Hello!

[Benst]

Hello, just wanted to introduce myself. I just signed up after doing a google search. I love mythology and religion, and have studied it as an amateur over the past 12 years. Looking around it seems you have a vibrant community!

edit: oops, I didn't see the introduction forum at the very bottom of the list, sorry!

 

[Myrddin]

Hello, just wanted to introduce myself. I just signed up after doing a google search. I love mythology and religion, and have studied it as an amateur over the past 12 years. Looking around it seems you have a vibrant community!

edit: oops, I didn't see the introduction forum at the very bottom of the list, sorry!

Welcome to the forum! What mythologies/religions are of particular interest to you? Or do you just love them all?

We certainly are a vibrant bunch! (I originally found through a goog e search as well. Was interested in the first human at the time.)

E. M.

 

[Benst]

Thankyou! I'll be honest, I'm interested in them all . I've been studying comapritive religion, both modern and ancient, for the past ten years. One of my particular interests is in deities an iconography, cosmology, and fabulous beasts. I was Wiccan for a while and picked up two books by Dr. Carol Rose, you may have heard of them? Gnomes, Spirits, and Fairies: An Encyclopedia, and her companion book Giants, Monsters, and Beasts: An Encyclopedia. These two both opened up the world of myth to me. So, ever since then I've been moving my way around the planet haha.

This past few years I've been very much into the Norse, but had previously studied Buddhims, Hinduism, Shinto and other Asian religions and myths. I took a minor in religious studies in University which was an amazing way to relieve stress from my major haha.

 

[Myrddin]

Norse I am familiar with. The other mythologies I tend to gravitate toward are Classic and Celtic; I don't know too much outside of those -- the odd god or goddess of Egyptian myth, maybe.

So, Dr. Carol Rose. I have heard of them... now. And will look into them. I am particularly interested in that Giants, Monsters, and Beasts: An Encyclopedia book. There a number of mythology books on my shelf that are still waiting to be read, though, so hard to know when I'll actually get to them. Is Chinese mythology among the Asian myths you read? I expect they would be fascinating.

What was your major in University, then?

E. M.

 

[Benst]

Norse I am familiar with. The other mythologies I tend to gravitate toward are Classic and Celtic; I don't know too much outside of those -- the odd god or goddess of Egyptian myth, maybe.

I'm currently working on a book, not that that means anything haha... a kind of handbook to cosmology around the world. So, I've been trying to familiarize myself with the major myths of the major cultures, and then work my way down to more obscure ones. Classical is the benchmark, really, because we in the west get taught it in school. I mean what would grade/year 3 be without Zeus and Poseidon?? I find it quite easy if you wittle your way down to the basics and work your way up. Luckily in many mythologies in the Asia and Europe there are similar patterns.

So, Dr. Carol Rose. I have heard of them... now. And will look into them. I am particularly interested in that Giants, Monsters, and Beasts: An Encyclopedia book. There a number of mythology books on my shelf that are still waiting to be read, though, so hard to know when I'll actually get to them. Is Chinese mythology among the Asian myths you read? I expect they would be fascinating.

She's fantastic, and her work is sourced very well so you can look up further books. It's encyclopedic without it being too cumbersome. I highly recommend her work! I have books on Chinese mythology but I find them very convaluted. The issue with China is that you have three sometimes four different pantheons that converged: Buddhist, Taoist, Traditional, and Tibetan. So a God in one system is recognized as something else in another, and then the Buddhist Gods and the Taoist Gods interact and,...very messy. But it's fascinating to study the cultural shifts that gave rise to certain myths. I'm only really just delving into them, having already studied Indian and Buddhist myths of Tibet and India.

What was your major in University, then?

haha, this is the thing, I did social work in college and then general Humanities with a focus on religion in University. So, I took religion 101 courses, a few courses on South Asia that mingled politics, culture and religion. I took some psych, sociology. A few of the more interesting ones were on colonialism and south asia, as well as a course on gnosticism. So, generally...very eclectic haha. They were great.

 

[Myrddin]

I'm currently working on a book, not that that means anything haha... a kind of handbook to cosmology around the world. So, I've been trying to familiarize myself with the major myths of the major cultures, and then work my way down to more obscure ones. Classical is the benchmark, really, because we in the west get taught it in school. I mean what would grade/year 3 be without Zeus and Poseidon?? I find it quite easy if you wittle your way down to the basics and work your way up. Luckily in many mythologies in the Asia and Europe there are similar patterns.

That's a good way to do it. I actually wasn't taught any mythology until grade 11 though, and through luck of the draw (it only happened it was something my particular English teacher liked). It was just straight Greek myth, and extremely interesting I found. My first taste of mythology ever in school. Ah, the lost years. They should have started teaching the subject earlier, I don't know why I had to wait until late Secondary School. I would love to have learned more earlier! Now there are books like Percy Jackson and the Olympians to get the younger ones interested early on. I didn't have that, either. Though I suppose in a way it's almost just as well -- there are many inconsistencies and deriviations throughout. Ugh!

She's fantastic, and her work is sourced very well so you can look up further books. It's encyclopedic without it being too cumbersome. I highly recommend her work! I have books on Chinese mythology but I find them very convaluted. The issue with China is that you have three sometimes four different pantheons that converged: Buddhist, Taoist, Traditional, and Tibetan. So a God in one system is recognized as something else in another, and then the Buddhist Gods and the Taoist Gods interact and,...very messy. But it's fascinating to study the cultural shifts that gave rise to certain myths. I'm only really just delving into them, having already studied Indian and Buddhist myths of Tibet and India.

I'll definitely give Dr. Rose a look, then. Sounds like Chinese myth is even worse then Classic -- but same kind of ... paradigm if you will. Different cultures merging their stories together. Some gods the same, some different? Similar stories, but maybe with different characters? And you said some gods from one set of myths sometimes visit another. Kind of like Zeus from Greek interacting with the Egyptian, maybe? Sounds like the kind of thing where it would be easiest to look at them completely apart from one another, and say to yourself "they're related; but not the same."

haha, this is the thing, I did social work in college and then general Humanities with a focus on religion in University. So, I took religion 101 courses, a few courses on South Asia that mingled politics, culture and religion. I took some psych, sociology. A few of the more interesting ones were on colonialism and south asia, as well as a course on gnosticism. So, generally...very eclectic haha. They were great.

Sounds like fun! Maybe not all of it, but most of it. The first mythology course I took in college was in the Humanities. The rest after that were English department. How were the courses on South Asia? Sounds like those would have been both fun and difficult.

Now, from what you listed, which would you say was your major? There are a lot of different subjects there. Definitely an eclectic mix!

E. M.