Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes: Other Mythos

In addition to the eight mythologies covered in Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes, several additional mythos were covered in The Dragon between February, 1978 and September, 1979.  These included the Cthulhu mythos, as well as seven other mythologies, by Jerome Arkenberg,

The Lovecraftian Mythos in Dungeons & Dragons

The Dragon #12 (February, 1978)

The manuscript for this article was written by J. Eric Holmes, with a few editorial changes made by Robert Kuntz, as discussed at Zenopus Archives here and here.

The Lovecraftian Gods, the Great Old Ones, and the Necronomicon, are described.  There are additional entries for Inhuman and Partly Human Races of the Cthulhu Mythos.

See also "The Cthulhu Mythos Revisited", a letter submitted by Gerald Guinn, in The Dragon #14, and "A Rebuttal to "The Cthulhu Mythos Revisited", by Holmes, in The Dragon #16.

The Persian Mythos

The Dragon #12 (February, 1978)

The ancient Persian religion, Zoroastrianism, is a dualist system.  This means that the Persian Gods are either Good (Lawful), or Evil (Chaotic).  Ahura Mazda, the Archangels, and the Yazatas are opposed to Ahriman and the Archdemons, who try to destroy Ahura Mazda's creations.

The Forces of Good (including Ahura Mazda or Ohrmazd, the Archangels, the Yazatas) and some heroes, as well as the Forces of Evil (including Ahriman or Angra Mainyu, the Archdemons, and lesser Demons) are described.

The Japanese Mythos

The Dragon #13 (April, 1978)

Japanese mythology is a mixture of Buddhism and Shinto.  The main concern of Shinto is with Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and her relations and descendants.  The beliefs of Shinto also includes the belief that everything (mineral, animal, and vegetable) has its own kami or spirit.  When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the late 6th Century A.D., Shinto gods and goddesses, to a certain degree, became integrated with the Buddhist pantheon, and vice versa.

Bishamon trampling a demon, illustration by David Sutherland, from The Dragon #13.

The gods and goddesses of Japanese mythology, as well as a list of special treasures, are included.  Ogre magi were previously included as D&D monsters in Greyhawk.

Oni, or "Japanese Ogres", were inspired by General Raiko and the Ogres of O-E-Yama, a beautifully illustrated children's book translated into English from Japanese, according to Gygax.

A samurai character class by Mike Childers and Jeff Kay was published in The Dragon #3, as was a ninja character class by Sheldon Price in The Dragon #16 (updated in The Dragon #30).

Near-Eastern Mythos

The Dragon #16 (July, 1978)

The mythologies of Sumeria, Babylonia, and Canaan are quite similar to each other.  Usually, only the names of the deities are different (though there are slight differences, due to local needs).  This is attributable to the fact that these mythologies all stem from that of the Sumerians (though local gods were added to it).

Scorpion Man, illustration by David Sutherland, from The Dragon #16

Descriptions are given for the various gods, heroes, monsters, and artifacts of ancient Mesopotamia, with designations provided for Sumerian, Babylonian, or Canaanite origins.

The Mythos of Australia

The Dragon #19 (October, 1978)

The mythos of Australia is not that of the white settlers, but of the Australian Aborigines.  These were primitive semi-nomadic hunters and foragers living in a hostile, arid environment.  There were many aboriginal tribes, widely separated over the continent of Australia.  Thus though they had many Gods in common, they also had many others that were peculiar to a certain tribe or area.

Sky-Beings (gigantic, human-shaped beings), and other creatures (including the Rainbow Snake, the Wondjina, and the Mimi) are described.

The Mythos of Polynesia

The Dragon #20 (November, 1978)

Polynesia comprises those islands in the Pacific Ocean that stretch from the Hawaiian Islands in the North, to New Zealand in the South, and to Easter Island in the East.  In this vast area of the Pacific, the Islanders have a distinct, but related culture, language, and mythology, much as those Scandinavians do.  Thus their Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes have basically the same traits and characteristics, though they are often known by different names.

The various gods and goddesses of Polynesian mythology are described, in addition to "the Great Octopus", heroes, monsters, and artifacts.

Holmes, who spent part of his childhood in Hawaii, created the were-shark, and makes reference to "were-sharks in Polynesia" in the Basic Rulebook (1977).

The Mythos of Africa

The Dragon #27 (July, 1979)

The mythology of that part of Africa which lies south of the Sahara was not written down until recently, and is still not complete.  but the myths of the several tribes were preserved in oral tradition and African art.  There are many, many tribes in that part of Africa, and each have their own myths and legends.  But yer many of these myths are similar in theme and events, even if the names are different.

Several gods, creatures, and heroes are described, including an artifact "The Golden Stool of the Ashanti".

The Mythos of Oceania

The Dragon #29 (September, 1979)

Oceania, in this regard, consists of two diverse groups of islands - Micronesia and Melanesia.  The former consists of the small Pacific islands and atolls that comprise the Palau, Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, and Mariana Islands.  the latter consists of such large Pacific islands such as New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Fiji, New Hebrides, Solomon, and Santa Cruz Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago.

"The mythos of Micronesia emphasizes heroes, and is not very concerned with gods or goddesses."  The gods and heroes, as well as creatures, are described.

"This mythos, in contrast to that of Micronesia, emphasizes gods and their importance to Mankind."  The Kasa Sona, heroes, and creatures are described.

When "Deities and Demigods" was published for AD&D in 1980, the Babylonian, Japanese, and Sumerian mythos were included.  I was surprised to see that Jerome Arkenberg wasn't listed in the acknowledgements.

Someday, I would like to see a fan-made "God, Demi-Gods & Heroes: Volume II".  There was as much material published in The Dragon as presented in the original supplement, and J. Eric Holmes and Jerome Arkenberg could be credited as the co-authors.