# Fans of myth: what's your favorite mythic cycle, story, or character?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fans-of-myth-whats-your-favorite-mythic-cycle-story-or-character/490996>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 27, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fans-of-myth-whats-your-favorite-mythic-cycle-story-or-character/490996 "2009-03-27T15:17:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fans-of-myth-whats-your-favorite-mythic-cycle-story-or-character/490996/41 "2009-03-28T19:31:09Z")

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> [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](#):
>
> Hmm, true. Zeus is apparently a very pretty bird.
> 
> But actually, on the off-chance you care, I can tell you that in this case, the egg came before the chicken - or swan, as it were. The egg element appears far earlier than the idea of Leda sleeping with a swan.

I remember reading that someowhere, though I don’t know where. And I do care, actually. I thirst for all knowledge.

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**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fans-of-myth-whats-your-favorite-mythic-cycle-story-or-character/490996/42 "2009-03-28T19:45:19Z")

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Väinämöinen is one of my long-time favorite characters from mythology. As a child of about 10, I was fortunate to find a book called “Tales from the Kalevala” full of tales of Väinämöinen and his always unsuccessful search for a wife. My favorite sequence is probably the story of the wooing of the Maid of the North and the Wedding of Ilmarinen, which includes the forging of the Sampo and the preparations of the wedding feast.

Bonus: I like to read aloud from my translation of _The Kalevala_. With my mythology-loving husband, it’s pratically foreplay.

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**Author:** ![bagga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@bagga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagga)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fans-of-myth-whats-your-favorite-mythic-cycle-story-or-character/490996/43 "2009-03-29T18:39:18Z")

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> [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](#):
>
> I always thought Arachne’s tale was one of the saddest, or maybe just one of the more unjust stories (turned into a spider for being awesome).

Arachne for me, too. For the simple reason that I love myths which explain common phenomena in other ways.

Arachne, being the finest, proudest spinner in all the lands, is turned in to a spider for her boastfulness, but not before she tries to hang herself to escape her fate.

That’s an incredibly lovely understanding of spiders.

I like Echo for the same reason.

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