this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2024
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What is your favorite mythological figure (of ancient religions only)?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Demeter is up there.

Her baby father (Zeus), aka the big douchebag, married away her daughter Persephone to his brother Hades. Patriarchy does what patriarchy does. The brothers were aware neither Persephone nor Demeter would approve of the deal so Hades had to kidnap Persephone and force the deal upon her.

So Persephone were abducted and her mother were beyond herself with worry about her absence. Once Demeter learnt about the deal she threw the hissy fit that all hissy fits are measured against. Plants stopped growing, livestock stopped giving birth and the world soon was in a cataclysmic state. Behold a mother's justified wrath and tremble.

Douchebag-in-chief was forced to negotiate but wouldn't anull the whole deal. Only that Persephone would spend half her time with her mother (spring, summer) and the other half with the husband forced upon her (autumn, winter).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

This comment alone is making me interested in Greek mythology. I'd like to know more. Any reading suggestions toward that end?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Not as much reading but I'm taking much of my cues regarding mythology from Red over at Overly Sarcastic Productions (https://www.youtube.com/@OverlySarcasticProductions).

Two related videos
Wrath of Demeter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhhANZKerug
Hades and Persephone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5ksZTvZN8

What I especially like about their content is that there is plenty of source critique. Things are seldom presented as "this is the exact truth". Mentioned in the video about Hades and Persephone is "we don't know the original myth" which I find telling of much of their mythology work.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

This is great stuff, thanks!

[–] Agent641 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Im currently listening to an audiobook by Arthur C Clarke called 'The Greeks' which is about ancient greek history.

Ive also listened to Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' which is about ancient Greek mythology.

I would strongly recommend them both.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Thanks a lot for the suggestions!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago
[–] mechoman444 2 points 5 days ago

Ezekiel.

That guy want on a peyote trip in the middle of the desert and literally saw God.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

Lord Enma (or Yama) rules over a pretty cool buddhist hell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_%28Buddhism%29

[–] SassyRamen 2 points 6 days ago

Diomedes, he got eaten by horses, which sounds metal as fuck.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

The ghost of Christmas future

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

Baron Samedi

[–] AndrewZabar 1 points 6 days ago

Eldad HaDaani (Eldad the Daanite). Not a major figure but he was like a classic bard in D&D. Told of his travels - which are referenced in songs made out of the literature talking about him. Said he had encountered a river that nobody knew where it was and is considered like lore (the Sambatyon). Anyway I always felt like it was a cool story. I never read all that much of him but growing up as Orthodox Jewish he’s mentioned in some things we sang and I always equated him as being a perfect Bard for a D&as campaign.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] givesomefucks 22 points 1 week ago (4 children)

It might seem like a subjective question, but the answer is objectively Prometheus and his replacements in other cultures.

Someone that went against God(s) to give humans knowledge that at the time was considered magical

Like, we talk about how much tech changes stuff today, but fucking fire?

Imagine being alive when your group of humans mastered fire. That shit would have been fucking mind breaking.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Being alive in the time fire was invented - well it's hard to say since it was Homo Erectus who did so, some millions of years ago. Modern humans are very different from good ole' Erectus, and we think differently, so... the tale of Prometheus is a good one for sure, but it's also much younger than the actual history of human control over fire.

Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-did-stone-age-man-make-fire-discovery-importance-facts.html

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago

Odin is cool af.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm going to drop a low key Loki here

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Low Key being Loki flew past me for most of American Gods.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Nobody's human

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Why are you posting a picture of Dr. Strange?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Why are you posting a picture of Idris Elba?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

What has Susan Sarandon been up to lately?

Ever see her in 'Witches of Eastwick?" Her, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Wow! The Barbie Twins! I had their calendar back in the day...They even had a comic book, but it only lasted two issues...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

Flattery will get you nowhere

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Anubis and Thoth weighing the heart of the dead to see if it is as light as a feather before letting them into the afterlife.

I love the idea that there's no "do this, do that", or a concrete set of rules or commandments. But the idea that if you can look back on your life, and if your heart isn't weighed down with the burden of all of the things that you did that know we're just wrong...then you can go on to the afterlife.

It's just no much more of a reasonable, adult approach to morality.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

So, the guy who kicked a kitten at age three and still broods about it goes to hell, and the war criminal who feels justified for bombing civilians gets off scot free?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Actually...yes. At least for the "war criminal". I think the point is that you can't hide your inner feelings from the feather. So if you genuinely, in the deepest depths of your heart, have no qualms about bombing civilians then you're fine.

I think this points out the fundamental relativistic nature of morality and how the feather copes with it. Everyone has some sort of moral compass, and the feather measures how true you were to it. And really, what more can you ask of anyone? Decide, for yourself, what is right and what is wrong and stick to it.

Putting aside the fact that a toddler probably lacks the intellectual or emotional development to have a truely personal morality, I cannot imagine that someone who "broods" all their life over kicking a kitten when they were three is anything other than the nicest most moral person you'll ever meet. I don't think that have any trouble with Anubis and Thoth.

[–] mack7400 2 points 6 days ago

Anub

I'd pick Anubis if I was a furry.

So...Anubis.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I like the various mythologies for psychopomps; Anubis, Charon, grim reapers, Azrael, Vanth, valkyries, etc.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

psychopomps?

"Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the 'guide of souls')[1] are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.[2]"

cool, thanks.

If you like psychopomps, you should play Spiritfarer, you get to be a psychopomp. and it's comforting.

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