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You could rephrase it, "Japanese, and other, mythologies". And it's been debated on Meta, whether a site should be aimed at experts - with the general thought that if you get experts to the site, the newbies would follow anyway. :) – Cyclops Jun 24 '10 at 18:10

I agree with Cyclops... what about including indian/hindu mythology... check out wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_mythology – Sandy Jul 2 '10 at 11:19

I think we should proceed by evaluating 'Mythology' as a collection of stories, generally centered around a particular time and culture. There should be no prejudgment of their veracity, only the cultural historicity. Belief is not to be considered a (dis)qualifier for evaluating a story as part of a collection of myths. In the cases of Davey Crockett, Hercules, or Jesus all questions posed should be viable as stories meant for interpretation within the context of their given mythology (the collection of stories involving that entity or his/her/its culture). – mfg Nov 4 '10 at 15:54

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This proposal is now in the Commitment phase — example questions are locked!

70 Example Questions (10 closed)

active oldest votes

up vote 23 down vote

added by Sandy Jul 2 '10 at 5:25

Ha! +1, I attended a great talk about this one... – Charles Stewart Jan 13 '11 at 17:37

@Charles Stewart - I'm all ears! – Sandy Jan 14 '11 at 4:45

Stanley Insler of Yale gave an informal talk where he showed some parallels between European myths about unicorns and some sexually explicit Sanskrit folk stories involving adventurous horse riders. The suggestion is that these folk stories were made acceptable for Europeans audiences by the device of the unicorn's horn. I don't know how serious he was, but, as I say, it was a great talk. – Charles Stewart Jan 14 '11 at 13:37

up vote 23 down vote

added by Sandy, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 23 '10 at 12:15

	in Greak Mythodoly Prometheus create mankind in order od Zeus – Am1rr3zA Aug 5 '10 at 17:08
	Related to above question which mythology theory is closely resembles origin of mankind – pramodc84 Aug 27 '10 at 8:34

up vote 22 down vote

added by rlb.usa Jun 21 '10 at 7:22

up vote 21 down vote

added by safronmagic Jun 22 '10 at 17:51

up vote 20 down vote

added by Daniel Bingham Jun 21 '10 at 8:02

up vote 17 down vote

added by Sandy, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 23 '10 at 12:34

up vote 13 down vote

added by rlb.usa Jun 21 '10 at 7:23

up vote 13 down vote

added by safronmagic Jun 23 '10 at 17:19

up vote 11 down vote

added by Artemis Jul 3 '10 at 21:01

up vote 11 down vote

added by Sandy, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 23 '10 at 12:36

up vote 8 down vote

added by ahsteele Jun 21 '10 at 5:23

Seems on-topic to me, not sure why the off-vote. – Cyclops Jun 24 '10 at 18:14

Because it's too vague of a question. Each mythic cosmos experiences unique seasons and rituals associated with it. – safronmagic Jun 25 '10 at 17:51

@safronmagic, just to clarify, people use [brackets] here in the proposal phase, as a wild-card type variable, to indicate it could be one of any type of Mythology. It's just shorthand - the actual final site would have specific Mythologies named. So imagine the Question were instead, "What seasonal rituals were performed in Norse mythology?" Or Japanese, etc... Is that more clear? – Cyclops Jun 26 '10 at 21:31

this would probably end up being community wiki. – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:10

Why cw, xenoterracide? I'd say it has a pretty specific answer. – Jaime Pardos Sep 19 '10 at 14:57

show 1 more comment

up vote 7 down vote

added by nik Jun 21 '10 at 10:10

reference: british-tv.suite101.com/article.cfm/…, showmescifi.com/2010/05/30/… – nik Jun 21 '10 at 10:10

up vote 6 down vote

added by googletorp Jun 21 '10 at 5:56

up vote 6 down vote

added by googletorp Jun 21 '10 at 6:04

Ragnarok - spelled wrong – safronmagic Jun 22 '10 at 17:49

A great Gwar album? – anon Feb 3 '11 at 0:29

up vote 6 down vote

added by rlb.usa Jun 21 '10 at 7:22

Actually, Odin's horse is eight-legged :) – Philippe Jun 22 '10 at 9:17

Also: I believe the name of said horse is "Sleipnir." – kitukwfyer Jul 18 '10 at 3:21

up vote 6 down vote

added by nik Jun 21 '10 at 10:04

up vote 6 down vote

added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 12 '10 at 11:29

up vote 5 down vote

added by Ullallulloo Jul 4 '10 at 14:08

up vote 5 down vote

added by Wikis Aug 12 '10 at 9:14

up vote 5 down vote

added by gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:28

up vote 5 down vote

added by David Thornley Dec 12 '10 at 3:18

up vote 4 down vote

added by ahsteele Jun 21 '10 at 5:20

	Which mythic cosmos are you referring to? Specificity is key. – safronmagic Jun 22 '10 at 17:50
	@safronmagic modified to be more specific. – ahsteele Jun 22 '10 at 19:18
	I think its a great on-topic example – Sandy Jul 2 '10 at 11:55

up vote 4 down vote

added by ahsteele Jun 21 '10 at 5:21

why's this offtopic? Odin is primary in Norse, Zeus in Greek, Jupiter Roman, etc. – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:54

up vote 3 down vote

added by Beska Jun 26 '10 at 1:09

closed as off topic by Wilhelm, Philippe, Mehper C. Palavuzlar, kitukwfyer, xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:43

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

I'm guessing that gods that no one has ever actually believed in are to be considered off-topic. – Beska Jun 26 '10 at 1:09

I do believe in Lolth! – Philippe Jun 28 '10 at 8:14

I do believe, too! – Jaime Pardos Sep 19 '10 at 21:37

@mfg: Nope, I didn't make them up...Lolth is a goddess in the fictional world of Dungeons and Dragons. There is a well developed mythology around her, but, of course, it is entirely made up (but then again, aren't all mythologies entirely made up?) The real difference is that, above jokes aside, no one actually ever believed in this mythology. – Beska Nov 8 '10 at 19:12

I have taken off my NaGE vote since these are real subjects of Myths and who exist in the context of a Mythology. It doesn't matter if they're made up or a subject of belief, Myth is an interpretive construction. As such this is a suitable Mythos to question, though fantastically obscure (yet is this not the right niche if ever there was one?). – mfg Nov 8 '10 at 20:06

show 2 more comments

up vote 3 down vote

added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 12 '10 at 11:26

I think this should be an off-topic example. – Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 12 '10 at 11:26

what's wrong with asking for outside resources? – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:10

1- Clash of Titans 2- Perry jackson & Olympian - lightening theif – Am1rr3zA Aug 5 '10 at 17:07

This would make for a good comm wiki, although you may want to specify films for education or films for entertainment. You might up the grammar ("...to me") in case this is actually voted up. – mfg Nov 4 '10 at 13:59

up vote 3 down vote

added by xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:40

	ontopic, asking about mythological places and artifacts. although perhaps a bit vague I would expect this question to be clarified in the details. Such as where do they think it was, what evidence yada yada. Since these 3 at least involve much speculation, but there some speculated evidence. – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:59
	Too literal; purely speculative answers lead to argumentative answers and an unauthoritative, contentious place to ask questions. If you specify a particular branch of research, or school of study, maybe you can redeem this question. IE: According to the Knights Templar, where would they find the Holy Grail? – mfg Nov 4 '10 at 13:42

up vote 3 down vote

added by Mark Rogers, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jan 20 '11 at 16:56

up vote 3 down vote

added by Mark Rogers Jan 11 '11 at 17:50

up vote 2 down vote

added by user5067 Jun 29 '10 at 19:20

closed as off topic by xenoterracide, Beska, warren, Jonathan M Davis, morganpdx Dec 27 '10 at 18:58

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

I dunno.. this seems more like a psychology question – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 4:02

up vote 2 down vote

added by Sandy, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 24 '10 at 19:46

Is this serious? – Jaime Pardos Sep 19 '10 at 14:38

@Jaime Pardos - Yes!!! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hindu_deities – Sandy Sep 20 '10 at 6:32

may I know why it is marked as "not a good example"? – Sandy Sep 20 '10 at 6:32

It was me. Fix'd. – Jaime Pardos Sep 22 '10 at 18:57

up vote 2 down vote

added by gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:24

Googling for "diana greek equivalent" gives about a million (correct) answers already. – mattdm Dec 31 '10 at 20:20

up vote 2 down vote

added by gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:26

I think keeping homework questions off this page will become a Sisyphean struggle. – mfg Nov 4 '10 at 15:32

@mfg: funny, although you didn't manage to mention what "that guy" was punished for :D – Jürgen A. Erhard Dec 9 '10 at 20:49

up vote 2 down vote

added by gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:27

up vote 2 down vote

added by Mark Rogers Jan 11 '11 at 18:28

up vote 2 down vote

added by tsalaroth, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jan 29 '11 at 7:48

up vote 1 down vote

added by xenoterracide, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 23 '10 at 12:13

closed as off topic by Wilhelm, Beska, Wikis, warren, gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:22

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

intended to be ontopic. I believe Christian religion to be a mythology just as many pagan religions are now considered myth's. Also this is intended as a clarification question, I've actually heard the bible says fish, but everyone says whale. – xenoterracide Jul 18 '10 at 3:30

I will go against intention and say off-topic. This either a theological or biblical studies question; I don't think the Jonah story is teached in mithology classes. – Wilhelm Jul 22 '10 at 0:42

lots of mythologies aren't taught in mythology classes. You're lucky if you get beyond greek/roman even luckier if you then pass egyptian and norse – xenoterracide Jul 22 '10 at 2:53

Ah, but the theme has lot of potential for controversy, flaming and trolling. – Wilhelm Jul 22 '10 at 3:50

doesn't everything? you have to realize at some point these were all major religions, and some people still practice these religions. Paganism isn't dead. So I don't see a reason not to allow a question so long as it's more oriented on the 'myth' than something more ... offensive. I could replace this with some other common "myth's" about a mythology asking for clarification and it'd be ok. I'm trying to point out that we should strive not to be biased. – xenoterracide Jul 22 '10 at 4:15

show 3 more comments

up vote 1 down vote

added by Wikis Jul 23 '10 at 11:14

closed as off topic by xenoterracide, Jaime Pardos, mfg, F. Thalweg, David Thornley Dec 12 '10 at 3:17

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

can't be answered. Christianity is considered a fork of hebrew mythology... but no one here agree's that it's classified as a mythology (even though I could show them books that classify it as such) so then answer is as soon as it's fantastical and unable to be proven, or when it leaves popular culture. basically this can't be answered in a non speculative way. – xenoterracide Jul 23 '10 at 18:16

@xenoterracide - well, I think it is essential to answer it for this Q&A - i.e. what beliefs are you going to talk about? The description says "other mythologies" - for some that includes current beliefs, for others that most certainly does not. If you're right (that this can't be answered), and I'm not discounting the possibility, then I think some kind of guidelines are necessary for what can and cannot be considered a mythology on this Q&A. – Wikis Jul 23 '10 at 19:25

I think that's what these questions are about, showing what is and isn't. Personally I think we should be able to ask a question about anything that might be considered a myth regardless of whether it might also be considered a current popular religion. – xenoterracide Jul 25 '10 at 18:23

@xenoterracide - could do. Two problems 1. you risk offending, and worse alienating, people of faith and 2. you broaden this topic to "any and all belief". Before you know it questions on atheism will crop up because someone considers that a myth. If you want to go down that road, change the title of this Q&A to "Belief" or something similar and be prepared for the consequences (lots of posts about current beliefs and therefore a huge choice of questions). – Wikis Jul 25 '10 at 19:25

Although it seems an important question, this formulation makes myth into too literal a thing, and differentiates itself from belief too stringently. There is no need to clarify this question as it's NaRQ. This prop can approach historical fact as mythology, as mythology more a world view based in interpretation rather than a system of beliefs, much less about any god or gods. – mfg Nov 4 '10 at 13:40

show 6 more comments

up vote 1 down vote

added by gkrogers Nov 4 '10 at 13:29

up vote 1 down vote

added by Jonathan Hobbs, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jan 20 '11 at 16:57

I hope this is the right kind of question example. For instance: did the bible really advocate rape? Sometimes this sort of question can spawn a real shit-flinging contest. – Jonathan Hobbs Dec 28 '10 at 8:14