Questions tagged [mythology]

Mythology should be used for questions involving stories or the origin of stories which will be important to some culture.

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Did Pirates have any unique Mythos or Races we don't really know of? [closed]

I am writing many short stories to understand the world I'm building before diving into the main thing. All races and species take ideas from real-world cultures, mythology and religions with some ...
SassySkrub's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
123 views

What climate would Kumari Kandam have (a mythical continent on the Indian Ocean)?

Kumari Kandam was another mythical continent. It was believed to be host to an ancient Tamil civilization. Such a land was mentioned in ancient Tamil writings. Europeans picked up on the idea to ...
Rhymehouse's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
146 views

What are the Celestial observations and mythology on a ringed planet? [closed]

I'm building a ringed world with it's rings composed of low albedo material to try and dampen the impact the rings have during night time (that is, trying so not every single night that the rings are ...
El Nitromante's user avatar
15 votes
17 answers
9k views

A weapon to kill angels

I'm working in a novel based on Arabian folklore and a part of the history tells the war between angels and jinn (genies although closer to the original arab folklore than the pop culture Disney ...
Daniel's user avatar
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-2 votes
5 answers
188 views

Is it okay to use real-world literary figures? [closed]

In my world's lore and history, there a mythical figures and heroes in it. My world is not Earth, but rather a different world (think ATLA or skyrim kind of different). I was wondering if I am able to ...
Crafter's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
268 views

A gold-proof suit for King Midas

As we all know, King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold - his wish was granted by the god Dionyssus. This proved to be his undoing. He couldn't eat because his food turned to ...
chasly - supports Monica's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

How can a hypostatic union be the preferred fusion between gods and mortals?

The Great Wheel is a planar cosmology which defines how the planes, worlds, and realms of the multiverse are connected to one another. Throughout this multiverse, there are various gods that exist ...
Incognito's user avatar
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5 votes
5 answers
505 views

Need help figuring out gods with a theme of hammers or foxes [closed]

So, I'm writing a story about a group of superheroes, and all of the heroes have codenames based on different mythical gods and goddesses (ex., the stealth-based one is Nyx, the flying one is Horus, ...
starlightindex's user avatar
0 votes
5 answers
193 views

An anthropomorphic personification of the new year [closed]

We humans have a long tradition of inventing personifications for otherwise impersonal events... such as Santa Claus, Krampus, the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, Time, Death, Pestilence, ...
Monty Wild's user avatar
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21 votes
18 answers
7k views

Werewolves have the same fur color as their human form's hair color. What gave humans the idea that they're all gray?

In my setting, every mythical humanoid creature humanity ever came up with (and most of the non-humanoid ones too, though it's more complicated there) either exists, or at one point used to exist ...
Cyrus Drake's user avatar
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19 votes
2 answers
3k views

If the Roman Empire in the Year 90 AD Found a Living Tyrannosaurus Rex, What Creature in Their Mythology Would They Most Likely Mistake It For?

I'm writing a story where a group of mischievous aliens teleport iconic creatures to inappropriate time periods. (Dimetrodons in colonial Germany, Pterodactyls in the medieval Ottoman Empire, ...
SmartBulbInc's user avatar
  • 1,503
5 votes
8 answers
1k views

How Would my World Have Religious Differences if Everyone Knows the Gods Exist? [duplicate]

In my science-fantasy series, there are dozens, even hundreds of different cultures scattered amongst the stars. However, there is one set pantheon of Gods (as well as a bunch of other divine beings, ...
The Weasel Sagas's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
147 views

It is feasible that a (human) civilization at the end of time uses English, Latin, etc. words but considers earth history as a myth? [closed]

When universe is close to ending (only few solar systems remain), I can see how Earth history (or the current galactic civilization beginnings) could become a myth. However, does that mean that some ...
Yampeku's user avatar
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4 votes
7 answers
3k views

How to create a floating rock

How to create a floating rock? This question is inspired from the Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana, in which Lord Ram builds a bridge Rama Setu connecting India and Sri Lanka, which was entirely made of ...
V.Aggarwal's user avatar
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13 votes
5 answers
2k views

Could a Species Survive Getting Nutrition Only by Smelling Things?

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Astomi, also known as the Gangines, are an ancient legendary race of people who had no need to eat or drink anything at all. They survived by smelling apples and ...
Capillary Cumorah's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
447 views

Would the demigods birthed by goddesses be different from the demigods sired by the gods? [closed]

In Greek mythology and many fantasy stories, they are treated as the same. But I can't help but feel they shouldn't... If we assume that gods can take any physical form, how do you explain it to ...
Chlodio's user avatar
  • 493
3 votes
4 answers
495 views

Anatomically correct Gigantes [duplicate]

A creature from Greek Mythology; giants with legs that resemble snakes that fought the gods and Heracles in a war (not to be confused with the Titans). Is such a creature possible to make anatomically ...
Richard Lindahl's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
4k views

What are some examples of fae-like creatures in Native American folklore

In my story I'm setting up a cold war between a faction of Fae and the Native American equivalent. The Fae are your typical Unseelie Court where one should watch their words or get bamboozled. The ...
Lux Claridge's user avatar
-2 votes
7 answers
382 views

Does God as depicted in Jewish/Christian/Muslim sources have any weaknesses? [closed]

I've heard a few stories, like Left Beyond Quest and the plot of the game Messiah, in which humanity attempts to fight/conquer Heaven and Hell. The general consensus is that, since there aren't any ...
PastAndFuture's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
200 views

Resource Request: Myths and Believable Exaggerations, Creation

So, a lot of conflict in my story comes from misunderstanding and false information, here's a small sample: Myth: Dragons represent the sin of greed Fact: Being partly modeled after lace monitors ...
Mephistopheles's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
279 views

How big do bird wings have to be relative to the size of the bird? [duplicate]

How do you estimate the ration of the torso of a bird to its wings? A bird in my world, the aquatic roc, is essentially a collasal pelican, big enough to scoop an average galleon, a ship of 160 feet. ...
Stupidzombiet 's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is there a name for a Satyr like creature with equine features

I created a character who is centaur-like. His upper body is completely human however his legs and horse-like and he has two legs. This makes him similar to a Satyr, however, Satyr's have Goat like ...
JordanTheCynic's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

(Legit) Online Sources on Epiales, the Greek Spirit of Nightmares

I'm doing research for one of the stories I'm working on and found the Greek deity Epiales, the god/spirit of nightmares. I'm trying to implement him into a story as an antagonist to where he seeks ...
paragade13's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
296 views

(Online) Sources for Traditional Lore to Base Creatures on

I'm currently working on a fantasy world with a medieval/mythological setting, and I'm trying to do a bunch of research for several non-human races (dwarves, mermaids, etc.). However I don't want to ...
paragade13's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
233 views

What are some resources for mythopoesis?

I would greatly appreciate any info or resources for building an appropriate artificial mythology for a world. For reference, I am reading "The Gods of Pegana" and I already went through the ...
SilverCookies's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
503 views

How can you make someone forget that he has superpowers and lock his powers?

How can you make someone forget that he has superpowers and lock his powers? My question is inspired by the Sanskrit epic of ancient India, Ramayana. In the story of Ramayana, Hanuman is a well-...
V.Aggarwal's user avatar
  • 4,511
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why do Ichisongas hate elephants and hippos?

In the mythology of the Lambas people of Zambia, there is a creature called the Ichisonga. It is a herbivore, and very rhinoceros-like in appearance. Upon hearing a hippopotamus, it allegedly sneaks ...
SealBoi's user avatar
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8 votes
9 answers
724 views

What could be a means to defeat a child’s nightmare? [closed]

In my world, there is a monster that materializes as a childhood nightmare (nothing specific, just this general fear children feel when they are alone in the dark). I wonder what would be a nice way ...
John V's user avatar
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30 votes
6 answers
7k views

How big is my Giant?

The hero saves the captured giant, and as a reward, the giant presents the hero with a magic ring... However, the ring is made for giant fingers, so the hero decides to wear it as an armband instead. ...
Arkenstein XII's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
176 views

How can there be endangered humanoid species? [closed]

In my urban fantasy, I have several human species that coexist with humans. I'd imagine some like species such as who're classified as Faeries have a stronghold to have intercommunication with humans. ...
TGCF 's user avatar
  • 919
5 votes
10 answers
2k views

Earth-elemental gods who wielded a hammer

The world I'm crafting is an extension of human mythology and I am drawing a blank on mythological gods who wielded a hammer and represented the earth element. And if possible the water element. I ...
anon's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why would dragons who predates humans hoard gold? [closed]

EDIT: I have been asked to create a more concise and specific question. The question I would ask is what would be a (good) reason for my dragons as a species, having no inherent reason to share human ...
Netsrym's user avatar
  • 109
5 votes
8 answers
7k views

Historical or mythological Monster Hunter organization

My search for "Monster Hunter" invariably gives me a ton of results related to the videogame and this is making my research a bit tricky. What I'm looking for is any instance in history of a real ...
Bolza's user avatar
  • 283
67 votes
12 answers
10k views

Justifying why a troll's skin would turn to stone in sunlight

It's a fairly common legend that trolls turn to stone when exposed to daylight, and I was thinking about using such a creature in a story. I'm searching for a plausible way of justifying such a ...
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
259 views

In a universe created by and controlled by malevolent or passive non-humanoid beings, what would cause the creation of humanoid gods? [closed]

Forgive me if a question like this is too general and isn't accepted here. I'm currently working on creating a new universe to possibly be used in a D&D or RPG setting. I've been working on the ...
onewho's user avatar
  • 111
33 votes
14 answers
9k views

Why would nature spirits be naked? [closed]

In the world I'm writing about, nature spirits such as dryads and nymphs are real. I want them to appear undressed to those humans who encounter them. In the course of the narrative, one of the dryads ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Who administers soul exchanges? [closed]

Mythology is replete with examples of people selling their soul to the devil. Except... how does that actually work, mechanically? Let's say you sign a contract agreeing that the devil may take your ...
Benubird's user avatar
  • 2,211
14 votes
8 answers
2k views

How would the existence of multiple mythological and religious pantheons be justified?

It's common trend for many stories within the Urban Fantasy genre to feature various mythological pantheons co-existing with one another. For example, High School DxD has a universe where Judeo-...
user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
346 views

Realistic Mythical Creatures [closed]

What mythological creatures could be realistically created? In my world, there are people capable of advanced genetic creation and manipulation. I was just wondering what creatures would be plausible ...
Chidi's user avatar
  • 57
12 votes
7 answers
6k views

Could a humanoid species exist with vastly different heights?

Many mythological humans vary in depictions. Let's use Trolls from Scandinavia as an example. Some are said to be giants compared to humans (I'd imagine twice the height), and some, like Danish Trolls,...
TGCF 's user avatar
  • 919
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Anatomically Correct Satyrs

Satyrs are creatures from Greek mythology said to resemble a human with the ears, horns and lower half of a goat. They are known for throwing wild parties, heavily drinking and a fondness for music. ...
Dabantam's user avatar
  • 1,162
9 votes
4 answers
427 views

References to evil star myths?

I'm in a D&D campaign where astronomy plays a big deal. I want to name drop and reference some good astrology myths about evil or cursed stars, but I'm having an awful time finding anything. The ...
lazer-guided-lazerbeam's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
696 views

Would centaurs shoot more accurately than a cavalryman from horseback?

The question is fairly simple. If a Mongol and a Centaur ride by and shoot at you, who has the better chance of giving an arrow a new home in your gizzard? That is, given equal skill in shooting, ...
Johnny's user avatar
  • 4,168
2 votes
1 answer
166 views

Which deities in Hinduism could be most closely equated to Titania and Oberon (fairy king & queen)? [closed]

I am looking to create a version of Titania & Oberon, the Queen & King of the Fairies in Midsummer Night's Dream, that would have context in India. Probably deities or mythological beings ...
Maxine's user avatar
  • 31
6 votes
2 answers
774 views

Anatomically Correct Typhon

Please avoid the obvious jokes. Now I know there are different versions of the Greek monster Typhon, so first I will try to describe its properties. Incredibly large roughly 50-100 feet tall, ...
user64742's user avatar
  • 1,493
-2 votes
1 answer
222 views

Would centaurs HAVE to cook meat? [duplicate]

The way I depict centaurs are like very wild people like Tarzan - living in the wild with no clothes equipment, hunting with their hands and hooves. I'm wondering though if a centaur could eat raw ...
Banana Dan's user avatar
44 votes
4 answers
6k views

How does a gorgon sleep?

Weird question but with a head of snakes, do they have to sleep with their head turned to the side? Would it hurt? Do they need an incredibly fluffy pillow?
carrot soup's user avatar
8 votes
8 answers
4k views

Why might modern demigods be unable to use guns? [closed]

In Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse, Annabeth’s dad, Dr. Chase comes in at the end of his book and uses a machine gun on his Sopwith Camel, along with some celestial bronze bullets he created in ...
NL628's user avatar
  • 718
-1 votes
2 answers
562 views

Rosie the Riveter [closed]

Is Rosie the Riveter best thought of as a myth or propaganda? Propaganda is information that is not objective and is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda. Myths are the ...
AthensJimmy's user avatar
33 votes
25 answers
10k views

Why would an army of angels with air superiority fight demons on the ground?

Angel society is militaristic with all individuals serving as warriors in some capacity. They are locked in an eternal battle against demons from hell over control of the mortal plane. Angels have ...
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