#Chaosk-OFF

[dragon-discourse]

Chaoskampf: The Struggle Against Chaos

What is the Chaoskampf? Chaoskampf, German for Struggle with Chaos, was coined by Hermann Gunkel in 1895 and ascribed to the recurring motif of a God or Cultural Hero battling a Chaos Monster, usually a serpentine or draconic one personifying chaos or the ocean. The myth is then frequently followed by an act of creation. In this post, I’m going to introduce you to some examples of this recurring theme from across cultures.

Given how old this motif is, it’s believed to have existed in the Proto-Indo-European cultures, with this myth being reconstructed based on their descendants. A recurring thread in this myth is to have the dragon or serpent be associated with the waters, while the god is often associated with Storms and Lightning. As a result, it is the reconstructed PIE God of Weather Perkwunos  who is said to be the enemy of the PIE Serpent.

Tiamat

Tiamat is the Goddess of Salt Waters in Mesopotamian mythology, said to be the mother of the gods with her consort Apsu/Abzu, the God of Sweet (Fresh) Waters. When Abzu was slain by their children after they learned he was plotting to kill them, Tiamat few into a rage, birthing dragons and monsters to battle the gods. Marduk, the Patron Deity of Babylon, fought Tiamat with the four winds and with arrows, finally slaying her. After her death, her body was used to create the world.

Tiamat’s exact form is unknown, with some debating if she truly would have been something draconic. The description given of her grants a tail, an utter, and a thigh, to she may have been a partially bestial being.

Lotan

In Canaanite Mythology, Lotan is the servant or zoomorphic form of Yamm, the god of the sea. When Yam became the King of the Gods, Ba’al Hadad, a storm god, stood against him, seeking to be King instead. Hadad succeeds in his fight, and usurps Yamm’s place.

Leviathan

The Leviathan is an offshoot of the Chaoskampf motif, though perhaps one that is not readily apparent. God does not need to slay or tame the sea serpent to gain control over creation, it is something he already possesses. But the Leviathan still serves a role as the personification of chaos and the sea, and God’s creation and dominion over it (and eventual slaying of it) is used to represent the same theme that the Dragonslayer version does.

Leviathan’s name seems connected to Lotan, with both sharing similar roots and referring to a coiling, twisting creature.

Also found in Hebrew Mythology are Rahab and Tannin, who are sea monsters akin to the Leviathan, also said to be defeated by God.

Illuyanka

Illuyanka, found in Hittite Mythology, was the enemy of Tarḫunz, Hittite God of the Sky and Storms. There are two versions of this story. In the first, Illuyanka is tricked into getting drunk before being slain. In the second, a mortal assists the defeated storm god by seducing Illuyanka’s daughter, freeing the god so that he can fight and slay the dragon.

Apep

Found in Egyptian Mythology, Apep is the serpent of chaos who dwells in the Egyptian underworld, seeking to devour Ra as he traveled through the underworld at night. He was battled by numerous gods to prevent him from doing so, including Set, a chaotic force in his own right, though one associated with storms. Apep has multiple origins in myth, with some claiming him to be the umbilical cord of Ra, while others state he always inhabited the waters of chaos. 

Typhon

Typhon was the enemy of Zeus in Greek myth, being created by Gaia to defeat the gods. Interestingly, Typhon shares some things with two of the previous entries in this post. In many versions of his myth, he manages to defeat Zeus and steal pieces of his body, as Illuyanka did with Tarḫunz. As with that myth, a mortal assists Zeus.

Additionally, the Greeks equated Typhon with the Egyptian Set, the chaotic slayer of Apep.

Typhon himself was described as a monstrous humanoid, with wings and serpents for legs. He had hundreds of dragon heads, which let loose the cries of all sorts of wild beasts. He also did not have much water associations, but rather was considered more Chthonic and associated with storms.

He was created by Gaia to usurp Zeus’ role as King, which has him playing into the theme of defeating the dragon being an act of validation for the king of the gods.

Vritra

Vritra was serpentine personification of drought in Hinduism, In the Vedas, he was said to hold back the waters, causing a drought until he was slain by the storm god Indra. In the Puranas, the story has him defeating Indra, not unlike Typhon’s defeat of Zeus, before being slain in a subsequent battle.

In addition to his role as a drought monster, Vritra was the son of Danu, the goddess said to personify primordial waters.

Xiangliu

A venomous, nine headed snake said to bring floods, Xiangliu was the minister of Gonggong, another draconic being from Chinese Mythology, with both being blamed for the Great Flood. The slayer of Xiangliu varies, with some saying he was killed by Yu the Great, and other saying he and Gonggong were killed by the fire god Zhurong.

Yamata-no-Orochi

Hailing from Japan, Yamata-no-Orochi is the enemy of Susanoo, the Shinto Storm God and brother of Amaterasu. Depicted as an eight headed and tailed serpent or dragon, Yamata-no-Orochi would feed upon the daughters of a family every year, until only one daughter remained.

Yamata-no-Orochi was lured into drinking eight barrels of sake, and once drunk the dragon was sliced to pieces by Susanoo. The sword Grass Cutter was found within the serpent’s tail.

Cipactli

Traveling all the way to the Aztecs, we meet Cipactli. Cipactli was a crocodilian or toad-like monster, covered in mouths and said to live in the primordial waters. The gods, wishing to create the world, lured Cipactli in and slew her, creating the earth from her body.

Veles

Veles was a Slavic god of water, livestock, the underworld, and earth. Associated with bears and serpents, he was said to be the enemy of Perun, the Slavic Storm Deity.

Jormungandr

Jormungandr, the world serpent, is the child of Loki and a sea monster so large he can encircle the entire world. His enemy is Thor, the god of thunder, and when Ragnarok comes the two of them will slay one another.

[compassionatereminders]

I had a super rough semester last fall that made me Confront Some Things. Mostly, though that at 25 actually have to pay attention and plan things instead of winging it and living in oblivious chaosk (I’m adhd). I’ve actually been doing a really good job making those changes but now that I am aware of all the things that I have to do to be a functioning adult I am so overwhelmed there’s just so much shit. How do people do this? I had one day that didn’t go to plan early this week and I’m still off-balance because of it. Granted, it’s only been three weeks max since I started but I’m simultaneously so bored and so overwhelmed.

We do it by taking one day at a time and picking ourselves back up after the days where we fail and giving it another shot. And then another shot. And another. And at some point we will start hitting something, even if it isn't neurotypical levels of functionality

[thespellweaver]

So you added Another person to the mess RANDOMLY and without thinking and wonder why they have nothing nice to say about you? You do reconize the timestamps confirm you started it. Where are you getting your bullshit information from I have to honestly know what dumb shit you are listening to anout this.

First off, pretty rich sending this on anon, you spineless little shit. Considering I have been blocking all your blogs, this is just another one you made to get around all the blogs I have blocked. The very thing you’ve been vilifying other people for. I’m not adding anyone new to it, just remembering you have yet another shitty side blog to harass people with (Y’know, like when you used to suicide bait people for not liking the same ships as you). You’re going to have to provide some proof on the time stamps because, like everything else. You pull things out of your ass and expect people to believe you. “Oh, this random blog said this thing!”, “This staff from a website I said I hated totally said this to me!”You said you got emails from people in positions of authority and don’t even screenshot it. You make up statements and expect us to believe it when all you’ve ever done is lie. You know who else didn’t like to post screenshots? Angelicclown, loveismysword, crownedclowngirl, abyssmalsavior, glowingibyss, jrobenson, littlefallenstarchild, lord-kuran, cutedemonslayer, lluckyidiotyuichiro, oldermaakaalbarn, soravalentine, chaosking, alletrubloodwalker, angelallenwalker, xrebelpiratex, ninjaprincesyuffie, demifiend-hitoshura, Kashima-Naokishin,  etc etc etcWhat I get my “bullshit information” is a source you cannot taint or twist. I directly have had dealings with you, because you harassed my friend and when I told you to back the fuck off, you started harassing me. That. Will. Never. Change. 

The first post you made directly referring to me was made Nov. 4th 2016 The first post I made directly referring to you was made on Nov. 10th 2016 and was only made as a direct response to you. I don’t really care if you have anything nice to say about me, you little shitstain. You can kiss the fattest part of my ass. 

[dragon-discourse]

The Chaosk-OFF has finished, and the winner was Tiamat!

I will have a post about Chaoskampfs later this week.

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF

Now that tumblr has polls, I decided to make a fun game on this blog. It will be a bracket challenge of several Chaos Serpents/Dragons in mythology until one is decided as winner, upon which I'll do a post about the Chaoskampf concept as a whole.

I encourage everyone to vote for their choice, reblog the post with reasons why their choice should win, and send in asks supporting their choice.

Go nuts, basically. First round will be posted shortly.

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF Round Two:

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Chaosk-OFF Round Four

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Chaosk-OFF Round Three

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Chaosk-OFF Round Three

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF Round One

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Chaosk-OFF Round One

[dragon-discourse]

I think my last comment was a little dismissive of Yamata-no-Orochi, I am absolutely a fan and I'm glad that at least one serpent without a direct connection to proto-indo-european mythology is still in it.

Agreed!

[dragon-discourse]

I'm supporting Tiamat for the finals. All four potential match-ups for her are gonna be rough ones. Typhon might be the weakest, but Leviathan and Jormagandr have a lot of name recognition. And the weebs are gonna go real hard for Yamata-no-Orochi. It's still anyone's game.

It is a shame how many lesser known ones were eliminated earlier on, but I think our remaining ones are looking tight.

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF Round Two:

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF Round Two:

[dragon-discourse]

Chaosk-OFF Round Two: