#Pirin Mountains

[stoneoferech]

Pirin mountains, Bulgaria

[stefankasev]

Ridges

[travelella]

Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria

Kristijan Arsov

[kas-e]

Four frames from the Balkans

[bulgara]

Pirin // Muratov Peak // Balkan // Bulgaria

[pangeen]

“ Evening in Pirin “ // Krasi Matarov

[mikfelt]

[deadunicorn1]

[itsawayofliving]

[veemmeev]

[expressions-of-nature]

Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria by Yuliyan Ivanov

[yoga-onion]

[Image above: Vila by Andy Paciorek]

Legends and myths about trees

Legendary tree deities (19)

Samodiva – ‘Wild alone’, the Slavic tree nymph

The samodiva, samovila or vila, are woodland fairies or nymphs found in South and West Slavic folklore.

Thought they are predominantly associated with Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. Yet as there still Slavic, they can't be even semi friendly to people. It's the Slavic way. Samodivas are humanlike creatures, usually wearing a white cloak or dress and armed with a bow and arrow used to catch their human prey. The name ‘samodiva’ is formed by combining two separate words, ‘samo’ and ‘diva’. The former means ‘alone’, whilst the latter ‘wild’, or ‘divine’, hence the name literally means ‘wild alone’. The first part of the creature’s name signifies its avoidance of human beings, whereas the second indicates their wild or divine nature.

Samodivas are commonly depicted as ethereal maidens with long, loose hair, and in some cases, wings. They are typically dressed in free-flowing, feathered white gowns, which give them the power of flight. Samodivas are often described as having blonde or red hair, tall, slender women with pale, glowing skin and fiery eyes.

Sometimes, they are described as having a veil which could hold all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power.

The samodivi dwell in mountainous areas, and their favorite haunts include the Pirin, Vitosha, Rila, and Stara Planina Mountains. They enjoy riding on deer and use twisted snakes as reins. They are extremely protective of their mounts and would cast a spell on anyone who killed their deer, even if it was by accident. The spell would result in the person’s death. Most thair stories involving them are like that, though they enjoy dancing they often entice mortals to dance with them until said mortal die of exhaustion.

But, they are not always the bad, and sometimes they appear like normal working women and help with the harvest. They would especially help women with children and if a man did something good for a samodiva, she becomes his patron or a sworn sister. Sometimes, a samodiva can fall in love with a human and bear him children, who grow up to be great heroes. As they are forest creatures they know a lot about herbs and forest plant yet as they are not so keen on sharing their knowledge, you have to eavesdrop on their gatherings.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

伝説の樹木の神々 (19)

サモディーヴァ 〜 「野生で一人」、スラブの木の精

サモディーヴァ、サモビラ、ビラは、南・西スラブ民話に登場する森の妖精またはニンフである。

バルカン半島、特にブルガリアの民話に多く登場する。しかし、スラブ人である以上、半端に人に好意的であるはずがない。それがスラブ人のやり方なのだ。サモディーヴァは人間に似た生き物で、通常は白いマントやドレスを���にまとい、人間の獲物を捕らえるための弓矢で武装している。「サモディーヴァ」という名前は、「サモ」と「ディーヴァ」という2つの別々の単語を組み合わせて作られたものである。前者は「一人」、後者は「野生の」「神聖な」という意味であり、文字通り「野生で一人」という意味である。前者は人間を避け、後者は野性的、あるいは神々しいという意味である。

サモディーヴァは、長く緩やかな髪と、場合によっては翼を持つ、幽玄な乙女として描かれるのが一般的だ。サモディーヴァは、しばしば金髪か赤毛で、背が高く細身の女性で、青白く輝く肌と燃えるような目を持っていると表現さ れる。

時には、彼女たちのすべての力を秘めたベールを持っていると表現されることもある。もし、そのベールを奪われたら、すべての力を失ってしまう。

サモディーヴァは山岳地帯に生息し、ピリン、ヴィトシャ、リラ、スタラプラニナなどの山々を好む。彼らは鹿に乗るのが好きで、ねじれた蛇を手綱として使う。馬を非常に大切にし、たとえそれが偶然であったとしても、鹿を殺した者には呪文を唱える。その結果、その人は死んでしまう。ダンスが好きで、人間を誘い、その人間が疲れ果てて死んでしまうまで一緒に踊ることもある。

しかし、彼らは常に悪者ではない。時には、普通の働く女性のように現れて、収穫を手伝うこともある。特に子供のいる女性を助けることが多く、もし男性がサモディーヴァに何か良いことをすれば、彼女は彼の支持者や誓いの妹になる。時には、サモディーヴァが人間と恋に落ち、子供を産み、その子供が偉大な英雄に成長することもある。森の生き物である彼らは、ハーブや森の植物について多くのことを知っているが、その知識を共有することにあまり熱心ではないので、彼らの集まりを盗み聞きする必要がある。

[yohohonabottle]

The nephilyms and Lavi's family

Just compilation of art and head cannons. Let me know if there's any errors + your thoughts on this! @windmaedchen

The twins meeting Lavi's kiddo!

After the incident of his wife getting ambushed, cornered -forced into fighting- dragged away and almost killed a la Salem witch trial + His twins would've likely died too if they didn't hide under tree roots nearby)...

Yeah Valen decided Holistone & Ryeham ain't safe for his fam so he took em, their two horses, and left to settle into the Wilders territory. Around the Vaduso mountains, very deep into the forested area at the mountains feet. At some point moved to live up on the summit (Similar to how his wife's family did long ago. The Eclipse dynasty families preferred to inhabit densely forested terrain and mostly on mountain summits. Some even lived in the mountain as well.) (The vampires of this bloodline had incredible tolerance to freezing cold climate, low oxygen levels and really high altitudes/latitudes. Think plane-ride high. They lived 'in the clouds'. And were known to be eagle-eyed ontop of their already keen sensitivity and senses as a species.)

Valen isn't bothered by the summit's trials, having adapted to them. Plus wears an outfit an Eclipse night nymph would--Something between the attired of Thai Hill people and Eskimos/Inuit. And his blood makes more cells.. he's got more blood than the average person.

Only trusted people are allowed. And Val joined the Thorned guards as both a swordsman, plus enrolled his twins in the Jadelake academy.

So Athe also became a Thornguard after graduating and Mari a Windwhisperer who often doubles as fellow thornguard. Pirin is in that squad too. So people of the Taran village & Lunadorf affectionately jokingly call them the Thorn family. Or the Guardians family.

(Excuse the doodle quality! ;-;) Uncle Athelric pretending not to care but watching over his human nephew. You know if anyone so much as TRIES to lay a finger and take a sigle, tiny hair off that little head--They'll be mauled. Lets the lil boye play with his tail, wings maybe a tiny bit his ear, but doesn't let him tug on them.

Or Athe patrolling and maybe Lavi's kid as a wee youngin ran off (like how young kids do mostly) and trips... in trouble, and suddenly there's a blur of light auburn and white, a bat mega bat standing over him and growling lowly in warning to the threat -could be hypofiends-. Then huffs when the two are face to face, his huff ruffling the boy's hair. Picks him up by the scruff like how a mam/dad/older sibling does with cubs/pups/kittens and darts in a graceful move toward Lavi. Has his stern look on as he approaches and places her son before her. Then leaves. Alt - Lavi and her kid running from something, and Athe jumps to protect them in his true form.

Bonus points if Mari is also around at the time and dives down/over to join the fray. Her brother remaining standing over the mam & kid to protect while she acts as the offence/attack-- wiping the floor with the foes.

------ Iliya meeting/interacting with Lavi & her kid

And then there's Iliya who playfully claps the kid on the shoulder, hugs him in a side-hug and ruffles his hair. "C'mere!"

-"Ah! And is that Mam I see?" -Cue Lavi getting drawn into the hug as well then lets them go. (No, she's not dodging that hug.) "What brings you to this corner of the desert?" (Smiling and cheery as he leads them to his home/clan.) Lets the family stay over as guests.

And bonus points for Soren who's a chill "grandpa"/Uncle(?). who likely has already grown very old and died... But is back to his young looks. Every time his body ages to elderly and he dies, Soren's body is the only thing that reverts to teenage again. His mind, heart, spirit and everything else is perma-lodged into 25-40 years old adult. Same as Alsa. (Or really every playable character. See "Wicked Sun & Orderly Moon.) Just one big family get together if Soren's clan is also visiting 'Liya's.

-------------------- The Cryptids from project "Harbringer" --

And I find it funnily adorable given the Mather of the Merlinverse and in general (Pirin) "adopted" Lavi/took her under his wing. And we all know what that happens, it's a permanent thing. So he'd the guardian of her and her fam til their final breaths, possibly the next ones after. Essentially Pirin and his nephylims are the guardians/protectors of families/lines of those they adopt(ed). It mainly starts with Mather and the nephylims follow suit (genes are saying their word fr). Pirin is guardian/protector of the family & home in general to begin with. (So count Iliya, Ame (don't underestimate the lil 10-ish y/o ghost girl), Mari and Athe plus their bloodlines as guardians to Cel & Ael's family along with Lavi's.)

"I'm guessing to count the cryptids in this lot as well since he's their core component. Which is even stronger than genes passed on i think." -Finch. I had this convo w @meepinmeat.

"Hell yeah!" -Meepin. So I then noted that there'll be one certain "Harbringer" to also be in the Guardian cryptids lot.

"You know the Knave's in this too-Og Berial fused with Pirin-?

Bet Lavi would be conflicted if he (Arlecchino) acts as her and her fam's protector/guardian ...angel? Hell angel???" -Finch. And here's Arlecchino's ask blog! You'll find everything related to him there- Art, lore, trivia & him answering your questions! (The main purpose of the blog is to ask Arle questions and he'll respond.)

Now. From here, major chunk if not 100% Finch's speculations ahead! I'm most likely wrong, please I strongly encourage feedback & corrections on these interaction parts! I tried to do justice by filling the blanks with keeping Val&Lavi's personalities in mind!

I imagine her son to get curious and excited, run up to him after he strikes Lavi!Og Berial/drives him away. And when the boy catches his tail/wing, Arle pauses and looks down over his shoulder at him.... Then smiles ever so slightly in fond, reminiscing affection before telling him "Go return to your mother." Then leaves.

Or the times Arle would look after her kid like a nanny-Guardian. Letting him play with his hat, tail, wings, watching him with that look.

And then disappears as Lavi's kid grows up... Only for him to call his name. Not "Berial" like how I imagine Lavi & her Val + everyone else do. But "Arlecchino"/"Arle". Like how he did back as a wee kid. And the Knave appears.

"You're a fool for seeking me." (No malice.)

"I know what you're made of. I know you're in there Berial, like the one you fought off. But I also know Mather's in there too, and fused into one with you." (I know you won't hurt me or my family.)

"Don't get too comfortable." (Maybe has that small smile, placing his hat on Lavi's son's head.)

------- As for the Balladeer, boy you'll see this mummer often. Likely has his happy mask on as he dances cheerily or his cattle bells make joyful, sort of friendly sound as 'Hello! :D' to both Lavi and her family. Possibly play with her son, keep him busy/entertained when she and her Val are too busy/need a moment to themselves.

But doesn't take off his mask, and doesn't let Lavi's kiddo take it off either- Touch it? Yes. Take it off/lift it? No. Gently tell him 'no.' by placing a fur-hidden hand over his and lower it away. Then when it's time for goodbye, The Kuker walks away. You can still hear him and his bells + tapping of staff on ground with each step. (The Balladeer's ask blog here!) Mostly communicates through dance, his mask changing and the bells on his belt + sign language that's not specific as he has made it up himself. (Only he knows/understands it.) But he can speak. Also the Kuker may be aware of how much he "resembles" the child's father and that's another reason he keeps his mask strictly on when around him. Doesn't want to confuse the kid, and sadden him with his fate. Otherwise he'd rarely sometimes lift his mask to reveal his face for a brief moment like in his "origin story". (His themes are at the top of his lore post + above the "index page". But here they are as well, clipped from the documentary film about Kukers done by New Yorker. The first track is the Balladeer's main theme. The second ost his other theme.

The Damoiseau - Songs and lullabies, the innocent and wholesome kind. Also helps the family sleep well/better by driving off their bad dreams, mostly through his songs. And watches over them with everyone else like a guardian angel. (He also has an ask blog!)

[zvetenze]

Village square

Melnik, Bulgaria

Melnik is a small town in southwest Bulgaria in the Pirin Mountains where the soft sandstone reveals eroded faces. The town dates from the 12th century CE and grew to over 25,000 inhabitants before the Balkan Wars when the majority of structures were destroyed. There is a Byzantine ruin within the town but the present surviving historic dwellings date from the 18th to the early 20th century when the area was under Ottoman control. The town formed along the Rožen streambed and Melnik River that flows south into the Struma river and eventually into the Strymonian Gulf of the Aegean Sea. (photo 1994)

[kas-e]

Hiking in the Rila Mountains.

[bulgara]

Pirin Mountain // Fish Lake // Balkan // Bulgaria 🇧🇬