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Pile o' Bones
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Re: gods and heroes
Yes, some of them evolved from the bottom up. And some of them became blended together through identification (some might say confusion) in the popular mind. Santa Claus is most likely an example of this, since one of his origins is said to be an actual person, Saint Nicholas. But Saint Nicholas did not ride through the sky in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, nor did he have elves in his employ.
Pot of Fairy Story . . . I like that. It's a bubbling brew in the cauldron of imagination.
To answer your other question, by mythological figures I meant, for the most part, the anthropomorphic ones. (I say for the most part because there is the Native American figure of folklore, Coyote, an example of the Trickser archetype and therefore also a god). Mythological creatures, such as trolls and dragons, I do not refer to as gods, though they are formed of the same stuff. This is not to say they can't be gods. But they are generally not named, and a god must have a name. Certain named individuals, like the dwarf Alberich, can be considered gods though. Alberich means "Elf Kingdom" I believe, and the French version of his name, Auberon, gives us Oberon, who is the King of Faerie, and therefore a god.
It's all God . . .
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I am the Lieutenant of <a href=http://pub28.ezboard.com/blugburz>Lugburz</a>, a member of the <a href=http://www.tolkienboards.cjb.net/>Tolkien EZBoard Network</a>. I am also the High Priest of <a href=http://www.crosswinds.net/~darkbanecircle/>Darkbane Circle</a>, an online coven.</p>
Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000277>The Black Lieutenant</A> at: 11/11/00 4:35:20 am