#mythos introduction

[the-library-of-a-r-labaere]

My Story You may have come here for many reasons- perhaps you are bored. Maybe doing a little research. Are you just looking for fun? Or… Maybe your motivations are darker. Perhaps you have found the truth beyond the veil- or you are naïve, and believe a friendly and loving god watches over us. It could be that you have come here to discover vast and incomprehensible realities- all the while knowing you will be driven mad. If any of these are so, allow me to be your companion through the endless void- where shadows writhe, where secrets slumber… Where destruction waits to rise once more. I am an aspiring horror author and reader, striving to have the greatness of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and Robert W. Chambers. Through my efforts, I hope to spread the genre and philosophy of cosmicism through my tales. Cosmicism is not, after all, a jovial thing. Cosmicism is a branch of nihilism, the belief in the utter meaninglessness of all hopes and endeavors. Although cosmicism became a full entity in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, its origins can be found in earlier science fiction and supernatural horror. In addition to cosmicism and weird fiction, I plan to explore other classic horror rarities. Too often I have seen true gems of terror buried in the sands of time. Please enjoy your stay. The mysteries from beyond the stars await.

[icharchivist]

was refreshing myself on some old myth for a bit and i read the french and english wiki page for the Charybdis' mythos, and i'm noticing something that i don't know if it's just the wiki being inaccurate or an actual difference (from the linguistic page it seems to be an actual difference) but

In English there's this expression about choosing between two equally bad horrible situations by saying "choosing between Scylla and Charybdis"

But in French the expression is "to fall from Charybdis to Scylla" and instead of a choice it's about managing to get out of a horrible situation only to get thrown into an even worse situation (the equivalent of the English's expression ""falling out of the frying pan into the fire")

if i believe the linguistic page there was a bit of borrowing around and technically both expressions are used in both language, but you're more likely to find the first one in English and the second one in French (very likely because Victor Hugo popularized "to fall from Charybdis to Scylla" with Les Misérables) (does not mean it started in French the origin of the expression is still Greek anyway, just talking about why the saying is more popular in French with weirdos like me)

idk i think it's cool on a sort of metatextual perspective that English People saw this myth and when "oof imagine picking between those two" while French people just chugged a bottle of wine and went "And it's a BINGO and LIFE SUCKS and it NEVER GETS EASIER you get BOTH OF THEM BABEYYY"

[shore-dude]

Intro

Jay (he/they) 19 I like Pokémon and Pokémen

Average Telemachus kin and Jodie Foster (dndads) simp

#water you doing here <- talking tag

[axl-ul]

Character Intro: Kogar Výtaušeima

Aliases:

Man with No Eyes, Majster/Majstre, Master Embalmer, Embalmer

Quote:

“An Embalmer should be the healer of the sick and the hunter of the damned.“

Physical traits:

Height: 190 cm (6 ft 2.8 in)

Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)

Build: lean, quite muscular

Hair: dark brown, chin-length, later cut short

Eyes: dark brown

Skin: pale with ashen undertone, dry

Unusual traits: has a scar running across the forehead and by the width of his left cheek, a part of his left ear is missing with the rest being severely disfigured

Personality:

Those few who remember the Embalmer, describe him as a stoic with only a couple of words on his lip. Yet he carried out his actions as swiftly as he was able to swish his sword through the air. Cold and intelligent, he never let anything to cloud his judgement. Although, some say he was more than foolish when he decided to keep a creature he named as his only disciple and successor in the craft of the embalming. Admittedly, some of his procedures could be viewed from eccentric to drastic. Yet everyone should bear in mind the Embalmer swore to protect the sanctity of a soul. There is a rumour that the two girls from his care lived up to the adulthood and viewed the bat demon/vampire as not only their guardian (and a master for the older one), but even as their 'father' as well, though they did not relate to him by a single drop of blood. This only claims another rumour that his old heart was able to fully beat around his only children.

Personal life and relationships:

Master Kogar was known as a man of few words yet many actions what showed when he took under his roof three little children, two of them being wolf demons. Sources claim that his relationship was warmest with the oldest and the youngest one as the middle child often decided to misbehave and occassionally throw some blame onto the oldest child. However, the Embalmer did his best to find his way even to this girl and bring her up.

Other than the three foter children, most probably belonging to the tribe of the Wendic demons (with the exception of the oldest child who hasn't been confirmed as neither a demon or a human), he kept in touch with other embalmers from his order. Which isn't much surprising as bat demons are known to separate themselves from other demon tribes, but never from their own clan.

Although Master Kogar did use the name Výtaušeima as his family name, he was never born to such a clan. Rather, it is a surname he chose to carry as his predecesor was named Výtaušeima. Killing his former master upon learning he had been involved with the cultists of the Repentent Ones, he kept onto the name in hopes to cleanse it one day for he believed in his master's innocence unitl the day of his death. The surname was also passed onto his foster children whom he had taught to never forget but always forgive.

He carried out his duty as an embalmer to his last breath when he was impaled by villagers from the neighbouring demonic settlement deep in the forest within the region of Carpathian Mountains (the most probable location for the place of the incident is suspectedd to be held in the region of Low Tatras, however no certain claim has been made so far). Left to succumb to his wounds, the only witness to this horryfying scene, apart from the demons who carried out the execution and later died in an inexplicable incident, was his successor, Ulfrika Výtaušeimová, the Master Embalmer of many names but only one face she covered with the mask of her deceased master.

Role:

A minor character in Empire of Dust (mostly mentioned)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added): @vanessaroades-author @rubywrite @aohendo @rbbess110 @jgmartin @outpost51 @athenswrites @kainablue

[shhoup]

Alright so I've been introduced to and have recently finished watching the Monument Mythos youtube series which is absolutely great and I recommend it to anyone who may be a fan of weird multiverse shit, body horror probably and horror that just barely also counts as shitposting, (however if I remember correctly the series makes use of flashing lights and shakey screens with no trigger warning so watch at your own risk) but I have a lore question (+ theory?) for those who have seen the season 3 finale so spoilers below cut

So at the end we see the Mr Manticore constellation and it's made of the 'good people' of the series ; the face bit has a star for every man that formed the Angel, there are three that represent Thomas, Nina and Freedom, and the last star is for Everett Arnoldson.

Is this because there's an extra star commemorating the Angel itself post death ray? Kinda how Freedom gets her own star, tho this could be because the statues all seem to have their own mind and therefore her sentience isn't a result of Thomas and Nina being put inside of her a la fnaf and other indie horrors.

(Sidenote writing this at night and having to see that constellation over the black screen with no other music or anything only showed me how scary that face bit is like my god I really hate looking at it like tbis for some reason)

However I got curious and counted the stars that represent the men. The Angel is formed of 17 unknown soldiers, but I counted 18 stars.

Anyway I just wanted to throw this out and include myself in the community a little bit. Still haven't watched the Ningen videos yet so maybe they'll have an answer. Can't wait for season 4!

Does the Angel really count as a seperate entity from the men like Freedom is from Thomas and Nina? Because it doesn't seem to be the case since when they talk to Cthnaut A, their voice is an amalgamation of voices.

Or maybe the 18th star represents Cthnaut A himself, leaving a small reminder of himself before he leaves this unisverse?

Or maybe it's just a small mistake that I'm looking into way too hard because I want to be involved in finding some bit of lore in one of the many lore based series' that I love and cherish.

[wyvern-flames]

I keep seeing people say that, in the game, people pronounced Mythos in different ways and it always surprises me because, in Spanish, it was always "Myuthos." I thought the English version was following the "myth" part of the pronunciation, since I read the subs in English, and thought the Spanish ones would have it written kind of like "Miuthos" or just "Myuthos" or something... Kind of like how Ultima is Artema, instead.

[ochiody]

yes !!! epic as a replacement is just. not viable. it has a different plot and message than the odyssey, it solves conflicts differently, it is sanitized and shortened and occasionally dramatized in ways that are meant to appeal to modern audiences and work with a shorter musical format. in this it takes a lot of creative liberties and simply cannot act as a substitute

epic is a wonderful project but it is NOT !! the odyssey

(comment on tiktok) "im gonna listen to epic so i dont have to read the odyssey" nuh uh nope no nope nope nope dont do that. tone tag for i am trying to help

[the-mortuary-witch]

GRIMORE IDEAS

INTRODUCTION:

A book blessing.

Table of contents.

ABOUT ME:

Your current path.

Your personal beliefs.

Your spiritual journey.

Superstitions.

Past lives.

Favourite herbs/crystals/animals/etc.

Natal chart.

Craft name.

Astrology signs and their meanings.

Birthday correspondences (birth tarot card, birth stone, etc.)

Goals.

SAFETY:

Fire safety.

What not to burn.

Toxic plants and oils (to humans, plants, and animals.)

Crystals that shouldn’t be put… (in sunlight, in water, etc.)

Things that shouldn’t be In nature (glass, salt, etc.)

Potion safety.

How to incorporate blood in spells.

Smoke safety.

Wound care.

Biohazards.

Spirit work safety guide.

CORE CONCEPTS:

Intention and how it works.

Directing energy.

Protection.

Banishing.

Cleansing.

Binding.

Charging.

Shielding.

Grounding.

Centering.

Visualization.

Consecration/blessing.

Warding.

Enchanting.

Manifestation.

Meditation.

What makes a spell work.

Basic spell structure.

What not to do in spells.

Disposing spell ingredients.

Revitalizing long term spells.

How to cast spells.

What to put in spells.

Spell mediums (jars, spoken, candle, and sigils.)

Spell timing.

Potion bases.

Differentiating between magick and mundane.

Common terms.

Common symbols.

Intuition.

Elements.

Basic alchemy and symbols.

Ways to break spells.

Laws and philosophies.

CORRESPONDENCES:

Herbs and spices and their uses and/or properties.

Crystals and their uses and/or properties.

Colours.

Liquids and drinks.

Metals.

Salt and their properties.

Numbers.

Tarot cards and their meanings.

Elements.

Trees and woods.

Flowers.

Days.

Months.

Seasons.

Moon names, phases, and their meanings.

Zodiacs.

Planets.

Incense.

Teas.

Essential oils.

Directions.

Candle colours and their meanings.

Animals.

Symbology.

Bone correspondences.

Different types of water.

Common plants.

ENTITIES:

Deities you worship.

Pantheons.

Pantheons and deities closed to you.

Common offerings.

Epithets.

Mythos.

Family.

Worship vs work.

Prayers and prayer template.

Deity comms.

Devotional acts.

Angels.

Demons.

Ancestors.

Fae.

Familiars.

House, animal, plant, etc. spirits.

Folklore entities.

Spirit etiquette.

Graveyard etiquette.

Boundaries.

Communication guide and etiquette.

Spirit work safety guide.

How entities appear to you.

Circle casting.

Servitors.

Mythological creatures (dragons, gorgons, unicorns, etc.)

UTILITY PAGES:

Gazing pages.

Sigil charging station.

Altar pages.

Intent pages.

Getaway pages.

Vision boards.

Dream pages.

Binding page.

Pendulum board.

Throwing bones page.

Divination pages.

Mirror gazing page.

Invocation pages.

Affirmation/manifestation pages.

Spirit board page.

OTHER PRACTICES:

Practices that are closed to you (Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria, Brujeria, Shamanism, Native practices.)

Wicca and Wiccan paths.

Satanism, both theistic and non-theistic.

Deity/entity work.

Religious paths (Hellenism, Christianity, Kemeticism, etc.)

Animism.

TYPES OF MAGICK:

Pop culture Paganism/magick.

Tech magick.

Chaos magick.

Green magick.

Lunar magick.

Solar magick.

Sea magick.

Kitchen magick.

Ceremonial magick.

Hedge magick

Death magick.

Gray magick.

Eclectic magick.

Elemental magick.

Fae magick.

Spirit magick.

Candle magick.

Crystal magick.

Herbalism.

Glamours.

Hexes.

Jinxes.

Curses.

Weather magick.

Astral magick.

Shadow work.

Energy work.

Sigils.

Runes.

Art magick.

Knot magick.

Music magick.

Blood magick.

Bath magic/rituals.

Affirmations.

DIVINATION:

Tarot cards.

Oracle cards.

Playing cards.

Card spreads.

Pendulum/how to use one.

Numerology.

Scrying.

Palmistry.

Tasseography.

Runes.

Shufflemancy

Dice.

Bibliomancy.

Carromancy.

Pyromancy.

Psychic abilities.

Astrology.

Auras.

Lenormand.

Sacred geometry.

Angel numbers.

Ornithomancy.

Aeromancy.

Aleuromancy.

Axinomancy.

Belomancy.

Hydromancy.

Lecanomancy.

Necromancy.

Oneiromancy.

Onomancy.

Oomancy.

Phyllomancy.

Psephomancy.

Rhabdomancy.

Xylomancy.

TOOLS:

Crystal grid.

Candle grid.

Charms.

Talismans.

Amulets.

Taglocks.

Wand.

Broom.

Athame.

Boline.

Cingulum.

Stang.

Bells.

Drums.

Staffs.

Chalices.

Cauldrons.

Witches ladder.

Poppets.

HOLIDAYS:

Imbolc.

Ostara.

Beltane.

Litha.

Lammas.

Mabon.

Samhain.

Yule.

How to celebrate the Sabbats.

Esbats.

Deity specific holidays.

Religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Dionysia, etc.)

Celestial events.

ALTARS:

Basics of altars.

Travel altars.

Deity altars.

Spirit altars.

Familiar altars.

Ancestor altars.

Self altars.

Working altars.

Sabbat altars.

SELF-CARE:

Burnout prevention.

Aromatherapy.

Stress management.

Coping mechanisms.

Meditation techniques.

THEORIES AND HISTORY:

Witchcraft history.

Paganism.

New age spirituality.

Cultural appropriation.

Thelema.

Conspiracy theories.

Cults.

Satanic Panic.

KJV.

Witches in history.

Cats in history.

Transphobia in witchcraft circles.

Queerness in witchcraft circles.

OTHER:

Recipes.

How to get herbs.

Foraging.

Drying herbs and flowers.

Chakras.

Reiki.

Witches alphabet.

Runic alphabet.

Guide to gardening

Your witch tips.

Resources.

Other tips.

List of spells.

Cryptids and their lore.

What is a liminal space?

How to start a dream diary. 

Recording/writing rituals.

Wheel of the Year. 

[neil-gaiman]

Mr Gaiman,

My uncle died about a month ago and while I was going through his stuff, I came across a pristine copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales, and laughed out loud when you were mentioned in the introduction (by S. T. Josh).

I will admit, I’m mostly aware of you through your work with Good Omens (and a little bit of Dead Boy Detectives, since my partner watches it), so I don’t know how true it is that you have been compelled “to generate imaginative riffs on Lovecraft’s cosmic vision in ways that go far beyond simple pastiche . . . [and] deepen our understanding of Lovecraft’s own work”* but I figured it would be funny to point out if you weren’t aware of it already.

Have a wonderful rest of your day sir!

(*shortened for ease)

I didn't know that, no. Thank you for telling me!

[artbyblastweave]

So with superhero origins, what's basically always been the case is that the writers exploit whichever area of cutting-edge science is currently in the zeitgeist, banking heavily that the audience will be unlikely to understand the actual effective limits of the science under discussion. In the pulp era many of the protocapes are getting whatever "power" they have from souped-up training regimens, healthy living, "Eastern Wisdom," whatever. In the thirties and forties it trends chemical- they're taking "miracle pills" or inhaling weird vapors or whatever, its steroids, they're on steroids, or possibly meth. In the sixties, in the atomic age, its particles, its radiation, its rays. Eventually, you know, it's pretty well understood that radiation can't do that either, so they migrate over to genetic engineering, cybernetics, nanobots. Every cape and their brother was some kind of cyborg or lab experiment in the 90s. These days it's quantum this, string-theory that, dimensional wonkery, cats in boxes. In 20 or 30 years we'll have a better sense of what all of that actually means in practice (likely not much) and then it'll be something else.

I've observed that Dr. Strange and other magical characters are actually basically immune to this treadmill, because they're magic- that's already post-modern and fluid and squishy and immune to the expectation of real-world scientific rigor. They're vulnerable to changing cultural perceptions of magic, the Strange of the 60s isn't interchangeable with the Strange from the 2010s, but it's not as drastic a shift. From the other direction Green Lantern is also kind of resistant to the treadmill because the lantern tech is, and always has been, ludicrously advanced and totally divorced from any real-world techno-logic- It's Clarke's third law shit. Flash was forcibly made immune to the treadmill through the introduction of The Speed Force into the mythos- it's not a chemical accident, it's a higher fundamental power, it's just how this universe is metaphysically structured, now stop asking questions.

In due time I suspect that all superheroic origins will converge on one of these. Unfalsifiable magic, unfalsifiable alien toys, unfalsifiable higher unifying forces. Or else they'll fall into the gaping maw of the secret fourth thing that lurks beneath and intersects with all three of these- that you got powers instead of radiation poisoning from that accident because we're in a story, the thing happened instead of not happening because it was more interesting, because "narrative" is a force as real, if not realer, than gravity. Of course it goes without saying that you need to be really, really good at writing to pull off the secret fourth thing. Start fucking around with the secret fourth thing and the result is either going to be genuinely transcendent metafiction or something so self-absorbed and tautological that it disappears up its own ass.

[brittle-doughie]

Masterlist #3

[Main Page] >>> HERE!

Brittle’s Cookies - List of OCs >>> HERE!

AU List >>> HERE!

Spooky Cookie Tales - Endless Winter

Trouble with Triples (Triple Cone Cup/Grand Cookie Games Cookies)

The Incorrect Quotes Cookie Jar: Soul Jam Edition

The Joy of Baking (Joy of Creation parody)

Dungeon Clearout (OCs)

Back on the Deceit Track

Doomsday is Calling (Creme Republic)

Orchestrated Arrival (Pure Vanilla Cookie)

Mythical Mythos: The Cookie Kingdom Angel

Mercy (Shadow Milk Cookie)

Heartbeat (Mystic Flour Cookie)

Is it Space Time?

Reach for the Stars (Sugar Nova Odyssey)

I’ll Take You V1 (I’ll Miss You Alt)

The Giant’s Bride (Black Forest Cookie)

A Sprinkling Reunion (First Sprinkle Cookie)

It’s Time to Smash! (Ovensmash Introduction)

Revelation (Main Story)

Bake It Till You Make It: Renovation

High Stakes (Rye Cookie)

Mine Your Own Business (Main Story)

The Adventure Begins (CRK Introduction)

The Fishercookie (Gem Mermaids)

Warmth (Burning Spice Cookie)

Until We Meet Again (Main Story)

The Caramel Choux Conundrum

Here to Help (Main Story)

[altis-of-olympia]

Khaire Altis! Any advice for building kharis?? I've been worshipping the theoi for over a year but I still as if we are not close, probably due to the fact that I don't worship consistently. Thanks in advance

Xaire, Anon!

When it comes to building Kharis, it isn't something that can be rushed. It takes time, and it has nothing to do with consistent worship. Here are some ways you can build Kharis without consistently offering things to them, and hopefully these are disability and neurodivergence-friendly.

Think about them. If you are walking past a flower stand, thank Queen Persephone for the Spring, Lady Demeter for the harvest, and Lord Pan for the nature they hailed from. If you are at the beach, thank Lady Aphrodite for the sea foam and King Poseidon and Queen Amphitrite for the waves. In the rain, thank King Zeus for fertilization and life. Simply think about them and thank them.

Talk about them. Educate others on the myths and nuances surrounding them. Tell people about the representation of Queer love and expression in some of the relationships of Greek Mythos, like Lord Apollon and Hyacinthus or Cyprus. Talk about the nuance of the relationship between Queen Hera and King Zeus. Talk about how important the home and hearth is to venerate and honor Lady Hestia. Talk about them.

Say Good morning and Goodnight. I built Kharis with Lord Apollon by saying good morning and thanking Him for pulling Helios across the sky every morning, and at sunset I'd say goodnight to Him and Welcome Lady Artemis with an esteemed "Good evening."

Pray to them. Pray to them and praise them, sing them hymns, or even just write them down whenever you remember to.

Write letters of introduction to them. I did this with Lord Hermes/Signore Ermetes recently to welcome Him into my practice on a deeper level. And He has been putting me into contact with a variety of Gods as of late - write the letter and pray over it, or leave it on an altar, or offer it to Lord Hermes to carry to the appropriate Divinity.

Listen to music that reminds you of them. Make them playlists. Write your own music in their honor. Music is an amazing way to express emotions and gratitude to the Theoi.

Dedicate parts of your routine to them. Things you already do in your day-to-day. If you're showering, or even just caring for your hygiene in the ways that you can, dedicated it to Lady Aphrodite as an act of self-care. Take your meds in honor of Lord Apollon and Lord Asklepios. Cook your meal in honor of Lady Hestia. Or rotate who you devote certain acts to. When I go to the gym, I cycle between offering it to Lord Ares, King Zeus, and Odysseus.

Dedicate your moments of rest to them. Thank them for the opportunity to rest and allowing it to be rejuvenating, or even for allowing a moment to catch your breath.

Simply talk to them. This can be more informal than prayer. Tell them about your day. Talk out loud, or think it at them. Something I do when I'm a bit frazzled in my room is, if an altar catches my eye, I say hello to the God whose space it is. If King Zeus's altar catches my eye, I take a moment to say, "Hello, King Zeus," and it calms me tremendously because I stopped to focus on one thing.

Position altars in spaces you visit frequently. If you cannot set up altars, mentally dedicate that space. I have Lord Apollons altar between my bed and desk. King Zeus's altar is next to my closet and on top of my dresser, and beside that is Lady Aphrodite's altar. I visit these spaces frequently, so I get to see them and spend time with them often.

Building Kharis does not have to be intimidating or time-consuming. It can be simple acts like these that show the Gods that you care, and that they occupy space in your brain. Thinking first about the Theoi shows that they are at the forefront of your mind. Letting them exist in your thoughts can be a simple way to build Kharis, as well. Do bigger acts when you can, of course. But don't feel like that is the only way to build Kharis. Worship is continuous. "Worshipping consistently" looks different for everyone. Recently for me, it has been thinking about them and keeping them in mind. Sometimes it's constant offerings and prayer when I have the capacity. Both are perfectly fine ways to worship.

This list was curated with the help of some of my friends, and I would like to thank them for assisting me. I am fortunate enough to be physically able, so without their assistance, I would not have been able to make such an inclusive list of methods. These are things they have done in their practice to accommodate themselves, and I am grateful that they worked with me to share these with you.

Xaire, Altis.

[fantastic-nonsense]

As a Wonder Woman fan, what's your exact opinion of Yara Flor? I see she's been received quite negatively in some parts of the internet (namely South American portions).

This ask is making me once again think about how every single piece of Yara Flor concept art is god-tier and the concept of introducing "an Amazon from the Amazon" was absolutely galaxy-brained and then DC just RUINED it by making her an adult from Idaho and doing absolutely nothing with her supposedly indigenous Brazilian mythological roots.

I'm actually super angry about how Yara was handled. Yara was the first new major Wonderfam character in 20+ years, had a ton of hype and reader buy-in, and had a fantastic initial concept; she was a desperately needed new legacy character and DC just fumbled it in every way possible. Yara could have been a vital addition to the lore, especially since the core Wonderfam is so heavily white and we've needed a new Wonder Girl for ages. But instead of creating that added dimension, we got......that.

I just...there was SO MUCH MOMENTUM AND EXCITEMENT for her, and then she absolutely bombed because no one at DC sat down and planned out who she was or what her story was going to be, then gave her introduction solo to a woman whose lack of research and care is offensively tacky at best and outright racist at worst. Joelle Jones' awful writing for Yara's initial solo combined with the bait-and-switch of introducing her not as an indigenous teenage girl from Brazil (as advertised) but as an adult woman from Idaho completely torpedoed Yara's hype and sustainability as a character.

Jones failed to define who Yara is, what she cares about, and why she matters to the rest of the Wonderfam despite having 12 issues and an event comic to do so. She also didn't do the research and DC refused to put someone on the book who would or had lived experience, and it shows. Yara's backstory was bungled horrendously, her lore is offensive, convoluted, and contradictory to the already established Amazonian lore, and she has no real, lasting connection to either the Themyscirans or the tribe she supposedly hails from. All of which were huge mistakes.

The Esquecidas (the Amazonian splinter tribe Yara is theoretically from) have successfully been integrated into the larger Amazonian mythos (thankfully), but Yara herself is just kinda there because she's effectively a dead character. There's nowhere for her to go since her introduction was fumbled so badly. I'm sure there's a lot of scrapped plans sitting around at DC while someone tries to figure out how to make her into a workable character, but at the moment she's basically unsalvagable as-is and needs a bottom-up revamp.

tl;dr most people, including me, like the concept of Yara. We like the execution a lot less, for a variety of reasons (mostly racism and cultural ignorance issues, but also narrative incoherence and a lot of missed opportunities). She's technically fixable, but she's fundamentally not sustainable as she's been built thus far.

anyway, forever thinking about the sheer wasted potential of not introducing Mainverse!Yara as a young teenager so she could actually reasonably be titled "Wonder Girl," be in Jon and Damian's age group to give her a natural group of friends, and have a natural narrative path forward for her stories

[astroyongie]

🐈‍⬛ ྀི Goddess Worship: An Introduction of Freyja 🐈‍⬛ ྀི

Note: Day 17 of our October calendar! Today we have an introduction of deities I work with/worship. This post is to provide some information about the deities but also how I work with them personally. Everyone has their own methods with the Gods, and you should do whatever feels right with you while also respecting the bases of the religions.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Historical Background:

Freyja (or Freya) is a major goddess in Norse mythology, belonging to the Vanir tribe of deities, which are associated with fertility, prosperity, and nature. (Vanir and Aesir are different deities in the Norse Mytho). She is the daughter of Njord, the sea god, and sister to Freyr (Twins), the god of fertility, peace, and prosperity. Her hall is known as Fólkvangr which welcome half of the warriors who died in battle. She is also the goddess of love, beauty, war, death, and magic (her magic is known as seidr associated with prophecy and shape-shifting. she could see into the future and use the power of runes). Freyja’s worship may predate Norse mythology, with roots in earlier Germanic or proto-Indo-European traditions second the archeologists studies.

Attributes and Symbols:

Cats: Freyja’s chariot is said to be drawn by two large cats, symbolizing fertility and domesticity. She has been long symbolized through cats and usually people who. worship her will use cats to connect with her Boars: She also rides the boar named Hildisvíni, a symbol of fertility, protection, and strength. Brísingamen: Her famous necklace, a symbol of fertility, sexuality, and beauty. The Brísingamen was often considered an object of great power and desire as in the mytho many creatures and gods have fought to have it. Falcon Cloak: This magical cloak allows Freyja to shapeshift into a bird, symbolizing freedom, the soul’s flight, and her connection to magic. Amber and Gold: Amber, known as "Freyja's tears," is associated with the goddess due to the myth where she weeps golden tears for her missing husband, Óðr.

Worship and Rituals:

Seidr (Magic): Freyja is a practitioner and teacher of seidr, a form of Norse magic involving divination, trance states, and influencing fate. Women (and men) who practiced seidr would invoke her for aid. this pratice is still used in the Nordic countries but it needs to be taught through initiation. One cannot learn to practice Seidr magic without initiation by another Seidr. One way of worshipping her is through the practice of Runes. Love and Fertility: As a fertility goddess, Freyja was worshipped by those seeking love, marriage, and fertility. Offerings of gold, honey, and flowers were made in her name. A lot of people would also use sexual intercourse as a way to give away their energy to the goddess in exchange of love and pregnancy. Battle and Death: Despite being a goddess of love, Freyja is also a goddess of war and death. Half of those who die in battle are said to go to her hall, Fólkvangr, while the other half go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla. One can worship her not only for love but also for strenght in battles. She is fierce when it comes to help protect those who pray her. Now in the modern times, her worship of battles have been adjusted with internal battles, challenges in life and even justice. Festivals: Freyja was likely honored during seasonal festivals like Dísablót (mostly done during winter seasons), where offerings were made to the dísir, female spirits or ancestors, who were linked to fertility and protection. It involves sacrifices (not animals but instead sacrificing something of you in return of something else) and ritual offerings to Freyja or the feminine ancestor spirits. Unfortunately there isn't many source of information about the norse mythology as Norse People didn't especially write it.

-> When worshipping Freyja, do not take her for granted. Her energy is pure and warm but she wishes for attention. Make a small altar for her, give offerings every friday (and of course offerings during spells were you invoke her energy or help). The important here to feel connected to the deity and respect her as a whole energy. Everyone has their own way of praticing, so do what feels right. But remember to do your own research. Get out of TikTok and READ! archeological revues and works are important.

-> Ideas for offerings: Wine, honey, bread, prayers, cat symbols (statues, whiskers, furr, ect), same with boar figures, jewelery, gold, coins, amber, red fruits, apples, incense, candles, anything else that feels right to you

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess" by Patricia M. Lafayllve

"The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia" by Neil Price

"Gods and Myths of Northern Europe" by H.R. Ellis Davidson LA MITOLOGÍA, Y. E. C. D. THE MYTHOLOGY AND CULT OF FREYJA AND HER IMPORTANCE TO VIKING AGE WOMEN. Bellows, Henry Adams (Trans.) (1923).

A Edda Poetica. American-Scandinavian Foundation

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

[ruibaozha]

The Inconsistency of Nezha's Age, a Short Introduction.

Put very bluntly, Nezha’s age varies greatly depending on which story you’re reading and who’s retold it. He is not always a child or an adult depending on retelling, though my intention here is to highlight the sheer variety available first and foremost - and perhaps shine a light on the Indian dieties which may have influenced him. If these varied images are unwanted, please keep scrolling.

I happened to stumble upon a timeline error where Nezha’s brother Muzha is described to be using martial arts weapons referred to as “Hooks of Wu” which were specific to the 1800s, quite a long time after Canonization of the Gods was published, but also originating from a time period where numerous varied editions of that story were in circulation. Upwards of twenty different versions exclusive to the 19th century, actually.

The problem arises that Canonization of the Gods is meant to be occurring during the Zhou Shang conflict, that I will generously assume to be in 1045BCE, centuries before the Hooks of Wu would actually exist. It’s completely possible that the version Gu Zhizhong translated was one of these later editions as is makes no chronological sense for Muzha to have those kinds of weapons to begin with. So I have been on somewhat of a rabbit chase trying to pin down the edition Gu Zhizhong used.

Bearing such errors in mind, it’s easy to see where the confusion of Nezha’s age can come from. Before his origin story was integrated within Canonization of the Gods he would be roughly three to seven days old when his conflict with Ao Guang and the Lady Rock Demoness would occur - whereas within Canonization of the Gods he’s actually 6 or 7 years old.

Outside of that, a definitive age isn’t actually provided. Genuinely, within the scope of Chinese folklore and mythos it’s very rare to assign someone an exact age - which I do believe contributed heavily to the known discourse surrounding Nezha’s age to begin with.

He was imported as an adult from India, a child form not seeming to exist for a while until stories of Krsna were integrated to how the Chinese envisioned Nalakubara. Krsna, being an infantile disguise for the notorious Vishnu, also displays supernatural human strength and is actually successful in killing his father figure (1) — unlike Nezha.

As children, both Krsna and Nezha are able to wield heavenly bows and subjugate water spirits (2) while also being known to be dragon tamers (3). The inclusion of these stories to Nezha predates the sculpting of the Quanzhou Pagoda’s (which have been discussed briefly here) and are arguably the earliest evidence of Nezha being a dragon tamer.

Speculatively a child god combination of both Nalakubara and Krsna named Nana is likely where a majority of Nezha’s child attributes come from, based in the Scripture of the Supreme Secrets of Nana Deva - which would see translations within China during the Northern Song period of 960AD-1127AD. Nana would be described thus:

At that time there was a Deva called Nana. His appearance was exceptionally handsome, and his face beamed with a gentle smile. He was holding the sun, the moon, and various weapons. His numerous treasures and abundant jewelry shone more brightly than the sun and the moon. He made himself a luoye robe (4) from the dragons Nanda and Upananda, and a belt from the dragon Taksaka (5). He possessed the same strength as Narayana (i.e. Visnu). He too came to the assembly and sat down facing the Buddha … At that time the Buddha emanated great light from his dharma body of meditation. The light covered the entire Buddha Universe, reaching all the great evil yaksas, the various types of raksasas and pisacas (6) and all the evil dragons as far as the heavenly constellations. When the Buddhas light shone upon them they all awoke to the truth. The Buddhas light returned to him and, after encircling him three times, entered his head. It then reissued in seven colors from his brow, entering Nana-Deva’s head. When the Buddha light penetrated his head, Nana Deva displayed an enormous body like Mt. Sumeru. His facial expression alternated between terrifying anger and a broad smile. He had a thousand arms, and he was holding a skull (7) and numerous weapons. He was handsomely adorned with a tiger skin robe and skulls. [Mightily Strong] He emanated blazing light and terrifying strength. When Nana Deva displayed this divine body, the great earth shook, and all who beheld him were terrified.

Both Nana and Nezha share the same residence of Vaisravana’s palace, are known dragon tamers, and both were known to use belts. The Supreme Secrets of Nana Deva predate all known connections between Nezha and dragons, perhaps lending to Nezha many more elements than initially believed.

Though without concrete evidence stating one way or another, I can only present this information speculatively - especially as it seems difficult for some to understand that Nezha does enjoy a known adult and child form. This answer has already become quite long, so if there’s still confusion regarding this please feel free to ask for more details.

Bibliography:

(1) Goldman, “Fathers, Sons and Gurus,” pp.350, 364; Masson, “Childhood of Krsna”; Ramanujan, “The Indian ‘Oedipus’”; Silk, Riven by Lust, pp. 164-170.

(2) Harley, “Krishna’s Cosmic Victories”; Matchett, “Taming of Kaliya”.

(3) It’s worth comparing Matchett’s “Taming of Kaliya” p.116 with Canonization of the Gods 12.103. Nezha is five days old within the Ming era Sanjiao yuanliu shengdi fozu sou shen daquan, p. 326.

(4) Luoye is the Chinese term for a garment Indian men tied under the armpit, leaving their right shoulder bare. See Xuanzang, Da Tang Xiyu ji, T. 2087, 51: 876b, and Li Rongxi’s translation, Great Tang Dynasty Record, p.53.

(5) Nanda, Upananda, and Taksaka appear in various Buddhist lists of the eight dragon kings; see Foguang da cidian, pp. 6378,6405.

(6) The rakasas and pisacas are two types of Hindu ogres, who Buddhists demonology incorporated. Both types feed on human flesh. See Foguang da cidian, pp6673-6674 and 3851; Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English dictionary, pp. 871 and 628; and Strickman’s survey of Buddhist demonology in his Chinese Magical Medicine, pp. 62-68.

(7) Geboluo appears frequently within the contemporaneous Chinese translation of the Hevajra Tantra (Foshuo dabeikong zhi jin’guang dajiaowang yigui jing), no. 892 volume 18: 587-601.

(8) Zuishang mimi Nana tian jing, no. 1288, 21:358b-c. hi

[themyscirah]

What runs/stories do you recommend for someone starting WW? Could you please be specific (/nicely)

Yeah ofc!

My Wonder Woman Starter Recs (specific style 😎)

First stops: for an initial introduction to Wonder Woman, I'd generally recommend going to at least one of three places first. These three are:

Wonder Woman: Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Wonder Woman: Year One by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman: the Hiketeia by Greg Rucka

Of these I generally recommend reading Historia first, as it's a retelling of the origin of the Amazons as a race and how Diana came to be (so it essentially starts from the beginning) and is also the most recent of the them (if that means anything). Something to note about Historia though is that it's a DC Black Label book, so it's events aren't strictly canon in the main DCU and there are some changes and new elements present. I don't think this is something that should discourage anyone from reading it though, it's the best WW origin story out there, and even in strict main canon over the years her origin is one that has had many fluctuations and small (& sometimes big) changes. WW:Historia is three prestige format (longer) issues.

You'll notice the third book there is WW: The Hiketeia. Hiketeia is a great book if you're looking for a view into Diana as a professional and experienced hero. It's a graphic novel so standalone and not too long, and has a great Diana and really interesting plot (Diana vows to protect a young woman and finds herself pressed against the wheels of Greek Tragedy). This is also the first work with Diana done by Greg Rucka, one of her most prolific and loved writers. A sampling of this work (and also Historia) I think gives a good guide to where to go next in terms of runs on her main title.

Wonder Woman: Year One is the second book on the list up there, but I'm mentioning it last here as it's a bit more complicated in terms of format. Unlike other year one books, WW: Year One is actually a series of issues on her main title, showcasing Diana's arrival to man's world in Rebirth (and also current p sure) continuity. The issue numbering for this one is strange (only the even issues 2-14 on WW (2016)) so I recommend looking for this in trade form if possible.

These 3 books I think give a taste of some of the best standalone stuff in the Wonder Woman mythos, and give the reader a good idea of where they may want to go next in terms of longer runs on the title. So I'll break that down here as a Step 2.

STEP 2: WHERE NEXT?

Here I break down some highly recommended runs based on what they have in common with the standalone books from step 1. As a rule, these runs are going to be much longer than the above and generally more connected to the wider DCU and other books. Look for the italics to see the introduction to each new work. Explanation paragraphs follow after each italic/bold rec.

Curious about Greek mythology in WW and the Amazons' origins after reading Historia? Liked the prescence of a supporting cast and Diana learning about Man's World from Year One? Willing to read a longer run? I recommend: Wonder Woman by George Pérez

George Pérez's time on Wonder Woman totally reinvented the character after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and is fundamental in establishing many core concepts of her lore. At 62 issues, 2 annuals, and a 4-issue crossover event at the end (War of the Gods), it's definitely a commitment to read, but it's the most enduring and well-loved run on Wonder Woman for a reason--it's just that damn good. Lots of focus on mythology (although with a lighter tone than Historia) alongside Diana learning her role in relation to Man's World & establishing herself as a hero and ambassador. Pérez's run also has almost-certainly the most expansive and developed supporting cast in WW comics, something that really drives the emotional core of the series, especially in later issues. Obligatory note that this series was written between 1987 and 1992 and contains some very occasional aspects that I thought were in some way dated/uncomfortable etc. while reading (details of Cheetah's origin, depiction of the Bana-Mighdall, Hercules) but despite that I still highly, highly recommend this run. The word fundamental cannot begin to describe it.

Liked the experienced Diana of the Hiketeia? Interested to see her attempt to balance the high stakes responsibilities of an ambassador and superhero? Looking for some really badass moments and fights? Haven't read enough terrible tragedy? I suggest: Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2003 EDITION.

Some of Diana's coolest moments of all time are collected here. Also one of her most controversial. The 1st Rucka run is very much the story for anyone who liked the Diana of the Hiketeia and the tragedy of that and Historia. 2003 Rucka Diana is a Diana tested, forced to make decisions that are anything but easy, and live with the consequences. She's extraordinarily capable, but her enemies know that and are prepared to that end. This run, along with the Pérez run, rank among my favorite Wondy comics of all time (those and Historia are my top 3). This run is such peak Diana, especially in terms of sheer badassery. Her final confrontation with Medusa is in my opinion perhaps the greatest Wonder Woman fight scene of all time. Her encounter with Athena in the second-to-last issue breaks me every time. Cannot recommend this book more.

*a note abt this run is that it is more context-dependent than the other ones listed here, as it's the run that finishes out the Wonder Woman vol. 2 book and so has some guest appearances from characters introduced in other prior runs (Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Cassie Sandsmark, and Vanessa Kapatelis, to name a few). I read this run before knowing much (if anything) about any of them, and still enjoyed it a lot, so I wouldn't be worried about this really but just thought I'd mention it.

Rucka's 2003 run is published from Wonder Woman (1987) #195-226. You can also find it in trade and I believe(?) omnibus. Sometimes the Hiketeia is included in collections of this series, as the 03 run is thematically similar in many places, just with a much deeper look at Diana and the world & with higher stakes.

Liked the specific characters and plot threads of Wonder Woman: Year One? Want to see what happens with Diana's exile, or learn more about Barbara Ann? Want a Diana in between the extremes of young and highly experienced? Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2016 EDITION may be for you.

...yes I'm putting ANOTHER Rucka book on here. He writes a great Diana, what can I say. This run is the same one that Year One came out of, just the follow ups to that story and versions of the characters. I have this run listed as separate from Year One though, as there's some really big time skips since the events of that first volume. A lot of time has passed since then, and there's more history between the characters, not all of it without drama. This run continues to be weird with the numbering, as well as some artist changes, so I definitely recommend looking into reading this in trade format (physical or digital) if at all possible. My recommended reading order is WW 2016 by Rucka vol. 2 "The Lies" (Wonder Woman: Rebirth Special #1, followed by 2016 main title odd numbered issues 1-11), then Rucka 16 vol. 3 "The Truth" (odds 13-23) then Godwatch (evens 16 through 24) followed by 25? But The Truth and Godwatch combine near the end so that doesn't really work either. This run is so good but recommending it is such a pain because the numbering is so all over the place. On God I never know which order to read this in. Going to revoke my previous statement and say read it as Rebirth Special 1, then only odds 1 through 11, then from 13 through 25 normally. That may lead to some weirdness as you read because the two stories take place at different times and have different art styles, but they come together at the end pretty dramatically so I think it's less confusing to read it this way? Maybe? So strange bc this is one of the go to good starter runs and yet it's set up so unintuitively. If someone has a better way to read this then let me know and ill edit, ik this explanation is super confusing bc neither way to read it is totally ideal imo and I feel I definitely read it in a weird order.

Going to call that a good rundown of some of my greatest recommendations in terms of Wonder Woman comics. If anything wasn't fully clear here or anyone (not just anon) has questions or wants to talk abt WW comics/my choices feel free to send as many asks or dms as you want. Have a good day everybody, & as Diana says, may the glory of Gaea be with you <3