Mythical Calendar: April 30: Walpurgis Night, Blodeuwedd, Eve of Beltane
Anyone ever hear of Beltane? Yes or no, tonight is it’s sacred Eve. Back in the ancient day, people placed rowan branches on their doors to protect themselves from wandering spirits. I am not so sure about all of that, but I know Beltane is a huge deal to Pagans of the Middle Ages and even now. The best representation of it, that I have seen, was in a movie called The Mists of Avalon. Simply beautiful.
Anyhow, if you sit beneath a tree this night, rumor has it, that you will see the Queen of Faeries . . . or at least hear the passing of her horse. Maybe I’ll try it out. Let me know if you do.
Also in the ancient world, we get a glimpse of the Welsh and their Goddess named Blodeuwedd. Seems there is a ton of scandal surrounding Blodeuwedd, but hey, what interesting God or Goddess doesn’t have a bit of that, hu?
Story goes, she was created solely for the God Llew Llaw Gyffes, to be his property, and his wife. We can all be created for whatever purpose, but our hearts will go wherever they go . . . right? Such was the case of Blodeuwedd. Her heart led her to Goronwy and together, they sought to end the existence of Llew, especially since he refused to set Blodeuwedd free. Their plan worked, for awhile, only Llew managed to bring himself back to life, taking his revenge. He destroyed Goronwy and then turned Blodeuwedd into an owl so that she would forever be cursed to hunt alone.
Now hoping over to Germany and other Scandinavian countries, tonight was a sacred festival called Walpugis, which was all about the Witches of their world. Not real sure if all the Witches were bad or not, but people generally had a habit of doing spells and rites, or laying twigs of birch by doors or burning rosemary, etc. All this was too ward off evil . . . or was it?
Mythical Calendar: April 29: Rome’s Lagu, Virginia, Goshen Pass
Ok, we are on our second day of Rome’s festival called Floralia. Remember, this will be for their Goddess of Flora and will last a total of sex days.
And the Runic half month of Lagu begins.
Lagu represents the power of water. Funny, because my husband and I went riding the other evening in a place called Goshen Pass which is located in my neck of the mountains of Virginia. This river is very popular and I spent a lot of time there as a kid (when I wasn’t living in North Carolina). As beautiful and popular as the river is, it can also be monstrous. When the waters get high, they are no place to play around in. And many have died by mistake or accident. Still, with respect of how powerful water can be, people still flock to the stony banks of Goshen Pass, and I guess I will too from time to time.
So some pics I found of Goshen so you will get a hint of the area I live in…
Above is a bridge that everyone hangs out at and swims. Or, they can fish, hike, or whatever. Once, when my oldest was only 3, he was going across the bridge with his cousins. When they got across, they noticed he wasn’t with him. When they looked back, he must have gotten the call of nature, because before they knew it, he had unzipped his pants, and proceeded to make a waterfall of his own. For those swimming underneath him that day…I am truly sorry. Hahaha!
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Mythical Calendar: April 28: Rome, Floralia, Celts, Lludd
One of the worst mistakes one can make is to count Rome out for the week. I have found that even if days pass without a word from Rome, well that’s only because they are about to throw down a big one. So let today be considered no different because our Ancient Urban Pagan Ancestors are kicking off a Festival of Floralia which will go on for six days. The next six days will be all about their Goddess Flora who represents flowers and the pleasures of absolute youth. Now, if we were to jump the fence and fly back in time, we’d find that the women would wear their best seductive clothes and men would actually be wearing tons of flowers. Not only would today be a free sexual license to experiment, but it would also be filled with games, flirty and erotic theater, etc.
Now while the Romans are active with all sorts of adventurous lust, the Celts will be doing something a bit more sacred. Today belongs to their God Lludd, who is all about Healing.
Now, gather around the fire kiddies for another bit of history. For once, long, long ago the Father of all Gods Lludd lost his hand and the ability to work his limbs in a mighty battle. Afterwards, a devoted Smith named Gofannon created him a new one made of beautiful silver but even with a new hand, he still needed time to heal what was broken.
Now in time, Lludd was able to regain the use of his limbs, but alas, for whatever reason he was not able to rule the Gods any longer. So he stepped aside, let a new God take his place, but never lost the people’s love of him.
In fact, the city which is now named London, was named after him–Lludd-dun. So for those Pagans who travel there, speak the city’s name now with new meaning.
Mythical Calendar: April 27: Nicolas Flamel, Philosopher’s Stone, Egypt
Anyone know the name of Nicolas Flamel? Well, it seems he was born sometime during 1330 and died in 1417. And what was so awesome about this guy is that he happened to be a French Alchemist. Now, according to Nicolas, he got his hands on a Cabalistic Book of Alchemical Secrets. And by doing so, he claimed it was this book which would give him wisdom and power to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Not only would this give him the ability to turn metals into gold, but it would also allow him to give immortality to him and his wife.
So did he pull it off? Well, its a Historical Fact that he lived his never hurting for money and always having more than he ever needed. Also, to this day, he and his wife’s graves are empty. *winks*
In Ancient Egypt, the Ennead, the nine divinities who were worshipped at Luna shall sail through Egypt.
Mythical Calendar: April 25: Robigo, Cuckoo’s Day
Rome will be honoring their Goddess Robigo with a festival called Robigalia. In a grove considered to be sacred, five miles or so on the outskirts of Rome itself, they would partake in this celebration. The importance of this day was again…crops. The Goddess was said to be the protector of corn from all harm especially blight and mildew. Losing a crop had devastating effects on peoples. No matter how serious the day was, however, they would still have a blast by feasting and games such as racing.
In many parts of Europe, today was named Cuckoo’s Day, for the many birds which left for winter….would then return!
Mythical Calendar: April 24: Mark Eve
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Let’s see what our Ancient Ancestors were doing on this Saturday way back when….
Oh, this is a good one! For those who adore Divination, then today is for you. Your Pagan Ancestors took great advantage of this day calling it Mark’s Eve. An unmarried woman could learn the hidden identity of her future husband on this day. Now, there seems to be no particular custom or ritual but history shows that some would bake in silence come evening. Whatever she baked, bread, cake, pastry, had to include ONE egg. Afterwards the eggs shell would be filled with salt. Now, the face of her beloved was supposed to show itself somewhere in that egg shell, I am guessing.
Oh, and another GOOD custom—some girls would walk backwards to her bedrooms on this night. If they did so, they would see the image of their soon-to-be husband rush past !!!!!
Mythical Calendar: 23: Rome, the Norse, and the Green Man!
Now, let’s hop back through time on this Friday and see what our Ancient Ancestors have shaking!
The Romans will be having an observance for their beloved God Jupiter and their Goddess Venus today. All of Rome would go out and pour whatever wine was left from the previous year unto the ground as an offering the the Gods.
Peeking in on the Norse, who began some Summer yesterday, we see that they are having a Festival for Sigurd today. The day also being known as Sigurdsblót.
In many Pagan traditions, today is called Green Man and huge celebrations would have been held, and still are today sometimes. the Green Man represented the forests and was represented as vegetation when Pagans created symbols of him. The Green Man also represented spring, nature, and the growth warmer weather triggered.
At times, the Green Man was also carved into Pagan tombstones, representing eternal life.
Mythical Calendar: April 22: Sumarsdag, Ishtar
Let’s step back in time and see what our Ancient Ancestors were doing….
The Norse would be having what they called Sumarsdag or Sigrblót. This marks the first day of Summer. So if you are into beseeching Odin for his Guidance, today would be a great day to do so.
Now while the Norse is doing that, we should hop on over to Babylon where they are holding a festival for their Goddess Ishtar. She happened to be the hot momma over love and fertility. And believe me, she has the lovers to prove it. Rock on Ishtar!
Mythical Calendar: April 21: Rome & Egypt
Those is Rome on this day in Ancient History would know it to be Palilia, and should be preparing for their Festival for Pales–a Goddess of Shepherds and Flocks.
Also, in lower Egypt, today they would have been honoring the Goddess Uadjet, who happened to be their Goddess of growth and also gave unto the world the plant Papyrus. Represented by the Cobra, she aided Isis in hiding Horus before and after his birth. This is why the Pharaohs were known to wear symbols of Cobras, for it was their way of marking the protection of the Goddess over them.
Mythical Calendar: April 19: Greece & Hecate, Rome
Greece would be having a Feast for their Goddess Hecate today in the Ancient calendar. She rules the night and underworld. She also represents all things which brew during dark hours including love and passion.
Today is the 8th day for the Goddess Ceres, during the Roman festival of Cerealia.
Mythical Calendar: April 18: Maia, Ceres, Seven Daughters & A Hunter God
Today is the seventh day of Cerealia, the Roman festival for Ceres.
And today, the Goddess Month of Maia begins. She is the Greek version of the Goddess of the Earth. Maia not only mothered Hermes, but also gave birth to the seven Pleiades, which were the seven daughters of Atlas. Also known as the famous constellation.
Now, legend has it that these seven daughters, or seven nymphs were being pursued by Orion. The Hunter God wouldn’t let up either, which is why the seven daughters of Maia ran to Zeus for help. Well help he did, turning them into the stars and placing them high into the heavens for all to see but never touch. Interestingly enough, Pleiades rises in the Spring announcing the coming of Summer months and then says good-bye to all come Autumn signally the harvest.
Mythical Calendar: April 16: Rome, Greece, Egypt!
Today’s Ancient Holidays are:
The fifth day of the Roman festival called Cerealia, in honor of Ceres.
And in Greece, they are having a Festival called Hiketeria, which will be in honor of their God Apollo. Now before everyone gets excited, this was a private festival…not a public one. However, if one of your ancient relatives belonged to the Cult of Apollo, then saddle up! You have a busy day ahead.
And in Egypt, today is a holiday all for Ra and any member of his cult.
Mythical Calendar: April 14: Rome’s Cerealia, Norse Festivals, Celtic Tree Month Ends, Runic Month of Man, & Egypt!
In case anyone is just jumping aboard—real quick—the Mythical Calendar’s purpose is to clue us in on what our Ancient Ancestors might have been doing on its given day….
First, we are off to Rome…we have the third day of the Roman Festival of Cerealia, honoring their Goddess of grain and Agriculture Ceres.
The Norse will be having a Festival called Sommarsblót which is their way of welcoming summer.
The Celtic Tree Month of Fearn shall end.
Today will be a time of meditation concerning the human condition for it is the Runic Half Month of Man!
And Egypt will be celebrating the Houses of Ra, Osiris, and Horus.
Mythical Calendar: April 13 : Rome, Friday the 13th
Let’s take a look into the past….
Rome will be having a two for one on this day in Ancient History. Of course they will be continuing onward with a Festival called Cerealia which started yesterday, but they will also be having a Spring Festival called Libertas that raises high and honors their Goddess named Liberty. (hmmm for all those living in New York, perhaps you could look towards your Statue of Liberty) This will also mark the Ides of Spring!
Today is also, in modern times, the most dreaded Friday the 13th. And where did that frightful superstition explode from?
Well nothing comes up until around the 19th century. That’s when some sort of written record can be seen. Still, nothing concrete as to WHY Friday the 13th is dreaded, except maybe for the fact that many religious authorities in the Dark Ages viewed the number 13 to be of the Devil (the number a group of witches would need to summons Mr. Evil himself lol) and that Friday, as well, was viewed as a dreaded day…who knows why about that one.
Some say it came from numerology, as 12 represents completeness, but nowhere in numerology have I seen 13 come up as something horrible. In fact, its not one of the dual numbers, so 1 & 3 would be added, broken down into 4. Four, I can assure you, is also not a negative number either.
Yes, I think the number 13 fear sprang from religious superstitions, and probably should have stayed in the Dark Ages with them lol. I for one, have great luck on Friday the 13th. How about you?
Mythical Calendar: March 5 :Rome’s version of Isis
If we stepped back in time and took a peek at Ancient Rome, we’d see many gathered, flocked in Roman attire, carrying with them many kinds of foods and gifts of spice, as they journeyed to the edges of the ocean, to a ship that would appear far more Egyptian than it would of Rome. Today, would be a great festival, in honor of the Goddess of the Sail . . . who was, by many account, an aspect of the Egyptian Isis.
Isis, being the Goddess of a thousand names, was adopted into many cultures . . . too many to count. More than 5,ooo years old, people still call upon her today. In fact, many believe that Isis, and her son Horus was the prototype for the making of the Christian Mary and the birth of Christ. The similarities are remarkable.
Mythical Calendar: March 4 : Egypt’s Ra and the Ireland’s Epona
I always had crossed opinions concerning Ra, the Egyptian sun god. At times, in the beginning, he impressed me with his sun boat trips, and slayings of serpents. However, later on, he depressed me, especially when he didn’t stand up for Osiris, when the whole Set and Horus deal went down. Who knows what the stories truly were though, since this god’s priests always seemed to overpower that god’s priests . . . and stories were rewritten and rewritten time and time again in order to suit the God who had the people’s favor at any given time.
Still, in Egyptian Calendar, today would have been the Feast of Ra at Lunu. Whatever the truth of Ra was, he not only survived the many perils of the night sky each coming moon, but he also survived the test of time. Even when the Greeks made their claim upon Egypt’s land, they too adapted Ra’s city for their own version of this sun god. Lunu became Heliopolis, and the story, in its own way lived on, even after the next dominating culture made its stand.
There is a chalk horse in Uffington, which is believed to have been drawn around the time of 1400 BCE. And even though the carving is in England, it is believed to be a representation of Epona, an Irish Goddess who had a lot to do with horses and fertility. Today a great Celtic feast would have been held in honor of her. It should also be noted, that Epona was adopted into Roman beliefs as well by the hands of Gauls, who were believed to be Celtic speakers. (When I say Gaul and if it sounds familiar, think about the Starz (?) series called Sparticus!
Mythical Calendar: March 3: A Bit of the Norse and a Bit of the Welsh
Who knows that song called Rhiannon by Stevie Nicks? Well, back in the ancient day, many Welsh might have been humming such a tune if it existed. Once the sun went down, an observance called Rhyfeddod Llieiaf o Rhiannon would begin. This was considered one of the Lesser Mysteries in regards to the Goddess Rhiannon. Don’t panic, because I doubt ‘lesser’ meant it was considered less than important. This observance though, would end up running a full course until the nest sunrise of . . . March 6th.
Now, over in the lands of the Norse, there was a god considered to be the power of the seas. His name was Aegir, and while he governed over the salty waters of the world, he also represented the unpredictability of men and the life. You have heard of sea creatures–various creatures of myth strewn throughout mythology . . . . Well Aegir also watched and governed over them.
According to Wikipedia, some sources place Aegir as a giant, but other sources do not. His origins are not explained, but at times, his age is hinted at being even older than the giants themselves.
Mythical Calendar: March 2: A Prophecy of Crows
Let’s go back in time to Scotland today, shall we? More specifically, let’s take a look at the Celts and their traditions because today of all days, they would be paying close attention to Crows and what those black feathery birds would be doing. No joke, today Crows would have been the bases of many prophecies. So, if you take a walk outside and see one, maybe you will learn a little something- something that you didn’t know before~ concerning the present or *gasps* future.
Also , in all other parts of the world where Celts mingled, they would be paying homage to their god Ceadda–who, interestingly enough, governed over springs which had the power to heal, and wells, considered to be holy. Caedda was represented by the Crann Bethadh, which happened to be the tree of life. Let’s not forget that the Norse has a tree in their belief systems, and even Christianity, in the beginning, before all went south for their Eve, interestingly enough . . . started with a tree. The three, of some sort or another, was huge in many belief systems.
It makes complete sense, though, that Celts put a lot of belief and symbolic importance into trees. After all, not only did they support many spiritual beliefs, but they also gave Celts shelter, food, and a means to make fire.
Do you know the most sacred of trees according to the Celtic belief system? The Oak. Why? Because it represented a door which led to the center of the world and if one was lucky enough to use it, they could travel to many worlds into the beyond.
Also, for women who had given birth or will . . . many cultures honored Mother March, whom many cultures claimed protected over those such as them.
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MYTHICAL CALENDAR: Celtic Tree Months, King of Bactria, & Rome’s Kalends: September 1, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
September 1
First, let me wish EVERYONE a great September. New seasons, new beginnings, right? Second, today’s calendar revolves around Zoroaster, A Celtic Tree Month, and the Kalends of September (beginning as of now).
Observance
Now, who has heard of Zoroaster? Well today we are going to learn a little bit about him and what this Observance of his is all about.
Facts:
Also known as Zarathustra.
Zoroaster was the King of Bactria. And his following reached beyond Persia, but also into India. Believed to be an Iranian Prophet and Philosopher which is how he began to religion of Zoroastrianism. Many parts of Europe and the Middle East STILL follow his teachings.
Religiously and Occult-wise, Zoroaster gets some credit there as well. In his time of rule, he was said to have created Magic, and to have brought in the concept of a God without idols. That’s right, he got the people to accept the worship of a God without the golden shapes of something fabulous…IF we are to take Idols to mean what our current minds relate them to in our day, which are statues or images made of a God or Goddess…. because back in ancient times, idols meant lesser gods and goddesses…not statues and images of gold or whatever else. And by Lesser, I mean when compared to the supreme being itself. So basically, according to Zoroastrianism, there was no Pantheon under or surrounding his God. And this concept, and many stories revolving around his beliefs were said to have influenced many other religious systems, such as Judaism and Middle Platonism.
Getting to the gruff of it, though, Zoroaster may have been two men and not one. And the history about him may be a mixture of both. One…a Babylonian astrologer living around 2460 BCE and a Persian King living around 590 BCE.
Ok, enough of him–links below if you want to continue studying, but as of right now, we are moving onto the Celtic Tree Month which ends today. And while Celts were a culture of ancient history, steeped in wondrous myth, there are many today who still follow their path. So this is for those of long lost yesterday and of today!
Celtic Tree Month of Coll ENDS…(don’t worry. Knowing those Celts, a new one will rise up and make claim tomorrow.) Coll also being the name of Hazel Moon.
Quoting:
Hazel Moon
August 5 – September 1: The Hazel Moon was known to the Celts as Coll, which translates to “the life force inside you”. This is the time of year when Hazelnuts are appearing on the trees, and are an early part of the harvest. Hazelnuts are also associated with wisdom and protection. Hazel is often associated in Celtic lore with sacred wells and magical springs containing the salmon of knowledge. SOURCE
Saying good-bye to that, we also mark the Calendar because Rome’s Kalends of September begins today.
See you all tomorrow!!!!
_______________________________
C.H. SCARLETT
Published by Noble Romance Publishing–Dare to be Different!
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Types of Werewolves : The Many ways of Shifting
I am beginning to have an interest in Werewolves thanks to a dark satire I am working on called Wyntress Nyght’s Supernatural Crack. Because of my new found curiosity, I have decided to add them to my “Types Of” list since there seems to be so very little about them out there.
Why is that? Go figure.
Anyway, instead of jumping off into the direction of Culture names, Gods, Goddesses and so forth like I normally do….lets start off with shifting. Apparently there are tons of ways you can become a Werewolf and I find them all fascinating.
I also found that someone had already typed up this list, so therefore I don’t have to.
*grins*
Here is a piece of it:
Non-Shifting
Non-Shifting is not a type of shift, but rather a condition. There are many werebeings who have never experienced any kind of Shift. Then why do they think they are werewolves? Simple, their connection with their animal is a way of life. In a way that is very real to them, they are both human and Wolf. Their animal is intertwined with all they do, what they like, how they interact to the world. They do realize that they aren’t a Wolf by the world’s definition, yet that nevertheless is what they are. They often experience some of the symptoms of being a werewolf other than Shifting. And many (perhaps some time or another all??) of them eventually experience Shifts.
Aura Shifting
Aura Shifting is the most common type of Shift, in fact, many Shifters never have any other kind of Shift. In an Aura Shift, the Shifter will immerse him/herself in the animal’s energy, resulting in a Wolf-like mood. The Shifter will feel somewhat animalish, alert, very aware, with an often-pleasurable heightened sense of their physical body. This is very like the mindset that people playing a sport and really mentally absorbed in playing get into. If you’ve ever gotten into a different mode of awareness/concentration/feeling when deep in a Hockey game and having lots of fun, you know pretty much what this is like. Hence the phrase, "I’m in the Zone!" The only big difference is the Shifter has a definite sense of Wolfness (or whatever their totem is) to their mood. The body temp may go up a bit and the behavior will seem more lupine in general.
Astral Shifting
Astral Shifting is where the Shifter goes into the spirit world (astral plane) and Shifts there. It can take awhile to work yourself into the right frame of mind for this, so it’s not as easy as aura shifting, which you can do anywhere and get away with. Dreaming, of shifting into your animal or being your animal, or even dreaming about it, counts as Astral Shifting.
To read more and believe me there is a TON more…simply click HERE. I hope no one deletes this information because to me…its a rare find.
Types of Vampires: Strigoii, Strigoi Part 2
Who knew this one particular type of Vampire would be so popular? Ever since I wrote the first article based on research done by popular resources, (see my book list) my inbox became filled with emails offering up first hand knowledge because they have either worked in Romania or have lived there. So part 2 of this article will be about the knowledge and the very interesting people I have permission to name and about those who prefer to remain nameless.
Now…brace yourself…
Are you ready?
Are you sure?
Ok, here’s the scoop….it turns out that the Strigoii Vampire is NOT a Vampire at all—in Romania that is.
Can you believe that?
How the hell did this happen?
How did all these encyclopedias and books concerning demons, monsters and things that go bump in the night be wrong?
I honestly do not know. I think somewhere along the way, something would have happened to these Authors that happened to me…someone from Romania or someone who had done a documentary would have emailed them, called them, SOMETHING…to let them know that “Hey, they are not Vampires man! Rewrite it!!!!”
Is it impossible to screw this information up? Nope. When I found out the real scoop, I thought about Bram Stoker who miswrote the meaning of Nosferatu all because the resource he used also defined the creature wrong.
And that’s what did happen to me. My resources were wrong…and not only that…the majority of the resources out there are WRONG.
I was first contacted by Myky (if you check my comments under the first article). And turns out, even though Myky, or Mihaela, doesn’t speak English to well, had a first hand knowledge of these creatures called Strigoi. Now to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation, I am going to paste exactly what she said…(remember, she doesn’t speak English to well)
I will try to explain you the nature of the strigoi. I think there will be spelling mistakes, because like I told you the other day, I’m learning, haha.
Strigoi are alive creatures with the appereance of normal people. The strigoi are different people. When a baby borns with a kind of skin cap on his/her head, and the baby eats that skin, it means that that baby is a strigoi. While they live, they are normal people, but when they die (I mean when their body die, because their soul doesn’t die unless you fix a stake in its heart), they consume the soul of the most beloved person who the strigoi loved while he was alive. I don’t know if you understand me, sorry for the bad explanation. Like I said before, they consume the soul of the person they loved, and sometimes, the soul of the person beloved by the strigoi falls so ill, that the person dies. So that consummation can be manifested by diseases. In order to kill the soul of the strigoi, it is necessary to fix a stake to the dead body in the heart. Also there is another way of killing his(its) soul which I do not remember…sorry. If you kill his soul, the consummation of the soul of the dear person it won’t happen. I think that’s all. Once more: sorry for the spelling mistakes haha, I hope that this information it will help you. All I have been telling you are the things that my grandmother told me. Remember that this is the truth about strigoi, and this truth is less spectacular that the lies about the strigoi, there are no bats and no drinkers of blood.See you soon, Mihaela.
Now interestingly enough, after Mihaela gave me that information…another person emailed me. His name is Justin Blair. Turns out that he has created a Documentary on the subject. And again, just so I do not misinterpreted, I will paste what he said…
I was reading your blog entry about strigoi. I had some comments. First, let me say that I am a documentary filmmaker and I just released my first film. It was actually filmed in Transylvania (Ardeal in Romanian). I spent seven months there collecting folklore stories about the supernatural. So, I have done a lot of research, in books as well as on the ground in Romania concerning these topics.
I think a lot of what you have written is very accurate, first of all. Strigoii with two "i" s is simply the way the Romanians pluralize the word. So strigoi is singular.
Now, as to the shapshifting characteristics of the strigoi, it is true this is possible, though a bat is not one of the animals that is usually mentioned. We have a story about a strigoi being transformed into a wolf actually in the movie. Though there is also a kind of entity known to the Romanians called a varcolaci or pricolici which is a kind of were-wolf or were-dog.
You say that the story about the cow seems silly, but you have to understand the context. Romania is very very poor, so a fatal attack on livestock is essentially a potentially fatal attack on the person or family. Sucking the blood from a cow, could mean no protein for the family for a long winter and could result in death. It does seem silly to us in America, but it is very serious when life is lived close to the bone. We actually have a story in our movie about an attack on a woman’s livestock. You wouldn’t believe the measures she took to rid herself of this strigoi. (And you are correct that strigoaca is the feminine version, but for the most part they just use strigoi while talking.)
Well, there is a lot to write actually, but I am very tired. If you want to check out the film, there is a trailer on the website and you can get the DVD from there. www.acrosstheforest.com The comment by Miky is too harsh. You are right about quite a lot, if there is even a "right" concerning such matters. I have read some of the accounts you probably read. I had to actually go there to get the whole story. And it is a strange story indeed. (Plus, Miky is a Hungarian name, which means he is probably more accustomed to the Hungarian version of the strigoi. A lot of ethnic Hungarians live in Transylvania.)
I would be happy to correspond with you more on this matter. You can also check out an interview I just did on darkplainsradio.com KLMT is the radio show, it is under archived shows.
Sincerely,
Justin Blair
Now I emailed Justin back explaining why I thought sucking the milk from a cow was so funny. Sometimes, these superstitions, even though people take them seriously, sound more like something that someone made up to bring about fear in the villagers. I mean why would a Vampire suck the milk from a cow? So Justin corrected me on that as well…
Well, blood and mil are related in the sense that they are literally the vitality of the animal, and thus the vitality of the humans that depend on the animals for meat, milk, etc..
Now, the strigoi is not exactly a vampire. It shares a lot of characteristics of what we would call a ghost. Bram Stoker essentially popularized the idea of the vampire in the West, though there were actually other authors predating "Dracula" that dealt with a similiear entity. He made his character a composite of Vlad Tepes and the romanian ethnological accounts he found in the London library, plus some imagination.
The strigoi is a big big subject and our film deals with it in a lot of detail. In the film we do have a lady who claims to have killed a strigoi with a "stake" through the heart. Not actually a stake, but I will not go into the detail, because I don’t want to ruin the story for you if you get the movie.
There are strigoii that act like ghosts, haunting, making noises, but fairly harmless. There are strigoi that kill animals and there are strigoi that kill people. There are strigoi vii and strgoi mort. that is simply strigoi that are alive and strigoi that are dead. It’s very complicated really and there are no set rules since each individual community sees things a little differently.
I hope you get a chance to look at the film. I think you will really enjoy it and possibly find some material in the interviews about these subjects to use in your work. It covers all kinds of supernatural creatures in Transilvania including were-creatures and forest spirits.
As far as other subjects, my curiosity is wide ranging. So, right now I am reading a lot of Joseph Campbell who is the first person to create comparitive mythology. I am working through the multi-volume "Masks of God" series now. I practice martial arts, bartend, like to travel. All kinds of stuff.
Sorry, it took so long to get back to you. It’s been hectic lately. Check out our blog on the website www.acrosstheforest.com if ou want to hear some of the interviews I have been doing recently. The darkness on the edge of town show is probably the best I have done so far.
Sincerely,
Justin Blair
And there you have it…Part 2 to the whole Strigoi confusion. I highly recommend you check out the film by Justin. By what he emailed me, he is very wise concerning all of this. So I thank Justin and Miky for contacting me and giving me their input…now hopefully these books that publish this stuff can correct it as well!!!!! I know my fiction will be.
The Origins of the Apple
Eve’s fruit of knowledge used to be the Goddess’s sacred heart of immortality all over Indo-European civilizations. Many of the Goddess’s western paradises had right in it, growing by the many…yes yes…apples.
The Garden of Eden was thought to be the same as Avalon known by the Celts. “Apple Land” was a country ruled by Morgan, the Queen of the dead. Back in days of old, kings would receive the Goddess’s apples holding within its fruit, the gift of Immortality. Then, they would go to live with her in Avalon, just as King Arthur was taken to live with her…delivered to her by three fairy queens representing the triple Goddess.
Scandinavians would put tons of apples by the graves because they believed them to be essential for resurrection. In the west, the Norse Goddess Idun kept under her care the apple Land of the west, where the Gods would go to receive the fruit in which kept them deathless.
Apples were also believed to carry souls from one body to the next. In certain festivities such as Yule, an apple was roasted in the mouth of a pig to serve as a heart in the next life.
Greeks claimed that Hera kept the apple Garden in the west where the sacred tree of life was guarded by her sacred serpent. Now think about that…and think about the story of Eve. It isn’t quite as negative when pondering its origins eh?
Graves points out that this is where the story of Adam, Eve, and the serpent originated from in a very horribly misinterpreted way. In fact he points out that it was deliberately done so. Icons show the Great Goddess offering life to her worshipper, in the form of an apple with the tree and its serpent in the background.
Romans named their apple mother Pomona which was probably gotten from the Estruscaris.
Now here’s a bit of fact for ya…
Cut an apple transversely, as the gypsies and the witches of days of old were known to do. Hidden in the apples core is the magic pentacle or sign of Kore (Core). Just as Kore the virgin was hidden in the heart of the mother earth (Demeter) and represented the World Soul, so her pentacle was hidden in the apple.
The pentacle in a circle was also the Egyptian Hieroglyph for the underworld womb where resurrection was brought about by the mother-heart of transformations.
In Celtic Paganism , the apple meant a sacred marriage and journey to the land of death.
The poisoned apple was created by Christian men in regards to Hel or Hecate who was viewed as Virgin and Mother. In competition with the Goddess/apple lore, Christian men told people that a witch would cause demonic possession through her gift of an apple unto her victim. (insert Snow White here?) Old women were actually slain if caught giving an apple to a child or adult. Suddenly when this happened the people who took the apple and ate it became troubled with fits.
The story of Adam and Eve…Eve being tempted by the serpent to take the apple was nothing more than a plight to steer fear towards the Goddess and her knowledge and immortality. The serpent became something viewed as evil as one bite from an apple, damned all women and all of the world.
Pretty interesting when you break it all down, isn’t it?
Thanks to Barbara G. Walkers Encyclopedia
The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets!
Some extra Apple info:
MEDICINAL: Apples are used to treat constipation. The pectin in fresh apples can help to lower cholesterol levels, an aid in treating heart disease. Crushed apple leaves can be rubbed on a fresh wound to prevent infection.
MAGICKAL: Apple blossoms are used in love and healing incenses. An apple should be given to a lover as a present – you should eat one half, the lover the other. It is given as an offering on Samhain to the dead, since it is a symbol of immortality. Apple wood is used to make magickal wands. Pouring apple cider on the ground in your garden before you plant gives the earth life.
GROWING: Apple trees grow over most of North America. They need a cool winter period, making them unsuitable for low desert or tropical regions. Check with your local nursery for varieties best suited to your area and growing conditions.
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