Huw
First Post
An uncommon but widespread mythological figure is the half-man: that is, a human cut in half lengthwise (one leg, one arm, one eye, etc.) The most famous example is the Celtic fachan, but there are others:
Can anyone elaborate on these? Is this really a theme which occurs throughout the world, or does it come from a single source? Any other examples from mythology (along with earliest known appearances) would be appreciated.
- The Arabian nasnas, which might be the same as the Celtic fachan.
- The Vietnamese Doc Cuoc is a giant who split himself in two.
- The folktale The Man Who Set out to Learn What Fear Was has a man split in half and sewn back together.
Can anyone elaborate on these? Is this really a theme which occurs throughout the world, or does it come from a single source? Any other examples from mythology (along with earliest known appearances) would be appreciated.
