Loki Laufeyjarson.

Inanna

One of my recent faves.

Aegipan

Fertility god, son of Pan and Aega who helped Zeus defeat Typhoon.

Pollux.

Why?

Bare is the back without a brother.

Whoa.... do you read Marion Zimmer Bradley?

I have read I think about 10 novels of her.

I especially like Darkover landfall. Isn't this a phrase("bare is the back....) out of the novel Sword of the Aldones?

More recently in run into the Nordic saga:: Grettir the strong which contains the following phrase:"

Then cried Grettir, "Bare is the back of the brotherless." And Illugi threw his shield over Grettir, and warded him in so stout a wise that all men praised his defence

If you are interested in the text it's now on-line:
Grettir the Strong, Magnusson and Morris tr. index

It was that you just quoted almost exactly how the phrase turns up in her stories over and over. In the Darkover series tons, and a bit in Avalon.

Funny how memory plays trics on you . It seems it made a deeper impression on me than I realized.

What do you think does the type of fantasy stories like the darkover-series rate as modern Mythology?

Honestly, I love the pantheon MZB creates, but I don't really read her books for the mythological aspects. Well, not Darkover, at least. I read them from a largely anthropological point of view. I love how she depicts culture clash and the differences and similarities between different peoples. I also love her attempt to marry science and magic. I tend to look at the Darkover series as more social commentary than modern mythology.

I do really wish someone would come out with a detailed compilation of the Darkover myths and legends- especially the Hastur legend. You can only get so much out of the snippets she gives of the Ballad of Hastur and Cassilda.

Merlin... the solitary figure that connects ancient Brittan and the Christianized world.