#maori legend

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest spirits and natives (2)

Patupaiarehe – Night spirits of the Maori people of New Zealand. Dwell in the darkness deep in the forest.

Patupaiarehe are legendary humanoid cryptids native to New Zealand that hide in forests and are said to have the power to induce a trance and to lure people away. They are supernatural beings (he iwi atua) in Māori mythology that are described as pale to fair skinned with blonde hair or red hair, usually having the same stature as ordinary people, and never tattooed.

They can draw mist to themselves, but tend to be nocturnal or active on misty or foggy days as direct sunlight can be fatal to them. They prefer raw food and have an aversion to steam and fire.

The music of their kōauau and pūtōrino (small flutes), along with their singing of waiata, which songs are sung solo, in unison, or at the octave, occasionally reveals their presence on foggy days. A kōauau is a small flute, ductless and notchless, four to eight inches (ten to twenty centimetres) long, open at both ends and having from three to six fingerholes placed along the pipe.

They could lure people away from safety with the music of their flutes, and had magical powers and special knowledge. Some believe that red-haired Māori are their descendants. Patupaiarehe sometimes taught people magical chants and other skills. They were good at fishing, and one chief spied on them to learn how to make nets.

Patupaiarehe were seldom seen. They were thought to live in several places in the North Island, including in the Waikato, around Rotorua and in the Urewera mountains. They also lived in some places in the South Island.

kōauau sound demonstrations

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の精霊たちと原住民 (2)

パトゥパイアレヘ 〜 森の奥の暗闇に棲んでいるニュージーランドのマオリ族に伝わる夜の精霊

パトゥパイアレヘは、ニュージーランドに生息する人型の生物で、森に潜み、トランス状態を引き起こし、人を誘い出す力があると言われている。彼らは、マオリ神話に登場する超自然的な存在 (ﾍ･ｲｳｨ･ｱﾄｩｱ) で、青白い美肌、金髪または赤毛、通常普通の人と同じ背丈で、タトゥーをしていることは無いとされる。

霧を引き寄せることができるが、直射日光が当たると命に関わるため、夜行性で、霧や霧のかかった日に活動する傾向がある。生ものを好み、蒸気や火を嫌う。

コワウアウとプートゥリーノ (小笛) の音楽と、ソロ、ユニゾン、オクターブで歌われるワイアタの歌は、霧の日に時々彼らの存在を明らかにすることができる。コアウアウは、長さ4～8インチ（10～20センチ）、両端が開き、パイプに沿って3～6個の指穴がある、ダクトもノッチもない小さな笛である。

彼らは笛の音で人々を安全な場所に誘い出し、不思議な力と特別な知識を持っていた。赤毛のマオリ族はその末裔であるという説もある。パトゥパイアレヘは時々、魔法の呪文やその他の技術を人々に教えた。彼らは漁が得意で、ある酋長は網の作り方を学ぶために彼らを見張った。

パトゥパイアレヘはめったに目撃されることはなかった。ワイカトを含む、北島、ロトルア周辺、ウレウェラ山脈など、いくつかの場所に生息していたと考えられている。また、南島のいくつかの場所にも住んでいたようだ。

コアウアウ・サウンド・デモンストレーション

[stygianfields]

Diversity in Gaming and Cultural Melding, or "Why does that Aussie character have a Maori skin?"

I'm not too sure where to post this essay as it encompasses a lot of different games and diversity, I eventually decided on here. I want to preface that I'm half Australian and half Pakeha (NZ European). I don't claim to know the ins and outs of Maori culture, but I do have experience first hand as a New Zealand born.. New Zealander, and have lived in the country my whole life, so I still wanted to voice my perspective.

We've moved more and more from the older gaming trends of 'straight white guy saves impoverished people/country from shady group/tyrant' in recent years for modern gaming. A lot of fps games that had a scowling man on front cover walking/holding gun have changed tone and bucked the older ways to try and be more diverse and open for people, which can either be viewed cynically ('they just do it for more money') or as a genuine effort for change and growth. I'm honestly not here to debate either side of that as both arguments have merit, though I will say that I prefer the expanded range of characters regardless of original intention. This also isn't a post about the companies behind the games and the things they've done or still do, this is just a discussion on characters in the games.

Games having a diverse roster, be that culturally or even from various alien or fantasy races, inherently make a game a more enjoyable experience for me and many other people. If they're crafting in a fun and respectful way as well then that improves that factor even more. A suite of playable characters in a game needs those characters to behave differently from each other in order to keep things fresh and not allow things to feel the same with just a minor voiceline change and nothing else.

There's a reason why games such as Apex and Overwatch characters are much more loved and respected by their communities than the majority of playable characters in Call of Duty. Yes, all 3 of these games have different models, backstory and voicelines from the others in the game, but Apex and Overwatch cultivate a much greater personality to their characters which is showcased through animations, voicelines with more character and dedicated media outside of the game to expand on the lore and backstory of the characters.

Which is, unfortunately, where I need to put in the 'but'; due to a variety of factors, my culture is constantly mistakenly combined with another, or ignored entirely.

I come from New Zealand, a small country in the lower right hand side of the world, under Australia. To some, my country not showing up in media often may not even be a surprise. It's a fairly decently known meme that it never even shows up on maps in film and tv. A lot of people know us either from the director Taika Waititi or the Lord of the Rings movies. In recent times we've definitely made strides to be seen more in media but there still seems to be a mix of cultures that happens to people unaware of the differences. I don't claim to be an expert on my or any other bit of culture, but at least putting out some information and my viewpoint as born and raised Kiwi (NZer) may hopefully help at least one person better understand, which will make all this writing worth it.

I'll be talking specifically about 3 games and 6 characters in total; Maui in Smite, Mad Maggie in Apex Legends and Junkrat, Junker Queen and Roadhog in Overwatch.

Maui is the new character being added to Smite very soon, the second Polynesian god to be put in to the game. Maui is an incredibly important figure in many mythologies around the islands in the Pacific, but the decision was made to focus on his Hawaiian interpretation. I personally have little issue with this because I know and respect how prominent he is to various cultures. In mythology, he founded my country by fishing up the South Island and his boat was made the North Island.

This is actually shown in the game in his abilities with him pulling up an island as an ultimate ability. I love this, honestly. I'm a bit disappointed that they don't have more ties to Maori culture but they even specified in the dev notes on creating him that they wanted to shift mostly on to Hawaiian folklore instead of Maori. I more than understand that and I'm honestly just happy that the rich mythology is getting more coverage in media.

I adore Mad Maggie. She's legitimately the first full on Kiwi in a major game that I know of, alongside having strong Maori characteristics. She has a distinct accent and tone accurate to the role (she's literally voiced by a Maori woman), she has a skin inspired by Maori culture including tribal tattoos *and* she actually speaks Maori in game via voicelines. That's why it's so upsetting to me that people were mostly dreading her release due to an event in Apex she took part in.

For those unaware, Maggie has a history with the character Fuse, a man with a very strong Australian influence. Maggie featured in an event before she released, trying to chase him down and essentially making a bonus game mode. Unfortunately, she suffered from some of what other characters like Newcastle and Vantage did in that she repeated voicelines several times. This lead to a lot of people mocking her voicelines and openly exclaiming that they didn't want her in the game due to just 3 or 4 voicelines from a single event. Thankfully since release this has died down, but it did still temper my excitement due to how rude people were about her. I still love her though and probably always will.

Finally we have Overwatch, one of the first big games that really tried to push for an incredibly diverse roster that I can think of. I'm not fully invested in the deeper factors of the story but I do know that Australia was nearly destroyed during the Omnic Crisis and this caused a liberation group to be formed, a group of scavengers to pop up and the like. During this however, New Zealand is barely even mentioned, if at all in the lore.

Junkrat is probably the most overtly Australian (aside Junker Queen). He has a strong accent and says some common Australian slang. Roadhog is.. a bit more concerning.

Roadhog has several strong connections to New Zealand and New Zealand culture. His real first name is Mako, a shark that while admittedly seen in many locations around the world, is well known for being in Polynesian waters, including a common appearance in New Zealand. His voice is muffled by a mask so you can't hear his accent, but a few of his voicelines are more commonly heard in New Zealand than Australia. 'Sweet as' is a very well known Kiwi phrase and 'I'm beached as bro' is a reference to a viral youtube video making fun of Kiwi accents.

The strongest connection however is his 'Toa' skin. A Toa is a Polynesian warrior, or in Maori is used to mean being bold, experienced and capable. This in tandem with the skin itself having an obvious Maori influence with (an attempt at) tribal tattoos, Huia feathers and a mask with the tongue out to echo the end of a Haka (a dance to celebrate achievements or sometimes as a method of intimidation of an opponent) makes it pretty obvious they wanted him to be a New Zealander.

But he's Australian.

Mako is never mentioned being a Kiwi, his story begins with him being displaced due to a peace accord in Australia. In fact, aside from a leaked map datamine early in release, New Zealand is never mentioned at all, anywhere. With Roadhog being enraged at the treatment him and his people received to the point he joins a liberation movement, you would expect him to be a lot more proud and open about his heritage, yet he gets a couple of New Zealand sounding voicelines and an obviously Maori warrior inspired skin and he's still labelled Australian.

This has been a painful sticking point for me since I first played Overwatch several years ago, honestly. Overwatch released in 2016 and was the first character in a large game with a Kiwi influence. It took a 6 year wait to get Mad Maggie this year to get a much more genuine feeling character and it frustrates me. At best this feels like Blizzard accidentally mixed some cultures together but at worst the skin feels like an Australian man cosplaying as a New Zealand person and it honestly leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth even now.

To be honest I wouldn't make as much of a big deal out of this if it wasn't for Junker Queen, one of the newest characters in the game. JQ is a very obvious Australian, with another thick accent and very Australian voicelines ('get moving you drongos' etc). It honestly breaks down in to two problems: Overwatch having yet another Australian and allegations of being Mad Maggie 2.

The first part is fairly minor for a gripe as they also just brought in a third Japanese character; Overwatch now has 3 Australians yet no Kiwis. I find it frustrating that the only Australian with some NZ links is called Aussie and they just give us a third Aussie. It makes me disappointed because they always tout how diverse and vibrant they are, but they relegate New Zealand to some voice lines and a skin but give Australia 3 characters.

The next is about the gaming community as a whole, wherein Mad Maggie and JQ have been compared to each other several times by many people. I feel a decent amount of this is because they sound *somewhat* similar, however I won't say that I don't find it kind of harmful when New Zealand has always been underrepresented in media. In my opinion, JQ has a bit of what's known as a 'bogan' accent. It's typically used to describe an 'uncultured person' which can either be a pejorative or a term of endearment, but I feel it fits as she has a notable twang and is quite obviously a bit more blunt personality wise. In comparison I'd say Mad Maggie just has a fairly common New Zealand accent, with some of the similar bluntness (though dialed up to 11 just like JQ).

I'm not a linguist and may be inaccurate in terms of region specific accents. Saying this however, I've noticed a lot of people claiming they're basically the same character. I can see parts of this argument but as a New Zealander I still have to express it makes me sad that they get conflated together in a similar way to Roadhog and his Maori inspired cosmetic, especially when Maggie is very strongly inspired directly by New Zealand and our culture.

This ended up being a lot longer than I intended. I suppose it's been stewing in my mind for years, ever since I played Overwatch and found that Toa skin. I would honestly love to see New Zealand featured more and more in games as we have a diverse array of people and a rich history but it seems like very slow progress. I expressly remember when I was interested in Rainbow Six: Siege I made a New Zealand operator called Katipo, named after one of only 3 dangerous spiders in our country. I posted this fan creation online, excited to just share a *tiny* bit of my country and the response from other fans was literally "they'll do Australia well before this". It shattered me, because it was true.

Australia is big, they're much more well known. That doesn't mean that other, smaller countries don't deserve some attention and it *certainly* shouldn't result in smaller countries having their culture subsumed into an Australian character via a single skin and a couple of lines of dialogue. Maybe part of it is that Australia and New Zealand have always had a partial rivalry and respect for each other that makes it hit different, I'm not sure.

What I do know is that I love gaming. I loved it since I was a child, I've been a gamer for nearly two decades now. I love that more cultures are being shown and embraced. It's time for more Kiwi representation. I want others to learn about my culture, I want to learn more about my culture that I don't know. I felt so much pride seeing Mad Maggie release and I want to feel that again.

People really don't understand how impactful diversity can be until you experience your own culture being shown in a game for the first time.

[mintygreenaqua]

My Friend did it again. Please check out this channel.

[2t2r]

La colline au nom le plus long du monde

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/la-colline-au-nom-le-plus-long-du-monde/

La colline au nom le plus long du monde

[stardustpinkart]

[huakahz]

giving back Mavuika her melanin since she's based off Mahuika, Maori deity of fire (she is a deity, not a goddess, as in other parts of new zealand/Aotearoa, Mahuika is depicted as a man)

Also i think its quite interesting ive seen some people discuss whether shes the archon or the Pyro sovereign and i wasn't too convinced BUT Mahuika is a part of the legend of the origin of fire in Maori mythology in which Maui obtains the ability to create fire for humans by tricking Mahuika into giving him her fingernails.

Mavuika has gloves on!!! and it's debated on whether the archon still has her powers at this point in the game. there's a possibility that the gloves cover up the lack of fingernails which give her her power???? And if she'd the dragon sovereign this would be linked to celestia taking away the dragon's powers.

aaa mini rant over i am excited for natlan

[bethanythebogwitch]

Australian Pokemon - single stages

Another set of Fakemon for my Goorda region, based on a combination of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Previous posts: non-natives, regional standards, creepy lines, regional variants, birds, early-game standards, misc 2, misc 1, variant starters, starters

Wakaremai, the Transport Pokemon, water/dragon type. They have been used since ancient times as transportation, carrying humans between islands with the canoes growing from their backs. Some scientists believe ancient Goordan people created the species, but are not sure how. SOme legends say that people were first brought to Goorda on the back of a gigantic Wakaremai. While massive, Wakaremai are gentle giants who feed exclusively on plankton and are easily tamed by humans. Since the invention of motorboats, Wakaremai have become more common in the wild.

Wakaremai is a combination basking shark and waka, Maori canoes. I based the design on this reconstruction waka. It fills the same niche as Lapras in being a transport focused water type and Lapras are either not native to Goorda or where never used for transport. Real life basking sharks are plankton-eating gentle giants just like Wakaremai. The story of Wakaremai bringing people to Goorda is based on Maori stories of how they first came to Aotearoa on canoes. I did make two boat sharks in the same region, but Wakaremai is a gentle giant and defensively oriented while Davalossam (in a previous post) is very hostile and offensively oriented. Wakaremai's name comes from "waka" and "reremai", the Maori word for basking shark.

Mimicrag, the Thin Pokemon, fairy/rock type. Their bodies are paper-thin, making them incredibly flexible, but they are so light that the wind will blow them away. They live inside cracks in rocks and only emerge on windless days. Mimicrag are intelligent and mischievous Pokemon that have been known to prank hikers, but they seem to mean no harm. Legends say that the Mimicrag taught the first humans in Goorda how to survive in their new homes.

Mimicrag is based on the mimi, mythical creatures from north Australia who had to live in cracks in rocks because their bodies were so thin wind could kill them. They were believed to have inhabited Australia before humanity and taught humans how to hunt and make rock art. Depictions of the mimi are found in a lot of petroglyphs, which inspired the rock typing. Mimicrag would be a very fast and lightweight, but defensively poor Pokemon, the opposite of most rock types. The name comes from "mimi" and "crag".

Windipet, the Carpet Shark Pokemon, flying type. These airborne Pokemon normally dwell high in the sky and eat clouds, but they occasionally come low enough to encounter humans. They are strong enough to carry a human, but need training as their normal flying style would quickly send the rider falling. Windipet are know to be playful and will spend hours playing with each other when they meet.

Windipet is a flying carpet that is a carpet shark. Specifically, it's a tasseled wobbegong and a tasseled carpet. Them living in the atmosphere and rarely coming down is a reference to atmospheric beasts, cryptids that allegedly live their entire lives in the sky. Windipet comes from "windy" and "carpet" and I tried to mimic the word wobbegong.

Didgeridoodlebug, the Noisy Pokemon, bug/normal type. It has eight horn-like organs on its back that it can move air through to create a very loud noise. Smaller, stick-like organs coating its back are banged together to make more noises. During mating season, Didgeridoodlebug create cacophonous symphonies to attract mates, much to the dismay of any nearby humans trying to sleep.

Didgeridoodlebug is based on two Australian musical instruments and Thopha saccata, a species of Australian cicada that is a contender for the loudest insect in the world. Much like real cicadas, their songs can be very frustrating for humans. The musical instruments are the didgeridoo and clapsticks, both of which are used by Aboriginal peoples. I made it part normal type both because we don't have a bug/normal yet and to give it STAB on moves like hyper voice and uproar. Its name comes from "didgeridoo" and "doodlebug". Cicadas aren't doodlebugs, but I just couldn't pass up on that pun.

[low-budget-korra]

The Legend of Korra Fancast

This one was hard to make. Specially the Watertribe that is based manly on the Inuk people but it physical appearance also resemble a lot other native people, like the Maori and other Native American people.

This fancast is based on appearance, ethnicity and vibes.

Korra- Devery Jacobs and Sydney Park

Devery Jacobs is a native actress who stars in Reservation Dogs, a show I haven't watched but it is on my watchlist. She is the first pick for the role, because she is native american, despite being light skinned in comparison to Korra.

The second pick is Sydney Park, I read she is mixed but I choose her based on her appearance only. I haven't seen none of them acting, but in those pictures I could see Korra in both of them.

Asami Sato - Havana Rose Liu and Kelsey Chow

I've Watched Bottoms and in the moment I saw Havana Rose Liu on screen I thought "that's Asami Sato" and, I mean, just look at her. She is gorgeous, sophisticated, charismatic, she even has those beautiful green eyes. And importantly, the acting is there.

I feel the same with Kelsey Chow, especially after watching clips of her in Yellowstone. Sure, she ain't asian or asian American (I've read that she has some native american background) but still, I think she is a good second choice even being too old for the role cuz like Devery Jacobs, who is also in her 30's, they look younger than they really are.

Mako - JJ Jr Mackenyu / Ludi Lin

I haven't watched One Piece but one look at JJ Jr Mackenyu and I saw Mako.

Same with Ludi Lin, sure he is also too old for the role but he has that "cooliness" , that "bad boy" aura that Mako has especially in book 1.

Bolin - Niko Hiraga // Kai Bradbury

I only saw Niko Hiraga in Booksmart and haven't seen any work of Kai Bradbury but look at those eyes, such sympathetic eyes man.

Tenzin - Donnie Yen / Ke Huy Quan

Ip Man himself as Tenzin is a dream and one of the most common fancasting of the character but I think Ke Huy Quan would be The Tenzin, I mean, in Everything Everywhere all at once he shows an heart and an light that justs would fit Tenzin so well

Lin Beifong - Michelle Yeoh // Ming-Na Yen

The same with Michelle Yeoh, I mean just look at her and her works. Ming-Na Yen would also be an amazing choice for Lin, if see her in clips from agents of shield and damn she seems so good in there.

Suyin Beifong - Maggie Q / Lucy Liu

Maggie Q is a baddie with such kind eyes and mother vibe (yes, I loved Nikita) that fits so well with Su. Lucy Liu brings the same as Maggie Q but with some swagger that would be fun to watch.

Amon - Meegwun Fairbrother / Adam Beach

No, Meegwun is not a white man but it is white passing just as Amon. I haven't see any of them acting, I'm going just by looks here. Adam would be the choice if they choose to make Amon look more like a Watertribe man.

Tarrlok - Tatanka Means // Matariki Whatarau

Same with Amon fancasting, Mataraki ain't native american but he is Maori(according to google) and yes, he is too young for the character and that's also why Tatanka is my first choice

Zaheer - Henry Rollins / Ron Yuan

Before y'all jump on me because I pick a white guy has first choice to play Zaheer, let's remember that he has a view of the Air Nomad culture and mentality that he considers superior even in comparison with the only Airbender master at the time, he also is a hypocrite since he let his friends destroy a millennial temple symbol and museum of the culture he said it's inspired him. This is the type of arrogance and disrespect that typically comes from a white man c'mon

I didn't know any of Ron Yuan work but just by his appearance I think he would be a good choice for Zaheer

Kuvira - Sonoya Mizuno / Natasha Liu Bourdizzo

Sonoya and Natasha , can't choose who I like best for the character, both of them has that damn penetrating powerful gaze.

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest spirits and natives (1)

Maero – The Fierce Bigfoot in New Zealand folklore

Maero are creatures that appear only in Maori mythology. This mythical creature is sometimes described as a type of wild man, such as the Yeti of the Himalayas or the Sasquatch of Native American lore.

In Māori tradition, the Maero are an iwi-atua or supernatural people from New Zealand. They are sometimes described as giants or wild men of the woods, and inhabit mountains and forest, particularly in the South Island and Tararua Range. Maero are characterised as wild, malevolent and often violent, carrying stone clubs as weapons. They are covered in dark body hair and have long, bony fingers with sharp fingernails. They kill and eat humans and other animals.

The Maero are said to harbour anger towards the Māori, who arrived from Hawaiki, and are thought to have displaced them and ruined the tapu (sacredness) of their homes, forcing them to dwell in inhospitable alpine regions.

There are several Māori tales that tell of encounters between the Maero and the Māori. Still, the most bizarre tale regarding the Maero is that of Tukoio who succeeds in killing one of these creatures.

Tukoio cut of the Maero’s arms, legs and head. He took the head home, perhaps as a trophy. The head was still alive, however, and was calling for help. Tukoio, who did not wish to fight a whole group of Maero on his own, dropped the head, and went to get reinforcements. When he came back, the head was gone, and it is said that the Maero reassembled itself, and returned to the forest. In most stories, the Maero are not known to possess supernatural powers such as this.

Unlike the Yeti and the Sasquatch, however, there are no alleged sightings of this creature, the folklore of the severed head staying alive rings a bell. There was a tale of Bran the Blessed, a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology who ordered his fellows to cut off his head and bring it back to London. As I recall, the head survived for nearly 80 years.

If you follow myths and legends from around the world, both East and West, you will find many similar legends. Moreover, many have been rewritten by religion and power struggles. Above all, there is not a single person in the world who actually knows the past.

In fact, thousands or hundreds of millions of years ago on Earth (the Universe), there must have been unimaginable creatures and various phenomena taking place. George Lucas and Philip K. Dick may have communicated with beings from the past in their dreams.

Who knows?

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の精霊たちと原住民 (1)

マエロ 〜ニュージーランドの伝説、怖いビッグフット

マエロはマオリ族の神話にのみ登場する生き物である。この神話上の生き物は、ヒマラヤのイエティやネイティブ・アメリカンの伝承であるサスカッチのような野生の人間の一種と表現されることがある。

マオリ族の伝統では、マエロはニュージーランドのイウィ・アトゥア (超自然的な人々) である。マエロは野性的で悪意があり、しばしば凶暴で、武器として石の棍棒を持っているとされる。彼らは黒い体毛に覆われ、骨ばった長い指と鋭い爪を持っている。人間や他の動物を殺し、食べる。

マエロは、ハワイキからやってきたマオリ族に怒りを抱いていると言われ、マオリ族を追い出し、彼らの家のタプ(神聖さ) を台無しにして、人を寄せ付けない高山地帯に住むことを強いたと考えられている。

マオリの伝説には、マエロとマオリの出会いを描いた物語がいくつかあるが、マエロにまつわる最も奇妙な物語は、一匹を殺すことに成功するトゥコイオの物語である。トゥコイオはマエロの腕、足、頭を切り落とした。そして、トロフィーとしてか、その首を持ち帰った。しかし、頭部はまだ生きていて、助けを求めていた。一人でマエロの集団と戦うのを避けるため、トゥコイオは首をその場に置き、援軍を呼びに行った。戻ってきたときには首はなくなっており、マエロが自分で再び組み立て、森に帰っていったと言われている。多くの物語では、マエロがこのような超能力を持っていることは知られていない。

イエティやサスカッチとは異なり、この生物の目撃例はないが、切り落とした首が生き続ける伝承には、どこかで聞き覚えがある。

ウェールズ神話に登場するブリテンの王で巨人のブランが、仲間に命じて自分の首を切り落とし、ロンドンに持ち帰ったという話があった。確か、その首は80年近くも生きながらえた。

東西を問わず、世界中の神話や伝説を追っていくと、似たような言い伝えが多々ある。しかも、多くは宗教や勢力争いによって書き換えられている。何より、過去を実際に知っている人はこの世に一人も存在しない。

実は、数千、数億年前の地球 (宇宙) では、わたしたちの想像を絶する生き物が存在し、色々な現象が起こっていたに違いない。ジョージ・ルーカスやフィリップ・K・ディックは、夢の中で過去の存在と交信していたのかも…。

本当のことは誰にも分からない。

[tododeku-or-bust]

Recently there been a controversy with a game called Genshin Imapct with a region called Nathan's that is inspired by Pre Colombian Latin American civilizations, some Afrcian, Hispanic, and Aboriginal Australian cultures. And just recently they revealed their characters.

Mavuika and another character named Ororon.

Mavuika (sun glasses woman) is inspired by Mahuika a Maori fire goddes who is known to have a Moko on her chin

This is Ororon from Genshin

He inspired by Olorun an Orisha from Yoruba Tradition

This is also Olorun from Smite

Some are saying it's because of the censorship in China as stated in this post.

However there are two company's that have dark skin characters in their game and they arent being censored; Riot Games who created League of Legends and Valorant and Lilith Games who have created the AFK games and Dislyte (a game inspired by mythology gods and beings)

You can't scream anymore anti blackness and colorism than this!

The post you linked started off incredibly racist regardless of the context lmao. "Don't scream racism because you can't find a character with a skin colour like yours" then don't pull from YORUBA GODS, FROM NIGERIA! Like this isn't like Greek and Roman mythology, where we all fucking know who those people are thanks to the emphasis of these mythologies in a White Western-ran Classics field and in a white supremacist society that deems them worthy of a white connection. I could walk past 2000 white Americans and I can guarantee 1990 of them won't even know what an Orisha is 🙄

I'm sorry but I do not feel like sacrificing any more of my mental health reading further, that first bit pissed me off so bad ik I'm just gonna make myself angrier reading. Yeah it's textbook racism. This is a fictional world with magic and fairies and shit, so i get we're not worried about "geographic accuracy". But what would have been the issue with leaving them looking like the gods they were inspired by, if the island is supposed to be influenced by those real world religions? There wasn't enough skinny pale people in the game lmao?

This is also another one of those examples of how nonblack people of color really irritate me when it comes to solidarity. Because why are you caping so hard for whitewashing. 🙄

[ahsoka-in-a-hood]

Every once in a while I see someone confidently state that mandalorian culture was based on maori culture and, given that legends writer is on the record saying she was thinking of celts and tcw’s writers are on the record saying they were thinking of vikings- is there some other thing I am missing, as my knowledge of SW lore is not comprehensive, or it is exclusively rooted in Tem playing Jango and Boba?

[2t2r]

Le rocher de la pomme fendue - Split Apple Rock

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/le-rocher-de-la-pomme-fendue-split-apple-rock/

Le rocher de la pomme fendue - Split Apple Rock

[toaverse]

Hey Disney, instead of wasting your money on making soulless live-action remakes, milking Toy Story for all it's worth and race-swapping iconic characters for "representation", here are some fairytales and scrapped movies you can adapt and un-cancel.

The One-Handed Girl; A Swahili fairytale about the trials a girl goes through as she deals with the unfettered greed of her older brother.

The Cat and the Cradle; A Dutch legend about a baby and a cat floating in a cradle after a city named Kinderdijk floods.

Tawhaki; A Maori fairytale about the demigod Tawhaki going above and beyond to be reunited with his Sky-fairy wife. (Edith Howes’ version here)

The Sisters Envious of Their Cadette; An Arabic fairytale about two sisters plotting their younger sister's demise.

The Four Skillful Brothers; A German fairytale about four brothers each learning a different trade of skills, and learn to work together once their father puts them to the test.

Gigantic; A planned animated musical film by Disney that ended up being cancelled. It was suppose to be about Jack discovering a world of giants hidden within clouds and befriending an 11 year old giant named Inma who treats him like a living doll.

Newt; A planned animated movie by Pixar that also ended up being cancelled for multiple reasons. It was suppose to be about two blue-footed newts who can’t stand each other being forced by science to save their species from extinction.

Don’t be afraid to correct me if I got anything wrong. And feel free to add to the list if you want!

[paradoxcase]

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

Fascinating to me that a nun commiting suicide TWICE drove two of the big background events: John identifying soul (when she puts a bullet in her brain) and the Lyctors being forced to take the final step in the process (when she talks Alfred into a suicide pact).

Yeah. Cristabel seems to have been a very strange person. I noticed there was also a mention of her and Alfred meditating together in this chapter, I guess he must also be pretty strange even for a hedge fund manager

John needed the suicidal nun too be able to identify the 'individual code' that identified separate souls within the larger 'program' of the 'world soul' I think. Once he did that he could get that specific about souls....I think.

Yeah, he was able to see the individual soul at that point, but it said he was still not able to do anything with it because Alecto was there

@eye-lantern:

For the nun, well. She is a nun, so the soul is more important than politics. She has found here second coming, but the idiot is raving about how the merchants in the temple are not funding his project instead of becoming closer to his Father. She has a few loose screws but a very clear sense of purpose

@wellhappybirthdaytomeiguess:

@eye-lantern This comment about the nun is really well said, in my view. She was a zealot, both before and after what happened, but she seemed to believe deeply in the 'holy' mission.

When you put it like that, I guess I can see it. I wonder what she is actually like on the other side, after they all come back and I guess have probably forgotten Christianity?

The reference to the shaman and the sun refers to a Maori legend about catching the sun in the sky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamanuiter%C4%81)

Ahh, neat. But John envisioning himself as Maui (if I understand that right) now makes me think of him singing the "You're Welcome" song from Moana. It's interesting that Maui shows up in both Hawaiian and Maori mythology

@eye-lantern:

I agree that John's decision make little sense, and to me that's part of the message

He is a random dude who was given power over life and death in the most stressful situation of his life. He couldn't handle it better. Anyone in this situation would have their worst aspects exacerbated and for him it was his vindictivness. He misuses it immediately because he is hooked on directly to the absolute power of a screaming mad planet. A few days of lack of sleep can fuck up your reasoning so bad, and he was already at his lowest.

His behavior after becoming Jod is more logical, but informed by the fact that no one can ever harm him, and he can kill with a thought. Life has lost all human like stakes to him. It's nothing more than a game to play with his dolls/friends.

Oh, yeah, I get that he was stressed out and sleep deprived and made a bunch of bad decisions, but like for days up to this he keeps talking about how how it's so important that the trillionaires not be allowed to leave, and nobody tells him that that's not right. Well, I think Augustine maybe did once, when he was like "why don't you do some good wizard shit", and Cassipeia said so way too late, but when John was all like "we have to stop them!" at the beginning of the chapter, no one said anything. I feel like there were some sensible people in this group who should have said something sensible at that point? Mercy, Augustine, Pyrrha, Cassiopeia?

For the burnt thumb thing, when you hurt a finger a lot of instinctual reflexes are: aply pressure, get close to you, and for a burn, wet. So a lot of kids shove any hurt finger in their mouth. Also works for bleeding.

Sure, but I don't see how that relates to "it's human nature to take things" because you're not taking anything by doing that?

And my personal theory for the gift she gave him. She gave him an instinctual look in the working of a plane of the laws that regulate the world. Kinda like how humans and some species evolved to understand abstraction, that allowed them to use tools, and even make them. But when discovering a new concept it's easier to use it to hurt than to heal of build. If you give a sharp rock to someone, they'll understand how to make a weapon before using it to fray plants and create rope. John is a monkey given a toolbox and he realise the hammer breaks things, and did not go in depth with the mastic and spackle because it did not do anything interesting immediately. I think if he had not focused on death, the "easy" option of what he was given, he may have realised he had powers that could have saved humanity

I don't know. I mean, it seems like necromancers generally can work with organic material, but might not be so good at changing the climate or neutralizing pollution. Or do you think that John's powers are significantly different than necromancy, and the powers of regular necromancers don't ultimately come from Alecto, but are just a different thing caused by the thanergy radiation from the undead planets?

[rubberizer92]

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[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Hugh Tomlinson

Published: Mar 1, 2023

The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has hit out at the New Zealand government for proposing to teach traditional Maori mythology as equal to modern science.

The government of the former prime minister Jacinda Ardern proposed adding Matauranga Maori, or “Ways of Knowing” to the science curriculum, provoking a furious row. The proposal was put forward by the ministry of education, led at the time by Chris Hipkins, who succeeded Ardern after her shock resignation in January.

In a letter to The Spectator, Dawkins, who has recently returned from a speaking tour of New Zealand, attacked the policy of equating Maori knowledge and religious beliefs, which date back to the 13th century and include creationism, with modern science.

Dawkins defended New Zealand scientists who had opposed the plan and faced censure and allegations of racism. A number of fellows at the New Zealand Royal Society, including Garth Cooper, a medal-winning biochemistry professor at the University of Auckland who is of Maori descent, resigned from the society last year.

Seven professors, including Cooper, wrote a letter titled “In defence of science” to the New Zealand Listener in 2021, acknowledging that Matauranga Maori should be taught in schools but should not be equated with modern science. The letter said that indigenous knowledge and beliefs were “critical for the preservation and perpetuation of culture and local practices” but that “in the discovery of empirical, universal truths, it falls far short of what we can define as science itself”.

Five Royal Society members reportedly complained that the letter had caused them “untold harm and hurt”.

“Perhaps the most disagreeable aspect of this sorry affair is the climate of fear,” Dawkins wrote, attacking the New Zealand government for “self-righteous virtue signalling”.

“New Zealand children will be taught the true wonder of DNA, while being simultaneously confused by the doctrine that all life throbs with a vital force conferred by the Earth Mother and the Sky Father,” he wrote. “Origin myths are haunting and poetic, but they belong elsewhere in the curriculum.”

The government has taken several steps to incorporate indigenous beliefs into government policy over recent years. In 2017, the Ardern administration granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River, closing one of New Zealand’s longest-running court battles. The Maori had campaigned for more than a century to secure legal protection for the river, and the ruling prompted other countries to grant legal rights to natural treasures.

Dawkins is a long-term critic of Matauranga Maori. In a 2021 letter to the Royal Society of New Zealand, he wrote: “Science classes are emphatically not the right place to teach scientific falsehoods. Creationism is still bollocks even if it is indigenous bollocks.”

[ Via: https://archive.is/TjzrP ]

==

The argument being made here is that it's "unfair" or even "bigoted" to not grant indigenous myths and legends "equality" in the science classroom, to be given equal time and equal consideration with actual science. That they are entitled to access to the science classroom as a form of "inclusion," despite never being subject to - and indeed, declared immune from - the process of scientific checking.

It does this through manipulation and exploitation of egalitarian instincts. This is the same tactic the creationists adopted.

Thus the creationists began to portray themselves as an oppressed minority. “Under the present system . . . the student is being indoctrinated in a philosophy of secular humanism,” one typical creationist complained. ���The authoritarianism of the medieval church has been replaced by the authoritarianism of rational materialism. Constitutional guarantees are violated and free scientific inquiry is stifled under this blanket of dogmatism.” That is what a fundamentalist Christian state education official in Arizona was getting at when he said that if parents tell their children that the earth is flat, teachers have no right to contradict them. No one has a right to impose his opinion on others—and the idea that humans evolved from earlier species is, the Christians said, ultimately just some people’s opinion.

-- Jonathan Rauch, "Kindly Inquisitors"

But neither creationism nor indigenous myths are entitled to inclusion in the science classroom. Because neither has been subjected to rigorous testing or disconfirmation, and are therefore not science. No matter what sort of emotional exploitation creationists and activists try to pull. The only thing any idea is entitled to inclusion in is submitting itself to the competitive and contentious process of scientific checking.

Unfortunately, while the former is being kept at bay, the latter has made significant inroads at corrupting scientific education and inquiry.