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gabbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy · 1 month

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Dagda Crom Cruach headcanons(REMADE)

HCS BELOW!!

Headcanon Voice: Edgar the Computer (Electric Dreams) (Skip to 9:15)

Age: 152 (76 years old in human years, mentally in his thirties)

Any Prns, he Usually uses he/him, but anything is good

-Dagda is an accidental muse. When Agriculture began to pop off in the 1800s, Dagda Crom Cruach was born as the physical embodiment of the sorrows and fears the average farmer has. Farmers nationwide have reports of experiencing nightmares about a weird scarecrow doing unruly acts at their barnhouses—such as eating and killing crops, and livestock. What’s worse? It’s always déjà rêvé. Implying that Dagda has some sort of connection to the real world as well, being able to simulate damages in both the dream, and real world.

-and by “accidental”…Way back in 1908, when the Astral Circle was still fresh out the oven, Zoth and Chaugnar had a little mishap while attempting to summon a powerful, outer god (at Yan Luo’s order) and ended up summoning. This little jackass scarecrow with little to no idea what’s going on. They couldn’t exile him due to his erratic, and oddly helpful nature. They just gave up, and decided to keep him around, given how they needed a few extra helping hands around the circle.

-Shortest Nightmare of the batch, standing tall at exactly 4’5. (134cm). He weighs around 30-50 ibs, making him slightly heavier than the average Scarecrow.

-Basically the contrary to his human counterpart (Alf); Loud, energetic, cheerful, hyper, insufferable, reckless. And probably a psychopath to put salt on the wound.

-He only ever gets serious when something really bad happens. It’s a considerably worse sight to behold than his usual shenanigans.

-Dagda wields a comically large Scythe as a weapon. He doesn’t carry it around willy nilly, but rather only uses it either during his work as a soul scarecrow, to make himself appear more threatening to the spirits—in the human realm, to “harvest” (steal) crops and livestock from the real world—or for actual combat, which. DAMNNN! The scythe is twice his size, mind you, and is probably heavy as hell…take what you will from that alone.

-When not roaming around and terrorizing farmers in the mortal world, he scares off stray souls that trespass in the Nightmare Realm…It’s not very affective as a job, in comparison to everyone else in the Astral Circle, but it’s something!

-Has only a stick holding him up, and is connected to his body VIA rope. acting as a singular wooden leg that he uses to hop around. The rope used to tie him onto the stick has an extended end, which can move on its own, acting as a tail. It wags when he’s excited.

-He has many pet crows! But they aren’t allowed in the astral circle for…many reasons. Mainly pertaining to incidents regarding said crows, and his colleagues. (Specifically Xezbet, Ishtar, Shub, and Izanami.)

-Speaking of him and Izanami Yomi: Izanami, after moving in (est. 1949) didn’t acknowledge Dagda’s existence until around a week later, during said week, she simply assumed Dagda was a doll of sorts, and would just keep him around with other dolls that she had (i hc her to be a doll collector, outside of her job as a face deformer). Many complaints were filed the day she discovered that her new ‘ragdoll’ was sentient, real nightmare.

-(inspired by @core-bagg‘s hc), Dagda is the “punching bag” or “stress doll” of the Astral Circle, As painful and burdening as it sounds, Dagda really doesn’t care. In fact, he actually enjoys it quite a bit. He has a rather abnormal reaction to Pain, which causes him to crave it rather than the inverse (cough cough masochist cough). Examples are, but not limited to:

Abducius, Barbatos, and Exael will occasionally use him as a sort of “test dummy/target” for their weaponry and such before actually utilizing it in their respective works. They always remember to stitch him back up together afterwards…

In terms of his relationship with the Nightmare Clown, he lost against him in every single one of their games together, and considering what he does to his victims…(minus the eating part obv)…yep. You can tell Dagda likes him a lot.

Izanami CAN AND COULD use Dagda as a sort of mannequin to practice her deforming skills on…but she doesn’t have the guts to, considering his odd resemblance to one of her favorite things. (dolls), she still hasn’t gotten over it.

Same goes for Teutates, but it’s a no-go for both parties. Teutates finds the fact that Dagda’s just rags and stuffing boring, and wants to focus on annihilating more organic things, and Dagda—despite being a sucker for pain—doesn’t want TOO many of his seams torn..

-His body can generate heat, as well as, without any assistance, catch on fire. This headcanon is based on the tradition of setting Scarecrows on fire to banish ill fortune. He’d do this to either garner attention, or scare off even more souls.

-Pertaining to the last headcanon, Dagda is also a Pyromaniac. He nearly made the Astral Circle go skadoosh because he snuck in during a ritual and started fucking around with candles n stuff. This is why Zoth and Chaugnar don’t like him.

-Arsonist behavior and all aside, in terms of his body generating heat, he ignites a medium-sized, non-spreading fire inside of him, specifically in his stomach area, which heats his body up. He does this a lot during the winter/cold days in the Astral Realm. He lets those without heat snuggle up to him. He’s just a doll <3 (this doesn’t burn or damage him in any way)

-Dagda’s innards are a blend between cotton (the type used in plushies specifically), hay/straw (same material used for scarecrows, obviously), and ash.

-His diet consists of raw Vegetables and meat. Specifically fresh, and stolen out from farms. His favorite foods are Candy Apples and Donuts, which he constantly gets told off by other Nightmares for eating. Is stealing these sweets risky? Yes. Does he care? No. Yan Luo does + will probably smack him upside the head for it, but he could give any less of a damn.

-Considering his “diet”, many are left wondering: ‘how does he digest food?’ And it’s simple. With the fact he can set moderate, non-damaging fires off inside of his body, he simply burns everything he ate inside of him, like a little cremation device, until it’s nothing but ash. The remaining ash just stays there until it’s able to be used once more.

-He doesn’t have any vital organs, other than lungs. These aren’t affected by his internal fireplace, and are basically just. There. For some reason. (I needed to make an excuse for the “breathing” in his idle animation)

-Dagda also takes orders/does chores for Yan Luo aside from his assigned duties; such as doing errands, gathering materials and whatnot. He doesn’t get assigned them too much considering how easily he gets distracted, and will probably go fuck off and do something else if he gets bored/sees something else to do.

-May or may not be related to Orcus, possibly a cousin, or long lost brother. Neither parties have realized this, but it’s definitely been the topic of discussion in the Astral Circle.

-Semi-nocturnal + usually goes to sleep @ what would be around 12PM, and usually wakes up at like. 7PM or an hour earlier. When he sleeps, he goes limp, and his eyes basically go hollow, causing him to look like a corpse, or a doll. He’d either sleep slumped over on the floor, or standing up, in Scarecrow position. He’s a deep sleeper.

-Has a strange obsession with Anthropology, and the concept of Mortality, and how the Mortals (Real world people/humans) go on about their day, their lives, motives, their mere existence thrills him, in an almost sick way—Considering his job being to deal with the damned souls of said mortals. He’d sometimes even smuggle in some souls just to interrogate them on their past lives as humans, just for some sick kicks.

-Met his human counterpart, Alf Cappuccin, once in a dream. He Tormented him + made him super late for a court hearing (and probably also made him have an identity crisis). He leaves little signs and objects around for Alf and his wife to see, just to fuck with them a bit from time to time.

-Dagda can communicate with dolls and toys, considering he…technically is one, to some degree… (he has long, extensive, vulgar arguments with the other mfs in Izanami’s doll collection. The Beef goes insane)

-His relationship with a certain Neighbor (Xezbet) Isn’t too good…Considering how his job as a Soul Scarecrow was meant to drive Souls away….and how Xezbet, a Soul Eater, eats souls…it ends up having the Souls get away, and Xezbet to get angry that Dagda let his lunch go to waste…they’ll probably warm up to eachother somehow…probably…

-Dagda has met Henry before. He bit his finger and gave him Formidophobia :[

-An absolute sucker for physical affection. Despite being a Scarecrow—something made to stand around senselessly with no purpose other than to be feared, He longs touch, any kind. Praise? Belittlement? Doesn’t matter. He’s like a lovesick puppy. Mindlessly devoting himself to anything and anyone who even slightly thinks higher (or lower, he doesn’t care) of him.

-The rope slung around his shoulders/neck area can be used for many things, It can…

be adjusted and worn like a tie (formally), he’d probably do this to mock humans and their fashion.

He can take it off and use it as a lasso (rarely) to catch things…he probably learned this from eavesdropping on farmers worldwide, during his time on the mortal realm

he can tighten it up and use it as a harness to hang and spy from above, except whenever he does do this, he looks like a sagging corpse. Not a very pleasant sight.

…a leash. Mhm. I’ll leave you at that.

-Regarding the Tie, Leash and “Harness” parts. Yes, this does suffocate and hurt him. Does he care? No. Does this pain stop him from doing this? Absolutely not. Lil bro does not care, worse has happened to him

#thats not my neighbor #tnmn #thats not my neighbor nightmare mode #tnmn nightmare mode #nightmare mode #that’s not my neighbor #dagda crom cruach #tnmn headcanon #thats not my neighbor headcanon #headcanons

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generalissimomayhem · 24 days

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TNMN tier list!

The Nightmares Edition: Do they hate humans?

Explanations under the cut:

Would like to see humanity crumble to dust in the palm of their hands

Shub Niggurath and Xezbet Xerbeth: Is nothing personal, they would say. But if humanity disappeared tomorrow they would celebrate. Big time. You know what they said: The best moment was in the past and the second best one is TODAY. Mind you, according to Shub, she feels that Xezbet doesn't even try to work towards his goal because he thinks he already won.

Would like to see humans in agonizing pain

Abducius Morail and Teutates Taranis: Between the two, Teutates is certainly the most merciful, he kills quick and he kills en masse. Abducius on the other hand, likes to take his time and make sure people FEEL something. Basically, quality vs quantity.

Wouldn't kill (Unless they want to)

Exael Lanithro, Yan Luo Wang Diyu and Ah Puch Xilbalbá: Exael can certainly be... an experience, he always reassures to his victims that whatever he does is purely professional; when he's not torturing humans, you can hear his thoughts echo throughout the torture chamber, they can either be calming and interesting or the most disturbing shit you have ever heard. Only kills when he is bored with his victims, but he's usually quick with that one. Yan Luo is the same as Exael, whatever she does is purely professional, she doesn't meddle feelings, or at least she tries to; because there have been people in which she has taken their lives away from them because they had provoked her wrath. Ah Puch as being as rowdy and uncontrolled as he is, to him, what matters most in the art of bone breaking is who actually deserves it, which to him is most everyone tbh; with some people a broken arm is enough punishment while others need to have their skulls smashed.

Neutral

Anazareth Anazarel, Chaugnar Faugn, Drugia Fleuretty, Izanami Yomi: Anazareth honestly couldn't care less about humans, but she does act like she's above them. Chaugnar holds nothing against humans, but his job goes above everything and his word is sacred. Drugia, more than evil, she's naughty, she just loves to mess with people, she doesn't hate anybody but to her, free entertainment is more important. Izanami is very lax and only targets certain people, if you aren't in her radar of victims, she simply doesn't give a shit about you.

Have some relation with humans

Quachil Uttaus, Yog Sothoth: Quachil is often the one that observes from afar but that doesn't mean she has never come in contact with the human realm, she's multidimensional and somewhat omnipresent after all. With that being said, she acts more vigilante than anything, and brings misfortune to anybody that she deems fit, yes, even people who have been previously spared from it. Yog has had the tendency to follow Barbatos around in his huntings and Barbatos, as to "make this guy useful for once" often uses him as bait to lure humans towards him. When he's not "working" with Barbatos, he often goes around terrorizing random people (kinda like Drugia) but when he needs to eat, he holds no barrens.

Interested in human life

Ishtar Ereskigal, Lilith Lilitu Lilit, Barbatos Barrabam: Ishtar is quite knowledgeable in human history and has extensively studied great historical plagues along the years; she knows where to hit humans. Lilith, being an undead and having previously lived among humans, she knows how do deal with them, what scares them what they like and how to approach them. Barbatos is pretty close to humans, as his job so dictates, so he had his fair share of experiences with humans; but he would be lying if he said that he has never given second chances to humans or listened and participated in their conversations.

LOVES Humans

Dagda Crom Cruach and Zoth Ommog: Dagda tends to hang around a lot in farm houses, the taller the grass/wheat/corn fireld, the better. He likes to see humans living their lives, even after being born from tragedy. Of course, he doesn't let himself get caught by people, the few times he has gotten caught, he terrifies everyone with no exception. Zoth is uuuuuuhhhhhhhhh... he likes humans, he thinks they are all just a bunch of funky little dudes and stuff. If you wanted to join and assist in any of his rituals, he would gladly let you participate (even if you were one of the preparations for the rituals); other than that, if he REALLY likes you, you might get extra priviledges around the Astral Circle or he might give you the praying mantis treatment, whatever he feels like doing.

Oscillates between two or more

Nyogtha Z'mog and Orcus Dis Pater: Their stories can't get more complicated™. Nyogtha being the victim of a particularily gruesome death when she was a human and after she was revived through very unethical methods, she was initially on the very top tier and was helbent on having humans die for once and for all. Eventually, the more she dealt with human graves, the more she was able to see herself in some of their deaths and helped her regain some humanity. With time, her hatred died down and is now more neutral towards humans. Orcus bears a really fluctuated view on humans, he switches from absolute undridled hatred to infautation on a whim, nobody is sure onto why he suffers from such changes, Chaugnar has speculated something regarding a past life but nobody knows for sure. Most of the the time he can be found in the "Have some relation with humans" tier.

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arcane-trail · 2 years

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Samhain: The Ancient Celtic Origins of Halloween

Halloween is one of the most important days of the year among many Wiccan and goth communities. It is also a fun mainstream holiday that kids with a sweet tooth look forward to all year!

Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the start of the cold and dark winter months. The supernatural was thought to be more potent during this darker half of the year, and rituals conducted at Samhain would protect the community over the coming months.

Many modern Halloween practices draw on the traditional rituals conducted around Samhain, brought to the United States by Irish and Scottish immigrants. But let’s take a closer look at the traditional Samhain festival.

Gaelic Festival of the Harvest

Samhain belongs principally to the Gaelic world. It was an important festival day in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. It was held annually on 1 November, which meant celebrations started during the evening on 31 October since the Celtic day began at sunset.

While Samhain was best associated with the Irish world, similar festivals were conducted around the same time of year by other Celtic communities. In Wales, it was known as Calan Gaeal, in Cornwall as Kalan Gwav, and in Brittany as Kalan Goanv.

It is no surprise that this date was considered important by many different communities. It is halfway between the Autumn equinox and the Winter solstice, which, in the northern hemisphere, is when the days start to get shorter and colder. This was extremely significant in many parts of the world, such as northern Europe, where the sun barely rises in the height of winter. The Norse people living in Scandinavia also marked this important moment in the Wheel of the Year with a different festival known as Alfablot.

Ancient Festival

There is good evidence that Samhain was an ancient festival. Several Neolithic passage tombs found in Ireland are aligned with the rising sun on Samhain, suggesting that the date was already marked out as important. A first-century BCE calendar, known as the Gaulish Coligny Calendar, calls this time of year Samoni.

The earliest clear evidence for Samhain as we know it today comes from the earliest examples of Irish literature, which date to the 9th century. Ireland was already Christianized by this time, so the traditions and practices described are a mix of old Pagan customs and Christian overlays and influences.

There is some evidence to suggest that the Pagan festival of Samhain was associated with the god Chrom Cruach, who seems to have been both a solar and a fertility deity. He is a wizened god hidden by mists who accepts “firstborn” sacrifices in exchange for good harvests.

While firstborn sacrifices were probably, in many cases, first harvests, there is also evidence that Chrom Cruach received human sacrifice. But rather than babies, he seems to have received kings. It is suspected that several Irish bog burials represent the ritual sacrifice of kings or other important persons. There is good evidence that many of them were interred around the time of Samhain.

Samhain Gatherings

By the 9th century, Samhain was a time of festival and celebration. Communities would gather in large groups to eat, drink, and be merry for about a week around the specific dates of Samhain. This meant that Samhain also had political importance as it was a time to reaffirm bonds with neighbors and allies, and leaders could confirm and pass rules and laws.

Many of the stories of Irish literature are set during Samhain as this is a time when people came together for festivities, marriages, and also conflict.

With the community gathered, the practice of mumming or guising, the root of trick-or-treating, was practiced. People would dress up in masked costumes to hide their identities and go from place to place dancing and reciting verses in exchange for food. Traditions around hospitality and welcoming guests meant that denying these passersby food could bring bad luck and perhaps also a trick from the disappointed players.

Day of the Dead

Samhain and also Beltane, which falls on May 1 when the days start to get longer, are considered liminal moments. At these times, the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, and there is more interaction between the mortal and the supernatural. Ghosts, fairies, and demons are considered to be more powerful when the sun is weak, so Samhain marks the beginning of a dangerous period in general. The festival is a portal moment when forces can easily move between worlds.

In Irish literature, there are many stories of deceased ancestors returning to see their homes at Samhain (and they aren’t always happy with what they see!). More dangerous entities can also pass between the worlds, killing livestock and burning down homes if they so choose.

For this reason, Samhain rituals were often conducted at burial mounds, which were considered portals to the other world. Protective bonfires were built, and sacrifices were made to appease the spirits, called collectively the Aos Si. When people returned home, they would take a spark from the ritual bonfire to light their own hearth and lay out an extra plate for the honored ancestors.

Divination

The thin veil between the world meant that this was also the perfect time for divination practices. For example, stones were often cast into the bonfire during the festivities, and then an experienced diviner could read the future based on their positioning and burning.

Back at home, families would also engage in fun divination practices, often using apples and hazelnuts, both associated with the practice.

Games such as bobbing for apples could reveal whether a person would marry or have children in the coming months. People would also peel an apple in a single long strand while asking a question. They would then throw the peel over a shoulder, and the shape of the peel could provide an answer.

Two hazelnuts were named for an individual and their heart’s desire and then placed on the fire to roast. If the hazelnuts jumped away from the fire, this was not a good sign for the match. But if the two roasted quietly side by side, this was a good omen.

Interested in divination? You will find Tarot Cards and Runestones in the store. Read our guide to how to use Tarot Cards here.

Witches of Samhain

In modern Paganism and Wicca, Samhain has been adopted as one of the principal Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. While practices vary, these modern festivals are also based on the belief that this is a moment when the veil between the worlds is thin, so this is the ideal time to engage with our ancestors and the supernatural.

It also seems that Samhain has long been the domain of witches. One of the principal sites in Ireland where Samhain bonfires were built and rituals conducted is known as the Hill of Ward, which is the burial mound for Tlachtga.

Tlachtga was the daughter of the Arch Druid Mug Ruith, and she traveled with her father, learning his secrets and becoming an accomplished witch. She was reportedly raped by the sorcerer Simon Magus and, as a result, gave birth to three sons on this very mound, where she also died.

The resting place of the powerful witch was clearly considered a potent portal during the time of Samhain.

Some believe that Tlachtga only became a witch in Christian sources and, before this, was a Pagan sun goddess. This would also make her an appropriate goddess for Samhain, alongside the sun dog Crom Cruach.

How will you be celebrating Halloween?

It is not hard to see the roots of modern Halloween practices in many of the rituals and activities associated with the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain. But for most people, Halloween has lost its spiritual meaning and is just some good fun.

But there is a growing group of Neopagans and individuals who just want to connect more with the natural cycles of the year that are reviving traditional Samhain practices.

So, the question is, how will you be celebrating this important date in the calendar? Let us know in the comments section below.

[Read full blog post here]

#grimoire #samhain #witchy #witchcraft #wicca #occult #pagan #paganism #celtic #halloween #babywitch #witches of tumblr #witchblr #magick #pagan witch #beginner witch #witch community #book of shadows #witch tips

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yourfaveisfriendshaped · 26 days

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Dagda Crom Cruach from That’s Not My Neighbor: Nightmare Mode… the little guy ever

Dagda is friend-shaped!

#Fake pride flag #Your fave is #Friend shaped #Friend-shaped #Your fave is friend-shaped #Your fave is friend shaped #Dagda Crom Cruach #That’s Not My Neighbor #That’s Not My Neighbor: Nightmare Mode #Dagda is friend-shaped #Dagda is friend shaped

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jonathanlamantia · 8 months

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Details of my covers for CROM CRUACH & LUMBERJACK, both available from Tenebrous Press. I've got the cover reveal for Third Estate Books' SPECTRUM coming up this Friday & I'm excited to add another cover & continue the trend of getting to work with amazing authors & publishers!!

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nevertoomanyspiders · 2 months

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Do you fw Dagda Crom Cruach from That’s Not My Neighbor (he’s a Scarecrow that scares Souls,,,)

he definitely looks like he's effective at his job, hahaha!

#asks #gabbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy #scarecrows #dagda crom cruach #that's not my neighbor

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tiredwitchplant · 1 year

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Everything You Need to Know About Fruits and Veggies: Pumpkins

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)

*Culinary *Medical *Masculine *Samhain

Folks Names: Big Tom, Jack Be Little, Baby Boo, Autumn Gold, Jumpin’ Jack, Sweetie Pie, Pepon, Winter Squash

Planet: Moon

Element: Earth, Water

Deities: Selene, Nuit, Luna, Artemis, Sin, Inannur, Khonsu, Nicneven, Morrigan and Crom-Cruach

Abilities: Granting wishes, Love, Prosperity, Fertility, Protection, Banishment, Health

Characteristics: Part of the gourd family. Native to North America but are planted worldwide. They are annual plants with twining stems, lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and large orange fruit. Can be harvested in autumn.

History: The pumpkin has been much used as a medicine in Central and North America. The Maya applied the sap of the plant to burns, the Menominee used the seeds as a diuretic, and European settlers grounded and mixed the seeds with water, milk, or honey to make a remedy for worms. Is the symbol of harvest and used as a beloved jack-o-lantern to protect the hearth and home by scaring away trickster fairies, evil spirits, and other restless souls wandering the Earth.

How to Grow:

Is it easy to grow: Yes

Rating: Beginner/Moderate

Seeds Accessible: Yes

How to Grow Pumpkins

Video Guide

Where to Buy Seeds

Magical Properties:

On October 31st, illuminating a carved, hollowed out pumpkin with white candle inside of it will protect one from intrusive and pesky negative spirits.

Magical energy of pumpkins can transport you to the land of dreams where wishes come true

Can bring prosperity and attract positive vibrations

Can be used in full moon ritual because its shape resembles a full moon

You can use its seeds to cast magical circles. It will give you energy and feed the animals at the same time

Offering it on Samhain can help with bringing fertility and abundance

Medical Usage:

Is a great deworming agent, most effective in tapeworms

Pulp of the fruit used as a decoction can relieve intestinal inflammation

Has antioxidant and anticancer activity in the body

Sources

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stairnaheireann · 2 years

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January God

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past. The Romans dedicated the month of January to Janus. His most apparent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January. The Nobel Prize winning poet, Seamus Heaney,…

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#&039;January God&039;#Ancient Irish History #Ancient Roman Religion #Boa Island #Co. Fermanagh #Eniskillin #From Cruach #Ireland #Irish History #January #Janus Figure #Mythology #Seamus Heaney #The Secret of Kells

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spokewar · 8 months

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A study in Obi-Wan's homeworld, Stewjon, Vol. iii:

vol. i: a brief overview of terrain, seasons, inhabitants, and culture

vol. ii: the known history of stewjon

Stewjon has four main deities:

Spirit of the Hearth

Spirit of the Water

Spirit of the Below

Spirits of the Skies

Each of these deities have their own respective lesser spirits, but the worship of these lesser spirits is on a much more personal and private level. The four main deities are usually celebrated with family and community-wide events. None of them have formal places of worship (churches, temples, ect), but villages will have public shrines dependent on their population and the main export/business of their community (Hearth shrines are most common in farming settlements, Water at combat training grounds, Skies at trading outposts, ect).

The spirit of the Hearth is a being made of stone and gentle flame, and is the most powerful of the deities on Stewjon. They represent home, harvest, family, and fertility. There are many ways to honor the Hearth, but the most common is to just keep a fire lit inside the home at all times (which is no hardship given the cold climate of Stewjon). The second most common method is to leave a gift, usually carved wood, at one of the public Hearth shrine(s) found within most communities. These shrines are also commonly seen along travel lanes so people can make offerings for safe passage to and from home.

(Hearth spirit is most comparable to Thor, Crom Cruach, or Hestia)

The spirit of Water is the deity of the warrior, they represent strength, exploration, rebirth, bravery, and battle. It is found in every naturally formed circular pond or lake and is marked by a mossy obelisk to indicate it as a place of worship. Stewjoni are not known for their skills in battle, nor do they have a formal military, but there are still those who choose to train to fight, whether it be against invaders or the predators that roam the planet. For ranged weapons, they use imported blasters (usually mismatched so there are no records of bulk shipments) and the most common close combat ones are spears and naginata-like weapons.

(Water spirit is most comparable to the Sea Mither)

The spirit of the Below is both a deity and a way of being. They represent community, protection, and working together to survive against the odds. This spirit is usually depicted as a glowing jellyfish-like creature who shifts in color and lives in the deepest of the underground tunnels.

(Below spirit is most comparable to Parcae or Cailleach)

The spirits of the Skies are wisps of starlight. They are the ancestors, they represent life after death, miracles, travel, and connections to the past. Those who are Force sensitive on Stewjon are referred to as Star Touched and are respected members of society.

(Skies spirits are most comparable to fairies/ghosts)

Notably, Stewjon does not have deities dedicated to health nor weather. The Stewjoni worship old religion, but they do not ignore modern science. They do not believe spirits will heal the sick or revive a drowned crop.

The most celebrated holiday on Stewjon is Fire Nights (see vol. i), which includes the worship of all four deities. During this week, the spirits of the Skies come down and touch the planet's surface to celebrate and then help move people to their underground homes. It is said the spirits then stay on the surface through the harsh season to aid the Hearth and Water deities in protecting the planet.

Other holidays throughout the year include:

a harvest festival at the start of the season

waterside celebrations on the dates of significant battles

the date Stewjon fucked off from the rest of the galaxy

and a 2 week period where Stewjon invites their Kage cousins to come visit so the rest of the galaxy remembers their alliance and shared history (threat)

#stewjon lore tag #i didnt mean to ever make more than 1 of these

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chasingshadowsblog · 17 hours

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"I've seen suffering in the darkness. Yet I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places." - History, Culture and Identity in Cartoon Saloon's Irish Mythology Trilogy

Written accounts of Irish history and culture only begin to appear from the 5th century onwards and what came before we are left to piece together from archaeological remains whose meanings and motivations we can only guess at. What is clear, though, is that during that broad stretch of time between the Early Mesolithic and Late Iron Age, a distinctly Irish identity had been established and cultivated through by the craftsmen, artists, hunters, foragers, farmers and warriors that populated the country through their housing, weaponry, metalworks and stone monuments. The development of the Christian church throughout the Early Medieval period brought its own beauty to the art and architecture of the country, but also adapted its culture to suit the needs of an integrating religion and sites and ceremonies of pagan worship were amalgamated into the Christian calendar. Following this were Viking raids, Anglo-Norman settlement, English conquest, plantation, oppression, rebellion, famine and civil war. From the Early Medieval period to the present day Ireland has experienced an almost constant shift in leadership and identity with little time in between for the dust to settle. Culturally, a "Celtic Revival" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to re-invigorate the arts and history of Celtic Ireland (a broad, problematic concept in itself) as an expression of nationalism and to bolster a distinctly Irish artistic and literary identity. All of this is to say that wading through Ireland's history of social upheaval, religious and political conflict, and loss and confusion of identity is no mean feat. To take those threads and conjure up original stories for modern audiences, embracing the suffering and celebrating the beauty, is impressive. To do it three times is witchcraft.

In their films depicting Irish history, culture and mythology, animation studio Cartoon Saloon have approached their stories with a respect for the past, both fact and fiction. By evoking the artwork, legends and real history of Ireland's past and combining it with their own fresh, unique visual style, Cartoon Saloon brings some much needed authenticity and vibrancy to the depiction of Ireland in mainstream culture. Absent are the twee figures of backwards island folk or the commercialised idolatry of a St. Patrick's Day parade. What we get instead is something more personal, recognisable on the surface to every child and adult who learned about Fionn, the Fianna and fairy circles in primary school and with nuggets of information and visual cues for explorers of Ireland's broader history.

"I can't tell you which parts of this story are true and which parts are shrouded by the mists." - The Secret of Kells and the line between history and mythology

Set roughly in the 9th century AD The Secret of Kells is the earliest depiction of Irish culture in the trilogy. This period saw the introduction of Christianity and the eventual integration of the religion among the native Irish, a relatively smooth transition when compared to later events as noted by historian Jo Kerrigan: "And so the people of Ireland combined the new ways with the old…not bothering too much that the names had changed." Although the main character, Brendan, comes from a Christian monastery and carries those beliefs, The Secret of Kells does well to capture this balance between a new religion and old beliefs with the inclusion of Aisling and Crom Cruach, and without dismissing them as a childish or archaic. "Pagans. Crom worshippers. It is with the strength of our walls that they will come to trust the strength of our faith." The threat of Viking raids is what spurs Abbot Ceallach's desire to build a wall around his monastery, but, underlying his actions is another aspect of a monk's work - converting the natives. In The Secret of Kells the abbot's wall not only protects them from invaders but cuts them off from the forest beyond - the domain of shape-shifters, wild animals and pagan temples, a world that Brendan can only glimpse through a crack in the wall. A staple of the entire trilogy is this depiction of wilderness in some form and its association with Ireland's symbolic wilderness and pagan ancestry. When Brendan enters the forest for the first time it is dark and frightening until Aisling, an ethereal Sídhe figure who can shape-shift into a wolf, shows him how to navigate it. Brendan's fear is eliminated and Aisling quickly becomes his friend, each amused and fascinated by the other.

Hidden throughout Brendan's trek in the forest are old, moss covered ogham stones and stone circles, allusions to native practices, but deeper in, the colour palette changes from bright greens and natural browns to a wash of dark greys and black when Brendan stumbles across a temple to Crom Cruach (a deity who, in Irish mythology, is eventually destroyed by St. Patrick). Aisling tries to warn him away, "It is the cave of the Dark One," but Brendan dismisses her worries, "The abbot says that's all pagan nonsense, there's no such thing as Crom Cruach." At the sounding of the deity's name, black tendrils emit from the cave and pull on Aisling as she stops them reaching Brendan. Later, Brendan returns to the cave to steal Crom's eye - a magnifying crystal that will help Brendan and Brother Aidan with their illumination. In a beautifully animated sequence Brendan battles Crom Cruach in his cave by trapping him in a chalk circle and stealing his eye. Crom Cruach is depicted as a never-ending snake (in a geometric pattern reminscent of both pre-Christian art and the knotwork of Christian manuscripts) possibly in reference to the 'snakes' (demons) banished from Ireland by St. Patrick. What's most fascinating about this sequence is that Brendan experiences it at all. Although the experience is supernatural it is never implied as anything other than real. Brendan is a committed monk in training who will spend his life in service to the monastery and creating the Book of Kells; even after meeting Aisling and battling Crom Cruach he never questions his faith or his elders and when he returns to the monastery with the eye no one disputes the story of how he came by it, "You entered one of the Dark One's caves?" At this time, at the edge of a growing monastery and with a direct reference to the abbot's desire to convert the natives, there is still space for pagan ideas to exist. Whenever Brendan is punished by Abbot Ceallach it is for disobedience not a lack of faith. Similarly, Aisling using Pangur Bán's spirit to free Brendan has an effect on the real world. There's an argument to be made that this is a film and anything can happen, but for problems to be solved by magic, the way Aisling frees Brendan, firm world-building rules must be established; in this world, 9th century Ireland, spaces exist in which otherworldly figures reside and actions beyond the mortal realm occur and these spaces exist alongside this film's version of civilisation, the monastery.

"I have lived through all the ages, through the eyes of salmon, deer and wolf." As an animated feature, there is a lot the film can tell us through visuals alone, and The Secret of Kells does a wonderful job capturing an Ireland in transition. The prologue opens with a close-up image of the Eye of Crom with abstract shapes swimming around it, followed by a glimpse of Aisling hiding in a tree as she narrates over these images in an eery whisper. Following these we see a salmon, deer and wolf, three animals important to Irish mythology, identity and history; the salmon, related to The Salmon of Knowledge, represents mythology, the deer is the national animal of Ireland, and wolves (in the world of Cartoon Saloon) represent its wildernes and history (the elimination of the wolf population became more active in Ireland during times of English occupancy, a theme that is explored more deeply in Wolfwalkers). Even the waves crashing around Iona as Brother Aidan escapes morph into wolves, futhering their symbolism as something wild and dangerous, yet they are never associated with the Viking raiders; the wilderness is as equally affected by change as the people are. The monastery is littered with Iron Age motifs existing alongside Early Christian imagery. Spiral motifs occur in trees and plants, in the ropes that bind the wall's scaffolding together, and circular, semi-circular and zig-zag shapes continue to appear with knot-work patterns and religious figures - even the snowflakes during the raid are strands of knot-work. The monastery itself is accurate to the period with its round tower, beehive shaped structures (called clochán) and the town growing around it, while outside its walls Brendan crosses a stone circle. We even see a game of hurling, the ultimate unifying bridge between pagan and modern Ireland. The walls of the abbot's cell are covered in his own drawings of plans for the monastery's construction. These are exquisitely detailed and clearly a plan for the future but drawn in a style that cannot escape the past; zig-zags, spirals, circles, semi-circles, dots, triangles, sun and star motifs and something that looks like an alignment chart. The style is evocative of the insular La Tène that preceded the arrival of the monks in Ireland; a combination of abstract and geometric, seemingly random, but clearly symbolising something greater.

"You must bring the book to the people." In their last interaction as children Aisling helps Brendan recover the pages of his manuscript as he flees the Vikings. In this gesture Aisling aids Brendan on his religious journey - during the montage later on she even guides him home. Faith never comes between these two, their relationship is one of mutual curiosity and sharing their differences. In Irish mythology, female figures (particularly shape-shifting ones) are often symbolic of Ireland itself and to have the support of these figures is, for kings and heroes, a mark of validation. At this time, these two worlds still live alongside each other and Aisling is allowed to support Brendan's work as a monk while maintaining her own natural way of life. Although Brendan's final journey home shows the spread of Christianity across the country we get one final image of Aisling, changed to her human form in a flash of lightning, that shows us she hasn't disappeared just yet. Brendan, now an adult, returns to Kells and although Abbot Ceallach is old and sick, the monastery stands strong and Brendan brings with him the completed Book of Kells, ready to continue the abbot's work.

"This wild land must be civilised" - Wolfwalkers and the taming of Ireland

Set in 1650, Wolfwalkers occurs roughly 800 years after The Secret of Kells and presents a vastly different universe. The monks' Christianisation of the natives was a far more gentle affair and one founded in a desire to educate people. Ireland under the Lord Ruler (a stand-in for Oliver Cromwell) is a world of service, punishment and fear. By chopping down trees and employing hunters to cull the wolf population the Lord Ruler is attempting to 'tame' the countryside and, most importantly, the people themselves. References to "the old king" and "revolt in the south" place us, historically and politically, in the Cromwellian Conquest, when Cromwell was sent to Ireland to quell uprisings against the newly established English Commonwealth. Heavy stuff and this is a simplification of a period of major conflict in Ireland but Wolfwalkers impresses on us the feeling of living under the thumb of an active oppressor on a much smaller, more personal scale. The Lord Ruler wants the people of Kilkenny afraid and complacent so that they support his efforts to cull the wolves and cut down their forests. Although the wolves pose no threat to the city, people have been made to fear them, resilting in the loss of their connection to the forest outside the town walls. Any reference to a world ouside of the current mode of conduct is cause for immediate punishment and suppression. Even Bill and Robyn, loyal English citizens, are punished. When one of the woodcutters talks of "pagan nonsense" he is confined to the stocks and Robyn is forced to work as a maid in the castle when she does the same. When Bill fails to cull the wolf population (and control his own daughter) he is stripped of his rank as hunter and forced into the role of soldier, robbed of the little freedom he had.

"This once wild creature is now tamed, obedient, a mere faithful servant." Although this line is spoken in reference to Moll, held captive in a cage in her wolf form, it is the human characters who suffer the most from this ideology - even the nameless background characters are confined to the walls of the city. What comes to mind when hearing this line is Robyn in her maid's uniform, once lively and imaginative, now returning home with lines under her eyes after a long day of hard, monotonous work, and Bill, shackled at the neck and forced to march behind the Lord Ruler's horse ("we must do what the Lord Ruler commands"). Although Moll is held captive too, it is in the form of a humongous wolf; she is locked away in the Long Hall for fear of the danger she represents because the Lord Ruler is aware of how poweful she is and so he must keep her locked up to show the people of Kilkenny just how much control he can wield, quelling any potential notions of power they might have held in themselves. In the case of Moll, Robyn and Bill, each time they are held captive by the Lord Ruler their captured bodies submit to the wolf form to escape: Moll uses its strength to break free of her chains, Robyn leaves behind her human body to launch an attack against the soldiers with the rest of the pack, and Bill, who had no idea what being bitten by Moll would do to him, submits to a primal instinct within him to protect his daughter and attacks the Lord Ruler. The Wolfwalkers are able to draw on this power but the people left behind in Kilkenny have no such escape.

"What cannot be tamed, must be destroyed." The ending of Wolfwalkers is bittersweet. Robyn, Médb and their parents are safe after defeating the Lord Ruler and his soldiers and ride off, not quite into the sunset, but onto horizons new. "All is well," Bill and Robyn tell each other and the family appear content, but, before now, leaving the forest was not on the agenda; leaving the forest meant retreating from a threat, as Moll desperately wanted Médb to do, and this is still the case. Médb wanted to save the forest, but, after everything that's happened, the family are no longer safe on the borders of the town. Robyn, Médb, Bill and Moll all save each other but they can't save their home and their retreat from Kilkenny is just that - a retreat. The Lord Ruler may have been killed but that doesn't mean the end of his conquest. Historically, this period saw Ireland amalgamated into the Commonwealth and Irish Catholic landowners ousted by English colonists, as well as a high level of deforestation and the elimination of the wolf population. By having the family leave their home, together and with a bright sky and grassy hills ahead of them, Wolfwalkers' coda balances the narrative conventions of a story by giving the viewers their satisfying ending without sanistising the history it's based on.

"Remember me in your stories and in your songs" - Song of the Sea and loss:

If Wolfwalkers is the taming of Ireland then Song of the Sea is Ireland tamed. Set roughly in the 1980s it is the closest depiction of a modern Ireland in Cartoon Saloon's ouevre. In contrast to The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers, which represented Ireland's native identity in the forest, here it takes the form of (drumroll) the sea, but while those other films depicted the battle between the wilderness and civilisation Song of the Sea depicts its defeat. The last of the Sídhe live in hiding in a rath disguised as the centre of a roundabout and use a sewage system to get around. In their diminshed forms, Lug, Mossy and Spud also resemble more closely what we might think of as 'fairies' in Ireland today, not the imposing figures of mischief and chaos the Sídhe really are in mythology. Still, Lug, Spud and Mossy wear torcs, brooches and earrings of gold and strewn about their home are ogham stones and hurls; in a nice marriage of modern and ancient tradition, they play the bodhrán, fiddle and banjo, singing a version of the Irish language song 'Dúlamán'. Only in this one pocket in the middle of the city do different aspects of traditional Irish culture survive.

All throughout Song of the Sea we see iconography of modern Ireland. Conor drinks a pint of Guinness (unlabelled but unmistakable), the front of the pub he sits in is decorated in proto-typical Irish pub fashion. On the wall in Granny's house sits proudly a picture of Jesus with the Sacred Heart lamp as she warbles along to the classic Irish children's song, 'Báidín Fheilimí'. Ben and Saoirse take refuge in a shrine to a holy well with a rag tree outside that is bursting with religious iconography as well as a toy sheep. Symbols that are as much a part of the national identity as those pre-historic and mythological ones. There are also references to the assimilation of pop culture outside of Ireland in a Lyle's Golden Syrup tin, the Rolling Stones poster on Conor's old bedroom door and Ben's 3-D glasses and cape, an emulation of a superhero costume. These images are, ultimately, harmless but have overtaken their native counterparts. Although we see statues of the Sídhe in the background, these are not shrines but detritus, and they lie forgotten, covered in plants and moss, in the company of bags of rubbish and old televisions. The diminishing of one era of Ireland's history to make way for a newer more powerful and modern identity is just one kind of loss that is portrayed in Song of the Sea, but each character experiences their own version throughout. The loss of Bronach that has affected Ben and Conor; the potential loss of Saoirse as she grows sicker; the loss of Mac Lir that drove Macha to such despair she literally bottled her emotions and those of others until they turned to stone. All of this comes to a climax at the end of the film when these tragedies are laid bare. As in Wolfwalkers the greater connotations of this theme are presented on a smaller scale: Ben and Conor's pain by the loss of Bronach.

Ben and Conor are representative of the human world and so suffer her absence more visibly than Saoirse who approaches her mother's world with curiosity and ease. In contrast, Ben, although he misses Bronach, rejects the sea (her home and symbolic identity) and his sister, a physical as well as spiritual reminder of what's been taken away from him. He turns his back on his past as much as he mourns its loss. We see it less obviously in Conor who wallows in his own memories and grief and tunes out Ben's references to his mother "It's as though I've been asleep all these years. I'm so sorry." Ben's grief is more expressive compared to the inwardly focused Conor and even towards the end of the film when Ben is trying to help Saoirse, Conor brushes over his insistence that only her selkie coat can save her. It's only when Saoirse is finally wearing the coat and wakes up from her sickness that he finally engages with Ben on the subject of Bronach, "She's a selkie, isn't she? Like Mam." "Yeah." (Which looks like a weak conversation written down but it's the happy smile on his face and the emotion in his voice that give the single word weight). "Please don't take her from us." During the film's final sequence, when Saoirse sings her song and wakens the sleeping Sídhe, Bronach returns but only to take Saoirse away. With tears in her eyes she begins to lead Saoirse along until Ben and Conor stop her, not forcefully but pleadingly, "she's all we have." All they have is Saoirse, all they have is a thread connecting them to Bronach's world and their memories of her.

"All of my kind must leave tonight…" As the Sídhe are wakened by Saoirse's song we watch them rise joyfully to form a glowing processional in the sky as they make the journey across the sea to their home. This scene is so beautifully animated and so filled with a sense of magic and wonder that we are charmed into believing this is a good thing. The Sídhe are returned to their noble forms and going to their home "across the sea"; they fill the sky with a warm, mystical light, but they are taking that light and their magic with them. As Bronach quotes in the film's prologue, "Come away, o human child, to the waters and the wild, with a fairy, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand." This is a world that can no longer bear the force of two identities. Unlike The Secret of Kells where Brendan and Aisling were allowed to live alongside each other without compromising their beliefs or ways of living, Bronach, a spiritual being, is forced to leave, while Ben and Conor have no choice but to stay and Saoirse, who walks both worlds, is made to choose between them. Although this is a happy ending it is still being depicted on a personal level. On a grander scale, the country has lost something that isn't coming back and this is depicted as a relief for the ones leaving it behind. On the other hand, Saoirse's decision to remain shows that, in small pockets of the country, the magic remains.

It is fitting that Song of the Sea, as a representation of modern Ireland, draws on loss; Ireland has been experiencing loss on a grand scale for centuries. Although the march of progress is mostly positive, in some cases it has altered our respect and interest in the past. Today there is a nihilism attached to Irish heritage; the spirituality that is associated with airy fairy hippies dancing naked in a moonlit field; the language that is almost universally despised by every secondary student forced to grapple with the Tuiseal Ginideach; its disappearing and continually exploited ecological landscapes; traditions and tales that grow more twee and archaic with every tourist bus that passes by; the preservation of archaeological sites in frequent battle with the progress of industry. In the interest of leaving behind the worst of our past we are at risk of losing the best. The writer Manchán Mangan suggests that this desire to forget lies in the pain we feel when we consider our history. Some, like Conor, try to push all reference to this pain out of their lives, others, like Ben, divert their pain into misplaced anger. Mangan cites the Famine as a source of generational pain and its effect today on our use of the language, but really it can be attached to many events and periods of time, "English was the future; Irish would only bring suffering and death." This is a sentiment that carries through to this day; despite encouragement from schools, local councils and the government, Irish remains a least favourite subject for most people who dismiss it as unuseful for success in the wider world. By proxy, anything to do with the notion of "Irish", the language, history and culture, is old-fashioned (suffering and death) while success and the future lie outside of the country. Mangan goes on to suggest that only by confronting the pain of our past can we unlock an ability in ourselves to engage more fully with our identity, "We might stop blaming our failure to learn on teachers, or the education system, or Government policy, and realise that we have no difficulty learning any other subject…" Ben and Conor are given the opportunity to say goodbye to Bronach before she leaves, allowing them to carry on with their memories of her and the last strand of their connection to her as represented by Saoirse. More and more people today are looking to Ireland's past, ecology and language for whatever it is they need or want to find. It isn't necessary to convert to paganism and live on the shores of the Connemara coastline to achieve this connection, but actively disengaging from your past can only hurt more than it can help. In their respective stories Brendan does not compromise his beliefs but still builds a friendship with Aisling, while Robyn and Bill integrate fully into Médb and Moll's world. There is no right way to engage with this side of our history and identity, but in contrast to Ben and Conor, Brendan and Robyn have balanced and fulfilling relationships with their native counterparts - the threats to their world come from outside sources. Ben and Conor were stuck in their pain over Bronach's loss and it is only after getting to see her one last time that helped them to move on and heal. Conor tells Bronach that he still loves her, he will carry his love and memories of her forever; Ben lets Saoirse into his life and is able to move past his grief and fears of the sea. Here, the threat of loss and destruction in modern Ireland comes from within, and can only be treated by engaging with the past - its rich heritage and tragic history - and moving on with all of the wisdom and experience it provides.