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Cat/Thor and Monkey/Bheema - Light lifting is heavy

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The first story is from Norse mythology. In it, the Norse god of thunder, Thor, ends up in the palace of Utgard-Loki, the King of the Frost Giants. Utgard-Loki gives Thor three challenges. The first challenge was to drain a drinking horn in three sips. Thor attempted to drink it, but each time he was only able to drain at most an inch. The second challenge was to lift Utgard-Loki's cat. Thor, considered the mightiest and strongest of all the gods, lifted with all his might, but he could only get one paw off of the ground. The third challenge was to wrestle an old woman. Again, Thor was considered the mightiest and strongest of all the gods. However, he was still only able to bring the woman to one knee. Thor had been given three seemingly easy challenges, especially for a god such as him. However, he had failed each and every one of the challenges, leaving him ashamed. However, later, it is revealed to Thor that the drinking horn was no ordinary drinking horn, the cat was no ordina

Tricking Death Itself - Orpheus & Eurydice vs Satyavan & Savirtri

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 Orpheus was one of the most talented musicians of ancient Greece, who was very devoted to his wife Eurydice. One day, Eurydice died after accidentally slipping into a pit of vipers(vipers naturally make their homes in pits and live together? I never knew that!), which promptly bit and killed her. Orpheus, in great despair, traveled the world with his lyre, which he was so lauded for it was said that while Hermes had created it, only Orpheus had truly perfected it, and began to play. He played music so mournful and desolate that every being recognized his sorrow and grief. Everybody, from mortals to gods suggested that he visit the underworld, realm of Hades, and visit Eurydice. He did as such and despite the underworld's natural evils, Orpheus descended downwards through the ancient equivalent of hell to the palace of Hades and Persephone themselves, where he played his music, and told a tale of sorrow and regret and mourning, so powerful in its emotion and expression that they ag

Eternal Life without Eternal Youth - Tithonus vs Bhismar

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 Tithonus was a king in ancient Greece, and like many Greek myths, a goddess fell in love with him. The goddess of the Dawn, Eos, loved him very much, but he was a mortal, meaning that eventually, he would die. She went to Zeus, King of the Gods, and asked him to grant Tithonus immortality. Zeus accepted, but Eos forgot to ask for eternal youth along with the immortality(did she really love him if she made stupid mistakes like that for him?). Tithonus lived forever from that point onwards, but became an old, senile hag(did he tell people to get off his lawn?), basically a bag of flesh on bones, babbling nonsense endlessly(he's in public office? Not really a long step from king to politician.). An ancient vase depicting Eos taking Tithonus for some reason. Bhishma was the crown prince to King Shantanu, who fell in love with a fisherman's daughter (Shantanu, not Bhishma here). Shantanu asked the fisherman for his daughter's hand in marriage, but the fisherman stated the condi

Voice and the Wings

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(Greek) In ancient times, it was said that the crow had silvery-white feathers and skin, and had a beautiful singing voice. Naturally, with beauty and voice, it was a servant of Apollo. One morning, Apollo told his crow to fetch him water. However, the crow spotted ripe food, and picked and ate it, ignoring its orders. Eventually, it realized its mistake, and rushed back to Apollo. Apollo asked it where it had been, as it had been a long time. The crow lied, and Apollo easily sensed it, being a god(is it like parents, where they always know when you are lying). He became very angry, and punished the crow, turning its beautiful feathers and skin into pure black, the color of evil, and turned its singing voice into a ugly, horrid croak. From then on, it was condemned to be known for its croak rather than its song. (Hindu) In ancient times, elephants used to have wings and be able to fly(how they weigh like 10,000 pounds even with wings and aren't aerodynamic). One day, they decided t

Norse vs Hindu Mythology: Immortality Elixirs - Apples and Amritha

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Norse gods weren't exactly immortal like in other mythologies, and were more or less superpowered mortals that could die(see Baldur as an example). They relied on apples from the goddess Idun, which restored them to youth and gave them strength. Thiazi was a very powerful mountain giant, and Loki, as we know, a trouble maker, offended Thiazi(why don't they just kick him out of Asgard, I will never know). Thiazi told Loki that in order to appease him, he would have to lure Idun out of Asgard and bring her to him so that he could have the supply of immortality apples(wouldn't the apples be in like an orchard or something and make this pointless?). Loki agreed, and started his plan. He first told Idun that he discovered apples that appeared better than hers, and she came with him, wanting to see how these incredible apples that were somehow better than hers were planted(and once again the orchard idea occurs). Thiazi then came and kidnapped her, taking her to his lair. Loki re

Greek vs Hindu Mythology: Semele and Sanjna

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 Zeus was the king of Olympus, but even being married he liked to go around and have lots of children with mortals(maybe he liked being a homewrecker, I guess?). One day, he fell in love with a woman named Semele, who eventually became pregnant. His wife Hera, was very angry and jealous(who wouldn't be?) and made a plan. She seeded her mind with the thought that Zeus was holding back from her and not showing his true glory and love to her, and she demanded to see his true form. Zeus told her that she would be obliterated by it and that it was not worth it, but in her infected fervor, she continued to plead and beg and said that she would leave him if he didn't. Zeus eventually gave in, because apparently he didn't use his brain and realize that if he showed her she'd be dead anyways and he wouldn't have her at all either way, and revealed his true, godly form, killing her almost instantaneously. There is more to this story, but we won't really dive further, only

Norse vs Hindu Mythology: Baldur and Ravana

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 Odin and Frigg were the king and queen, respectively, of Norse lands during the time periods in Norse Mythology, and had two children, Hodr and Baldur. Baldur was loved and respected by all, and he had nightmares that he would be killed. Frigg did not like this, and basically in a nutshell went "Don't you ever talk to me or my son ever again!", traveling the land, sneaking oaths from all things, from steel and lightning, to dirt and moss, saying that they would not harm Baldur. However, she ignored one thing,  mistletoe, because it appeared too innocent and young, and she did not gather an oath from it. Loki, the trickster god, became jealous and hatched a plot to kill Baldur, while he(Baldur) and the other gods were partying. All the other gods were testing their weapons, and laughing gleefully when they failed, drunk and cheery. Now, we circle back to Hodr. Hodr was blind, and so he could not participate in the celebration. Then, Loki arrived, and told Hodr that he cou