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Liar!Liar! your wings arent on flyer : Crows/Apollo and Elephants/Dirghatamas


Greek mythology : Corvus the Crow: Figs, Lies & Feather Makeovers

Once upon a sun-drenched Greek morning, the god Apollo sent his silver-feathered crow on a simple errand:
“Fetch me some water.”
That’s it. Not kill a hydra. Not seduce a nymph. Just grab a drink.
But this bougie bird got distracted. Not by an existential crisis or a thunderbolt war—just half-ripened figs.
The crow waited, snacked, had a solo picnic… and only when he realized he was massively late, panicked.
So naturally, he lied to Apollo.
Spoiler: Bad move.
Apollo, who wasn’t exactly known for letting things slide (ask Cassandra), saw through the excuse immediately.
As punishment?
The crow’s silver-white feathers were turned permanent goth black
His beautiful singing voice got downgraded to cursed croak 2.0
And boom, he was forever rebranded as the annoying sky gremlin you now see in parking lots.
Because nothing says “divine accountability” like a cosmic makeover out of petty disappointment.


Hindu mythology : Flying Elephants, Fallen Branches, and Furious Dirghatamas(yogi)

Meanwhile in ancient India, elephants could fly.

No, really. Majestic winged elephants used to soar through the skies like giant armored pigeons.

Until one day, they decided trees were the new landing pads.
So a cluster of winged jumbos took a break on top of a tree. Beneath that very tree, a peaceful yogi Dirghatamas was holding class with his students.
Physics did its thing. Branches snapped. The yogi got crushed.

Cue spiritual meltdown.

Instead of, say, reconsidering where to teach or building a fence, Dirghatamas cursed all elephants to lose their wings. Permanently.

And that’s how we ended up with ground-bound, trunked tanks instead of cloud-surfing sky whales.

Now here’s the thing:
If Dirghatamas had been hit by bird poop instead of elephants?
Would he have cursed birds to poop upwards?
Would clouds be banned?
We’ll never know. But clearly, ancient yogis had zero chill and could’ve used daily sessions of "anger exhale meditation™".

As George Costanza wisely put it:

“Serenity now… insanity later.”

Moral of the story : 

Choirbord to Croaker : The crow lied to a god for figs. Got turned into a goth gargler.
Sky Whale to Sidewalk Slapper : The elephants landed where they shouldn’t. Got flight-cancelled forever.

Bee-Come-a-Fly: Bugging the Brave for Divine Wins : Loki/Brokkr and Indra/Karna

 

 Brokkr vs. Loki: The Fly That Bit Too Much

Norse Edition – Loki vs. the Dwarf Who Would Not Flinch

Cast: Loki (Chaos Gremlin), Brokkr (Dwarf With Anger Issues), Eitri (Dwarf With Forging Anxiety)
Plot: Loki, in classic "hold my mead" fashion, bets his own head that two dwarf bros (Eitri & Brokkr) can’t craft treasures cooler than Odin’s spear or Freyja’s boat. The dwarves go full "Challenge Accepted"™ and start hammering out Draupnir (a bling ring) and Mjölnir (Thor’s future Instagram prop).

Loki’s Panic Move: Realizing he’s about to lose his head (literally), he turns into a giant pain-in-the-butt fly. He bites Brokkr’s arm, neck, and EYELIDS mid-forge. Blood? Sweat? Tears? Brokkr just blinked (once) and kept hammering like a dwarf on Red Bull.

Outcome: Dwarves win. Loki loses his head (but talks his way out of decapitation on a technicality – typical lawyer-god behavior).


 Karna vs. Indra: The Bee That Stung Too Deep



Hindu Edition – Karna vs. Indra’s Pet Bee

Cast: Karna (Overachiever With Identity Crisis), Indra (Hindu Zeus With Trust Issues), Parashurama (Guru Who Hates Naps Interrupted)
Plot: Karna, a warrior prince disguised as a Brahmin (vegetarian scholar), studies under guru Parashurama (who hates warriors). One day, Karna offers his thigh as a pillow for guru’s nap. Enter Indra, disguised as a "harmless" bee. Spoiler: It was not harmless.

Divine Jerk Move: Bee-Indra drills into Karna’s thigh like it’s a buffet. Blood pools? Pain soars? Karna doesn’t flinch – guru’s beauty sleep is sacred. But when Parashurama wakes up to a blood-soaked lap? He rage-curses Karna: "You’re OBVIOUSLY a warrior! Also, forget every spell I taught you when you need it most. Bye!"

Outcome: Indra wins. Karna gets trauma and a curse souvenir.

Step-Bro Dynamics - Good bro/Bad bro : Thor/Loki and Kubera/Ravana

 
NORSVILLE SAGA: THOR & LOKI
(Or: When Your Adopted Brother is a Walking Apocalypse)
Backstory:
Odin, king of gods, picked up a frost giant baby like a stray puppy. Named him Loki. Fast-forward: Loki’s now the god of awkward family dinners, sitting beside Odin’s bio-son Thor—blond, brawny, and allergic to subtlety.
The "Good" Brother:
Thor carried a résumé even Kratos would envy:
  • Smashed giants with Mjolnir (his Instagram-ready hammer)
  • Revived his magic goats after eating them for dinner (eco-warrior flex)
  • Took "protect humanity" so literally, he once dressed as Freya to steal his hammer back from a giant.
The "Bad" Brother:
Loki’s talent was creative sabotage:
  •  Gave birth to Odin’s eight-legged horse (long story)
  •  Engineered Baldur’s death—Asgard’s golden boy—using mistletoe
  •  Unleashed Ragnarök (Norse apocalypse) out of sheer pettiness.
The Meltdown:
  • Loki’s jealousy wasn’t quiet. When Thor got Dad’s throne, Loki:
  • Cut Sif’s hair (Thor’s wife)
  • Yeeted a snake-dripping venom into his own face (Odin’s punishment)
  • Led an army of dead people to end the world.
Endgame:
At Ragnarök, Thor murdered Loki’s sea-serpent son—then died from its venom. Loki got his face melted off by a fire god. No one won.
Moral of the Norse Story:
"Adopting a frost giant? Sweet. Ignoring his need for therapy? Apocalyptic."

HINDU EPIC: KUBERA & RAVANA
(Or: How to Lose Your Kingdom to a Demon With Daddy Issues)
Backstory:
Sage Vishrava had two wives—one divine, one demon. Kubera (divine son) got celestial wealth. Ravana (demon son) got ten heads and a PhD in screwing things up.
The "Good" Brother:
Kubera was basically heaven’s accountant:
  • Owned a flying chariot (Porsche of the gods)
  • Guarded all cosmic treasure
  • Lent his kingdom, Lanka, to Ravana (big mistake)
The "Bad" Brother:
Ravana collected evil deeds like Pokémon:
  • Stole Lanka from Kubera (no lease agreement)
  • Kidnapped Rama’s wife to avenge his sister’s nose job (yes, really)
  • Wrote love songs to Shiva while being crushed by his foot.
The Meltdown:
  • Ravana’s ego was a multiverse:
  • Burned Lanka’s moral compass
  • Ignored his good-guy brother Vibhishana
  • Declared war on Rama—a literal god in mortal form.
  • Not his bro's hair, but his sister Suerpanaga 's nose was cut by Rama's brother - full circle moment.
Endgame:
Rama shot Ravana’s belly-button (his weak spot). Kubera got Lanka back—but only after it was a demon BBQ pit.
Moral of the Hindu Story:
Never loan property to a brother with ten heads. He won’t pay rent—he’ll just write poetry on your walls. Family drama doesn’t stay at Thanksgiving dinner. It escalates. It conquers kingdoms. It ends worlds. So next time your sibling says ‘Trust me’—
Grab Mjolnir. Hide the flying chariot. And maybe, just maybe, suggest group therapy before someone starts Ragnarök."

Stepmoms Inc : Incidental Hitjobs & Accidental Demigods 12/14: Hera/Hercules and Kaikeyi/Rama

The Toxic Stepmom Playbook (Universal Edition):
Target: The golden child (Hercules/Rama)
Weapon: Institutional power + spineless dad (Zeus/Dasharatha)
Method: Exile with extra steps (12 impossible labors / 14-year forest retreat)
Flaw: Underestimating the hero's plot armor

Hera: 12 impossible labors(Monster-slaying internship)
First, Greece. Land of democracy, drama, and divine cheating.Hera, wife of Zeus, basically had “angry stepmom energy” tattooed on her celestial forehead. And honestly? We all get it. Zeus was a walking HR violation. But instead of going after her eternally unfaithful husband (who turned into swans and bulls to cheat), Hera took it out on his illegitimate mortal kids. Because logic.
Top of her hit list? Hercules. Son of Zeus and Alcmene. Born with biceps and main-character energy. Hera was so furious about his existence, she tried to kill him in his crib. Two snakes. Baby Hercules strangled them like chew toys.
Did that stop her? Oh no. She made sure his entire life was a cosmic revenge plot. She drove him mad (literally), made him kill his wife and children, and then—classic petty move—convinced Zeus to assign him twelve impossible labors as penance.
Hercules had to kill monsters, clean divine poop, and fetch guard dogs from the underworld — all while Hera hovered like the world's angriest stage mom.
Plot twist? He aced them all. Hera’s rage forged him into a god.
Yeah. That backfired spectacularly.
Hera’s Labors: Turned Hercules into the OG superhero. Cleaning the Augean stables? First recorded hazmat protocol. Stealing Cerberus? Ultimate rescue mission. Without Hera, he’s just Zeus’s gym-bro kid.
 



Kaikeyi: 14 year exile(Forest survivalist retreat)
Now zoom over to India. Royal palace of Ayodhya. Incense, dharma, and drama.
Kaikeyi wasn’t a goddess — just a sharp, politically savvy queen with a serious insecurity issue. She loved Rama, her stepson… until she didn’t. And what changed her mind? Not divine jealousy, but an evil maid with a whisper campaign.
Her maid Manthara basically said, “If Rama becomes king, you’ll be just another has-been queen and your son Bharata will be unemployed.” That was all it took.
So Kaikeyi, ever the tactician, called in two boons Dasharatha owed her. Did she ask for spa days? Land? Jewelry? Nah. She went full Machiavelli:
Exile Rama to the forest for 14 years
Install her own son as king
The king, who loved Rama like air, collapsed like a wet napkin. He didn’t even fight back. He just keeled over from grief. Rama? He left without protest, barefoot and smiling. Because dharma, obviously.
Kaikeyi’s plan spectacularly flopped. Bharata refused the throne, Rama came back stronger, and Kaikeyi ended up publicly disgraced. Turns out when you try to rig fate, fate treats you like a plot device.
Kaikeyi’s Exile: Forced Rama into the wilderness where he:
• Killed demons 💥 (marketing his divine chops)
• Allied with monkeys 🐒 (building a coalition)
• Became maryada purushottam (ideal man) – the ultimate PR glow-up.
The Real Villain? Weak Dads.
Zeus and Dasharatha weaponized passivity. Zeus enabled Hera’s rage; Dasharatha signed Rama’s exile papers while sobbing into his shawl. Mythology’s lesson: A spineless king/god is a stepmother’s greatest weapon. 
Moral of the story : 
Hera and Kaikeyi thought they were erasing rivals. Instead, they became essential plot devices. Every scar they inflicted was a future trophy. Hercules got Olympus; Rama got an empire. The stepmoms? Footnotes in their legends.
"You tried to break them, ladies. You only forged gods." 
So yes, run when a queen says "it’s for the kingdom." But also thank her – she’s probably launching a hero’s origin story.

Regenerating Evil : Hydra vs Ravana



The Hydra: Nature's Recursive Nightmare
Origin
Chaos’ bastard child—spawned from Typhon (hurricane incarnate) and Echidna (mother of monsters). Not born; unleashed in the swamps of Lerna, Greece’s primordial Area 51.
Form
A multi-headed serpent-dragon hybrid. Starts with 9 heads, but treat one as expendable? Two sprout back. Biological recursion at its most spiteful.
Regeneration Power
Decapitation = catastrophic system error. Sever one head, two regenerate instantly. Not healing—malignant multiplication. Evil so persistent, it evolves mid-battle.
Defeat Strategy
Heracles’ brute strength failed until Iolaus arrived with torches. 
Strategy: cauterize wounds post-decapitation. First recorded case of "stop the bleed, stop the spread."
Helper
Iolaus—the original tech support. While Heracles swung swords, Iolaus innovated: "Have you tried turning it off and burning it?"
Poison/Destruction
Hydra’s blood was so toxic, Heracles dipped his arrows in it. Later used to kill the centaur Nessus. Proof that even victory leaks collateral damage.
Symbolism
Violence begets violence. Attack blindly? The problem fractals. Evil isn’t conquered—it’s outsmarted.
Persistence of Evil
Physical, relentless. Cut a head? Two return. Like hacking through legal red tape just to find fresh paperwork.
Divine Challenge
Assigned by King Eurystheus. Translation: heaven’s HR department outsourcing cleanup duty.
Requires Cooperation
Heracles’ muscle + Iolaus’ brains = lethal synergy. Solo heroes need not apply.
Unintended Consequences
Those poisoned arrows? Later killed innocents. Hydra’s revenge from beyond the grave.
The Lesson
"Don’t bring swords to a torch fight."



Ravana: Divine Boon, Mortal Flaw

Origin

Son of a sage (Vishrava) and a demoness (Kaikesi). Engineered contradictions: scholar-tyrant, devout-heretic. A cosmic glitch in karma’s code.

Form
Ten heads ≠ ten brains. Symbolic crowns of invincibility—each a layer of divine armor.

Regeneration Power
Decapitation? Heads regrew instantly. Not biology—karmic cheat code. Boons from Brahma made him immune to gods, demons, spirits. Mortals? Fine print exploitation.

Defeat Strategy
Rama’s arrows + Vibhishana’s intel. Target: the navel—his divine subscription’s auto-renewal clause.

Helper
Vibhishana (traitor brother) + Hanuman (divine intern). Insider knowledge + chaotic energy = loophole exploitation.

Poison/Destruction
His intellect—sharp enough to lift mountains—became his poison. Arrogance blinded him to the "mortal vulnerability" clause.

Symbolism
Ego as recursive armor. Each head regenerated was another denial of mortality.

Persistence of Evil
Not physical—spiritual recursion. Cut a head? It regrew until Rama hit the "unsubscribe" button at his navel.

Divine Challenge
Orchestrated by Vishnu. Cosmic IT deploying Rama (human avatar) to patch Ravana’s exploit.

Requires Cooperation
Rama’s virtue + Vibhishana’s betrayal + Hanuman’s chaos. Divine victory requires mortal allies.

Unintended Consequences
His own brilliance became his trap. Scholar-king reduced to "that guy who forgot to insure his navel."

The Lesson
"Read the T&Cs before signing divine contracts."
Overconfidence in your firewall? That’s where the breach happens.

Brute force loses to system hackers.


Moral of the story : Whether you’re a swamp monster or a demon king:
Regeneration is just nature’s way of saying "Try again, loser."
—and fire/truth will always collect the debt.

(Next week: Why Sisyphus’ boulder is the original SaaS subscription.)



Sacred Spills & Boxed Babies : Hephaestus/Erichthonius and Bharadwaj/Drona

  

Greek Mythology: Athena's "Virgin" Birth-by-Box

The Setup:
Hephaestus (blacksmith god) helped Zeus birth Athena from his skull. Years later, Athena visited for weapons. Hephaestus—overcome by lust—chased her. She fled; he "spilled his divine seed" on her thigh.

Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, whose failed attempt to assault Athena results in him ejaculating on her thigh. Athena, grossed out, wipes it off with wool and tosses it in a box. That wool-box combo? It somehow transforms into Erichthonius, a future king of Athens. Call it the Athena thigh-to-box pipeline—a disturbing shortcut to parenthood.

The DIY Baby:
Disgusted, Athena:

  1. Wiped it off with wool.

  2. Tossed the wool in a box.

  3. BOOM — the semen morphed into Erichthonius, a full-term baby.

*Athena’s review: “0/10 stars. Would not recommend divine harassment or wool-based wombs.”*



Hindu Mythology: Bharadwaj’s Pot of Instant Parenthood

The Setup:
Sage Bharadwaj saw apsara Ghritachi bathing semi-nude in the Ganga. Burning desire → spontaneous emission. Quick-thinking sage: 

  1. Caught fluid in a water pot.

  2. VOILÀ — it grew into Drona (future warrior-guru).

Bharadwaj’s notes: “Pros: No pregnancy cravings. Cons: Explaining pot-baby to students.”

Sage Bharadwaj, who spots the celestial nymph Ghritachi bathing in the Ganga. Overwhelmed with lust, he ejaculates spontaneously—but instead of letting it go to waste, he scoops it into a pot of water. From that pot, Drona is born—who grows up to become the legendary guru of the Mahabharata. No womb, no wife—just a bachelor’s pot incubator by the riverbank. 

Modern Takeaways

  1. Shampoo bottles: Potential fetal hazard (per user experience).

  2. Pots/boxes: OSHA-violation baby factories.

  3. Mythology: Where celibacy meets creative family planning.

Every drop of semen has a destiny. Spill it, and you might accidentally create a future warlord or king. The ancient message is clear:

“Every sperm is sacred.
Spill = infanticide.
Wank = genocide.”


Final Wisdom:
Gods and sages: turning accidental spills into legendary heroes since 1000 BCE.
(Condom companies hate this one trick.)

One eye terror showdown : Polyphemus and Kabanth

  • Polyphemus (Greek):

    • Past Life: Zero tragic backstory. Born a Cyclops – son of Poseidon, professional cave-squatter, and connoisseur of human tartare

    • The Eye: One giant forehead peeper, perfect for spotting Odysseus’ crew (then losing it to a heated stake).

    • "Redemption": None. Blinded, humiliated, and left screaming for daddy Poseidon to wreck Odysseus’ commute

    • Born monstrous. His "curse" was being a Cyclops in a world where Greek heroes treat you like a Michelin-starred buffet owner

    • Silver Lining: None. Just eternal infamy as the guy who fell for "Nobody."

    • Chillaxed in his Sicilian cave, herding sheep and violating sacred guest codes (RIP Odysseus’ crew).

    • Villainy: Casual cruelty. No grand schemes, just snacking on tourists 

    • Trapped Odysseus’ men → ate them → got blinded by a drunk "Nobody" → cried to Poseidon. Zero wisdom shared, only generational traum

    • Redemption/Punishment:  Eternal blindness, sheep bleats, and a cameo in Odysseus’ underworld slideshow


  • Kabantha (Hindu):
    • Vishnu’s rage = "No legs, no head, enjoy being a hangry piñata!" Forced to drag-torso through forests, shoving wildlife into his gaping maw 

    • Silver Lining: Temporary.

    • Past Life: Arrogant Gandharva musician who tried to bully Lord Vishnu mid-date.

    • Curse: Transformed into a screeching torso with mile-long arms, a belly-mouth, and a single chest-eye scanning for snacks (humans preferred) 

    • Redemption Arc: Helped Rama and Lakshmana, spilled intel on Sita, and got a pyre-assisted upgrade back to celestial VIP status

    • Roamed Dandaka Forest like a territorial landfill. Not hiding – owning his dumpster-fire existence 

    • Villainy: Primal. Motivated by eternal hunger™, not world domination

    • Snatched Rama/Lakshmana → got disarmed (literally) → switched teams. Became a prophetic GPS ("Sita’s in Lanka! Seek monkeys!"). Earned a fiery exit to heaven 

    •  Redemption/Punishment :  Rama’s compassion + intel trade = curse lifted. Popped out of his monstrosity like a celestial butterfly

Moral of the Story

If you’re cursed into a one-eyed abomination, be useful. Heroes forgive anything if you give good directions. Also, avoid attacking gods on date night. Also Polyphemus is cautionary tale for all uncle-daddy wannabes. 


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