Mythic Peoples - The Fates

Three supernatural and prophetic woman that decide the fate of humans and Gods alike. [I have been describing species of mythic humanoids. This may not seem like a species, but a set of three individual goddesses, but I maintain that it is not.]

Groups of Fates in different cultures are :

1. 
   

Mythological Species of Humanoids # 36 – Djinn and # 37 – Demons – Part 1

During these snowy winter months in the northeastern U.S. my thoughts turn to the opposite climate - hot dry

deserts - and the mythological species of humanoids that live there, the Djinn or Jinn (singular Jinni.) The popular terms for these humanoids is genie.

Since I am designing several humanoid races for my YA fantasy series similar to elves, fairies, dwarves, goblins, trolls, werewolves, vampires and mermaids, I need to research as many mythological humanoids as I can. The Djinn, a favorite humanoid of Arabic and Muslim cultures, are a great source of ideas.

I find the overlap between the role the Djinn fill in Middle Eastern mythology intriguingly similar to the role filled by elves in Northern European mythology.

Native American Fairies

There are a number of names for small fairy folk in the Native American mythologies. They have similarities with the small folk of other countries, actually a remarkable number of similarities. But they are not a homogeneous group by any stretch of the imagination.

 They can have personalities anywhere from brownie types to cannibals. And the appearances are not the same either. Sizes can be from four feet

Mythological Species of Humanoid # 34 - Duende - Native American Fairy?

Duende are Latin and South American fairies. I mistook that description as Native American when I began my research. But duende are part of the Spanish heritage of Latin America not Native American part. Though there were probably echos of a similar creature among Native Americans that provided fertile ground for the expansion of the myth among Spanish and Portuguese speaking people in Latin and South America.

The word duende comes from the Portuguese word “dono” which means “owner.” This comes from the Latin word “domus” which means “house.” Sounds like a house dwelling brownie type again. But not necessarily.

Mythological Humanoids - #32 Trolls and #33 Gnomes

Trolls

As mentioned in the last post, trolls have some overlap with goblins: nocturnal habits, inhuman strength, bestiality and hairiness, hunger and the desire to eat humans, and the tendency to turn to stone in sunlight (Tolkein made this trait exclusive to trolls, but folklore is less precise). For this post, I'll focus on the differences between goblins and trolls (and gnomes.)

Mythological Species # 30 – Goblins and #31 - Brownies

The nights are coming earlier and the dark loving creatures are more and more on my mind. The elves and fairies, creatures of twilight, came stealing along the hedgerows and at forest edges, but now there are the creatures of darkness. Creature of the pitch black mines and the midnight hours. Among the most famous denizens of the night are the more treacherous counterparts to elves, the goblins and their ilk.

There are many names for goblins and goblin-like creatures: Hobs, hobgoblins, orcs, bogie men, boggarts (boggles, bogles), bodach (Highlands), brownies, spriggans, Fenoderee (Isle of Man), redcaps (Scottish) – said to redye the caps in human blood - brags, gremlins, Puck, phookas (Irish), Pwca (Welsh), bwca (Welsh) Trows (Shetland Islands), trous (Scandinavia), knolls, knockers (Cornish and Devon), Coblynau/Koblernigh (Welsh), Kobolds (German), wichtlein (Southern Germany), dwarfs/duergar (Scandinavia, Germany, North England), Pixie/Pisgie/piskie/pigsey/puggie/(Cornwall), Will o' the Wisps.

Mythological Species #29 – Ghosts

One of the most popular Halloween ghouls are ghosts. Ghost stories are so abundant around camp fires, at sleep overs, in the movies and on TV, that I expected to claim that they had a universal presence among the cultures of the world, to find an abundance of information about them and then move right on to the different presentations they made. [WRONG!]

My first go-to reference book, The Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (MacKillop, Oxford, ISBN 0-19-869157-2), stated that the word "ghost" is a foreign word to the Celtic language, borrowed from another

Fires of Inspiration (Part Four) – Fairy pictures link and Mythological Species of Humanoids # 25 – Muses

Inspiration is a “breathing in” of ideas and motivations that move people in a new direction.

The Burning Bush symbolizes a fire of inspiration for Moses starting the Exodus. The Tongues of Fire that came with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost on the Apostles, started the Church. The apple falling on Newton's head and making stars is the fictional inspiration for his career in science.

My initial inspiration for my SylF(ae) Saga is a

Fires of Inspiration (Part Two) – Mythological Species of Humanoids # 24 -Will-O-Wisps

Fire Flies always remind me of will-o'-the-wisps. These maybe considered creatures rather than humanoids, but the name and some interpretations of the phenomenon are humanoid. The latin name for this phenomenon is ignis fatuus (foolish fire.) There are will-o'-the-wisp legends (or ones with a similar glowing ball of light that shines in the dark woods and retreats when you get closer) around the globe. These ghost lights are see at night over marshes, swamps and bogs. In the stories and legends these lights are sometimes helpful, showing safe paths to follow or leading people to treasure, but mostly dangerous leading people get lost, to their deaths or to something horrific.

Summer Solstice

This weekend is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. I find the solstices, equinoxes and
the midpoints in between fascinating. They are called quarter days and cross quarter days, in some cirles and they provide grounding for people. They help us align our biological, solar, lunar and circadian rhythms with the rhythms of nature, of which the planetary movements act as the macro-beat for the song of the earth.

Understanding the quarter and cross quarter days has been essential in designing an fantasy alternative Earth based dimension that I will be using in my SylF` Tree Sagas series.

Easter and Mythological Humanoids # 13 - Flower Fairies

Easter is amazing!

The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead is perfectly placed this time of year as the new life of spring reinvigorates everything.

I'm not sure there is much I can add to this wonderful holiday.

Spring Equinox. the Sidhe, the Banshee (the Tuath de Danaan, the Formorians and the FirBolg)

Well, we have sprung forward our daylight saving clocks, restoring the hour of daylight back to evening instead of morning that our light deprived winter needs. Now the Vernal Equinox, the spring time of equal daylight and nighttime hours, has arrived.

The ground is thawing and muddy. Spring bulbs are pushing their way through the earth and spring planting has started for spinach, kale, broccoli and carrots. We all have a little more spring ;) in our steps and the bikes have been broken out. Cabin fever is getting some relief, thank goodness. Snow Drops are starting to peep out of the ground and the hope of Easter is in the air. Green is slowly returning to replace the grey. Old Man Winter is finally releasing his death hold on the Northern Hemisphere. Though unfortunately he isn't packing up to go home yet, but a beginning is made.

Tree Review: -Middle Grade - The Night Fairy, by Newberry Medal Winner Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Angela Barrett

“Hey, Caitlynn. Trying to dream another book report?” Brien calls over the fence to Caitlynn.

Reading on a rock, Caitlynn looks up and smiles. She waves and calls to him. “Hi, Brien!”

Brien climbs over the fence. “Jake told me you had a dream about me and a book and talking trees.” He sits on the rock beside Caitlynn.

“It wasn't about you. There was a boy in a book named Brian. Jake thought you should read the book.”

“Oh.” Brien deflates. “That's not what Jake said. Well, do you dream book reports, at least?”

“I dream trees are talking about the picture books I read here in the yard.”

Time Travel

New Years, with all its “Top Ten” lists and “Best Of” picks looking back at the past year, seems an appropriate time to write about time travel.

Time travel is a great, almost cliché, science fiction device. [I've noticed that some online SF magazines don't even want stories about time travel anymore, because it's been used so frequently.]