A concept that fascinates me: etymological continuity in names and words for fictional beings. Nerthus and NjorðR are the same name. The alfR of #mythology and Tolkien's elves share a label. But since these beings don't actually exist, it is meaningless to say that there is a single individual or group of beings behind the various forms of the words. There is no empirical reality to check against, unlike for instance when a botanist suggests that a species should be split.
Hey, neat! Thank you! It's an "imagination engine" - the original mod @Arotrios kbin.social wrote a detailed description here.
I never really fully got my head around it but it seems to be a combination of art, poetry, music, cinema, mythology, etc and a lot of the posts in it bounce off other posts in it.
#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: New mothers on the Isle of Man made certain that a pair of their husband’s trousers was always in their bed, for the pants would scare fairy kidnappers away.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: As a child, Lugh was fostered by Queen Tailtiu of the Fir Bolg, a race defeated by the Tuatha de Danann. It is said that Lugh held his foster mother in great esteem, and that when she died, he set up the festival of Lughnasadh on August 1st in her honour. This took place every year in what is now known as Teltown in Co Meath, and involved horse races, Irish martial arts contests, feats of sportsmanship, and all manner of feasting, trading and entertainment. As a result, Lúnasa become the Irish name for the month of August.
Source: Ali Isaac
#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: #Matres or #matronae are nature deities of a particular area. They are usually represented as three figures with the attributes of fertility. Typically the mothers are shown seated; often they appear to be of different ages (young maiden, fertile mother, and aging crone), but they are also sometimes depicted as identical triplets. They hold sacred objects: sacrificial knife, offering plate (patera), foodstuffs, bread, fish. Since many, if not most, Celtic divinities are connected to the fertility of the land and the people who depend upon it, it is not surprising that these goddesses are associated with food and abundance.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
A selkie for #MerMay (the mermaid 🧜♀️ celebration month)!
This is a hard-carved and printed lino block print of a selkie shedding her skin, seated on rocks, surrounded by harbour seals. In Celtic, Norse, Faroese and Icelandic mythology, selkies (also spelled silkies, sylkies, selchies) or selkie folk meaning 'seal folk' can change from seal to human form by shedding their skin. 🧵1/n
In one of the Nahua creation myths, “The giant earth monster Tlaltecuhtli (“Earth Lord”), a crocodile-like creature, swam in the sea searching for flesh to eat. The gods turned themselves into serpents, entered the sea, and tore Tlaltecuhtli in half. The upper part of her body became the land, and the lower part was thrown into the sky to become the stars and heavens.” (Michael E. Smith, The Aztecs (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996)
Chaneques are child-sized beings that act as protectors of the forest in indigenous Mexican mythology. They are known for being mischievous and frequently play tricks on those that enter their domain, such as leading people astray or hiding their belongings. #MythologyMonday
Greetings, myth lovers! To celebrate #CincoDeMayo, today's theme is: #Mexican and Mexican-American myths and legends. Write out a story and use the hashtag #MythologyMonday for boosts. See you all soon!
I am finishing up my mythology manuscript this week, and it is really hard to let this one go... I had too much fun with the stories. I found a lot of forgotten Greek and Roman myths or myth variants that surprised and delighted me. It was like a huge puzzle to play with.
The Bugis are Muslim, but their belief is strongly influenced by their ancestral #religion.
One #belief centres around the Monitor lizard. The animal is believed to have a human #soul & to be the twin of children. They are treated with respect.
Bugis also categorize people into 5 genders. Each is needed to keep the universe in balance.
Bissu, the #gender which is neither man nor woman, is the intermediary between humans & #gods.
In England mazes called Gillian Bowers were cut into turf. In springtime the young men ran races through these turf mazes, while a woman imper- sonating the otherwise unknown folkloric figure #Gillian was “imprisoned” at the center of the maze and “freed” by the race’s winner. A ritual of freeing the sun maiden from her winter captivity seems implied by the game. A goddess named Gillian, perhaps ruling the springtime, may have given her name to these sites.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
Just read an article about a theory that the myth of Asclepius and the story of Alcestis used to make one continuous epic. Which kinda make perfect sense.
The story starts with Asclepius killed by the gods for trying to bring back the dead with medicine.
And it ends with a drunk Heracles bringing back the dead by beating up the god of Death and breaking some of his ribs.
Resurrection. Best accomplished with booze and wrestling.
Cheoyong (處容) is an admired figure in the Korean pantheon, and his dance is performed to this day. According to record, he was a son of a sea dragon and appeared before the King of Silla in the 9th century dancing with his brothers.
Cheoyong remained at the capital to serve the King, who gave him a wife. Yeoksin was smitten with her beauty and Cheoyong came home one night to see Yeoksin lying with her. The dragon's son withdrew dancing and singing without confrontation, which shamed the god into swearing not to cross a threshold if he saw Cheoyong's face.
That was how people came to put up paintings of Cheoyong to repel smallpox, and his dance was performed for luck. I have written more about Cheoyong's story here: https://ljwrites.blog/posts/cheoyong-story/
Sumadera (須磨寺) is a unique #temple full of iconographic #arts, at the western end of Kōbe (神戸). Perhaps because it's not in Kyōto or Nara, there is little information available online about Sumadera, even in #Japanese. It was founded in 886 and has its own branch of Kūkai's #Shingon#Buddhism: Sumadera-ha (真言宗須磨寺派). It is internationally active, and a place for #religious practices rather than an outdoor museum. By the same token, it's free to enter.
Suma appears in ancient waka poetry (和歌) of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, and is associated with the Heike Monogatari (平家物語). I was determined to go, despite the rain, because I'd read an article clarifying wabi and sabi with a #waka coincidentally about Suma. The first photos show Sumadera's exchanges with #Nepal resulting in a display of Tibetan #Buddhist and #Hindu#iconography. Although there was light rain on the beach at first, later up at Sumadera the day turned bright.
I think Baba Yaga is one of my favourite witches in mythology and folklore. Appears as an old hag. Not a good or bad figure but very powerful. She has a house with chicken legs and flies around in a mortar and pestle. #FolkloreSunday#folklore#mythology
Greetings, myth lovers! Join us for Monday's theme: #Dance! Which myths feature someone who dances or #dancing? In which myths do #dances play an important role? Use the hashtag #MythologyMonday for boosts!
🎨 Dancing Apsaras, female spirits of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology
#FolkloreThursday: In #Scotland cattle were preserved from the influence of witchcraft by placing garlands of rowan and honeysuckle around their necks. Red threads tied in their hair or woven into the wreaths likewise protected dairy cattle from milk-stealing witches, who were especially active on #Beltane.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore https://twitter.com/Fiona_m_Byrne/status/1454888042649559045
#Beltane was a night when evil could strike cattle, drying up their milk and causing them to sicken and die. Thus many Beltane rituals, including hunting hares (shape-shifted witches), and speaking charms over butter churns, have a basis in the belief that agricultural produce is particularly vulnerable at this time of year.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
Hares seen in unusual places, including in regions where they were not typically found, were believed to be disguised witches. If pursued, such hares would run into houses, revealing the witch’s habitation. If one found a group of hares together, it was clearly a gathering of a witches’ coven.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
What some Lemmy communities that are dead or very low number of new posts that you would like to get more active?
My pick is /c/albumartporn