Tag: folklore

The Gorgons @MythsExplained #MythologyMonday #MythologyMonandæg #folklore

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There’s a new Geico commercial. Usually, I like them, but this one annoys me. In it, Medusa has turned some squirrels to stone, and when Zeus calls her away, she restores them to their natural state. This annoys me not only because Medusa didn’t have that power in legend, but also because I know the reason for it: Because if the animals weren’t restored, there’d have been a social media campaign calling for a boycott against Geico. Advertisers are very careful about how they present their ads, coddling us far more than we deserve.

With that, I give you the … “real”(?) story of the Gorgons care of Mythology & Fiction Explained.

See 7:45 for a list of their powers.

Of course, it’s all make-believe, so you can give them whatever powers you want in your RPGs. In fact, you probably should carve out your own creative path.

Lighten up, Francis. (<– You’ll see.)

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Achilles #MythologyMonday #MythologyMonandæg #folklore

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Surprisingly, Mythology and Fiction Explained doesn’t have a video on Achilles, so I give you a video from a completely different source, Greek Mythology Explained.

Please. I have no weaknesses.

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The Strange and Terrifying Creatures of Native American Folklore @MythsExplained #MythologyMonday #MythologyMonandæg #folklore

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Last week, I discussed the Shishi, pointing out how Americans get exposed only to western mythology. That’s not exactly true. We get only western European mythology. Nothing’s more west than America itself, and there are untapped storylines from pre-USA civilization right here on our continent, all of which are great for movies, RPGs, etc. Here’s a video from last week on native American folklore.

Of course, it just has to start with the wendigo, but that one has its own video on the same channel.

Characters like the deer woman are most fascinating to me. Much like the night hag from folklore and the 1st Edition D&D Monster Manual, the character’s threat arises as a reaction to bad behavior on the part of her target. In the context of a role-playing game, that’s the kind of story that writes itself. The PC behaves badly in a particular way, and the DM sends the appropriate monster to exact punishment. If the PC’s sin calls a creature far beyond their power level, that’s on them. (I know. Modern gamers don’t like to “lose D&D,” so you may have to power her down so there are no real consequences. *sigh*)

Keep looking for more.

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