Lizz Leiser
Ursula Stuby
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Creature #19: Leviathan
In Biblical tradition, Leviathan lies in a circle surrounding the world like Ouroboros but with the intention of over-coming it, not preserving it. ...The mindfulness of the pious was an active restraint upon Leviathan's perpetual attempt to meet head to tail. The Hebrew word liwiathan is translated as crocodile but its liwya (writhings) are more like those of a great serpent than any crocodile.
Deadline for all Leviathan action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Creature #18: Krampus
The Krampus is the Winter Goat who goes about in the days between winter solstice and Epiphany (6 January) in the Austrian Perchtenlauf Festival. Elsewhere, the Krampus is known as the companion of St. Nicholas. Throughout the Austrian Tyrol, into Bavaria and parts of Italy, the Krampus is a fertility demon, with a long tail and fur, who carries a chain, a birch branch, and a big black bag. He acts as a foil to St Nicholas, for as the saint gives gifts at Christmas, so the Krampus punishes those who have been bad. Really bad children may even get carried off in his black sack. In Austria, the Krampus is also known as Knecht Rupecht or Black Peter, in Germany he can called Pelzebock, Pelznickel, Han Muff, Bartel, Black Pit, Gunphinkel or Stoppklos. St Nicholas's Eve (5 December) is also known as Krampus Day in some parts of the Austrian Tyrol.
Deadline for all action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com : Monday, December 19th.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Creature #17: Fylgja
In Norse mythology, a Fylfja is an animal spirit that accompanies the soul of a person. It might be in the form of an eagle, wolf or another animal, or it might be a troll. The Fylgja is drawn to a person who has a character with an affinity to the form in question, apearing in dreams and visions to give messages. The name is also used of the 'fetch' or spiritual-double of a person. If this is seen by another, it signifies that they are either out of their body in a dream or else they have left this life.
Deadline for all Fylgja to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Creature #16: Camphurcii
According to a 16th century doctrine a Camphurcii was an amphibious creature with the body and forelegs of a deer while it's rear legs were those of a goose. It had a three foot horn sticking from it's forehead, like the unicorn. The Camphurcii lived only on the island of Molucca where it blamelessly fed on fish. It is doubtful whether many now remain since it's fabulous horn was believed to be a remedy against poison.
Deadline for all Camphurcii to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@
Deadline for all Camphurcii to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Creature #15: Teehooltsoodi
A creature from before the Flood, this water monster from the traditions of the Navajo people of North America resembles a very large otter with smooth fur and horns on its head like those of a buffalo. In one native story, Teehooltsoodi's child was stolen by Spider Woman; so angry and desperate was Teehooltsoodi that he caused several rivers to overflow, flooding the land for miles around.
Deadline for all Teehooltsoodies to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com : Monday October 3rd, 2011
Deadline for all Teehooltsoodies to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Creature #14: Karkadann
Karkadann is a type of Unicorn from the traditions of Persia, India, and North Africa. The name Karkadann comes from the Sanskrit kartajan, meaning 'Lord of the Desert'. Described as white in body, as large as a rhinoceros and with a tail like a loin, the Karkadann had two or even three hooves on each foot. Unlike the white or silvery horn sported by most unicorns, the Karkadann has a black spiraling horn in the centre of it's forehead. It is extremely fierce and known to hunt creatures as large as an elephant. Only the song of the ringdove can calm it: so fond is the Karkadann of the sound of this song that it will go to great lengths to protect a nest of ringdoves.
Deadline for all Karkadann action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: September 12th, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Creature #13: Neugle
The Neugle is a water horse who is a native of the Shetland Islands in the far north-east of Scottish waters. He lives in Njugals Water and has a green mane and a wheel-like tail curling over his back. Sometimes he shows up with a saddle upon his back, tempting travellers to take a ride, but it they do he immediately plunges into the water. As he goes under the waters, they sparkle with blue flame. Neugles are exceedingly partial to the waterwheels of mills and try to stop them turning, perhaps seeing them as rivals in the water-disturbance department.
Deadline for all Neugle to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: August 29th, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Creature #12: Tore
Among the pygmies of Zaire, Tore is Lord of the Hunt, taking the form of a leopard. He is responsible for storms, when he is not hiding in the rainbow. Tore oversees initiation rites.
Deadline for all Tore action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, August 15th, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Creature #11: Ratatosk
In Norse mythology, Ratatosk is the squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil and brings the messages of the eagle who sits at the top of the tree down the dragon Nidhoggr who lives in the root. Unfortunately, Ratatosk does not report the messages clearly and sows discord between the two.
Deadline for all Ratatosk action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, July 25th, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Creature #10: T'ao Tieh
The most noticeable feature of this creature, which is found in the traditions of China, is it's enormous head, cavernous mouth, and serried rows of dagger-like teeth. Not surprisingly, it's name can be translated as 'Glutton', and it's appetite is legendary. It can take several forms, including that of a human being and a tiger, but whatever creature the head represents also dictates the body under it. Thus a T'ao Tieh with the head of an animal has the foreparts of that animal; but in each case it has two hind parts and two stomachs. Sometimes it is painted on the inside of dishes to warn diners of the effects of overindulgence.
Deadline for all T'ao Tieh action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Deadline for all T'ao Tieh action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Creature #9: Meh-The
A name for a type of Yeti mentioned in the beliefs of the Nepalese people from the Himalayas. There were three different kinds of Yeti categorized according to height. The Yeh-The is the smallest, the Meh-The is the medium-sized one, and the Dzu-The is the largest
Deadline for all Meh-The action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, June 20th, 2011
Deadline for all Meh-The action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, June 20th, 2011
The Emogoalekcs
Norm Stuby
Ursula Stuby
"Then one day by the lake the best friend, like, rolled up on the monster and even in it's monster form the friend was all like, 'Oh my goodness' and then the monster swore the friend to secrecy,"
Lizz Leiser
Lizz Leiser
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Creature #8: Emogoalekc
According to the Kathlamet people of the north-western coastal area of the United States, Emogoalekc is a monster who was once a human being.
Emogoalekc fell in love with a slave girl, but as the son of a chief he was forbidden to marry her, and was taken to task by his father. Distraught, the young man threw himself into a nearby lake, where he was transformed into the monster. Some time after this, one of the young man's close friends was at the lake and he saw Emogoalekc in his new form. Even so, he recognized the chief's son, who swore him to secrecy. Somehow, the truth emerged and the entire tribe was so fearful of the moster that they determined to kill him. At first, Emogoalekc accused his friend of having given away the secret, but he then realized that it was someone else who had caught sight of him and identified him. Before the tribe could capture and kill Emogoalekc, his friend helped him to escape, earning the promise that if anyone thereafter caught sight of the monster, he would become a chieftain in his own right.
Deadline for all Emogoalekc action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, May 30th, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Creature #7: Spider Woman
Excerpt from Spider Woman entry...
Deadline for all Spider Woman action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com: Monday, May 16th, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Creature #6: Hulders
(excerpt from an extremely long post on Elves)
In Scandinavia, Elves have become associated with the Hulder, a small race with more kinship to dwarves or brownies. They have also a tradition of being mischievous and spiteful.
In Scandinavia, Elves have become associated with the Hulder, a small race with more kinship to dwarves or brownies. They have also a tradition of being mischievous and spiteful.
Deadline for all Hulder action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com:
Monday April 23rd, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Creature #5: Lamia
Lamia
In classical legend, the Lamia had the shape of a woman to the waist and that of a serpent below, but she was able to assume the shape of an ordinary woman. Legend tells how she was originally a Libyan queen whom Zeus took as his mistress. He hid Lamia from his jealous wife, Hera, by placing her in a cave in Africa, bidding her leave her eyes outside on watch while she slept each night. But Hera found the cave and turned Lamia into her half-serpentine shape and took away her children by Zeus, destroying them. From then onwards, Lamia has had an implacable hatred that she takes out upon the human race by enticing men and children into close proximity with her before killing them.
From classical times onwards, Lamia has taken other roles. She has been associated with the Empusa a kind of vampire. Since then, the story and role of Lamia has developed in two distinct ways. She has become an evil fairy or nursery bogey of some antiquity - Aristotle relates his grandmother telling him that Lamiae lay in wait in the wilderness preying on little boys; but she also become a Succubus, helper by Burton's Anatomie of Melancholy where he retells story in which a philosopher named Menippus was seduced by a phantom woman with whom he became besotted. At their wedding feast, the magician Apollonius of Tyana realized that the woman was none other than a Lamia, a serpent-woman. The Lamia begged him to be silent, but when he revealed her true nature, the Lamia and all her goods vanished into the air. In Topsell's Historie of Foure-Footed Beasts (1607), the Lamia is shown in a woodcut as a scaly, four-footed creatures with paws on her front limbs and hooves on her back limbs. She has a woman's face and breast but also phallus. John Keat's famous poem on the Lamia sees her as a Succubus, thus bequeathing an undying legend of the seductive, vampiric female.
Deadline for all Lamia action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com:
Monday April 4th, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Creature #4: Undine
Undine
In European magical lore, an Undine is an elemental spirit of the water. The name was first used by the Swiss metaphysican Paracelsus in the early 16th century, derived from Latin undas ('wave'). Undines are invoked in magical working requiring the cooperation of the waters. The leader of the undines is called Necksa.
Deadline for all Undine action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com:
Monday March 21st, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Creature #3: Hakulaq
Hakulaq
Among the Tsimshian Indians of the northwest coast of the North America, Hakulaq is female sea monster with a unique method of taking her prey. She causes her child to float near to the shore, making the cries of a human baby that is lost. When people come to rescue it by bringing it ashore, Hakulaq rushes after them, accusing them of stealing her child. With her huge body, she then creates huge stormy waves which overwhelm the rescuers and drown them.
Deadline for all Hakulaq action to be sent to magicalcreaturesproject@gmail.com:
Monday February 28th, 2011
The Camoodis
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