#alpine name association

[psalm22-6]

Who among us has not written about Les Miserables for some school project or another? I did for my capstone project in high school. Well so did one graduate of Kokomo high school in 1887. There were 10 in that year's graduating class and their names and the subject of their capstone project were printed in the local paper:

Miss Callie McNutt, "A Literary Mirror" Miss Mary Hunt, "The Key to the Safe Not the Gold" Miss Hattie Durett, "The Commonplace" Miss Nettie Leach, "Life's Perspective" Miss Kate Hunt, "The Danger is in the Desert" Frank Morris, "Mimer's Curse" Miss Maud Frazier, "Shall We Call It Charity, or Tribute?" Miss Tudie Ellis, "Injolras and Grantaire"  Miss Della Hunt, "The Alpine Rose" Miss Myrtle Maris, "Ballast"

In trying to find out more about the intriguing Tudie Ellis, I considered that "Tudie" might be a misspelling of "Trudie" and I looked for more information on her school. I found an almost identical record of the graduating class of 1887 on an Indiana genealogy archive with one difference: her name is listed as Martha Ellis (married name Hopkins). With that information, I found a Martha Ellis Hopkins from Indiana, born in 1870 and who had a sister named Sara Ellis, also a graduate of Kokomo High School. The Indiana Historical Society has a collection of Martha's papers but they all pertain to her role as Republican Party precinct vice-committee woman in Jasper County, Indiana. Also the Tippecanoe County Historical Association has her bicycle in their collections....but sadly no one seems to have her high school paper about in Les Mis.

#les miserables #fans through the ages #lm in america

[anastasiaoftheironwood]

Yule Ideas

On one of the mailing lists I check randomly, someone had posted requesting ideas for Yule "to recognize the gods, honor my ancestors, reflect on each month in the past year, make oaths, and celebrate". I offered the following suggestions:

*You could pick 12 candles, one for each month of the year. Light one per day, and reflect on that month in the current year—what that month gave you to celebrate and what it gave you to release; also, reflect on what you want to see/do/create in that month for the coming year.

*As you reflect, you can write in your journal/grimoire/random paper about things that stood out (whether positive, negative, or neutral).

*You can use these daily writings to help set your priorities for the coming year, and figure out what oaths (if any) you want to make for 2024, which I would recommend doing in a separate ritual after Yule ends, since you will not finish the reflection until the last night of Yule.

*You could pick a different ancestor / set of ancestors, and/or a different deity/set of deities to honor each day as well. Or alternate between ancestors and deities.

*If you like to dress your candles, you can use any fragrance that appeals to you and makes sense for you. You could choose the oil based on the month—for example, a floral scent for May to acknowledge the May flowers resulting from April showers; winter months could have pine, snow, an "Alpine Mist"-type blend, etc. I'm partial to Bayberry for December, but that's a personal association.

*You could carve runes into the candles—the name of the month, name(s) of ancestors or deities, runes representing things that happened this past year or that you want to happen next year.

I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring!

#Yule ideas #heathen #norse #candles

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Celtic beliefs in trees (23)

Ng for Ngetl (Broom) - October 28th - November 24th

“Entering into dormancy – The Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref), Twelfth Month”

colour: blue; Star: moon; Gemstone: opal; Gender: male; Patron: Mercuris, Morpheus, Bacchus; Symbols: dignity, purity, healing, spiritual protection, soul journey

The common broom is ubiquitous in European wetlands. It grows unmindful from alpine peaks to lowland scrub and wilderness, providing temporary shelter from the wind and rain on rugged, bare ground. Although delicate in looks, its long, straight stems are strong and flexible and will not break in the wind. As its name suggests, it is used to make brooms. The broom has also been valued as a medicinal plant since ancient times. In medieval England, it was used by the royal family as a remedy for after drinking and singing parties and debauchery. The reason was that in November, when it was cold and people spent a lot of time indoors, there was nothing else to do but to be merry and boisterous.

The efficacy of medicinal herbs is corroborated in ancient Celtic literature. The ogham form of the word Ngetl represents from a word panacea, meaning 'physician's power'. The most important constituent of the broom plant is sparteine (an alkaloid). Some people associate the broom plant with witches because large doses of sparteine can cause extreme excitement or hallucinations. It is also said to be the reason why witches are flying astride broomsticks.

Beer is now made from hops, but in the olden days young, supple broom plants were used to flavour the beer and enhance the tipsy mood. Tea made from the yellow flowers was often used as a diuretic. In esoteric rituals, the broom plant is used for purification and prayers for personal safety, and is said to be particularly powerful against poltergeists. It is also said that throwing the branches of the broom plant causes wind, while burning them and burying them in the earth quiets the wind.

The spirits leave their bodies and embark on a journey. Druids (Ref2) and shamans call this 'the journey to the underworld', and the broom plant is a symbol of such a journey. Anyway, with its remarkable healing properties and narcotic-like effects, the broom plant has long been associated with healers, sorcerers, witches and shamans.

For the Celts, the month that the broom plant governs, which marks the end of the year, is a time to store up for the winter, sweep the house clean and hope that miscellaneous thoughts and bad habits will leave the house. In a nutshell, the enithid symbolises the virtue of keeping one's behaviour clean. It also teaches us to pay close attention to the dreams we have while sleeping at night.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (23)

NはNgetl (ｴﾆｼﾀﾞ) - 10月28日～11月24日　

『休止への入り口 〜 ケルトの木の暦（参照）、12番目の月』

色: 青; 星: 月;  宝石: オパール; 性: 男性; 守護神: メルクリス、モルフェウス、バッカス; シンボル: 尊厳、清浄、癒し、精神の保護、魂の旅

普通種のエニシダ(英:ﾌﾞﾙｰﾑ) はヨーロッパの湿地帯ではどこにでも生えている。高山の山頂から低地の低木林や荒野まで、荒々しいむきだしの大地に雨風をしのぐ仮の宿を提供しながら平然と生育している。見た目は繊細だが、長くまっすぐな茎は丈夫でしなやかで、風で折れることはない。その名が示すように、ほうき(英:ﾌﾞﾙｰﾑ)の材料として使われる。また、エニシダは古くから薬草としても重宝されてきた。中世のイギリスでは、王族が酒を飲んで歌い騒ぎ、放蕩した後の薬として使っていた。寒さが厳しく室内で過ごす時間の長い11月は浮かれ騒ぐよりほかになかったからだ。

薬草の効能については、古代ケルトの文献にもそれを裏書きする記述が見られる。そもそもオガム表記のNgetlは「医者の力」を意味するパナケア(panacea) を表しす。エニシダの最も重要な成分はスパルテイン（アルカロイド）である。スパルテインを大量に摂取すると、極度の興奮や幻覚を引き起こすことがあるため、エニシダを魔女と結びつける人もいる。また、魔女がほうきにまたがって空を飛ぶのもこのためだと言われている。

現在、ビールはホップから作られているが、昔は若くてしなやかなエニシダがビールの風味付けやほろ酔い気分を高めるために使われていた。黄色い花で入れたお茶は利尿剤としてよく使われた。密教の儀式では、エニシダは浄化や身の安全を祈願するために使われ、特にポルターガイストに対して威力を発揮すると言われている。また、エニシダの枝を投げると風が吹き、燃やして土に埋めると風が静まると言われている。

魂は肉体を離れ、旅に出る。ドルイド（参照2）やシャーマンはこれを「冥界への旅」と呼び、エニシダはそうした旅の象徴である。いずれにせよ、エニシダには驚くべきヒーリング (癒し) 作用と麻薬のような効果があるため、長い間、ヒーラー、魔術師、魔女やシャーマンと縁の深い植物なのだ。

ケルト人にとって1年の締めくくりにあたる、エニシダがつかさどる月は、冬に備えて貯え、家の中を綺麗に掃き清め、雑念や悪習に退場を願う時期に当たる。一言でいえば、エニシダは自分の行動を綺麗に保つことの美徳を象徴している。そして、夜寝ている間に見る夢に細心の注意を払うようにという教えでもある。

#trees #tree legend #tree myht #folklore #legend #mythology #broom #witches #nature #art #celtic tree calendar

[calabria-mediterranea]

Occitan is still spoken in Southern Italy's Calabria

Blessed with one of the most beautiful languages, Italy is also home to a plethora of linguistic minorities, twelve to be precise, across fourteen regions, with almost three million speakers. The Occitan linguistic minority of the Alpine valleys of Northern Italy's Piedmont and Liguria is probably one of the most well known, also because of the importance the language had in the history of European culture and literature: the Langue d’Oc and its poetry inspired the troubadours of Provence, in Southern France. In those days, Occitan was spoken in the South of France, from the Atlantic to the Alps, but today only small pockets of Occitan-speaking people exists, mostly across the Alpine valleys of France, Liguria, Piedmont and in thr town Guardia Piemontese, in Southern Italy's Calabria. 

How did Occitan speaking people end up from the mountains of Northern Italy to the southernmost region of the Italian peninsula?

It’s a long story, one that brings us back to the 13th century, to a religious minority called Waldensians and to the fact Calabria is known for being a welcoming land for all those seeking refuge, from Greeks to Albanians and Jews.

The Waldensian movement had developed in the Cottian Alps between France and Northern Italy towards the end of the 12th century, most likely thanks to the contributions of Peter Waldo (from whom the movement took its name). Waldensians lived a life of asceticism and poverty, but some of their more extreme views — lack of faith in transubstantiation and having associated the Catholic church with the “harlot of the Apocalypse” — turned them into religious pariah and victims of persecution across Europe.

A considerable group of Waldensians moved to Calabria in the 13th century to escape persecution in Northern Italy and the land of Calabria proved to be a blessing, because its fertile soil allowed the development of a prosperous community.

Guardia Piemontese is a town on the Western coast of Northern Calabria.

The date of Guardia's foundation is unknown, and the name of the place has changed several times in history. "Guardia" means watch or lookout, and this name is probably related to a lookout tower built in the 11th century. Such lookout towers were built to warn against Arab pirates, then called Saracens, ravaging the coast.

For the first century, the community of Guardia cohabited peacefully with their Catholic neighbors, but things tragically changed when the Waldensians decided to join the Protestant Reform: then, they became the enemy and victims of a religious persecution that was to obliterate them in the early summer of 1561. Those tragic events are still remembered today in Guardia Piemontese, thanks to a monument called La Porta del Sangue, (the Gate of blood), a memento to the violence that killed so many and forced many others to conversion.

Despite the suppression of their religion, the people of Guardia, or La Gàrdia, as they call it, have continued to use their distinct Occitan dialect, Gardiòl. Not surprisingly, it has been influenced by the speech of their neighbours in Calabria. For example, Gardiòl has adopted the use of retroflex consonants, common in Sicily and southern Italy.

The traditions that the Waldensians brought from Piedmont to Calabria, such as the Occitan language and certain customs, have survived over the centuries right through to the present day.

In 1863 the name Guardia was changed to Guardia Piemontese, to honor the geographical origins of the Waldensians.

On 5 June 2011, 450 years after the massacre in Guardia, the Waldensian Church opened a museum and cultural centre in the town. The museums tells the story of how the Waldensians arrived all the way in Calabria and preserves agricultural tools, the traditional clothing of Guardia Piemontese, made with a particular yarn of broom and the famous hurdy gurdy, an French instrument of medieval origins. In the Occitan valleys in Italy, the hurdy-gurdy was the traveling companion of buskers.

The Waldensian Church and the municipal authorities now collaborate closely in cultural affairs. Numerous ecumenical events have been planned together with the local Catholic community to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

#guardia piemontese #calabria #italy #italia #south italy #southern italy #mediterranean #folklore #folk dress #traditional clothing #architecture #vintage #vintage photography #vingate photos #italian #italian women #folk costume #occitan #langblr #langue d'oc #d'oc language #heretic #heresy #hurdy gurdy #traditions #history #medieval

[darkelfchicksick]

So where *is* Tassing, actually?

Obviously it’s nowhere. But actually, it’s also several specific places in a specific area.

As someone who lives and has lived in several parts of Oberbayern, I'm so tickled by placing Tassing on a map. While trying to find a region it would fit in with all the clues the game gives, I also found several monasteries that probably contributed to the way Kiersau was written and created.

Names

Tassing fits a common naming scheme in Oberbayern. Places with an -ing name in Austria and Altbayern (roughly congruent with the present-day administrative districts Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate) were founded in a specific time frame, the Baiuvarian Settling of the Alps. Up until the 7th century CE, the alpine landscape was inhabited by slavs, but from the 7th to 9th century, the Baiuvarii, a germanic group of people, moved into the area and ended up either displacing or integrating the slavic people into their own society. Examples of Baiuvarian -ing names in Upper Bavaria include Pasing (With the people of Paso/Paoso/Poso/Poaso), Menzing (With the people of Menzo) or Poing (With the people of Piuwo). Tassing might have been re-settled, founded or just be associated with a man named Tasso, and should be located somewhere in Altbayern.

Kiersau is a strange name to me and finding an etymologically-based interpretation, like for Tassing, is harder. (In general, trying to find etymologies for place names is often more educated guessing than anything else.) The Bavarian meaning of Au (or Aue) is a flat piece of land with meadows and forests located near a river (also: floodplain). The problematic part is Kiers. I'm choosing to put it down as Kirsche, cherry. Why? Well, cherry trees were brought across the Alps by Romans, and the Roman past of Kiersau and Tassing is important to the story. It might also just be a reference to Hirsau, a famous Benedictine monastery in the Black Forest.

None of the first or last names of the peasants, merchants or craftsmen in Tassing give any kind of hint as to where the place is located. Names like Bauer (farmer), Gertner (gardener) or Zimmermann (carpenter) are extremely common, and the more uncommon ones, like Alban, don't help narrowing it down either.

Area

We get one look at an Early Modern map of Europe, with a few mountain ranges, rivers, some of the most siginficant trade roads, and Tassing marked on it. We know that Tassing is part of the Prince-Bishopric of Freising in 1518 and borders directly on Tyrolia. We know it's in Bavaria, which I'm deciding to identify as the Bavarian territory of the Holy Roman Empire. I'm not getting into the true borders of Bavaria on my overly researched Pentiment post. We also learn that one of the Roman trade routes, possibly relateed to salt, was built to run past Tassing, and that Tassing is located somewhere in the province of Raetia. To identify and overlap all these areas, I have committed a horrible cartographic crime in Photoshop!

I have marked Raetia in yellow, the Roman roads in red, the Prince-Bishopric in brown and the Bavarian territory in blue. This first map shows these areas in a European context.

This one is a closer shot of the whole possible location of Tassing. Now, you might have noticed a little red dot in the lower right, outside of any of the possible areas, right there in Eastern Tyrolia?

Unfortunately, that is where the Pentiment map placed Tassing. Now, the in-game map is mirroring many a Early modern maps (I'm just glad they put a modern North-South axis on it, ngl), and is. Not Very Reliable. This part of Austria cannot be interpreted as Upper Bavaria by even the most lenient mapreaders, and I am electing to ignore it. Sorry.

I’m also locating Tassing west of Munich, not east, because I’m too familiar with the area around Rosenheim/Wasserburg and I’m just not getting Tassing vibes, even though Perchtenläufe are far more common today in the area.

Anyway, on to the last map. You'll notice there's a nice Roman road leading through the big pink area west, leading north towards Augsburg, and a second to the east that crosses into non-Freising territory and then passes (or crosses, my Roman roads map reference isn't super exact) a Freising enclave. 

When I first zoned into this map, I got really excited, because there IS a Benedictine monastery on the West road! Kloster Ettal - which is unfortunately mostly famous for a sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic boarding school that's part of the monastery. Yikes.

Kloster Ettal (1)

It was founded in the 14th century, so rather late, by Emperor Ludwig IV. The sanctuary features a small marble Madonna. Ettal remained rather unimportant until the 18th century. Pro: Right next to a Roman road, close to a small river, securely inside my possible location area and located on a hill. Con: Founded too late and not by a person comparable to the foundress of Kiersau. Not culturally significant before or during the time of Pentiment. No reference to any strange reliquiaries.

Epfach (2)

This is a small village near Denklingen. It's not significant for having a monastery, because there is none. However, Epfach used to be called Abodiacum, and it was located at an important intersection between the Via Claudia and the salt road between Salzburg and Kempten. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, it has lost meaning, and today Epfach is a village with a rich past. The coat of arms depicts a roman lamp with the Chi Rho, emphasizing the merging and mixing of pagan Roman and Christian influences in the area. There have also been several archeological finds, among them the Venus of Epfach, and you can visit a Nymphaeum near the school. I'm not rating this one pro and con, since Epfach doesn't have a monastery. However, I think the area may have been one of many inspiring places in Upper Bavaria that went into the creation of Tassing. I was especially tickled by the Nymphaeum and the murals that are on exhibit in the former fire station.

Beuerberg (3)

A double monastery, founded around 1120 by a local Noble, Berta von Iringsburg and her sons. It was widely known for its library and school, and it was ravaged by fire several times, which also destroyed parts of the library. Pro: Founded by a woman, double monastery, a history of fires. Con: Not a Benedictine monastery, not in the target area, most places burn down over the course of 800 years, and also I literally added it exclusively because my grandparents used to live here.

Wessobrunn (4)

Originally founded in 753 by Duke Tassilo III. near another Roman road, it was presumably the proprietary monastery of a family by the name of Wezzo, who according to legend led Tassilo to a spring he had dreamed of. The monastery was pillaged by Hungarians in 955 and rebuilt in 1065. A recluse, Diemut, a famous scribe, worked here after the monastery was rebuilt, although she wasn't part of an order. Wessobrunn became a double monastery in 1130 and burned down in the early 13th century, once again being rebuilt. It became known for its library, and as a local parton of art, especially stucco in the 18th century. Pro: Double monastery of Benedictines, located on a hill, had a famous female scribe and library, history of destruction by fire. Also, Tassilo could have inspired a place name like Tassing. Con: Never had a scriptorium, not in the target area, actual story of Tassilo founding it is considered ahistorical by most historians.

Benediktbeuern (5)

Located at the Via Raetia, this monastery was founded once again by Tassilo III. and was gifted, among other things, a salt mine in Tyrolia and several villages. It received an arm reliquiary of St. Benedict in the late 8th century, and head reliquiaries of the martyr Anastasia. Benediktbeuren was a double monastery until the 14th century, with the women's convent located north of the men's convent. Like Wessobrunn, Benediktbeuren was destroyed by Hungarians and rebuilt. Before and after this event, the monastery was home to a famous scriptorium, a famous library and it also had a parish church dedicated to Mary close to the monastery itself. The main part of the monastery was destroyed by a fire in 1490 and then rebuilt. Pro: Double monastery of Benedictines, famous scriptorium and library, connection to Tassilo, parish church dedicated to Mary, lead by a man called Matthias in the early 16th century, destroyed by fire, a hand reliquary and ownership of a salt mine. Con: The salt mine was days away, not in the target area, located on a plain.

Polling (6)

Founded as a Benedictine monastery in the late 8th century, once again connected to a myth of Duke Tassilo III. In this one, he's hunting and spots a doe that's scratching the ground. Digging up the spot, he finds three crosses and other treasure, and decides to build a monastery there. Polling was also destroyed by Hungarians, and was a a double monastery until 1300, when the nuns moved to Benediktbeuren. Since the early 12th century, Polling was an Augustine monastery and home to an important school. It also had lots of pilgrims coming in for the holy cross. Pro: Double monastery, located next to one of the Roman roads, parallel name to Tassing and connection to Tassilo, the doe Con: Not in the target area, not a Benedictine monastery, not known for a scriptorium.

Conclusio

You might ask yourself now, well! What was all that for? And the answer is, of course, to show how realistic and at the same time completely fantastic Kiersau and Tassing are. You can find something of Pentiment's locations in all of the places I've mentioned, and yet none of them are a perfect fit, because the story that Pentiment tells needs the combination of all these things to work.

There's no one place that Tassing mirrors, but I think my favorite find were the many monasteries founded by Tassilo, and the connection of Tassing via the place name - With the people of Tassilo. I love how closely the Roman history of Upper Bavaria, especially Epfach, is picked up, fractured and then condensed in Pentiment. I might write a follow-up on this about the local Pagan practices that we see from Ottilia, Sick Peter and Ursula, but I think I'm a bit too cynical to write about those in a fun way.

Sources:

Etymologies: Senseless searches on Wikipedia and Wiktionary.

Map of Raetia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raetia#/media/Datei:Droysens_Hist_Handatlas_S17_Germanien.jpg

Roman roads in Germany: https://www.altwege.de/roemer-und-kelten/interaktive-karte.html (Bernhard Schwade)

Bishoprics in Germany: https://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/Lexikon/Bistumsorganisation (map by Sonja Schweiger)

Map of Europe: google babey

History of the monasteries: https://www.hdbg.eu/kloster/ and a wide array of the monastery websites, Wikipedia and Wikimedia.

Ettal: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloster_Ettal#/media/Datei:Ethal_(Merian).jpg

Epfach: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hirte_mit_Schafen_-_r%C3%B6mische_Plastik_in_Abodiacum_(Epfach),_2020.jpg

Beuerberg: https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00063022&pimage=678

Wessobrunn: https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00063022&pimage=644

Benediktbeuern: https://api.digitale-sammlungen.de/iiif/image/v2/bsb10802259_00025/full/full/0/default.jpg

Polling: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wening_Polling.jpg

#pentiment #my stuff #long post #read more #research #bavaria

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

Yesterday Road, Today Road, Tomorrow Road...

Perhaps it's just another manifestation of my overthinking, but it seems to me that the three paths in Long John's Bush might have been written as a metaphor for Emily's life. Each path seemed to be somehow linked to a person who was important to Emily.

The paths were named by Emily and her friends, because: "The To-day Road is by the brook and we call it that because it is lovely now. The Yesterday Road is out in the stumps where Lofty John cut some trees down and we call it that because it used to be lovely. The To-morrow Road is just a tiny path in the maple clearing and we call it that because it is going to be lovely some day, when the maples grow bigger." (Emily of New Moon).

TO-MORROW'S ROAD (EMILY'S AMBITIONS AND DREAMS. TEDDY KENT):

The metaphor of Tomorrow Road was most clearly outlined. On the one hand, of course, it symbolized Emily's passion for writing and her ascent to the Alpine Path of glory and fame. As for the character with whom Tomorrow Road was most closely associated, it was Teddy Kent.

First of all, To-morrow Road never changed its name, even though by the time Emily reached her early teenage years, the maples grew big. In Emily Climbs, Tomorrow Road became the place of Teddy and Emily's meetings, where they shared their dreams and hopes for the future: "Then Teddy came for me and we walked together up the field and through the To-morrow Road. It is really a To-day Road now, for the trees along it are above our heads, but we still call it the To-morrow Road—partly out of habit and partly because we talk so much on it of our to-morrows and what we hope to do in them. Somehow, Teddy is the only person I like to talk to about my to-morrows and my ambitions. There is no one else." (Emily Climbs).

To-morrow Road was a place that marked the milestones for both Teddy and Emily (Teddy especially). Here he told Emily that his mother decided to allow him to attend Shrewsbury High School; here he told her that he had received an art scholarship and was going to the college in Montreal. Here he proposed. Here she was waiting for him with Dean's letter.

It seemed to me that Teddy and Emily's relationship was all about the future. Thorough Emily Climbs they seemed to think that they couldn't be each other's "today", because they both had their own separate dreams ("to-morrows") to conquer before they would be free to set on their rainbow quest together. (Side note: Montgomery skillfully mentioned that To-morrow Road was in fact - already To-day Road).

By the end of Emily Climbs, as their romance started to blossom, Emily's initial reaction was fear. Early on, she realised that she served a jealous goddess. We didn't get a glimpse into Teddy's feelings, but it was obvious from the start how ambitious and passionate he had been for his art. Perhaps it was something more than just a fear of Emily's refusal that drove him to silence when he had meant to ask her to wait for him? The scene itself happened on To-morrow Road (another symbol that it wasn't their time yet, perhaps?). During this scene, they both experienced a clash of two extremely strong passions: on the one hand, the desire to improve their art and fulfill their ambitions and dreams, and on the other - an awakening love. Teddy, before leaving for Montreal told Emily that there were two things in life that he had wanted "tremendously", but never told her that having her as his wife was one of these things.

I wonder if Juliet and Douglas Starr's tragic story might have forced Teddy's silence. Douglas Starr had once been young and ambitious too, but wouldn't have been accepted by Murrays because of his poverty. The result of this love was tragic; Juliet's elopement broke her family's heart and both she and Douglas died early, leaving Emily all alone. Perhaps Teddy felt that he might have been tolerated as Emily's friend, but not as her suitor. Since he seemed to doubt in his own success (especially since his chosen profession rarely resulted in a fortune), he might have been more likely to keep silent.

One quote of this scene between Teddy and Emily has always intrigued me:

"We walked along the To-morrow Road—[...]—until we reached the fence of the pond-pasture and stood there under the grey-green gloom of the firs. I felt suddenly very happy and in those few minutes part of me planted a garden and laid out beautiful closets and bought a dozen solid silver teaspoons and arranged my attic and hemstitched a double damask table-cloth—and the other part of me just waited." (Emily Climbs).

Because... was it possible that she had seen herself from the future? This was the exact spot where Teddy reconciled with Emily by the end of Emily's Quest. Where he had finally confessed his love [1]. But, most importantly, this was also a spot of the very last scene of the trilogy: Emily, waiting for Teddy to tell him that Dean had gave them a Disappointed House as a wedding gift [2]. There was a certain symbolism in Teddy coming to her - the exact opposite of To-morrow Road's scene that took place in Emily's Climbs, where it was Emily who went away, leaving him alone: "Teddy was looking at the dim gold of Blair Water and scowling. Again I had a feeling that night air was not good for me. I shivered, said a few polite commonplaces, and left him there scowling." (Emily Climbs).

In a way, their story came into full circle. They both achieved success and overcame their own biggest faults (pride, insecurities, selfishness, vanity). Unlike their seventeen year old selves, they got to know what loneliness meant - they found out that their ambitions were not enough to fulfill their heart's desires.

By the end of trilogy, Emily and Teddy still had their own "Alpine Paths" to climb, but from this time, they would have each other's help and support. They also had the dreams of future they share: of home, fireplace, toast and bacon and marmalade.

YESTERDAY ROAD. THE PAST AND FAMILY TRADITIONS. LOST DREAMS. JULIET MURRAY, DOUGLAS STARR, DEAN PRIEST.

Yesterday Road symbolized the past, for it used to be lovely once. Perhaps it might have been a place where Douglas and Juliet used to meet (their own "To-day Road"). For each member of the Murray family, Yesterday Road might have had a different meaning. For Elizabeth, it could have symbolized either her youth, either a period when Juliet was a child; for Laura - her former love for Dr. Burnley; for Jimmy - his lost potential; for Juliet - her childhood, family, first love.

For Emily, Yesterday Road symbolized family traditions (the chapter in which Cousin Jimmy told her family stories was titled "The Book Of Yesterday") as well as her parents' love story. All that shaped her as a woman and a writer, but also nearly became an obstacle to fulfilling her dreams. Due to Juliet's elopement, Aunt Elizabeth almost kept Emily from receiving an education. The whole family tried to marry Emily off to cousin Andrew, so that Juliet's story wouldn't repeat itself. During Emily's later years, Yesterday Road might have symbolized Emily's lost hopes and dreams.

The person who directly referred to Yesterday Road was Dean Priest: "I shall carry pictures of you wherever I go, Star," Dean was saying [...] "pacing up and down in this old garden—wandering in the Yesterday Road—looking out to sea." (Emily's Quest).

In the second part of the trilogy, Dean Priest directly admitted that he was aware that Emily's future would not be his future: 'I hate to hear of your to-morrows—they cannot be my tomorrows.' (Emily Climbs).

During the year that he and Emily had been engaged, Emily rarely thought about the future, and felt anxious about it: "Always to be afraid of to-morrow? Content—even happy with to-day—but always afraid of tomorrow. Was this to be her life? And why that fear of to-morrow?" (Emily's Quest). In the rare moments that Emily thought of her future, she saw Teddy, instead of Dean in those visions. "She saw herself there in the future—flitting through the little rooms—laughing under the firs—sitting hand in hand with Teddy at the fireplace—Emily came to herself with a shock. With Dean, of course, with Dean. A mere trick of the memory." (Emily's Quest).

Perhaps Emily didn't understand what Dean subconsciously realized: that he would never be able to fulfill Emily's future: "to let myself dream something that couldn't come true—that I knew ought not to come true—" (Emily's Quest). During the year they spent together, he allowed himself to dream, but was left with nothing more than memories and ashes. And so, for Dean a Yesterday Road symbolized the one golden year of his engagement; the only glimpse into real happiness he had ever had. Emily became his yesterday. It is interesting how he worded his letter, containing his wedding gift: "And some day I will come to see you in it. I claim my old corner in your house of friendship now and then." (Emily's Quest). Again, he doesn't refer to her future, but her past ("my old corner").

TODAY'S ROAD: CHILDHOOD. FRIENDSHIP. ILSE BURNLEY.

Today's Road symbolized Emily's happy childhood and her friendships. It is the one path that never seems to be stained with bitterness or regrets. As for a character that simply screams "TODAY" - it is obviously Ilse Burnley, who never seemed to care about the past or think of the future:

"As far as Ilse was concerned it seemed as if no quarrel had ever taken place. “Why, that was yesterday,” she said in amazement, when Emily, rather distantly, referred to it. Yesterday and to-day were two entirely different things in Ilse’s philosophy." (Emily of New Moon).

"Ilse was growing, too, blossoming out into strange beauty and brilliance, knowing no law but her own pleasure, recognizing no authority but her own whim." (Emily of New Moon).

"Ilse had always been a merry, irresponsible creature." (Emily's Quest). "All her life she had done exactly as she wanted to do whenever the whim took her. No sense of responsibility whatever." (Emily's Quest).

Besides, Ilse seemed to be the contant "today" of Emily's childhood and youth. She couldn't be Emily's "to-morrow", though, for both girls would have to carve their own separate futures, build their own homes in which the other one would be a cherished guest: "we'll visit each other, you and I—and compare our children—call your first girl Ilse, won't you, friend of my heart—" (Emily's Quest). Emily didn't seem to mind visiting the house Ilse was going to build with her imaginary husband; but she did mind being a guest at Teddy's house, few years later when Ilse repeats her invitation: "When Teddy and I come back and set up house in Montreal you must spend every winter with us, darling. New Moon is a dear place in summer, but in winter you must be absolutely buried alive." Emily made no promises. She did not see herself as a guest in Teddy's home." (Emily's Quest).

That's perhaps the difference: Ilse would be a vital part of Emily's future and vice versa, but it would be their husbands who'd be a part of their to-morrows. Even when Ilse got married to Perry and the three friends reunited, Emily's life wasn't complete. Perhaps it couldn't be, because Ilse - dear as she was - couldn't fill a certain longing in Emily's heart and soul - the voice that needed Teddy's love and presence.

Headcanons for the Long John's paths:

Juliet and Douglas used to walk through Yesterday Road. He asked her to marry him there. Before she eloped, Juliet had a good cry there. She was thinking of her half-sibling and her father - she loved them fiercely, despite everything.

Teddy and Emily said their wedding vows in Long John's Bush, under the firs where they used to meet and where they reunited. (Both Aunts were absolutely mortified by this idea). Or, if it wasn't an official ceremony, at least they had repeated the vows there. (Let's be real, Emily would definitely repeat her vows after the ceremony, changing "Frederick" into "Teddy").

The future generations liked playing on To-day Road.

The names of the paths were never changed, even if the paths themselves did.

The children of four friends invented their own names for the paths, though.

The quotes [1]-[3]:

[1] "Suddenly I heard Teddy's signal whistle in the old orchard. [...] We walked along the To-morrow Road—it has grown so beautiful that one wonders if any to-morrow can make it more beautiful—until we reached the fence of the pond-pasture and stood there under the grey-green gloom of the firs. [...] I'm going to work hard—I'm going to get everything possible out of those two years,' Teddy said at last,[...] '"And when I come back—' he repeated—stopped again. "'Yes?' I said. I don't deny to this my journal that I said it a trifle expectantly. "'I'll make the name of Frederick Kent mean something in Canada!' said Teddy." (Emily Climbs).

[2] "It came clearly and suddenly on the air of a June evening. An old, old call—two higher notes and one long and soft and low. [...] It came again. And Emily knew that Teddy was there, waiting for her in Lofty John's bush—calling to her across the years. She went down slowly—out—across the garden. Of course Teddy was there—under the firs. [..] He put out his hands and drew her to him, with no conventional greeting." (Emily's Quest).

[3] "How very—dear—of Dean. And I am so glad—he is not hurt any longer." She was standing where the To-morrow Road opened out on the Blair Water valley. Behind her she heard Teddy's eager footsteps coming to her." (Emily's Quest).

#lm montgomery #emily of new moon #Long John's Bush #Meta I guess? #And some headcanons #Tomorrow Road #Emily Starr #Teddy Kent #Ilse Burnley #Juliet Starr #Dean Priest #A long post #Thank you if you managed to read it all

[sixminutestoriesblog]

Frau Perchta

Etymologically, her name means 'bright one'. Or, perhaps, instead it means 'hidden or covered'. Both suit her, this winter figure of myth and folklore, haunting the shadows and stories in the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany.

Recently, there's been an upsurge in interest about beings like Krampus and the Mari Lwyd, figures that had, until recently for many of us, disappeared into Santa's shadow over the generations. So, given the time of year we're in, I thought I'd shine a bit of light on some of these older stories of yesteryear.

Perchta, or Berchta, is a female figure that haunted the Alpine regions of Europe. She has been likened to Frigg or Holda, possibly stemming from the same Ur archetype and, like them, has mutated and grown cloudy from her origins over time as Christianity and changing cultures adapted her. Perchta, according to, yes that Jacob Grimm, was both the guardian of animals and the overseer of domestic spinning.

Yeah, I don't equate the two either, which is what I meant by 'things get cloudy' the further away from whatever her original, unknown idea might have been.

Anyway, Perchta was a winter creature of myth and so, like so many of them, had a dual nature. She could take the form of a beautiful woman, tall, elegantly robed and as white as the snow - or she could take the form of a doubled over, withered hag, with darkly twinkling eyes, dressed in rags, sometimes even going so far as to have an iron nose. And, like her two forms, Perchta could either be generous or viscous, depending on what she found when she visited houses during the traditional time between Christ's birth and the visit of the Magi. Her day was the Feast of Epiphany, hence the shining or brightness associated with both her name and the star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi.

Perchta was, in some forms, a goddess of the household, a visiting deity checking to make sure the people were living up to societal standards. If, when she visited in the night, Perchta found a clean house and all the season's flax or wool already spun into thread and ready for the loom that would go up Epiphany day, she would leave silver behind, in shoes or buckets, as a reward for hard work. If however she found the women of the household with still unspun thread or a messy house, she would earn her nickname 'the Belly-Slitter' by taking her long knife, slicing the offenders' stomachs open and removing all their organs, replacing them with straw, garbage and rocks.

Remember, kids, don't leave dirty dishes in the sink between Christmas and January 6th.

Speaking of kids, like Krampus, Perchta could tell when children had been bad and seemed to have a particular penchant for lying ones. They too would end up stuffed with farmyard detritus.

In the duality of her nature however, Perchta was also said to be the guardian of the souls of children that had died before they'd been baptized, keeping them close to her and comforted.

She also, apparently, took them with her when she led the Wild Hunt, another pastime she was known to have. The crashing sounds of thunder in the mountains and the wild storms heard late at night, especially if they occurred on the Berchtl or Knocking nights, the three Thursdays between Christmas and Epiphany? That was Perchta and her followers, known as the Perchten, riding wild across the sky.

In hag or maiden form, there was one way to spot Perchta for sure. One of her feet was wide-spread and flat, either because it was the foot of a swan (or goose) signifying her ability to shapeshift as well as her role as animal guardian or else because it was a treadle foot, grown so large and flat thanks to all her time spent at the spinning wheel.

If you wanted to appease Perchta, beyond finishing your spinning in a timely manner and keeping your house, and children, clean, you left out a bowl of porridge made with fish, on the Twelfth Night for her and her followers. If she liked your cooking, you had an upcoming year of prosperity ahead of you.

In fact, in certain towns in Austria, you can find Perchta masks in use during winter festivities today. These masks, often made of wood, come in two varieties. The Schönperchten, the 'beautiful Perchten' masks are supposed to call in financial prosperity and the Schiachperchten, the 'ugly Perchten' masks, are to drive away evil spirits.

Santa, and Krampus, may have Christmas day, but the twelve that come after it belong to Perchta.

On a possibly unrelated but still very interesting to me note, there's apparently a video game called Hunt: Showdown that features a Frau Perchta. tw: for video game blood and violence

#perchta #frau perchta #wild hunt #hunt: showdown #krampus #christmas #epiphany #folklore #superstition #cottagecore #twelve days of christmas #mari lwyd #christmas story #you better watch out #weaving #spinning #Youtube

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Creatures of Yuletide: The Lost Christmas Goddess

This is my last Creatures of Yuletide of the year, so I decided to finish with something huge, an ancient winter goddess that had her feast day exactly on Christmas day and whose influence can still be felt to this day. This goddess has many names and many forms across the Alpine Region, but for sake of clarity, I will refer to her as Holda.

Holda is a figure associated with motherhood, winter, and spinning and weaving. Stories and myths about her spread across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, usually involving her being both an angelic presence and a demonic force, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked. The anthropologist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas believes she was the Germanic supreme goddess and is older than the Germanic pantheon, including deities like Odin, Thor, and Loki. She also says:

"[Holda] holds dominion over death, the cold darkness of winter, caves, graves and tombs in the earth….but also receives the fertile seed, the light of midwinter, the fertilized egg, which transforms the tomb into a womb for the gestation of new life."

With the Christianization of Europe, myths and stories about her survived in the countryside and as folk stories.

Jacob Grimm, of the Brothers Grimm fame, in his seminal work 'Teutonic Mythology', described her basic characteristics:

“In popular legends and nursery tales, frau Holda (Hulda, Holle, Hulle, frau Holl) appears as a superior being, who manifests a kind and helpful disposition towards men, and is never cross except when she notices disorder in household affairs. […]

From what traditions has still preserved for us, we gather the following characteristics. Frau Holle is represented as a being of the sky, begirdling the earth: when it snows, she is making her bed, and the feathers of it fly. She stirs up snow, as Donar does rain: the Greeks ascribe the production of snow and rain to their Zeus: so that Holda comes before us a goddess of no mean rank. [...]

Another point of resemblance is, that she drives about in a waggon. She has a linchpin put in it by a peasant whom she met; when he picked up the chips, they were gold. Her annual progress, which like those of Herke and Berhta, is made to fall between Christmas and Twelfth-day, when the supernatural has sway, and wild beasts like the wolf are not mentioned by their names, brings fertility to the land. Not otherwise does 'Derk with the boar,' that Freyr of the Netherlands (p. 214), appear to go his rounds and look after the ploughs. At the same time Holda, like Wuotan, can also ride on the winds, clothed in terror, and she, like the god, belongs to the 'wutende heer.''

The Brothers Grimm also collected a tale about her in which she appears as Frau Holle, and it can be found here. Resuming, an abused stepchild loses a spindle in the well and jumps there to get it back, only to find herself in the magical realm of a kind woman named Frau Holle that has the power of making snow in the real world when she shakes her featherbed pillows.

The girl does the household chores for the old woman and is rewarded by returning to the real world with a shower of gold and the spindle which had fallen into the well.

Jealous, the stepmother sends her biological daughter to try the same, but the girl is so unhelpful that Frau Holle sends her back with a shower of pitch.

Basically, Frau Holle is the female version of Morozko.

Holda is associated with many of the evergreen plants that appear during the Yule season, especially mistletoe and holly, and she had her feast day on December 25, Christmas day.

An early-13th-century text listing superstitions states that "In nocte nativitatis Christi ponunt regina celi quam dominam Holdam vulgus appelat, ut eas ipsa adiuvet.” This text, an Aberglaubenverzeichnis (a common late-medieval and early modern genre), was compiled in the years 1236–1250 by Rudolph, a Cistercian monk. Translating, it states the following:

"In the night of Christ's Nativity they set the table for the Queen of Heaven, whom the people call Frau Holda, that she might help them".

Hulda was known as a goddess of women, which eventually tied her to magic and witchcraft, and she is specifically called out in the Canon Episcopi, written around the fourth century. Those who honored her were required, as faithful Catholics, to do penance. The treatise reads, in part:

"Have you believed there is some female, whom the stupid vulgar call Holda ... who is able to do a certain thing, such that those deceived by the devil affirm themselves by necessity and by command to be required to do, that is, with a crowd of demons transformed into the likeness of women, on fixed nights to be required to ride upon certain beasts, and to themselves be numbered in their company? If you have performed participation in this unbelief, you are required to do penance for one year on designated fast-days.”

Holda was widely mentioned in catalogs of superstitions and sermons during the 15th century, and in the 16th, being equated with other female figures like Diana, and Herodias, the princess that asked for John Baptist’s head.

Her motherhood aspect also is used to link her with the Virgin Mary, and she is the goddess to whom children who died as infants go.

Holiday figures like the witch Frau Perchta from the Alpine Region, and the witch La Befana from Italian folklore, both associated with Epiphany, the feast that celebrates the visit of the Three Wise men, are sometimes linked back to her.

This holiday season, I hope this ancient winter goddess blesses you all and brings a reward for all the good you put out to the world this year. Happy holidays my friends.

@ariel-seagull-wings @thealmightyemprex @tamisdava2 @princesssarisa

#The Creatures of Yuletide #Christmas #holiday season #frau holle #Germanic folklore

[sebscore]

Hello I'm back! Been gone cause of exams but I hath arisen! (They arent over I just have a long break till my last one)

Anyway here's a little brain riot to celebrate my return;) :

On a driver name association game thing for Grill The Grid these were some of gzd's answers (so basically she says the first thing that pops into her head when she hears a drivers name)

Interviewer person: Max?

Gzd: du du dudu Max Verstappen du du dudu

Interviewer: Lance?

Gzd: oh! Lana del Rey! Lance is definitely Lana coded.

Int: ....ok?..... Charles?

Gzd: "I am stewpid" and "nothing just an inchident"

Int: *trying not to laugh* Lewis?

Gzd: seb's platonic husband. The shippers are gonna love me for that

Int: Lando?

Gzd: RUMPELSTILTSKIN! oh and kinder joy cause his middle name is kinder

Int: Fernando

Gzd: ALL THE TIME YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE SPACE

Int: Pierre?

Gzd: I'll do you a favor. Esti Bestie and Pierre: enemies to lovers. One bed troupe

Int: Oscar?

Gzd: Alpine. Wait can I say that?

Int: we'll allow it. Logan?

Gzd: Florida man.

Anyway cause I'm to lazy your imagination can run wild with the rest.

As always love you loads my dear. Stay safe and look after yourself

💤

I’m happy for you that your exams are over and I hope you’re having a nice break so far, darling! 💙

anyway- I LOVE THIS 😭😭😭 how you always come up with these funny quotes and stuff is beyond me, but I enjoy them every time!

THANK YOU BABES!!! I love you too and hope you’re taking care of yourself! 🥹🫶🏻🦋

#tgd #💤 :: anon

[haggishlyhagging]

“From Anatolia and Iran, these [Indo-European] tribes continued to push southward into Mesopotamia and Canaan. According to Professor Albright,

There is both archaeological and documentary evidence pointing to a great migratory movement or movements from the northeast into Syria in the 18th century BC. As a result of this movement Hurrian and Indo-Iranian tribes flooded the country. By the 15th century we find most of eastern and northern Syria occupied predominantly by Hurrians and Indo-Iranians . . . Megiddo, Jerusalem and Ascalon [all in Canaan] are ruled by princes with Anatolian or Indo-Iranian names. The cranial type at Megiddo, which was previously Mediterranean in character, now becomes brachycephalic Alpine.

As the invasions were sporadic, they are difficult to follow and would probably require a volume on each particular area over a long period of time to be thoroughly explained. But historical, mythological and archaeological evidence suggests that it was these northern people who brought with them the concepts of light as good and dark as evil (very possibly the symbolism of their racial attitudes toward the darker people of the southern areas) and of a supreme male deity. The emergence of the male deity in their subsequent literature, which repeatedly described and explained his supremacy, and the extremely high position of their priestly caste may perhaps allow these invasions to be viewed as religious crusade wars as much as territorial conquests.

The arrival of the Indo-Aryan tribes, the presentation of their male deities as superior to the female deities of the indigenous populations of the lands they invaded and the subsequent intricate interlacing of the two theological concepts are recorded mythologically in each culture. It is in these myths that we witness the attitudes that led to the suppression of Goddess worship.

As Sheila Collins writes, "Theology is ultimately political. The way human communities deify the transcendent and determine the categories of good and evil have more to do with the power dynamics of the social systems which create the theologies than with the spontaneous revelation of truth from another quarter."

Judging from the production of religious mythology of the royal scribes and priests found in the archives of palaces of the Indo-European-ruled nations of the historic periods, often in the language of the conquered populations, we may surmise that political aims, rather than religious fervor, may well have been the motivation. The prevalence of myths that explain the creation of the universe by the male deity or the institution of kingship, when none had existed previously, strongly hints at the possibility that many of these myths were written by priests of the invading tribes to justify the supremacy of the new male deities and to justify the installation of a king as the result of the relationship of that king to the male deity.

The Indo-European male deity, unlike the son/lover of the Goddess religion, was most often portrayed as a storm god, high on a mountain, blazing with the light of fire or lightning. This recurrent symbolism suggests that these northern people may once have worshiped volcanoes as manifestations of their god, a factor I will discuss more thoroughly in Chapter Five. In some areas this god was annexed to the Goddess as a husband, such as the storm god Taru and the Sun Goddess of Arinna or Zeus and Hera. In some legends he emerged as a rebellious young man, who heroically destroyed the older female deity, at times upon the previously assured promise of supremacy in the divine hierarchy.

In many of these myths the female deity is symbolized as a serpent or dragon, most often associated with darkness and evil. At times the gender of the dragon seems to be neuter, or even a male (closely associated with his mother or wife who is the Goddess). But the plot and the underlying symbolic theme of the story is so similar in each myth that, judging from the stories that do use the name of the female deity, we may surmise that the allegorical identity of the dragon or serpent is that of the Goddess religion. The Goddess, the original supreme deity of the people conquered and ruled by the invading Indo-Europeans, was not ignored, but was symbolically included in such a manner that these supposedly religious myths allow us to trace Her eventual deposition.”

-Merlin Stone, When God Was a Woman

#Merlin stone #goddess culture #goddess religion #patriarchal religion #serpent symbolism #human history #indo european

[austrian-mythology]

The Orc

The Orc, natively known as Orgg or Lorgg is a mountain demon, which is feared by the peoples of the Alps. In the Early Middle Ages, the Celto-Roman god Orcus, like many other pagan figures, was downgraded to a simple creature of Alpine Mythology, serving here as a demon punishing human actions often as a protector of animal life, but other times its actions are just of pure evil.

Appearance

The Orc, in its various manifestations, exhibits a curious blend of humanoid and animalistic characteristics. It is often described as having a head resembling that of a large dog, bear-like fur, a broad mouth with iron teeth, and a snake-like tail. Its eyes are said to emit a fiery glow, adding to its eerie presence. Also, it has disproportionately long arms, allowing it to reach far and wide, and its razor-sharp claws, resembling those found on scavenging vultures. Despite its animal-like appearance, the Orc is quite proficient in using tools and weapons. It is frequently portrayed wielding scythes with skill and precision.

Behaviour

The Orc is a complex figure in Alpine mythology, with its actions and intentions varying across different narratives. It can be a playful trickster. In some tales, it revels in pranks and mischief, bringing perplexity and laughter to its encounters. The Orc also appears as a guardian of the forest or as the lord of animals, warning wild animals of hunters, or as a demonic herdsman aiding livestock.

However, the Orc also possesses a darker side. It can transform into a menacing presence, attempting to harm humans and animals. Stories tell of it appearing suddenly in fields, and using blades like a sharp sickle to injure those who dare to approach and steal from it. It has the ability to hide everywhere only emitting eerie whistles or bird-like calls, and it strikes with swift and frightening agility. Sometimes it can also be heard singing songs like:

"Sharpen, sharpen good, and cut through the legs as through wood!"

Origin

In Roman mythology, Orcus served as an alternative name for deities like Pluto, Hades, or Dis Pater, all associated with the realm of the dead. Orcus specifically denoted the darker aspect of these gods, responsible for the punishment of sinners in the afterlife. The origins of Orcus likely traces back to Etruscan religious beliefs. Additionally, Orcus was a name used to refer to a Gallic god of the underworld. It is unknown wether the Orc is related to another bad spirit known as the Norc.

#orc #alps #alpine mythology #orcus #orgg #god #evil spirit

[pcttrailsidereader]

Norovirus on the PCT . . . How an outbreak spreads along the trail

September 24

By Pien Huang for NPR

I was just corresponding with another PCT-hiking friend about the few times we have felt unsafe on the trail. All of our examples related, not to bears or rattlesnakes or even lightning (I might have included lightning had I thought about it more), to human encounters. A lost soul or two on the trail, hunters combining alcohol and firearms, a camping area near a road. Now here is another thing to worry about . . . norovirus. It is a good reminder not to abandon hygiene in the wilderness. RH

EIS officer Arran Hamlet walks into the Government Meadows site to conduct environmental sampling for norovirus.

Last September, Kevin Quinn was trekking through a remote, mountainous region in central Washington state, when he started feeling sick. "At first, I thought it was just a stomachache," he says, "But when we got to the campsite I started throwing up, and it started coming out the other end as well."

Quinn was on the trail with his daughter, who had left her job so they could hike together. After months of hiking, he found himself wiped out at a campsite in the middle of nowhere.

"I had heard about the norovirus for years, but it was always in the context of 'Oh, there's a cruise ship in the Caribbean,'" he says, "You don't think about this being an issue when you're out on the Pacific Crest Trail."

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious gastrointestinal distress for several days. It's often associated with enclosed, crowded settings like cruise ships, health care facilities and childcare centers.

But it also crops up in the wilderness – like in an outbreak among hikers like Quinn last year which was documented in a recent investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Call in the disease detectives

After a stream of sick Pacific Crest Trail hikers came through the Washington Alpine Club Lodge near Snoqualmie Pass last summer, a volunteer named Robert Henry closed the dorm-style lodge and emailed health authorities.

"My concern at the time was to make sure that the hikers on the trail didn't get any worse, and to make sure that the volunteers at the Washington Alpine Club didn't contract whatever it was they were bringing in," Henry ways. He also worked to warn other hikers about the threat.

EIS officer Dr. Arran Hamlet observes a water source being tested for environmental contamination of fecal waste and norovirus.

Hamlet focused on a 70-mile stretch of trail south of the Lodge, where ill hikers were coming from. One common rest stop, he learned, was a remote log cabin in the meadows, with a pit latrine and a stream that's used for drinking water.

Hamlet and his team hiked out to the cabin and tested water from the stream. They also swabbed the toilets, the door handles, the tabletops, the poker chips – anything people were touching. While the water samples came back clean, "every single [surface] swab tested positive for fecal contamination," he says.

"This doesn't mean that we can see human feces on things," he adds, "but at some point in time, there was transmission of human fecal contamination onto every surface in the cabin we swabbed, and also everywhere in the latrine."

The results of the investigation were published this month in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Investigators concluded that there was an outbreak of norovirus on the trail last summer that was spreading between hikers and that "exposure to contaminated surfaces within the cabin and ... latrines likely amplified transmission."

EIS officer Dr. Arran Hamlet swabs a backcountry pit latrine for norovirus sampling during an investigation for an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness among Pacific Crest Trail Hikers in 2022.

Shanna Miko, a nurse epidemiologist at CDC, was part of the field team on the Pacific Crest Trail study — and it wasn't her first norovirus-in-the-woods investigation. Last year, she traced an outbreak at the Grand Canyon, among people who were backcountry hiking and whitewater rafting.

"These are very well-planned trips. For many people, they're once-in-a-lifetime," she says. Travelers often read books and blogs in preparation, and get advice from others who have done the trip before them, accumulating trail wisdom – "places where people frequently stop, or places that have shelters where people frequently sleep over," good places to get water, or use the bathroom, she says.

These hubs, which seem so remote, see thousands of people – in varying levels of wellness – pass through in a season. They may not leave visible traces but some may leave germs, like norovirus, that can live on environmental surfaces for a long time, Miko says. (According to the CDC, this hardy virus can stay alive on surfaces for "days or weeks.")

Hand sanitizer doesn't cut and other advice for staying well

With norovirus, hand sanitizer and common water filters don't work. The virus is small, and "extra sticky" on skin, Miko says. And it takes just a few dozen viral particles to make a person very ill.

Miko says there are ways that hikers can cut their risks.

Always wash your hands with soap and water after you have a bowel movement – and wash them again before you eat. "The soap is a great detergent to remove the virus from your hands," she says. While any soap and water will work, she recommends biodegradable soaps in protected national parks and backcountry woods to reduce the impact on the environment.

Make sure to drink and cook with good, clean water. Pay attention to where the water comes from, and treat it properly. "Boiling for at least three minutes is the best way to kill everything you would typically come across," Miko says. And note: Most water filters are good at removing bacteria and common parasites but they don't cut it when it comes to norovirus. You'll need to layer on either chemical treatment or UV light treatment to kill the virus. (Here's the CDC's breakdown of what works for which pathogens.)

If you do fall ill, shelter in place if you can. This is for your own safety, and for the sake of others, "so you aren't seeding norovirus particles along the trail and putting others at risk," Miko says. This is not the time to try to push ahead but to rest and hydrate. "If possible, try to keep your defecation far from the trail and bury it, and don't prepare food anywhere near where you're using the restroom or vomiting," she says.

The worst of the symptoms usually passes in two to three days, though "you can still spread norovirus after you feel better," Miko says. She recommends waiting at least two days after symptoms have resolved before continuing on.

Norovirus was the last straw

Kevin Quinn set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail with his daughter, Katie, who had left her job so they could hike together. Norovirus derailed their plans.

He was thirsty, he was really tired – and while he filtered the water, he skipped the additional, chemical treatment. Soon, he knew he'd made a mistake. "I was completely debilitated. I didn't have the energy to set my tent up," he recalls, "All I was doing was, like, every 15 minutes, going off into the woods and either throwing up or having diarrhea."

After a night of being very ill, Quinn and his daughter made a long, slow trek out of the woods. "We never made the whole trail," he says, "We just decided to call it quits."

Earlier in the summer, he caught COVID, which derailed his trail plans for a month. Up ahead, there were wildfires and trail closures. For Quinn, getting norovirus was the last straw.

A year later, he still regrets that he didn't take the time to treat the water properly.

To other hikers – he says: heed the signs, wash your hands and make sure your water is clean. In his experience, it's not worth the risk.

And, we would add, that water treatment options like the Steripen (using UV technology), would seem to be more effective.

#norovirus #water treatment #hygiene #PCT #Government Meadows #Washington Alpine Club

[outofangband]

Flowers of the March of Maedhros (possibly part one, there are so many!)

flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda

I love doing general flora and fauna posts but I can’t fit everything in them so I’m trying to make more specific ones as well! please please feel free to send categories to work on with locations! Or any environmental world building asks!

extensive environmental world building for himring plus more in the Himring tag

Himring was the fortress of Maedhros in the March of Maedhros, a cold realm in Northeastern Beleriand located slightly Southeast of Dorthonion and south of Lothlann and Ard Galen. It was a cold region with taiga forested hills and icy waters, including the sources of several rivers, namely Celon and Little Gelion. The March was located between the cold mountains on the Southern and Eastern borders of Dorthonion and the mountainous regions of the Gap and Thargelion on its own Eastern border.  The cold likely comes from a combination of its proximity to the Ered Engrin and Ered Gorgoroth, especially given the boreal forested region of Dorthonion, as well as altitude in some parts of it. I go into this more on other posts. 

The flora of the March is hardy, resistant to the cold that is present throughout so much of the year. Most flowers and herbaceous plants are herbaceous perennials that bloom in the spring and summer each year, sustained by their root stock despite the cold winters. 

The March contains several habitats; boreal forests/taiga, montane steppes and meadows, riverbanks and marshier areas. Towards Maglor’s Gap, rocky outcrops including many of limestone invite plants that thrive on calcareous soils. Lothlann and Ard-galen were montane or boreal meadows. While boreal forest in many places is divided into three zones (closed forest where trees cover more than forty percent of the ground and have a dense layer of grass, high boreal or alpine and Southern boreal where croppings of temperate decidious trees might be found) I think the March and also Dorthonion which has some similarities in climate and ecology, would see a combination of these ecosystems. 

Canon species: no canon species are associated with Himring, the March, or indeed much of Fëanorian occupied Eastern Beleriand

I use what we can extrapolate as possibly indigenous based on descriptions of climate, looking at similar real world locations, etc. I am also always happy to write posts based on real world locations by suggestion! (I’ve done the Havens of Sirion based on Southwestern Australia for example, etc. I think Tol Himling would have a similar climate to Hokkaidō). 

-Mountain and red clovers bloom on the hills and meadow steppes in the late spring and summer. Arctic dandelion grows in the meadows in the North towards Lothlann and Ard Galen as does Annual Gypsophila, cutleaf coneflower, arctic harebell (also grows on stream banks), broadleaf chives, cow parsnip, longstalk starwort, heath violet

-Mountain avens grow in rocky outcrops throughout the hills around Himring, usually in the summer. Moss campion also grows throughout the hills, above the tree line. Nodding campion, heath grounsel, snow saxifrage, baneberry (also stream banks)

-Great spur violet, fireweed (especially in clearings), snowdrop, wall lettuce, wild tulip and  grow in the forested areas. Boreal forests often contain berries and the forested areas around the hills has many species including bog bilberry, black crowberry, cloudberry, and wild strawberry. 

-Alongside the rivers grows wood or alpine sorrel alongside glacier buttercup, Lapland buttercup, Arctic butterbur, one flower fleabane (which also grows in forested belts and meadows), alpine rockcress, moor king, wood ruff, alpine butterwort, and arctic or prickly rose. 

-Arctic and common meadow rue grows in the North and West of the March in boggier areas as does milky whitlow grass, a flowering plant. 

-Common Groundsel grows throughout the region

World building notes:

-A number of these species have medicinal uses

-Others are used as fodder, in salads, garnishes and other dishes or in teas

-storing and preserving plants of various kinds is highly utilized in the March, more so than other elven realms. Both flora with medicinal and culinary uses are frequently preserved through drying, fermentation or other methods

#the silmarillion #maedhros #himring #beleriand #musing and meta

[king-and-his-consorts]

Mun Mini Blurb

Name: Zaira (I go by Alpine on Discord)

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 30

___ 4 Mun Facts ___

_ I graduated from college with my BA this year in May. I have severe burnout but damn does it feel good to be free!!

_ Sanji is a very delicate subject for me. He's been my babygirl failwife comfort character since I saw him in the Baratie arc. As such, I suffer extreme rejection sensitivity (we're talking like I get fuckin' nauseous lol) when people are super negative towards him. Which is super hard to avoid, because he's a dumbass bitch. Anyway, I will avoid talking about him to other OP fans unless I feel they're "safe", for lack of a better word.

_ My favorite fruits are peaches, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

_ I fucking hate maid outfits/maid kink. It squicks me out to high heaven. No idea why.

___ 3 RP-Related Facts ___

_ Being a One Piece fan for like over 15 years, I am very particular about Luffy. As such, I don't think I have ever reached out to a single Luffy RPer because certain types of verses can squick me out. So I avoid the possibility of them even coming up. I don't get it, and I can't really explain it. I'm just weird.

_ My favorite kinds of threads are where characters go exploring and find ruins or crazy artifacts. ...Or where they're trapped in a catacomb. Because I'm a dumbass anthropologist.

_ I have worked very hard to cultivate how I write Luffy. Two of my favorite things are making Luffy smother people with snuggles and to exploring when Luffy decides to act serious about situations.

___ RP Fun ___

What song comes up most when replying?: Into Darkness by Thomas Bergersen

Do you snack while replying?: Not usually. If I do, it's sunflower seeds.

Do you like memes or open starters more?: Memes but I'm usually too shy to send them, lol

Which of your verses/aus is your favorite?: Dark Dreams (dark circus au)

Do you have a song(s) you associate with a particular ship?: Into Darkness (Thomas Bergersen) for Zolu and Painkiller (Three Days Grace) for Zosan

___

Tagging: @ikkaku-of-heart @whiskeysmulti @kaizokugaris @fractiscruentamorte @climatact and whoever wants to steal it

#[You don't have to ramble as much as I did lol #bounty cancelled | meet the mun #come sail away || ooc

[nantosueltas]

A lovely couple commission for dear @strawberrydemonart 🌺✨🍓

These cuties are their OCs, Fable (Abe) and Meala a married couple living in a magical land in the Alps. As themselves described:

Abe is a Sagittarius and has a twin sister. He’s very adventurous and is a skilled magician, fire magic is his specialty and he has a wealth of knowledge about the magical and natural world ( but not nearly as much as his sister). All he’s ever wanted though was to settle down and start a family. His sister often ropes him into adventures though but family is very important to him so it’s not all bad.

His wife is Meala, a shepherdess, cares for sheep and alpacas and harvests their wool. She’s a talented cook and has a beautiful almost magical like singing voice. Meala is a Virgo and motherhood is very important to her, she’s always wanted a big family but struggled to conceive she does have two children with Abe one that’s more independent and another that is more cuddly. She has a good relationship with Abe’s sister and has gone to her a few times for pregnancy elixirs and even named her last child in honor of her. Her hudsband Abe is pretty smitten with her. Abe actually really enjoys seeing and made most of her clothing and even her wedding dress.

Besides drawing them, I had a challenge of choosing appropriate flowers that would be symbolic of their relationship and personalities, pretty much as I did in this OC x canon fanart of mine of Merida and Artio.

The background flowers:

Edelweiss: The Edelweiss is often considered a symbol of rugged beauty, purity, and strength. It has been associated with the Alpine region and is regarded as a symbol of courage, devotion, and love.

The flower Meala is holding is called Alpine Pasqueflower. The Pasqueflower is sometimes associated with rebirth, renewal, and protection. Its blooming in the early spring can symbolize the awakening of nature after a long winter.

I chose the Edelweiss because it's a symbol of the Alps and also courage and devotion. Meala's been through difficulties to conceive and I can only imagine how it must be painful and I admire her for her endurance. The Pasqueflower is symbolic of this endurance they both been through and the ability to overcome challenges 🙌🏼🤲🏼

Thank you for commissioning me 🌺✨

support me on: ko-fi | commissions open

follow me on: instagram | tiktok

#illustration #art #characterillustration #digital artist #digital art #original character #oc commission #drawing commisions #commisionwork #fairy art #fairycore #artists on tumblr #flowercore

[glisteningreverie]

I drew a Curesona for ten base colours :)

I don’t have a sona problem. Nope. Nuh-uh. No way.

Name reasons and inspirations below!

Cure Fantasy: This is the OG Rev Curesona! Her attack name is where I got the username “GlisteningReverie” from. I decided on Cure Fantasy for this character because the premise surrounding this character is her being pulled into the world of a fanfiction website. Fantasy is my favourite story genre (big surprise, the magical girl enthusiast loves the fantasy genre), and because I consider myself to be a bit of a dreamer. Her design is a little barebones because back then I was still primarily using dollmakers to create my magical girl OCs, but I love the tutu and taffy-pink pigtails the original design had. Those aspects have stayed pretty consistent throughout my timeline of using this sona.

Cure Maple: One of the first things anyone learns about me on the internet is that I’m Canadian, and proud of it. And so when I think red, my mind defaults to the Canadian Maple Leaf. In fact, when I first tried making Pretty Cure OCs (after I graduated from Glitter Force OCs), I immediately tried to create a maple-leaf themed PreCure. I don’t have those old drawings anymore but I’ve always had Canadian PreCures in the back of my mind.

Cure Flash: When I was a kid, I used to have a really short fuse. I also consider myself to be really energetic and excitable. So for my orange curesona, I chose a bit of a lightning motif. Orange is easily my least favourite colour, but I do like what I did here with hair and outfit ^^

Cure Joyful: Yellow is a SUPER cheery colour. I most closely associate it with the sun, because when I’m outside and can feel it on my face I can’t help but be filled with warm fuzzies. So “Joyful” is taken from my general love of being alive. I also feel particularly happy when I sing, so this sona is a bit of a showman (show-woman?), or at least more so than these other characters.

Cure Olive: I was totally split on what to call my green Curesona, since I knew I wanted it to involve trees and the way I think about how BIG and incredible nature can be. Cure Olive was among the names I’d considered, since Olive Branches are symbols of peace. I almost didn’t choose it because I didn’t feel like it matched the wonder I feel when thinking about nature sometimes, but it ended up winning out in the end. Cure Olive’s hair is Greek inspired, and her dress is one of my favourites I’ve ever designed! She’s got a rainbow subtheme because I like rainbows and it ties in well with her entire nature/olive branch theming.

Cure Stratus: I ADORE looking at the sky. It’s really hard to articulate exactly how much I love it. And I love clouds too. On long car trips it’s fun to look out the window and look for familiar shapes or watch them turn colours as the sun sets. My two favourite cloud patterns? Cumulus clouds and Stratus Clouds. Stratus clouds have this kind of checkerboard pattern that I used to say looks like ice cream (that is to say, the way it looks in a bucket after some ice cream’s already been scooped out). I just think it looks pretty! :D

Cure Aurora: This is the other one I had prior to drawing the entire batch of sonas. Aurora ties back into my love of the sky and growing up in a northern area. She’s designed to be a winter-themed Cure with a constellation motif. Aurora is my skier girl of this group, since I used to go alpine skiing every weekend with my family. We live really close to the rockies so I pretty much grew up on skis!

Cure Story: Similar to Cure Fantasy, this one is heavily based on my love for storytelling. I wanted to make her a bit of a wizard, but I’m not very good at drawing hats. ^^; Maybe I’ll give her a tiny one like a Mahou Tsukai Cures have. She’s also got one of my favourite outfits in this batch, with that fun asymmetrical skirt! I love the pattern I drew onto it!

Cure Cavalier: I’ll be the first to admit it: I am utterly and totally terrified of horses. But they’re such beautiful animals! Cavalier comes from the latin for “horse”, and my story-loving self can’t help but imaging myself, in a different set of circumstances, being a knight or a dragon rider.

…though our Dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which fits me pretty well. Affectionate. Loves to cuddle. Small. That’s me alright!

Cure Neige: There’s the Canadian influence again. Around where I live, we get snow most months of the year, as early as October and as late as April or even May! And I’m a winter baby, so snow on my birthday is a pretty common thing. For this design, I wanted to go for a bit of a cozy ballerina look. I’m not exactly a dancer, but I did take ballet lessons when I was younger. And I’ve been watching an old childhood show which heavily features ballet, so that influence definitely leaked in while drawing these.

#just gem things #brian strikes again #my art #precure #pretty cure #pretty cure ocs