alittlebitofmythology-blog

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

thingsaboutnothingandeverything answered your question: Hi guys!

Japanese mythology has a lot of creatures :) Kappa, oni and kitsune are just a few!

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll add them to the list!

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

Hi guys!

I would love some suggestions for posts and research to do on here. I'm bored out of my mind half the time, and you always come up with more creative things than I do. 

Honestly, if you don't give me suggestions soon, I'm reverting to Incubi and Succubi for my next post. Or something to do with vampires. And you don't want that, do you?

So please!

A few suggestions would get me going again!! If you have any, reply here or send them to my ask.

So, have at it.

??

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Taking a moment away from the mythology to reblog this, because it's true. You can talk to me on here, or on my that account if you need to. <3 to all of you.

Please take a moment

I’ve been seeing a lot of hate here on tumblr. Lots of bullying and just plain cruelty, and I just wanted to say something to everyone.

If you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist, Agnostic, or Wiccan, that’s wonderful! If you’re African, Canadian,...

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The Hawk of Achill

The Hawk of Achill, or Seabhag, was one of the first animals to come into being according to Celtic mythos. He has an immense memory and is said to live a very long time. He represents knowledge and the search for it as seen in the poem The Hawk of Achill. He is an ancient bird, over 5,000 years old easily at the time it was written. 

He is also, as many birds are in mythology, a messenger between the realms. This means he can travel from this realm to that of the otherworlds of the myths he exists in. 

But of course, there is more to Seabhag than just a messenger and ancient creature. He was said to be stronger and more skilled than other birds. The sound of a hawk's cry means that one must be on the watch for a challenge that calls for decisiveness and strength, as the Hawk shows. 

The myth was prominent enough to have a play written after it around the 14th century.  The Colloquy between Fintan and the Hawk of Achill was a play where the ancient Fintan is finally able to speak to the Hawk and they share stories of their life times for they both lived very long lives and had full memories of their experiences. Their story shows another sign for the quest for knowledge, and how it is gained. 

The Hawk of Achill is now an icon for the Jameson Irish Whiskey, which shows his story and image have stood the test of time as the bird itself did in the myths.

On a more interpretive note, the Hawk could easily be considered a Celtic phoenix. The long life and idea of it being one of the first creatures coincides with the Egyptian phoenix, the Bennu which was the first creature born from Chaos. 

Source: http://ozureflame.deviantart.com/

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

Nidavellir (Dwarves) Svartlheim (Dark elves) Niflheim ( ice/ underworld) Helheim (underworld) Alfaheim (elves) Jotunheim (giants) Vanaheim (Vanir) Asgard (Aesir) Midgard (Man) Some worlds are questionable. If Niflheim and Helheim are the same place it leaves room for Muspelheim (fire). There are a few theories on Yggdrasil and tons of charts that try to organize it all. The underlying worldview is that our world is full of wights, good and bad, that affect and influence our lives and the world. As for the afterlife: traditionally its believed we continue on in the grave mound or in the halls of our ancestors/gods. The worlds are not different ‘heavens’.

Juniperberry from http://www.ecauldron.com.

These are the nine realms/worlds that Yggdrasil the world tree of Nordic Myth guards and harbors. 

I realize this should be on my mythology blog, but I really don’t want to put it there since I didn’t write it out myself. 

*Edit: Vanir and Aesir are the different groups of Gods.

(via laceianempress)

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

Hi Cera, it's Pixie... no I'm not gonna ask you about pixies :P I recently stumbled across a dA painting showing a creature called a kirin or qilin, that is part of chinese mythology. I'd love to find out more about that one.

Hi, Pixie! I actually have a post here:

http://alittlebitofmythology.tumblr.com/post/22941129865/the-kirin

Kirin's are some of my favorites. ^_^ Hope it helps!

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

Therianthropes, Therians, and Therianthropy

*I know this one is a touch subject for some folks, but I'm going to give a basic coverage of what Therianthropy is and its place in mythology, among some other interpretations. Just bare with me here, please. To differentiate, I call the shapes-shifters Therianthropes and the modern Other-kin Therians, so as not to confuse my readers. If you have an issue with this, please message me and I can change it.*

The most basic and easiest to use in writing is that a Therianthrope is a shape-shifter. And this is Therianthropy at its most simple. The idea of a human being that can turn into some sort of animal exists in many cultures around the world. Selkies, as I touched on in my first post, could be considered Therianthropes because of this aspect. Sometimes, oddly enough, werewolves and the like are also grouped into this category. They exist in all forms and are even seen in primitive cave paintings. 

Though one must be careful about this because there is a major difference in the modern circles. 

I will not expand so much on this, because I'm not very well versed in it, nor am I personally a Therian. The modern Other-kin and Therians believe that their soul is that of an animal's. They do not shift in this realm but in a different one, sometimes a mental shift or "p-shift". The Therians of today believe they are an animal in a human body and feel this from a very young age. It is not simply that one associates and adores a certain animal, but that they act like them and feel a connection to them in a way others will never understand. 

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Hey Cera! It's Kyasurin. ^^ If you have the time, I'd love to read a post from you about the "Hawk of Achill".

Hi, Kya! I'll add it to my list! Thanks for the request!

[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

GARUDA by Gotgituey

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迦楼羅天 (Garuda) by 原田良美

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Indian Garuda (mythical bird creature) mask. I really want to base a face or body painting off of this!

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Vishnu and Lakshmi riding on the Garuda - Painting in LACMA from Rajasthan, Bundi, c.1730.

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[alittlebitofmythology-blog]

Garuda

Garuda is a Hindu animal deity. 

Garuda is the king of birds. He is the son of Kashyap, a sage, and Vinata, the daughter of a king. He was born from an egg that Vinata laid. His birth was so bright, the other gods mistook him for the fire god Agni. He has the head, wings, and talons of an eagle, but the limbs and body of a man. His face is white, his mouth is red, and his body is either gold or green. He is also the carrier of the god Vishnu and because of this, all honor him. He is not worshiped as a separate deity, but alongside Vishnu. 

He was born with an intense hatred toward evil and despised snakes as well. He roamed the universe and ate all the bad, except for a chosen few who were divinely protected. He hated snakes because they guarded his mother when she was enslaved by Kashyap's second wife, Kadru. To free his mother, Garuda had to give the serpents Amrit, or what we of the west would call Ambrosia.He went through three challenges to get the Amrit, and had to fight off the god Indra to get it to the serpent children of Kadru. He defeated Indra and was able to free his mother, but Indra got to the underworld where they were and stole the Amrit back after the serpents drank only a little. 

Because of his aversion to snakes, it was said he could heal a snake bite. He is also associated with the Emerald because of the belief that it was also an antidote to snake poison. 

Garuda was so influential that his image is seen in Buddhist temples along with Hindu and Brahman temples. 

Image Source: http://flukekung.deviantart.com

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If You're A Mythology Blog, Reblog This So I Can Follow You!

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Garuda video given to me by magicofthepiper. Thank you, dear! I'll work on the info as soon as possible.