MACLEOD'S GARGOYLE MYTHOLOGY PAGE
This page is dedicated to the origins of the elements of Disney's Gargoyles. This page took a lot of research, if you do want to copy from it, please give me credit.
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OBERON
Oberon is from Shakespear's play "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream". He is the king of a race of elves(aka fairies, fay, dark elves, changelings, sidhe).
TITANIA
Oberon's wife, also originates from from Shakespear's play "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream". Queen of the elves(aka fairies, fay, dark elves, changelings, sidhe). In the play, she had fallen in love with a mortal so she was punished by Oberon.
PUCK
An elf, or fairie. From a race of purely magical beings. Also roots in Shakespear's play "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream". In the play, he is a prankster. He is very loyal to Oberon.
OBERON'S CHILDREN
Fairies(British), fay, sidhe(Irish), elves, changeling, dark elves(Norse). Acording to Shakespere as showen in "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream," all were under the rule and protection of Oberon. In many culture's mythology, these types of creatures existed as powerful magical creatures.
NEW OLIMPIANS
Mortal beings with special powers and weaknesses that in many culture's legends were hunted down by heroes and killed.
ODIN
King of the Norse gods, and Thor's father. God of war, death, poetry and wisdom. Traded one of his eyes for a drink from the Well of Wisdom. Stern and honorable god.
EYE OF ODIN
Odin's eye made into an amulet. Odin gave this eye up for a drink from the Well of Wisdom.
SLEIPNIR
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin's steed. Sleipnir has eight hooves and can move like the wind. He takes Odin everywhere Odin wants to go.
ARTHUR PENNDRAGON
In British mythology he was the king of Camelot, considered one of the greatest kings ever. He carried a sword called Excalibur. His advisor was the famed magician, Merlin. Arthur was the most prudent character in Brittish mythology and by far the most popular. He married a woman named Guenevere who later had an affair with Lancelot, one of the knights of Arthur's court.
EXCALIBUR
Excalibur was given to Arthur Penndragon by the lady of the lake. This lake, aka Dozmary Pool, was also where Arthur asks the sword be thrown after his death. Excalibur was said to be indestructable. In one version of the myth, who ever pulled Exaliber from the stone of destiny would be king of England.
LADY OF THE LAKE
In Brittish mythology, the Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to Arthur and told him he would be king.
STONE OF DESTINY
In Brittish mythology, the stone was a under the throne of King Arthur and held Excalibur. In another version of the myth, the stone was outside a castle in England and held the sword, and whoever pulled the sword from the stone would be king.
BANSHEE
From Irish mythology, the banshee(aka Bean Sidhe) was either a beautiful lady or an old hag who would sit on a dead branch outside a window. The banshee's calls signified a soon to be death in the family of the house that it sat beside. Only those not related to the person that will die can hear the banshee's screams.
CUCHULAINN
In Irish mythology, was born Sentanta but changed his name after he killed the Hound of Cualainn. He lived in Ulster as a child. His Human father is Sualtam, but his spiritual father is Lugh, the Irish sun god. Studied under the goddess Scathach on the Isle of Shadow. He is portrayed as a Pegan god but has no divine routes. Warrior of the region of Ulster in Ireland.
CROM CRUACH
In Irish mythology Crom Cruach was a statue of gold with twelve smaller statues around it in a circle. A cult burned milk cows in his name and a third of the village children were sacrificed on november 1rst. Crom Croch means bloody crescent, aka Cenn Crúaic which means bloody head.
AVALON
Avalon is the place where King Arthur is said to have gone after disappearing. It is a sort of fairy land for the British. It is not able to be reached by normal means.
WYRD SISTERS
Originally from Shakespear's play "MacBeth". They are the three witches that appear throughout the play. Also have a resemblence to the Fates in Greek mythology. The word "wyrd" in old english means "fate." The case of three figures, acting as both one and three, can be traced through mythologies all over the world, one of the more important being in Christianity (father, son, and holy ghost).
MACBETH
Originally from Shakespear's play "MacBeth". He bacame the king of Scotland after he killed King Duncan. He was driven mad from numerous haunts throughout the play and was killed by MacDuff. His wife commits suicide not long before his death after being dirven mad.
BANQUO
From Shakespear's "Macbeth". Banquo was Macbeth's friend and was killed by Macbeth's command because Macbeth believed that Banquo knew of his involvement in the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth was afraid of losing the throne.
SCROLLS OF MERLIN
From Brittish mythology, Merlin was Arthur's wizard and advisor. He raised Arthur from a child to a king and was his greatest friend. The scrolls were Merlin's diaries of Arthur's life.
ANUBIS
From Egyptian mythology, the god of the dead. Superseded by Osiris and became Osiris' assistant. His appearance was that of a jackal and he appeared in many Egiption stories.
COYOTE
In Native American mythology, Coyote was a spirit of the Earth. Referred to in many different cultures of Native Americans. He was often referred to as a trickster and a thief.
MEDUSA
In Greek mythology medusa was a monster that had hair of snakes and whoever looked her in the eye turned to stone. She was killed by the greek hero Perseus when he showed her her own face in a silver shield. Medusa's origin's can be traced to the Minoan Snake Goddess, which was assimilated into greek culture after the Mycenean invasion of the Minoans. The Myceneans became the Ancient Greeks.
MINOTAUR
In Greek mythology, the minotaur was an offspring of King Minos' wife Pasipha and a snow white bull sent to Minos by Poseidon, the god of the sea. When Minos betrayed Posieden, the sea god made Pasipha fall in love with the bull. The minotaur was put in a labrynth later and killed by Hercules. Since King Minos was a legendary king from the Minoan civilization that lasted from 3000-1000 BC , the Minotaur became an important part of the Minoan culture and was passed to the Greek culture after the Mycenean people took over the Minoan civilization and later became the Ancient Greek Civilization.
PROTEUS
In Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon. He stayed on the Island of Pharos outside of Egypt. If caught he will fortell the future, but he can change shape at will in order to avoid prophesying. He reverts to his own form of an old man before telling the future.
ANANSI
West African Trickster, created the first human, in which the goddess Nyame breathed life into. Was first king of humans and taught humans how to shovel fields and sow grain. Married Nyame's daughter.
RAVEN
An enemy of Cayote in Native American mythology, perpetually aggrivated by him. He called humans up from the earth or he found the first human baby in a clamshell depending on the culture. He was the first to give humans berries and salmon. Is referred to as a trickster and a thief.
AESIR
Race of warrior gods who live in Asgard in Norse Mythology. Their rivals, the Vanir, were assimilated into this race.
CHIRON
Originally was a Thessalian god of healing, but was adopted by the Greeks as a centaur. He retained his healing arts in the transfer. He was shot by Hercules with a poison arrow and he relinquished his immortality in order to escape the pain through death.
DESDEMONA
Othello's wife in William Shakeseare's "Othello". Killed by Othello after being accused of an affair with Cassio by Iago and pleading her innocence to Othello. Othello, later learning of Iago's treachery and Desdemona's actual innocence, kills himself on top of her.
DRAGONS
Mythological race of flying lizards that can breath fire and can sometimes use magic. Some are said to be able to speak human languages. Dragons have an extremely long lifespan. A dragon appeared in the Old Testament and was Slain by Saint George. In this story the dragon was looked upon as evil, but most other mythological texts refer to dragons as old, wise, hoarders of treasure who only attack those who enter their lair to steal the treasure. Dragons are said to sleep on beds of gold.
EKIDNE(ECHIDNA)
In Greek mythology, has the head of a beautiful girl and the body of a serpent. Mother of the Nemean Lion, Cerberus, Ladon, Chimera, Sphinx, and Hydra. These and Echidna were spared by Zeus as a challenge to future heroes.
TALOS
In Greek mythology, Talos was a bronze man made by Hephaestus and given to Europa by Zeus. Became the guardian to the island of Crete. He was killed by Argos when Argos cast a spell on him and removed the nail that held his blood in the vein that ran from the back of his neck to his ankle. When the nail was removed he bled to death.
CENTAUR
In Greek mythology, centaurs were creatures that were half human, half horse. They often followed Dionysus, the wine god.
HELIOS
In Greek mythology, Helios was the sun god. Rides a golden chariot through the sky and disapears with the sun into the ocean in the west.
GOLEM
A Jewish legend, and adopted later by christians in medieval times(1300's). Carried out tasks given by it's master, often used as a protector.
BOREAS
In Greek mythology, he was the god of the north wind and lived at Thrace. Depicted as a winged being of extreme strength, with a beard and wearing a tunic.
SELENE
In Greek mythology she was the moon goddess. She had a love affair with Zeus and some say the Nemean Lion was a result of this affair. Fell in love with Endymion, a mortal shephard, and had fifty daughters.
LUNA
Personafied goddess of the moon, aka Hecate, is equivilent to the Greek Selene. She had a temple on Aventine Hill in Rome in the 6th century BC but was destroyed by the great fire under Nero's regime. Hecate became a figure for the occult in later pagan religions.
PHOEBE
In Roman mythology Phoebe was the daughter of Uranus and Gaea. Owned the oracle of Delphi before Apollo took it from her. References to the Oracle at Delphi and Apollo are made in the play Oedopus the King by Sophacles in the 5th century BC.
GRANDMOTHER
"Grandmother" is the mother-goddess of the Hittites.