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[German version] I. General There existed among many peoples, esp. in the Near East, but also among the Greeks and Romans, the concept of the mythical founder-king, himself a god or son of a god or goddess. It is sometimes assumed that these mythical ancestors of a people or tribe must have been animals, or at least exposed and suckled by animals. They functioned as cult founders and/or settlement founders and after their death enjoyed cultic veneration. Events befalling them - exposure, feeding by …

[German version] There are many peoples around the world with examples of myths and legends of exposure in their history; they differ very little in terms of structure, particularly in the case of the myths regarding origins or derivations from animals, which are very widespread in European and Asian peoples. In these myths the progenitor, the first king or the hero of a tribe is either himself the offspring of an animal (often of a wolf) or is suckled by an animal (most often a wolf or dog). Myth…

[German version] I. General comments The purpose of ancient wedding customs and rituals was to achieve the cultic purification of the wedding couple, seal their union by offering sacrifices, enhance fertility and strengthen the couple, as well as to protect the bride from calamity and evil spirits on her way to the bridegroom's house and guide her in assuming her new position as wife and mother. The rituals lasted for several days, beginning in the bride's house, where they signaled her departure fro…