#skeletons macabre dance on cemetery

[weirdlookindog]

Thomas Rowlandson - The English Dance of Death, 1815

#thomas rowlandson #the english dance of death #danse macabre #skeletons #cemetery #art #illustration #jolly old blighty

[greenthena]

The Eldritch Ball or Aziraphale's Macabre Danse

I'm a huge sucker for dark classical music (I'm using the term "classical" broadly, not referring to the specific period. Music-y folks, please forgive.) As such, Saint-Saëns's "Danse Macabre" is one of my all time favorite pieces. It's spooky. It's intentionally dissonant. It's even got a jump scare! Like, literally, the perfect piece of music.

The story behind "Danse Macabre" goes like this: Each Halloween at midnight, Death enters the graveyard with a fiddle. As he plays, the skeletons rise from the ground and dance through the cemetery, resurrected by Death's power and possessed by his instrument.

In S2 E3, the Bentley plays "Danse Macabre" as Aziraphale drives up to Edinburgh. "What do we do? We play classical music that stays classical music." (And the Bentley listens to him! Because the Bentley is an expression of Crowley's subconscious and wants to please him and make him happy...and I'm sure you can find lots of excellent metas to that end. Or maybe you have another theory about why the Bentley is so pliant toward the angel? I'd love to hear it. But that's not what I'm talking about right now. I'm just getting distracted.)

Why is this song so perfect for a bit of subtle foreshadowing and repeated metaphor? So glad you asked. I have reasons. And evidence. Please, peruse my wares.

In the A Plot of this episode, Aziraphale travels to Scotland to visit a pub called The Resurrectionist. (Ya know, like Death? Like how Death resurrects people in the song? Okay, just wanted to really hit that nail into the coffin.) The pub is, of course, named for a certain Mr. (not Dr., he's a surgeon) Dalrymple, whom Crowley and Aziraphale meet in the accompanying flashback minisode entitled (you'll never guess) "The Resurrectionist." The minisode plot involves Crowley and his the angel encountering young Elspeth, a grave robber who, like Death, releases the bodies of the deceased from their earthly bonds of soil and stone. My interpretation is that Elspeth becomes Death incarnate, first in the process of using her instrument (her shovel) to resurrect the dead, and later when she inadvertently brings about the literal death of her partner, Wee Morag. Rather than allow Wee Morag's body to turn to dust in the ground, Elspeth "resurrects" her, selling her body to Dr. Dalrymple (sorry, Mr. Dalrymple, he's a surgeon, not a doctor), who will use Wee Morag's body for research, which will in turn save the lives of countless others by furthering the field of medicine. A form of resurrection, indeed. There's also the plot thread of Crowley and Aziraphale providing Elspeth with a nest egg to escape the cycle of poverty into which she has been born. This, too, is another form of re-birth. Or, say it with me, resurrection. Alright, you're getting it now.

Okay, now I get to delve into the fun stuff. Let's talk about that cotillion ball, shall we? You know, that danse party where Aziraphale persuades all the shopkeepers on Whickber street to attend a Jane Austen-style ball?

I personally refer to this whole fiasco experience as the Eldritch Ball. On the surface, it seems fairly innocent. The shopkeepers need a little bit of encouragement to attend the Whickber Street monthly meeting, but the angel manages to convince everyone to join with the help of some coercion-via-bribery. When they show up, they're transmuted into Austen-esque characters, from their clothes, to their speech patterns, even to some extent, their perception of reality. This is where it starts to get a little uncomfortable if you peel back the layers. Mrs. Sandwich can't talk about what she does for a living, which is a great comedy bit, but also demonstrates that her speech is being significantly censored and altered by an outside force. With the exception of Mr. Brown (hidden agendas here, Neil? I honestly don't know), all the shopkeepers find themselves in new, slightly-period-appropriate garments. What's really weird, though, is that no one notices the changes. When the dancing begins, to the music of Mr. Anderson's piano and an accompanying string quartet (strings...as in violins...as in fiddles. Remember Death's fiddle?), Nina appears to be the only one who realizes that something is off.

Maggie: This is something new.

Nina: This is something completely bonkers. Are we...? Why is everyone talking like they've escaped from Pride and Prejudice?

Maggie: Just getting into the spirit of things, I suppose.

Nina: The spirit of what things? This is meant to be the shopkeeper association monthly meeting.

Maggie: Hmm. Yes. Now that you put it like that...

Nina: Are we dancing?

Maggie: Yes.

Nina: Did you ever learn the steps to this dance?

Maggie: It's just what we do, isn't it?

Nina: No. No, it isn't. This is something mad. This is their [Crowley & Azirapahle's] fault. They're doing this.

Something is definitely mad. One might even say it's macabre. Aziraphale has become Death the Resurrectionist. He has lured the shopkeepers of Whickber Street through a portal (as Death leads his flock from the world of the dead to the world of the living.) Aziraphale's instrument is his clipboard and pen, held almost as one might hold a fiddle and bow, as he invites the various shopkeepers to the monthly meeting. Once they all arrive, he miraculously gives them new clothes (as Death knits together the bones of the dead), and then proceeds to control their bodies and minds, as though they are merely marionettes. They dance and speak in the way Aziraphale imagines, fulfilling his fantasy of a perfect Jane Austen-style ball (quite literally, the Danse Macabre.)

The shopkeepers have become the dead and Aziraphale controls them until the spell is broken--or rather until the window is broken.

To be honest, I don't think Aziraphale is really aware of how much he is able to transfigure his environment, including the humans who happen to be close by. Or, at least, I don't believe he does any of this with ill intent. He's just a bit blind to anything outside his fixation of wooing Crowley, at the moment. As a result, he creates a situation that is profoundly problematic and unnatural. Just like the dead in the graveyard have no agency when Death plays his fiddle, the Whickber Street shopkeepers are possessed by Aziraphale's intricate romantic fantasy and must dance as long as the music plays.

It is, in fact, only when the music stops, that the shopkeepers begin to realize that something is most certainly weird. The diagetic music (Mr. Anderson & Co.) abruptly cuts off when an approaching demon horde tosses a brick through the bookshop window. Now the spell, or in this case, miracle, begins to break down. While the shopkeepers still appear to be somewhat under the influence of Aziraphale's persuasive aura, a few of them glance down at their clothes in confusion and look around the bookshop, as though waking from a dream. And at this point, after a little finagling, Crowley escorts the humans out of the bookshop and out of Aziraphale's Danse Macabre.

Once the demons attack the bookshop Aziraphale's influence on his surroundings really starts to deteriorate. Throughout the season, he's been able to structure and manipulate reality (sometimes with Crowley's help) to suit his needs: protecting Gabriel, altering the Bentley, organizing the Ball, etc. But once the bookshop, his safe space, has been breached, he loses control of the situation. From this point in the narrative, nothing goes according to Aziraphale's plan. Aziraphale wants to protect Jimbriel, but the former archangel insists on giving himself over to the demons. Crowley leaves and Aziraphale has to defend the bookshop on his own, when he'd expected Crowley to come right back and save him. While defending the bookshop, Aziraphale reaches his "last" resort not once, but twice: first allowing Nina and Maggie to use his books (!!!) as weapons and then blowing up his halo in a last ditch effort to fend off the invaders. This was not on the agenda for today!

Things just continue to go downhill from there, Aziraphale losing all control of the situation. And by the time the Final Fifteen wraps up, the angel has lost his bookshop and possibly his most important relationship. By the end of the season, Aziraphale is no longer Death the Resurrectionist, the manipulator and puppeteer. Now the angel has become the puppet, dancing to Heaven's music.

#good omens #aziraphale #aziracrow #crowley #go metas #good omens meta #danse macabre #camille saint saëns #the bentley #nina and maggie #eldritch ball #elspeth #wee morag #dark music #Youtube

[honey-tongued-devil]

Dance Macabre explained

NdA: !!This text contains Los Angeles ritual spoilers!!

Do you remember that at the end of the Dance Macabre video, it says "the beginning"?

What if I told you that it was indeed the beginning, not of Ghost's lore, but of the actual dance macabre itself? Skipping the historical context, the "Dance of the Maccabees" is a biblical story where seven brothers (the Maccabees), condemned to death, disappeared one by one before dying in a certain rhythm that resembled a dance. Like every biblical story, it has been depicted and painted on various occasions, such as in Paris in the early 1400s, along the walls of the "Cemetery of the Innocents." Here we witness a transliteration from Latin to French that coined the word "macabre."

But why am I going on about this? First and foremost, it's because of the bloodline. Technically, Primo, Secondo, Terzo, and presumably even Copia himself are brothers. In the video, when Nihil becomes the pope, the words "the beginning" appear because that's the exact moment when the dance macabre begins, where we see the various brothers enter and exit the stage in a rhythmic manner (every 2 years). So, what does this have to do with yesterday's ritual?

Yesterday, while Copia was singing Twenties, skeletons came on stage and danced alongside the living (the audience) and the ghouls (other creatures from hell). This happened because, symbolically, the dance macabre spares no one. In Catholicism, when referring to Judgment Day, it is said that the dead come to take away the living, which is why artistic representations include people of all ages and social classes. At the end of the song, the skeletons left, only to come back again for Dance Macabre itself, where they lifted Copia, who completely surrendered to them, relaxed, without resistance.

This is, in fact, a "Momento Mori." A reminder of the impending death, the brevity of life. Copia doesn't fight the skeletons; he doesn't try to escape. He allows himself to be lifted. He accepts that he is dying, and indeed, during the ritual, he himself says, "This is the end of an era."

It's not the end of Ghost, but of the Impera. It has reached its end; death has already knocked on his door, as seen in the official lore videos.

However, I nod to those who wholeheartedly believed that Copia would become the Antichrist. While all the symbolism we've seen so far speaks of the imminent departure of Papa Emeritus IV, we are formal this time, as I mentioned earlier; this symbolism is used by Catholics not only to refer to death but also to Judgment Day.

The Day of Judgment, or the Apocalypse, is accompanied by the arrival of the Antichrist, signaling the imminent end of the world (in this case, the skeletons were dancing with the audience because they were there for them). For completeness, the coming of the Son of Satan, the Antichrist, accompanies the Parousia, which is the coming of the Son of God, Christ, in a battle between good and evil that, despite ending with Christ's triumph, leads to the end of the world.

In other words, we too could be part of the Dance Macabre without even knowing it.

#ghost lore #ghost band lore #ghost bc lore #Dance macabre #Papa emeritus IV #the band ghost #the ghost band #ghost bc #papa terzo #papa emeritus the third #papa emeritus iii #papa emeritus 3 #papa emeritus i #papa emeritus ii #papa nihil i #nameless ghoul #papa emeritus iv #ghost band theory

[lionofchaeronea]

One more goofy Halloween-themed poem, this one written to the prompt "party in the cemetery". Thanks for your indulgence while I post these.

Text:

DANSE MACABRE

It's time to dance, the skeletons say, To twirl and whirl and spin away: To sound of drums and xylophones We'll shake the dust right off our bones.

It's time to dance, the vampires say, Who love the dark and fear the day: While the cowbell rings and rings, We'll toss our capes and spread our wings.

It's time to dance, the werewolves say, Who at the moon are prone to bay: Waltzing here and waltzing there On feet with matted copper hair.

It's time to dance, the mummies say, To hum an old Egyptian lay: Let them mock and let them scoff-- We'll tango till our wraps fall off!

It's time to dance, the monsters cry-- No need to ask the reason why. It shouldn't fill you with surprise That even ghouls need exercise.

And anyway, it would be wrong To spurn the haunted fiddle's song On Hallowe'en, a time for fright: So join them, twirling through the night.

#poem #poetry #writing #creative writing #Halloween #spooky #spooky season #light verse #poems on tumblr #poets of tumblr #poets on tumblr

[nitrateglow]

Halloween 2023 marathon: 2-4

The Skeleton Dance (dir. Walt Disney, 1929)

It doesn't feel like spooky season without a screening of The Skeleton Dance. The debut of the Silly Symphonies series, it remains one of the most iconic Disney cartoons.

I'm doing a post about the Silly Symphonies for my Wordpress and watching several of them, it's clear most of the earliest ones were more set on being tone poems. With its gothic atmosphere and macabre sense of humor, The Skeleton Dance might be the most successful Silly Symphony in that regard, competing strongly with the more visually refined The Old Mill from 1937 for the GOAT Silly Symphony crown. Personally, I prefer The Skeleton Dance-- it's funny, creative, and creepy, with an energy that seems inherent to its "primitive" state as an early talkie. (That part where the skeleton quartet combine into a four-headed monstrosity is still kind of creepy, even as an adult.)

Swing You Sinners! (dir. Dave Fleishcer, 1930)

This bizarre cartoon from the dawn of the talkie era went viral a few years back. People freaked out over the macabre visuals and merciless content: a dog tries stealing a chicken, then ends up in a cemetery where he's terrorized by talking tombstones and shapeshifting ghouls swearing they'll "scatter your bones away" and torment him forever.

I know saying "this was made on drugs" is a descriptive cliche, but... that's the vibe of this thing. The Fleischer cartoons of the early 1930s could get surreal indeed and this one is among the most uninhibited with its horrific images and comic but despairing tone. If I had seen this as a kid, it would have given me nightmares and watching it creeps me out even now. It doesn't even end with the dog escaping-- he's swallowed up by a huge skull and then the cartoon hits you with its "the end" card. Damn!

Hell's Bells (dir. Ub Iwerks, 1929)

In many ways a companion piece to The Skeleton Dance, Hell's Bells is a Silly Symphony about a bunch of devils partying it up in hell before they turn on one another. I just love the atmosphere and dark humor in this as well. We also get some weird, weird moments, like when the devils milk fire from a demon cow-- a strange mix of early Disney barnyard humor and the infernal setting.

It's interesting to compare the two Disney cartoons with the Fleischer one, now that I think about it. The Disney ones have some dark content and threats of peril, but they end on a resolved note: dawn comes and the skeletons have to go home to their grave, and the chief devil is punished for picking on the smaller devils. But the Fleischer cartoon just ends with its protagonist being punished far beyond the proportion of his crime with no hope of redemption. And it ends so suddenly too, giving you no time to let that sink in until the end titles have vanished from sight.

All three of these cartoons are great. If you're short on time for an evening viewing of a horror movie after work during the spooky season, all of these are under 10 minutes and well worth the watch for bite-sized chills.

#halloween 2023 marathon #thoughts #the skeleton dance #hell's bells #swing you sinners!

[rodrigobera04]

Fourth round, using the dark type.

DARK pure

Frog hiding in the ground, uses its bait tongue to catch birds.

Lizard changing its skin for a reddish one, looking skinned.

Bat adapting its wings to claws like scythes.

Hairy nozuchi with sharp teeth, swallowing its prey.

Nocturnal dodo bird camouflaged with the night, avoiding hunters.

Alien spy camouflaged among humans.

Oni based on amanojaku, disguised as a maiden having two faces.

Howler monkey looking like a werewolf with sharp teeth.

Eyeless cave goblin similar to a rat, adapted to basements and attics.

DARK/ROCK

Stone imp imitating an angel statue, guards cemeteries.

Cave exploring creature with a long body.

Stone coffin that serves as a portal to a world of hauntings.

Bird predator that throws stones at its prey.

Ricinullei with a rocky armor,cave arachnid.

Stone gorgon statue, except for its intimidating and unsettling eyes.

Fake stone fruit, breaking the teeth of those who bite it.

Dog creature using a stony ribcage as a house and shell.

Hunter making amber traps to catch insects and small Pokémon and stock them.

DARK/FLYING

Hairy, long-nosed and winged demon, mistaken for a witch's broom.

Owl with a devilish appearance, capable of rotating its neck or stretching it.

Flying rodent mistaken for a bat, a literal mouse with wings.

Leech flying with the wind towards its prey.

Flying monster expanded its throat with a scary face, like a macabre balloon.

Hematophagous starling looking like an avian mosquito.

Nocturnal winged creature glowing in colorful hues from a moonbow.

Toucan "monster clown",hiding a predator in its dances and bright colors.

Cave swallow with sonic power, alluding to banshees and sirens.

DARK/ELECTRIC

Electric eel ambushing victim in dark waters.

Monstrous storm cloud with the face of the yokai akashita.

Boa constrictor wrapped around prey and shocking it.

Creature with horns functioning as tasers to paralyze prey.

Fast hare creating holographic figures as he runs away,losing the pursuer.

Electric clown manipulating electricity and making "pranks" with shocks.

Boogeyman from lightning and electricity causing blackouts.

"Mad scientist" monkey receiving shocks, leaving him intelligent but aggressive.

Mammal catching fish with its tail, shocking anyone who catches it.

DARK/STEEL

Creature with a blade on its face based on the kaiju Guiron.

Spiked armored goblin who hunts fairies.

Nuckelave like monster resembling a biker on his motorbike.

Literal monster truck that eats iron.

Van Hellsing-style monster hunter with silver-based powers.

Carnivorous worms sheltered in a can, as in the can prank with a snake.

Canine-looking predator, has a bear trap for its jaw.

Greedy demon, has a chain of precious and heavy metals around his neck.

Crustacean with a pear of anguish for claw.

DARK/ICE

Quadrupedal hunting seal evoking the akhluth monster.

Aggressive narwhal using its horn as a drill, as a weapon.

Predator monster mimicking a snowman.

Ice gargoyle said to have come from cocytos.

Mole rat with a layer of ice and snow over its eyes.

Skua becoming a terrestrial predator like a bird of terror.

Sinister monster of cold and hunger, looking like a skeleton with mantis claws.

Snow cephalopod predator that can change its shape when hunting on land.

Werewolf "digger" burying prey in the snow, as some predators do.

DARK/ FIRE

Rockstar rooster using fire and pyrotechnics for his "shows".

Diabolical pig ridden by small fire imps, spreading destruction.

Goblin witch cooking her prey alive with heat.

Floating monster looking like a blimp capable of blowing itself up.

Incendiary naga striking its tail like a match.

Two-headed turtle with heads like pistols, based on western gunslingers.

Bird of prey blowing fire to get animals out of their holes.

Amphibious merman with whiskers glowing in will-o'-the-wisp like bait.

Small fire monster that, when scared, catches fire, shocking witnesses.

DARK/GRASS

Parasitic vine similar to a doll, with vines for hair.

Vitória-Regia looking like Dimitrescu, with a dark and thorny leaf hat.

Carnivorous rose bush hurting prey with its thorns.

Satyr with wooden horns manipulates his victims with his music.

Karasa-obake palm closing its leaves on target like an umbrella.

Crow transformed into a scarecrow monster thanks to cursed straw.

Dry tree monster causing travelers to get lost along the way.

Closed sunflower themed after a lunar eclipse.

Evil fruit imp that bites anyone who tries to bite it.

DARK/FAIRY

Hairy frog, reminiscent of hags and trolls, lives in sewers and attacks children.

Fruit bat parodying a vampire, drinks fruit pokemon juice.

Biting fairy imitating a four-leaf clover, bites anyone who picks it up as an amulet.

Bad wolf fairy capable of changing appearance and voice.

Carnivorous angelic fairies, deceiving with their appearance; attack in swarms.

Witch rat taking baby teeth from children, uses its pre-evolution as a familiar.

Goblin tricking people and scaring them by pretending to be a ghost.

Kikimora takes care of the home, but becomes hostile towards messy owners.

Evil gnome in a bottle, grants wishes but corrupts them.

DARK/GHOST

Black cat scaring people, like a jumpscare.

Abyssal shark appearing on beaches, a sign of storms to come.

Boogeyman having a black hole for his face, where he swallows the victim.

Kiss mark like a succubus, sucking energy from whoever marks it.

Serpentine ghost in the shape of an arm, hanging its prey.

Thylacinium ghost like a hellhound, drags hunters to the underworld.

Banshee clock counting a person's lifespan.

Sadako-style ghost, wrapped in shapeshifting hair.

DARK/BUG

Peanut bug with wings and "nose" forming an uncanny valley face.

Tarantula housed in a shoe, similar to a hermit crab.

Annoying cicada making noise to irritate others.

Worms coming out of a heart-shaped berry, alluding to heart parasites.

Giant water bug hiding in the water waiting for prey, like an alligator.

Stick insect imitating a drapion for intimidation.

Predatory fly looking like a bird of prey.

Gang and bandit themed ants,steal food.

Gravedigger beetle wearing dead animal skins and takes items like a tomb robber.

DARK/GROUND

Legless lizard posing as a snake to intimidate.

Chupacabra hidden from the sun by holes in the ground.

Carnivorous quicksand imitating a drowning person's hand.

Scary spider oni based on the tsuchigumo yokai.

Scavenging armadillo, curled into the shape of a skull.

Stargazer hiding in the sand, only its grimace is seen.

Orc pig covered in mud that camouflages and cools him.

Aardvark blowing sand through its snout and being carried away by the gale.

Rodent thief imitating vegetables to steal from vegetable gardens.

DARK/NORMAL

Threadsnake hidden in a plant pot in a minigame.

Tiliqua lizard changing their tongue to scare off predators.

"Masked" singing frog, phantom of the opera/in paradise theme.

Monster imitating a teddy bear, scares children.

Anti-togepi, a malicious egg Pokémon parasitizing its caretaker.

Deer gnawing bones and consuming calcium.

Strange Pekingese dog reminiscent of the yokai otoroshi.

Creature imitating shadows of its prey.

Kiwi camouflaged with the night and making scary noises.

DARK/FIGHTING

Living shoes specializing in kicks.

Reptilian contortionist fighter, strangling the opponent.

Violent bovine contaminated by some "mad cow" disease.

Monster with many arms, almost impossible to escape its grasp.

Pokémon with flat hands like flippers, specialized in slaps.

Carnivorous marsupial evolving its body like that of a kangaroo.

Violent and giant koala based on the drop bear.

Gladiator wearing the skin of a feline Pokémon, like Hercules.

Enemy of Tauros, bullfighter with cape like membranous wings and sword claw.

DARK/WATER

Starfish multiplying and attacking like a school of piranhas.

Pacu with a sadistic smile like a human.

Sea goblin playing tricks with its shark-like dorsal fin.

Vampire mussel with a suction mouth to feed on blood.

Crocodile pretending to cry like a child to catch the good Samaritans.

Squid pretending to be a drowning person and dragging his prey.

Aquatic predator that creates whirlpools, with spiral ears, neck and tail.

Fish camouflaged like a leaf and with an extensive jaw.

Vampiric aquatic haunting based on the nure-onna yokai.

THE LAST MYTHICAL:

Pure Dark, an eye monster that observes people, causing unrest.

#fakemon #pokemon #dark type #dark

[nonchalantnightowlsworld]

31 Prompts for October: Horror

Day 14: Danse Macabre

The Last Dance

It was Halloween night, and the cemetery was filled with flickering candles and carved pumpkins. A group of teenagers had dared each other to spend the night there, hoping for some spooky fun. They brought snacks, drinks, and a portable speaker to play some music.

They settled near a large mausoleum, where they could see the moon shining through the bare branches of the trees. They laughed and joked, trying to scare each other with ghost stories and pranks. They were having a good time, until they heard a strange sound.

It was a violin, playing a haunting melody that echoed through the graveyard. They looked around, but they could not see anyone. The music seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Who’s playing that?” one of them asked nervously.

“Maybe it’s a radio or something,” another suggested.

“Or maybe it’s a ghost,” a third said, half-jokingly.

They decided to ignore it and continue with their party. But the music did not stop. It grew louder and faster, as if urging them to join in. They felt a chill in the air, and a sense of dread in their hearts.

They noticed that the candles and pumpkins were starting to move. They were not just flickering, they were dancing. They saw shadows moving among the tombstones, shapes that looked like skeletons and corpses. They heard voices whispering in their ears, inviting them to dance.

“Come, come, come, Death in a cadence, Striking with his heel a tomb, Death at midnight plays a dance-tune, Zig, zig, zig, on his violin.”

They realized that they were not alone. They were surrounded by the dead, who had risen from their graves to join the Danse Macabre. And they saw him, the master of the dance, Death himself. He was a tall figure in a black cloak, holding a violin with a skull for a head. He smiled wickedly at them, as he played his fiddle with his bony fingers.

He beckoned them to follow him, to join his dance of death. He promised them fun and freedom, but they knew he was lying. They knew he wanted to take them away, to make them his eternal partners.

They tried to run, but they could not move. They were paralyzed by fear and by his power. They felt his cold hand grabbing theirs, pulling them into his dance. They screamed, but no one heard them.

They danced with him, and with his minions. They danced with the pope, the emperor, the king, the child, and the labourer. They danced with all who had lived and died before them. They danced until they had no breath left in their lungs, no blood left in their veins, no life left in their souls.

They danced until dawn broke, and then they fell to the ground, lifeless and cold. Their bodies joined the others in the cemetery, waiting for the next Halloween night when they would rise again to dance with Death.

#writing prompts #october #halloween writing prompts #spooktober #spooky #horror #creative writing #writers #fall #horror vibes #halloween #danse macabre #dancing #writers and poets #writing #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity

[alxislo]

The Skeleton Dance (1929)

With the upcoming spooky festivities in mind around the time of posting for my journal, I decided to have a look at this short film from the turn to the thirties. The Skeleton Dance, directed by Walt Disney, was released in August, 1929, just before the crash and great depression of the 30s. This piece of work is regarded as a major contribution to the craft and has been able to remain relevant to this day.

Technique

This cartoon short is as much a visual as it is a musical creation. Sound was becoming an integrated novelty in film at the time, and it was only natural that this animated piece was envisioned and developed to go hand in hand with the music. The idea for such an arrangement could be attributed to Carl Stalling, Walt Disney’s first music composer, who was called for the role of providing tracks for Disney Cartoons’ new approach to productions. Apart from the continuing contributions from Walt’s leading animator, Ub Iwerks, the major breakthroughs came from the audio department. In order to properly merge the music composition into the times and cues of the animation, Carl developed the “tick system”, which provided the musicians with “clicks” for a beat that was timed with the moving frames. This system became the “click track”, a method that became common practice for audio recording to this day.

Representation

The beginning of the short sets the mood with a spooky atmosphere. In the midst of howling wind gusts and thunder, creatures of the night like owls, bats and spiders start to appear in the set of a cemetery. The scary tone of eerie shadows and creeping branches starts to give way as a pair of cats introduces the first gags. They set the scene for presenting a skeleton character that has jumped out of his grave. After it mingles rather cautiously around the tomb stoned grounds he later gets accompanied by three other boney figures. When the sound starts turning into some fast whimsy tunes they begin their dancing choreography in a stage like manner towards the viewer. As the night progresses, this danse macabre becomes more wild and silly, to the point where one of the dancers is turned into a musical instrument thanks to its skeletal condition. They are so carried away dancing and enjoying life, or rather death, that morning catches them by surprise, causing them to hurry and stumble all together back into the grave.

Reception

The short was released to the public at the Carthay Circle Theatre, one of the most prominent theaters of Los Angeles at the time. As noted by publications like Variety and The Film Daily for its preview, the cartoon was praised for its originality and comedic value, and the formula was a success providing laughter to the general audience. It achieved its goal as a pilot episode to bring Disney's Silly Symphony series of musical cartoons to life, where considerable technical testing and experimentation took place for future Disney films and productions.

So relevant was this first episode, that it holds the 18th place among the 50 Greatest Cartoons according to animation professionals, and it is included to this day within the streaming catalog of Disney+ where I was able to watch it, almost a century from its release. The universality on the subject of death and the simplicity of its gags has made this short easily relatable and timeless. It is not hard to find the memes and gags directly related to this work nowadays, specially around this time of year!

References

https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/skeleton-idea

https://d23.com/this-day/the-skeleton-dance-premieres/

https://musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004257/Carl-Stalling.html

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-spooky-story-of-the-skeleton-dance/

https://www.shudder.com/blog/the-skeleton-dance-the-history-of-the-danse-macabre-and-more

https://mubi.com/en/lists/the-50-greatest-cartoons-as-selected-by-1000-animation-professionals

https://archive.org/details/variety96-1929-07/page/n203/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/filmdaily4950newy/page/166/mode/2up

[incaseofcovers]

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#MondayMotivation

#mondaymotivation #mondaymornig #halloween night #bluedarkart's halloween #halloween #skeletons macabre dance on cemetery #skeletons macabre dance by bluedarkart #iphone 7 case halloween #halloween iphone 7 case #halloween phone case #halloween gifts ideas #halloween gifts #halloween design by bluedarkart #casetify shop bluedarkart #bluedarkart designer #gifts ideas #cool stuff #technology accessories #electronics accessories #ecommerce #cool gifts ideas

[clemsfilmdiary]

The Skeleton Dance (1929, Walt Disney)

Silly Symphony #1

1/03/21

#The Skeleton Dance #Disney #Walt Disney #animation #Silly Symphonies #20s #short #cemetery #skeletons #undead #dance #family #Ub Iwerks #Carl W. Stalling #animals #danse macabre #cartoon

[i-alwayslikedstrangecharacters]

The Skeleton Dance (1929)

#ub iwerks #walt disney #disney #black and white #gif #halloween #october #creepy #skeleton dance #silly symphonies #graveyard #Cemetery #bones #gothic #goth #macabre #1900s #all hallows eve #halloween is coming

[tfc2211]

(Weird-O-Matic Wax

Also Can Be Played Here ▶ Halloween Spookshow Vol-3

☠ Blood Feast warning ☠ The Cramps - I Was a Teenage Werewolf ☠ King Flash & Calypso Carnival - Zombie Jamboree ☠ American Symphony Orchestra - Hallowe’en Dance ☠ Hell-Racer - Monster Beach ☠ Night of the Living Dead OST - Driveway to the Cemetery (Main Title) ☠ Louis Armstrong & his Band - Skeleton in the Closet ☠ Bo Diddley - Bo Meets the Monster ☠ And Now the Screaming Starts radio spot ☠ Ramones - Pet Sematary ☠ Ted Cassidy - The Lurch ☠ Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre ☠ Los Straitjackets - The Munsters Theme ☠ Lon Chaney, Jr.- Monster’s Holiday ☠ Joseph LoDuca, Evil Dead 2 OST - Ash's Dream/Dancing Game/Dance of the Dead ☠ Zombie radio spot ☠ Happy Wilson - Haunted House Boogie ☠ Sharkey Todd & His Monsters - The Horror Show ☠ New Mayfair Dance Orchestra - The Haunted House ☠ Buddy Baker, Gaylord Carter - Disney’s Haunted Mansion, Doom Buggy Boarding Music

#Halloween Music #Volume 3 #The Cramps #Ramones #Bo Diddley #Halloween #Louis Armstrong #King Flash & Calypso Carnival #Happy Wilson #Halloween Tunes

[non-binary-laurie-strode]

Candle, leaves, skeleton, autumn

candle - have you/will you decorate for the season?

We're in the process of moving from here to our house, so I suppose that "decorating for the season" is just... organising all of our stuff in the new house. Foiled both this year and last year, but next year I shall do Something!

leaves - do you like to visit cemeteries?

No! Let them sleep. If you walk by the graves, they might wake up and grab your ankle :(

skeleton - tea, cocoa, or coffee?

Cocoa! I considered making some yesterday because ooh girl it is chilly season now.

autumn - what’s your favorite part of the spooky season?

Honestly it's seeing everything decked out with the like cartoony Halloween imagery. I must admit, I do love the classic Halloween stuff: Give me silly vampires and dancing skeletons and smiling cartoon Frankenmonsters and over the top spider webs and everything. I of course equally love the macabre, bloody, frightening side of things (I mean I practically worship the movie that started the slasher craze), but there's a special place in my heart for warm and soft and safe Halloween too.

[theladyinthegraveyard]

                                  THE DANSE MACABRE

 The danse macabre is a late medieval iconographic theme in which a dance between men and skeletons is represented. Skeletons represent death, while men are dressed in such a way as to be able to represent every social class of the time (peasants, merchants, the pope, the king ...). The subject has the function of "memento mori" and compared to the typical "universal judgments", this gave a more personal and also sometimes ironic character towards the various social hierarchies. The diffusion of the theme is due to the plague epidemic of 1348 which struck Europe and which made death "familiar" and gave these representations a sacred and Christian religious idea. One of the oldest depictions of this dance was lost in 1669 and was made in Paris, in the Cemetery of the Holy Innocents in 1424.

Image 1: Bernt Notke - Danse macabre (detail)

Image 2: Giovanni De Castua - danse macabre (detail)

Image 3:  Simone II Baschenis - danse macabre (detail) 

#skeleton

[april-joy-castellano]

PARIS, FRANCE: “CITY OF LOVE”

It is an incredibly romantic city, and best known for its Eiffel Tower, Paris, France. It is a major European city and global center for fashion, art, closure and gastronomy. The city of love and romance that people daydreamed of long walks down the Champs-Elysees with a baguette under one arm, and maybe a croissant in the other. There's a reason Paris is one of travelers' most famous cities. The streets of Paris, known as the "City of Light" or the "City of Love," overflow with music, art, beauty, and history. Paris is a city that catches the hearts of millions every year, whether it's looking for Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie, ascending the many steps of the Sacré-Cœur, standing in wonder before the Eiffel Tower, or searching for the best crepes along the Seine. Initially, Paris was a Roman city called Lutetia. There are also a lot of places in Paris that is so trendy that every people wants to go including me of course, first is the Miss Kō, it is one of the trendy spots in Paris that is a restaurant that most of the people wants to eat because of the foods there that is so yummy and delicious. Le Comptoir Général8.6, according to Ronan F.Ronan Flynn-Curran his comment about this place is "Fantastic hip spot - part club, venue, school and cafe bar. Lots of dancing and great music once we were here". I also want to visit here to try the feeling being in there. There are a lot of places that are top trendy in Paris that I am very excited to visit the other two was mentioned above the others are Le Mary Céleste, Monsieur Bleu, Le Derrière, Daroco, Le Perchoir, Mama Shelter, Holybelly 19, Paname Brewing Company, 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis, Prescription Cocktail Club, Lomi, East Mamma, Strada Café.

The history of Paris is rich and filled with sugar and butter. and military glory, intriguing architecture, musicians, food, and fashion as well. The amazing history of Paris is that “Paris, Older Than You Think” the bones, indeed, human bones, were discovered all the way back to 8000 BC in Paris. That's during the Mesolithic period, which just happens to be right between the dull stone tools of the Old Stone Age and the polished stone tools of the Modern Stone Age. Paris was the largest and most populous city in all of Europe during the Middle Ages, also known as the medieval era. It lasted from the 5th to the 15th century, if you want to draw up your handy-dandy mental timeline. Paris is proud to have founded the University of Paris in 1150 as the second university in all of Europe. Paris became Europe's book-publishing city during the 16th century. And according to a study, the Paris Catacombs hold the bodies of more than six million dead people. After a basement wall collapsed in a cemetery in 1774, work started on the catacombs, and good ol 'King Louis XVI discovered that there were just not enough cemeteries for all his dead subjects. There was a regular procession of wagons beginning in 1786, carrying skeletons from the graveyard to a mine shaft, deep down into the catacombs. In 1892, Vogue was created and fashion houses were founded by Jacques Doucet and Madeline Vionnet. By popularizing the casual chic look as the feminine standard of style, Coco Chanel stepped into the fashion spotlight in 1925.

There are currently 130 museums in Paris, including the Musée de la Magie (Musée de la Magie), the Musée du Fumeur (Museum of Smoking), and the Musée de la Préfecture de Police (Museum of Police and Law Enforcement). And well the Louvre is there. Paris is also home to the Musée du Parfum (Perfume Museum), established by Fragonard Parfumeur in 1983. The museum, however, features displays of perfume bottles, containers, and collections of toiletries. It is also under discussion whether there is a smelling tour or not. The Louvre is the world's largest museum. It has 380,000 works of art and over 15,000 daily visitors. Originally, it wasn't a museum; it was a castle built in 1190. It was then a royal palace later on. The Louvre became a museum only when the Royals were upgraded to the Palace of Versailles. Yeah, and it's the one haunted by Belphegor's mummy.

There is one place that catches my attention and that is the place that inspired Hemingway and Balzac, impressionist paintings and love songs, everybody knows Paris. There are a lot of beautiful places in the city, like Panthéon, it is gorgeous neoclassical architecture is lure enough. Musée Rodin may be a light-filled estate with a serene garden crammed with sculptures just like the Thinker and therefore the Gates of Hell. It's as intimate and private (and relatively uncrowded) a museum-going experience as you will get within the city. Place de la Concorde, this public square is now one of the most majestic locations in Paris, considering its macabre past (it was the location of guillotine executions during the French Revolution). Landmarks such as the Luxor Obelisk and the fountain overflowing with mermaids just add to the glamour. And the next one is the Pont Alexandre III, this ornate, Beaux-Arts-style bridge links Paris' Left and Right Banks, and it is the city's largest tourist photo-ops. We catch on with all the gilded statues and views of the river, the urge to selfie is real.

Next is the Eiffel tower, this is one of my most favorite place in Paris. One of the key reasons that the Eiffel Tower is so popular is that it was considered crazy' at the time of construction as a new artistic concept. It is famous because in almost every picture taken of the Paris skyline, and in almost every movie set in this area, the tower appears. It's also one of the world's most distinctive structures, climbing it is a bucket list activity you'll never forget. Another reason the Eiffel Tower became so popular all over the world was that it was by far the tallest building in the world at the time. At 986 feet, the Eiffel Tower is almost twice the height of the previous tallest building (the Washington Monument at 555ft). It was thus towering above all else in Paris and people were in awe of the ability of this metal structure to stand alone. I have been dreaming to visit this place since I was a child. I was amazed of the picture that I have seen once when I googled about it. I’ve been dreaming about it that maybe one day I can see 100 of kilometers allowing me to take sides of Paris such as the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, La defense, and Champs Elysees. The Eiffel Tower has been used in many works of artists, photographers, and film makers, which has led to its status as one of the most famous and romantic destinations in the world. The main reason that I want to visit the Eiffel tower is simply because it is so iconic and impressive structure in person. The Eiffel tower is a guy ribley more beautiful from afar or in photographs, it is truly magical experience that I want to visit one day.

#creativenonfiction

Reference

https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/destinations/paris/

[nyxshadowhawk]

Nyx’s Ultimate Halloween Playlist

Need some theme music for your haunted house or Halloween party? I create a new Halloween/Samhain list every year. (This year’s list uses a LOT of SotN music! I’ll be posting that too.) Here’s a compilation of some of the “greatest hits.” Yes, there’s a lot of Nox Arcana.

Spooky:

“Toccata” by Nox Arcana: You need a version of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor! I use the Nox Arcana version, but if you want something more upbeat, I recommend the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version.

“Nocturne” by Nox Arcana: An almost quintessential Halloween piece. Dark, creepy, expressive, easily applicable to a variety of contexts, evokes sensual and torturous bloodlust... It’s perfect!

“Labyrinth of Dreams” by Nox Arcana: Another absolutely quintessential Halloween piece. I originally found it in a cute Halloween animation on youtube (which I’ll post later). This is my favorite Nox Arcana piece. It’s mystical and spooky, and contains the very essence of Halloween magic.

“Ceremonial Spell” by Adrian von Ziegler: In my opinion, one of the most beautiful pieces of music that I have ever heard. It invokes a dark, smoky atmosphere lit by candelabra and filled with undead, slowly, eerily waltzing.

“Masque of the Red Death” by Nox Arcana: Speaking of waltzes, this one is in a ballroom in a magnificent ballroom. This dramatic organ piece perfectly reflects Poe’s words: “There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust.”

“Into the Night” by Nox Arcana: Another one of my favorite Nox Arcana pieces, spooky and fast-paced, as the night creatures crawl out of their lairs and gather to quench their thirst.

“Ghost Bride” by Adrian von Ziegler: A melancholy music box piece. Can’t you see a beautiful, sad spirit floating down a dusty corridor in an abandoned mansion?

“The Forgotten Path” by Nox Arcana: I think this piece is underrated. It’s sinister and kinda sexy, and brings to mind seductive female spirits.

“Shadow Dance” by Nox Arcana: Much like “Labyrinth of Dreams,” this one just screams “Halloween” to me. You can just see witches and demons dancing around a fire in a forest of leafless trees.

“Once Upon a Nightmare” by Nox Arcana: Another one of my favorites from Grimm Tales. I love listening to this one when I’m walking in forests around sunset. It’s sinister, but also sounds like the beginning of an adventure. I could see this in a video game.

“Shadowplay” by Nox Arcana: This is my favorite track from Theater of Illusion. I love it for how fast and energetic it is. It puts me right into the theater, watching a handsome magician spin shadows around the stage. Mmm...

“Born of the Night” by Nox Arcana: The Dark Tower is one of my favorite albums. This particular one’s a classic and among the best Nox Arcana tracks. This takes everything I said about “Into the Night” and turns it up to eleven. It’s just so intense and cathartic. Those aformentioned night creatures raise their raspy voices in worship of the Dark Lord and Queen of the Night. The night summons like an unquenched love, beckoning with the promise of dark desire.

“Night of the Wolf” by Nox Arcana: Arguably, Nox Arcana’s most famous track. I first came across it on SYTYCD when a man used it for a solo. A few years ago, by pure coincidence, I heard those first few telltale bass strokes in dance class as my teacher was scrolling through music, and I lost my goddamn mind. I squealed like an eleven-year-old squeals over boy bands. “I’m not like other girls, I squeal over creepy shit!”

“The Raven” by Nox Arcana: The piece that helped me rediscover Nox Arcana, and that began my obsession. This piece is just so beautiful, and based after Poe’s classic poem. I listened to it while memorizing the poem. Its instrumentation is just perfect all the way through. I’m not quite sure if it belongs on this list, since it has a bit of a different atmosphere, but I love it too much to leave it off.

“Halloween Waltz” by Derek and Brandon Fiechter: Alright, let’s leave off the Nox Arcana. There’s a lot of Fiechter pieces I could put on this list, but I like this one. It lacks Nox Arcana’s sophistication, but it brings to mind a classic gathering of monsters enjoying the Hallowmass festivities on their one night.

“Cemetery Waltz” and “Waltz of the Willows” by Two Steps From Hell: These pieces are both short enough that I basically regard them as one piece. I love how ethereal and romantic they sound.

“The Vampire Masquerade” by Peter Gundry: This French-style piece puts us in a regal vampire’s ballroom, with moonlight streaming through the windows, tall candelabra, and crystal goblets of blood. All the vampires are impeccably dressed in nineteenth-century clothing. Actually, that blond gentleman over there looks more eighteenth-century French. (There’s a really cool organ version of this piece on youtube.) There’s a lot of spooky Gundry pieces that I like, especially “The Shadow’s Bride,” “The Nocturnal,” and “The Shadows Hymn,” but this one felt the most “Halloweeny.” I recommend checking out his stuff.

“Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns: Samhain is about the spirits of the dead returning for a night of revelry. Azrael plays his violin while the ghosts and skeletons dance in the graveyard until dawn.

“An Embassy Waltz” and the original “Veilgarden Theme” by Maribeth Solomon and Brent Barkman, from Fallen London: I’m sad that FL no longer has music attached to it since the app was retired. I love this music. "An Embassy Waltz” is so evocative of everything Fallen London is-- street lamps and smoke and bats and tentacles. And the Veilgarden theme takes you straight to the dim honey-dens for a bit of hedonistic pleasure. (I’m referring to the quiet and sensual original, not “Carnival at Midnight,” which is the Mahogany Hall variation and the version that is on the official OST. I just like the former version better.)

Party:

“Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett: It would not be a Halloween list without Monster Mash. We’re heading into the party section of the list. The line “Dracula and his son” makes me imagine Alucard sitting in the corner of the castle hall with his back against the stone wall, sipping wine just like his father and watching the festivities with a bored, deadpan expression. Alucard’s not one for parties. I can’t act in-character at this year’s Halloween party, or I would be a terrible hostess.

“Land of the Dead” by Voltaire: I love Voltaire, and this jazzy song from The Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy is absolutely perfect for any Halloween party.

“Moon Trance” by Lindsey Stirling: Lindsey’s epic dancing zombies graveyard number. This is the kind of Halloween piece that makes you want to bounce up and down.

“The Night (Deathrock Version)” by Voltaire: This is another Voltaire piece that I like to dance to. Some of the lyrics are a little cheesy, but I see this is as the fun, upbeat, rockin’ version of “Born of the Night.” Same deal, different style! It’s super catchy. Come with me to the other side! Make that girl in black your bride!

“Sympathy for the Devil” (I use the Guns N’ Roses version because it’s the one on the Interview soundtrack): You really can’t go wrong with this one. Especially if you want to stick it to uptight religious dweebs who hate Halloween for being “Satanic.”

“Emperor’s New Clothes” by Panic! At the Disco: If it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine... Want to embrace your inner decadent devil? I do!

“O Fortuna (Carmina Burana)” by Spiritual Project: A remix of O Fortuna that my dance teacher played in class one October. It rocks. It’s probably less “party” and more “evening workout,” though. (Its one song on an album of other Halloween remixes of stuff like “Ghostbusters” and “The Phantom of the Opera”).

“Don’t Go By the River” by Voltaire: It was between this and “When You’re Evil.” As great as that is, I thought this was more upbeat and catchy. And it references Lestat. It’s perfect if you want something Cajun-style.

“Phantom of the Opera” medley by Lindsey Stirling: A new addition this year. This was featured in The Umbrella Academy. It’s so awesome.

“All Souls Night” by Loreena McKennit: Putting the Samhain in All Hallows’ Eve. Brings the list full-circle in that it’s a bit spooky and very Halloweeny, but still fun to dance to. It’s actually pretty cathartic, and it makes me think of cloaked figures in masks dancing with their lanterns on hills. Old-school Halloween!

Believe it or not, I’m actually leaving a lot off. Pretty much everything by Nox Arcana works for Halloween. There’s a lot more Voltaire that I like, too. Lately, I’ve been listening to “Carpe Noctem” from Tanz der Vampire (the original German version, because it’s better), and that is just so dark and sexy and fun to rock out to. You can’t go wrong with “This is Halloween,” of course. I also recommend “Moon Dance” and “Remains of the Day” from Corpse Bride. “The Secret Garden” and “Dark Ritual” by Adrian von Ziegler are both creepy. I could go on and on. If you need music for a specific situation, feel free to ask me!

#halloween #halloween music #samhain #samhain music #spooky music #haunted house music #halloween party music #atmospheric #halloween playlist #dark music #nox arcana #voltaire #aurelio voltaire #adrian von ziegler #peter gundry #lindsey stirling #loreena mckennitt #monster mash