Examples of Contradictory "Just So" Etiological Explanations

pluviosilla

New Member
Can someone knowledgeable about multiple mythical systems give me some examples of etiological narratives in different mythical systems that serve the purpose of explaining something yet which are not compatible with one another and existed side-by-side without much bothering those who adhered to the myth?

What I've found so far on the internet are discussions of different accounts of the same myth found in different sources. That's not what I'm after. I want examples of stories whose inconsistency was tolerated by people because each story serves some etiological purpose that people are reluctant to give up and so they just tolerate the inconsistency instead.

Thanks in advance for helpful suggestions.
 

Caburus

Active Member
You mean like Jesus was the Son of Man, and also the Son of God?

The God Pan was said to be older than the Olympians and taught hunting to Artemis and prophecy to Apollo, but was also the son of Hermes (his mother varied, including Penelope the wife of Odysseus).
 
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