Realm of Myth

[Djinn]

This is an awesome idea for a club! Something that hasn't been done 100 times

I'll have to go for beasts, World Serpent if you need a specific kind o.O; Its technically Midgard Serpent, but thats too FF7 for me XD

- What would you consider your favorite mythical creature?

It has to be dragons for this, i've always liked them. They look awesome and i'm sure they'd be kicking lots of ass if they actually existed. As for a specific favourite i'd have to say Jormungandr, just because i love norse mythology and its a weird name that no-one ever see's.

- What are your least favorite mythological/fantasy creatures?

I'm going to have to go with Sinister on this one. Leprechauns.

- Which mythological or fantasy creature matches your personality the most?

A fairy! Haha, ahem, sorry XD. I'd have to be some kind of ethereal being, since i tend to do things and not get noticed, which is good and bad i guess .

- If you were a mythical creature, where would you prefer to live and why?

In some kind of forest/rainforest, just for the scenery and people wouldn't be able to bother me too often XD

[Violet]

(Welcome to the club, Djinn, CC, and Yuki. )


I decided that now is the time for our first Creature of the Week event. It may be Saturday here, but for some it is Sunday.

Creature of the Week
The first creature presented this week shall be...


Tsukumogami

A plain old object is just a plain old object.. but once it reaches 100 years of age, it can obtain a soul and is thus called a tsukumogami. Such creatures derive from Japanese mythology. Rather than a regular item that has been enchanted, these are considered actual spiritual beings. There are different types of tsukumogami. After becoming alive and aware, they gain new features, but it depends on what the object is.

Examples:
sandals, umbrellas, lanterns, old jars, dust cloths, cloth draped from folding screens, tea kettle, scrolls and paper, clocks, books.

If the object that becomes a tsukumogami is a lantern or anything with tears(perhaps books), it will have demonic features such as sharp teeth and evil eyes. Some can look peaceful, such as jewelry or anything smooth. Tsukumogami are repelled by electricity, therefore, objects that use electricity cannot turn into tsukumogami. In modern times, it is said that there are few of them because most of the things people use rely on electric power.

They aren't much of a threat if treated properly, although playing pranks is something they enjoy. If they ARE mistreated such as being torn or broken(warning: keep out of reach of children), they will group together and attack. Ceremonies are held to prevent this by calming down the souls of the old damaged items.

Here is one example of what a lantern tsukumogami may look like:

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs6/i/200...ingMonster.jpg


the art is by http://kingmonster.deviantart.com/

.. and that wraps it up. If you want to add to that, be my guest .


Sources: Wikipedia

[Silver]

http://www.obakemono.com/obake/tsukumogami.gif

Taken from: http://www.obakemono.com/obake/tsukumogami.gif

An interesting first choice Ann.
Aye there's not much left to say, as you've summed it up well, but I thought I'd post in the above picture. It amused me somewhat.
Actually I've got a few antiques nearing 100 years of age...

More info can be found on the site I nicked that picture from:
http://www.obakemono.com/obake/tsukumogami/

[Mistress Sheena]

Yeah, i've known about those spirits. They actually make an appearance in a few anime, or are even mentioned.

Two that come to my mind right away are Azumanga Daioh and Rosario + Vampire.
Did I mention that Succubi are shapeshifters too? They have to be to lure their prey and lower their defenses, hehe.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by Toph Bei Fong

Did I mention that Succubi are shapeshifters too? They have to be to lure their prey and lower their defenses, hehe.

Succubi? Ahhh I have to brush up on my pdf copy of the Malleus Maleficarum. Lord bless translators. ^^

Take a looksee here if you're interested. http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/downloads/index.html

I had always thought Succubi were just demons that appeared as pervasions of beautiful women who could appear as the real thing in dreams...
More an illusion thing than a shape changing thing.
I could be wrong though...

[Silver]

Creature of the Week


Barghest

A barghest is a mythical creature with English origins, often an enormous monstrously featured spectral black dog with massive teeth and claws. They are sometimes (though not always) said to have fiery red eyes. Though this is the typical Yorkshire view of a barghest, other places such as Northumberland and Durham can refer to a barghest as a ghost or a house elf (one who looks after the house it inhabits). A story states that a barghest attacks travellers who are on their own in he Snickelways of York. (Snickelways being smaller streets and alleyways). While not the most well known mythical creature, barghest references can be seen in R.A. Salvatore's Sojourn (book three of the Forgotten realms based 'The Dark Elf Trilogy'), in assorted television programs, role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and video games such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy XII, Fire Emblem and Icewind Dale 2.

http://i30.tinypic.com/1tn6tw.png

I found this picture, visible here at http://www.elfwood.com/art/f/l/flida...ghest.jpg.html .
It's by one S. J. Edwards, and probably the best picture I could find sifting through several pages of Google images.

[OceanEyes28]

Okay, okay. You have helped me decide so I will join.

What would you consider your favorite mythical creature?
They're all so flippin sweet... but for the purposes of this club... mermaids. In fact, you may put me down as one. It was a close call with phoenixes, but I've loved mermaids since I was little. And I always thought banshees were really cool.... MERMAIDS.

What are your least favorite mythological/fantasy creatures?
Hmm. Satyrs are pretty pervy. Not a fan of that.

Which mythological or fantasy creature matches your personality the most?
lol satyrs. But seeeriously, I'd say... hmm. Shit. I guess I can be a little mermaid-like.

If you were a mythical creature, where would you prefer to live and why?
Unda da sea. Dahling it's betta down where it's wetta, take it from me.

But uh, yeah, fun times in tropical waters. As long as I had company. Being a mermaid all alone in a large ocean wouldn't be super fun.

I apologize for the lack of thought in this post, but it's late and I'm tired. I will do better next time!

[Violet]

(Welcome, Ali )

I could've sworn I've heard of a Barghest somewhere before. I can't quite pin it down where, though. It certainly sounds cool. I have yet to encounter any in Fire emblem. I remember all those dog creatures in FF12, but they didn't really look like the one in that picture. Different designs, I suppose. Interesting choice, Nathan ^^.


http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs8/i/200...y_Dunewolf.jpg



Here's a better picture I thought I'd add to the pile, which is drawn by this guy: Dunewolf

[Aerif]

I actually knew the origins for this one... Unlike last week's (though Nathan's images did actually make me want to laugh)

I do believe that Barghests still functions as an important part of Yorkshire folklore, as when I visited York last year I recall seeing various references to the large canine. Of course, at the time I actually thought it had something to do with Sirius Black from Harry Potter, but that was because one of the bigger references was quite close to a large book-store.

And now that I've found out that the create actually exists in mythology it makes me wonder whether J.K. Rowling actually had any original ideas for mythological creatures.

[Xeim]

Alrighty. Discussion proposal...thingy. I came up with this one while researching for a Creature of the Week. So, since all that didn't matter...here it is! =P

Upon browsing through lists of mythological creatures, you will more than likely find that different mythologies often have very similar creatures. What reasons do you suppose would give rise to such a phenomenon?

I'd have to say it might have to do with influences cultures have on each other. However, some of the areas that have similar creatures are across the world from each other. Perhaps they're inaccurate views of real creatures? But then, some of them are too wacky to have ever been a real (known) creature. Then there's the thought that they themselves could've been real. =/

Anyone have thoughts on this?

[Yuki-onna]

Ooh, this is quite entertaining.

Upon browsing through lists of mythological creatures, you will more than likely find that different mythologies often have very similar creatures. What reasons do you suppose would give rise to such a phenomenon?

Hmm...I'd say word of mouth in the old days. Handy, but easy to be exaggerated, warped, and mixed up. There used to be storytellers who would travel countries in their lifetimes...gathering tales, keeping them in their minds or books, to maintain history and culture. I think this may have at least contributed to such similarities...

[Silver]

What Yuki-onna said.

Except I also believe a lot of it does have several origins. Werewolves in all their forms as an example. Several places believed in them, yet all had different beliefs as to what the werewolf's abilities, attributes and anything else actually were. Some believed they had some weaknesses that others didn't, some didn't see them as necessarily evil in any way.
There's a lot to it...

Some may have become a little more uniform with some globalisation, but time played a big part too I'd hazard to guess.

[Xeim]

Creature of the Week





Myling
The Angry and Vengeful Infant Spirits of Scandinavian Folklore

http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs17/300...Koldkonung.jpg

In the harsh lands of Northern Europe, people often left their infants for dead if they could not take care of them or if the child was deformed in some way. They were usually abandoned shortly after birth, so were not baptized. It is said that since they were not baptized, they could not go to Heaven. They were, therefore, forced to roam the earth.

Mylings, or utburd as they are also called, are the souls of these abandoned infants. It is said that they haunt the place where they died (or sometimes the house of their murderer) waiting for someone to take them to a graveyard so they can be properly buried. However, mylings are able to grow to rather large sizes, and get heavier and heavier as they near a graveyard. This often causes the person carrying the myling to sink into the soil and be killed by the myling for being unable to carry out their “duty” to the young spirit.

As for their appearance, mylings are generally invisible. They make their presence known due to their mournful cries. However, one who is watching closely may see a snowy owl off in distant tundra or a rather tall black dog on a ridge top. And, sometimes people may even glimpse the spirit of the murdered infant underneath a nearby shrub.

To protect yourself from the mylings, water and iron are your best weapons. If you splash water on yourself or unsheathe a knife (or any other sort of iron weapon) in time, you will find yourself utterly alone. However, another person will probably find the body of the infant some days later, “its bones crushed and its flesh shredded by supernatural strength and fury."

http://tn3-2.deviantart.com/fs10/300...mponwheels.jpg

Pictures are artist renditions of what a myling spirit might look like. Credit to Koldkonung and gimponwheels, respectively.