History NewerThanTheyThink / Mythology

** The whole concept of 'transformed man as a human-wolf hybrid' comes directly from classic horror films. The WolfMan look in particular was created for the 1941 movie; they wanted a more wolf-like look, but had to settle for it because of the [[SerendipityWritesThePlot makeup limitations of the time]]. In traditional folklore the werewolf was either a man changing into a regular wolf, or not physically changing and just becoming a wanton murderer (real werewolf trials of the 15th-early 19th century transparently describe what we'd call today [[SerialKiller serial killers]]). Other stories have the werewolf's nature being betrayed by a wolf body part that he consciously hides (ears, legs, tail), or a clothing item of wolfskin like a hat or belt. Nevertheless, while a regular wolf (or a wolflike dog, more often) has been used in some films, a half-man, half-beast creature is more interesting.

* To cross the previous two example groups over, the idea of [[FurAgainstFang vampires and werewolves as instinctive or traditional enemies]] is almost '''entirely''' derived from the influence of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness. In earlier folklore, they were often seen as linked by their bloodthirstiness and supernatural nature, and it was even believed in some places that a dead werewolf would rise as a vampire. In quite a number of cases, the two were even treated as one and the same--Literature/{{Dracula}}, for instance, is described as a werewolf several times in the original novel. This may have actually led to some cross-contamination between the two.

* The idea of a [[PrincessClassic saintly and innocent princess]] in fairy tales was largely the result of 19th century writers trying to make everything nice for the children. Older fairy tales would have their heroines be at least a bit more active. Some, such as [[Literature/LeMorteDarthur certain versions]] of [[Myth/KingArthur Knights of the Round Table]], have half of their female cast happily sleeping around -- there may have been a few [[IncorruptiblePurePureness incorruptibly pure]] maidens, but just as many innocent knights.

* Many parts of accepted vampire mythology are no more recent than the twentieth century.

* The idea that ghosts are intangible and can't touch anything and only been silent witness of things around them may have some precedents in literature but at least for PopCulture comes from movies like ''Film/{{Ghost}}'' and ''Film/GhostDad'' in the 1990s. In traditional folklore ghosts can touch whatever they want, in fact that why they are scary, because they can actually kill you. This was also common in many previous horror movies and, of course, is what we see in such films as ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' and ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'', however is nowadays so ingrained in popular conception that has to some degree turn into the de-fault version of ghosts in most media.

* The concept of [[LeyLine ley lines]]--a global network of magical thoroughfares that connect major civilizations and distribute magic, especially where they intersect--is often found in works otherwise rooted in genuinely ancient, or at least medieval, mysticism, making it easy to mistake for a very old idea. It was introduced in 1925 by an amateur archaeologist, Alfred Watkins, as a completely mundane, non-magical theory about ancient roads connecting major sites.[[note]] Watkins' problem was that if you have enough points and enough roads (and Britain has a great density of both) then of course you will find alignments and roads that appear to connect them in straight lines, but that doesn't mean they were deliberate. Many of his examples were criticised even at the time since they blatantly came from different eras, so how would builders align to roads or monuments that didn't exist yet?[[/note]] It wasn't until the late 1960s and early 70s that the concept was seized upon by the fringe mystics and weirdos of the "Earth Mysteries" movement and became a sort of magical National Grid. "Mystic" ley lines are actually younger than most albums by Music/TheBeatles. And the theory originally applied only to Britain, too - putting the Great Pyramid on a ley line didn't take off till the mid-1970s.

** Actually the whole concept of 'classification' is relatively new as it appeared in the late 17th century. Folk descriptions of a vampire could differ wildly between villages not to mention between regions or countries.
** The first movie that shows vampires having long fangs was 1958 Film/HammerHorror's ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' with Creator/ChristopherLee. That's right, Bela Lugosi ''never'' had fangs in the movie nor are they shown at any moment despite this being retroactively added as part of his appearance. You can argue that ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' also has fangs thus technically been the first, however Orlock's fangs are not exactly the iconic version of the character and are more bat-like, not the two prominent canine normally associated with vampires.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological tradition compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. While Norse mythology was transmitted orally beforehand, the primary written sources for the Norse myths, such as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prose_Edda Prose Edda]] date only to the 13th century, making them far younger than sources for Myth/ClassicalMythology or Christianity. We have no records of what it was like before the Middle Ages, as the Norse were not a literate society, and hardly anything was written down until after the Norse had already converted to Christianity, making separating what their religion was "really" like and what had been influenced by Christianity difficult. The earliest sources for Norse mythology date to two thousand years after those of Greek mythology, and ''three'' thousand years after those of Egyptian mythology.

* The hippogriff is not a traditional mythological beast the way the somewhat similar griffin is. The word hippogriff first appeared in Ludovico Ariosto's poem ''Literature/OrlandoFurioso'' (written in 1516). Because griffins were believed to prey on horses, the offspring of a horse and griffin was intended as representation of something impossibly unlikely, sort of like [[CueTheFlyingPigs when pigs fly]].

* Bahamut wasn't a dragon in the original mythology. It wasn't even anything ''close'' -- although exactly what it was varies according to the source you check,[[note]]some stated that it was a fish, others a serpent. A lesser-known creature associated with Bahamut is a ox called Kujata, which some scholars postulated to be a corruption of "Leviathan". Since Bahamut is obviously derived from "Behemoth", those scholars theorized that there might be a mix-up between the two creatures' names in Arabian storytelling, since the Bible contains the opposite descriptions, i.e. Behemoth is an ox while Leviathan is a serpent.[[/note]] none of them are anything similar to "dragon." Unlike Tiamat, above, the blame for this one can be laid solely at the feet of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' -- they just took a name they thought sounded cool and attached it to their dragon god.
** In 4E, it is written, "of course, in these more enlightened times, we know Bahamut is not really a dragon," and that 'Platinum Dragon' is merely an honorific title. They don't say what Bahamut, in fact, ''is.''

* Many {{Youkai}} are believed by both Japanese and foreigners to have originated from ancient myths passed down from thousands of years ago. In reality, a good chunk of them first appeared during the ''Edo'' period (1603-1868) when storytellers began making up their own Youkai to entertain audiences or writers started recording their own inventions down. The {{Karakasa}} is one such example and perhaps the most notable one. The YukiOnna was first recorded by a ''Westerner'', Lafcadio Hearn, in 1905. And while the kuchisake-onna may have been mentioned before then, the modern interpretation is based on the story of a real mentally ill woman from the 1970s who had a Glasgow grin and surgical mask, and stalked children before being fatally hit by a car.

** The first movie that shows vampires having long fangs was 1958 Film/HammerHorror's ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' with Creator/ChristopherLee. That's right, Bela Lugosi ''never'' had fangs in the movie nor are they shown at any moment despite this being retroactively added as part of his appearance. You can argue that ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' also has fangs thus technically been the first, however Orlock's fangs are not exactly the iconic version of the character and are more bat-like, not the two prominent canine normally associated with vampires. Also neither Bram Stoker's book nor previous works like ''Literature/TheVampyre'' of Creator/LordByron nor the previous vampire lore ever mentioned vampires having fangs, they drank the bloood of their victims by biting them normally.

* To cross the previous two example groups over, the idea of [[FurAgainstFang vampires and werewolves as instinctive or traditional enemies]] is almost '''entirely''' derived from the influence of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness. In earlier folklore, they were often seen as linked by their bloodthirstiness and supernatural nature, and it was even believed in some places that a dead werewolf would rise as a vampire.

* The ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegv%C3%ADsir vegvísir]]'' or "wayfinder" symbol, a stylized representation of a compass, is often assumed to be an ancient Norse charm for sailors and travelers to find their way in bad weather. However, it dates from a mid-19th century manuscript and has no earlier attestations.

* The ''[[vegvísir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegv%C3%ADsir]]'' or "wayfinder" symbol, a stylized representation of a compass, is often assumed to be an ancient Norse charm for sailors and travelers to find their way in bad weather. However, it dates from a mid-19th century manuscript and has no earlier attestations.

** And the other eight are traced straight to ''A Visit From St. Nicholas'' (also known as '''Twas the Night Before Christmas'').

** People becoming werewolves after being bitten by another werewolf is also a modern concept. In earlier times, a man became a werewolf after making a DealWithTheDevil, having a curse placed on him, or simply being the [[MagicalSeventhSon seventh son]] born to a couple.

** The first time the Merry Men included a Saracen or Moorish member was in the widely popular TV show ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'' in 1984. The 1991 mega-hit ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'' then cast Creator/MorganFreeman in role and probably solidified the character in the myth for all time. (According to urban legend, the "research" for the film consisted only of watching ''Robin of Sherwood'', so they mistakenly assumed "the Saracen" was one of the stock characters. Now, he is.)

* The concept of Queen Mab being the queen of the fairies and the associated legends involving her originated with Creator/WilliamShakespeare creating her for a speech in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''; there is nobody exactly fitting that description in Myth/CelticMythology or associated legends. That said, Shakespeare could have easily been conflating several characters (which Shakespeare had a habit of doing); if so, the name "Queen Mab" may have arisen from Queen Medb, who most famously appears in the ''Literature/TheCattleRaidOfCooley''.
* Likewise from the ''Táin Bó Cúailgne'', the translation of Cú Chulainn's ''riastrad'' as a "warp spasm" only dates from Thomas Kinsella's 1969 translation, but has spread beyond that to many works inspired by Myth/CelticMythology.

* Jordan Peterson was pilloried for a statement he made in an interview, attempting to explain his gender essentialist philosophy, about how kings in stories live in "dessicated" [[[{{Malaproper}} sic]]] towers and witches live in swamps ([[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything essentially, that the powerful male character lives in a thrusting structure and the powerful female character lives in a damp, wet hole...]]). While he's right about kings tending to live in towers, the only work of fiction where witches exclusively live in swamps is ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. Witches in folklore are generally found in forests or towns, and often in crumbling towers of their own.

* Belief in [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]] seems ridiculously Medieval and backwards from our modern eyes, but even the most reputable sources reported Patagonia (i.e., the southernmost region of South America) to be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia#Patagonian_giants:_early_European_perceptions populated by giants]] until the late 18th century.

* The "skeleton with a deer skull" look for the Native American monster the {{Wendigo}} is strictly a 21st Century invention, originating in the 2001 movie ''Film/{{Wendigo}}''.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. While Ancient Germanic mythology is obviously far older, Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize, only dates starting around the Middle Ages, making it far younger even than Christianity. We have no records of what it was like before this date, as the Norse were not a literate society, and hardly anything was written down until after the Norse had already converted to Christianity, making separating what their religion was "really" like and what had been influenced by Christianity difficult. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. While Ancient Germanic mythology is obviously far older, Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize, only dates starting around the Early Middle Ages, making it far younger even than Christianity. We have no records of what it was like before this date, as the Norse were not a literate society, and hardly anything was written down until after the Norse had already converted to Christianity, making separating what their religion was "really" like and what had been influenced by Christianity difficult. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. While Ancient Germanic mythology is obviously far older, Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize, only dates starting around the Early Middle Ages, making it far younger even than Christianity. As the Norse were not a literate society, hardly anything was written down until after the Norse had already converted to Christianity, making separating what their religion was "really" like and what had been influenced by Christianity difficult. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. While Ancient Germanic mythology is obviously far older, Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize it, only dates starting around the Early Middle Ages, making it far younger even than Christianity. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse mythology]] is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Egyptian]] and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek]] mythology, with which it is often grouped. Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize, only dates starting around the Middle Ages in the 9th century, making it far younger even than Christianity. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology arose, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* Norse mythology is by far the youngest major mythological traditional compared to Egyptian and Greek mythology, with which it is often grouped. Norse mythology, in a form we would recognize, only dates starting around the Middle Ages in the 9th century, making it far younger even than Christianity. Norse mythology arose two thousands years after Greek mythology arose, and ''three'' thousand years after Egyptian mythology.

* The perfect example would be [[GripingAboutGremlins the gremlin]] (not the car, or [[UglyCute the lovable 1980s movie monster]]). The word first appeared in British airfields during the First World War, and indicated a malicious "thing" (most often in the plural) that would cause aircraft to malfunction. The most consistent explanation for the origin of the word is that a light-hearted reference to [[http://www.dover-kent.com/Breweries/Fremlins-Brewery-Maidstone.html Fremlin's Ales]] in a missive from an airfield commander got mis-typed, i.e. "...no explanation yet for the sudden rise in crashes, although I personally blame the Fremlins." The word (and the as-yet unvisualised creature) spread from there, first appearing in print in 1929. However many people seem to think that gremlins are far, far older than that, due to how "at home" they seem among the more traditional types like goblins and leprechauns (especially after fantasy RPG writers got hold of them).
** Americans were first introduced to gremlins in a 1943 Creator/RoaldDahl book, his first children's book. It almost became a Creator/{{Disney}} movie.

* Likewise from the ''Táin Bó Cúailgne'', the translation of Cú Chulainn's ''riastrad'' as a "warp spasm" only dates from Thomas Kinsella's 1969 translation, but has spread beyond that to many works inspired by UsefulNotes/CelticMythology.