Myths and Legends of the World

Hades is one of my favorite gods and here is some of my problem with depiction of Hades over the years (looking at your Hollywood). Why does Hades dislike heroes, you may ask?  Because they are always little fuckin bitches to him, that’s why. Theseus and Pirithous went to go and steal his wife. Main reason for this so they can marry the daughter.  That isn’t a friendly thing to do! Mortals daring to compare themselves with the gods. blasphemy!!!  They go into the fuckin Underworld, they know the fuckin house rules - it’s for dead people ONLY, the upper world is for living people, that’s a no brainer. So Pirithous paid with his life and Theseus, with the help of Herakles went crying away back upstairs. But that’s not the end of Hades’ hero woes. The motherfuckers just don’t give up! Amphiaraus fell through his freak ‘in ceiling (check the story  here  it's interesting), Orpheus came to get back his wife (but Hades kind of liked him cause he was polite a...

Mabon is the season in which the harvest is being gathered. It's also the time in which the hunt often begins -- deer and other animals are killed during the autumn in many parts of the world. The autumn equinox, or Mabon, takes place on or near September 21, and its spring counterpart falls around March 21. If you're in the Northern hemisphere, the days will begin getting shorter after the autumn equinox and the nights will grow longer—in the Southern hemisphere, the reverse is true. The idea of a harvest festival is nothing new. In fact, people have celebrated it for millennia, all around the world. In ancient Greece, Oschophoria was a festival held in the fall to celebrate the harvesting of grapes for wine. In the 1700's, the Bavarians came up with Oktoberfest, which actually begins in the last week of September, and it was a time of great feasting and merriment, still in existence today. Popular Gods and Goddesses of Agriculture Demeter: Greek Goddess of Agr...

Dragons are probably the single most important mythical creatures in Chinese culture. They appear in multiple national celebrations, Chinese idioms (known as Chengyu), as well as being part of the Chinese zodiac. They adorn multiple buildings and doors as carvings, are weaved into fabrics for traditional Chinese clothes, and are painted in murals and used in dances to this day. Unlike their Western or European counterparts, Chinese dragons are loved and worshiped. Chinese people consider themselves to be descended from the dragon. It is the symbol of emperors and imperial rule, and its legends have shaped a good portion of modern Chinese culture. In Eastern culture the dragon started out as an elongated, almost serpentine creature, usually, but not always showing four shortened legs, and a spaded tail. They were covered in scales, had a crest on the head, and were brightly colored in many hues. The dragon is a positive force, and represents power, excellence, and striving for goal...

I had an epiphany last week on a topic for the hottest part of the Season (blame climate change). The topic is the dragon or rather the western depiction of dragon. The Western Dragon is the better known in Western culture and the other version especially the Chinese dragons deserve their own post. So let's explore the dragon and some of its history. What is a Dragon? Dragons are usually thought to have wings and breathe fire. They also are said to have scales and claws. Some also have horns. Almost always they are said to be venomous. Some dragons may have two or more heads. They may also have more than one tail. They may have two, four or even more legs; however, most are known to have four legs. Dragons are said to eat things such as rats, birds, snakes, bats, or even humans, especially children. Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They live in remote areas, far away from humans, in places that are dark, damp and secluded, such as caves. Dragons were first thought of...