Tiamat and Bahamut--Why Use Real World Mythology?

[infax]

While not really agreeing with Kobu, I can see a problem with appropriating mythological names and nothing more. While I don't see it as a crime, it can wreck havoc for new players.

If I have a fantasy god named Odin, but he is not a father figure, one eyed, ruler of a pantheon, but rather a half-man half-fish, prankster young god of the Orcs, it WILL cause confusion when I tell a player newly come to my homebrew "And then, you find an altar to Odin at the back of the cave". It generates confusion.

Howard was able to evoke a whole viking-like culture by dropping a couple of nordic sounding names. D&D will be doing the same if they use the name Thor. If they intend to create a god completely different than the one most people are familiar with, maybe they should create another name (or select one more evocative to what they want).

 

[kennew142]

Orcus is actually the Roman god of the underworld (he and Pluto together are a match for Hades).

I'm not usually so pedantic on the internet, but it seems to be the purpose of this thread.

It is a common misconception that Pluto is a a Roman name for Hades. It is in fact a Greek epithet (meaning wealthy). Some Roman poets use the name, because it fits Latin poetic meter better than Hades does. The Roman name for the deity is either Orcus or Jupiter Summanus. The Greek epithet Pluto is more often translated as Dis in Latin (also meaning wealthy), as in Dis Pater (an arch-devil starting in AD&D 1e).

/Pedantry

Since I'm now teaching Middle School Latin/Mythology instead of college, I have to find some way to utilize these degrees.

 

[Kobu]

Heh... what then about Orcus and Asmodeus being names of christian demonology? Consider also that both will probably be dieties in 4e!

I wonder if that will be more a problem than Tiamat, which is light years away from its mythological roots

You may have misunderstood my first post. I'm a little more ambivalent about the greater demons/devils since they aren't as far off from their base. I'd still prefer original names, especially as they stray farther from their origins.

The 1e version of Tiamat wasn't that far from its roots as I recall. It has gotten farther though. I wish I had the 1st Deities and Demigods book here to reference. The whole thing with Io (an FR reference?) splitting is just bizarre though, especially considering that Tiamat is the one who was split in two.

The pairing with Bahamut is also way out there. I could understand Marduk--he was represented as a dragon! And fought Tiamat! Bahamut isn't even a god in mythology as far as I know and is from a whole other culture. Did someone just mix the names up and go with it ever since?

Authors borrow names and imagery from one another all the time. The yog-sothoth of HP Lovecraft isn't exactly the same as the yog-sothoth of Clark Ashton-Smith, Robert E. Howard or August Derleth (let alone the authors of Doctor Who novels).

Those were collaborations, not just a borrowings. Any differences were not intentional but caused by no one wanting to strictly define those things. Descriptions were intentionally vague in keeping with the mythos. As a collaboration, the mythos stories were also meant to exist together in the same shared universe. I see no problem there.

An example of what I am taking issue with would be having Cthulhu show up as an ocean god in Eberron represented as a kraken. You can sort of see where it came from, but it's far from the origin. It makes no sense to call this god "Cthulhu" even though that was the inspirational source.

 

[Hussar]

You would have a problem with Cthulu being represented by a Kraken?

Heck, whack a fiendish template on him, which gives him wings, and poof, instant Cthulu. Or, at least close enough.

 

[Klaus]

I'm not usually so pedantic on the internet, but it seems to be the purpose of this thread.

It is a common misconception that Pluto is a a Roman name for Hades. It is in fact a Greek epithet (meaning wealthy). Some Roman poets use the name, because it fits Latin poetic meter better than Hades does. The Roman name for the deity is either Orcus or Jupiter Summanus. The Greek epithet Pluto is more often translated as Dis in Latin (also meaning wealthy), as in Dis Pater (an arch-devil starting in AD&D 1e).

/Pedantry

Since I'm now teaching Middle School Latin/Mythology instead of college, I have to find some way to utilize these degrees.

No problem at all, your post is made of pure win!

 

[Klaus]

You would have a problem with Cthulu being represented by a Kraken?

Heck, whack a fiendish template on him, which gives him wings, and poof, instant Cthulu. Or, at least close enough.

BAH!

BAH, I say!

Everyone knows Cthulhu is a Colossal half-fiend mind flayer with the Space Creature (d20 Future)!

BAH!