Modern Mythology

[Gudiomen]

Well, it depends on what you call modern (or where, too). I suppose we could take "modern western" and waver a hand a little and go with the flow...

The New Gods - the New Pantheon Inc. was a group of humans who are supposed to have used all their money to move to an orbital station, they used the newest, most potent technology to become immortal... they control the world through conspiracies and the internet. If you discover some of their codes, you can use it to access their assets and privileges online, or contact them directly in hopes of becoming their agents in this world. They represent the power of money and technology.

The Terrorists - these inhuman creatures that hail from the mysterious lands of the "Middle-East" are hell-bent on destroying all that is good and western, they turn children into rifle-totting murderers and drink oil straight off the barrel. They represent the chaos and evil that threatens modernity.

Alternative-Medicine Enchanters - these humans have meddled with Things Science Ought to Disprove, and have gained unreasonable powers. They can curse and heal through psychic means and through secret rituals. They are subtle and quick to fill your head with mumbo-jumbo. Yet, they're the only ones that can cure cancer, AIDS, rabies and pimples in one snappy ritual...

You can have fun with a lot of modern central or off-center cultural subgroups, or iconic people. Or you can just attach mythical properties to awe-inspiring, but perfectly normal stuff. For example...

Google Sea Monsters - these giant server metal octopuses were constructed by Google to harness the power of the waves, and get around country specific legislation. They float with their tentacles spread across the waves. The great amount of information has turned them sentient and dangerous. Yet, they hold great knowledge and only they can interpret some of the stuff you see online. These terrible oracles can be reached by sailing to the high seas, but do you dare?

Modern mythology becomes a lot like conspiracy theories, if you ask me. Just do what they did in regular mythology: inflate rumors and little understood phenomenon to the point of cosmic truth or inversely use wacky explanations to explain things you can't understand fully (seriously, what's a server for? doesn't the internet exist in the aether?).

[tantric]

Here ya go, post-modern mythology. I'm actually planning on reading this at an open mike night this week. I may get lynched. I've run from mobs in the past...

the story of the Ohsaycanyousea people

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Serial killer legends are probably a useful jumping off point - possibly leading to mythagos like the Candyman for RPG purposes.

The Suppressed Transmission volumes also have lots and lots of good starting points for this (so do the original Pyramid articles, of course... assuming that you have them).

[capnq]

Here's a lengthy article about myths among homeless children in Miami.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by capnq

Here's a lengthy article about myths among homeless children in Miami.

That is awesome. Inspiring and fascinating in so many ways. Thanks for that.

[hari]

Three whole pages of conversation on the topic and no one has mentioned superman yet?

[hari]

Originally Posted by aesir23

That is awesome. Inspiring and fascinating in so many ways. Thanks for that.

Seconded.

Probably one of the most memorable and thought provoking things I've read in awhile. Thank you.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by hari

Three whole pages of conversation on the topic and no one has mentioned superman yet?

Nor Buffy....

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Originally Posted by capnq

Here's a lengthy article about myths among homeless children in Miami.

That story was amazing. Good campaign fuel as well.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by capnq

Here's a lengthy article about myths among homeless children in Miami.

Those are some scary mythagos on the rise...
Bloody Mary has been around for a long time though ... I remember rumours about how to call her when I was a kid. La Llorona is Mexican IIRC, and used to be variously a hungry ghost who died giving birth or a woman who murdered her own child (and you can imagine where she might draw power from these days) ... I also seem to recall she may relate to a deity in one of the Amerindian pantheons.
The Blue Lady, as the writer said, seems to derive from an African sea deity.
Palms on the grave are an old Arabic thing that found its way into Islam.
Mirrors, especially wet mirrors, have been involved in magic almost since they've existed.
...theres some deep, old mythopoetic stuff in there.

If Jurgen's still around, that link might be useful for the Arcana wiki. I'll see if I can find my login, unless someone else gets to it first.