#Eastern and Little Nature Deity
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itspurvis · 1 year ago
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You know. It must be a real pain in the butt to have pets and livestock in Gensokyo. Also Luna Child is approximately two and a half chickens tall.
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serpentface · 5 months ago
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The god Od depicted in a symbolic representation of the word's creation as a docile bull awaiting sacrifice at the altar.
It carries the foundations of the world in its horns (via a very old cross and wheel motif representing cyclical totality, now mostly used as a visual shorthand for the world). It has three sets of horns in the form of the lunar crown, a mostly obsolete symbol of Wardi royalty. The altar is decked with an orange lily motif, after a hardy native water lily capable of regrowth in waters that dry seasonally. This symbol of rebirth and fertility in a sacrificial scene evokes the sacrifice-rebirth cycle initiated by Od's primordial slaying, which is fundamental to the world's functioning.
This is a rundown on interpretations of the god Od, a deity that has a long history in the lands surrounding the Mouth of the eastern inner seaway, and the impact (or lack thereof) of its primordial sacrificial nature in religious practice.
The god Od appears in religious practices throughout the region, having the utmost significance to the Imperial Wardi faith and lesser or separate significance elsewhere. The five religious practices wherein variants of Od has longstanding historical significance are the Burri Faith, the (Imperial) Wardi faith, the Old or 'Heathen' Wardi faith, the faiths of the Hill Tribes, and the Wogan faith.
The name Od and most significant elements of this god have origins in the Burri faith, which was transferred across the sea to the Wardi, Wogan, and Hill Tribes in the time of its second and third empire.
The Burri Od is described as having been the first being. The universe began as a cosmic sea and empty, eternal sky, loosely representative of a primordial and fundamental female and male dualism. Od appeared at their borders as a result of their interfacing, in the form of a giant aurochs or bison whose hooves touched the seafloor and horns touched the sky. He dipped his head down to the silt and lifted it out of the sea in his horns, thus forming the foundations of the world. His semen spilled into the cosmic sea and created the first seven gods, who then killed and divided their father, giving the world its form with his body.
While significant to the creation story, Od is of relatively little importance in everyday practice of the Burri faith and is not commonly worshiped (rather his seven children are, as they were the original and most powerful group of gods and created life).
Though the Burri Od takes on a sacrificial role in creation, animal sacrifice is not central to the Burri faith and is only performed in specific contexts (some festivals and holidays, in times of great strife, and to a few specific gods within a wide pantheon). The Burri faith does not involve a sacrifice-rebirth cycle as foundational to the world's functioning and god's health, and offerings are instead mostly gifts to please and rightly venerate the gods (or avert the malice of less savory deities). Offerings of food, drink, and precious materials are preferred by most gods. When animal sacrifice does occur, bulls ARE generally favored, as a reflection of their primordial counterpart.
The modern/Imperial Wardi Od is partly an import of the Burri tradition, which fused with both native monotheistic/animist worldviews and animal cults during the reign of the 2nd Burri Empire and developed into a new faith, which has presently become the state religion of the Wardi Empire.
‘Od’ in the Imperial Wardi context is best translated as capital G ‘God’ (anyone saying 'God' is, in-universe, saying the word 'Od'). Its creation of the world plays out in a very similar fashion, but the first human life (rather than other gods) is created by Its semen mingling with the cosmic sea. It willingly sacrificed Its body at the hands of the first people, who formed the world with its remains. Its shed blood spattered the earth and can be found today as meteoric iron, and animal life emerged from the mingling of the blood and the soil. Its death initiated the eternal cycle of sacrifice/death and rebirth, with each begetting the other and necessary for the world to function.
Od's body is dead and the world is Its corpse, but Its spirit survives in seven 'faces' which govern specific functions of reality and society. The connection of Its spirit to Its body is maintained by right practice, right prayer, and right sacrifice (in the form of food/drink offerings, bloodletting, common sacrifices of animals and occasional sacrifices of people).
The Imperial Wardi Od is generally regarded as genderless and dual-sexed, and referred to with a unique deified pronoun most effectively translated as capital I 'It'. Its sex is of relatively little significance to everyday religious practice, and discussions of Its dualism are more likely to occur in scholarly and philosophical contexts (like debates on the minutia of how Its semen, milk, and menstrual blood are all mentioned in old accounts of creation, and how the implications of this should translate to body politics and taboo).
The Old Wardi or ‘Heathen’ Wardi faith is a separate branch of old ethnic Wardi religion with significantly less Burri influence. This is a minority practice that only survives intact in isolation. Its practitioners are often hostile to all foreign influence and the Imperial Wardi faith, and suffer minority status and religious suppression.
Its version of Od is a more intact surviving remnant of ancient Wardi monotheism, as an androgynous creator god who lost physical form in the act of creation, and lives on as innumerable spirit aspects of its whole. This deity is referred to as Od in describing its primordial form, but is mostly referred to as a unique word for spirit, which is 'the Koya'. Practitioners of the old faith often identify the seven-faced Od as a twisted, foreign misinterpretation of the Koya. 
This practice is somewhat animistic in nature and involves veneration of individual spirits that form a larger whole. Every aspect of the world has a spirit (plants, animals, minerals, bodies of water, etc) that exist in an ideal balance and as strands of an interconnected death-rebirth cycle. Each spirit is referred to as 'the [noun]-koya'. All discrete forms of life/matter have at least one attached Koya, while living beings also have a soul (which is separate from the Koya and reincarnated upon death).
Each Koya exists as a quintessential essence (ex: the lion-koya, the maize-koya, the iron-koya, the salt-koya) rather than separate individual objects having separate individual Koya, though unique landmarks do have their own (the Brilla River-koya is separate from the Yellowtail River-koya, though both share the freshwater-koya). Each individual may have multiple spirits (geese have the goose-koya, but also the bird-koya, the freshwater-koya, etc), a system that categorizes the world by intrinsic natures and precisely dictates how each physical body has unique metaphysical significance.
Animal sacrifice plays a somewhat similar role in Old Wardi religion to Imperial Wardi religion in the sense that it intends to maintain the stability and oneness of the divine spirit and a death-rebirth cycle. In this case, in freeing part of the spirit, balance can be brought to the Koya totality and restore the death-rebirth cycle. (Ex- in times of drought, the sacrificial release of the migratory goose-koya can encourage the return of the rains). This is far from the only way to re-balance the Koya. The most significant rites come in the form of songs that summon, release, or expel individual Koya as needed.
The Od of the Hill Tribes is a mingling of the Burri/Wardi Od and a much older goddess of fertility and agriculture, and is strongly associated with cattle and barley. This version of Od did not create the world and is only one of many gods, though she is said to have been born from the sea and carried up fertile soils with her (which is likely a direct result of Burri/Wardi influence). A few tribes venerate Od as a chief or patron god, though none are fully monotheistic (outside of converts on individual or clan levels).
She has a distant common ancestor with the Finn goddess Morgren (as the various Hill Tribes are descendants of a single proto-Finn population who migrated across the Viper seaway in prehistory), who is also a goddess of agriculture associated with fertility and barley (though in Morgren’s case, she is THE god of the staple crop barley and lacks the cattle association, and has no direct influence from the Burri/Wardi Od whatsoever)
Most of the tribes of Greathill do not practice animal sacrifice but offer grain and fruit to Od, and create a sanctified mix of crushed barley and oil that is anointed on livestock and people to confer Od's blessings of fertility. In some cases, the dominant cow in each herd is considered to belong to Od and will not be milked or slaughtered, and is buried with full rites upon its death.
The Od of the Wogan religion is distant to the rest of her counterparts, though has absorbed some Burri and modern Wardi elements over time and is referred to by the same name (a definite foreign import). She shares the fertility aspect ubiquitous to other Od variants, and is occasionally depicted as a cow.
She is a goddess of the earth and sea, who was wed to Iapedi, the god of the sky. The ocean is functionally her womb (which may be trace Burri/Imperial Wardi influence, or merely coincidental) and all life emerged from within. 
These are the only two true gods to the Wogan, though there is an additional element wherein the mating of Od and Iapedi also created innumerable spirits found throughout nature that act as an animating life-force. The concept is very similar to the Old Wardi '-Koya' (as the two faiths had close common ancestry), though this one lacks the sort of taxonomical system of its counterpart, and only ascribes spirits to living things. Each spirit in the Wogan religion is distinct (rather than each type of animal, plant, etc potentially having multiple spirits), and the spirits existing in each body are part of a greater whole that exists as a sentient consciousness that can be communed with (ex: each lion has A lion spirit, all part of The lion spirit, the latter of which can be engaged with).
Wogan religion strongly retains ancient animal cult practices common across the ancient Wardi-Wogan sphere, some of which have been translated into the faces of God in the Imperial Wardi context (both religions share commonalities of lions, snakes, albatross, migratory ducks, and cattle being significant sacred animals). The function of animal worship to the Wogan is communication and interface with the greater spirit of each animal (which can range anywhere from gaining personal blessing and protection, to dispelling plague, to 'lay off on eating our crops').
The Wogan faith does not involve animal sacrifice (though ancient variants almost certainly did). This is connected to traditional vegetarianism among the Wogan (as a means to avoid offending animal spirits), which some view as a point of pride and a mark of distinction against their Imperial Wardi majority.
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greenwitchcrafts · 10 months ago
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Mugwort
Artemisia Vulgaris
Known as: Artemis herb, artemisia, artemisia herb, cingulum sancti johannis, felon herb, muggons, naughty man, old man, old uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco & St.John plant
Related plants: A member of the daisy family Asteraceae that consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within it such as chamomile, coneflowers, dahlia, daisy, dandelion, goldenrod, lettuce, marigold & sunflower
Parts used: Leaves & flowers
Habitat & cultivation: Common mugwort is native to Europe and Eastern Asia. Mugwort was brought into North America as early as the 1600’s for medicinal purposes. It spread throughout the Northeastern U.S. as a contaminant on ships and nurseries.
Plant type: Perennial
Region: 3-8
Harvest: The flowering tops of mugwort should be collected once they bloom or right before the blooms open. The leaves of mugwort plants should be collected before the plant flowers. Older leaves & flowers are significantly more bitter
Planting tips: Mugwort seeds can benefit from a special 1 to 2 week treatment called cold moist stratification prior to planting them & need cold weather to break down germination inhibitors. The seeds require light to germinate, so be careful not to cover them when planting. Mugwort does not like to be overwatered & is very drought tolerant. It is also an invasive weed & best kept in a container.
Medicinal information: Historically mugwort has been used in traditional systems of medicine in different parts of the world. Today, mugwort taken orally is promoted for digestive problems, irregular menstruation, and high blood pressure. It is also promoted as a sedative, laxative, anti-inflammatory & liver tonic. Mugwort lotion applied topically can aid in itching caused by hypertrophic scars & When being smoked, it exhibits mild intoxicating properties & strong relaxing properties.
Cautions: Mugwort should not be taken by pregnant people because it may start menstruation and cause the uterus to contract. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use mugwort while chestfeeding. Mugwort might cause an allergic reaction in people with pollen sensitivities
Magickal Properties
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus & Neptune
Element: Earth
Deities: Aida Wedo, Artemis, Diana, Isis, Lakshimi & St.John
Magickal uses:
•Place under your pillow to bringing peaceful sleep, prophetic dreams & aid in astral travel
• Add to incense for cleansing and clearing energy
• Place around scrying tools to increase their energy
• Add to herbal smoke blends to stimulate lucid dreaming, astral travel & visualization
• Make an infusion of mugwort to wash magic mirrors and crystal balls to aid in physic workings
• Burn with Sandalwood or wormwood for scrying rituals
• Carry in a satchets for protection and increasing lust, fertility & preventing back pain
• Throw mugwort in a fire during Midsummer for protection for the following year
• Keep under your doorstep to keep annoying visitors away
• Use in tea before bed to encourage lucid dreaming
• Hang mugwort over or on a door to keep unwelcome energies from passing through
• During a storm or when your life feels threatened by impending dangers, toss into your hearth fire or cauldron to keep you safe
•Wash your hands with a mugwort infusion to increase energy flow before tarot or pendulum readings
Sources:
Farmersalmanac.com
The Herbal Alchemist Handbook by Karen Harrison
The Book of Flower Spells by Cheralyn Darcey
Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines
A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs
The Encyclopedia of Natural Magic by John Michael Greer
Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer
Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz
A Compendium of Herbal Magick by Paul Beyerl
Wikipedia
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whencyclopedia · 4 months ago
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Chidambaram
Chidambaram (Cidambaram) is an important Chola temple site in Tamil Nadu, southern India. Most of the temples at Chidambaram were built in the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The site is dominated by the huge gateway tower of the Nataraja temple but Chidambaram also boasts the first Devi or Amman shrine, the first Surya shrine with the distinctive stone chariot wheels which would adorn many subsequent temples, and the first large Siva Ganga tank. In this respect Chidambaram is something of a transitional site, linking elements of the old and new styles of Indian temple architecture.
The name Chidambaram, one of several from antiquity, derives from the Tamil Cirrambalam, meaning 'little hall'. The site was chosen because according to mythology it was the precise spot where the Hindu god Shiva had once danced in a grove of tillai trees. The dance was, in fact, a competition between Shiva and Parvati and naturally the great Shiva won. The story became a popular subject in Hindu art over the centuries.
The site is enclosed within four perimeter walls and covers a rectangular area of 55 acres. Within the compound are shrines, halls, temples, ornamental gateways, and a large ritual bathing pool, known as a Siva Ganga tank, which is surrounded by cloisters. Inscriptions claim the site was built by various Pandya kings and local rulers but none are contemporary with the dates the buildings were actually first constructed. The walls and east gopura (gateway) may be ascribed with greater certainty, and were probably built by Kulottunga III, who reigned from 1178 to 1218 CE.
The Nataraja temple was constructed between c. 1175 and c. 1200 CE. The actual temple shrine is relatively modest as by now in Indian architecture the gopuras had become the most important structures, at least in terms of aesthetics. The twin sacred chamber was, however, adorned with copper sheets covered in gold by successive Chola kings. The shrine is preceded by a dance hall and large entrance porch with columns (mandapa).
The massive granite and brick east gopura dominates the site but there are three other gopuras on the north, south and west sides (the earliest). The corbelled roofs diminish as the structures rise and are finally topped with the usual barrel-vaulted roof (sala), the eastern gopura also having a row of 13 decorative finials. The east gopura has a proper interior floor at each of its nine levels and there is an interior staircase which climbs to the very top of the building. All four gopuras have false windows on their facades, typical for this kind of structure, and pairs of pilaster columns set at regular intervals. The second floor of each gopura also has a passageway which worshippers ritually walked around. The entrance archways all have coffered ceilings decorated with relief panels.
Of particular note at Chidambaram are the thousands of sculptures adorning its buildings. In particular there are many statues of women in a wide variety of dance postures. Many statues are accompanied by quotations from Hindu literature which provide an invaluable reference for scholars. There are also figures of the four dvarapalas (guardian demons), the dikpalas (cardinal directions), many figures of Shiva performing heroic deeds, various other deities such as Vishnu, Devi, Sarasvati, and, unusually in southern architecture, river goddesses.
Finally, Chidambaram is also famous for its 17th century CE Nayaka ceiling paintings which decorate the Shivakamasundari shrine of the Nataraja Temple. More than 40 panels depict scenes from the life of the saint Manikkavachakar, a devotee of Shiva.
Continue reading...
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thevirginwitch · 1 year ago
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Pearl Correspondences & Uses in Witchcraft
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In ancient Chinese culture, pearls were used in artwork, folktales, and charms to represent wishes, fortunes, gratitude, and even the moon:
Marquis of Sui’s Pearl, a gemstone in a folktale dating back to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), is given to a leader, Sui, from an injured snake that he nurses back to health, as a symbol of gratitude.
In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, The Chintamani (equivalent to the importance of The Philosopher’s Stone in alchemy) is known as a wish-fulfilling jewel that is sometimes depicted as a pearl.
In Chinese artwork, dragons may be seen holding or playing with a “flaming pearl” – in this context, some believe the pearl may be representative of “an object of great value that enhances the benign dragon who treasures it”, however it is more commonly (especially in Westerners) believed to be a cosmological symbol of the moon – in fact, there is an ancient belief that full moons are solid pearls, while new moons are hollow pearls.
In holistic circles, pearl powder is also known to help you with longevity, beauty, bone-health, among many other (non-FDA approved) benefits – and in Ayurvedic medicine, pearl is said to be an antidote for poison, and it was also used in love potions.
Knowing the traditional symbolism of pearls in Chinese and Eastern cultures, as well as its (supposed) medical benefits and Ayurvedic uses, we can create our own Correspondences for Utilizing Pearls in Witchcraft:
The Moon
The inner/subconscious-self
Wishes
Gratitude
Abundance
Love
Beauty
Longevity, good health
Pisces, cancer
Hidden knowledge
Uses for pearls (or pearl powder) in modern witchcraft:
Use pearl powder as highlighter in makeup for an easy glamor-spell
Mix with salt and other herbs associated with abundance to make “money-salt” for money spells
Add whole pearls or sprinkle pearl powder in your money bowl
Blow pearl powder onto your front door at the beginning of each month to bring abundance to your home
Write down a secret or something you want to get off your chest, and bury it with a pearl to keep it ‘hidden away’ from others
Make a wish with a pearl by leaving it out in a rainstorm, or dropping it into a natural body of water (pond, lake, etc).
Offerings to sea-related or beauty-realted deities
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Fun pearl facts:
Genuine pearls (and pearl powder) doesn’t burn! Pearls may discolor, but they shouldn’t go up in flames.
Pearls are made as oysters try to protect themselves from irritants or parasites – they add layers and layers of this ‘pearl’ coating to intruders, and viola!
Pearls are the only gemstone that come from a living creature
Pearls come in many colors
Pearls are obtained from oyster farming – which is actually beneficial to the environment! Additionally, pearls can be harvested without killing oysters.
Be careful when shopping for pearls – many places do not sell genuine pearls and they may be fake. Use caution when looking to purchase!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_of_Sui's_pearl
https://sci-hub.ru/https://doi.org/10.2307/1512907
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cintamani
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Treasures
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bucketsquid · 2 years ago
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Religion in the World of Splatoon - An Analysis
A thought struck me when I was thinking about the Horrorboros and how it’s pretty strongly intended to be an Eastern dragon-- “there really isn’t much discussion on the topic of religion and spirituality in the Splatoon world, even though it’s quite There”. I think that’s really interesting, because while it’s not a detail that’s front-and-center, it’s still pretty present in aspects of the world.
So, I offer you: a quick look and breakdown of religious + spiritual aspects in the funny little squid game. It’s not catch-all, I may miss fine details or this or that, but there’s some stuff that people often miss or are surprised to hear when I bring it up.
The tl;dr is that “yeah, it’s there. Squid Shinto is alive and well and we have, at least, canonization that the Squids (and Octopuses) acknowledge Christianity existing”.
But that’s not nearly enough for me, so read on if you want to see the details!
With the whole game taking place in mollusc-era Japan, there’s a good deal of “leftover” spiritual and religious aspects that remain or have otherwise been adopted by its cephalopod residents. I have a pretty strong case to say that Shinto still very much exists, and is a part of life, for Inklings and Octolings. Shinto at its core isn’t something that people with only a Western experience with religion and spirituality might easily pick out, simply because it’s treated and integrated into society somewhat differently. It’s something you have to approach after discarding your expectations, experiences and baggage involving what you know of religion. But it’s there, and really smoothly woven into Inkopolis.
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(Pic from Splatoonwiki, higher res here.)
Skipper Pavilion is pretty intensely and obviously a center of traditional Japanese celebration and Shinto spirituality. It’s a theater first and foremost, not necessarily a shrine, but it has Shinto aspects present. Its two mudskipper statues are direct parallels to komainu statues, which you’ll often find guarding a shrine; they even have the “one with closed mouth, one with an open mouth” detail found in paired komainu statues. Clever attention to detail!
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(Pic from Splatoonwiki, higher res here.)
Note these little areas with the blue curtains, too. The boxes of objects being sold remind me quite strongly of windows at shrines where you obtain omamori! Shinto shrines regularly offer these to people who give a donation, and they provide the shrine’s blessing to those who carry them on their person. (We never say that you buy or sell omamori.)
Finally, while I can’t find visuals of them, Splatoonwiki also says that there’s collections of ema plaques on the Skipper Pavilion stage as well. These are small wooden plaques that one typically writes wishes or desires on, before hanging them up with other ema. Like with the omamori, you can regularly find these at Shinto shrines, both in terms of ones you can obtain, and in space for you to hang them up. (If someone can find a screencap of the ema in this stage, I’d really appreciate it!)
9/1/24 Edit: You can somewhat see one of the ema plaques in this screenshot! It's to the right, slightly covered up by the ledge there.
...
Moving on from the Pavilion, there’s some other small details and indications of Shinto or a derived form of it in Inkopolis culture. One familiar sight is the Splatfest fax machine.
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It’s the super-special fax machine that delivers our Splatfest themes! And it’s also implied to have a divine nature: the NA localization names it The Voice on High according to Splatoonwiki, while in Japanese it’s Kami-sama. That’s a very esteemed title for a fax machine: this implies that it’s seen as a divine being, and quite respectfully too.
While kami is often a catchall word for “god”, “deity”, and so on in Japanese, it also refers to the inherently Shinto concept of kami: a spiritual being that may be anything as great as a deity of heavenly power, or something as modest as the soul of an ancient tree. It’s a kind of difficult concept to fully explain in a brief thing like this... but it’s a huge deal. Given the attention to detail with Shinto aspects in Inkopolis, I think it’s no coincidence that the fax machine is called this. And I think that’s incredibly charming that Inklings saw this still-functioning relic from the human age and attributed divinity to it and its abilities.
Side note, but kami can refer to both "spiritual being as described above" and a form of the word "paper". The Splatfest fax machine is a glorious pun in this sense.
(This is more obvious, but note the ofuda (paper charms) attached to it in the photo; ofuda have a ton of different meanings and uses, but we can pretty safely assume it’s of a protective or otherwise spiritually-significant nature here.)
I’ll also go ahead and mention the message that comes with this Sunken Scroll: "Why are we here? For what purpose do we exist? We must not dwell on these questions. We can merely trust in the will of the universe and spend our days and nights in harmony with the world, celebrating this festival called Life."
Yeah, that feels very “practical Shinto thought” to me, speaking as a Shinto practitioner. While “contemplation of existence and purpose” are still perfectly good subjects, there’s also, often, an emphasis on living practically, focusing on the present day and your community, and being in harmony with the world. This fits in perfectly with that philosophy.
One more detail is that, originally, the Squid Sisters were meant to be shrine maidens of a sort. They were meant to pass on the messages of fax machine Kami-sama to everyone else... or in other words, announcing Splatfest themes. While you can’t see this shrine maiden DNA in their designs anymore, they kept the Splatfest announcement detail through development. In a sense, I guess all of the news announcers and Splatfest hosts have a relationship with the divine.
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...
“Alright, that’s all super cool, Marine, but what about the other stuff? They have Squidmas and there’s those Sunken Scrolls too!”
Yup, they sure do. But from what we see in canon and from observations of the cephalopod world, these details feel like a case of “things that Inklings borrowed from humans and played with because they thought they were cool”, rather than “things Inklings kept and adopted because they were a part of the human culture in this region”. There doesn’t seem to be much of a presence of Squid Christianity much at all, at least in Inkopolis: Squidmas exists, but when discussed there’s absolutely no talk or evidence of any religious aspects that may have been lifted from humans. As far as we know, it’s “winter holiday that has some Christmas stage dressing”, which is a very Inkling thing to do with how much they like to borrow from humans. They love to do it so much.
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Secondly, yeah, these two Sunken Scrolls do very much point at evidence of “the cephalopods found some traces of Christianity and made content based on it, or inspired by it”. The Book of Madai scroll is particularly pointed in its name, writing and artwork styles. But while this proves that this exists in some form, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s particularly established in Inkopolis. We don’t have nearly as much evidence for Squid Christianity as we do for Squid Shinto, and it’s pretty safe to say that Squid Shinto is much more of a thing in Inkadia.
So what are we taking away from this? Mostly “yeah, religion and spirituality are very much a thing in the Mollusc Era, and it’s very elegantly woven into the setting”. Pretty cool if you ask me, it makes me really happy to find these thoughtfully-placed details where I then go “oh, I know what that is!”. It really adds to the hopeful post-human setting, that even after humans have long since gone extinct, their legacy still remains, and is celebrated and cared deeply for by the Earth’s new peoples.
I’ll probably add a small reblog to this later with my thoughts on the Inkantation and Salmonids, but this is definitely enough for one post.
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sukimas · 11 months ago
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Hello! I wanted to get into reading the Touhou official manga, but I don’t know what order I should read them in. Do you have any suggestions?
Wild and Horned Hermit: up to and including chapter 14 -> Forbidden Scrollery: up to and including chapter 25 -> Wild and Horned Hermit: finish it -> Forbidden Scrollery: finish it -> Eastern and Little Nature Deity: finish it -> Strange and Bright Nature Deity: finish it -> Oriental Sacred Place: finish it -> Visionary Fairies in Shrine: finish it -> Silent Sinner in Blue/Cage in Lunatic Runagate (must be read concurrently; the latter is a proper book): finish them -> Lotus Eaters' Sobering
This is if you want to only read the manga. There are other print works I highly recommend if you don't but I understand that some people are allergic to books.
(Read Cheating Detective Satori after this if you want and don't read it if you don't.)
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xbuster · 1 year ago
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Hewwo, if someone wants to get into Touhou what would you recommend them to start with?
the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is usually going to be my suggestion. It can be a bit tough for new players because you need to play it on Normal to actually be able to beat the game, but I think that helps encourage players to improve. My suggestion is to first play the game on Easy and get to the end of Easy mode, then keep trying Normal until you can beat Remilia. It’s a good game to start with because there aren’t any intrusive gimmicks like some of the games following it have and it will familiarize you with Touhou’s most iconic cast.
If EoSD is too hard, Imperishable Night is the most beginner-friendly Touhou game. It’s also fun for new players because it has 8 total playable characters, the most amount of new characters introduced in a Touhou game, and it has a phenomenal soundtrack.
If you want to start reading Touhou literature, Curiosities of Lotus Asia was the first Touhou book ZUN published. It’s a short novel told by the perspective of Rinnosuke Morichika and is a good way to gauge how many of the characters act outside of the games. It’s probably the best book to start with. If you don’t want to read a novel, Eastern and Little Nature Deity was the first manga.
ZUN has also released a series of music CDs that have stories connected to them. They’re set in the near future in the Outside World, following the Hifuu Club and their adventures to uncover the mysteries of Maribel Hearn’s powers and to find a way into Gensokyo. ZUN’s first CD was Dolls in Pseudo Paradise, but that story doesn’t have anything to do with the Hifuu Club. The Hifuu Club stories don’t start until the second album, Ghostly Field Club.
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darlingdawnauryn · 3 months ago
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How I Use Technology in My Practice
I know we've all been watching the online world disintegrate in real time -- and the rise of spiritual psychosis on Tik Tok is something I definitely don't want to think too much about -- but I'm here to tell you that it's not all doom and gloom and modern-day technology can still be utilized in a beneficial way. Here are some ways I use it to aid in my practice.
Music for Meditation and Ambience. There are a lot of premade playlists to help people meditate, consisting of binaural beats, eastern inspired zen music, and instrumentals and chants to help connect to a specific deity -- and that's probably only scratching the surface. But what I like about the modern-day landscape where anyone can post anything is the specificity: we're not limited to what could previously only be found on a CD your mom might've gotten from the back of a magazine; instead, there are playlists like "you're taking a bath in ancient greece," "2 AM," and one of my personal favorites, "T h e D r e a m p o o l s." There are people who post their own compositions too, like in the case of help me.'s channel! Most of the time I don't even use it for meditation; I put it on in the background when I write spells and hypersigils, when I work my herbal magick, when I feel like working energy by dancing, etc.
Liminal Portals. Speaking of the poolrooms, I use liminal spaces a lot in my work. Due to my mobility issues and my inability to drive, I can't exactly visit a cemetery, a crossroads, or even an abandoned house whenever I want. So I do the next best thing: pull up a picture of a liminal space and meditate on it however I see fit. Similar to the wider variety of music, this affords me the opportunity to pick a specific, sometimes niche location to harness a specific energy -- it's not like you can go to a funzone midday and expect it to be vacant, let alone expect to work magick with all the kiddos running around. I also like using the images as portals: something to focus on before I sleep so I can conjure it in dreams and do work in the astral.
Inspiration and Motivation! Like a lot of people who came of age alongside the Internet, I now spend more time on Youtube than I do watching TV or even using other streaming services. I use it for shits and giggles as much as the next guy, but I also try to be conscious and intentional with my screentime. I find more and more that I use Youtube for a place of inspiration: magickal as well as mundane. As I've said in previous posts, journaling and writing are serious hobbies of mine. I watch a lot of junk/journal Youtubers, so this video popped up in my recommended the other week -- decidedly un-witchy and completely separate from anything magickal. But I ended up using it to make a journal for my hypersigils, and it feels so much more personal that way. As far as witches go, I'm way more intrigued by Q&As and those in the community interviewing each other; I find the candid conversations more practical than short little how-to videos. Plus, they're a great go-to when I feel disconnected from my practice. Listening to a back-and-forth between two people who are clearly passionate about their Craft gives me the kick to get back into mine again!
Mapping Out the World. This one is a bit headier than the others, so bear with me. First and maybe most importantly: I've been a supporter of the New Age movement since before I knew what it was -- I've always been in contact with spirit guides, fairies, and other nature spirits, and I've always had an affinity for crystals and Hippie Culture (TM) and seen firsthand how the Law of Attraction can be both beneficial and detrimental to one's overall health. While I don't interact much with that side of the Internet anymore, owing to the alarming turn to far-right mindsets and some other problematic beliefs in that community -- as well as my pseudo-disillusionment with the movement at large -- I still think there's something to be said about some of those principles -- particularly the LoA. In a sense, the algorithm as we know it is a mini version of our lives. Do I think every word, thought, and emotion should be policed in an attempt to achieve the myth of ~high vibration~ and enlightenment? Of course not. But let's look at an example that's completely free from any kind of spiritualism: if I ask you to look around the room you're in right now and count as many red objects as you can in ten seconds, that should be a relatively easy task, right? But if I ask you to then conjure up the number of yellow objects without taking another look around, you won't be able to. Why? Because you were focused on the red ones. And in my experience, the world works much the same way and technology exists to reinforce this belief: what we watch, read, and give our attention to online will multiply; it's up to us to curate our experience.
The second thing I'd like to touch on is something that's completely personal -- what I've taken to calling Small Living. Maybe this was brought on by collective nostalgia for the aughts, but lately I've been preoccupied by early-days Internet (web 1.5?) and how much more contained everything felt back then. People can make their filtered edits and try to recapture the vibe by creating bygone-feeling analog horror, but it truly was an experience, going on Youtube and watching "ghost caught on camera" videos or logging onto Quizilla to read anything from local urban legends to proto-creepypasta. It goes without saying that a lot of this stuff was bullshit, but there was something exciting and transgressive about semi-hidden forums dedicated to paranormal and occult information -- back when nothing was monetized yet and people were earnestly either trying to spread knowledge or scare the shit out of unsuspecting viewers and readers.
In a way, getting into the Craft has brought me back to that smallness. Despite the paranormal boom that happened twenty-odd years ago, it was still rare to find people who actually took it seriously: ghost hunters, fellow witches, and the like. Now that "alternative spirituality" has gone mainstream, books about opening your third eye and connecting with nature spirits and high frequency diets are a dime a dozen, meaning it's the same handful of points regurgitated by people who are most likely just looking to make a quick buck. (And don't get me started on the bastardization/commercialization of metaphysical shops.) Thinking about this objectively was one of the biggest things that led me to starting this blog: compared to Insta, Tik Tok, Reddit, and even the cesspools that are Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr is almost a dying breed. I like to think I'm not too far off in feeling like those who stumble across my page looking for first-hand experience and/or potential pointers had to do some digging in order to find it. I'm also getting a kick out of older, secondhand copies of occult books for the same reasons. (Related sidenote: turning my attention to helping my immediate community instead of giving myself IBS flare-ups stressing about every worldwide issue has helped my mental health astronomically. Another pro of Small Living.)
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somethingclevermahogony · 10 months ago
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❤️ Happy WorldBuilding Wednesday! ❤️
What are your cities or towns like? Feel free to talk about the layouts or the people or the architecture, etc. and to talk about more than one if you'd like!
My last neglected WBW to finish! Though I hope that I will get more questions soon. I will talk about one specific city.
Chibal: The City of Secrets, Merchants, and Magic
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Description/Stats/Fun Facts
The Kishic city-state of Chibal sits on the western coast of Kishetal. The city itself is built on a large hill overlooking the Green Sea.
Chibal is the second most populous Kishic city with a population of roughly 120,000 compared to the largest city, Labisa with 188,000. Despite having a smaller population Chibal is the most economically prosperous city, due in part to its trading port which is the biggest in the eastern Green Sea, a rich and famed history of salt production, access to both copper and silver deposits, and perhaps most infamously, The Hall of Oaths (which will be explained further below).
As of the start of The Testaments of the Green Sea has the highest per-capita population of sages (Magic users) of any Kishic city-state, 36. Most sages live as scholars or priests. It has been described as the center of Kishic scholarship and magic.
It should be noted that while Chibal may have the highest population of sages, the quality of these sages is often lackluster as they typically have little practical experience when it comes to sagecraft.
The patron deity of the city is Jalkiba the Shipwrecker, one of several Kishic sea deities.
Chibal has the largest slave market in Kishetal.
The elite of Chibal consume as much foreign wine as nearly the rest of the Kishetal combined. Beer, popular in the plains and mountains is rarely consumed.
The Chibalans speak the Coastal Dialect of Kishic which is noteworthy for its Ikopeshi elements.
Chibal has the largest Ikopeshi and subsequently forestfolk (various magically altered races, typically but not always descended from humans) of any Kishic city-state though it does not have the highest ratio of forestfolk to non-forestfolk.
Chibal can be separated into 4 primary districts. The markets and the docks, the temple distract and the Palace/Bidanlum, the eastern slope (where the majority of homes lie), and the salt beds (the poorest district and as the name suggests where the famed Chibalan salt is produced.)
While Chibal does have a small city guard, it is similar to several Kishic cities in that it has no standing army. It is unique however in that it additionally has no system to call up a force from its own citizenry. Chibal is almost entirely reliant on diplomacy, bribery, coherision, and economic tension to achieve its aims. The city, and in particular its leaders do make heavy use of foreign mercenaries and pirates, particularly those of Korithian and Ikopeshi decent. It can be argued that these form a private army of sorts.
Chibal has not been to war in 200 years.
History
The city was founded shortly after the settlement and conquest of Western Kishetal by the Spiritblooded warrior, Tamel roughly 1,400 years ago. Legend says that the cove which now holds the city's famed port was once home to a deadly sea beast, the exact nature of which varies from author to author, which was subsequently slain by Tamel.
How true this story is, is unclear. It is certain that something or someone(s) was inhabitating the cove before the arrival of the Kishics. Though it is just as likely that this was a sub-aquatic or else coastal race of magically-altered people (Foresfolk) rathef than a monster or spirit.
While initially part of the Kishic Empire under the 500 year reign Tamel, Chibal would be amongst the first of the of the Kishic cities to declare independece after the death of Tamel and the subsequent war against and destruction of the island kingdom of Arkodai.
The first king of Chibal, Adikar participated minimally in the civil wars preceding the end of the empire and chose instead to expand economically, creating the Palace of a Thousand Stone Trees, the original name for the grand palatial complex.
The line of Adikar itself would end 300 years later after his descedant, also named Adikar, vanished along with an entire fleet of ships while on an expedition. In the subsequent chaos, a group of powerful merchants, calling themselves the Bidani, named for their leader Bidan, seized control. Subsequently Chibal became an Aristocratic Oligarchy, controlled by a council of powerful merchants, elected and nominated by the council.
Along with claiming ownership of the Palace (renamed Bidanlum or Home of the Bidani), the Bidani would begin the construction of a massive library.
This library, The Hall of Oaths is the largest collection of tablets, scrolls, books, and artifacts in the Green Sea. Also called the Hall of Secrets, the hall is infamous for the secrets which it carries, secrets which have historically allowed the Bidani to hold conciderable power over much of Kishetal.
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barukowo · 2 years ago
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Touhou manga titles
As we know touhou games titles can be pretty convoluted, but the titles of the manga only seem to be the same way, while actually being pretty direct:
Eastern and Little Nature Deity - the fairies live in Gensokyo (in the East), are small, and are the embodiments of nature
Strange and Bright Nature Deity - the fairies are pretty wacky (and arguably not the brightest but we’ll let it slide)
Oriental Sacred Place - the fairies now live behind a shrine
Visionary Fairies in Shrine - to reiterate, the fairies live behind the shrine (one of them actually in/under the shrine) and they’re full of ideas this time
Silent Sinner in Blue - it's Yuyuko, she's sneaky and wears blue 
Wild and Horned Hermit - Kasen's a hermit, and she's wild and horned alright (but you’re not supposed to know that until the finale)
Forbidden Scrollery - there's a scroll and Kosuzu's not supposed to read it (spoiler, she does it anyway) 
Cheating Detective Satori - Satori detective, how much more to the point can you get? 
Lotus Eaters’ Sobering - okay, this one’s an exception, they don't eat any lotuses, nor do they have any intention to sober up as far as I’m aware
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itspurvis · 1 year ago
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Touhou must've been so wild back then when there was only like 30 characters. This is opposite an notice for Shoot the Bullet
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tokidokitokyo · 2 years ago
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秋田県
Japanese Prefectures: Tohoku - Akita
都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan
Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!
Kanji・漢字
秋 あき、シュウ autumn
田 た、デン rice field
県 ケン prefecture
東北 とうほく north-east, Tōhoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu)
Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Akita (秋田市)
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Akita prefecture is known for the natural beauty of the sea and mountains, hot springs, and the preserved samurai district in the town of Kakunodate. The capital of Akita prefecture is Akita City, and the economy of the prefecture is structured around traditional industries such as fishing and agriculture, particularly rice cultivation, as well as high-quality sake. Akita's numerous seasonal festivals offer insight into traditional culture, especially the New Year's Eve Namahage Festival of Oga, which is unique to the Oga Peninsula area of Akita prefecture. The Namahage are demon-like beings which are portrayed by men dressed as masked ogres (oni) with traditional straw capes (mino), who go door-to-door in pairs or threes and admonish children who are lazy or who have been behaving badly. They are commonly shown on TV news making children cry as they visit homes in the neighbourhood during the New Year celebrations. Other, less traumatizing, festivals include the Yokote Kamakura Festival in February, where igloo-like snow houses (kamakura) are built across the city of Yokote, inside of each of which is a snow altar to the water deity to pray for ample water; or the Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Shrine Float Festival, where floats with warrior dolls parade around the port area of Akita City. The women of the region are also famous as 秋田美人 (Akita bijin) or "beauties of Akita" and are known for their white skin, rounded faces and high voices.
Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット
Nyūtō Onsen - 乳頭温泉郷
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By Bjckashiwa
Nyūtō Onsen is a traditional hot spring town in the eastern mountains of Akita. The town has six ryokan, or traditional inns, some of which date from the Edo period, and a hotel. The most famous hot springs is Tsurunoyu, which is over 300 years old, and considered to be one of the best establishments in all of Japan for a traditional and authentic onsen ryokan experience in the countryside. The onsen in the town can also be visited with general admission for those not staying in the inns. Most of the ryokan have mixed-gender onsen in addition to the male-only and female-only baths. The Yumeguri Pass can be purchased at the ryokan, allowing access to all seven of the hot springs, and a reservation at the ryokan on a shuttle bus allows for easy access to all of the onsen. Nyūtō Onsen means "nipple hot spring" referring to the shape of Mount Nyūtō nearby. The mountains and the deepest lake in Japan, Tazawako, are only a 30-minute bus ride from Nyūtō Onsen.
Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理
Kiritampo Hot Pot - きりたんぽ鍋
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Photo from HIS
Kiritampo are tubes of rice mashed up into a paste, wrapped around a skewer, and grilled on an open flame. These traditional tubes of sticky rice are then placed in a nabe (hot pot) with local meats and vegetables and cooked together, creating a dish perfect for the frigid winter.
Akita Dialect・Akita-ben・秋田弁
泣く子はいねがぁ (naku ko wa ine gaa)
Standard Japanese: 泣く子はいないか (naku ko wa inai ka) English: Is there a crybaby here? Note: A standard line used by Namahage during the Namahage Festival
あい、しかだね (ai, shika dane)
Standard Japanese: ありゃ~、仕方ないなあ (arya, shikata nai naa) English: Oh no, it can't be helped Note: Said when the other person does something by accident (casual)
これをけ (kore o ke)
Standard Japanese: これを食べてください (kore o tabete kudasai) English: Please eat this
どでした (do deshita)
Standard Japanese: びっくりした (bikkuri shita) English: I was surprised
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moonsidesong · 3 months ago
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Few questions;
1. What is favorite CD you got?
2. Favorite music artist?
3. Show me your CD collection pls :) (not a question, but still)
4. How does one do a tumblr? (I'm new new)
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oh man my favorite? that's a hard choice, but right now it's probably my copy of the ltd edition version of splatoon 2 live in makuhari/tentalive (it's a recording of the off the hook concert that included octo expansion's music)
both the sleeve and the jewel case cover art is so gorgeous, i love the concert itself, and off the hook just means a lot to me... also i like how they called it the limited edition version even though it's literally still in print five years later LOOOOL
as for my favorite music artist... i don't really know right now!!!! i listen to mostly vgm like a nerd 😭😭😭 i've been into SacriStuff's recent music for a while though, evergreen and boot up 2 are both real good albums and if i ever get into burning my own CDs they're definitely on my radar. i'm also really fond of harumaki gohan's music :) i wouldn't say im like huge into vocaloid necessarily but ive been meaning to look into more artists there ... really excited for my copy of daemon/doll to arrive on that note!!!
i'll talk abt my full collection under the cut, but as for how you use tumblr i'm not sure what you mean? if you have any specific questions i might be able to help better lol
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here's my full collection! i have most of them on a bookshelf but i have zun's music collection (except the newest one, i need to reorganize to account for it and ive been putting that off), akyuu's untouched score, and the touhou fighter albums all displayed on my walls :) sorry abt the low quality pics it is unfortunately difficult to get good pictures of glossy plastic
* when i say all the touhou three fairies cds i unfortunately exclude the original one from eastern and little nature deity. too rare and expensive :(
* (OH ALSO not included here is the CD released with the physical collector's edition of Undertale. i don't have it with the others because it's in a DVD case and not a jewel case and wouldn't fit with the others, so i have it shelved elsewhere.)
honorable mention for one of my favorites goes to the bonus CD for touhou urban legend in limbo on ps4 (the cd with the bunny girl on it).... it's a bit rarer find and i found it relatively cheap so im proud of that LOL
also like i've said before i rip all of the contents of my cds and store them as .wav and .m4a files on my computer. (the latter would have album art/composer/etc metadata and translated when applicable, but the former doesn't. bc. wav can't do that)
for the most part if i have something any of you would like im happy to share my files! with the exception of some of the like. smaller indie stuff, bc of course i'd rather folks go support that where they can. also most of these are still in print and were bought new so if you're curious abt where you can pick it up yourself anyone's welcome to ask about any of em :)
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whencyclopedia · 6 months ago
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Chidambaram
Chidambaram (Cidambaram) is an important Chola temple site in Tamil Nadu, southern India. Most of the temples at Chidambaram were built in the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The site is dominated by the huge gateway tower of the Nataraja temple but Chidambaram also boasts the first Devi or Amman shrine, the first Surya shrine with the distinctive stone chariot wheels which would adorn many subsequent temples, and the first large Siva Ganga tank. In this respect Chidambaram is something of a transitional site, linking elements of the old and new styles of Indian temple architecture.
The name Chidambaram, one of several from antiquity, derives from the Tamil Cirrambalam, meaning 'little hall'. The site was chosen because according to mythology it was the precise spot where the Hindu god Shiva had once danced in a grove of tillai trees. The dance was, in fact, a competition between Shiva and Parvati and naturally the great Shiva won. The story became a popular subject in Hindu art over the centuries.
The site is enclosed within four perimeter walls and covers a rectangular area of 55 acres. Within the compound are shrines, halls, temples, ornamental gateways, and a large ritual bathing pool, known as a Siva Ganga tank, which is surrounded by cloisters. Inscriptions claim the site was built by various Pandya kings and local rulers but none are contemporary with the dates the buildings were actually first constructed. The walls and east gopura (gateway) may be ascribed with greater certainty, and were probably built by Kulottunga III, who reigned from 1178 to 1218 CE.
The Nataraja temple was constructed between c. 1175 and c. 1200 CE. The actual temple shrine is relatively modest as by now in Indian architecture the gopuras had become the most important structures, at least in terms of aesthetics. The twin sacred chamber was, however, adorned with copper sheets covered in gold by successive Chola kings. The shrine is preceded by a dance hall and large entrance porch with columns (mandapa).
The massive granite and brick east gopura dominates the site but there are three other gopuras on the north, south and west sides (the earliest). The corbelled roofs diminish as the structures rise and are finally topped with the usual barrel-vaulted roof (sala), the eastern gopura also having a row of 13 decorative finials. The east gopura has a proper interior floor at each of its nine levels and there is an interior staircase which climbs to the very top of the building. All four gopuras have false windows on their facades, typical for this kind of structure, and pairs of pilaster columns set at regular intervals. The second floor of each gopura also has a passageway which worshippers ritually walked around. The entrance archways all have coffered ceilings decorated with relief panels.
Of particular note at Chidambaram are the thousands of sculptures adorning its buildings. In particular there are many statues of women in a wide variety of dance postures. Many statues are accompanied by quotations from Hindu literature which provide an invaluable reference for scholars. There are also figures of the four dvarapalas (guardian demons), the dikpalas (cardinal directions), many figures of Shiva performing heroic deeds, various other deities such as Vishnu, Devi, Sarasvati, and, unusually in southern architecture, river goddesses.
Finally, Chidambaram is also famous for its 17th century CE Nayaka ceiling paintings which decorate the Shivakamasundari shrine of the Nataraja Temple. More than 40 panels depict scenes from the life of the saint Manikkavachakar, a devotee of Shiva.
Continue reading...
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gloop898 · 5 months ago
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Media Thread 2024 - Part 49
Touhou Sangetsusei
~ Eastern and Little Nature Deity ~
~ Strange and Bright Nature Deity ~
~ Oriental Sacred Place ~
~ Visionary Fairies in Shrine ~
Written by ZUN
Illustrated by Matsukura Nemu
Illustrated by Hirasaka Makoto
I love these 3 little fairy dumb asses and their other fairy friends. The small stories that get told are a lot of fun, and generally get better and better as the manga goes on. The characters and mythos of Touhou Project are so much fun.
There's not a lot of emotional depth in the stories, but there's often subtly emotions at play that if caught give great characterization. It's worth repeating, I really really love these characters.
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