# Looking for mythical/fictional characters raised from mortality to immortality **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862 "2008-09-16T17:40:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/1 "2008-09-16T17:40:44Z")
Herakles, who became part of a polytheistic and non-transcedent group of gods after he died, would count. Enoch & Elijah, who were translated to Heaven without dying but aren’t worshipped (so far as I know) also fits my needs, as does Eärendil from the Silmarillion. (And yes, I know the relationship between Enoch & the angel Metatron). However, Jesus Christ would not count, as his three decades in Palestine are generally thought to be a brief detour in his immortal existence. Can anybody offer other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/2 "2008-09-16T17:45:01Z")
Jesus’s mother Mary, right? Raised to heaven in physical form but born a mortal. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/3 "2008-09-16T17:45:36Z")
Kratos in the God Of War video game series was elevated not only to immortality but godhood. Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality series is all about mortals becoming (more or less) immortal. In the movie Hocus Pocus, Thackery Binks was cursed by the witches to become both a cat and immortal. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/4 "2008-09-16T17:47:26Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Jesus’s mother Mary, right? Raised to heaven in physical form but born a mortal. You have officially confirmed that I am an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/5 "2008-09-16T18:00:36Z")
Tuor? Supposedly the only pure blood mortal given the life of the Eldar. Based mostly on rumor, IMHO. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/6 "2008-09-16T18:04:25Z")
There’s “Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged” from the third Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy book. Became immortal due to “an unfortunate accident with an irrational particle accelerator, a liquid lunch, and a pair of rubber bands.” And Nils Hansen in David Drake’s “Northworld” books is elevated to godhood so he can complete a nearly impossible mission for the other gods. ETA: - **Skald the Rhymer** , out of curiosity, do you create these interesting threads (most evil sitcom character, bad actors in good movies, villains who love just one person etc.) just for their own sake, or are you collecting this info for some purpose? ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/7 "2008-09-16T18:06:50Z")
Captain Jack Harkness. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/8 "2008-09-16T18:12:17Z")
There’s a movie that I half remember. The story revolved around a man in the…1700’s I want to say, a noble and landowner who for some reason eventually turned into a woman living in modern day. I don’t remember if it was a ‘became immortal’ situation though. Does that sound familiar to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/9 "2008-09-16T18:12:58Z")
Do undead that retain their personalities count? There are at least a few D&D deities who were once mortal, like Vecna and Saint Cuthbert. The main characters from _The Belgariad_ became immortal when they discovered the Will and the Word. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/10 "2008-09-16T18:14:29Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > There’s a movie that I half remember. The story revolved around a man in the…1700’s I want to say, a noble and landowner who for some reason eventually turned into a woman living in modern day. I don’t remember if it was a ‘became immortal’ situation though. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Could it be [Orlando](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107756/)? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/11 "2008-09-16T18:17:34Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Could it be [Orlando](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107756/)? I do believe that’s it, thanks. And it seems to count since Orlando was ordered to become immortal by the Queen. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/12 "2008-09-16T18:18:48Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > There’s “Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged” from the third Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy book. Became immortal due to “an unfortunate accident with an irrational particle accelerator, a liquid lunch, and a pair of rubber bands.” > > And Nils Hansen in David Drake’s “Northworld” books is elevated to godhood so he can complete a nearly impossible mission for the other gods. > > ETA: - **Skald the Rhymer** , out of curiosity, do you create these interesting threads (most evil sitcom character, bad actors in good movies, villains who love just one person etc.) just for their own sake, or are you collecting this info for some purpose? Usually I’m just goofing off. I got the idea for this PARTICULAR thread because I was working on a story in which a character says something akin to “and thus he was raised to immortality, like Enoch or (blank) in your mythology.” As I composed the OP the names Earendil & Herackles came to me, but I decided to post the thread anywhistle. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/13 "2008-09-16T18:19:06Z")
The “half-elven” in Tolkien’s Middle Earth were given the choice of mortality or immortality. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/14 "2008-09-16T18:22:15Z")
Lazarus in the parable of the rich man and the poor man, the souls in Dante’s _Paradiso_, (we’ll leave out _Inferno_ since you wrote “raised” to immortality. _Purgatorio_ is borderline) and just about anything else involving a Christian heaven. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/15 "2008-09-16T18:28:56Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Lazarus in the parable of the rich man and the poor man, the souls in Dante’s _Paradiso_, (we’ll leave out _Inferno_ since you wrote “raised” to immortality. _Purgatorio_ is borderline) and just about anything else involving a Christian heaven. Lazarus died & was raised again, but there’s nothing to indicate that he was any less mortal after Jesus’ trip to Bethany. Nor do we know that he went to Heaven. Always seemed to me that the carpenter’s boy raised Lazarus (even though he knew it was going to set in motion a chain of events that ended in a llllllloooooottttttttt of pain for himself) because Mary wanted him to, and he was sweet on Mary. (God help the Romans if they’d have tried to do anything to Mary. The Nazarene would have healed himself, leapt off the cross, and summoned Metatron & Michael with instructions to kick some Italian ass, but to bring Pilate to him.) I am so going to hell. It’s not even funny. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/16 "2008-09-16T18:33:16Z")
Indiana Jones drank from the Holy Grail. Did that make him immortal? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/17 "2008-09-16T18:38:16Z")
In some versions of the myth of the Dioskouri, Castor and Pollux are both the sons of Zeus and Leda, and both immortal. But in other versions one is the son of Tyndareos and Leda, and mortal. The story goes that, when one was to die, the other gave up half his immortality, and they live on alternate days, or one at day and the other at night. And, just to keep it interesting, in the Iliad they’re both said to be mortal. And dead already. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/18 "2008-09-16T18:41:16Z")
Greek myths tell of Tithonus, who was given immortality. Alas, he was not given eternal youth, and so grows older each day. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/19 "2008-09-16T18:42:57Z")
Castor received immortality after his brother Pollux implored Zeus to give him half of his immortality as Castor was dying… This allowed them to ascend to the skies as the constellation Gemini and split their time between Hades and Olympus. The Mayan Hero Twins became the Sun and the Moon. The Finnish hero Väinämöinen sailed away from mortal lands at the end of the _Kalevala_, promising to return one day when he was needed. Hob Gadling from Neil Gaimen’s _Sandman_ is made immortal by Death, but doesn’t go to Heaven. ETA: crap, beaten to the punch on Castor and Pollux. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862/20 "2008-09-16T18:43:39Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Greek myths tell of Tithonus, who was given immortality. Alas, he was not given eternal youth, and so grows older each day. And what’s really fucked up there is that Zeus did it on purpose. Yes, Eos didn’t specifically ASK for endless youth, but she certainly meant to imply it. Zeus was just being an asshole. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-mythical-fictional-characters-raised-from-mortality-to-immortality/463862.md?page=2)