#cornish guardian

[sitting-on-me-bum]

A seal being fed fish at a sanctuary in Cornwall, UK. The fish are thrown over the walls, with the staff hidden from view so the seals do not associate humans with food. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been rescuing and rehabilitating seal pups for more than 60 years. Between September 2022 and March 2023, 50 grey seal pups were treated by the animal care team, with 86% of them released back into the sea. The sanctuary also provides a permanent home to those needing special care

Photograph: Alexander Turner/The Guardian

[biglisbonnews]

‘Damaged a generation of viewers, including me’: Joe Cornish on the most terrifying horror for kids From blood-soaked children’s parties to spine-tingling spectral nuns, the Attack the Block director picks the traumatic 70s and 80s horror moments he can’t forget – no matter how he triesLately, people keep asking me if I have seen a ghost. Not because I am pale and sickly – that’s how I always look – but because of my new supernatural series Lockwood & Co, which follows the adventures of three teen ghost hunters in a London plagued by lethal apparitions.In truth, the answer is “no”. I decided to adapt the brilliant novels by Jonathan Stroud – on which the series is based – not due to any personal paranormal experience, but because I was inspired by the terrifying TV shows and movies I saw growing up. There’s a scariness to them that I loved when I was a kid, so I wanted to create my own family show which channels that spookiness. Here, in nostalgic recollection, are my top-five unforgettable childhood screen scares. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/feb/01/kids-horror-shows-joe-cornish

[kandyshoppe]

So! I’m going to school to (hopefully) become a farm vet, and I also enjoy those hybrid Aus, SO! Farm Hybrid Au! (Or just farm au!)

Riddle: a rooster, specifically a red cornish. Cornish are known to be a bit aggressive, and finicky. I think he would have been a neglected chick and didn’t get to the full size, instead staying kinda small instead of becoming big like other Cornish.

Trey: Highlander cow, soft, sweet babys! They’re just happy to be here, and are stocky tough cattle. Their coats are double coated, so they can get matted but it’s rare with a proper diet and care.

Cater: a part indoor part outdoor cat, a beautiful orange tabby mix, who goes through moods of cuddle monster and hates everyone. Never a hiss from him, but a grumpy huff and he trots away.

Deuce: mastiff, a guard/live stock guardian dog breed. Big, aggressive to strangers, but love bugs once they get to know you. Specifically a Pyrenean mastiff, they’re polish, and suited for cold weather best.

Ace: definitely a Nubian goat, head strong, rebellious, LOUD, but they’re not aggressive! They’re actually very friendly, to their detriment since they will try to befriend predators!

Leona: farm cat, probably a Maine coon mix, cause he’s so big and fluffy! Maine coons are also very “dog like” and can learn tricks, to play fetch etc. They also tend to have a resting mad face, which Leona seems to have sometimes!

Ruggie: a stray dog that helps hunt vermin on the farm. I feel he wondered up once, and made sure to avoid the live stock (and their guard dogs) and got some rats or something. He doesn’t live on the farm by nearby in the woods with his pack of strays (including granny!)

Jack: another guard dog! Anatolian Shepard, a middle eastern breed suited for colder climates, and lovingly called “nanny dogs” and they will happily let goats jump on them. They’re a bit dominant, preferring to do their own thing vs what others say though.

Azul: cull duck! They’re a bit noisy, enjoying the sound of their own voice. They’re the white ones most people think of for ducks, small and fairly friendly but they do enjoy nibbling to show affection…

Jade: runner duck! They can’t fly, but enjoy scrabbling among rocks to find grubs, or in Jade’s case, mushrooms! They don’t waddle either! They run! They’re not as friendly as other duck breeds, being stand off-ish sometimes.

Floyd: just like his brother, a runner duck. He lives up to the runner in his name! Prances around, and enjoys tormenting the other animals on the farm. Someone stop him! Sneaks up on others and nips their feet. Has been kicked before, it didn’t stop him.

Kalim: brown Swiss, in the top three cattle breeds! They’re known for being fairly docile, calm and friendly. They’re very affectionate, and can get upset when not given affection from their handlers! This boy is BEGGING for ear scritches!

Jamil: Brahman bull, he can get aggressive much easier than Kalim. He’s also a very intelligent boy, as his breed usually is. But they’re also known to be shy, preferring to be alone or with a specific quiet few vs a large herd! Brahmans also are sensitive to the cold, so his hoodie is a need!

Vil: a jersey cow (my favorite!) they’re so pretty, but also the divas of milking cows. But it’s worth it for their thick, buttery and fatty milk! They’re also very curious, choosing to follow new comers vs hiding. They’re very social, but sassy things!

Rook: a trained hawk! (I’ve never seen a trained hawk around chickens but he is!) he was found as a baby and ended up bonding with the farmer I bet, so now he protects the others from birds, and more sneaky attacks! He enjoys sitting with Vil, a strange pair but it works.

Epel: a Southdown sheep, also known as “baby dolls” cause they’re so little and cute! He’s still a ram though, and hates being called cute! Head butts at will! Is mad that Vil has chosen him as their “calf” and follows him around, keeping him out of trouble. Vil’s no fun.

Idia: a British soay sheep, but he’s got a genetic mutation that makes him a deep blue instead of a dark brown. British soay are shy and flighty, they’re timid even among sheep breeds! Idia probably struggles with joining herds because of his color, which makes him more nervous about predators!

Ortho: à shetland sheep, another smaller breed, but quite friendly and inquisitive (which is rare among sheep, I’m sorry they’re dumb) Don’t let his size fool you though! Shetlands are one of the hardiest breeds out there! Small but mighty!

Malleus: a big black shire horse, now I don’t know as much about horses, but shires are docile and friendly draft horses! I bet cause of his size though, many of the other farm animals avoid him cause he’s scary. Shires are sometimes used for riding, and I bet he REALLY enjoys riding!

Lilia: a fell pony! They’re one of the smartest ponies, and while they can be finicky at times because of their intelligence, they are sweet ponies. He’s too intelligent for his own good I bet, enjoying to open the gates and wander out, but doesn’t close it and now EVERYONE is out and about!

Silver: an Icelandic horse (my brother’s favorite), they’re super sweet and hardworking sweethearts, with a beautiful grey coat! One of the friendliest horse breeds in the world, he’s just a big old love bug! Loves rolling around and laying in a nice patch of grass I bet.

Sebek: a shetland pony, but he’s one of the ones who give shetlands a bad rap. He’s nippy, and stubborn, and loves to whiney whenever he can! Likes the sound of his own voice. Is entranced with Malleus, and wants to be a big horse like him one day!

[peithoaphro]

updated list of names 2023.

name | meaning | origin

supposedly male: aras | eagle | lithuanian wolfe | wolf | english cillian | warstrife | irish elystan | noble stone | welsh daerion | gift | greek matteo | gift of god | italian lorcan | little fierce one | irish valko | wolf | bulgarian gavrail | hero | bulgarian nikolche | adventure | macedonian peithon | persuades | macedonian valerian | strong | latin abraxas | great | egyptian xerxes | hero amongst heroes | persian ives | yew wood | english azarius | god has helped | hebrew nicodemus | victory of the people | greek hesperus | evening star | greek casimir | destroyer of peace | polish arcturus | bear guardian | greek daedalus | craftsman | greek caliban | black | romanian hawthorne | lives | english maegor | red | english

supposedly female: echo | sound | greek adelaide | noble | german daisy | day's eye | old english cressida | gold | greek eirlie | eagle wood | scottish althea | healing power | greek manon | queen | welsh calanthe | beautiful flower | greek calithea | basket | greek juniper | young | latin citra | excellent | sanskrit solaris | of the sun | latin visenya | strength | english naerys | queen | english viserra | wisdom | english rosenwyn | white rose | cornish ottaline | prospers | french lethe | oblivion | greek caliadne | beautiful | greek daphne | laurel | greek nesrin | wild rose | arabian

unisex: august | great | greek emerson | son of emery | german callen | rock | gaelic

[take-the-hidden-paths]

Hidden Paths 2024 - Prompts (Set 1)

Hello Tolkien fans!

It's the 14th somewhere and I have a very busy schedule tomorrow, so here, have your first set of prompts a little bit early...

~~*~~

Thematic Prompt: Hauntings

Character Based Prompt: Threshold Guardians

Setting Based Prompt: The Perilous Realm

Text Prompt:

“Sometimes I think all this

Is a waste of time and effort:

For all words disguise what

We truly wish to say.

How then can we use

Our foolish fond words,

Beloved and enchanted words,

Wild words which run away with us?

Hold up the mirror to our thoughts,

Breathe on it, wipe it clean:

Let us begin again.”

From 'Cornish Words' by Donald R. Rawe, trans. Tim Saunders.  Collected in Poems From the Edge of Extinction, ed. Chris McCabe.

The original Cornish is below:

“Nepprys y brederaf oll hemma

Yu sculva termyn ha gwyth:

Rak geryow oll a guth pandra

Ny a vyn leverel yn wyr.

Fatel ytho yllyn-ny gul defnyth

A'gan geryow fol ha whek,

Geryow kerys ha nygromansek,

Geryow gothyk, nep a bon a ves genen-ny?

Syns avan an gweder dh'agan tybyans

'Wheth warnodho, segh-ef glan;

Gesyn dhyn-ny dalleth arta.”

Visual Prompt:

[Image ID: The Van Gogh painting, 'Olive Trees In A Mountainous Landscape.'  There are gnarled green and brown olive trees in the foreground; behind is a mountain range and sky in navy blue, with a cream and yellow cloud above. /.End ID]

Audio Prompt: Crosby, Stills and Nash - Guinnevere

Wildcard Prompt: Museums are perfect for inspiration!  I've linked to the National Museums Scotland online collections, but feel free to use another museum (online or local to you) to search for an object or story that speaks to your muses.

[elvenking42]

100 New Things I Checked Out in 2023

It's the end of the year and I wanna make a list of media I checked out. Movies, shows, books, songs, etc. I like getting to talk about all this stuff! If you wanna know what something made the list, just ask! I'd love to talk more about it!

Tyrellosolo New Years art

Wingspan (2019) 

INU-OH (2021)

Two Earthlings - John Brosio 

Zip Gun Bop - Royal Crown Revue

Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach (1986)

Forest (2017) 

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) 

Bei Mir Bist du schon - Ella Fitzgerald

Connordraws I Sing to my Cat

Contact (1978)

Donks (2023)

Dynasty AMV

Eddie burback- The Deceptive World of Ghost Kitchens

Ice Merchants (2022)

 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) 

Womanizer - Britney spears

The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023) 

MilleBourne (1954) 

The Birds (1963)

RRR (2022)

 Pigdemonart - Bowuigi Comics

Everydaylouie 's 3d blender work

Guide to Heraldry - Ottfried Neubecker (1980)

Buss Down Wig - Baddie Brooks

Genius Party Anthology (2007)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

Pretty fly (for a white guy) - The Offspring

Millennium Actress (2001)

God's Alternative Medicine - Knowing Better

On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes - Alexandra Horowitz (2013)

Blackberry (2023)

The Flintstones (DC Comic) (2016)

Maintenance Phase Podcast

The Bus - Paul Kirchner (1987)

Nimona (2023)

Black book of hours

Nintendo World Universal

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Daydream - Timeshare 94

Jerma House Flipper invitational

Pokemon Sleep (2023)

Atlantic Oscillations (disco dub) - Quantic

Barbie (2023)

Don't You Want My Love - Moodymann

Good Omens S2 (2023)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007) 

Even Flow - Pearl Jam

Host Club 'Ai Honten' - Tokyo, Japan (1971-2020)

TMNT Mutant Mayhem (2023)

No Diggity - Black Street

Expansions 12" Mix - Scott Grooves

Planet of the Bass - DJ Crazy Times

I Love Hue (year)

Canisalbus: body heat

Horny '98 Radio Edit) - Mousse T

We Love Katamari + Royal Reverie (2023) 

Music theory and White Supremacy - Adam Neely

Rope (1948) 

 Sanctus-ingenium: who are you loyal to, who are you lying to? 

Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson

Joseph Melhuish - "Some Dogs"

Jacob Geller- How Can We Bear To Throw Anything Away?

Novov - Interactive Art Museum

Thefaiao - Ganondorf practicing piano commission

Russian picture book illustrations by E.Bulatov and O.Vasilev

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (1998) 

Bacardi Raising Spirits ad

Curse of Strahd (2016)

Black Magic Woman - Santana

OFMD S2 (2023)

Dynasty AMV

The Owl and the Pussycat - Scott Gustafson

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Soylent Green (1973)

Christian Riese Lassen's digital gallery

Oye Como Va - Santana

Guardian deity, Thunder God, Wind god - Mori Yoshitoshi

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) 

 Scavengers Reign (2023)

 WRTV Sonic Forum Simulator

A Little Night Music

Monkey Gone to Heaven - Pixies

Mike's Mic - Scooby Doo 2002

Wasteland Weekend - People Make Games

Lethal Company (2023)

Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls

Don't Speak - No Doubt

George Sherwood Hunter "Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village"

Plagiarism and You(Tube) - Hbomberguy

Rainbow War (1985) 

Ezlo-x’s Lost Family LoZ Fancomic 

Ocarina of Time manga (2012)

Suolaxier's fursuits

Doctor who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023)

How Do You Smoke a Weed? - Owlin (year)

Mario Wonder (2023)

A Tiger in the Land of Dreams - Tiger Tateishi (1984)

[therapardalis]

— character info sheet.

(repost, don’t reblog)

[For main verse.]

name: Thera Pardalis / Thera Landsend / Therese of Lands End. name meaning: Therese was originally from the old Greek or old English, 'harvester' or 'huntress'. Thera, as she was known after leaving home, means 'wild', 'untamed' and, according to some sources, 'guardian'. (I swear I did not know this when I named her!) 'Landsend' was a surname she adapted from 'of Lands End', her birthplace. alias/es: Thera D'Gaea, Felicia Cornwall, 'not her again', and 'HELP! Get her off me!!' 'Pardalis' is an alias as well, one she picked up in the late 20th century. ethnicity: English (Cornish)

one picture you like best of your chara:

three h/cs you never told anyone (not never, but haven't for a while!):

The first time she sailed away from Cornwall, she was so worried about being seasick that she actually made herself feel seasick.

She's climbed to the top of each of the Pyramids of Giza (on different days of course) back when it was only frowned upon rather than illegal. She was also disguised as a young man at the time!

She knows exactly what happened at Tunguska.

three things your character likes doing in their free time: 

Exercise - going for a run, weight training, combat training, dance, yoga, cross-training, cross country, obstacle courses.

Reading, studying.

Shopping at markets (flea markets, farmers' markets etc).

eight people your character likes / loves: ('v' means verse dependent) (If we are or were actively shipping, your muse is also on this list!)

Gaia (obvs!)

Ares (@ares-godofwar) (ex-lover, long time friend, partner in unspeakable crimes)

Loki (v, @princesilvertongue) (Lover (first ever ship on here, 11 years strong!))

Mike Williams (v, @strikelikeahawk) (Friend, chaos-buddy, partner in crime)

Ilona Rakowski (v, @thestorycontinues) (Friend, colleague, partner in crime)

Chi (v; @dontstepinmypuddle) (Friend, though neither will admit it. Also crimes.)

Strife (@godofskirmishes) (Friend, bad influence, more crimes.)

Ace and Germaine (@specialagentace), Ray ( @empatheticagent), Theo (@toodamnloyal), Pris (@herstoriies) (all 'v', but deserving an honourable mention <3)

two things your character regrets:

Only two?

She doesn't often have regrets, except for the 'I shouldn't have said that to [person]' or 'why did I choose this [method/thing]?' kind. There are plenty of things she doesn't like to think about or that make her cringe, but everything that's happened has helped her learn and led her to where and who she is now, so she doesn't really regret them.

two phobia fears your character has:

Old fashioned asylums, or hospitals/medical/research facilities that bring that sort of place to mind. She's been captured and experimented on in similar places twice before and gets very twitchy about them.

Failure. Not being good enough, in multiple meanings of the term, but especially failing in her duty to Gaia.

tagged by: Absolutely no-one, but the cool kids are doing it

tagging: All y'all who haven't yet!

[tourdion]

Why don't you post about the things you miss the most about Britain?

i miss picked onion monster munch. i miss mini eggs. i miss cornish pasties. i miss boots. i miss special 50ps. i miss chocolate orange. i miss actual fish & chips (they have some pathetic mimicry here... not the same...). i miss seeing wales across the sea on the beach. i miss my bookcase i got for £20 at a charity shop. i miss sundried tomato paste. i miss people respecting your position in a queue. i miss people getting made fun of for every possible completely normal thing. i miss people going oi oi. i miss west country accents. i miss service stations. i miss prawn cocktail crisps. i miss guardian killer sudokus. i miss whsmith. i miss separate hot and cold taps. i miss swimming in rivers. i miss morrisons cafes. i miss savoury pies. i miss strongbow. i miss my cat 🥺

[legend-collection]

El Coco

El Coco or Coca (also known as the Cucuy, Cuco, Cuca, Cucu or Cucuí) is a mythical ghost-like monster, equivalent to the bogeyman, found in many Hispanophone and Lusophone countries. It can also be considered an Iberian version of a bugbear as it is a commonly used figure of speech representing an irrational or exaggerated fear. The Cucuy is a male being while Cuca is a female version of the mythical monster. The "monster" will come to the house of disobedient children and make them "disappear".

The myth of the Coco, or Cucuy, originated in northern Portugal and Galicia. According to the Real Academia Española, the word coco derives from the Galician and Portuguese côco, which means "coconut". The word coco is used in colloquial speech to refer to the human head in Spanish. Coco also means "skull". The word cocuruto in Portuguese means "the crown of the head" or "the highest place" and with the same etymology in Galicia, crouca means "head", from proto-Celtic *krowkā-, with variant cróca; and either coco or cuca means "head" in both Portuguese and Galician. It is cognate with Cornish crogen, meaning "skull", and Breton krogen ar penn, also meaning "skull". In Irish, clocan means "skull".

Many Latin American countries refer to the monster as el Cuco. In northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, where there is a large Hispanic population, it is referred to by its anglicized name, "the Coco Man". In Brazilian folklore, the monster is referred to as Cuca and pictured as a female humanoid alligator, derived from the Portuguese coca, a dragon.

In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, parents sometimes invoke the Coco or Cuca as a way of discouraging their children from misbehaving; they sing lullabies or tell rhymes warning their children that if they don't obey their parents, el Coco will come and get them and then eat them.

It is not the way the Coco looks but what it does that scares most. It is a child eater and a kidnapper; it may immediately devour the child, leaving no trace, or it may spirit the child away to a place of no return, but it only does this to disobedient children. It is on the lookout for children's misbehavior from the rooftops; it takes the shape of any dark shadow and stays watching. It represents the opposite of the guardian angel and is frequently compared to the devil. Others see the Coco as a representation of the deceased of the local community.

The oldest known rhyme about the Coco, which originated in the 17th century, is in the Auto de los desposorios de la Virgen by Juan Caxés.

The rhyme has evolved over the years, but still retains its original meaning:

Duérmete niño, duérmete ya... Que viene el Coco y te comerá

Sleep child, sleep or else... Coco will come and eat you

The Portuguese lullaby recorded by José Leite de Vasconcelos tells Coca to go to the top of the roof. In other versions of the same lullaby, the name of Coca is changed to that of "papão negro" (black eater), the name of another bogeyman.

Vai-te Coca. Vai-te Coca Para cima do telhado Deixa o menino dormir Um soninho descansado

Leave Coca. Leave Coca Go to the top of the roof Let the child have A quiet sleep

The traditional Brazilian lullaby is as follows, with the Cuca as a female humanoid alligator:

Dorme neném Que a Cuca vem pegar Papai foi pra roça Mamãe foi trabalhar

Sleep little baby That Cuca comes to get you Daddy went to the farm Mommy went to work

Both Brazilians and Portuguese also have a bogeyman version, which sometimes acquires regional colors where the bogeyman (the shape-shifting Bicho Papão is a monster that is shaped by what the child fears most) is a small owl, murucututu, or other birds of prey that could be on the roof of homes at night (in Brazil) or a mysterious old man with a bag who is also waiting on the roof of the house (in Portugal).

Bicho papão Em cima do telhado Deixa o meu menino dormir Um soninho sossegado

Bogeyman Atop the roof Let my child have A quiet sleep

Verses and songs were used in pre-Roman Iberia to transmit history to the younger generations, as told by ancient authors. Sallust said the mothers sang the military feats of the fathers to incite the children to battle. He was later quoted by Servius, who emphasised that it was the role of the mothers to remember and teach the young men about the war feats of their fathers. Silius Italicus added more; he said that the young warriors sang songs in their native language while hitting their shields in the rhythm of the songs and that they were well versed in magic. Strabo, too, commented that history was recorded in verse.

During the Portuguese and Spanish colonization of Latin America, the legend of the Coco was spread to countries such as Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

There is no general description of the cucuy, as far as facial or body descriptions, but it is stated that this shapeshifting being is extremely horrible to look at. The coco is variously described as a shapeless figure , sometimes a hairy monster, that hides in closets or under beds and eats children that misbehave when they are told to go to bed.

Coca is also the name of a female dragon who featured in various medieval celebrations in the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal one still survives in Monção; she fights in some sort of medieval tournament with Saint George during the Corpus Christi celebrations. She is called Santa Coca ("Saint Coca"), an allusion to the Irish saint, or Coca rabicha ("Tailed Coca"). If she defeats Saint George by scaring the horse, there will be a bad year for the crops and famine; if the horse and Saint George win by cutting off one of her ears with earring and her tongue, the crops will be fertile. Oddly enough, the people cheer for Saint Coca. In Galicia there are still two dragon cocas, one in Betanzos and the other in Redondela. The legend says that the dragon arrived from the sea and was devouring the young women until she was killed in combat by the young men of the city. In Monção, the legend says, she lives in the Minho; in Redondela she lives in the Ria of Vigo. The dragon shared the same name that was given in Portuguese and Spanish to the cog (a type of ship), and although used mainly for trade, it was also a war vessel common in medieval warfare and piracy raids on coastal villages.

The oldest reference to Coca is in the book Livro 3 de Doações de D. Afonso III from the year 1274, where it is referred to as a big fish that appears on the shore: "And if by chance any whale or sperm whale or mermaid or coca or dolphin or Musaranha or other large fish that resembles some of these die in Sesimbra or Silves or elsewhere[.]"

In Catalonia, the Cuca fera de Tortosa was first documented in 1457. It is a zoomorphic figure that looks like a tortoise with a horned spine, dragon claws and a dragon head. The legend says she had to dine every night on three cats and three children. This legend of the Coca can be compared to the one of Peluda or Tarasque.

In Brazil, the Coco appears as a humanoid female alligator called Cuca. She is dressed like a woman with ugly hair and a sack on her back. Cuca appears as the one of the main villains in children's books Sítio do Picapau Amarelo by Monteiro Lobato, but in the books she appears like a powerful witch that attacks innocent children. Artists illustrating these books depicted the Cuca as an anthropomorphic alligator. She is an allusion to Coca, a dragon from the folklore of Portugal and Galicia.

The sailors of Vasco da Gama called the fruit of the Polynesian palm tree "coco". The word "coconut" is derived from their name.

Traditionally in Portugal, however, the coco is represented by an iron pan with holes, to represent a face, with a light inside; or by a vegetable lantern carved from a pumpkin with two eyes and a mouth, which is left in dark places with a light inside to scare people. In the Beiras, heads carved on pumpkins, called coca, would be carried by the village boys, stuck on top of wooden stakes.

The same name [Coca] is given to the pumpkin perforated with the shape of a face, with a candle burning in the inside—this gives the idea of a skull on fire—that the boys on many lands of our Beira carry stuck on a stick.

An analogous custom was first mentioned by Diodorus Siculus (XIII.56.5;57.3), in which Iberian warriors, after the battle of Selinunte, in 469 BC, would hang the heads of the enemies on their spears. According to Rafael López Loureiro, this carving representation would be a milenar tradition from the Celtiberian region that spread all over the Iberian Peninsula.

The autumnal and childish custom of emptying pumpkins and carving on its bark, eyes, nose and mouth looking for a sombre expression, far from being a tradition imported by a recent Americanizing cultural mimicry, is a cultural trait in ancient Iberian Peninsula.

This representation would be related to the Celtic cult of the severed heads in the Iberian peninsula. According to João de Barros, the name of the "coconut" derived from coco and was given to the fruit by the sailors of Vasco da Gama, c.1498, because it reminded them of this mythical creature.

This bark from which the pome receives its vegetable nourishment, which is through its stem, has an acute way, which wants to resemble a nose placed between two round eyes, from where it throws the sprout, when it wants to be born; by reason of such figure, it was called by our [men] coco, name imposed by the women on anything they want to put fear to the children, this name thus remained, as no one knows another.

Rafael Bluteau (1712) observes that the coco and coca were thought to look like skulls, in Portugal:

Coco or Coca. We make use of these words to frighten children, because the inner shell of the Coco has on its outside surface three holes giving it the appearance of a skull.

In the first half of the 20th century the coca was an integral part of festivities like All Souls' Day and the ritual begging of Pão-por-Deus. The tradition of Pão-por-Deus, already mentioned in the 15th century, is a ritual begging for bread and cakes, done door to door by children, though in the past poor beggars would also take part. Its purpose is to share the bread or treats gathered door to door with the dead of the community, who were eagerly awaited and arrived at night in the shape of butterflies or little animals, during the traditional magusto. In Portugal, depending on the region, the Pão-por-Deus assumes different names: santoro or santorinho, dia dos bolinhos (cookies day), or fieis de deus. This same tradition extends to Galicia, where it is called migallo. It has a close resemblance with the traditions of souling or nowadays trick-or-treating. While the Pão-por-Deus or Santoro is the bread or offering given to the souls of the dead, the Molete or Samagaio is the bread or offering that is given when a child is born.

In this same city of Coimbra, where we find ourselves today, it is customary for groups of children to walk on the streets, on the 31st October and 1st and 2nd November, at nightfall, with a hollow pumpkin with holes that were cut out pretending to be eyes, nose and mouth, as if it was a skull, and with a stump of candle lit from within, to give it a more macabre look.

In Coimbra the begging mentions "Bolinhos, bolinhós" and the group brings an emptied pumpkin with two holes representing the eyes of a personage and a candle lit in the inside [...] another example of the use of the pumpkin or gourd as a human representation, is in the masks of the muffled young men during the desfolhada, the communal stripping of the maize, in Santo Tirso de Prazins (Guimarães), which after, they carry hoisted on a stick and with a candle in the inside, and leave them stuck on any deserted place to put fear to who is passing by.

To ensure that the souls found their way back home, the Botador de almas, whose mission was to lay souls (botar almas), would go every night through valleys and mountains and up on trees ringing a little bell, or carrying a lantern and singing a prayer to the souls. Every Portuguese village had one. Calling and singing to the souls is an ancient tradition done either by one person alone or in groups and it has many names: "lançar as almas", "encomendar as almas", "amentar as almas", "deitar as almas", "cantar às almas santas".

The serandeiros are disguised young men, covered with a blanket, a bed sheet or a hooded cloak. They carry a staff (a stick of quince or of honeyberry, about their own height) in one hand, and in the other they carry a small bundle of basil or apples that they make the girls that take part of the desfolhada smell, or with which they tickle people's cheeks; sometimes, to play a prank, they bring stinging nettles. When a girl recognizes the serandeiro or if she recognizes her boyfriend masked as a serandeiro, she throws him an apple brought from home. The serandeiros represent the spirits of the dead, the spirits of nature.

The heads would have protective and healing powers, protecting people and communities. They would also be cherished for their divinatory, prophetic and healing powers. The display places for the Iron Age severed heads were in the inside or outside of buildings with a preference for public places, with streets and people passing by and always preferring high places.

Our Ladies

In Portugal, rituals among the Catholic religious order of Our Lady of Cabeza, a Black Madonna, include the offering of heads of wax to the Lady, praying the Hail Mary while keeping a small statue of Our Lady on top of the head; the pilgrims pray with their own heads inside a hole in the wall of the chapel. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Heads (Nossa Senhora das Cabeças) situated 50 m (160 ft) northwest of the ruins of the Roman era temple of Our Lady of the Heads (Orjais, Covilhã) evidences a continuity in the use of a sacred space that changed from a pagan worship cult area to a Christian one and continued to be a place of worship for centuries after. According to Pedro Carvalho, the pre-Roman findings and the unusual location of the ruins inside an 8th-century BC hillfort suggest it was the place of a pre-Roman cult.

The Lady of the Head and Lady of the Heads are two of the many names given to Our Lady. Several of her names are thought to be of pre-Roman origin. Names like Senhora da Noite ("Lady of the Night"), Senhora da Luz ("Lady of the Light"), Señora de Carbayo ("Lady of the Oak Tree") are spread all over the peninsula. In Portugal alone 972 titles for Our Lady have been found in churches, altars and images, not including the names of villages and places. Spain has a similar proliferation of titles for Our Lady.

The common element to all these names is the title Lady. But the title Senhora (Portuguese) or Señora (Spanish) is of Latin origin, and derives from the Latin senior; thus there had to be another one of pre-Roman origin. In ancient times the titles that were used in Portugal by the ladies of the court were Meana (me Ana) or Miana (mi Ana) and Meona (me Ona); these words meant the same as miLady, that is, Ana and Ona were synonyms of Senhora and Dona. Ana is the name of the river Guadiana, thus pre-Roman in origin. Ana is also the name of a goddess of Irish mythology.

In the village of Ponte, parish of Mouçós, on a hill that overlooks the River Corgo, there is a chapel called Santo Cabeço which legend says was built by the mouros encantados. On the wall facing south there is a hole, where legend says the mouros used to put their head to hear the sound of the sea. The local people also have the custom of putting their head inside the hole: some to hear the whisper that is similar to the waves of the sea, others to heal headaches.

In Alcuéscar, Spain, a legend says that a princess exhibited a stall of skulls and human bones.

The Farricoco in the procession "Ecce Homo" on Maundy Thursday, in Braga, Portugal

In Portugal, coca is a name for a hooded cloak; it was also the name of the traditional hooded black wedding gown still in use at the beginning of the 20th century. In Portimão during the holy week celebrations, in the procissão dos Passos (Spanish: Procesión de los Pasos), a procession organized by the Catholic brotherhoods, the herald, a man dressed with a black hooded cloak that covered his face and had three holes for the eyes and mouth, led the procession and announced the death of Christ. This man was either named coca, farnicoco, (farricunco, farricoco from Latin far, farris and coco) or death. The name coca was given to the cloak and to the man who wore the cloak.

In 1498, the Portuguese King Manuel I gave permission to the Catholic brotherhood of the Misericórdia to collect the bones and remains from the gallows of those that had been condemned to death and put them in a grave every year on All Saints' Day. The brotherhood in a procession, known as Procissão dos Ossos, were followed by the farricocos, who carried the tombs and collected the bones.

In the travels of the Baron Rozmital, 1465-1467, a paragraph was written commenting on the traditional mourning clothes of the Portuguese of that time. The relatives of the deceased who accompanied his funeral would be clad in white and hooded like monks, but the paid mourners would be arrayed in black."[...] white was worn as the garb of mourning until the time of King Manuel, at the death of whose aunt, Philippa, black was adopted for the first time in Portugal as the symbol of sorrow for the dead".

Os cocos, giant representation of the coco and coca of Ribadeo. The tradition dates back to the 19th century.

In Ribadeo, two giant figures represent "el coco y la coca" that dance at the sound of drummers and Galician bagpipe players.

The 'land of the dead' is a mythic land which appears in traditions from various cultures around the ancient world.

Probably the oldest mention of a mythic land of the dead located in the Iberian Peninsula is in the Lebor Gabála Érenn.

The legends of Portugal and Spain speak of an enchanted land, the Mourama, the land where an enchanted people, the Mouros dwell under the earth in Portugal and Galicia. The lore of Galicia says that "In Galicia there are two overlapped people: a part lives on the surface of the land; they are the Galician people, and the other in the subsoil, the Mouros". Mourama is the otherworld, the world of the dead from where everything comes back.

The Mourama is ruled by an enchanted being who is called rei Mouro (king Mouro). His daughter is the princesa Moura (princess Moura), a shapeshifter who changes herself into a snake, also called bicha Moura, or can even be seen riding a dragon.

[projectourworld]

Pup patrol: saving lives at a seal sanctuary on Cornwall’s coast, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been rescuing and rehabilitating pups for more than 60 years. Between September 2022 and March 2023, 50 grey seal pups were treated by the animal care team, with 86% of them being released back into the sea. The sanctuary also provides a permanent home to those needing special care. The Guardian #seal #sanctuary #rescue #rehabilitate #cornwall

[scalpelsister]

tagged by @hey-hey-its-magic to do oc name meanings! thank you! :)

unlike heather I do not have oc icons ready to go, so these are going to just be baldur’s gate screenshots. very function over form on this one 😅

Leontine Trevelyan

Leontine- has its roots in Latin and French, and means "lion". Leontine is an alternate form of Leona (Latin): feminine of Leon. [x]

Trevelyan- the last name given to human player characters in the game Dragon Age Inquisition. It is originally a welsh / cornish last name derived from a place name, meaning ‘farmstead or tref (town in welsh) of Elyan’. [x]

Lydia Coleman

Lydia- It derives from the Greek Λυδία, Ludía, from λυδία (ludía; "beautiful one", "noble one", "from Lydia/Persia"), a feminine form of the ancient given name Λυδός (Lydus). The region of Lydia is said to be named for a king named Λυδός; the given name Lydia originally indicated ancestry or residence in the region of Lydia. Lydia is also a Biblical given name: Lydia of Thyatira, businesswoman in the city of Thyatira in the New Testament's Acts of the Apostles. She was the apostle Paul's first convert in Philippi and thus the first convert to Christianity in Europe. [x]

Coleman- Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Clumháin ‘descendant of Clumhán’, a personal name from the diminutive of clúmh ‘down’, ‘feathers’. OR an occupational name for a burner of charcoal or a gatherer of coal, Middle English coleman, from Old English col ‘(char)coal’ + mann ‘man’. [x]

Feilan, The Little Wolf Of Luskan

Feilan- From Old Norse ‘feilan’, from Old Irish ‘fáelán’ (literally “wolfling”), diminutive of fáel (“wolf”). Taken from Olaf Feilan, an Icelandic Gothi in the 10th century. [x] [x]

The Little Wolf Of Luskan- Luskan is the name of a town in the Forgotten Realms / Faerun setting in dnd, and is where she grew up.

Morana Talahriel

Morana- Marzanna (in Polish), Morė (in Lithuanian), Marena (in Russian), Mara (in Ukrainian), Morana (in Czech, Slovene and Serbo-Croatian), Morena (in Slovak and Macedonian) or Mora (in Bulgarian) is a pagan Slavic goddess associated with seasonal rites based on the idea of death and rebirth of nature. She is an ancient goddess associated with winter's death, rebirth and dreams. Marzanna's name most likely comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *mar-, *mor-, signifying death. Other theories claim her name is derived from the same Indo-European root as Latin mors 'death' and Russian mor 'pestilence'. Some authors also likened her to mare, an evil spirit in Germanic and Slavic folklore, associated with nightmares and sleep paralysis. In Belarusian, Polish, Ukrainian and in some Russian dialects the word 'mara' means dream. But Vladimir Dahl says it means 'phantom', 'vision', 'hallucination'. [x]

Talahriel- An elvish last name I created, using Thalassian, the language of Blood Elves from World Of Warcraft. Loosely meaning ‘Death Keeper’ or ‘Death Guardian’. Talah meaning death, or possibly the opposite of light. Riel is taken from and simplified from ‘Ban’dinoriel’, meaning Gatekeeper. The meaning was inspired by the forsaken Death Guards (also from World of Warcraft), but also a line from irish mythology where the goddess The Morrigan tells Cu Chulainn that she will guard his death. [x][x]

[nsfwhiphop]

Incoming Text for @gwynethpaltrow:

Subject title: Can you help them hook up? Chris Martin & Abbie Cornish will become best friends.

Hey Gwyneth! It's me, Angelo.

I usually don't write to you because I respect your privacy, but today I have something important to share. Can you help these two lovebirds meet?

@abbiecornish is an Australian actress, and I believe she would be the perfect partner for Chris Martin (@chrismartinfeed).

Abbie Cornish is a genuinely sweet person, and I'm confident that Chris Martin would be the happiest man in the world to have such a kind woman in his life.

Chris Martin needs loyal women around him, and Abbie will be one of his most devoted companions. They are kindred spirits who will get along wonderfully.

In these challenging times, it's good to have someone like Abbie Cornish on your team.

I hope you'll be kind to Abbie. She is a sweetheart, and I vouch for her wholeheartedly.

That's all I had to say. Thank you, my dear Gwyneth.

Your virtual alien friend and guardian angel,

Angelo.

P.S.:

Abbie & Chris dancing in the streets like:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Martin (@chrismartinfeed)

[byneddiedingo]

Ant-Man (Peyton Reed, 2015) Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Canavale, Anthony Mackie. Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd. Cinematography: Russell Carpenter. Production design: Shepherd Frankel. Film editing: Dan Lebenthal, Colby Parker Jr. Music: Christophe Beck.  The main reason to see Ant-Man (or either of its sequels) is Paul Rudd, once again proving that casting is the chief thing Marvel has going for it in its efforts to capture the comic-book movie world. Like Robert Downey Jr. in the various Iron Man and Avengers movies, or Chris Pratt in his leap to superstardom in Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014), Rudd has precisely the right tongue-in-cheekiness to bring off a preposterous role. Rudd, whose quick wit is known from his talk show appearances, also had a hand in the screenplay, which was begun by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish and revised and finished by Rudd and Adam McKay. As often happens, this comic book film is better before the CGI flash-and-dazzle take over -- the concluding portion of the film is a bit of a muddle, considering that most of the performers in the action sequences are ants. Indeed, the most impressive special effects in the movie are not the action sequences but the "youthening" of Michael Douglas, who is first seen as the much younger Hank Pym in 1989, looking much as he did in The War of the Roses (Danny DeVito, 1989), one of the films used by the special effects artists as reference. On the other hand, it has to be said here that Rudd doesn't look much older than he did 21 years earlier in Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995).

[lahiru-mga2022mi4014]

Final Project Heterotopia

I took inspiration from treasure guardians such as ;

Gnome, a European legendary creature sometimes depicted as a treasure guardian

Leprechaun, a treasure guardian from Irish folklore

Dragon, a creature often portrayed as hoarding a treasure

Salamander, a legendary creature often described as a lizard in shape (even looking like a common salamander), but usually with an affinity for fire

Spriggan, Cornish guardian of fairy treasure, said to be the ghosts of giants that can swell to enormous sizes.

which gave me the idea of a making my artifact a treasure that is being protected by a guardian that lives near the treasure

[lailoken]

'Divination'

"Given the old beliefs surrounding wells and sacred springs as a ritual locus of pilgrimage, where one may initiate exchange with the Otherworldly and seek Divine wisdom and vision via the agency of indwelling spirits, or of the human well guardian as a spiritual intermediary, it is of no surprise the holy wells should possess a rich tradition of divinatory and prophetic use.

Some of the divinatory purposes for which the people would resort to holy wells were much the same as those commonly sought from professional witches, wise-women and cunning men; such as for matters of love and matrimony, or to discover the identity of thieves and the whereabouts of lost property. For such services a sometimes hefty fee would be required by the professional folk-magical practitioner, thus the holy well could have represented a more economical recourse for such matters.

At a number of prophetic wells however, the presence of a guardian wise-woman would be required, for, it was believed, the rites would require her advice or assistance for efficacy, or perhaps, only she could mediate or interpret for the spirits of the well.

One such Cornish well, now no longer extant, was the prophetic holy well of Gulval. Here, in the first half of the 18th century, the well was cared for by an elderly woman who appears to have acted as its 'high priestess'; instructing visitors in the virtues and rites of the potent waters. Gulval Well was widely reputed for its powers to reveal the location of lost cattle, or that of stolen property. Also, it was possessed of the ability to revealIf living, the friend's state of health could also be gleaned from the spirit of the waters. The name of the friend had only to be spoken over the waters, and, if dead, they would remain still and quiet. If they were living but in ill health, the waters would begin to bubble and cloud with mud. If however they lived in good health, bubbles would arise to the surface; the waters remaining of crystalline clarity.

As with curative well magic, the offerings made during popular rites of divination at holy wells included such things as pins and pebbles. Often it was the offering to the waters that activated the prophetic powers, via bubbles rising to the surface, or the waters acting upon the offering, causing it to move in a certain manner.

It was both bubbles and the movement of offerings that would be read in divinations for matters of love at Alsia Well. On the first three Wednesdays in May, many young women would gather at the well, there to learn the fate of named young couples. Two pins, or pebbles, would be dropped into the water, and their actions as they sank to the bottom closely observed. If the two settled together, then the couple were to join together in matrimony. If, however, they settled apart from one another, then the couple were destined to part company. The number of bubbles sent to the surface would foretell the number of years until the prophesised union or separation. Love divinations would also be made at Alsia by floating bramble leaves on the water's surface. Such were also popularly used in conjunction with spring water in the folk-magical charming of burns.

At other Cornish wells, such as at St Euny's Well, Menacuddle Well and at Roche Holy Well (on Holy Thursday), readings would also be made of the number of bubbles sent up by the offering of pins or pebbles. Coins were used as well as pins in divinations at Jesus Well, St. Minver.

The offering of pins however might also produce prophetic visions within a well's waters. At St Caradog's Well, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, an offering of three pins was required of any woman who sought, on Easter Monday, to conjure forth a vision.

Other prophetic wells required crosses of straw, rushes, or a Palm Sunday cross, the movements of which would provide the signs to be read.

At Holy Well, Bodmin, young people would fashion crosses by tying rushes gathered from the nearby marsh. These they would set to float upon the water with a spoken charm which, like the well itself, is now sadly lost.

The brave could discover whether or not they would outlive the year by visiting the holy well of Our Lady of Nance, Colan, on Palm Sunday. There, an offering of money and a palm cross was required; the cross was put into the well, the money into the hand of the priest. If the cross did float upon the water, the enquirer would live to see the following year, if it sank however, death was predicted to be near.

For love divinations, a cross was required at Madron Well, fashioned from two inch long pieces of straw, affixed at their midst with a pin. This was to be floated on the well's water on May Morning, the first Sunday in May, or the first three Thursdays in May, whereupon the spirit of the well would send bubbles rising from its depths. The number of bubbles produced foretold the number of years until matrimony. Alternatively, two pins or pebbles might be employed to consult the spirit of the well in the very same manner as employed at Alsia. The use of straw crosses and pins put into Madron Well for wishes is remembered by elderly locals as still taking place in the 1930s.

Clothing and personal items such as handkerchiefs might be used, via which it would appear the spirit of the well was able to read the fortune of the enquirer. Rites of love divination were conducted on Anglesey by the old wise-woman guardian of Crochan Llanddwyn - 'The Crochan Cauldron' in the 19th century. On the 25th of January, the feast day of St Dwynwen, to whom the well was dedicated, young people would visit to make wishes or divine their prospects in love. After paying a fee to the old woman, she would take the client's handkerchief and lay it upon the surface of the well's waters in order to read their future by interpreting the movement of eels living in the spring.  If bubbles appeared during the reading, it was a fortunate omen of happiness in matters of love.

At another Anglesey well, Ffynnon Gybi, handkerchiefs were also used in love divinations, or a feather might be employed instead. If the item, laid upon the water's surface, began to move in a southward direction, the well had revealed that the enquirer's lover was honourable, but dishonourable if it instead moved towards the north.

At some wells, the sick would have their chances of recovery divined by the use of clothing. Such a method was employed at Ffynnon Gelynin – 'The Well of St. Celynin' in the Conwy valley, North Wales. At this little well beside the beautiful and remote Llangelynin Church, ailing children would be bathed, wrapped and taken to a farmhouse nearby for an overnight period of incubation. An article of the child's clothing would be placed into the well where a good omen of recovery was given if the clothing floated. If it sank however, death was prophesised.

When water was drawn from the Head Well, Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, to be brought to the bedside of a patient, their chances of recovery would also be divined via their clothing. The article would be placed upon the water; its floating foretold recovery, and death by its sinking.

On the Isle of Lewis, the waters of St Andrew's Well possessed the power read a patient's chances of recovery from a wooden bowl used to draw water for them. After the water had been brought to the patient's bedside, the bowl would be returned to the well and floated upon its surface. Here, if the bowl turned in a sun-wise direction, recovery could be expected, but death was indicated should the bowl turn against the sun.

The movement of two straws were used for the same purpose at the Black Isle well of Craigie, Avoch. Here, on the first Sunday in May, the straws were floated upon the water, if they began to turn in opposite directions a recovery was indicated, but death if they remained still.

Offerings of food might also coax the water spirits into making revelations. Chink Well, Portrane, Dublin, was washed by the high tides of the sea, and here bread would be left at the wells edge. If it was taken by the tide, a cure was assured.

By such food offerings could the identity of thieves be revealed by the well spirits. At Ffynnon Bedrog, Gwynedd, the one injured by theft could drop a piece of bread into the well and begin to speak the names of all those suspected of the offence. Upon speaking the name of the thief, the piece of bread would sink beneath the waters. This was also a well of healing, and pins would have been employed within its rites, for a vessel of dark stone was long ago brought up from its bottom and found to be full of pins.

The old rites were not all necessarily performed at the well itself, for the water may be drawn forth and taken home for the practice of divinations. This would seem to suggest that, as with water drawn from a well and brought into the home for curative and protective purposes, the prophetic spirit and virtue remains present within the very water when brought away from its locus of springing forth.

The popular old love divination involving written names rolled into balls of clay, sometimes called specifically for water drawn from a spring to enhance the rite's efficacy. This was particularly the case when the Romany employed the method. The enquirer would write the name of each of her suitors upon slips of paper; rolling each of these separately into a ball of clay. Upon one slip however, she would write her own name. The balls of clay were dropped into the vessel of water and anxiously watched as the clay dissolved to gradually free the slips of paper. The first name to rise to the surface was the suitor the enquirer was prophesised to marry. If, however, it was her own name that arose first to the surface then she will remain unwed.

The spirit of the well was not always dependant upon the presence of humans or their rituals in order to issue prophecy and omen. 'Drumming Wells' are so named for the strange, sometimes loud, and as of yet unexplained drumming sounds that they occasionally produced. The occurrence of the drumming sound was often taken to be ominous of significant national events, or of the fate of royalty and noble families, particularly in foretelling deaths. Perhaps such links associated the spirit of such wells with the sovereignty and sanctity of the land?

Belief in the oracular powers of the sacred spring and holy well is truly ancient. Around a well sacred to the goddess Demeter, the ancient Greeks would perform complex rites in order to receive oracular vision regarding life and death. Offerings of sacrifice would be made, and a mirror suspended over the well by cords, wherein the enquirer would be shown visions that would reveal unto them the fate of their longevity."

_

Wisht Waters:

Aqueous Magica and the Cult of Holy Wells

1. 'The Magic of Springs and Holy Wells'

by Gemma Gary

[mask131]

Deadly fall: The Ankou

THE ANKOU

Category: Breton folklore

The Bretagne region of France is quite unique in many ways: most notably it is the French region where Celtic culture and Celtic heritage is the strongest. This results in numerous beliefs and legends in a variety of supernatural beings, a strong and complex regional folklore, and one of the most famous entities said to exist in Bretagne is “L’Ankou”, The Ankou, a death entity whose name comes from the old Welsh “Anheu/Anghau” and the Cornish “Ankow”.

The Ankou is not death itself – this is a point the legends around him are very clear about. The Ankou is rather the “servant of death”. His job is the one of a psychopomp : he appears to take the souls of the deceased in the afterlife. The Ankou travels and takes the souls away in a creaking cart known as “karr an Ankou/karrig an Ankou” in the Breton language (the Ankou’s chariot). When someone hears the squeaking wheels of the Ankou’s wagon, it means they (or a member of their family) will soon die. In a similar way, if someone sees the Ankou it means they will die in the year. In the sea-side regions, the Ankou doesn’t take the inland roads : instead of a cart, he drives a small boat called the “Bag Noz” (The Night Boat), taking the dead by sea.

The Ankou’s physical appearance is the one of a very tall and very gaunt man, with long white hair, and its face half-hidden by a large-brimmed hat. While sometimes he just appears like a very skinny old man, all dressed in black (black hat or black cloak), other times it is said his face is hideous and reminds people of a skull, with no nose, a wide mouth going from ear to ear, and black holes instead of eyes, with inside them two little lights like candle flames. In several local variations, the Ankou is in fact confused with the “Grim Reaper” figure and is depicted as a skeleton wrapped in a funeral shroud. But no matter how he is depicted, the Ankou is always wielding his great and terrible scythe. The fascinating thing with the Ankou is that his scythe is not a regular scythe, unlike for example the one wielded by a typical Grim Reaper : the Ankou’s scythe has its blade reversed, so that the cutting edge is on the outside, not on the inside. It is because when the Ankou “reaps” the dead, he doesn’t make a movement that bring the blade towards him – rather he throws the blade in front of him to “cut” the dead faster and more efficiently. (Though the legend explicitly describe this reverse-scythe, many old statues have him with just a regular scythe).

The Ankou is also sometimes said to be the “watcher” and “guardian” of grave-yards, making sure its souls do not escape and that no living comes to trouble the graves – though sometimes this role is rather attributed to one or a couple of ghosts, usually the last deceased of the year. While as I said the Ankou is not death but merely its servant and “henchman”, charged with collecting the souls of the dead, some Breton proverbs give a bit more of power and independency to the Ankou – for example when there is more death than usual in a year, Breton people used to say “War ma fé, heman zo eun Anko drouk” (On my faith, this one is a nasty Ankou). [The explanation of which comes below].

- - - - - - - -

While the Ankou appears as this iconic, ominous, supernatural figure, the Breton legends don’t actually suggest that he is one full entity (despite his appearance, methods and name never changing). Rather, many tales claim that the “Ankou” is just a title, a role taken on by various souls. For example one legend claims that the last male dead of the year, at the end of December, is to become the Ankou for the next year, while the first male dead of the year is to become the “komis an Ankou” (the Ankou’s clerk/employee), the personal servant and assistant of the Ankou. The “Bagel Noz” variation also has stories of this kind: in one, the driver of the “Night Boat” is supposed to be the last men to have drowned in the year, while another variation claims that the leader of the Bagel Noz is rather the first male dead of the year.

Another creepy trivia about the Ankou: one legend claims that he can fully rotate his head on his neck, so that he can look everywhere when he travels and so that no dead or living can sneak behind his back. There are much more bizarre and morbid trivia about the Ankou or his servants, in fact there are entire books written about the "Legends of Death" and the death folklore of Bretagne (books that I own ) but given the Deadly Fall are just presentations and introductions, I'll stick with these primary facts - though as usual, if you are interest, I can be here to deepen the information and extend the knowledge.