#classic and mythological horror

[ultimate-horror-genre]

tournament listings: first round

psychological:

phobia vs. madness and phobia

home invasion & survival vs. arthouse

killer:

slasher vs. backwoods horror

gore & disturbing:

torture vs. body horror

splatter vs. cannibal

extreme vs. cosmic horror (miscellaneous plug-in because there's an uneven number of subgenres in this genre)

monster:

zombies vs. virus

vampire vs. werewolf

classic & mythological vs. neo-monsters

animals & nature vs. giant creatures

small creatures vs. sci-fi & aliens

paranormal:

ghosts & spirits vs. haunted house

possession vs. devils, demons, & hell

witches & occult vs. supernatural power

miscellaneous:

comedy horror vs. parody horror

gothic horror vs. found footage

folk horror vs. post-apocalyptic

i will be updating this list with links to the posts!

[bebs-art-gallery]

Purgatory Canto 12, The Soul of Arachne (1867)

— by Gustave Doré

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

Y'all wanna know about a gender-non-conforming knight from 13th century France? No? That's okay- I'm fine with talking to myself.

I'm obsessed with gender performativity in early medieval texts- so obviously I had to know everything about Le Roman De Silence.

To preface-

So, long before there was the Marvel Cinematic Universe- there was the interconnected works of the Arthurian Legends. The original superheroes- King Arthur, Merlin, Morganna le Fey, and the rest of the cast. However, one of the lesser known (only arguably canonical) interconnected texts of the Arthurian legend hails from France. People argue over whether or not to include these texts as part of the cannon of King Arthur because it's technically french- and the french-english divide between characterization of all the main players of Arthur's court is remarkably different. Much research on this suggests the discrepancy of characterization is largely due to distance between where the stories originate, and sociopolitical tensions between the French and the English. Either people were too far apart to share stories- thus too far apart to keep characterization uniform, or they fucking hated each other enough to mess up the characterization on purpose. For example, many of the French portrayals of King Arthur paint him to be a rather terrible person, where English portrayals are generally more kind to him.

All that aside- many people will disagree that Le Roman de Silence should even be part of the Arthurian legend canon anyway- because it only mentions Merlin at the end of the poem and because it's a super french poem.

The main storyline is about this character named Silence. From the Old French Poem- Le Roman de Silence.

Gender? No- Never heard of it.

The latter half of the story in this poem is predicated on a complex mediation of Nature vs Nurture. What happens is that a baby is born into a wealthy family, and for sociopolitical reasons, the family decides to raise the girl baby as a boy. They name this child "silence." Silence grows up with full access to an education, as was typical for the boy children of aristocratic medieval families- this education becomes important later as Silence wrestle with where they fit into the larger social structure after maturing into adulthood. Essentially, they find the idea of marriage too boring and would like to be a Knight or Explorer instead. (I love them.) Anyway, it's fascinating to me that the conceptual ideas of nature and nurture are personified into being something like "deities" which are overseeing the growth of Silence through the ages- and so we get these deities commentary.

Silence wants to be a knight- so Nurture brags about being right that gender is more performative than it is biological. Then, later Silence grows up to be remarkably "pretty" and according to the deity of Nature- they brag about being right that biology and gender are intrinsically tied. It's such a thought-provoking mediation on gender as either performance or pure biology that I forget it was written in the 13th century- long before Freud or Lacan or any of the others who became hyper fixated on human presumption of gender as either a social category or a biological necessity.

I argued in a paper, once, that the narrative itself does actually finally end on the note that Gender is a performance, and it is tied into social roles only so the ruling class can have control of the population. That is why the stories ending shifts into horror-genre-esque of Silence marrying into the upper-ruling class.

I also have a strong urge to write a Fanfiction of Silence as a knight- who does not meet a sad fate but rather lives happily as a knight and eventually marries a princess. Okay- Okay? fine I said it. I said it-

Social pressure to marry?

The story takes a dark turn, however- when the King demands Silence to reveal themselves in front of the court. Obviously, even the author of the story was aware that misogynistic social standards would not allow for people to ever really be free of gender stereotypes and roles. So, Silence is then forced out of the adventurous lifestyle of a knight and into a marriage. Also, this is the place in the story where Merlin makes an appearance (I have a theory that Merlin is representative of the devil, and the author really hated that all AFAB people were forced into marriage back in 1200's. So that's why the devil shows up when all the bad shit is happening to Silence).

Inevitability and dismay-

What I find particularly interesting about this poem is the fact that the end, as Silence is forced into marriage and back into "proper" social roles for their assumed biological characteristics, is the fact that it is written like an early attempt at gothic horror!

So, one of the stipulations for something being a "gothic horror" is 1.) old, archaic, twisted buildings. (this blog is indeed named after my fixation with gothic horror elements, it's interplay relation to social reform, as its emphasis on decay as the tonal necessity for social indemnification). Anyway, the other most important aspect of gothic horror- is an overwhelming sense of desolation, isolation, and loneliness.

Sure, Silence is forced into marriage- but even with the forthright writing style of the author, we, as readers, are struck by Silence's loneliness. Thus, the "happily ever after" part of the storyline wherein the characters get married, as it traditional to chivalric romance, is recriminated against in subtext. Now, we have a moment in which the "happily ever after" is a creation of horror rather than peace.

Ending the narrative with marriage as equivalent to a loss of freedom and a sense of evermore-present loneliness, cumulating in the edifice of horror-struck fear in Silence at their own new future, is a remarkably bold social statement coming from a 13th century author.

I just think it's a really interesting text on the thematic points of negotiating Gender identity, in broader terms of performance and social roles, as much as it is a critique on the total social control that the monarchy held over the people of 13th century France.

Edit: I need to add that Silence themselves consistently rejects the idea that they are AFAB and instead only ever refers to themselves as "Silence" or "the knight"

[theidesofmars]

🪦

[theforgottencrow]

A lil Follow-up from @nightmare-verse post abt our original au we thought up in DM’s for our Greek Mythology AU we created a couple weeks/a month or more back ^^

We have the gods sorted out and designs are still being made due to us not having as much time to fully complete them, But! Here is a small list of which sanses are Gods/Mortals and which ones are completed <3

✅ = design completed

☑️ = In progress

🔷 = Designed by @nightmare-verse

🔶 = Designed by Me

———————————————————————

The main seven gods

Classic - Zeus

Papyrus - Hermes

Reaper - Hades🔶☑️

Nightmare - Nemisis 🔷✅

Dream - Euphrosyne 🔷✅

Ink - Apollo 🔶✅

Error - Typhon 🔶☑️

——————————————————————— The mortal worshippers

Killer🔶☑️

Horror🔶☑️

Dust🔷☑️

Cross🔷☑️

Blue🔷☑️

Fell🔷☑️

Geno🔶☑️

More mortals may be added in time but these are the main/ones we have for now <3

———————————————————————

Lore will eventually be made once we’ve gotten the designs completed so sit tight <3

———————————————————————

[ruql]

"The Banshee (Bean Sidhé)"

The Banshee is a supernatural being that comes from the Irish folklore.

Some Irish believe that the souls of the deceased do not leave this world. Rather, they rove Earth in form of disembodied spirits. The Banshee is also believed to be a female spirit.

In Irish folklore, the Banshee plays the role of a predictor or an omen of death. It's blood-curdling howls and screech are said to convey the message that you or your loved ones don't have much time left.

According to some, hearing a Banshee's wail will instantaneously kill the listener or their loved ones. Some claim that it just conveys a message, but whoever it is for is destined to embrace death.

The Banshee has a significant cultural significance in Irish folklore, representing death and mourning. It has been passed down through generations and remains an important part of Irish mythology.

Both the fear of dying and the fear of being parted from your loved ones are very common. Thus, it is no surprise that "The Banshee" is considered as one of the most dreaded figures in Irish mythology.

[cyberantiquities]

Girl Calendar (September) + Girl Calendar (December); collage, gouache, and ink on paper; 2023.

[Image description: Two collages made of the September and December pages of an Art Nouveau calendar. The figures in the calendar pictures have been cut away. Behind the September cutout is a painting of a field with a black circle in the centre. Below it text reads "September offered a grungy take with earthy tones." and "Persephone is a legacy perpetually reinvented." Beneath is a drawing of abstract botanical forms merging with human heads and limbs. Three clocks in the shape of insects move through it. To one side, text reads "it's the only flower I can think of that's really in charge" and underneath,  "What an epic retelling of our collective past!!" and "whatever happened to Luna Woman Power??" Behind the December cutout is a black wash of ink with dark red circles and a white rectangle in the centre. Text below reads "December: a moment of eternity flickering every second." Underneath is a drawing of fleshy shapes like organs and veins, each containing a miniature watch. The watch in the centre is shaped like a fruit, and is surrounded by teeth - text beneath it reads "#perpetual." A human head connected to the organs says "anything and everything that happens is in my control." To one side, text reads "modern brides want something edgier" and underneath "… or an exploration of our possible futures?"]

[the-mighty-fenrir]

I'm interested in folklore and if you have any family legends or mystical stories, I'd be glad to read them🦇✨

[x-heesy]

𝔸𝕕𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕕𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕩𝕥𝕠𝕟 - 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕤 (𝕔𝕒. 1875)

#classicart #classicalart #classicpainting #classicalpaintings #zeitgenössischekunst #mfpretty #aesthetic #traditionalart

𝕀𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤

𝕄𝕪 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕖

𝔸 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪 𝕤𝕜𝕪

𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥

𝕀𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕒

𝕀𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕒

𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕒 𝔽𝕖𝕦𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕙

𝕄𝕪 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤

𝔸𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕡𝕪𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕕𝕤

𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕒 𝔽𝕖𝕦𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕙

𝕄𝕪 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕤

𝔸𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕡𝕪𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕕𝕤

𝕀𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤

𝕄𝕪 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕖

𝔸 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪 𝕤𝕜𝕪

𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥

𝕀𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕒

𝕀𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕒

𝕎𝕙𝕠 𝕒𝕞 𝕀 𝕚𝕗 𝕀’𝕞 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤?

𝕎𝕙𝕠 𝕒𝕞 𝕀 𝕚𝕗 𝕀’𝕞 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤?

𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕘𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖

𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕘𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖

𝕄𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕤 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕪

𝕄𝕪 𝕓𝕠𝕕𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪

ℍ𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥

𝕄𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕤 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕪

𝕄𝕪 𝕓𝕠𝕕𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪

ℍ𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥

𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕦𝕞 𝕌𝕟𝕕 𝔼𝕩𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕫 (𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖) 𝕓𝕪 𝕂𝕆𝕄ℙℝ𝕆𝕄𝔸𝕋, 𝕍𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕔, ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕖𝕜𝕒 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣

[word-wielders]

Word Wielders is an 18+ server created for adults who LOVE to read, to hang out, meet new people, create new friendships, find new books and just be who they are within a safe space.

Current Activities:

Book of the Month

TBR Prompts

Sprints

Group Reads

Manga Monthly

Book Buddies

Tranquility Hour

Small Business Sundays

Game Nights

Movie Nights

Book Voyages- books from all countries

Book Roadsters- books from every US state

Members who choose to participate in the friendly competition will be divided into 1 of 4 Houses upon entry. House Leaders will track books read each month and add up the points. Winners get bragging rights and possibly the right to choose the next Book of the Month.

A note from the Staff:

This server is a welcoming place but there are boundaries that staff have set that a member should NOT cross:

- if you wouldn't do it in public don't do it online

- trigger warnings are used for the most egregious of topics

- personal phobias are not the responsibility of the server

- misunderstanding should be clarified to avoid conflict

Come be a Word Wielder with us!!

[fromedennn]

cannibalism—

“eat your young,” hozier // “hansel and gretel,” anne sexton // cronus devouring his son, peter paul reuben // “a little priest,” sweeney todd // “what did jesus do?” adam gopnik // “saturn devouring his son,” francisco goya // what's eating you?: food and horror on screen miller, ripner // tantalus

[ultimate-horror-genre]

monster: classic & mythological vs. neo-monsters

classic & mythological: this horror genre is rooted in the mythos of a culture. these films are based on the legends we heard growing up that scared us. whether the villain is a masked killer, deranged lunatic, or supernatural creature, the classic and mythological horror speaks to the inner child who believes that something could be lurking just beyond the light.

examples: the ritual, la llorona, krampus

neo-monsters: neo-monster is a term that describes everything else in the monster genre. all of the strange, creative, and downright weird new monsters that don't have a home in the monster genre live in this subgenre. neo-monsters are prevalent in B-movies but have found a new life in the mainstream thanks to cgi.

examples: a quiet place, pumpkinhead, stranger things

[fromcain]

bitter bitter ink

[magnuspng]

Medea’s Wrath + ALT colors

[cyberantiquities]

collage, gouache, and nine-year-old copic marker refill ink straight from the bottle on paper; 2023.

[Image description: A collage made from a photograph of an interior. On a bookcase are the words ‘through the cliche of emulation revealing a reality some fall prey to the dangerous decadance of history becoming confined to the world of the divine or the dead. transformed into animal-headed vessels of metal and glassware their reflections will be preserved in present-day windows’. On the right is the body of a woman with the head of a blue gorgon, and above is a frame containing a photo of a museum framed by leaves. In another room, an expanse of blue with a big dark dot shows behind another frame. There is a blue edge to the whole image.]