roguesmithofsilverveil

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

Cult Entrapment Tactics Used at St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls

The way Kathryn Lasky described the goings-on of St. Aggie’s in The Capture were honestly disturbing and so accurate to well-studied cult tactics that I began to wonder how much research she did.

**obligatory note that just because a group uses some of these practices, it is not inherently a cult and all groups should be evaluated on an individual basis when it comes to these things.

Isolation

These owlets have been taken from their families and have zero support system. The hard part of isolating these new members is already out of the way. The owlets are also seemingly discouraged from speaking to one another prior to the moon-blinking, meaning that they can’t make friends to help them figure things out or formulate plans. In our modern world, making friends outside of the cult is discouraged because those friends may point out concerning behaviors within the cult leadership/members. It also keeps the member trapped because they have the illusion of having nowhere else to turn were they to ever leave the cult.

New Names

Each of the owlets is given a new number-name upon arrival. This new name is meant to establish an identity within the cult and separate the member from who they were before entering the cult. Following the Specialness Ceremony, each owl is given another new name. This name promotes a sense of identity and accomplishment within the cult, providing further incentive not to leave. This is also probably why Grimble was not as thoroughly entrenched in St. Aggie’s. He had a sense of identity before entering the group, having been a fully grown owl with a family. This tactic was notably used within the Heaven’s Gate group, but examples can also be seen on LDS missions or in Jehovah’s Witness communities with the use of terms like “elder” or “brother/sister”.

Love-Bombing

Pit guardians are often seen giving “special treats” or allowing Soren and Gylfie time to take naps away from the monitors. Auntie Finny is also shown complimenting the young owls (especially Hortense) quite often. These acts of kindness make the owls whose perspectives we see feel as though they are being treated specially and that they have someone to confide in. However, it is very unlikely that these owls are actually seen as “special” by the pit guardians and each owl is likely treated much the same. This tactic is used as an incentive to keep someone in the group and to diminish a member’s perception of the harm done to them by the group (see how Soren was treated by Auntie after his plucking).

Trance States

The most obvious example of this is moon-blinking: inducing a very clear trance state to prevent the members from engaging in critical thought or thoughts of flight/their prior lives. The less obvious extension of this is the use of song. During work at various places within St. Aggie’s, during the kidnappings, during initiations, the owls of St. Aegolius are singing almost constantly. The songs are meant to keep the owls focused on their tasks or on the greatness of their organization, not on any other thoughts. The use of music to induce trance-like states can be seen in big-tent revival churches or in Pentecostal churches (although these are not inherently cults and should be evaluated individually).

Thought-Stopping Techniques

Any type of group that discourages questions should be seen as automatically being red-flagged. Whether it be asking for information or calling into question the actions of authorities/other members, asking questions is a very important tool in critical thinking and keeping yourself out of trouble. An example in the book that could almost slip under the radar is the pelletorium guide’s summary of flecks. They seem uninterested and give the newer owls a lackluster explanation that they were given previously. The moon-blinked owls in St. Aggie’s seem to have entirely forgotten how to ask questions, taking any action or request of those around them at face value. Members of cults are encouraged to accept any information given to them by “trusted sources” and only that information, giving the cult a great deal of power over not only the members’ actions, but also how they perceive the world.

Public Humiliation/Punishment

Prior to Soren’s public punishment, he was reported on by his peers. In cults, it is often encouraged to self-report bad behavior or to report bad behavior in other members. Often those that report on others are rewarded in some way for maintaining the integrity of the group. Also, knowing that one could be reported on by peers acts as a deterrent to acting in ways that the group deems to be undesirable.

Soren’s experience with laughter therapy would be traumatic for anyone — having your mistake paraded around in front of a group of your well-behaved peers for them to laugh at you. Further, Soren was plucked (presumably publicly) which is, again, a very painful experience. Following his plucking, he would also have had to walk around among the other owls as his feathers grew back in, continuing his humiliation. Not only was this process to deter Soren from future question-asking, it also serves to deter other members from following in his footsteps.

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

otulissa is best girl 🥺🦉🤎

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

My boy Twilight in some BATTLE GEAR!

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

might I offer you some more owls in these trying times?

anyways, I’ve always loved Bess, I thought she was the coolest non main character, translating human books into hoolian.

and also I’m still kinda mad Soren and Pelli didn’t get more time together in the books

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

for ur consideration: blue owl in the same way cats are blue

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

Skench sketch

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

so you guys know how the gog universe is set in a medieval kinda of time and uhh time jump in the future and cowboys time?? 😳 😳

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

it’s been a dream of mine to make these books more accessible to everyone and after much trial and error it has finally been accomplished! all of the ga’hoole books are in this g drive folder! (i plan on adding lost tales, guide to the great tree, and rise of a legend at some point, but for now it’s all the main books 1-15)

feel free to share with fellow fans, people who wanna start the series, animal fantasy book lovers, whatever!

EDIT: the companion books are up on the drive now too!

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

Hey guys I made a really short one-shot instead of sleeping because I was experiencing The Feels tonight. It’s gay and slightly sad.

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

beautiful beautiful. beautiful boy

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

My fun Guardians of Ga'Hoole headcanons because why not?

- Kludd is transmasc

- Rogue Smith of Silverveil is transfem

- Soren goes by he/they

- Eglantine/Primrose

- Otulissa/Gylfie

- Soren/Digger

- Gylfie goes by she/they

- Noctus and Marella didn't recognize Kludd for his identity and that's why Soren was the golden child, thus Kludd becomes resentful and enraged (giving him more of a sympathetic villian vibe instead of just "he's born evil") - there is a great fic on this and I share the headcanon absolutely

- Eglantine is like Fiver from Watership Down and has seer-like qualities

- Coryn goes by they/them

- Aunt Finny has some hagsfiend in her

- Flying snakes don't actually fly like they do in the books but glide from branch to branch like in reality (because I found it really strange how they can just fly without heavily relying on air currents)

- Coryn rejects being king to live with Kalo who's like a sister to them

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

This will always be gay. No exceptions.

Btw Otulissa and Gylfie will always be gay in my mind. Otulissa is just your snooty bisexual she/her and Gylfie is your know-how innovative lesbian she/they. You can't change my mind.

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

Btw Otulissa and Gylfie will always be gay in my mind. Otulissa is just your snooty bisexual she/her and Gylfie is your know-how innovative lesbian she/they. You can't change my mind.

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

I rate The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky 2 out of 5 stars.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all books up to The Hatchling/The Outcast thus far in the series. Unfortunately, the circumstances set up in The Hatchling are further made worse in the Outcast. The dramatic shift from our protagonist being Soren and The Band towards Coryn is jarring. 

Within The Outcast Coryn is a rather flat character, essentially flawless and only challenged by his heritage and connection to the tyrants of his mother and father, as well as the death of his best friend Phillip. Coryn is perfect at everything: he is the perfect Pure One, the perfect learner, the perfect collier, the perfect king and the perfect “Mary Sue”. All those around him marvel at his flawlessness and bow to him immediately. This is where my disengagement really started with the fact that he is only challenged by his blood relations. 

Coryn in the process of retrieving the Ember of Hoole also loses what little personality he had left as he suddenly becomes more confident, self-assured and bland. It is seen as “a transformation towards being king” but really it just is his complete transformation towards being a Mary Sue. The trope of prophecy fulfilment in this novel is clear and rather unoriginal in delivery - foreshadowing is overpowering and no surprise is left once Coryn retrieves the Ember of Hoole. 

Personally, although this series sticks to “a sense of duty above all”, I would have liked to see Coryn reject the idea of “destiny” and actually use his free will, as is hammered in by side characters in the story. The characters in this book tout to Coryn the idea that he always has free will, but selectively use it to separate Coryn from his tyrants of parents and push him towards pursuing the Ember. Once the Ember and Coryn are connected, he suddenly is stripped of that free will and pushed towards fulfilling an ancient prophecy to become the next true king - devoid of his own personal interests or motivations. Additionally, although characters insist not to become a “slave” to the Ember, it seems Coryn and the Wolves of the Beyond already have done exactly that. Coryn is pushed towards his only meaning to be in retrieving the Ember and becoming king, and the wolves are pretty much exclusively used to protect an Ember they have no real interest in other than an ancient prophecy dictating they were to protect it. 

Narratively, the plot is loose and worldbuilding abruptly halts to become rather flimsy and one-dimensional. Over the last books we had seen a steady development of the owl kingdoms that was interesting and multifaceted, however in this book it is clear that any more worldbuilding was rushed. The wolves, although touted as having complex social systems and values are instead bland and we don’t get an in-depth view of their actual way of life outside hunting and some minor clan relations. Another issue is a clear understanding of what the dire wolves are impersonating in real life. They are clearly a stereotype of both Scottish and Indigenous culture. Scottish pertaining to their use of clans, as well as accent and naming system. Indigenous in blatant use of stereotypical Indigenous culture associations such as a “bone headdress” worn by wolf leaders and a “talking stick” used for speaking purposes in a meeting. Wolves are referred to as illiterate and “undeveloped” in terms of civil society because of their lack of use of fire and production of metal instruments. Their parenting habits are also referred to as “cruel” as mothers abandon physically deformed pups to be at mercy of the landscape, and if those pups live to the next day they are taken in as “gnaw wolves” and eat last at a kill, generally rejected by their peers and at the lowest rank in the social order. Owls balk at this treatment of young, as owls never abandon their chicks - they state it is “cruel” and uncivilized. This leads into this novel being ableist towards these types of wolves. 

Although these wolves when taken in by the guardians of the Ember get stronger and physically able, and eventually lose their deformities when the Ember of Hoole is retrieved, both of these aspects indicate a blatant ableism in the story. It is said that having this physical deformity is a terrible thing, all wolves wish they would be born an able wolf. 

The dire wolves also live in the harsh environment of the Beyond for reasons that baffle me. I know they went there to escape the ice age and find warmth, but the Beyond is almost inhospitable with it’s edges lined with moose and caribou and many of these wolves are thin with hunger. The fact they never migrate to prey-rich forests nearby is beyond me. Their dedication to protecting the Ember of Hoole also is rather confusing. If this ember truly is the “owl ember” and not the “wolf ember”, what use is it to them to be caring for something they cannot use or interact with? I understand the ancient passages state that Hoole asked them to protect it - but realistically why would they? It serves no use to them, and ties up their wolves. In fact, the dire wolves are most definitely a “slave” to the Ember, and seem to have little free will outside of it. Their entire existence is based around this ember. They are slaves to the owl kingdom - another sense of servitude in racism as Indigenous were seen as “servants” to colonizers. 

Wolves also spend their entire existence squabbling with other wolf clans in the “lawless” place of the Beyond. Clans that are not from the MacDuncans will maim their pups and sell them off as “gnaw wolves” to be protectors of the volcanoes. Why the MacDuncans can be the only wolves to protect the volcanoes I don’t understand either. I know they have “refined sensibilities” to sense a bad owl that comes near, but why do the MacDuncans have that trait exclusively? It doesn’t make any sense. 

Essentially, the dire wolves can clearly be seen as something Kathryn Lasky wrote in as an excuse to sum up why the Ember of Hoole has never been stolen by an evil owl, or one that was not king. They are used as a plot device to give the Beyond the Beyond more flavor, why the Ember hasn’t been stolen, and create mild conflict as Nyra gets involved. It is disappointing to see their development shallowly done across the span of one novel and riddled with negative and offensive stereotypes. 

The mention of jewels that comes in, although minor, is also a confounding idea. If emeralds are disputed over, like other jewels, by these wolves - how come owls have not discovered them? Owls can shape metals, but likely they would have an interest in jewels as well. I don’t understand why usage of jewels is an exclusive wolf thing. 

I did enjoy getting to see more of Otulissa in this novel, as she has quickly become one of my favourite characters. However, another issue is as mentioned before, the extremely fast pace at which this novel progresses. Otulissa is already a ryb of Ga’Hoology and we get no explanation of why this is, other than she is well-read about most chaws. We also don’t get to see any of the conflict she may have with this appointed position as Dewlap was ryb of the same chaw and she hated Dewlap. 

Soren already has a mate and eggs, and we had no introduction to how he met Pelli or connected with her. It was jarring to say the least. Although I enjoy GOG as being a series not focussed on romance, I at least would have liked to see how this other important side character came into play. I believe that this series would have benefitted from being separated into 3 series. The first focussing on The Band and the Chaw of Chaws and how they grew up, got appointed their ryb positions, and met new characters. The second on Coryn and his development and preferably rejection of destiny. The third being on before the time of The Band with Grank and Hoole and the like. That would have eliminated to some degree the rushed development and poor characterization with more time provided. 

I came out of The Outcast with a sour taste in my mouth, and although I’ve tried to power through the following books I find issues in The Hatchling and The Outcast are further aggravated with time. Introduction of random new characters, and the sudden death of previous longstanding ones really uproots my reading experience. Overall, I’d like to pretend that the series ended at The Hatchling, similar to how I like to pretend The Last Hope was the end of Warrior Cats by Erin Hunter. 

This was done in one quick sitting, and I will probably revise it later on, but if you guys have any feedback on anything I missed or should change, please feel free to tell me!

[roguesmithofsilverveil]

I love evil women. Maybe some day I’ll marry one and she’ll kill anyone who’s ever said a bad thing about me. Cute