Mythology “She should not lock the open door (run away, run away, run away) Full moon is on the sky and he’s not a man any more See the change in him but can’t (run away, run away, run away) See what became of her man…” Lyrics to Full Moon by Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica Luna, la lune, mond, Selene, Artemis and Diane. These and many more are different names for the moon. The first day of the work week, Monday was named for the moon, literally translated it means “Moons’ Day” or “Day of the Moon”, just as Sunday means “Sun’s Day” or “Day of the Sun.” To…

Merlin Magic, witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry. Spells, enchantments, herbs, talismans and the four elements (five if you count lightning). Some of it said to be the devil’s work, some of it said to be innate, if only people would open their minds, and some of it said still to be inexplainable. They don’t know why it happens, only that it does. Magic of course is the object and the most well known user of it, the subject. Who he is, is none other than a man named Myrddin. Myrddin is also better known as Merlin. As stated previously, myth and legend are akin to first cousins instead of siblings. Sometimes they…

Myth or legend? How does one define a story as a myth or a legend? Why do we say “The legend of King arthur” and “Greek mythology” instead of  “The myth of King arthur and Greek legends”? Myth and legend are synonyms for each other. They can be used interchangeably but is this correct? In some cases yes it is. In other no. Myth and legend are like first cousins as opposed to siblings. A legend is defined as one of several things; A group of stories relating to a particular group, people or clan such as the Native American legends. A collection of stories such as the Legend of…

Myths and Legends: Journeys Through Time The rainforest is a beautiful place. Lush green foliage, beautiful flowers in colors of any and every kind, huge trees that stand tall and provide a multitude of places for the many kinds of exotic insects, birds and animals to hide. Not only do these trees provide homes and hiding places for the inhabitants of the rainforest, they also provide food and materials to make homes and weapons. There are humans that live within the rainforest and make it their home, usuing their surroundings to create homes, weapons for hunting, and items to gather fruits, nuts, roots, berries and leaves for food.  Since these…

Loki Mischief, jokes, puns, trickery, buffoonery, clownish, childish, foolish antics. All these words and more are used to describe somebody who’s acting goofy or silly. These words also describe the sort of actions that fall under the realm of the Trickster Gods.  In every mythology there is at least one god, goddess or being that is considered a trickster. For the Native Americans it was the Coyote and the Raven, for the Greeks it was Prometheus, Hermes, Sisyphus and others, the Celtics had leprechauns, fairies, and beings of that nature. The Norse pantheon however had Loki. In fact..mention the words Trickster God and the first person most people name is…

Dragons “She stops at the edge of the forest, standing as deep within the cover provided by the foliage as she dares to. Squinting slightly against the bright midday sun, she slowly scans the sky, starting at the horizon and sweeping her eyes back and forth until she sees the green leaves. Satisfied for a moment that it’s safe to step out in the open, the young maiden pulls her cloak more tightly around her shoulders and steps beyond the tree line. Suddenly as if waiting for her to appear in view, a huge winged shadow passes over her. The maiden stops in her steps, eying the tree line but…

Bastet Mysterious, intelligent, independent, needy, curious, adorable and whimsical. These are a few of many adjectives used to describe an animal. Particularly an animal that thousands millions even, own or are owned by worldwide. That animal is the closely watched and regarded with great suspicion sometimes. None other than feline domesticus, the common cat. Cats are most often accused as being a witch’s familiar or too darn smart for their own good. Aside from that black cats especially are thought to bring about bad luck and ill news. Some cultures believe that if a cat goes near a corpse or jumps over one, that person will return to life as…

Myths and Legends: Journeys Through Time The Cat Mysterious, intelligent, independent, needy, curious, adorable, cunning and whimsical. These are a few of many adjectives used to describe an animal. Particularly an animal that thousands millions even, own or are owned by worldwide. That animal is the closely watched and regarded with great suspicion sometimes. None other than feline domesticus, the common cat. Cats are most often accused of being a witch’s familiar or too darn smart for their own good. Aside from that black cats especially are thought to bring about bad luck and ill news. Some cultures believe that if a cat goes near a corpse or jumps over…

Myth and Legends: Journeys Through Time In every aspect of life there is a balance of good and bad. What is considered good is not always good. What is considered bad isn’t always bad. Sometimes good is bad and bad is good. Let us borrow from Greek mythology the story of Prometheus. In Greek myth, Prometheus was responsible for two things, the creation of man via clay and making man’s world brighter via fire. Prometheus is considered a Titan god. He is born of Iapetus (Brother of Cronus, ruler of the Underworld in the Golden Age which was when the Titans ruled) and Themis (Goddess of good counsel, also named…