read more “Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld”
The Last Egyptian Pharaoh and the Tarot, or: the Alexander Romance and the Sola Busca
Many people are introduced to Tarot as an ancient tool, a divining device whose history is blurred in the haze of antiquity, having been transmitted from Egypt… Read more “The Last Egyptian Pharaoh and the Tarot, or: the Alexander Romance and the Sola Busca”
Adolf Hitler and Queen Nefertiti’s Bust: Homesick
What line could possibly connect the Fuhrer and the Queen of the Sun loving Pharaoh Akhenaten, a woman whose visage is almost synonymous with ancient Egypt? Let’s… Read more “Adolf Hitler and Queen Nefertiti’s Bust: Homesick”
Death Rides: The Apocalyptic Art of Albrecht Duerer
Somethings are probable archetypes: if you live long enough, you may fall in love. You may have pets. You may have children. But one thing is certain:… Read more “Death Rides: The Apocalyptic Art of Albrecht Duerer”
From King Arthur to Newly Discovered Runes: The Year With No Sun
What do the death of the legendary King Arthur and the Norse Prelude to Ragnarok have in common? They very well might have been inspired by the… Read more “From King Arthur to Newly Discovered Runes: The Year With No Sun”
Womb and Tomb: the Undiscovered Country
Imagine this: you are walking with your tribe across the plains of the Savannah. Predation is a fact of life; you are surrounded by carnivores, and you… Read more “Womb and Tomb: the Undiscovered Country”
Myth Crafts 