Category Archives: Etymology

Listen to the Banshee

I’m not sure I’ve ever done a post about Banshees, of Inisherin or otherwise. I haven’t seen that movie, but I suspect it doesn’t have any literal Banshees in it. I did write before about the Bean-Nighe, which is sometimes considered a type of … Continue reading

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Mistletoe the Line

As a kid, I was introduced to the idea of mistletoe being the plant people kiss under at Christmastime. Then, when I was a little older, I started looking into Norse mythology, and found the story about how mistletoe had … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Christmas, Chronicles of Narnia, Etymology, Greek Mythology, Holidays, Language, Magic, Mythology, Names, Norse, Religion, Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Taliesin’s Tale

I don’t think I’ve said that much about the legendary bard Taliesin, although I’ve come across him when researching other British mythology. I tend to subconsciously associate him with Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer, I guess because they’re also … Continue reading

Posted in Arthurian Legend, British, Celtic, Etymology, Finnish, Greek Mythology, History, Magic, Music, Mythology, Names, Poetry, Uncategorized, Welsh | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I Don’t Think It’s Good to Work Too Hard

I’ve gotten into the habit of writing about a video game when I start playing it, then again when I finish, assuming I ever do. I do tend to post occasional updates to Twitter, however, thanks to the screen capture … Continue reading

Posted in Chrono Trigger, Dreams, Etymology, Families, Greek Mythology, Humor, Monsters, Music, Mythology, Names, Relationships, Sims, Technology, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Can’t Sit at Our Table

Today, I wanted to look at the Table of Nations from Genesis 10. The Hebrew word that’s usually translated “nations” is goyim, which became gentilis in the Latin Vulgate. Both words have come to mean non-Jewish people in general, and … Continue reading

Posted in African, Christianity, Egyptian, Ethnicity, Etymology, Families, Greek Mythology, History, Judaism, Language, Monsters, Mythology, Names, Prejudice, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My God Can Beat Up Your God

I can’t remember how I was originally signed up for Quora, but I do find it interesting to read some of the answers, especially about mythology. Like much of the Internet, answers are from both experts and people who are just … Continue reading

Posted in African, Babylonian, Celtic, Characters, Christianity, Conspiracy Theories, Egyptian, Etymology, Feminism, Gender, Greek Mythology, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Poetry, Politics, Prejudice, Relationships, Religion, Roman, Wicca | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All in How You Spell ‘Em

I saw something recently about the difference between the words “fairy” and “faerie.” Really, there’s no difference; the latter is just an archaic spelling. The word comes from the French for “fate,” and therefore “enchantment”; and was applied to many different … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, British, Celtic, Discworld, Etymology, Greek Mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic, Mythology, Norse, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Terry Pratchett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Right Off the Bat

When I played the first Dragon Quest, then called Dragon Warrior, I had a strategy guide from Nintendo Power that described Drakees as flying baby dragons.  This was interesting to me, as it gave a bit of a hint into … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Dragon Quest, Dreams, Etymology, L. Frank Baum, Mario, Mega Man, Monsters, Onyx Madden/Jim Nitch, Oz, Oz Authors, Pokémon, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Shave and a Haircut, Two Squits

Jenny Jump might well be the foremost stylist in Oz, but there are other mentions of hairstyling being a thing in Oz even before her arrival, if perhaps less creative. There’s a pun in The Patchwork Girl of Oz when Bungle … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Characters, Edward Einhorn, Etymology, Humor, Jack Snow, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Language, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Angling for the Saxons

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s idea for an America First Caucus based on Anglo-Saxon values sounds kind of bizarre to those of us who don’t run in white supremacist circles. Like, why Anglo-Saxon in particular, and why would a group focusing on … Continue reading

Posted in Arthurian Legend, Authors, British, Celtic, Colonization of America, England, Ethnicity, Etymology, History, J.R.R. Tolkien, Language, Lewis Carroll, Monarchy, Monsters, Mythology, Names, Norse, Politics, Prejudice, Roman Empire, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment