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Islam

Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:36 pm
by Brainiac
Snarky wrote:The legend of Solomon imprisoning and converting demons is not restricted to Islam. For instance, it's found in the apocryphal Testament of Solomon.

As to what religion he converted them to, Islam sees all of the Jewish prophets, as well as Jesus, as messengers from God. So in that sense, they were all muslims, even if God hadn't provided the final revelation yet. This is similar to honoring say William Penn as a great American, even though he was born in England and the US didn't exist in his lifetime.

Jewish, Christian and Islamic mythology and apocrypha are all mixed together.
What he said. Islamic faith sees most of Judeo-Christian mythology as part of their own faith, just like Christians use the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament as a part of their faith. It actually makes sense considering that all three faiths have a single spiritual ancestor in Abraham.

And on that note, let's do as Navy said and stick to mythology. As to the DnD analysis, I seriously doubt it identifies with the Persian/Islamic mythology to a great degree of accuracy. The Jinn/Djinn are creatures made of fire (as compared to humans of earth), so the elemental forms seem rather unlikely. Dao is also one I've never seen in the myth I've studied; it sounds more Oriental than Persian...

Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:41 pm
by navynuke04
Brainiac wrote:And on that note, let's do as Navy said and stick to mythology.
I must just be known as the authoritative figure around here... It wasn't me who said that. ;)

Whoops

Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:50 pm
by Brainiac
Yeah, I realized my mistake just before you posted, Navy. Allow me to correct myself:
Brainiac wrote:And on that note, let's do as AGD2 said and stick to mythology.

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:51 pm
by Vildern
That's false news. The only king, who converted other people to Judaism, was Alexander Yanai, and he did it for political reasons (to gain more troops against the Roman Empire). This is a fact, the rest is fiction.

To Vil

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:47 pm
by Brainiac
Vildern wrote:That's false news. The only king, who converted other people to Judaism, was Alexander Yanai, and he did it for political reasons (to gain more troops against the Roman Empire). This is a fact, the rest is fiction.
Vil, we're talking about religious/cultural myth concerning the conversion of otherworldly spirits, not humans. Historical truth isn't exactly a requirement for myth, you know? :D

And now, as Navy...I mean, AGD2 commanded :o , back to myth; no more religious debate!

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:51 pm
by Blackthorne519
There were myths in QFG?

I'm scared.

Somebody hold me.

Bt

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:13 pm
by Brainiac
Blackthorne519 wrote:There were myths in QFG?

I'm scared.

Somebody hold me.

Bt
<sends Swift to hold Bt around the neck> :rollin

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:18 pm
by Vildern
Vil, we're talking about religious/cultural myth concerning the conversion of otherworldly spirits, not humans. Historical truth isn't exactly a requirement for myth, you know?
Oops.... :eek I thought you were conversing about people. :p

(Note to self: Have a thorough read, before replying)

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:45 pm
by Swift
Are we comfortable yet, Bt?

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:14 pm
by Blackthorne519
Swift wrote:Are we comfortable yet, Bt?
Well, I feel like I'm caught between Scylla and Charybdis........

Bt

Nice

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:38 pm
by Brainiac
Blackthorne519 wrote:Well, I feel like I'm caught between Scylla and Charybdis........
Ooh, very nice (and highly appropriate) reference.

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:23 am
by Cumboy
Here is an interesting reference from what is probably the best QFG fan site around

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/7435/

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 6:29 am
by Charlemagne
I just read something very interesing and was hoping Brainiac could help clear this up since he's much more well versed in mythology than I.

I read that Iblis is the Islamic version of Satan, the embodiment of evil in Judaism and Christianity, but that he's most often referred to as Shaitan (Shaitaan, or Satan) in the Qur'an. So is there more than one Shaitan as the QFG2 manual would suggest? If Iblis rebelled against God and was expelled from Paradise, is that why he haunts streams and running water?

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 7:21 am
by Jafar
Shaitan is a word commonly used to describe evil jinns.

Response

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:11 pm
by Brainiac
Charlemagne wrote:I just read something very interesing and was hoping Brainiac could help clear this up since he's much more well versed in mythology than I.

I read that Iblis is the Islamic version of Satan, the embodiment of evil in Judaism and Christianity, but that he's most often referred to as Shaitan (Shaitaan, or Satan) in the Qur'an. So is there more than one Shaitan as the QFG2 manual would suggest? If Iblis rebelled against God and was expelled from Paradise, is that why he haunts streams and running water?
Jafar wrote:Shaitan is a word commonly used to describe evil jinns.
Jafar is correct; Shaitan is typically a more general term in Islamic mythology. However, the name does originate from the same Semetic root as the Judeo-Christian Satan. Iblis is a specific Jinn/Djinn in mythology; you could say Iblis is to Shaitan as Lucifer is to Satan.

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 9:20 pm
by Jafar
Jafar is correct
:D

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:40 pm
by Crowley9
Mike Mignola's Hellboy uses all kinds of folklore quite extensively. For example in one story Rasputin is chatting with Baba Yaga on the roots of the World Tree (from Norse mythology, I think).

Someone asked about vampire-like creatures from other cultures. I've only read passing mentions, but I believe Japanese mythology has vampire-like beings that are capable of taking on the shape of their victims, and there are also disembodied flying heads that drink blood.

Mythic origins

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:51 pm
by Brainiac
Crowley9 wrote:Mike Mignola's Hellboy uses all kinds of folklore quite extensively. For example in one story Rasputin is chatting with Baba Yaga on the roots of the World Tree (from Norse mythology, I think).

Someone asked about vampire-like creatures from other cultures. I've only read passing mentions, but I believe Japanese mythology has vampire-like beings that are capable of taking on the shape of their victims, and there are also disembodied flying heads that drink blood.
As to your Hellboy myth references, the World Tree of Norse Myth is called Yggdrasil. Baba Yaga and Rasputin, however, are Slavic.

The Japanese demonic pantheon is rather extensive, so I'm not totally sure, but I believe you are correct about the vampiric beings (maybe not about the heads, though; sounds like the Medusa Heads from CastleVania).

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:19 am
by Meerbat
Rasputin was a real person.
Supposedly they saved a part of his anatomy in a museum somewhere :|

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 4:37 pm
by Blackthorne519
I'll give you a hint.

It's his p3n15h!!!!!!!!

Bt

Re: Mythic origins

Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:39 am
by Crowley9
Brainiac wrote: The Japanese demonic pantheon is rather extensive, so I'm not totally sure, but I believe you are correct about the vampiric beings (maybe not about the heads, though; sounds like the Medusa Heads from CastleVania).
Funny you should say that. I first came upon a mention of those heads via Castlevania. I remembered wrong, though. The disembodied heads are not Japanese, but from Peruvian mythology and are called Chon-Chons which fly flapping their ears (featured in Symphony of the Night, called Bitterflies in English versions). I also happened to come upon another vampire-like being while looking this up. In Phillippine folklore there is a creature called Penaggolan, which is in it's true form a disembodied head that drags it's entrails along. Apparently thorny bushes are a good deterrent against it as it hates getting it's guts stuck in them.

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:46 am
by Cumboy
really...

African Mythology

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:10 pm
by Jontas
Wages Of War had little Egyptian or African mythology, sure they had the scenery, but the characters were very generic. Had they tapped into African mythology and introduced creatures and characters from Native African lore, we would have had a much more intriguing game.

BTW I'm from South Africa.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:14 pm
by Erpy
Another one, eh? We'd better be careful not to get overrun by them.

Image

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:18 pm
by Jontas
Erpy wrote:Another one, eh? We'd better be careful not to get overrun by them.
Are you talking about South Africans or Vampires! :lol
Ha ha ha, ahhh.