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has-gilgamesh-doneanythingwrong · 3 years

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Learning how to use the runes with Caster Cu (FGO)

I spent 6 hrs writing the most shamelessly self-indulgent headcanons ever Here, Caster will teach the FGO master the basics of the runes. Follow the master as they learn a bit about their origins, face rigorous testing, make their own set of runes; and use them for the very first time!

*Disclaimer: These headcanons will focus on the use of the Elder Futhark runes. (In fgo, they use both elder and younger futhark) As I’ve only been researching the Nordic runes for around 9 months, please take these headcanons with a pinch of salt! (also, fgo master will be gender neutral! Please enjoy.)

As soon as you broach the topic to him, Caster Cu’s face pales considerably; as images of Odin hanging upside down on the world tree for 9 days permeate his mind. Hopefully you weren’t asking him if you could do that... you weren't, right?

‘Shit...I knew this day would come.’ Awkwardly lowering his hood over his face (so then he can avoid looking at your expectant expression); Caster sighs. “Ah, yeah...Rune magic. Sure, I’ll teach you later...yeah, later.”

Hoping that his bluff is successful, he tries to dematerialize away as fast as possible. However, once you latch onto his pale blue coat to ask what you should do first, he finally caves in; knowing that there’s no way for him to worm his way out of this perilous situation.

“You know, you could try asking Skadi. Or how about Shishou? There’s a hell of a lot of other servants who know bits and pieces about the runes as well. How about you give ‘em a try first?”

When you admit that you want to learn from him, due to your deep appreciation for his extremely flashy use of the runes; Caster stifles a laugh. Yep, there really was no room for escape now.

“Well, I can’t fault you for that; I do look pretty damn cool in action!” Twirling his staff, Caster strikes a pose. “But I don’t get it. You’re already training in other arts. Why would you wanna load rune magic on top of that? You like drowning yourself in work or something??”

As you excitedly flapped your arms around, explaining how you liked watching him trace sparkling runes with his hands; and wanted to take his tree branch summoning skills for yourself, his eyes widen with surprise. He wasn’t expecting you to be this observant.

“Ah, you mean the Berkana/Berkano (ᛒ) rune? Yeah, that one represents the birch tree, so I can summon it. It also commonly symbolizes new beginnings and fertility...” Caster trails off as your braincells physically implode at his explanation.

Berkana? Birch trees? Fertility?! You had no idea what he was talking about right now. As a dour silence weighs heavily upon the two of you, a lightbulb of inspiration strikes Caster right in the head.

“Oi, master. Read up a little on the runes, and remember at least some of their names first. As your new teacher, that’ll be your first assignment. See ya!” And with that, he was gone, vanishing into thin air. Realizing that he had just agreed to teach you, your face sparkles with glee. Clenching your fists with all of your might, you march towards the library. Time would wait for no man!!!!

Exchanging friendly greetings with Murasaki, as you trundle through an entire emporium of books; it takes hours for you to find a book on the runes. Many of the books were in a language that you couldn’t read, however this one looked rather easy on the eyes.

Titled ‘Easy Rune Magic for Modern Mages’, you flick through a rather simplistic guide that provides you with the names and a single definition for each rune; but it provides you with little to no information on how to truly understand their meaning. With subheadings such as ‘How to use the Fehu (ᚠ) rune to generate wealth to pay for your magecraft PHD at the Clock Tower’ and ‘Is Thurisaz (ᚦ) more effective to use as a defensive spell or curse spell?’ you were officially BAMBOOZLED. Tired, you decide to throw in the towel for today.

However, on your way back to your room, a stroke of excellent luck manifests itself before you. Situated upon a sturdy pine table are none other than Sigurd and Byrnhildr, who are reading together. Although you find this scene to be rather adorable (seeing as they were both entirely intact, with no stabbing wounds to be seen); you decided to interrupt their date anyway.

“O-oh, master...” Byrnhildr blushes, as Sigurd waves politely. “What brings you here today?” Slamming your hands on the table, you passionately declare that you wish to learn more about the runes, but can’t understand them without gaining some insight into their history first. As Brynhildr’s eyes glimmer with a sense of appreciation at your open display of interest of their culture, Sigurd haphazardly pulls out the chair next to them.

“I’m glad to see you profess such a profound interest in the runes, master. Please sit down and join us.” Glasses sparkling ominously, Sigurd explains a little bit more about how the elder futhark runes work. He not only explains how Odin discovered their wisdom after hanging from the world tree Yggdrasil; but also tells you about how Odin shared their power with humankind, making him none other than the ‘Allfather’ of the runes.

At the mention of his name, Byrnhild’s expression sours somewhat; making you realize that the two most likely share personal ties with him.

“They’re a special alphabet that we can use to invoke the power and wisdom of the Norse gods, so be careful with them.”

Sigurd then goes on to explain how all 24 runes are separated into three Aetts- which are basically a means of dividing the runic characters into different categories.

“Each rune comes with a short poem. That way, you’ll be able to understand them and their context a little more.”

Once you thank him for the information, he replies with a “I hope I was of use. I’m very proud of you for asking us for help.”; as Byrnhildr returns with an entire truckload of books tucked within her arms!!!

“These books will be helpful! This one’s about the myths associated with the runes, and this one is a practical guide that’ll help cultivate understanding. As for this one, it explains their etymology.”

Byrnhildr chuckles at your gobsmacked expression, as the two of them heap the books into your own arms. “You don’t need to know everything about them, but it’ll be handy for you to develop a little bit of historical and lexical knowledge as well.”

‘I thought I only had to know their names and descriptions...!!’ Tears pooling within your eyes at the mountain of books, you thank them for their help and leave, as they wish you all the best with your studies (and prayed that one day you’d wish to speak to them in the language as well. They couldn’t wait for that opportunity!)

Sighing all the way back to your room, you gasp in surprise as you bump into none other than Skadi.

“Oh, good timing.” Passing you a bundle of golden-trimmed strips of ancient paper, Skadi smiles vigorously. “You can use these as flash cards for your rune training, as well. I’m surprised that you didn’t ask for my guidance, but that may have been for the best. I would’ve trained you thoroughly in the arts.”

A chill jolts through your spine at that. Who knows just how hard she would’ve trained you? Part of Skadi was Scathach, after all. Thanking her for her assistance, the two of you split paths.

‘I seem to be bumping into a lot of people today...’

Was this a mere coincidence, or perhaps something more?

A busy month full of book reading and writing notes onto your flash cards passes within a blur.

Mash had also shown great interest in your studies, and would help test you with your flashcards every day! However, you were still pretty confused about how long this stage of research would last for.

Whilst reading up on how runes could also be used to predict the future and provide advice for one’s dilemmas; and how the Nornir (3 deities of fate) determined this form of divination, you groan.

All of the people within the books had their own sets of runes, which they would use to communicate with the gods.

In other words, they could be used for divination as well as magic.

‘Why can’t I do that yet?’ You pout indignantly; snapping the book shut.

If Caster wouldn’t teach you rune magic, he could at least teach you about divination! Patience running thin, you decide to leap back into action.

It was time to confront your teacher, once and for all.

However, as soon as you exit your room; you are greeted by none other than Caster himself.

Almost tripping onto the floor with surprise, you gawp in shock at his appearance. With his staff and a mouth-watering cup of Darjeeling tea he had brought from one of Marie’s posthumous tea parties in his hands, Caster smirks. “Yo, master. Looks like I came just on time.”

As the two of you settle in the canteen for class (?), after a bit of small talk; you declare that you want to learn how to use the runes for divination. “If you won’t teach me magic, then I would like to learn how to communicate with the runes first, please!”

At this, he lets out an unusually loud guffaw of laughter. “Ahaha, so you finally worked it out, huh? Before you can use their magic; you gotta understand and communicate with the runes, as well. You’re a faster learner than I thought you’d be.”

Unsure whether this was a compliment or not, you enquire as to what he means by that. “It’s pretty simple: you can’t cast these bad boys without building a relationship with them first. On that note, let’s see how much you’ve learnt from your studies.”

His test is a nightmare.

As he barks the name of each rune from the First Aett (the first eight runes), you are forced to draw each and every one. If you get a rune wrong, he repeats it consistently until you draw the right alphabet for each one.

Afterwards, he takes you through a hellish journey as he asks you to provide at least one definition for each rune.

By the time you are done, night has already swept its veil over Chaldea; the halls devoid of any signs of life.

In other words, the two of you had been at this for the entire evening, which had definitely garnered you both the attention and pity of many staff and servants.

Stomach rumbling, you beg Caster to finish class for today.

“Yeah, sure. Whoops, looks like I got a bit carried away right there.” He has definitely inherited his deadly teaching style from Scathach.

When you ask him if you’re ready for the next bout of training; he frowns. “Nope, that was only the First Aett. You’ll only move to the next stage when you’ve memorized all THREE. In other words, get to learning all 24 runes!!” As you cry in despair, Caster shoots you a mischievous wink as he helps himself to the bar.

The dreaded tests continue on a weekly basis.

Not only do you have to deal with the challenges of the saving the world, helping out your allies and maintaining your own health; you also have to leap into the hellish jaws of rune testing with Caster Cu.

Albeit suffering greatly from the challenge, your spirit was also greatly roused. Learning about the runes was fun!

So much fun, that you’d often dream about them, and see their shapes in the food that you ate; and would even accidentally use their names in conversation sometimes, like saying: “Oh, I’m sure the energy of this rune would help with your headaches,” to a very bewildered Mash; or comparing the sunrise to the runes (which confused Shakespeare and Hans greatly. Actually, they are now worried about your health).

All in all, your studies were starting to take effect!!

It was finally time.

As Caster more or less yelled the name of each rune at you, your response was astounding. Not only were you able to draw the shape of every rune in a matter of seconds, you could also provide multiple readings for all 24 of them.

Eyebrows quirked with surprise, Caster sighs with relief. ‘Phew. Looks like class will be shorter than usual today.’

“Holy shit. You’ve done a damn great job, master. You got them all right!” As you roared with joy, pumping your fists into the air with glee; Caster almost fell off his chair- clutching his sides as he tried (yet failed) not to laugh. “Alright, buckle up. We’re gonna get you a set of runes now.”

A set of runes?! Your eyes sparkled at the prospect of finally being able to have runes of your own. It was about time, as well. You had grown sick of using your flash cards, you wanted the real thing!

However, you were confused about the concept of needing your own set. If Skadi and Caster Cu could manifest them just by using their hands, and magical devices; why would a person need to have a set of them? As you expressed your concern, Caster nods his head in understanding.

“I see your point. But even I have a set of runes, you know? It’s every bit as useful a method.” Unleashing a small, worn-out felt pouch; glimmering gems -whose rune inscriptions were engraved upon them in gold- splashed across the dining table. They were beautiful. “’Sides, there’s something exciting about making your own set.”

Your mind swims with excitement, as he describes the different materials that runes can be made from: bones, metal, gemstones, pebbles, glass, clay...there were endless options.

However, when you asked him if you could use your collection of Evil Bones to make a rune set, he chokes on his coffee- pure horror drenched across his features.

“No way in hell! You trying to get yourself killed? Never invoke the power of the runes on cursed items, master.”

Then how about using QP or Mana Prisms as a base to inscribe the runes instead? Once you suggested this, his face paled somewhat. “Yeah, about that...don’t even think about it. You need those materials, you know.”

Grumpily threading his hands through blue locks of hair, he sighs. “Look, I’ll help you find some materials. Guess we could rayshift the next time I’m free or something...” As you cheer exuberantly, he can’t help but crack a small smile.

Being a teacher was a lot more amusing than he originally anticipated it to be. There was something fun about departing his knowledge. Besides, he had dedicated himself to becoming the guiding light of Chaldea anyway. ‘A little teaching hurts no-one.’

Using the light of the Soliwo (ᛊ) rune to guide the way, the two of you traverse through a forest heaving with verdant green trees and wildlife.

No matter how many pretty trees and tumbled pebbles you found by the riverside; you weren’t sure if they were the right material for you.

Just when you were about to give up, a powerful jolt of electricity beckons you; almost as if it’s calling your name. As soon as you alert Caster of your instinctual powers, he looks rather flummoxed at first; but is somewhat awed once his Soliwo rune’s light begins to shine in exactly the same direction as the one you’re pointing in!

‘Huh, that sure is weird.’

Things only get weirder, once you both come upon a ginormous slab of Labradorite. Situated neatly upon a bed of leaves. Placed carefully within the middle of the forest.

This timing was too good to be true.

As the electricity coursing through your veins triples in intensity, Caster has to hold you back before you cut loose. “Oi, wait up. Let me test this stone for safety first.”

Placing an Algiz (ᛉ) runestone in your hands to guarantee your protection, he saunters towards the massive hunk of Labradorite.

Chanting an incantation beneath his breath, the forest glows in an eerie blue light; as a pale magic circle glimmers beneath the stone. “Yeah, it’s safe. Pretty strange for it to be out here, though.”

As he sketches Thurisaz (ᚦ) (which not only symbolizes thorns, defense and danger, but can also be used as a means to channel a power akin to Thor’s hammer, mlonjir) onto his staff, he smashes it against the mass of Labradorite; splitting what was once an enormous rock into 24 neatly divided; brilliant blue gems.

Gathering them up, he thrusts them before you. “Here you go. That was a pretty lucky find, if I do say so myself.”

You thank him for your help- making sure to also pay homage to the awesome power of your intuition at the same time, which tickles Caster right in the funny bone.

As soon as the stones drop into your hand; they crackle with an immensely powerful energy, as if these gems were waiting for you!!

As you turn them onto the side; you are gobsmacked to see rune inscriptions already engraved onto each and every stone, as if they were reacting to the mana flowing within your body.

You ask Caster to take a look at this strange phenomenon for you.

“Whoa, are you kidding me? That’s pretty awesome. Let me take a look, too.” As you gently stretch your palms towards Caster- trying to keep the runestones steady in your hands- he gently takes your palms, leaning towards them.

As he catches sight of the engravings lying upon them, his crimson eyes widen with bewilderment. “Holy shit...I think the gods just made you an offering. You’re secretly packing a shitload of power in there, ain’t you? Great job!”

Ruffling your hair, Caster grins. “Think you’ve got time for more teaching?”

As you nod your head, anticipation clear on your features; he plonks onto the ground, handing you a felt pouch. “Put them in there. Try doing your first reading, see what rune speaks to you first!”

Eagerly plonking all 24 runes into the sparkly pouch, you close your eyes and concentrate; beseeching the contact of the gods. Imagining yourself encountering the Nonrnir, as you visualize dropping into the center of the world; you place a hand within your pouch.

Rummaging around the bag, a single rune sends energy rippling through your fingers. That was the one! Pulling it out of the bag, you grin excitedly...only to see that it was none other than...

Nauthiz (ᚾ).

‘Aw shite...’ Disappointed by the rune, you sigh. You wished that your rune could’ve been a more positive one! However, Caster’s reaction was rather different to yours.

“Hey, it’s not as bad as it looks.” Figure illuminated by the sun, he looked much more chill than usual. “Nauthiz is all about your needs, you know? With all the singularities popping up recently, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re pushing yourself too far.”

“But this rune is basically saying ‘lol you’re suffering’...It’s frustrating.” You counter him.

You knew all too well about the massive strains your body was going through, the transformations you were forced to undergo. Sometimes, it was just too painful for you to bear. Seeing this rune only served as a reminder of that fact.

“How about you look at it from a different perspective? Even though things are way outta wack for you, a small fire still burns. Doesn’t Nauthiz look a bit like two twigs that you’d see in a fire?” Now that was a funny observation. As you smiled at that, he continued. “It just means that no matter how hard things become; all you gotta do is balance your needs and continue to fight. Nauthiz is also screaming ‘oi, damnit! Don’t give up here, you can survive and make it out the other side sparkling like brand new, you hear me??’”

You were very grateful to hear that. Now you realized that even the most ominous of runes also came with signs of fortune and peace.

In other words, they would be there to support you all the way. Thanking him for his great insight, he replies with a simple “Well, I’m the wise one you know? Anyway, you know the saying. Even the coldest of ice thaws someday.”

As you correctly link his adage to the runes, he claps with pride. “Nice, nice. Well, that’ll be all for my teaching. Soon you’ll be able to do readings with nine or more runes!”

But once you yell to him about how you want to use runes such as Kenaz (ᚲ) to fulfil your long-standing desire to set shit on fire; his expression hardens.

“I ain’t teaching you rune magic until you learn how to master rune divination. Don’t push your luck too far~ Come visit me again once you learn how to read the past, present and future with them!” As you indigently complain about how you still want to summon birch trees, and about how difficult it was to learn about the runes; he bursts into rancorous laughter. “That’s not my problem! C’mon, lay off a little...”

Frustrated, you finally give up, asking for one last request. “Caster. What rune will you get if you do a single reading? I would like to see.”

Begrudgingly adhering to your request, he unearths none other than the Ansuz (ᚨ) rune.

“Ah, my favorite. Well, that’s it for today. Let’s go back.” As he turns away, a frightening wind blows through the trees, as a dark shadow drifts over his figure.

In that very moment, he becomes a dark specter within a bountiful forest filled with brilliant light; as his form briefly flickers and shifts, melding into an entire kaleidoscope of distinct beings.

But all it took was a single blink for his form to return back to normal again.

How strange...Was that none other than an illusion? Were your eyes playing tricks with you? Silently trailing behind, you contemplated the meaning behind the rune he had drawn.

Ansuz...It commonly symbolized communication, breath, and chiefly of all...it was the rune that represented none other than Odin himself.

In addition to that, you saw how the rune landed on its side when Caster drew it, and the mysterious glint in his eyes.

Was Caster hiding something? You couldn’t quite put your finger on it.

‘Just who is Caster Cu really?’ Such a thought weighed dangerously heavy within your mind as the two of you took the steep path back home.

By learning more about the runes, you may have unlocked the door to an endless chasm of mysteries; one that had ties directly linking to the deeper truths lying behind Chaldea...

THE END

Omg this was only meant to be like 1,000 words. But I got extremely invested within this concept and was burning with great excitement, which lead to this becoming SUPER LONG XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this ;; Also dw learning runes in real life isn’t as hardcore as this, I promise you!

#fgo #fate series #caster cu #cu chulainn #sigurd #byrnhild #gilgablog #my writing #AAAAAH THIS TOOK 6 HRS IT WAS FUN VERY FUN BUT I ALSO WAS LOOKING AT ALL ME BOOKS ... but im like if dw wont do it then i will! so i did.

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thetorchwoodarchive · 3 years

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[Image Description: a banner for the Across the Bay Crossover Fics You Didn’t See Coming fest, featuring beach signs on a tropical island, reading “Cardiff by the Sea”, the name of the fest, “authors”, “torchwood” (partially obscured), and “one shots” (partially obscured), and a warning sign where Myfanwy chases a swimmer]

ACROSS THE BAY: CROSSOVER FICS YOU DIDN’T SEE COMING MASTERPOST

Thank you everyone for submitting your crossover and fusion fic recommendations. Below are all submissions and some of our favorites!

Is it Insensitive for Me to Say by aliciajazmin (EstherJohnTosh | complete | 2441 | T)

Toshiko Sato and Esther Drummond absolutely will make fun of their boyfriend for deciding to attend an audition, while also attending said audition with him.

Crossover With: The Outer Worlds

Golden Apples and Norse Gods (Or How Ianto Got His Groove Back) by blackkat (JackIanto | complete | 1592 | G)

Ianto finds himself back from the dead and, apparently, in the position to double-cross a power-crazed Norse god intent on conquering the Earth by taking out a team of superheroes. Must be a Tuesday.

Crossover With: Avengers/MCU

The Magic of Torchwood by Bella the Strange (JackIanto, IantoJohn, JackOther, Non-Torchwood Ships | wip | 546,512 | T)

The Torchwood team have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Set between Adam and Reset. Rated T because of Jack Harkness, swearing, mature themes, slash etc… it’s Torchwood!

Crossover With: Harry Potter

Welcome to Torchwood by Jackdaw818 (Gen | complete | 1601 | T)

A strange creature behind the Ralphs, a break-in at the Museum of Forbidden Technologies, and visitors in Night Vale. Overall, a slightly unordinary day for Cecil Gershwin Palmer

Crossover With: Welcome to Night Vale

Torchwait for iiiiit by lady-demacabre (Gen | complete | 3k | K+)

When Shawn and Gus are called in on a case for an eccentric collector of alien objects, they get more than what they bargained for. One shot, Psych oriented.

Crossover With: Psych

Theme and Variations by nemo_baker (JackIanto, GwenRhys, OwenKatie | 5817 | T)

Time Agent Jack Harkness is sent back in time to solve the mystery of a mysterious train bombing. The problem is, he only has eight minutes to do it.

Written for Reel Torchwood screening 8 on Livejournal. Movie Prompt: Source Code (2011)

Crossover With: Source Code

Day Tripper by Croquemboucheballpit (Gement) (JackBessie the Third Doctor’s Car, Bessie the Third Doctor’s CarLightening McQueen (past) | complete | 2360 | M)

Bessie’s like any other companion: far from home, more than she appears, and always up for an adventure.

And Jack Harkness really will seduce anything that moves.

Crossover With: Pixar’s Cars

An American Volunteer by That_one_kid (SteveBucky, BuckyJackSteve | Complete | 4395 | T)

What if Captain Jack Harkness met Steve & Bucky during the war? What if he ran into them again, present day?

AKA

Captain Jack Harkness and his mission to seduce the two gorgeous, capable soldiers who keep running into him.

Crossover With: Captain America/MCU

Statement #0041708 - Future Sight by Jackdaw816 (Gen | complete | 1690 | T)

Statement of Lisa Hallett regarding a peculiar mirror found at a car boot sale

Crossover With: The Magnus Archives

(Un)Welcome Aboard by Jaune_Chat (Jack | Complete | 4,154 | T)

To make ends meet, Mal listens to a suggestion from Inara than he rent out the other shuttle. She has the perfect candidate, a charming Companion named Jack…

Crossover With: Firefly

Death and the Definitely-Not-A Maiden by Odsbodkins (JackIanto | Complete | 3,6K | PG-13)

When Jack dies, Death is there to meet him. Every time. Written in 2008 for the Doctor Who Crossover Ficathon. Takes in Torchwood to end S2, Doctor Who to end S3, Discworld to Soul Music.

Crossover With: Discworld

Remarkable by snowwhiteliar ( JackIanto, IantoLisa | Complete | 20.971 | PG-13)

Summary: Once upon a time, in a small village in a distant province of a peaceful kingdom, there lived a boy called Ianto

Crossover With: Fairy Tales

Got That Friday Feeling Again by NancyBrown (OwenOther, JackIanto, GwenRhys, GwenOwen | Complete | 18.3K | R)

HELP HELP HELP HELP

I AM TRAPPED IN A TIME BUBBLE

The magic marker all over the nice chintz wallpaper bled and smeared as Owen wrote in increasingly desperate lettering across the walls. Ls and Ps dragged down, wiggly at the end or drawn out in slashed strokes.

He ignored the pounding on the door frame. He’d shoved the wardrobe in front, which always kept Jack out for twenty three and a half minutes. He ignored the sweat and tears and snot dripping down his face, down his mouth. He ignored the high-pitched singing from his own throat, “If you want my future, forget my past,” chanted over and over.

HELP

Crossover With: Groundhog Day

Back, and Back, and Back a Little More (Future Optional) (JackIanto, JennyVastra | Complete | 32591 | M)

Accidentally shot into the past by a time-travelling car, Ianto has to fix his own mistakes or he won't have a future to go back to.

Crossover With: Back to the Future

Truth, Justice by NancyBrown (SupermanOwen | complete | 414 | M)

The green shit does not work. Warnings: dubcon (AMTDI)

Crossover With: Justice League Unlimited/DCAU/Superman

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies, or, A Humourous Interlude Between Epics by copperbadge (Gen | complete | 749 | T)

Ianto neglected to introduce himself as he informed the senior staff that Atlantis was now under the jurisdiction of Torchwood, whatever Torchwood is.

Crossover With: Stargate Atlantis

Never Have I Ever by st_aurafina (JackIanto, JackDoctor (past/implied), PepperTony (implied) | complete | 1714 | T)

Written for the prompt Ianto, Donna and Pepper end up at a secretaries'/assistants' conference and have a conversation about their bosses.

Crossover With: Ironman/MCU

Beware the Sparkles by elisi (JackIanto, JackEdwardBella | complete | 4793 | T)

It's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after. Oh and Jack has sex with sparkly vampires.

Crossover With: Twilight

The Death Note Discovery by KaibaGirl007 (JackIanto | complete | 18,992 | T)

“You’ve clearly just got a notebook belonging to some geek, a rather sick geek I’ll give you that, who likes to keep note of people’s deaths.” - Will the team resist the urge to use the Death Note or will one of them give into temptation?

Crossover With: Death Note

A Confluence of Personalities by galaxysoup (JackIanto | complete | 4839 | T)

Conner Kent’s body might be dead, but his soul has apparently decided to take the scenic route.

Crossover With: DC Comics/Young Justice Comics

Imposters Among Us by gwendolyncooper (JackIanto, GwenRhys | complete | 9117 | M)

The Torchwood team (+Rhys) are out for a night of fun when they end up on a spaceship with no power, no info, and no crew. Known only as THE SKELD, the team tries to fix the ship and figure out what happened to its previous occupants.

But something out there is killing them.

Something that may be someone they know.

Crossover With: Among Us

Traitors (Among Us) by princessoftheworlds (JackIanto | complete | 440 | G)

In a happy future, the team plays Among Us, and Ianto suffers.

Crossover With: Among US

Tagline: I saw the VIDEO. Got the CALL? What Next??? by BricklingGhost (TeamGwenee) (JackIanto, JackSamara | complete | 2424 | Not Rated)

'Tagline: I saw the VIDEO. Got the CALL? What Next???

Bollocks. That’s just a myth. Some git showing off and claiming to be the one person alive who Samara doesn’t bump off. He’ll be boasting that he’s been chosen to kill Voldemort next.'

When another unsuspecting victim falls foul of the cursed tape, he is pointed towards Captain Jack Harkness as his only hope for salvation.

Crossover With: The Ring

(My God, He Just) Came and Went by Brokenpitchpipe (SteveBucky | complete | 1591 | M)

It starts on a cold, snowy September night in 1916, on the day Winifred Barnes walks to Doris Lindow’s house to see her new telephone and catches the eye of a handsome young man on the other side of the street. He tips his hat as she sees him, and she flushes scarlet and nods in return.

And nine months later, a little baby boy screams his way into the world.

But that’s not when it starts. Not really.

Crossover With: Captain America/MCU

Beast Inside by Flamingbluepanda (JackIanto, OwenTosh, GwenRhys | complete | 26934 | M)

"Argue with anything else, but don’t argue with your own nature.” - Phillip Pullman

Inside us all, there is an animal that expresses our soul. How would the world change were those animals outside?

Crossover With: His Dark Materials

Rifts and Robots by Paycheckgurl (JackIanto | complete | 3021 | G)

Jack and Ianto’s date at the movies is interrupted by two robots with no theater etiquette.

Crossover With: Mystery Science Theater 3000

The Jack and Ianto Show by Paycheckgurl (JackIanto | WIP | 7392 | T)

Jack and Ianto are a regular couple, living a quiet life, and trying to fit into the quaint Village of West Castle. Sure they're keeping the secret that Jack is an immortal time traveler from the future, with a fantastical machine called a vortex manipulator that can manipulate time and space around them, but they have much more pressing concerns. Such as strict bosses and nosy neighbors. Everything is perfect, a dream come true.

And Jack is going to keep it that way.

Please Stand By...

Crossover With: WandaVision

Mutually Assured Uncooperation by princessoftheworlds (JackIanto, OwenTosh, MarthaMickey, FitzSimmons, LincolnDaisy (past) | complete | 31547 | T)

Aliens, time-travelling, resurrections. These are all experiences familiar to not just one but two top-secret organizations that have a hard time keeping a low-profile. Figures that they would encounter each other eventually.

Or: the five times that SHIELD and Torchwood had an encounter that neither were pleased with, and the one time they had to work together when two of their own were taken.

Or: There's Kree running amok in Cardiff, including a murdered one, and Torchwood is on the case, but so is SHIELD. Also, don't forget the memory-manipulating aliens there too!

Crossover With: Agents of Shield/MCU

all i know is (infatuations) by princessoftheworlds (JackIanto, JackJohn, OwenTosh, LisaIanto | complete | 439 | T)

Seventh-year Slytherin Ianto Jones handles a break up, getting a boyfriend, terrible emotional misunderstandings with his best friend Jack Harkness, being miserable, and reconciliation. (Not precisely in that order.)

Crossover With: Harry Potter

#torchwood #au:crossover #genre:crossover #event:across the bay crossover fest

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rayne-storm · 3 years

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AUgust 7 - Joker - Norse Mythos

Title: THE THRONE OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE QUEEN OF RESTORATION

Fandom: Hyperdrive (credit to @starburnedfarrago @rad-infiniitum )

Blue Moon

This is based off of the myth of Frey (brother to Freya) and how he married Gerd. I hope you enjoy!

The Throne of Knowledge and the Queen of Restoration

Neil was an inquisitive little troll by nature. He liked to know all that he could about everything possible. He decided the best way to know everything would be to construct a throne, a hight chair surrounded on all sides by monitors that each fed him information from a different source, past and present.

He spent years building, inventing, planning and re-planning, and one day, finally, after much blood and sweat, and many angry tears, the Throne of Knowledge was complete.

Neil trembled and called his servant - a hardworking young woman named Stella - over to him. She had been with him every step of his build, and had encouraged him in ways that few ever had before. She took care of his house and his land, did business on his behalf, and ran every aspect of his life that was not tied directly to his construction of his Throne.

"It is done, at last," he announced, and she cheered happily for him.

"It's beautiful," she praised, "a work of art."

Neil nodded and smiled, hoisting himself up to sit on the Throne, reclining just right to be able to see the most at any given moment.

"Turn it on, please, Stella, and I shall become the smartest man in the world," he commanded, and the girl quickly went to work checking every wire and socket to be sure it was all going to run smoothly.

She approached the small podium that held the Throne's central power, and counted down from seven before pressing switching the system on.

It was glorious.

In an explosion of light and sound, the monitors roared to life, and the Throne's arms lit up with control options. Neil could see everything, it seemed, past and present. He gazed around in astonishment at the true beauty of his creation. All the world's knowledge was at his fingertips.

"Leave me," he mumbled through his euphoric haze, and if Stella said anything as she left the room, he didn't hear it.

Neil spent three days on his throne, learning all he could, absorbing every fact and bit of trivia he saw, seeing the world. On the fourth day, however, he saw her.

There was a woman who flashed so briefly in one of his monitors, he nearly believed her a technotic illusion. But then she was back, and he felt his heart soar at the mere image of her.

She was a creature shaped like a moth, but with the bearing and beauty of the finest of queens. He knew, then, that he would never love anyone or anything so much as he loved her.

He used his Throne's controls to bring her onto every screen, to search her image to see if he could find anything about her, hoping desperately she was real, and he could have her for himself.

After an entire day of searching, he had almost nothing. All he knew was that her name was Luna, and she was extraordinary.

Then, as suddenly as he had discovered her, she vanished completely. Only the brief recordings he had made seemed to exist, and she was nowhere to be seen on any of his monitors.

What good was his throne, then, if he could not find the only thing he cared about??

He got up from his creation and sullenly turned the system off, trudging to his personal bedroom and locking himself inside.

For three weeks he languished away in his room, Stella growing ever more worried with each passing hour. He barely ate or drank, and never opened the door in her presence. What little he said was harsh or melancholy, with none of the bright spark that usually accompanied his words.

"Please," she would beg as she brought him meals, "Please just say what's wrong. Maybe I can help you, though I know I am far from your genius."

He would either grumble at her to go away, or else say nothing at all, and so it went for weeks.

Finally, on the evening of the last day of the third week, Neil opened his door to reveal his normally sky-blue skin was ashen and grey, his ears were drooping so low they dragged along the floor, and his eyes were cloudy with despair.

"What has you so somber?" Stella asked, and with a deep sigh, Neil explained his problem. He was lovesick, with a woman he could not find.

While it pained Stella's own heart to hear this, at least she knew that perhaps she could help.

"I know of a Luna. She is somewhat as you describe. Perhaps I could-"

Neil flew at her with the speed and fervor of a man possessed. He wrapped a slender hand around her neck.

"Bring her to me! I don't care what you do, but I must have her for my wife, or else I will die! Find her and bring her, or leave me here to perish."

So saying, and with the last of his meager strength spent, he collapsed to the ground and crawled to his bed.

Stella left the room before he could see her trembling or the tears in her eyes.

She'd try. That's all she would promise him or herself.

Stella traveled by subway and taxi and small paths darting between alleyways. She stayed three evenings in suspicious motels. Finally, she managed to make it to the gallery where Luna worked, restoring antiques and appraising them. She was well-known among her field, but kept quietly to herself most of the time. She was guarded strictly by museum security, and Stella feared, at first, that she could not get an audience with her.

She approached the information desk and requested to speak with Luna, the Queen of Antiquities, but she was harshly turned away. No one that looked like her, with her large frame and her calloused hands should have a thing to do with the delicate work Luna did, the clerk sneered.

Stella was disheartened but tried again at the security desk, begging to speak with Luna, the Lady of Appraisals. Again she was turned away. No one that spoke like her, with simple words and the accent of a farmer, could possibly keep up with Luna's refined speech.

Thus rebuked, Stella went out and sat upon a bench in front of the museum and wept. Her heart hurt from the mistreatment she endured at every turn, and she wondered if this could ever be worth it.

A gentle hand pressed to her shoulder, and a soft voice asked her if she was alright.

"No," she sobbed, tears creating puddles on the floor, and she explained her story.

"I'm sorry that you've been treated so poorly," the kind voice murmured, "It should not have happened. I am not so high or mighty as to refuse anyone a conversation."

Stella looked up, astonished at what she was hearing, and there was Luna, the extraordinary craftswoman. She had kind eyes, and a soft face, and her hair flowed gently around her head like the most delicate flower fluff.

"You! You are the one he's been looking for," Stella cried, standing and taking Luna's hands.

"Please! You must come and cheer his spirits. He will almost certainly die without you," she begged.

Luna sighed and shook her head.

"I have made a vow. I will marry no man. Especially not if he cannot come and see me himself."

She did not mention how unsettling his method of discovering her had been, for she could tell Stella similarly felt uneasy by the Throne of Knowledge. But at the same time, Luna as an inventor was curious. Luna as a scholar was more curious. Luna as an adventurer was most curious of all.

Stella began to beg and plead, even got upon her knees.

Still, Luna would not relent.

Stella tried anger and threatening her, cursing her for how miserable she made Neil all for love of her, and vowed to make Luna feel such pain.

Luna did not accept. She knew Stella's words had no true venom, but were born of her own internal hurt and desperation.

Stella's mind raced. She had to bring Luna back. But how?

"...I will give you anything you want. Even the throne of knowledge. Please, just at least come and reject his wishes yourself."

"Even if I leave, you would give it to me? How would you know how to transport it? How do I know you even know the first thing about this creation."

Stella knew she didn't look smart or clever. That was alright.

"Because I helped build every piece of it. I forged the metals of the thrones and supports myself. I am the one that moved every part into its room."

Luna could not refuse such an offer.

"Fine," she announced, "I will greet him, and in return, will be taking the Throne with me."

The pair traveled in silence on the journey to Neil's home, a massive structure of gleaming chrome with portions painted the darkest of black and littered with points of light to create a galaxy. Luna could not deny how impressed she was by the structure.

Maybe she could keep the Throne there, and simply visit this beautiful place to see it.

Stella led her through winding corridors full of incredible inventions. Walls and stairs that could move to accommodate creatures of any size or shape or level of mobility; lights that flickered in any color or pattern to mimic different places in the world; rooms painted delicately to look like different archeological marvels.

Luna decided that perhaps she could live in this magnificent home, and keep her throne there, and just be part of the building.

Stella finally led Luna to Neil's chambers, offering many whispered warnings about the condition he may be in, begging her not to judge him for his words or his appearance due to the stress and weight of his sickness.

Opening the door revealed something entirely different, however. Neil was up and about, chipper and bright and dressed in his finest clothes.

Upon seeing Stella, he rushed to apologize. He had not meant any of the hurtful things he had said, and especially felt remorse for putting his hands on her in anger. It was not him, he claimed, it was the sickness bred from so much time spent upon his Throne.

When she had left, and he had no one to cook or clean for him, had no one to talk to or interact with, he realized the error of his ways. He had never truly known before how much she did for him, and knew he had not appreciated all of her hard work, or how smart she really was. He had locked the door to his Throne room, and had not visited since.

Stella forgave him, offering a gentle hug and introducing him to his beloved Luna.

Neil's eyes immediately welled up with tears at the sheer joy of merely seeing her in person.

"I know you coming here must be a mere courtesy done to a faithful friend, or perhaps you're curious about my Throne, but I am so glad to know you are real, and was able to see you in the flesh at least once in my life."

Well, Luna couldn't help being flattered, and the way he had spoken to Stella, had apologized so sincerely, had made her perhaps reconsider her initial firm refusal.

"She was very persuasive," Luna murmured, and Stella felt herself pale as she recalled all the terrible things she had said. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Luna cut her off.

"I would like to see your Throne, yes, but perhaps I would also like to get to know you. Your house is magnificent, and I'd love to see if I could use your inventions in my work."

Neil could have fainted there and then he was so delighted, and quickly went to show her the Throne. Marveling gave way to trying it out, and she was also enthralled quickly in the splendor. Neil, however, turned it off after a few minutes. He explained he was looking in to creating a limiter that only allowed it to be on for a couple of hours at a time, at the most, then not turning on again for a full day. He hated the monster he had become when he used it, and refused to lose his self control again.

Luna was more and more impressed, and soon, they began to talk. About everything and nothing, the weather and space and history, and so much that soon they were on the roof of the house, laying down and stargazing.

Neither realized when they fell asleep, but woke up cuddled together. Stella had put a blanket over them, explaining that she cared for them, but their synchronicity reminded her too much of her own loneliness, and she was leaving to go back home to a simple life on a simple farm.

They felt her loss, but, well, they had each other now, and could figure out the rest along the way.

They did not have a perfect relationship, and some days were truly struggles, but in the end, they fit together like puzzle pieces (albeit pieces from separate puzzles, that coincidentally fit perfectly).

They lived (mostly) happily after.

#rayne writes #my writing #au gust 2021 #AUgust 2021 #Hyperdrive #blue moon #short stories

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incorrectnorse-quotes · 4 years

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I think that reason we rarley counter Persephone and Sigyn in media because in the dumb writers' minds it will ruin the perfect image of Hades and Loki as villains rather than actually decent, interesting fellas or loving husbands I mean seriously the amount of times Hades/Loki were made to be the bad guys is ridiculous. People hear the cursed title of God of the Underworld/God Of Choas and all they can think about is fucking satan.

Honestly anyone who's followed me for a while knows that it really pisses me off when people oversimplify Loki into a sadistic abuser and Sigyn into a bland character who's only personality trait is submissive obedient wife. Same with Hades and Persephone ofc, but this blog's about the Norse.

Like,, I'm not saying Hades and Loki can't be villains (aside from the fact that Hades is like, the chillest guy in Greek myth lmao) I just always say that if you're gonna make them villains, just do it right y'know? Like don't ignore important parts of their lore (like what Disney did by completely erasing Persephone) or make Evil™ their central personality trait and ignore any depth to their character (like Riordan did w/ Loki)

Ya know?

#ask #asks #answered ask #answered asks #answered #loki #sigyn #idk whether to tag this hades and persephone too lmao #greek myth #hades #persephone

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sylphsight · 4 years

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Mandrake: Folklore & Ritual Usage: The oldest known record of Mandrake root extends back as far as 5,000 year old Sumerian accounts where the plant is known as "Namtar-Gir" after Namtar the God of illness and plague, this association with Namtar is likely due to the plants poisonous nature. Mandrake root is also mentioned in Egyptian mythology when the lion-headed Goddess Sakhmet went on a murderous rampage she was said to have been pacified and sent to sleep by a mixed concoction known as "the sleeping drink" composed of barley beer, mandrake root and "Red Ochre" (Hematite - an iron oxide mineral) the Egyptians also associated mandrake root with their Goddess of love and lust, Hathor, likely due to its aphrodisiac effects likewise the later Hebrew people would recognise the aphrodisiac properties of Mandrake root where it is mentioned as inspiring lust and childbirth in Genesis and later mentioned as an aphrodisiac perfume in the Song of Solomon, one likely-related myth suggests that the scent of Mandrake fruits could incite lust and love. Due to its aphrodisiac nature the ancient Greeks attributed Mandrake root to the Goddess of love and lust Aphrodite giving her the title "Mandragoritis" meaning "She of the Mandrake" the Romans would later attribute the plant to the planetary intelligence of the Goddess Venus, it's five-pointed or pentagram/star-of-Venus flowers helping to solidify this link, the Greeks also attributed the plant to the Goddess of witchcraft, fate, necromancy, cross-roads, poisons and death - Hekate whose tri-fold figure was considered a symbolic allergy to the Mandrake root, the poisons of the root are attributed to Pluto while its Psychoactive effects would in modern astrology be attributed to Neptune. In ancient Rome it was also customary to prepare wines of Mandrake root for prisoners awaiting execution by means such as crucifixion in order to prepare them for their death, the most famous person executed in this manner being Jesus Christ who would have likely ingested such a concoction. The later Germanic and Norse pagans would call Mandrake "Alrun" or "Alarun"/"Alarune" meaning "all runes"/"all knowing of the runes"/"all knowing of mysticism" likely in reference to its psychoactive properties but also because Mandrake root was fashioned into talismans and rune stones for protection, luck, lust or other perceived magical properties such as effigies for cursing, the human shape of the root making it perfect for sympathetic magics where it could symbolically embody the flesh of a living person with the intention of harming or controlling that person by interaction with the root, genetic materials taken from the intended victim were likely included in this process just as they are with modern voodoo dolls, such practices coupled with the plants hallucinogenic nature likely linked it to the faerie changeling myths where the Mandrake was said to become a human doppelgänger to replace a person the plant had grown in the form of, feeding the plant human genetic materials such as blood was likely believed to trigger such effects however growers of the plant were also said to feed it their own blood, semen, breast milk or other genetic materials and became symbolically married to the plant, such tithes of blood were thought to bring good fortune while neglecting the plant would trigger personal disaster for the "spouse". The fruit of the Mandrake is referred to as "love apples" or otherwise as "the devils apples" while the plant itself allies itself with the devil through its name meaning "man-dragon". According to legend the fruits of Mandrake glow in the evening which may be due to the presence of fluorescent Beta-Methylesculetin within them. The European witches of the medieval age through to the late 19th century valued Mandrake for its hallucinogenic, poisonous, aphrodisiac and bewitching effects where it could be used for love magics, hypnosis, sleep-induction, fatal poisoning or burned as hallucinogenic incense for the conjuration of spirits of the dead in necromantic rites or communion with faeries and demons, these hallucinogenic properties also made it a viable candidate for use in flying ointments while its anaesthetic qualities among other interesting powers had medicinal application, Mandrake is also a plant that inspires dreams and visions and when placed under the pillow of a sleeping person was though to inspire prophetic dreams. These same European witches ascribed much folklore to the plant, for example it was believed to have grown where semen splattered onto the ground from a criminal hanged at the gallows, this interesting myth is likely from a confusion of the Roman executionary Mandrake wines and older Rabbinical or Kabbalistic tales where Mandrake was said to have spawned from the semen of Adam cast onto the ground, it likely thus represents a lower emanation of Adam's own self, a Qliphothic mirror image of his lower lustful base nature evidenced by the plant being a human-shaped root (since the Qliphoth is symbolic associated with roots and shells or fruit husks).

Since Mandrake root has associations with poison and the devil and as it is a root plant of curses and necromantic visions it is often symbolically correlated with the Qliphoth or considered a Qliphothic substance while the intensely lustful aphrodisiac and poisonous or strangling nature of Mandrake associates it strongly with demonic spirits of a Succubic or Incubic nature. Due to these demonic associations and in an attempt to prevent Pagans from harvesting and using Mandrake root, medieval Christian clergy claimed that pulling the plant up from the ground would condemn a persons soul to hell and that the plant would produce a terrible scream, fatal to all who heard it, in order to counter this superstitious people wishing to harvest the root would tie it to a dog and call the dog in order that the hound would pull the plant from the ground. There are two main and distinct types of Mandrake root - Mandragora Officinarum and Mandragora Autumnalis, the most distinguishing detail between the two is that Officinarum has white flowers while Autumnalis has purple flowers. In ancient folklore Mandrake was associated with having gender according to its form or genus with Autumnalis being female and Officinarum being male. The "female" Mandragora Autumnalis was described as follows: "Having narrower and longer leaves than lettuce, of a poisonous and heavy scent with pale apples of sweet scent baring seeds within, having two or three large black roots with thick bark wrapped within one-another, the roots have white innards, the flowers rise from central stalks in large green-white husks containing five-pointed purple-blue petals, the female flowers in August or September making cultivation of her fruits harder in the garden enviroment" The "male" Mandragora Officinarum was described as follows: "Having leaves which are greater, broad, smooth as of the beet and with big saffron-coloured (yellow) apples which smell sweet, this variety has a single large and whiter root much greater in size than the female, the flowers rise from central stalks in green-white husks containing five-pointed greenish-white petals, the male flowers in March and the fruit is ripe in July"

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ayearinfaith · 4 years

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𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮: 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿 “यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् || परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||” “Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evil, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age.”— 𝘉𝘩𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘥 𝘎𝘪𝘵𝘢 4.7–8 An Avatar is an incarnation of a god in a mortal body. The term originates and is still primarily used in regards to Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism (the branch of the faith dedicated to Vishnu), however it can be applied to religions outside of the Hindu umbrella. The use of the word in English to refer to an online presence was coined by the 1992 sci-fi novel 𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 by Neal Stephenson, which made use of a variety of religious imagery throughout. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The word “Avatar” is constructed from two Sanskrit roots: “ava”, meaning “down” (distantly related to the English “away”) and “tṛ” meaning “across” (distantly related to English “through” and Latin “trans”). Thus the word implies a downwards movement across some kind of boundary, in this case from the realm of the divine to the realm of mankind. The concept predates the word, dating back, in one form or another, at least since the time of the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scripture dating from the 16th to 10th centuries BCE. Predating the word as a noun is a verb form used to describe descent from the heavens. The term is most commonly invoked in regards to Vishnu, the preserving god of the Hindu trinity, though he is not the only god to periodically inhabit mortal bodies. Shiva, the destroyer god of the trinity, also has many avatars, many of whom serve to help avatars of Vishnu (ex. Hanuman, Rama’s monkey companion). To complete the trinity, Brahma the creator also has a number of canon avatars, though interestingly his avatars tend to be the quasi historical authors of great Hindu literature such as Valmiki and Vyasa, authors of the 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 and 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘢 respectively. 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗮 The Dashavatara, literally “ten Avatars”, is an important aspect of Vaishnava faith. To summarize roughly, across the ages Vishnu has and will send an Avatar ten times when the world is in dire need of his intervention. There are scriptures and traditions that ascribe as many as 20+ avatars to Vishnu, but these ten are considered most vital. There is variance in the list of ten, the one I am going to list is the closest to a “mainstream” version but I will touch upon alternate avatars after. 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘀𝘆𝗮 The first avatar is that of a giant fish or whale. Matsya helps to save and guide Manu when the world is flooded in an account quite similar to the biblical Noah. 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗮 The second avatar is a great turtle. When the universe was still young, Indra, king of the gods, contracted a curse that stripped the gods of their great powers and immortality. To regain their powers the gods had to work together with the Asuras (another class of divine being often equated narratively to the Greek Titans) to churn the great ocean of milk into Amrita, the nectar of immortality. To do this they used a great serpent wrapped around a mountain, but the mountain just sunk into the ocean, or would have had the great turtle Kurma not shown up to carry it. For this reason Kurma is sometimes also the turtle upon whose back the whole earth is situated. 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮 Speaking of carrying the earth, the fourth avatar is a boar, Varaha, who lifted the earth out of the cosmic ocean in a creation myth similar to some Native American “earth diver” myths, wherein some animal must dive below the ocean to bring up mud to create the earth from. 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗵𝗮 The fifth avatar is that of a man with a lion head. He was born in order to best the demon Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu had wreaked havoc uninhibited to due to a blessing that meant he could not be killed during day or night, inside or outside, by any weapon, by a man or animal. Narasimha, being neither man nor animal, takes Narasimha at twilight in the threshold of a courtyard, using his nails (not a weapon). 𝗩𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮 The fifth avatar is a dwarf, not the Norse supernatural entity but a very short human. Like Narasimha, his purpose was to stop a powerful entity, in this case the Asura Mahabali. Mahabali had managed to become king of basically everything. To consolidate his power he held a ceremony, giving out gifts and boons. Vamana asks for only three paces worth of land, which Mahabali gladly grants. Here Vamana utilizes his powers as Vishnu and in three paces covers heaven, earth, and hell. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 The sixth avatar is the warrior Parashurama, literally “Axe-wielding Rama”. His stories generally involve defeating people of the Hindu warrior caste (Kshatriyas) who had used their military might to rule over others, which is not the intended role of the caste. His stories are often used as analogies about the role and nature of violence as a tool of change and control. 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮 Rama is the titular character of one of the great Hindu epics, the 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢. This covers the tale of the noble prince Rama and his journey to recover his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana, which he does with help from a race of magically imbued monkey warriors led by the gallant Hanuman. As already mentioned, the 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 also involved avatars of the other two members of the Hindu trinity: it is written by Valmiki, who is Brahma, and Hanuman is an avatar of Shiva, born specifically to aid Rama. 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗻𝗮 Krishna is a major player of another epic, the 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘢. Unlike the noble paragon Rama, Krishna is a mischievous and playful cowherd who becomes the charioteer of the 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘢’s main hero Arjuna. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗵𝗮 The Buddha is, of course, the enlightened founder of Buddhism. His inclusion as one of the Dashavatara is likely a later addition that syncretizes Buddhism into the greater melting pot of Indian religion. 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶 Kalki is the final avatar who has yet to come. Much like the messiahs of the Abrahamic religions he comes at the end of days to defeat the final evil, Kali (not the goddess). He is typically depicted riding a white horse and wielding a flaming sword. As mentioned above, this is not the only list of Dashavatara. The most common alternates exclude either Buddha, as a non-Hindu figure, or Krishna, who is often worshipped as a supreme power in his own right. The most common alternate to either of these two is Balarama, the farmer and Krishna’s older brother. Image credit: Avatars of Vishnu, Raja Ravi Varma, 19th Century

#A Year in Faith #Avatar #Dashavatara #AYIF #Religion #Mythology #day 12

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azaffranist · 5 years

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An absurdly long Frozen 2 theory - The Land of the Mist

You think I was kidding with this meme, right? No. I don’t mess around when it comes to Frozen 2 theories.

I spent my free time wisely and finally brought together this theory I’ve been thinking about for a while now. After the release of the official trailer I can gleefully announce it wasn’t violently contradicted and I was able to expand on it, too.

Summing it up before we start, it’s about the repeated presence of mist in the Frozen 2 trailers, and how it is closely related to Scandinavian myths, namely elves, who are said to live in a parallel world. It also covers the topic of spirits as representations of the four elements.

I don’t want to murder anybody’s dashboard with 2k words and multiple images, so I put a safe ‘keep reading’ right after this. The following are the topics we will be covering, and if you want a very, very short tl;dr with just the basics, just jump straight to the conclusions:

The Introduction

The Elements

The Hidden Folk

The Pink

The Mist

The Conclusions

Keep in mind that this is just a theory that might be potentially proved wrong by the following trailers and sneak peeks (ihopenot), but this is what I could grasp from the information we’ve got so far. Also, I wrote the vast majority of this before Annecy, so a few details might slip by...

With this said, let’s get started!

The Introduction

In the Frozen 2 teaser trailer we can see the Arendellian gang gazing over the fabled autumn forest filled with trees and rivers. But in the Frozen 2 Official Trailer, we see a very similar shot, almost mirror-like, of the past scene, and this is where everything begins.

Clearly, they’re not in the same place. One has trees, the other one doesn’t; one looks magical and mystical, and the other just… doesn’t. While it is a beautiful scenery, it just doesn’t hold up with the other place’s visuals. It’s like an E3 vs Actual Game comparison.

It’s of interest that Iceland, which seems to be the place they’re taking the most inspiration from, looks really similar to the scenery seen in the image above. For instance, this is Þingvellir in autumn:

These places look… really similar. And the shots above are basically mirrored versions of each other. So that leads me to believe that the spotlight of Frozen 2 so far, the autumn forest, is located in a magical realm hidden by mist.

It seems that this ‘portal’ the Arendellian royals found needs magic to be activated; as Elsa touches the mist with her hand it starts opening. We don’t know yet if any kind of magic can open it, so for now, let’s say that a magic wielder needs to be in contact with it. (Keep this in your head because it’ll come in handy later.)

But as soon as the gang goes through it, the mist closes in on itself, covering everything up, even the stones, and if I’m not wrong, they’ve already disappeared:

So we have this sort of mirror dimension made reachable by some kind of mist portal and surrounded by 4 stones with the famous symbols that have made us lose our minds. Thankfully we now know thanks to bath bomb merch (and confirmation by Annecy) that they represent the 4 elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

And before we discuss the mist (because that’s another whole topic) let me pull up an unpublished theory that miraculously survived the official trailer and analyze the symbols and their meanings together.

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The Elements

The four elements of alchemy are the following and feature strikingly similar designs to those of the ice crystals. We are going to be using them to decypher the ice crystals’ meaning.

The easiest one to tell is the top right one which bluntly establishes its connection with the earth symbol.

The rest are not so straightforward, but there is something interesting in them. If we ‘cut’ the crystals in half, we will realize some of them are ‘fragmented’ in some way in the top triangle or the other, and some are not. Those fragmented correspond to air and earth, and the ones that are not, correspond to water and fire.

I know I’m totally not making myself clear so here’s what I mean:

This way, top left symbol would mean fire, which is not so unlikely considering that it could mimic the look of a flame rather than a water drop. Bottom right symbol, also known as Anna’s symbol, would mean air: and if we take into account the strange merchandise we’ve seen lately, this would make sense, considering Anna is always surrounded by leaves in one way or another. Anna’s color scheme and emblems also match with the ‘air’ theme, which is represented in the Frozen universe by leaves flying.

Bottom left symbol (dubbed Elsa’s symbol by many) would mean water. With enough imagination we could assume that it is an ice crystal what’s shown in it. And last but not least, the top right symbol means earth.

So, it makes enough sense for now. But we have things unresolved. That is, Anna’s strange symbol, her sudden affinity with the air and Elsa’s connection with the Nokk. And this is when Frozen LA comes into play.

“If you use the force of nature in your favor, it will be on your side.”

I don’t think Anna has powers, for many reasons. First and foremost, it would be very predictable, cliché and lazy writing in general, something I don’t think the Frozen 2 creators are aiming for.

Secondly, why didn’t they manifest earlier? We know very little about the magic system in the Frozen universe but it seems that there are two kinds of magic users: cursed and born with them. Anna evidently wasn’t born with powers. Now, if we say that Anna somehow got cursed with wind powers, that would be a bit more interesting. But I doubt it’s the case. And if we’re being real, Elsa already can sort of control wind with her own powers, creating storms and the like.

What I think is that nature and its force plays a major role in Frozen 2. We have already been officially introduced to the Nokk, a water spirit Elsa will have to prove her worth to. And in the Frozen 2 Official Trailer, we’re shown what looks like the spirit of Earth, a rock giant who doesn’t look friendly at all:

Then Fire. After the last trailer, I don’t think anybody’s controlling that fire. Spirits, so far, seem to be just spirits; creatures that control themselves. We know Nokk is a shapeshifter, apparently, and maybe the other spirits can shapeshift, too. But if there’s anything I have to say, is that the fire doesn’t look natural in the slightest even when we’re talking about elements of nature, so it might be wrongfully influenced by a villainous figure? I don’t know, just throwing a semi-theory there. We’re coming back to this later.

Last but not least, Air. Air has been confusing. The way it is represented is by the flow of leaves through the air. In this scene in the teaser, the kids are in a forest, and I really doubt any of them are controlling the wind. The girl looks surprised; the boy has a bunch of leaves point to him and throw him up in the air. Unless there’s a third human character in this scene we’re not aware of, I’d say the wind is not controlled by anybody, at least in this particular scene; so again, it controls itself, like a force of nature.

Now knowing that Anna is connected to the air element somehow and Elsa to the water through the Nokk, is that these scenes that follow one another in the teaser, now have a whole new meaning.

Anna is lost in a rocky cave. Elsa is fighting against the fire that encircles her.

Air versus Earth, Water versus Fire; the opposite elements, facing each other through Anna and Elsa.

Another convergent idea is that there might be people that represent each of the elements and interact with the spirits; think of guardians, for example. Each of them would have a certain affinity with a specific element. We could say from what we’ve seen that Anna has an affinity with the air, Elsa with the water, and who knows what the other characters are.

If the Nokk is a mythical being that represents water, it’s not out of question to assume that the other elements also have a connection with real life mythology.

We can find an interesting individual in Norse mythology. Quoting Wikipedia:

In Norse mythology, Fornjót was an ancient giant and king of "Gotland, Kænland and Finnland" meaning Gotland, Kvenland, and Finland Proper.

His children are Aegir, (the ruler of the sea), Logi (fire giant) and Kári (god of wind).

As you can see, this is the Norse mythology interpretation of the elements. We’re missing the Earth element, who would be Jörð, personification of Earth. How closely Disney is going to follow mythology is unknown to us, but considering there is going to be a whole book dedicated to the myths, I’d say that they are taking this very seriously.

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Now, let’s get back to our initial topic. I believe this forest they find in the teaser is the fabled magical land where the spirits of the 4 elements reside; where Elsa’s powers came from, and where she should’ve had that ‘life she was supposed to live’. We see people that look very similarly dressed to the Unknown Girl in the teaser:

Sami, seemingly light brown clothes, boots and sash. But there’s far more to these people than at first glance, and this brings us to another topic…

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The Hidden Folk

The first connection to this mythological race was not made by the fandom but by the Broadway show itself, in which the rock trolls are replaced by the Hidden Folk. So let’s start with what our friend Wikipedia says about them:

Hidden people (huldufólk) are elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. They are supernatural beings that live in nature. They look and behave similarly to humans, but live in a parallel world. They can make themselves visible at will.

Remember what we said in the introduction? The Arendellian gang enters a magical realm covered by fog...

Clearly, the Hidden Folk as we see them in Frozen Broadway won’t make an appearence in Frozen 2, because they represent the trolls from the movie. But the connection is interesting, and there’s even more to it.

Idunn mentions being one of the children of the Northern Nomads in the Broadway show, implying that she was not born in the royal family but rather married into the throne. This is further confirmed by the fact that in Frozen, we can see Agdar, the heir to the throne having his coronation; Idunn isn’t a royal, or at least not an Arendellian royal. She came from somewhere else.

And if we take into account the Polish leaks, Idunn is the Unknown Girl from the teaser, further strengthening the bond between these people we see in the autumn forest and her.

Thanks to Annecy spoilers, we know that Agdar visited the enchanted lands and was left “traumatized” by something that went terribly wrong. But more on that later...

__________

I told you to keep in mind the ‘gateway activated by magic’ in the introduction. Okay, so we’re saying that Agdar visited this place in his youth (and probably met Idunn here) but we’re overlooking something.

How did he make it to the forest at all? I doubt anybody who’s not proficient with magic would be able to open the portal. I mean, the portal didn’t open up by itself; Elsa touched it with her magic. So either:

a) Agdar has powers

b) He went with someone who did have powers

c) Some other convoluted reason

d) We’re thinking too much into this and the autumn forest can be accessed without going through any weird portal

I think I’d go with b. But you judge that.

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The other connection, as I have said, is the Sami. The Sami people inhabit Lapland, a region encompassing Norway, Sweden, Finland, among others. We know that Kristoff is basically one of them, and one of their most prominent occupations is reindeer herding.

The teaser trailer showed Kristoff guiding a multitude of reindeers, and with the official trailer showing us that there are people who actually live in the forest, the idea is much more clear. There are Sami living in the forest, or at least Disney’s interpretations of them, which may be synonymous or at least have a connection with the Hidden Folk or whatever name they’ll receive in Frozen 2. Remember Northern Nomads was a term used in Frozen Broadway, and Sami were originally nomads...

So, I really tried coming up with an actual theory for those suspicious looking northern lights Idunn looks at but I failed. Sorry. The only idea I have is that Idunn is talking to Elsa after the accident and telling her her own version of the origins behind her powers, and maybe, just maybe, those unnatural northern lights represent Elsa’s sworn enemy, pink.

Yes, pink. Purplish pink or pinkish purple, to be exact.

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The Pink

Pink has always been a problem for Elsa. The night of the accident, she was shown terrible imagery that’d scare her for life; her adult silhouette is absorbed, consumed by this purple mass. “Fear will be your enemy,” Grand Pabbie said.

Later in her life, we see that whenever Elsa is feeling emotions relating to fear and despair, her ice cracks and turns a shade of pinkish purple. We all get that. But now. Why, for the love of Nokk, why is the fire pink? Nokk looks alright, just like water would look. The earth giants too. I don’t see anything strange with the wind other than it is… wind. But the fire is pink, for a reason we don’t know yet.

The sky turns pinkish after the accident. Why is literally everything that is bad for Elsa represented by pinkish purple?

And I have no definite answer for that. If I have to throw an idea, it’s a prophecy. A manifestation of sorts that just wants Elsa to stop breathing, which may be related to the presence that left Agdar terrified and Arendelle cutting relations with these northern lands. An inherited ‘curse’ of sorts, that may give us a new point of view of why Elsa’s powers were kept in secret. Maybe her parents really had something to fear. A legitimate reason to lock her away, as harsh as that sounds.

For now, let’s leave that in an ominous tone, and talk about the mist. Oh, the mist.

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The Mist

As we were saying before, the Hidden Folk are basically synonymous with elves. They are invisible (hence, hidden, huh), magical, and are not exactly humans, in the sense that they don’t meddle in their affairs, and live in a parallel world. We have already seen the ‘parallel’, ‘mirror’ symbolism with the gang gazing over the lands, but here’s more, if we insist.

(Pss! Don’t wanna break it to you, but autumn forests just aren’t that beautiful. These ones are magical and misty.)

What elves look like varies from source to source. But they are very closely associated with mist, and live in meadows, mires and forests.

Quoting Wikipedia further:

The elves of Norse mythology have survived into folklore mainly as females, living in hills and mounds of stones.The Swedish älvor were stunningly beautiful girls who lived in the forest with an elven king.

The elves could be seen dancing over meadows, particularly at night and on misty mornings. They left a circle where they had danced, which were called älvdanser (elf dances) or älvringar (elf circles).

If a human watched the dance of the elves, he would discover that even though only a few hours seemed to have passed, many years had passed in the real world. Humans being invited or lured to the elf dance is a common motif transferred from older Scandinavian ballads.

Humans being invited or lured to the elf dance is a common motif transferred from older Scandinavian ballads.

lured to the elf dance

Yeah, that’s not the face of someone who wasn’t lured.

Okay, okay, okay! I’m sorry if I got too excited about this and saying that Elsa got seduced by the dancing and singing of an elf is perhaps taking it a bit too far. But hear me out. Letting go of my no-crazy-speculation filter for a bit, I’d say that an elf/spirit was the one who incessantly sang to Elsa (remember, female singing), lured her into her dance showing her wonderful imagery of the spirits of the four elements of the parallel world, and then made her release the ice crystals (magic that has been building up for a long time) and go haywire. But you judge that…

What I mean to say is that I think that this concept of elves (maybe not called elves inside of the film, but at least the concept) and their relation to the mist are going to be present in Frozen 2. I’ve been thinking about mist for the past two months and this is the first time I manage to include it in a theory. I’ve wanted to -and will- say something that will sound stupid for a long, long time but I don’t care because it’s worth it. An image I stumbled upon while researching through elves. It’s called ‘Chasing after Hildur’.

It’s from a myth starring Hildur, the Queen of Elves. I’m not going to explain the whole myth, it’s not really relevant; but please, just look at that image. It’s more visual than anything, and it is that it looks ABSOLUTELY EXACTLY THE SAME LIKE THE MOMENT WHEN ANNA JUMPS OVER THE PRECIPICE.

And I’m using all caps because I mean it.

Is Anna chasing after the queen of elves? After a common elf? After the elf like creature that lured Elsa into the dance?

Might be a huge cosmic coincidence, may not be, but summing it up? Frozen 2 has elves. Yeah.

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The Conclusions

You’re finally here. Aka, Tl;Dr. And for the sake of not repeating ‘this might be’ and ‘probably’ every 2 seconds, I’ll sound really confident.

Maybe:

Frozen 2 features a beautiful parallel realm whose entrance is reachable when a magic user activates it. This is the autumn forest we see in the teaser trailer, contrasting to the more regular-looking place near the end of the official trailer.

The ‘Land of the Mist’ is the home of the Hidden Folk, elves, and the four elements of nature, who are sentient and are represented by four mythological beings. In these lands, magic comes and goes. But something terrible happened, and the harmony between the inhabitants and the spirits is no more.

This is the truth they are looking for; the origin of Elsa’s powers; she should’ve lived in this hidden realm of the hidden people, and nowhere else.

Idunn, her mother, secretly comes from this realm, and in Frozen 2, the sisters will learn about the family they barely got to know, and will have to prove their worth and fight an unknown evil yet to be revealed who Agdar already faced.

Elsa is the only person in the world who can bring the harmony back to the Land of the Mist and unify the four elements before it’s too late.

/Maybe.

Wow, I’m tired.

(It’s fall in my country, by the way, can’t do that.)

This is the furthest I managed to get so far with the help of 3 minutes of footage, Annecy and bath bomb leaks, and I’m sure even more theories are going to come to light as more days pass and the Frozen 2 trailer settles down in people’s minds. Might give some quick little update to this if something new comes up...

Would love to hear your theories and opinions as well! I’m sure we won’t stop till we inadvertently spoil ourselves the whole movie.

Goodbye and Happy Theorizing!

#frozen 2 #frozen 2 theory #frozen #frozen 2 spoilers #frozen 2 theories

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bestiarium · 2 years

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The Bergmönch [German folklore]

Often called ‘the monk of the mountain’ or ‘the monk of the mines’, this being is a spirit from Germanic mythology, specifically from Saxony. He is said to inhabit the Harz mountain chain in northern Germany.

The Bergmönch resembles a human monk (hence the name) in clothing and appearance, but not in size. He is a giant in monk’s clothing, with white or gray hair. They are also called “Bergmännchen”, and despite their penchant for punishing people, they are generally not considered evil beings and they are known to help miners in need.

There are stories of Bergmännchen appearing to people in the form of animals: as a horse or a blackbird. Sometimes, they appear as insects (flies or hornets) instead.

He is known to punish people who whistle or curse within the mine tunnels. This is very similar to the Swedish Gruvrå, a spirit of the mines who also punishes people who either curse or whistle in the mines. I suspect the two myths have influenced each other, or one is simply a version of the other that differentiated. Whereas the Bergmönch is an old man of giant stature, the Gruvrå is a pale woman wearing a grey or black dress, but aside from that they are pretty much the same creature.

Source: Lecouteux, C., 2016, Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic. (image source: Karl Reinecke-Altenau)

#German mythology #Germanic mythology #mythical creatures #spirits #mythology #myths #folklore

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myth-lord · 5 years

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Mythika’s creatures from Northern and Eastern European myths.

**THE CREATURES FROM NORTHERN EUROPEAN MYTHS**

Radande were once beautiful nymphs, but they were corrupted and infected with the horrid spores of the fungus-like horrors known as Kayeri. Now their pretty skin is host to the most dangerous of fungi and mushrooms, and they use their spores to bring death and corruption to anyone unlucky enough to cross their path.

@rt = Fungus Demon Queen from D&D. https://www.topsimages.com/images/zuggtmoy-dnd-3f.html

Aerico, Pesta (Scandinavian) – Undead (Human / Summoner) - Spreaders of horrid diseases and female variants of Aerico.

Ajatar (Scandinavian) – Dragon (Reptilian / Summoner) - Pinkish female dragons with demonic ties, snakes form living armor around it and poison bite will turn victims into demons.

Askafroa (Scandinavian) – Fae (Nymph / Vampire / Cursed / Summoner) - Dryads who lost their trees and which became evil vampiric versions of their former selves.

Berserker (Norse) – Humanoid (Shifter / Human / Mounted) * - Aggressive humans which were born and bred for warfare.

Berserker, Einherjar (Norse) – Undead (Spirit / Human / Parasite) - After they die, some of the Berserkers spirits fight on with help from Valkyries.

Buckrider (Germanic) – Humanoid (Human / Cursed / Mounted) * - Cultists and bandits which ride demonic goats and which serve demons of greed.

Dokkalfar (Norse) – Fae (Elf) - The evil pale elves from the underground.

Erlking (Germanic) – Fae (Elf / Summoner / Mounted) - The elves of Autumn, riding on giant corrupted autumn Snawfus.

Fossegrim (Scandinavian) – Fae - Blue haired pretty fae males which lure creatures with their violins or harps and then drown them.

Garmr (Norse) – Demon - The fiery hounds of hell, blood drips endlessly from their bodies.

Gloson (Scandinavian) – Undead - Undead boars or pigs with sharp spikes on their backs and fiery breath.

Gowrow, Nidhogg (Norse) – Dragon (Reptilian / Summoner) - Elder variants of the Gowrow, wingless earth and plant dragons.

Gulon (Scandinavian) – Beast - Much like a dire wolverine, always hungry.

Havhest (Scandinavian) – Beast (Fish / Drake) - Dangerous, wild and aggressive variants of the seahorse or Hippocampus.

Helhest (Scandinavian) – Undead (Shifter / Spirit) - A shadow/spirit variant of the Kelpie, riders will slowly turn into spirits.

Hrimfaxi (Norse) – Beast (Shifter) - The frost variant of the Kelpie, riders will turn into a frozen statue.

Hrimpursar (Norse) – Humanoid (Giant) - Frost giants of the mountains.

Hrokkall (Icelandic) – Undead (Fish) - Undead eel monsters with razor sharp, poisonous, saw-like spines.

Hrosshvalur (Icelandic) – Beast (Chimerae) - Half whale, seal and horse, with beautiful bright red manes, loves crashing into ships.

Iku-Turso (Scandinavian) – Aberration - Deep sea horrors, which cultivate diseases and do horrid experiments on their victims.

Kludde (Germanic) – Fae (Chimerae / Bogey / Psychic) - Winged wolves which drool and gaze causes extreme hallucinations.

Kobold (Germanic) – Fae (Gnome) - The gnomes of earth and rock, love to mine for precious materials in mines.

Kraken (Scandinavian) – Aberration - Truly gigantic, very intelligent squids.

Landvaettir (Scandinavian) – Elemental (Spirit) * - Earth Elementals, some of them are like an entire animated landscape.

Ljosalfar (Norse) – Fae (Elf) * - Light elves, winged and look much like angels, very arrogant and non-friendly to outsiders.

Morko (Scandinavian) – Aberration (Ooze / Cursed) - Purplish oozes which accidently feed on other creatures warmth, they only want to feel joy.

Osschaart (Germanic) – Aberration (Bogey) - Bizarre creatures dressed entirely in living chains, have an aura of increased gravity which makes other creatures slower.

Otso (Scandinavian) – Plant (Spirit) - Natures anger, wild energy and madness put into one bear-like plant construct.

Poltergeist (Germanic) – Undead (Spirit / Parasite / Summoner / Psychic) - The angry psychic energy of a telepathic or telekinetic child, animates objects around it.

Radande (Scandinavian) – Plant (Nymph / Parasite / Summoner) - Nymphs corrupted by the spores of the Kayeri, now plants that look like nymphs but which control fungi.

Ratatoskr (Norse) – Fae (Psychic) - Small, but dangerous spreaders of fatal gossip, which can lay ruin to entire kingdoms.

Skeljaskrimsli (Icelandic) – Beast (Chimerae) - Aquatic mixes of bears, pigs and pangolins, most often found around beaches.

Swamfisk (Scandinavian) – Aberration (Ooze / Fish) - Abominable slimy fish, which use their own flesh to lure in prey.

Valkyrie (Norse) – Angel (Summoner / Mounted) - Lesser angels of war and battle, riding on 8-legged horses called Sleipnir.

Valravn (Scandinavian) – Fae (Shifter / Avian / Cursed) - Fae ravens which try to eat hearts to transform into Humanoids.

Vatnsandi (Icelandic) – Beast (Fish) - Monstrous, huge and evil variants of Manta Rays.

Waldgeist (Germanic) – Undead (Nymph / Spirit / Parasite / Cursed) - The spirits of Dryads which can animate the plants they inhabit.

Zombie, Draugr (Norse) – Undead (Human / Cursed) - Zombies which are still dressed in armor and which can still fight and think a bit.

============================

**THE CREATURES FROM EAST EUROPEAN MYTHS**

The Ankluz is a bizarre spectral demonic entity which possesses instruments like harps, violins, guitars and drums, and from there tries to corrupt the souls of bards, musicians and other people involved with music. Ankluz have powerful abilities over music and sounds, they can even turn any sound volume louder or lower.

@art: https://www.deviantart.com/bryansyme/art/Devil-Wind-s-Harp-795186545

Aitvaras (Lithuanian) – Dragon (Shifter / Avian / Reptilian / Chimerae) - Shifting cockatrice-like dragons of greed and bad-luck.

Ankluz (Slavic) – Demon (Spirit / Cursed) - Spectral Demons of sounds, corrupt the hearts and souls of bards through the instruments they possess.

Arzhavennik (Slavic) – Demon (Beastman / Amphibian) - Giant humanoid toad-like demons which spread and feed on rust.

Bagiennik (Slavic) – Fae (Amphibian) - Large fae salamanders which can shoot burning, magical oil at others.

Bezkost (Slavic) – Undead (Parasite) - Creatures that feed on blood and skin, they appear to be nothing but empty sacks of skin.

Bies (Slavic) – Demon (Shifter / Summoner) - Demons of nature, they love to turn beasts, animals and plants more wild and aggressive with their aura’s.

Bolla (Albanian) – Dragon (Reptilian / Alien) - The young variant of Chaos Dragon.

Bolla, Kulshedra (Albanian) – Dragon (Reptilian / Alien) - Chaos dragons, Ancient variants of Bolla.

Bubak (Slavic) – Construct (Spirit / Tsukumogami / Bogey / Summoner) - Animated scarecrows with the souls of bogeymen.

Bukavac (Slavic) – Aberration (Amphibian / Chimerae) - Half frog, half salamander, these aquatic horrors use their sonic attacks to spread havoc.

Dydko (Slavic) – Demon - Demons stalking from mirrors, attacking the pretty, scaring their faces and removing their beauty, demons of envy.

Ebajalg (Estonian) – Elemental (Spirit / Cursed) - Air elementals, often take the form of raging whirlwinds.

Hala (Slavic) – Fae (Shifter / Hag / Summoner) - Wind and storm hags.

Indrik (Russian) – Beast * - Much like the prehistoric Indricotherium, dressed in armor, used by Berserkers in war.

Kikimora (Slavic) – Fae (Shifter / Bogey / Summoner) - Female bogeys, which hide in houses and cause destruction in the name of hags.

Lausks (Latvian) – Fae (Elf / Mounted) - The elves of winter, frost and ice elves.

Leshy (Slavic) – Fae (Shifter / Gnome / Summoner) - The gnomes of plants and nature, they walk around with their huge vine-like beards.

Likho (Slavic) – Demon (Goblinoid) - Goblinoid demons with only a single eye, they feed on luck so that only misfortune remains.

Moroi (Romanian) – Undead (Vampire / Human / Cursed) - Minions of the Strigoi, only the most beautiful of humans are chosen to become new vampires.

Moroi, Strigoi (Romanian) – Undead (Vampire / Summoner) - Elder vampires, born undead, first undead, they look much like Nosferatu from the movies.

Nocnitsa (Slavic) – Fae (Shifter / Hag / Mara / Summoner) - Night and shadow hags which haunt your dreams.

Ovinnik (Slavic) – Fae (Shifter / Cursed) - Cursed and corrupted Domovoi.

Poludnica (Slavic) – Fae (Nymph) - The nymphs of light and midday, uses scythe-like weapons.

Psoglav (Slavic) – Demon (Chimerae / Cursed) - Horrifying thin demons of famine and hunger, their teeth are iron.

Rusalka (Slavic) – Fae (Nymph / Summoner) - The nymphs of water, rivers and lakes, can animate their own hair.

Skrzak (Slavic) – Demon (Goblinoid) - Large imp-like demons of madness and destruction, act much like Gremlins.

Tcaridyi (Romanian) – Beast (Vermin / Vampire) - Large goat-sized caterpillars with fire curses.

Tculo (Romanian) – Aberration (Parasite / Swarm) * - Swarms of urchins which want to enter victims mouths and hurt them from within.

Topielec (Slavic) – Undead (Human / Cursed) - Drowned and bloated undead humanoids which drown other creatures with their aura’s.

Tugarin (Russian) – Humanoid (Beastman / Reptilian / Drake) - Dragon-like lizardmen.

Veela (Slavic) – Fae (Nymph / Summoner) - The nymphs of wind, storms and air, love to dance.

Vodyanoi (Slavic) – Humanoid (Beastman / Amphibian) - Amphibious frog-like humanoids.

Vodyanoi, Bolotnik (Slavic) – Humanoid (Beastman / Amphibian / Mounted) - Amphibious toad-like humanoids, leaders of the Vodyanoi.

Zirnitra (Slavic) – Dragon (Reptilian / Mara) - Black dragons of darkness, shadow and evil magic.

#Mythology #Folklore #Monster #Cryptid #Fantasy

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loretranscripts · 5 years

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Lore Episode 1: They Made a Tonic (Transcript) - 18th March 2015

tw: horror, bodily mutilation, blood, disease, death, vampires, pseudo-cannibalism

Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

Hollywood is… obsessed. Sure, we often think of obsessions like sex, violence, gigantic robots and of course, epic battles between good and evil. But another obsession of Hollywood is vampires. You have to admit though, that there’s a lot to love about vampires. Immortality, wealth, power, and superhuman abilities such as flight and strength. Yes, they come with trade-offs, such as incredibly bad sunburns, but every movie I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot, believe me, tends to show vampires that are fairly happy with their lot in life. My exposure to the world of vampires happened in the late 1990s, when I was in college. A friend of mine recommended the Anne Rice novel, Interview with a Vampire. I devoured that and many of the sequels. They’re fun reads! And they certainly set the tone for a decade or more of vampire-centred entertainment. I won’t touch on the vampires of the Twilight books, mostly because I haven’t read them. But I will say this: those books, however lambasted they have been by critics, have shown that popular culture’s love of all things vampire is as undying as the creatures themselves. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

When most people think of vampires, they envision something that is a purely European creature: a foreign accent, Victorian Era dress, and dark manor homes and castles. It’s a common visual language for most of the western world, so I don’t blame bad movies and books for portraying that image, but it’s one small facet of a legend that has hundreds of expressions. The single most prominent historical figure attached to the modern notion of vampires is of course Vlad III of Wallachia, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was the ruler of a small Eastern European kingdom known as Wallachia. He ruled from 1456 to 1462. He was known as Vlad the Impaler, because he preferred to execute his enemies by impaling them on stakes. The Ottomons called him “Lord Impaler” after entering his kingdom to find forests of impaled victims. Vlad was a violent guy, you see, rather bloodthirsty, you might say. Now he, like his father before him, belonged to something known as the Order of the Dragon, a group established to protect Christian Europe from the invading Ottoman army. Vlad’s father, Vlad II, was known as Vlad Dracul, which meant Vlad the Dragon, from the Order of the Dragon. When Vlad III rose to power he took the hereditary title and was known as Vlad Dracula, the son of the dragon. That name might sound very similar to the most famous vampire story in the world, and that’s because Bram Stoker, when creating his famous creature of the night, used Vlad III as his inspiration. Well, part of it, but we’ll get to that more later.

The roots of most vampire stories can be traced back to superstitions rooted in ancient cultures all across the world. Western Europe played host to countless stories of reanimated dead known as “revenants”. These were animated corpses which climbed out of the grave to torment the living. The word “revenant” comes from Latin, which means “to come back”. And come back to do what, you might ask? Well, I’m glad you did. At first it was just to terrorise the living, but as the centuries passed the legend became more specific. Revenants were said to return from the grave to torment their living relatives and neighbours. What was key though, was that revenants were specific people, not anonymous zombies of our modern horror genre. These things had a past, and a purpose. Now, in Norse Mythology, we can find stories of creatures known as draugr, “again-walkers”, who would return from the grave and wreak havoc on the living. These creatures possessed superhuman strength, they smelled of decay, and they were reported to be pretty ugly in appearance. They could enter the dreams of the living and while they were doing that, it was said that they left tangible objects near the sleeping victims, so that when they woke up, they would know that their dreams were more real than they feared.

Let’s go back earlier than the Middles Ages though. The legends of some ancient cultures spoke of creatures that, while not immediately similar to the vampires we know today, nonetheless share many core characteristics. First we have the Greek myth of Empusa, who was the daughter of Hekate. Empusa was said to lure young men, at night, and then feast on their blood, before moving on to the main course, their flesh. Another Greek tale involves Lamia, a mistress of Zeus, who becomes cursed by Zeus’ wife Hera, and is doomed to hunt children, devouring them. Stories of undead creatures, or creatures that feed on the blood of the living, seem nearly as common as written language itself. I mean, even on the small, isolated island of Madagascar, there are legends of a creature known as the Ramanga, which was known to attack nobles, drinking their blood and eating their nail clippings. Yeah, I said nail clippings. Deal with it.

Are vampires real? I’ll let you make the final decision on that, but what is clear, is that most of these stories find their genesis in the human need to explain the unexplainable. For instance, early Europeans used the myth as a way of explaining why a corpse wasn’t decomposing at the normal rate that they expected. You can see evidence of this in Bulgaria, where graves dating back over 800 years, have been opened, to reveal iron rods that have been driven through the chest of the skeletons. And in a time when it was very common to bury someone that was thought to be dead, only to find out that they weren’t really dead, you can imagine that stories would quickly circulate that the dead were coming back to life. As a result, Taphophobia, the fear of being buried alive, swept Europe and the United States. Now, of course, when medical science caught up, people got more practical. They built alert systems into graves, just in case the person woke up and, you know, wanted out. Now, I realise that being buried alive sounds like a rare occurrence, but it happened frequently enough that many people were sufficiently paranoid about it to actually spend time looking for a solution.

One of these people happened to be a medical doctor, a man named Adolf Gutsmuth. Now, in 1822, and driven by the fear of being buried alive, he invented a “safety coffin” for his own interment, and then he tested it out himself. Tested it out? You bet! Doctor Gutsmuth allowed himself to be buried underground in his new “safety coffin” for several hours, during which he had meals delivered to him through a feeding tube. He enjoyed a wonderful meal of soup, sausages, and a lovely local beer. Sounds like a great date night destination, doesn’t it? Now, Doctor Timothy Smith of New Haven, Vermont, was another paranoid inventor. He created a grave that can be visited still to this day, if you happen to be passing by Evergreen Cemetery, in Vermont. It was a crypt, buried in the usual manner, but it had a cement tube positioned over the face of the body, and a glass plate was affixed to the top of the tube at ground level. Doctor Smith died a real, natural death, and was buried in his fancy coffin with a view. He never woke up, but early visitors to his grave reported that they had a clear view of his decomposing head, until condensation obscured the glass decades later. Side note: vampires no longer scare me. Waking up inside of a small box buried six feet under the surface of the earth is what true fright looks like to me.

Now, another culprit in humanity’s use of the vampire label, was porphyria. It was a rare blood disorder, but modern science has pretty much closed the case on that one, saying that it’s too far of a stretch to connect the two topics. Rabies, of all conditions, has also been used as an explanation for the rise of the vampire mythology. Surprisingly there are a lot of commonalities between them, such as a sensitivity to light and garlic, as well as altered sleep patterns. But the most recent medical condition with a strong connection to vampire mythology was actually Tuberculosis. Those who suffer from TB had no vampire-like symptoms though, and that’s what makes this one a harder connection to explain. It’s also, incidentally, where one of my favourite New England legends comes into the picture. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mercy Brown.

Lena Mercy Brown was a young woman who lived in the latter half of the 19thcentury, in the rural town of Exeter, Rhode Island, and she was a major player in what is now known as the “Great New England Vampire Panic”. Stories like hers can be found repeated all across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, echoed in the lives of others in similar situations. And the results have surprising connections to both the modern idea of vampires, as well as the ancient stories, as we will see. The first person to die in Exeter was Mercy’s mother, Mary Eliza. That was December of 1882, and she fell victim to what was then called “consumption”. Consumption, because, as the disease of Tuberculosis ravaged the body, the person would appear to waste away; consumed, if you will, by the illness. She, of course, was buried, because, well, that’s what you do with a loved one who passes away. The next year though, Mercy’s sister Mary Olive died, at the young age of 20. Same illness, same symptoms, same process. I’m not sure when exactly the people of Exeter, Rhode Island started to wonder if the deaths were connected , but it might have been then, or it might have been a few years later when Mercy’ brother Edwin took ill. Edwin, though, was smart. He packed up and moved across the country to Colorado Springs, which had a great reputation for the healing properties of its dry climate. When he finally returned from the resorts out west, some years later, he was alive, but not doing so well, and in December of 1891, he took a turn for the worst. That was the month that Mercy herself became ill. Her Tuberculosis moved fast. They called it the galloping kind, and it moved through her body quickly, like wildfire. By January, 1892, she was dead, and the people of Exeter were more worried than ever. You see, they suspected something… supernatural.

Now, this was surprising, considering how close Exeter is to Newport. That’s the seaside city known for the summer cottages of the wealthy, folks like the Vanderbilts, the Asters, the Wideners, the Wetmores. It was the pinnacle of educated society, yet just a handful of miles away, one small town that should have known better, was about to do something very, very creepy.

Edwin was still alive, you see, and someone got it in their mind that one of the women who died before him, either his mother or one of his sisters, was somehow draining him of his life from beyond the grave. They were so convinced of this, you see, that they wanted to dig them all up. Yes, all of them. Once they received the father’s permission to do this horrible thing, a group of men gathered in the cemetery on the morning of March 17th, and began to dig up the bodies. Now, what they were looking for was any evidence at all of an unnatural state. So, blood in the heart, blood around the mouth, or other similar signs. The first body, of Mary Eliza, the mother, was satisfactorily decomposed so they ruled her out. But of course she was, you might say, I mean, she had been dead and buried for a decade. Mary Olive was also in a normal state of decomposition. Again, being dead for ten years usually helps convince people that you’re really dead. But when they examined Mercy’s body, a body that had not been buried because she died in the middle of winter, and so had been put inside of a stone building inside the cemetery that was essentially a walk-in freezer, they discovered a remarkable state of preservation. Shocking, I know. So what did they do? Well, these superstitious folk did what they learnt from their ancestors. They cut out Mercy’s heart and liver, within which they found red, clotted blood, they burned them on a nearby stone, which, by the way, is still there if you ever visit the cemetery, and then, mixed the ashes with a tonic. That tonic was then given to Edwin, to drink. Yeah, Edwin drank his own sister’s liver and heart. Did it work? No, of course it didn’t work. Edwin died less than two months later. What it did do, however, was set up Mercy Brown to be known as the first American vampire.

As unusual as an event like this must sound, you might be surprised to learn that it happened quite frequently. In 1817, almost a century before Mercy Brown’s exhumation, a Dartmouth college student named Frederick Ransom died of Tuberculosis. His father was so worried that the young man would leave the grave and attack the family, that he asked that he be dug up. Ransom’s heart was cut out, and burnt on a blacksmith’s forge. Even Henry David Thoreau heard tales of these types of events, and he mentioned one in his personal journal. In September 26th, 1859, he wrote: “The savage in man is never quite eradicated. I have just read of a family in Vermont who, several of its members having died of consumption, just burnt the lungs, heart and liver of the last deceased, in order to prevent any more from having it.” So of course, word spread about what happened to Mercy Brown, as it usually did when a body was dug up and carved into to pieces like that. Mercy’s case, though, actually made it into a newspaper called The New York World, and it made quite an impression on the people who read it. How do we know? Because a clipping from that article was found in the personal papers of a London stage manager after his death. You see, his theatre company had been touring America in 1892. He evidently read the story, found it inspiring, and saved it. Inspiring so much so, that he sat down a few years later, and wrote a book. Who was this man? His name was Bram Stoker. And the book? Oh, I’m sure you’ve already guessed it by now. It was Dracula, published in 1897.

Lore was produced by me, Aaron Mahnke. You can find a transcript of the show, as well as a bibliography of the source material, at our website, lorepodcast.com. If you enjoy scary stories, I happen to write them. You can find a full list of my supernatural thrillers, available in both paperback and ebook formats, at aaronmahnke.com/novels. Thanks for listening.

Transcriber’s Notes:

(These notes a purely from me, the transcriber, and have nothing to do with the official podcast or Aaron Mahnke).

1) The word draugr does not in fact mean “after-walker” as the podcast seems to state, and actually derives from a Proto-Indo European word meaning “deceive”. There is, however, a related term aptrgangr, which does mean “again-walker”, and is thought to be pretty much synonymous with draugr.

#lore podcast #podcasts #aaron mahnke #vampires #Interview With A Vampire #dracula #mercy brown #new england #taphophobia #folklore #1 #transcripts

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alexsfictionaddiction · 5 years

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‘Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all.’

If you missed my announcement post last week, you may not know that I am a co-host of a wonderful readathon that will be taking place from 11th-18th August. My co-hosts are BookTubers Sam, Becky, Erica and Jordan and I would love if you could subscribe to all four of their channels. They are all fantastic creators and their videos deserve a LOT of love!

Today’s post aims to give you some inspiration for your FairytaleAThon TBR. The challenges for this round are in the above image and I’ve selected a few books that fit each one, which you’ll hopefully be interested in. FairytaleAThon encompasses original fairytales, myths, folktales and retellings of them so the possibilties are almost endless! Here are my very best recommendations:

1. THUMBELINA: Read a fairytale or retelling under 250 pages.

ELLA ENCHANTED BY GAIL CARSON LEVINE: 240 pages.

This very funny and sweet retelling of Cinderella is perhaps better known as a cute Anne Hathaway film but the source material is definitely worth the read. It follows Ella, who was given the curse of obedience by a fairy, when she was a baby. This means that she has to do anything that anyone tells her -fight monsters, let down her friends and even deny that she’s in love with the prince. However, there is a beautiful feminist resolution that is sure to delight modern fairytale lovers!

THE SNOW QUEEN BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: 96 pages.

The story that inspired Frozen is over 200 years old but this beautiful new edition from independent publishing house Pushkin is worth picking up for the coverlust alone! The original tale is quite different to Disney’s version but it is still an epic story of love and loyalty in the harsh landscape of the snowy North. When a magic mirror breaks and curses Kay to be blind to all of the good in the world, he is taken by the Snow Queen and locked in her ice palace. It’s up to his friend Gerda to trek across the icy plains and rescue him and his frozen heart.

THE BROKEN SWORD BY POUL ANDERSON: 237 pages.

Inspired by Norse mythology, The Broken Sword is a dark high fantasy that has somehow been packed into just over 200 pages. Skafloc is a human boy who has been raised by elves amidst their war with the trolls. The elves require the use of the sword Tyrfing, which the mighty Thor broke in order to stop it destroying Yggdrasil -the tree that brings the earth, heavens and underworld together. Only the giant Bolverk can fix it and it’s Skafloc’s job to persuade him. As well as this huge undertaking, Skafloc also needs to face his dark changeling self! This is ideal for Tolkien fans who need a quick whimsical adventure in a strange land.

THE WILD SWANS BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: 64 pages.

I’m aware that this is the second Christian Andersen Pushkin edition in this post but LOOK AT THEM! The Wild Swans is a little-known story about a princess whose 11 brothers are turned into swans by their evil stepmother. Despite being determined to break the curse, the stakes are high and huge sacrifices will need to be made to reunite the siblings. It’s a heartbreaking story about familial love and loyalty.

2. GENTLE GIANTS: Read a fairytale or retelling over 500 pages.

CRESS BY MARISSA MEYER: 560 pages.

This sci-fi retelling of Rapunzel is actually the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Although each book is a retelling of a different fairytale, the characters do overlap and therefore it is best to read them in order. The good news is that you have plenty of time before the readathon to read both preceding books -Cinder and Scarlet. The series is incredibly unique, quirky and funny with some truly shipworthy romances and madcap adventure.

COMPLETE FAIRY TALES BY BROTHERS GRIMM: 1019 pages.

Ok, so this may be cheating a little BUT what would FairytaleAThon be, if you didn’t dip into some classic original stories at some point? This Penguin Vintage Classics edition of the tales collected by the Brothers Grimm is a simple yet beautiful chunk of a book that I believe should be a staple in any fairytale lover’s library. Featuring the original gruesome versions of classics such as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Twelve Dancing Princesses and so many more, there is bound to be more than a few of these 279 twisted, disturbing stories that you love!

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE BY TOMI ADEYEMI: 544 pages.

It was one of the biggest books of last year and its sequel is on its way next year. Children of Blood and Bone is inspired by the Orisha (deities) of West African mythology. It follows Zelie, a young girl with magical powers in a world where magic has been taken away and people like her are hunted by a tyrannical king. However now she is on a quest to avenge her dead mother and restore magic to her homeland. Followed by her brother Tzain, a rogue princess Amari and enemy prince Inan, this is a truly unique YA fantasy that I found completely unputdownable.

WICKED BY GREGORY MAGUIRE: 512 pages.

This prequel to The Wizard of Oz is best known as a hit West End and Broadway musical but the source material is also a fantastic read. Elphaba has been an outcast and persecuted all her life because of her green skin and this doesn’t change when she starts at Shiz University, where she meets the beautiful, queen bee Galinda. After a reluctant start, they soon form a friendship and band together with Munchkin boy Boq and quiet Vinkus prince Fiyero to put the injustices of their world to rights. Spanning over years of Elphaba’s life, Wicked features forbidden love, high-stake drama and challenges your idea of what evil really is.

3. IF THE SHOE FITS: Read any fairytale or retelling on your TBR.

Of course you should use your own TBR for this challenge but I’ve chosen some popular releases over the last couple of years that just might be on your TBR anyway.

CIRCE BY MADELINE MILLER

Not only is it a beautiful book but the story inside is truly captivating, bewitching and heartbreaking. This is a feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Circe, the sorceress living alone on the island of Aiaia with a talent for potion-making and a penchant for turning sailors into animals. In this version, Circe is banished to Aiaia by Zeus when he feels threatened by her unique brand of magic. There she develops her craft, tames the animals, grows herbs and even encounters travellers such as Daedelus, Icarus and Odysseus. After angering both mortals and gods, she needs to decide where she truly belongs to protect the thing she loves most. Madeline Miller is a gorgeous writer and Circe is a masterpiece.

THE HAZEL WOOD BY MELISSA ALBERT

Although not a fairytale or a retelling, The Hazel Wood has many fairytale elements and therefore, I feel it more than qualifies for FairytaleAThon. It follows 17-year-old Alice who has spent most of her life moving around with her mother because bad luck and disaster seems to follow them around. Alice’s grandmother is the author of a book of dark fairytales set in mysterious Hinterland. When her grandmother dies and her mother goes missing, Alice has almost nothing to go on. She teams up with classmate Ellery Finch, who also happens to be a superfan of her grandmother’s stories, to find her mother and discover the secrets of her grandmother’s creation. It’s the perfect remedy if you’re craving some fast-paced, whimsical action. THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS BY PAT BARKER

Ok so it’s ANOTHER Greek myth retelling but this is another book that should really be on your radar. The Silence of the Girls tells the story of the women affected by the Trojan war, who have been largely ignored by the original myth. It focuses primarily on Briseis, a Trojan queen who became a concubine to Achilles after he murdered her husband and brothers. Her life in the Greek camp is a world away from the one she led in Troy and she is now a slave to the army. When commander Agamemnon wishes to claim Briseis as his own prize, she finds her fate entirely at the mercy of the two most powerful men of Greece as the war wages on. It’s an engaging accessible version of the story with some lovely female friendships, intricate and illicit romances and an ending that will definitely touch your heart.

GEEKERELLA BY ASHLEY POSTON

This quirky, nerdy YA romance is enormous fun to read! Vegan food-truck worker Elle is a superfan of hit sci-fi series Starfield, a love she shared with her late father. When a cosplay competition is announced to celebrate the upcoming movie reboot, Elle has to enter. The prize is a ticket to the Cosplay Ball at the fandom’s convention ExcelsionCon and a meet and greet with the new Prince Carmindor. However, when it’s announced that the role will be played by teen idol Darien Freeman (who her stepsisters are obsessed with) Elle isn’t hopeful he’ll do the part justice because surely a pretty boy actor doesn’t know the first thing about Starfield, right? Told through the viewpoints of both Elle and Darien via alternating chapters, it’s full of dramatic irony and the subtle similarities to the story of Cinderella are so fun to pick out. Our group book for this round is its recently released companion The Princess and the Fangirl, so what better reason to pick up Geekerella if you haven’t already?

4. CREATURES OF THE DEEP: Read a book with mermaids, sirens or sea monsters.

As this is a summer round of FairytaleAThon, my co-hosts and I decided that we wanted to dedicate a challenge to stories that feature cool blue waters. We agreed that this book doesn’t have to be a fairytale, folktale or retelling; it just has to feature a mythical aquatic creature.

TO KILL A KINGDOM BY ALEXANDRA CHRISTO

This dark retelling of The Little Mermaid sees Princess Lira as a ruthless collector of princes’ hearts. However, when she kills a fellow siren, the Sea Queen punishes her by turning her into a human and taking away her singing voice. She needs to bring back the heart of Prince Elian in order to return to the sea. Prince Elian is himself a siren-hunter and when he rescues a drowning Lira, she promises to help him destroy all sirens but of course, she has her own motives for getting close to him. Although I’ve seen mixed reviews for this book, I really enjoyed it for the concept. Lira is a much more powerful, more formidable figure than Ariel and the story is much more brutal. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who feels like Ariel deserved more.

THE PISCES BY MELISSA BRODER

The Pisces is an incredibly strange novel about Lucy who has recently split from her long-term partner and is lacking inspiration for her thesis. In the hopes that it will help her forget her problems, she agrees to spend the summer in LA, looking after her sister’s house and foxhound. While there, she goes on a string of grisly Tinder dates, attends a therapy group for love addiction and falls in love with a mysterious but gorgeous surfer dude… who appears to have scales over the entirety of his lower body… It’s funny, it’s weird, it’s sad in parts but it’s also somehow bloody brilliant. Be warned that there are some pretty graphic sex scenes, so perhaps avoid it if you’re sensitive to that!

THE GLOAMING BY KIRSTY LOGAN

This is a wonderfully charming magical realism book following Mara and her family, whose island is surrounded with magic and stories. When tragedy strikes her family, Mara finds solace in enigmatic Pearl who introduces her to a new way of life and possibilities she never dreamed of. Torn between the traditions of her island and the ever-changing course of the sea while still haunted by the past, Mara needs to decide which is the best path for her to take. Kirsty Logan is a lyrical genius so if you like beautiful imagery and strange diverse storylines, The Gloaming is a great choice for you.

THE MERMAID AND MRS HANCOCK BY IMOGEN HERMES GOWAR

Set in the 18th century, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is a beautifully written and surreal read that will appeal if you’re looking for a more literary, social history-led mermaid book. Merchant Jonah Hancock learns that one of his captains has sold his ship for what is apparently a mermaid. Naturally this piques the curiosity of the area and he is soon thrown into upper class circles, where he meets the beautiful, accomplished Angelica Neal. Soon enough, both of their lives take a new course at a high price. It’s a pretty big book so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it if you’re not already a historical fiction reader but it’s definitely a unique story of obsession and intrigue with bags of wit.

5. TRY THE GREY STUFF: Read with a yummy treat.

Naturally, your choice of reading snack is ENTIRELY your choice but these are four of my favourites to get your tummy rumbling!

ICE CREAM

The perfect treat for a hot day. Just don’t let it drip onto the pages!

Is there anything more tasty than a plate of warm, gooey, freshly baked cookies? Pretty sure there isn’t!

POPCORN

If your book is painting beautiful cinematic images in your mind or the drama is getting a little tense, you might want to grab some popcorn to add to the experience. MOZZARELLA STICKS

Possibly my favourite savoury snack ever. A few mozzarella sticks dipped in sweet chilli sauce is simply delicious!

6. A WHOLE NEW WORLD: Read a fairytale or retelling with a diverse character.

ASH BY MALINDA LO

This bisexual retelling of Cinderella is one of my favourites ever. Ash dreams of being taken away from her miserable life with her stepmother by fairies so when she meets handsome but dark fairy Sidhean, she thinks her life is about to change. Then she meets beautiful huntress Kasia and begins feeling things she hasn’t felt in a long time. But how can she choose between true love and her fairytale escape? It’s sexy, enchanting, incredibly intense and I absolutely devoured it.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY BY BRIGID KEMMERER

This was our group book for the last round of FairytaleAThon, so if you joined us then, there is a good chance you’ll have already read A Curse So Dark And Lonely. It’s a recently released Beauty and the Beast retelling which has been getting a lot of hype in the book community. It follows Harper, a teenage girl living in Washington DC with her ailing mother and dismissive older brother. When she intervenes in a street incident, she finds herself being pulled into Emberfall, a broken kingdom ruled by Prince Rhen, who has been cursed to relive his 18th year until a girl falls for the vicious beast he has become. With evil forces at work, Harper and Rhen need to defeat more than a curse to save the people of Emberfall. Harper has cerebral palsy and as a result, she has developed a strength and feistiness that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in YA fantasy. It’s a must read for anyone who loves cursed hearts, easy-to-root-for characters and page-turning tension.

EVERY HEART A DOORWAY BY SEANAN MAGUIRE

The first in the Wayward Children series of novellas, Every Heart A Doorway is the perfect twisted fairytale. The premise explores what happens to the children who have been to magical lands on their return to the real world. Ever-changed by their experiences, they are often take to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, where everyone is seeking a door to the fantasy world they’ve left. When Nancy arrives, darkness and tragedy are just around the corner. There are asexual and transgender characters, multiple ethnicities represented as well as plenty of dark whimsical adventure. It’s certainly a strange little series but once you start it, you’ll be hooked.

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN BY RENEE AHDIEH

A retelling of an Arabian Nights story, The Wrath and the Dawn tells the story of the young king Khalid who murders a new wife every night. When her best friend becomes one of the slain, Shahrzad volunteers to be his next bride with every intention of not being the one who ends up dead. Through the power of storytelling, she survives night after night and inexplicably finds herself falling in love with Khalid, who appears to be nothing more than a tortured soul -much like the rest of his palace which seems to have more than a few secrets. It’s a novel full of tradition, elegance and fantastic world-building. You’ll definitely get swept up in this one!

7. RAGS TO RICHES: Read the group book.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL BY ASHLEY POSTON

Our group book this round is The Princess and the Fangirl and I can’t wait to dive into it! It’s set in the same fandom as Geekerella but is not a direct sequel, so you can technically read it if you haven’t read the previous book. It follows fangirl Imogen who is on a mission to save her favourite Starfield characters Princess Amara from being killed off. However Jessica, the actress who plays her, is desperate to shake off the pressure and intensity from the fandom and would actually quite like to bow out of the series. I don’t want to know too much more about it but I know it involves an F/F romance and I’m guessing there’s a case of switching places or mistaken identities at some point, given that it has been touted as a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. I am INCREDIBLY excited for this one and I hope you’ll be picking it up too!

Hopefully I’ve given you some ideas for your own TBR. I’ll be posting my own next week, so look out for that. This round looks like a good one!

#fairytaleathon #readathon #recommendations #book recommendations #fantasy #ya #mythology #mermaids #fairytales #books #bookworm

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