#muspellheim

[venti-death-watch]

diluc is gonna die because of the genesis pearl, or to purify to the genesis pearl à la brunnhildr’s pyre purifying the ring of power. or something like that

[satansfashionconsultant]

Uh, scuse me. Who are you?

I am Surt, lord of the fire jotuns, king of Muspellheim, husband to Lucifer and beloved to Frey.

[pansexualkiba]

"Todoroki-kun, I have a question." Midoriya asked, sitting down across from Todoroki. "Anything for you, Midoriya." Todoroki looked up from his coloring book. "Okay, so..." Midoriya pulled out his notebook. "I've been doing the math, and I've run into a wall. Your Quirk creates ice, but I've been trying to determine how. Is it created from the ambient water vapor? I determined that it can't be, because you've been able to produce the same amount of ice in both humid and dry air conditions. So-" "Midoriya." Todoroki interrupted Midoriya. "I don't make ice."

Midoriya stared at Todoroki.

Todoroki created an ice cube and bit into it.

"What." Midoriya demanded.

"The right half of my Quirk is directly linked to the ice dimension, which is a dimension composed entirely of ice." Todoroki explained blankly. "I'm summoning ice from the ice dimension. A similar reaction is occurring with my left half, only with the fire dimension instead."

Midoriya stared at Todoroki.

"A direct contract with Niflheim and Muspellheim?" Tokoyami wondered as Dark Shadow colored their tiger purple.

"What." Midoriya demanded.

[imhotterthanallofyou]

Shoutout to all lgbt+ people evrywhere

The ones in Jotunheim. The ones in Vanaheim. The ones in Asgard. The ones in Alfheim. The ones in Nidavellir. The ones in Muspellheim. The ones in Niflheim. Those of you in Helheim. And yes, even the ones in Midgard.

Remember who your original patron god was. I am here for you.

Embrace your heritage. Make a little chaos, it's good for the soul.

[wannabeskald]

Got a little silly, decided to write something. Might add on to it later. I might just abandon it.

The Ballad of the Beginning

From the Ginnungagap did form

Great Yimir, the screamer,

Between the frigid Nifilheim

And Muspellheim's flicker.

Born of unmade oceans and rime

Yimir was not alone.

On Adhumla's milk he did feast,

Hunger he did not know.

The cow while licking salt did make

Buri, the lone first god.

From Yimir sprang the Jötunar,

Existence theirs to trod.

From Buri came a son named Börr.

The Jötunar did see

These gods as a danger to the

Chaos that gave them glee.

The gods and Jötunar did war

But neither side held sway.

'Til Börr and Bestla had three sons,

Odin, Vili, and Ve.

[artist-kili]

Funfact:

I am norse Pagan!

I also like APH Norway a lot. So why not give him (and his 2P) some mythological background~ (background is not by me. I only slightly edited it).

Some of my headcanons for them:

- Their names are Lukas and Loki Bondevik

- Lukas and Loki each represent Niflheim and Muspellheim (it corresponds on which side of Yggdrasil they are. Loki being left and Lukas right)

- Lukas has a strong connection to Odin and worships him a lot

- Lukas is also blind and sees through the eyes of two ravens (which is again inspired by Odin's ravens Munnin and Huginn) who are called Trygve and Troels.

[hiding1ntheforest]

Dark Ages: Apocalypticism, Aeons and Chaos in Paganism

Something that has always fascinated me about the study of religion is the common themes among many of them, especially the various forms of polytheism. Of course, many forms of paganism share the same origin point but it’s nonetheless incredible that so many cultures, some of which have never even interacted, share the same perspectives and similar myths. One of these common themes is that of the cyclic nature of our existence. In paganism, we are constantly going through the process of creation and destruction on a loop. We emerge from a great primeval void, chaos, before transitioning to a period of development and sophistication. In some cases, the process of this cycle is much more distinct, such as the Satya Yuga to the final Kali Yuga in Hinduism. For others, the cycles are less clearly defined. Among the North, our reality was built from the generative substance of the Ginnungagap. Out of this chaos though before its return, the Gods bring order, truth, and beauty. This blog post will explore the significance of birth and rebirth or creation and destruction, the concept of cosmological chaos, as well as “end of the world” events in paganism.

Chaos

The creation of the world is an important aspect to any religion. Germanic paganism explains this from the beginning with the Ginnungagap, or the “yawning void.” This void is first introduced in Gylfaginning, where sparks from Muspellheim enter the void and are then dispersed throughout the many realms of existence. In the Voluspa, we learn that Woden and his brothers built the world from the material of the Ginnungagap. Among the Anglo-Saxons, the word “dwolma” refers to chaos and can be linguistically traced to the Old Saxon word “dwalm” which means confusion. This may illustrate the void possessing the matter which will construct all life. Additionally, some scholars believe that the term Ginnungagap has its origins in Old High German with more mystical connotations. This strongly parallels the perspective of the ancient Egyptians. Like our Germanic ancestors, the Egyptians believed that all life was created from cosmological chaos. Similar to Ginnungagap, this chaos was an empty void; nothingness with the ability to create. They also believed that it was watery, an idea tied to the primeval waters of Nun. Again, water as the prima materia is a widespread philosophy. Aristotle wrote that Thales argued for water being the progenitor of all things. Later, the alchemists claimed that mercury was the prima materia and also referred to it as sacred water. This may be compared to the mercurial force of Woden creating the world from nothingness. I won’t delve into this too much in this post, but it’s clear that ancient polytheists recognized that the potential for all life was conceived out of mystic primordial emptiness by the creator.

The End of the World

If you’re following this blog, then I’m sure you have heard of Ragnarok. Ragnarok, or “the twilight of the Gods”, is essentially the apocalypse of Norse paganism. It should be noted that Ragnarok is specifically attested among the Northern Germanic peoples. Despite this, the return to primordial chaos is certainly rooted in the Indo-European faith, so it is likely that all of the Germanic peoples had some idea of this. Etymologically, the word Ragnarok is very interesting. The first half of the word, “Ragna,” is in reference to the Gods. The second half may be derived from either “Rok” or “Rokkr.” The term “Rok” is striking because it means origin. This may suggest that return to primordial chaos and this will be further propounded by the myth itself. We get the word twilight in the phrase “twilight of the Gods” from “Rokkr.” The word “Ragnarokkr” is found in Lokasenna, though the term “aldarrok” is found in Vafthrudnismal, and this roughly translates to “end of an age.” This also indicates the recognition of metaphysical ages among the Norse. The tale of Ragnarok can be found in Voluspa. Roosters from all over crow and many jotnar begin to approach. The hound Garmr breaks loose. As a result, humanity begins to degrade. It is said that brothers go to war with one another, familial betrayal occurs, as well as lust and violence growing rampant. Ragnarok commences with Heimdall blowing the Gjallarhorn. The Gods then go to battle against the jotnar with the aid of different creatures. The battle results in many of the Gods being killed. Odin is swallowed by the great wolf Fenrir, though is later avenged when his son Vidarr stabs the beast in the heart. Thor slaughters Jormungandr but soon dies from the serpent’s venom. Finally, Freyr is killed by a jotunn called Surtr. The sun blackens and the heavens go up in flames. The Earth is then submerged beneath the sea. As a result of the battle, the Earth soon remerges from the sea and the surviving Gods congregate together. The Earth begins to revive as vegetation grows. We also learn that the brothers Hodr and Baldr will return along with Njord. Two humans, Lif and Lifthrasir will have survived Ragnarok and repopulate the Earth. Again, we can draw parallels between Ragnarok and the return of the primordial waters in Egypt. Chaos will return after the mighty serpent Apophis defeats the sun God Ra, swallowing up the Earth while the creator grows too old and weary to reinstate order. This serpent is associated with natural disasters as well as general disorder and we come across many myths in which the Gods must reckon with Apophis. Moreover, Ra must encounter Apophis every night during his journey to Duat, the underworld. Apophis is extremely similar to the serpent Jormungandr who plays an important part in Ragnarok and the myths as a whole. This serpent is also associated with the water and engulfs the Earth by biting its tail, much like Apophis who swallows it whole. The Gods, specifically Thunor, are frequently disturbed by this serpent. Most importantly, Ragnarok or any apocalyptic event in paganism does not depict the end of the world, but rather a return to the beginning. Woden created the Earth using the body of the jotunn Ymir, meanwhile many of the Gods die due to the jotnar. There is no end- only birth, death and rebirth.

The Yugas

One cannot discuss apocalypticism without talking about the Yugas, specifically Kali Yuga. It may seem that discussing Hinduism does not fit in with this article or this account’s theme as a whole but seeing that it is the Indo in Indo-European, as well as its comparison to metaphysical ages, I feel it’s still important to mention. The four Yugas all together span 4,320,000 years. Each Yuga is a multiple of the other, with the longest being Satya Yuga at 1.7 million years and the shortest being Kali Yuga at 432,000 years. There’s a lot of debate among Hindu thinkers on which Yuga we’re in now, but many believe that we are in the Kali Yuga. If I may interject my opinion, I believe they likely aren’t far off when you take a look at the world. Satya Yuga is often referred to as the Golden Age and overall the greatest time for human civilization. Truth, religiosity, morality, and beauty are at its peak. The first manifestation of Vishnu appears with Mastyadeva. Mastyadeva must battle the demon Hayagriva who attempts to steal the Vedas from Brahma. The Vedas are crucial because with the degradation of the Vedas follows the degradation of civilization. This decline begins to show during Treta Yuga. Truth and religiosity slowly begins to slip. Some humans grow physically weaker while some elevate to almost a godlike status due to enlightenment. Dwapar Yuga, also called the Bronze Age, shows an increase in materialism, violence and lust. The forces of good and evil are at a tie. The Vedas are divided into four. This is also when Krishna recites the Bhagavad Gita which is very important to the coming age. Kali Yuga is the Iron Age. It is the last age before the cycle repeats. The family unit deteriorates, humanity is divided and the Earth is polluted. Out of Kali Yuga, the next Satya Yuga emerges and the continual cycle repeats once more.

Conclusion

The cycle of life, death and rebirth are central to any form of paganism. Across the globe, many different cultures have their own conceptions and myths revolving around this cycle that share common themes and principles. Whether it be the Ginnungagap or primordial waters of Nun, all things come from a dark cosmic emptiness. Moreover, we all must return to that place of nothingness. Among the Norse, Ragnarok resets the universe while the world’s order slowly disintegrates due to an aging creator according to the Egyptians. Perhaps the most popular example of this life-death-rebirth loop is that of the Yugas among Hinduism. From East to West, we are chained to this mystical sequence.

[bouncehousedemons]

Eyes and Toes

This was created for the winter solstice event hosted by @vikingsevents for the prompt stargazing.

650 word drabble below the cut. No warnings apply. Pairing: Helga x Floki.

Helga shivered, pulling the fur that she and Floki shared tighter around her shoulders as they sat by the fire. On nights as chilly as this they would usually find warmth and shelter within the hut they shared together on the outskirts of Kattegat. However, tonight was the first cloudless sky they had had all winter and Floki was insistent that he wanted to look up at the stars. Ever the dutiful wife, Helga had offered to keep him company and so they had sat in comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional tittering laugh from the boat builder.

“Helga,” Floki finally whispered, not shifting his gaze from the sky, “Do you know where the stars come from?”

“They are the sparks from Muspellheim, brought by the four dwarves that hold up Ymir’s skull as the sky”, she says with a smile, hoping her answer will please her husband.

“Some of them yes, but not all of them,” He finally looks at her then, taking a lock of her long, blonde hair between his fingers and gently twirling it as he continues to speak, “Did you know that some of the stars are eyes and toes?”

Helga laughs, a quiet, dulcet tone emitted from pure amusement without the intent to mock Floki. Yet he is displeased with her mirth.

“It is not funny”, he says sulkily, letting go of her hair and looking back up at the sky.

“I would never laugh at you, Floki”, she reassures him with kindness, linking her arm through his and leaning in to his shoulder. “Tell me why there are eyes and toes in the sky.”

He rests his chin atop her head as he begins to tell the first story. “Þjazi was a jötunn and he managed to kidnap Iðunn, the keeper of the apples of youth, from Asgard. Loki managed to save her but was pursued by Þjazi, who was killed. Þjazi’s daughter Skadi came and demanded compensation for her father. Skadi was given a husband, in addition Odin placed Þjazi’s eyes in the sky.”

“Do you know which stars they are?” Helga asked, her fingers drawing lazy circles across the back of Floki’s hand.

“No, nobody does”, he replied, “But they eyes of a jötunn are always watching us.”

“And the toe?”

“Ah, yes. Thor was injured in his fight against Hrungnir, a jötunn made of stone.”

“There are a lot of giants in your stories, Floki.” Helga muses with a fond smile.

“Stop interrupting!” he scolds, though there is a playfulness to his tone and he butts the side of her head with his nose before continuing. “A small piece of stone got stuck in his head. In order to get it out, he sought help from a Völva named Groa. When Thor felt that the stone was coming out he told Groa that he helped her husband Aurvandill to escape from the land of the giants. During the escape Aurvandill froze his big toe, which Thor broke off and threw into the sky to become a star. This made Groa so happy that she forgot her magic, and Thor still has that piece of stone in his head.”

“So that is why the sky is filled with eyes and toes?” Helga asks with a wry smile.

Floki giggles. “It is.”

They lapse back into comfortable silence, cuddled against each other under their shared fur, as the fire crackles before them.

“Floki?” Helga implores, pulling away slightly to fully regard him.

“Hmmm?” he utters in reply.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes” he says, no trace of hesitation in his voice.

“You do not feel trapped?”

He pauses, considering his words carefully, before giving a truthful answer; “Sometimes, I do. But not in this moment. Right now I am just happy.”

Helga hums contentedly and leans back into his warmth before they both turn their attention back to the eyes and toes of the night sky.

[australet789]

Update on God of War:

I ended up killing my Play controller because of fighting those Berserkers beasts (no i didnt throw it, i may have smashed the buttons way too hard :v)

so i may need to wait to fix it to continue playing

Im doing the Muspellheim mission btw

And yes, Atreus is stil way better than Freya as my sidekick in combat

[mxelliott]

pertaining to minorities and whatnots—in the marvel cinematic universe, each of the nine realms in the first two thor movies (this discounts muspellheim, nidavellir, helheim/niflheim, alfheim, & midgard) are based after a specific cultural area on earth.

asgard is mainly european.

vanaheim is eurasian-based (lots of spices, wrapped clothes, etc)

svartalfheim is mainly unknown, but from what i inferred takes closely after some native american-like customs. (headdresses, lots of leather clothes, ornaments/plaits in hair, etc)

jötunheim (from what i’ve gathered) is mainly based on some variation of african cultures (tattoo-like body marks, little clothes, etc)

conclusion: loki can technically be called a POC, especially considering how he was indoctrinated with the ideas of the jötuns (poc) being ruthless beasts, monsters, uncivilized creatures, etc. he was ultimately adopted by a predominantly white/european family as a child of color.

he’s also played by a white person, which brings up the makeup transformation he has to have to look blue and if that could be considered black face here outside the cinematic universe loki is from

i could write a whole ass paper on this shit and how much disney is stagnant in ye olde mindsets of racism, homophobia, etc

i also feel weird talking about this as a young, inexperienced/uneducated, white individual with very few poc friends/acquaintances

[wyrmfedgrave]

Output: 1914.

Part 3: "Teuton's Battle Song" Continues -

Cries of pain (&) roars of... rage,

One vast symphony (my) ears engage.

Strike down... whoever bars your way;

Let each (man) kill,

(Before) he dies today!

Ride over the weak;

Accomplish what you can;

Gods are kind... to the strongest man!

Why should we fear?

What greater joy than this?

Asgard alone... gives (a) sweeter bliss!

My strength is waning;

Dimly I see

Valkyries close to me.

How strange the thought of fear,

With Woden's... messengers near!

Darkness comes (&) my spirit rise(s);

Kind Valkyrie bear me (up) to the sk(y).

Conscience clear,

I quit the earth below,

Woden's hall (will I) know.

Grove of Glasir¹... shall I behold,

On Valhalla's tablets be enrolled:

There til Heimdall's² horn shall sound,

And Ragnarok creation (sur)round,

Bifrost³ breaks beneath... Surtur's⁴ horde,

Gods & men fall beneath the sword;

The sun shall die,

And sea devour (all) land,

Stars decend & chaos stand(s).

Then, Alfadur makes his realm anew,

(To) Gods & men

(A) purer life is due.

In that country shall Abundance reign,

Nor shall... vice or woe... remain.

Then shall battle cease

And happiness prevail

(For) evermore.

Notes:

1. Glasir (gleaming) is a tree grove with golden red leaves that lies just outside of Valhalla.

2. Heimdall (illuminator of the world), the main watch guard of Asgard, has keen senses of sight & sound.

Himinbjorg (mountain castle), his home, is located where Bifrost meets the sky.

3. Bifrost (shimmering path) is the rainbow 'bridge' that connects Earth with the heavens.

However, this rainbow only has 3 colors! The red in the bridge is actually fires meant to keep the Jotnar (giants) away.

But, that defense will fail against Surtur's army...

Scholars think that it represents the Milky Way.

4. Surtur (swarty or black one) is a fire Jotunn (man? eaters) who wields a flaming sword.

He guards Muspellheim's (world wreckers) frontier & will lead an army to destroy Asgard - after personally defeating Freyr.

The flames from Asgard's destruction spread out & engulf the whole world!!

Flames that only go out when the Earth sinks in the sea...

PS: Commentary to follow in Part 4.

(Anybody else feel the Tri-State quake?)

Pics: "Teuton's Battle-Song."

1 & 2. A modern look at Anglo-Saxon warriors. These are based on what has been found by archaeologists.

Info comes in from A-S writings, art & what survived to be excavated.

Still, some 'educated' guesses help fill in for what is missing...

3. Shows the gradual withdrawal of Roman forces from Britain.

Also, early raiding by armed groups from around the island & from foreign ports in Europe.

4. Where the mass migrations came - mostly from Germanic tribes.

Successful early attacks became mass migrations of whole 'nations.'

These landings quickly spread out & took control of the southern & middle of the island.

This was early "England" (land of the Anglos)...

The whole island wouldn't be united until after the Norman conquest...

5 & 6. Modern (digital?) versions of Surtur, whose fiery sword closes out the Norse divine era.

For writers out there, this story needs to be continued - in the Balder Era.

Jack Kirby took a swing at it in his New God's storyline.

Anybody else?

7 thru 9. Surtur's horde of demon warriors - from the "Thor: Ragnarok" movie.

Marvel changed the original Norse stories - but, I think it worked out...

Spectacularly.

Next: Part 4 - Commentary.

[666vicious]

"the european fire myth expresses well the energies we have seen at work in our investigations. the titan prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man; he is the prime example of a defiant, questing rebel who abhors stasis and stagnancy. he serves as an ideal for the visionary and artist, the seeker. prometheus moreover represents an important archetype for the satanist; he is the adversary, the willful iconoclast who spurs change with his actions. another mythical giant comes in the form of surtr, guardian of the thermal realm of muspellheim, who controls the destructive capabilities of fire. he wipes away the old and weakened, that something pristine might appear in their stead. surtr is another patron of the rebellious, but his efforts must lead to renewal. without this, the rebellion is little more than nihilism made tangible. fire stirs the spirit of human artistry; it is the spark of the will-to-create. it expresses the polarity of emotions, as bachelard notes, and represents both the passionate higher ideals, as well as the hot and consuming tempers of irrationality. the political revolutionary is possessed of flaming disposition, and for him a corrupt world destroyed by fire has great appeal. the religious fanatic – being a christian or satanist – also dreams in visions of grotesque, burning hell. fire is not appreciated in our civilized society, either in its literal or spiritual manifestation. most people have lost interaction with real life; the once universal, mystical experience of blazing night fires is gone from their lives. stoking the flames of resentment or dissension is frowned upon in a world which depends on the smooth exchange of services. those possessed of unrestrained spirit are silenced, or ordered to fit in. their tendencies must be stifled. extreme emotions are shunned; those who act on them become outcasts. mainstream culture produces a bulging sea of quaint diversions, the ostensible rewards for good behavior. the music and art made available to the masses has the consistency of soft, damp pulp – hardly a conducive medium for fire.   despite all this, the fire is still there. it has been locked away, its coals covered over — yet it cannot be extinguished. the forces of finance and materialism attempt to root it out and then stamp it out. but the more the lid is put on fire, the more intense the pressure builds for its release. rather than dying away and flickering out, rebellious embers grow brighter. they begin to move, searing a path towards any oxygen. the burning sparks of mind, spirit, and emotion seek one another. their ultimate hope is that they may catch hold again, to unleash their full powers. with the necessary fuel they could illumine the darkness and incinerate that which is stagnant.  in his poetry tarjei vesaas often speaks of fire, that untamed energy in our midst. he tells of an allegorical ‘land of many fires.’ it is a place one can visit, but not in the external world. it lies within man. to end with another quote from vesaas’ pen seems appropriate: heaps of cinder all around – eruptions half-forgotten. dead refuse. and the dim remembrance of another time, another place – the land of many fires. hidden under heavy crust waiting for eruption, and the heat of the netherworld – fires that feed upon themselves."

michael moynihan and didrik soderlind, lords of chaos: the bloody rise of the satanic metal underground

[satansfashionconsultant]

I’m coming to Muspellheim with a bucket of water to cool you off

I don't get it. Why do I need to cool off?

[brookston]

Holidays 1.15

Holidays

Alpha Kappa Alpha Day

Arbor Day (Egypt, Florida, Jordan, Lousiana)

Armed Forces Remembrance Day (Nigeria)

Army Day (India)

Basketball Rules Day

British Museum Day (UK)

Commemoration Day of the Genocide Against Albanians (Kosovo)

Composer Day (Mexico)

Democratic Donkey Day

Esquipulas (Guatemala)

4-H Day

George Price Day (Belize)

Guster Day (Boston, Massachusetts)

Halfway Point of Meteorological Winter

Happy Days Day

International Free Agent Signing Day (Baseball)

International Vote from Abroad Day

John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)

Korean Alphabet Day (a.k.a. Chosen-gul)

Massage Parlor Day

Miracle on the Hudson Day

Moliere Day (France)

Museum Day (UK)

National Eskimo Dog Day

National Go and Do Good Day

National Hat Day

National Humanitarian Day

National Kayla Day

National Twitter Day

National Zombies Day

Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)

Procrastinator’s New Year

Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū (Kamakura, Japan)

South Wind’s Prayer (Elder Scrolls)

Space Mountain Day

Super Bowl Anniversary Day

Teacher’s Day (Venezuela)

Thank Your Mentor Day

Tin Day (French Republic)

Tree Planting Day (Egypt)

Tulpanens Dag (a.k.a. Tulip Day; Sweden)

Wikipedia Day

Willie Hoppe Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Craft-Brew Day (Berkeley, California)

National Bagel Day (a.k.a. Bagels and Lox Day)

National Booth Day

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day

Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Wassailing the Apple Trees

3rd Monday in January

Auld Hansel Monday (Scotland) [Monday after 12th]

Brew Monday (UK) [3rd Monday]

Earl Grey Day [3rd Monday]

Elementary School Teacher Day [3rd Monday]

Humanitarian Day [3rd Monday]

Human Relations Day [3rd Monday]

Human Rights Day (Idaho) [3rd Monday]

John Chilembwe Day observed (Malawi) [Monday closest to 1.15]

Junk-Food News Stories Day [3rd Monday]

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (a.k.a. MLK Day, King Day) [3rd Monday]

National Crowd Feed Day [3rd Monday]

National Day of Service [3rd Monday]

National Pothole Day (UK) [Closest Weekday to 15th]

Robert E. Lee Day (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi) [3rd Monday]

Independence & Related Days

Commonwealth of Abrus (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

International Recognition Day (Croatia)

Festivals Beginning January 15, 2024

Camel Festival (Birkaner, India) [thru 1.16]

Primetime Emmy Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Restaurant Week (San Antonio, Texas) [thru 1.27]

Southern California Slack Key Festival (Redondo Beach, California)

Feast Days

Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)

Arnold Janssen (Christian; Saint)

Ask the Minotaur Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Black Christ of Esquipulas Day (Guatemala)

Bonitus (Christian; Saint)

Calybite (Christian; Saint)

Carmentalia (Old Roman Festival to Porrima and Postverta)

Feast of the Abbot of Unreason

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Artology; Saint)

Fo-Hi (Positivist; Saint)

The Fragglettes (Muppetism)

Frances Benjamin Johnston (Artology)

Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (A Martyred Saint of China)

Isidore (Christian; Saint)

Ita (Christian; Saint)

Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)

Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict)

Muspellheim Day: Surt’s Blot (Pagan)

Niccolo Machiavelli Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival (a.k.a. Tondo Matsuri, Sai No Kami, Sagicho, Dondo Yaki, and Dōsojin Matsuri; Japan)

Our Lady of the Poor (Christian; Saint)

Paul the Hermit (a.k.a. Paul of Thebes; Christian; Saint)

Thiruvalluvar Day (India)

Unicorn Hunting Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [3 of 53]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [7 of 32]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [6 of 60]

Premieres

Alice the Toreador (Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice’s Balloon Race & Alice’s Orphan (Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Be Mice to Cats (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Benny Hill Show (BBC TV Series; 1955)

The Book of Eli (Film; 2010)

Bullwinkle Bites Back or Nothing But the Tooth (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 90; 1961)

Bullwinkle Makes His Bid or Going! Going! Gun! (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 195; 1963)

Call the Midwife (BBC TV Series; 2012)

The Candy House (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1934)

Catch the Saint, by Christopher Short (Short Stories; 1975) [Saint #45]

The Dig (Film; 2021)

Donald’s Weekend (Disney Cartoon TV Special; 1958)

Education for Death (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 1987) [Discworld #3]

The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan (Novel; 1990) [Wheel of Time #1]

The Fastest Guitar Alive (Film; 1967)

Feather Dusted (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Get It On, recorded by Chase (Song; 1971)

Goggle Fishing Bear, featuring Barney Bear (MGM Cartoon; 1949)

Happy Days (TV Series; 1974)

Hill Street Blues (TV Series; 1981)

I Can’t Explain, by The Who (Song; 1965)

It’s the Talk of the Town, by The Glen Gray Orchestra (Song; 1942)

The Last of Us (TV Series; 2023)

Man Bites Dog (Film; 1993)

The Man in the High Castle (TV Series; 2015)

Metal-Munching Mice, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 89; 1961)

Moonstruck (Film; 1987)

Moonwalkers (Film; 2016)

My Sweet Lord, by George Harrison (Song; 1971)

Norm of the North (Animated Film; 2016)

The Philosophy Of The Revolution, by Gamal Abdel Nasser (Political Theory; 1956)

The Pied Piper of Basin Street (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1945)

The Pigman, by Paul Zindel (Novel; 1968)

Porky’s Poppa (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Reign of the Supermen (WB Animated Film; 2019)

Rock the Boat, by Aaliyah (Song; 2002)

The Sea Beast (Film; 1926)

A Separate Reality, by Carlos Castaneda (Philosophy Book; 1971)

Space Mountain (Disneyland Attraction; 1975)

Utopia (UK TV Series; 2013)

The Vanishing American or No Moose is Good Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 196; 1963)

Varsity Blues (Film; 1999)

WandaVision (TV Series; 2021)

Weathering With You (Anime Film; 2020)

Yayati: A Classic Tale of Lust, by Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (Novel; 1963)

Today’s Name Days

Dietwald, Marcel, Tilman (Austria)

Marcel, Mislav, Oton (Croatia)

Ctirad (Czech Republic)

Marcellus (Denmark)

Illimar, Ilmar, Ilmo (Estonia)

Solja(Finland)

Rachel, Rémi (France)

Arno, Arnold, Mauro, Romedius (Germany)

Loránd, Lóránt (Hungary)

Ida, Mauro (Italy)

Felicita, Fēlikss (Latvia)

Meda, Paulius, Skirgaila, Snieguolė (Lithuania)

Laura, Laurits (Norway)

Aleksander, Dąbrówka, Dobrawa, Domasław, Domosław, Izydor, Makary, Maur, Paweł (Poland)

Pavel (Romania)

Dobroslav (Slovakia)

Mauro (Spain)

Laura, Lorentz (Sweden)

Deidre, Deirdre, Deja, Marten, Martin, Marty (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 15 of 2024; 351 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 3 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Beth (Birch) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 5 (Wu-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 5 Shevat 5784

Islamic: 4 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 15 White; Oneday [15 of 30]

Julian: 2 January 2024

Moon: 25%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 15 Moses (1st Month) [Fo-Hi]

Runic Half Month: Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 26 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 1.15

Holidays

Alpha Kappa Alpha Day

Arbor Day (Egypt, Florida, Jordan, Lousiana)

Armed Forces Remembrance Day (Nigeria)

Army Day (India)

Basketball Rules Day

British Museum Day (UK)

Commemoration Day of the Genocide Against Albanians (Kosovo)

Composer Day (Mexico)

Democratic Donkey Day

Esquipulas (Guatemala)

4-H Day

George Price Day (Belize)

Guster Day (Boston, Massachusetts)

Halfway Point of Meteorological Winter

Happy Days Day

International Free Agent Signing Day (Baseball)

International Vote from Abroad Day

John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)

Korean Alphabet Day (a.k.a. Chosen-gul)

Massage Parlor Day

Miracle on the Hudson Day

Moliere Day (France)

Museum Day (UK)

National Eskimo Dog Day

National Go and Do Good Day

National Hat Day

National Humanitarian Day

National Kayla Day

National Twitter Day

National Zombies Day

Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)

Procrastinator’s New Year

Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū (Kamakura, Japan)

South Wind’s Prayer (Elder Scrolls)

Space Mountain Day

Super Bowl Anniversary Day

Teacher’s Day (Venezuela)

Thank Your Mentor Day

Tin Day (French Republic)

Tree Planting Day (Egypt)

Tulpanens Dag (a.k.a. Tulip Day; Sweden)

Wikipedia Day

Willie Hoppe Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Craft-Brew Day (Berkeley, California)

National Bagel Day (a.k.a. Bagels and Lox Day)

National Booth Day

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day

Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Wassailing the Apple Trees

3rd Monday in January

Auld Hansel Monday (Scotland) [Monday after 12th]

Brew Monday (UK) [3rd Monday]

Earl Grey Day [3rd Monday]

Elementary School Teacher Day [3rd Monday]

Humanitarian Day [3rd Monday]

Human Relations Day [3rd Monday]

Human Rights Day (Idaho) [3rd Monday]

John Chilembwe Day observed (Malawi) [Monday closest to 1.15]

Junk-Food News Stories Day [3rd Monday]

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (a.k.a. MLK Day, King Day) [3rd Monday]

National Crowd Feed Day [3rd Monday]

National Day of Service [3rd Monday]

National Pothole Day (UK) [Closest Weekday to 15th]

Robert E. Lee Day (Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi) [3rd Monday]

Independence & Related Days

Commonwealth of Abrus (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

International Recognition Day (Croatia)

Festivals Beginning January 15, 2024

Camel Festival (Birkaner, India) [thru 1.16]

Primetime Emmy Awards (Los Angeles, California)

Restaurant Week (San Antonio, Texas) [thru 1.27]

Southern California Slack Key Festival (Redondo Beach, California)

Feast Days

Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)

Arnold Janssen (Christian; Saint)

Ask the Minotaur Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Black Christ of Esquipulas Day (Guatemala)

Bonitus (Christian; Saint)

Calybite (Christian; Saint)

Carmentalia (Old Roman Festival to Porrima and Postverta)

Feast of the Abbot of Unreason

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Artology; Saint)

Fo-Hi (Positivist; Saint)

The Fragglettes (Muppetism)

Frances Benjamin Johnston (Artology)

Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (A Martyred Saint of China)

Isidore (Christian; Saint)

Ita (Christian; Saint)

Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)

Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict)

Muspellheim Day: Surt’s Blot (Pagan)

Niccolo Machiavelli Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival (a.k.a. Tondo Matsuri, Sai No Kami, Sagicho, Dondo Yaki, and Dōsojin Matsuri; Japan)

Our Lady of the Poor (Christian; Saint)

Paul the Hermit (a.k.a. Paul of Thebes; Christian; Saint)

Thiruvalluvar Day (India)

Unicorn Hunting Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [3 of 53]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [7 of 32]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [6 of 60]

Premieres

Alice the Toreador (Disney Cartoon; 1925)

Alice’s Balloon Race & Alice’s Orphan (Disney Cartoon; 1926)

Be Mice to Cats (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Benny Hill Show (BBC TV Series; 1955)

The Book of Eli (Film; 2010)

Bullwinkle Bites Back or Nothing But the Tooth (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 90; 1961)

Bullwinkle Makes His Bid or Going! Going! Gun! (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 195; 1963)

Call the Midwife (BBC TV Series; 2012)

The Candy House (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1934)

Catch the Saint, by Christopher Short (Short Stories; 1975) [Saint #45]

The Dig (Film; 2021)

Donald’s Weekend (Disney Cartoon TV Special; 1958)

Education for Death (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 1987) [Discworld #3]

The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan (Novel; 1990) [Wheel of Time #1]

The Fastest Guitar Alive (Film; 1967)

Feather Dusted (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Get It On, recorded by Chase (Song; 1971)

Goggle Fishing Bear, featuring Barney Bear (MGM Cartoon; 1949)

Happy Days (TV Series; 1974)

Hill Street Blues (TV Series; 1981)

I Can’t Explain, by The Who (Song; 1965)

It’s the Talk of the Town, by The Glen Gray Orchestra (Song; 1942)

The Last of Us (TV Series; 2023)

Man Bites Dog (Film; 1993)

The Man in the High Castle (TV Series; 2015)

Metal-Munching Mice, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 89; 1961)

Moonstruck (Film; 1987)

Moonwalkers (Film; 2016)

My Sweet Lord, by George Harrison (Song; 1971)

Norm of the North (Animated Film; 2016)

The Philosophy Of The Revolution, by Gamal Abdel Nasser (Political Theory; 1956)

The Pied Piper of Basin Street (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1945)

The Pigman, by Paul Zindel (Novel; 1968)

Porky’s Poppa (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Reign of the Supermen (WB Animated Film; 2019)

Rock the Boat, by Aaliyah (Song; 2002)

The Sea Beast (Film; 1926)

A Separate Reality, by Carlos Castaneda (Philosophy Book; 1971)

Space Mountain (Disneyland Attraction; 1975)

Utopia (UK TV Series; 2013)

The Vanishing American or No Moose is Good Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 196; 1963)

Varsity Blues (Film; 1999)

WandaVision (TV Series; 2021)

Weathering With You (Anime Film; 2020)

Yayati: A Classic Tale of Lust, by Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (Novel; 1963)

Today’s Name Days

Dietwald, Marcel, Tilman (Austria)

Marcel, Mislav, Oton (Croatia)

Ctirad (Czech Republic)

Marcellus (Denmark)

Illimar, Ilmar, Ilmo (Estonia)

Solja(Finland)

Rachel, Rémi (France)

Arno, Arnold, Mauro, Romedius (Germany)

Loránd, Lóránt (Hungary)

Ida, Mauro (Italy)

Felicita, Fēlikss (Latvia)

Meda, Paulius, Skirgaila, Snieguolė (Lithuania)

Laura, Laurits (Norway)

Aleksander, Dąbrówka, Dobrawa, Domasław, Domosław, Izydor, Makary, Maur, Paweł (Poland)

Pavel (Romania)

Dobroslav (Slovakia)

Mauro (Spain)

Laura, Lorentz (Sweden)

Deidre, Deirdre, Deja, Marten, Martin, Marty (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 15 of 2024; 351 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 3 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Beth (Birch) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Yi-Chou), Day 5 (Wu-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 5 Shevat 5784

Islamic: 4 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 15 White; Oneday [15 of 30]

Julian: 2 January 2024

Moon: 25%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 15 Moses (1st Month) [Fo-Hi]

Runic Half Month: Peorth (Womb, Dice Cup) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 26 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 25 of 31)

[mothmancreatoroftheleftoverse]

At level 42, Valgardian Sandygast evolves into Valgardian Palossand! Category: Sand castle pokemon Type: Ghost/Fire Gender ratio: 50% Male 50% Female Origin: Black sand, muspellheim, the volcano lair trope Name origin: Palace, loss, sand Ability: Magnetism, Water compaction (with sand veil as a hidden ability) Pokedex entry: People possessed by Valgardian sandygasts will transform them into infernal sand castles, as they evolve their power grows stronger. Valgardian Palossands create rivers of lava by spewing it out of their mouths and can turn lakes and ponds into hot springs by shooting it out of their heads. Buried beneath them are the bones of those they've melted the flesh off of, they eat small pokemon and absorb their life force and will into their sandy bodies. They sneak up onto prey by creating a smoldering sandstorm. Though it's known as the Reynisfjara nightmare, Valgardian palossands hate water as it washes away their sand and cools their lava. These pokemon fire out burnt bones by erupting them out of their hollow, lava-filled arms, the ashes of the bones fill the air suffocating those in the vicinity.

The shiny references Alolan Palossand.

With this line comes two new moves. Lava pool is a fire type trap move, and the Valgardian Sandygast line's signature move black sand storm, a fire type version of sandstorm that doesn't effect ground, rock, and fire types.