Fantastical Lore

A collection of myths, folklore, symbols, superstitions and anything else related. My sources are the Internet and the pile of still-growing books I've managed to collect over the years. Can't get enough? Check out: Mythology Nerds If you find incorrect information, please send me a message. Looking for something specific? Try the search bar first. If it's not there, you can request it and I'll get to it ASAP.

[fantasticallore]

can you tell us what the goddess coatlicue is lik for ex( goddess of love or nature cuz my hw assiment is supposed to bo found on the internet

Here is the post: http://fantasticallore.tumblr.com/search/coatlicue

You can type in coatlicue in the search bar, located on top.

[did-you-know]

Source

[did-you-know]

Source

[deviantart]

[darkjez-blog]

chadmsicard:

I dig this for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s got great style.

Perhaps more interestingly though, is that it’s a very different tone as far as the direction of aggression. Most people know the Clash of the Titans version where she’s  on the hunt for him once he shows up. But let’s face it, Medusa really gets the shaft from destiny overall. She starts out as a priestess in a temple who gets raped by Poseidon and gets cursed for it as if it was all her fault. The result is that she’s basically doomed to live without human contact for eternity. Then she’s hunted down specifically for her head by a demigod whose got all sorts of great toys and backing to get the job done and depicted as some sort of horrible monster for defending her turf from folks out to kill her.

There are some really interesting theories about regarding just what the whole ‘gorgon’ thing was really about from a historical perspective. It’s really quite a tragic tale about the rise of patriarchy and the purge of goddess-centric worshipers. There are also parallels to the Apollo versus Typhon story which is part of the same era. Harsh.

See, even the demystified stories from ancient times are fascinating!

deviantart:

Medusa by *MattRhodes

Reblogging for commentary. 

[mmanalysis-deactivated20181103]

I wish there were more nuanced portrayals of Medusa than as just a scary, snake lady.

[gabzilla-z]

^

[fantasticallore]

Sorry for the lack of posts. Life got in the way.

As always, if you guys want to see something specific, drop a message and I'll get to it ASAP.

[fantasticallore]

Chinese Dragons

There are many ways of classifying Chinese Dragons. One system goes by their color, and another is determined by their tasks.

Color

Black dragons symbolize the north, and create storms by battling in the air.

Blue dragons symbolize the east, and are a sign of spring.

Red dragons symbolize the west, and are associated with summer.

White dragons symbolize the south, and are a sign of death or famine.

Yellow dragons are secluded and revered. They convey prayers to the gods.

Tasks

Tianlong, (Heaven Dragon), pulls the chariots of the gods and guards their palaces.

Shenlong, (Spirit Dragon), controls the wind and rain. Offerings are made to him for good weather.

Fucanglong, (Dragon of Hidden Treasures), guards metals and jewels. When he rises from the earth to report to Heaven, a volcano is created.

Dilong, (Earth Dragon), controls rivers. In the spring, it lives in Heaven, and in autumn, under the sea.

Yinglong, (Winged Dragon), is the powerful servant of Emperor Huang Di. It is said that Yinglong stopped Yellow River from overflooding by creating channels with his tail.

Jiaolong, (Horned Dragon), resides in the sea and controls floods.

Panlong, (Coiling Dragon), lives in lakes.

Huanglong, (Yellow Dragon), taught humans how to write, and is known for his scholarly knowledge.

Longwang, (Dragon Kings), are rulers of the seas in the four directions.

[fantasticallore]

Nemean Lion

Origin: Greek mythology

Resides In: Nemea

The Nemean Lion is a terrifying monster, said to be impervious to normal weapons. Its claws were sharper than any mortal blade, and can cut through even armor. As his first task, Herakles must slay the Nemean Lion, but quickly found that his bow and arrow were useless. After the Lion returned to its cave, Herakles blocked one entrance, forcing the beast to leave through one opening. Trapping the Lion, Herakles stunned it with his club, and then strangled the monster to death. The hero then used the Lion's own claws to skin the hide.

[fantasticallore]

Hathor

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Type: goddess

Hathor is a goddess sometimes depicted either with a cow head or a woman's head with a cow's ears and horns. As a Great Mother, she manifests as a lover, mother, avenger and comforter of the dead. Descriptions of her vary, but in later myths her characteristics mix with those of Isis. The connections to cows stem from the human reproductive anatomy: the triangle cow head and two horns resemble the shape of the uterus.

[fantasticallore]

Owls

The Italian word for owl, strix, or strega, means 'witch', and provides a hint to the owl's symbolic connection to witchcraft. The owl is a nocturnal bird, which leads some to believe it has information of occult knowledge, cover information, and secrets. Since some owls like to make their nests in abandoned homes, some have believed that they are connected to decay.

[fantasticallore]

Lilith

Origin: Jewish mythology

Lilth is similar to the Succubus, in that she seduces men in order to give birth to more demons. Stories about Lilith are as old as the Gilgamesh epic. In one version, the goddess Ishtar, plants a tree with the intentions of crafting it into a throne. When she attempts to cut it down, she encounters a snake that cannot be charmed, a Zu bird, and Lilith, the Maiden of Darkness, living in its trunk. When Gilgamesh slays the serpent, Lilith flees.

One legend says that she coupled with Satan, and gives birth to the demon Djinn. As punishment, God slays some of her children each day. In revenge, Lilith preys on newborn infants. One common practice to protect children were to give them an amulet bearing the image of Adam and Eve.

[fantasticallore]

Thoth

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Thoth could be considered one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon, representing wisdom and divine intellect. He has numerous forms which conveys a different aspect of his being.

As the scribe of all gods, he is credited with authorship of science, religion, philosophy and knowledge. One of his forms, a man with the head of a bird, he is the lord of time who measures the days and seasons. He is believed to have invented the calendar, and without his words the gods themselves would not exist.

[fantasticallore]

Khnum

Origin: Egyptian mythology

He is often depicted with the head of a ram. The wave-like pattern of the ram's horns resemble the waters of the Nile, which he was believed to be the source of. One horn feeds water to the North; the other to the South. Sometimes he is shown holding a jar that spills the Nile's water.

Khnum's job is to assist Hapi in making sure the right amount of silt is released into the water. From the dirt and silt he forms the bodies and souls of children, placing them into a mother's womb.

[fantasticallore]

Danae

Origin: greek mythology

Zeus transforms himself into a golden shower to couple with Danae, the daughter of the king of Argos. Later on she would give birth to Perseus. Aware of a prophecy that claims the son will kill the king,, he locked Danae and her child in a chest, sending them off into the sea.

[fantasticallore]

Neith

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Type: creation goddess

Neith has several manifestations, and is related to the goddess Isis. Sobek, the crocodile god, is her son. It is also said that when she spat into the water, the serpent demon Apophis was born.

As the goddess of the hunt, she either wears or holds a set of crossed arrows. In the annual Festival of the Lamps, she wears the shuttle of a loom on her head, carries the ankh, and weaves mummy clothes for the dead.

[fantasticallore]

Semele

Origin: Greek mythology

Once while slaughtering a bull at a sacred altar, Zeus spies on Semele in the form of an eagle and falls desperately in love. He transforms himself into a mortal man, wooing her.

After finding out about the affair, Hera befriends Semele, who tells her of Zeus' identity. Pretending to be unconvinced, Hera plants a seed of doubt in her. Later, Semele convinces Zeus to reveal his true form. Extremely reluctant but eager to please her, Zeus reveals his true self, but his thunderbolts incinerate his lover.

Zeus managed to save their unborn child, however. The god had sewn the baby into his thigh until he was ready to be born. The child was Dionysus, who would eventually bring his mother back from the Underworld, where she will become a goddess on Mount Olympus under a new name, Thyone.

[fantasticallore]

Ceryneian Hind

Origin: Greek mythology

Type: deer

This huge deer is larger than a bul, fast enough to outrun an arrow, and has bronze hooves and golden antlers. Sacred to Artemis, it is named for Mount Cerynea.

In one version, Hercules is tasked to capture the animal for the king. He lames the Ceryneian when it stopped for a drink, using a poisoned arrow. After completing his mission Hercules releases it, so that it may return to Artemis.

[fantasticallore]

Eurymanthian Boar

Origin: Greek mythology

Type: boar

Resides In: Mount Eurymanthus

It is a giant, wild boar that roams an area sacred to the goddess, Artemis. It is described as having razor sharp tusks.

Ordered to bring it back alive, Hercules sets out to capture the boar. Along the way, he is entertained by Centaurs. They become intoxicated, forcing Hercules to shoot them down. Only the immortal Centaur Chiron, survives, and he advises the hero to drive the boar into the mountains to subdue it. Once the task is complete, Hercules brings the boar to the king, who is so terrified that he had the boar placed in a jar.