#moose spirit animal

[thespiritualparrot]

Moose Spiritual Meaning, Wisdom & Symbolism

Welcome to a journey of discovery about the moose, a creature rich in spiritual significance and profound symbolism. Known for its majestic presence and impressive strength, the moose embodies qualities that resonate deeply with those on a spiritual path. This powerful animal offers wisdom on courage, independence, and introspection, blending physical attributes with deep spiritual lessons In…

[shinonart]

Some spirit animals from a while back.

The moose and the bear are available as stickers and pins but I'm trying to decide what to do with the squirrel, if anything.

Find me and my art elsewhere!      

[musingmelsuinesmelancholy]

Reddening a moose bone ring to aid in facilitating congress with The Land. As far as I’m aware moose aren’t especially sacred to the tribes here nor could I find any stories where they played a significant role. Tho please do correct me if I’m wrong!

EDIT: there’s a rather funny folk story here regarding “Specter Moose”. Couldn’t help but think of it during the process haha.

[horrid-mothlegs]

If early Dreamworks had made Brother Bear I think that would've been the greatest animated movie of our time

[karo-96]

Free Spirit

Free spirit Acrylic on canvas Size 80 cm x 60 cm On display in Arsko art exhibiton in Kontiolahti in the 4th of October to the 25th of November (4.10. -25.11.2022) 2022

[greenwitchcrafts]

January 2024 Witch guide

Full Moon: January 25th

New moon: January 11th

Sabbats: None

January Wolf Moon

Known as: Bear Moon, Chaste Moon, Cold Moon, Disting Moon, Goose Moon, Moon of Little Winter,  Moon of Strong Cold, Quiet Moon, Snow Moon, Stay at Home Moon, Sun Has Not Strength to Thaw Moon & When Snow Blows Like Spirits In The Wind Moon

Element: Air

Zodiac: Capricorn & Aquarius

Nature spirits: Brownies & Gnomes

Deities: Freya, Hera, Innana & Saraswati

Animals: Coyote & fox

Birds: Blue Jay & pheasant

Trees: Birch & Hazel

Herbs: Cones, holy thistle &marjoram

Flowers: Crocus & Snowdrop

Scents: Mimosa & musk

Stones: Chrysoprase, garnet, hematite, moonstone, onyx & jet

Colors: Black, blue-violet, grey, silver & white

Energy: Adventurous, ambitious, awareness, beauty, beginning & conceiving; business, career, conserving energy, energy below the surface, organization, political matters, potential, protection, recognition, reputation, reversing spells & spirituality

The name for the January full Moon is believed to have originated from Celtic and Old English roots, which European settlers then brought to the New World.

At one point, gray wolves were among the most widespread land mammals on our planet. According to the Wolf Conversation Center, gray wolves “inhabited most of the available land in the Northern Hemisphere.” Habitat destruction and persecution by humans have reduced their range by about a third worldwide and 90 percent in the lower 48 states.

The wolf’s adaptable nature to survive in a wide range of habitats and ability to prey on the largest mammals living in those regions made it widespread. Basically, if there are enough deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, and musk ox, wolves can survive. Predation of domestic animals caused friction with European settlers and early Americans who aggressively hunted the wolves.

Werewolf myths can be found in ancient Greek and Roman societies, throughout European history and among some Native American tribes. In modern storytelling the transformation from man to wolf has been closely tied to the full Moon in films like “The Wolf Man” and “American Werewolf In London.”

Howl at the Moon means to waste energy pursuing something unattainable. It’s shorthand for doing something crazy. However, howling is hardly a waste of energy among wolf packs. And they aren’t howling at the Moon. The Moon just happens to be shining during times when wolves most often howl.

A wolf’s howl can be heard miles away. The vocalization helps wolves locate separated members and even communicate between packs marking their territories. One study recorded spontaneous howls and responses happen most often between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The cry of wolves doesn’t play into the Sioux name for the January full Moon, which is known as “The Time When Wolves Run Together.” Wolves do plenty of running to defend territory that can stretch hundreds of square miles to find enough prey to support the pack.

Other Celebrations

• Hogmanay | January 1st: is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) and, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday. In a few contexts, the word Hogmanay is used more loosely to describe the entire period consisting of the last few days of the old year and the first few days of the new year. For instance, not all events held under the banner of Edinburgh's Hogmanay take place on 31 December.

The origins of Hogmanay are unclear, but it may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances of the winter solstice. Customs vary throughout Scotland and usually include gift-giving and visiting the homes of friends and neighbours, with particular attention given to the first-foot, the first guest of the new year.

• Compitalia/ Feast of Lades | January 3-5: was an annual festival in honor of the Lares Compitales, household deities of the crossroads, to whom sacrifices were offered at the places where two or more ways met.

Dionysius said that Servius Tullius founded the festival, which he describes as it was celebrated in his time. Dionysius relates that the sacrifices consisted of honey-cakes (Ancient Greek: πέλανοι) presented by the inhabitants of each house; and that the people who assisted as ministering servants at the festival were not free men, but slaves, because the Lares took pleasure in the service of slaves. He further adds that the Compitalia were celebrated a few days after the Saturnalia with great splendor, and that the slaves on this occasion had full liberty to do as they pleased.

During the celebration of the festival, each family placed the statue of the underworld goddess Mania at the door of their house. They also hung up at their doors figures of wool representing men and women, accompanying them with humble requests that the Lares and Mania would be contented with those figures, and spare the people of the house

Sources:

Farmersalmanac.com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

Encyclopedia Britannica

[novlr]

Do any ungulates have any meaning? Like specific types of deer?

Deer and other types of ungulates have often been used as symbols, both cross-culturally and in literature. They’re fascinating creatures with a variety of habitats that exist both in the wild and in domesticated settings, so can be used in several different ways within a narrative depending on the type of meaning you wish to convey.

For this answer, we’ll focus mainly on deer, as covering all ungulates (which includes all animals with hooves ranging from horses to hippopotami) might make this answer far, far too long.

The general symbolism of deer

If we take deer at face value, some of the first imagery that will come to mind are grace, elegance, gentleness, and innocence. They can also be alert and vigilant, with a deep, mysterious connection to the wild. For this reason, many cultures (and writers) ascribe spiritual and mystical associations with them. They can also represent a connection to the supernatural, and the otherworld.

Writers will often use them as messengers or familiars, creating a bridge between the real and the fae. They can also represent growth and rebirth, as they shed their antlers, which grow again.

The cultural significance of deer

The cultural significance of deer and other ungulates have similarities but aren’t always identical. In indigenous native groups across North America, for instance, there are different traditions and stories associated with them. The Lakota believed that deer were guides on life’s journey but could also lead men astray. The Cherokee story of the Little Deer, on the other hand, sees the Deer Spirit enacting vengeance on hunters who don’t show deer the proper respect, and hunt them needlessly.

In Celtic mythology, white stags were often messengers to the underworld, and deer could shapeshift both at will and through enchantment. Arthurian legend also had a white stag as a symbol of the hunt, representing man’s neverending quest for spiritual enlightenment. And in Germanic cultures, the deer represented both the hunt and kingship.

In Hindu mythology, the goddess Saraswati is associated with a red deer and can take its form. As the goddess of learning, red deer and their hides have also taken on this meaning. In Shinto tradition, deer are messengers of the gods, and in Chinese mythology, the Fuzhu is a mythical deer with four horns that appears during periods of flood.

Specific types of deer and their symbolism

If we look at specific types of deer, then there are some general patterns that emerge in their symbolism. 

White-tailed deer are native to North America, Central America, and South America. They are often associated with purity and innocence, a connection to the spirit world, and respect for the natural order.

Red Deer are native to most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, parts of western Asia, and the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa. They are the only living species of deer to live on any part of the African continent. They have associations with royalty and kingship, as well as the hunt. They are often used on coats of arms as a symbol of nobility.

Reindeer (Caribou) have close connections to winter due to our modern Christmas traditions. But they also have great cultural significance in Arctic and subarctic cultures.  They are native to the Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. They are known for their endurance and adaptability, as well as safe journeying and strength in harsh conditions.

Fallow Deer are known as peaceful and gentle. They are widespread in England, Wales, Ireland and southern Scotland but are an introduced species. Some studies suggest they are only native to Turkey. The fallow deer is probably what you picture when someone says the words “doe-eyed.” They are associated with grace and beauty and often appear in post-Norman mediaeval literature.

Moose (Elk) are considered symbols of strength, resilience, and adaptability. They are large, with imposing antlers which is what makes them such an iconic image. They are native to North America, Canda, and Northern Eurasia, but they are also associated (by name only) with the Irish Elk, an extinct giant deer known for the enormous span of its antlers (a disproven urban legend claims that the Irish Elk went extinct because its antlers grew too wide and heavy for its head and neck to support it).

How deer are used in certain genres

In Fantasy, deer are often magical creatures or shapeshifters. They can be spirit guides or familiars, often appearing to characters in dreams. The white stag and the brown doe are two often-used images in these settings.

In Romance novels, deer are often used as symbols of love and courtship. Deer-like descriptions are often used when describing characters, and hunting metaphors are often used to represent the romantic pursuit.

In Horror and Thriller novels, encounters with deer are often uncanny and frightening. They are used as harbingers of the supernatural, appear in dreams as a sign or portent of something to come, and often subvert traditional deer symbolism for dramatic effect.

In Literary Fiction, deer are often used as metaphors for the human experience. They can be used to represent character growth or epiphanies by exploring the relationship between mankind and nature.

How can you use deer symbolism in your own writing?

Deer can be used as the basis for a theme or motif in your work. They also offer tried-and-tested ways of incorporating visual storytelling into your imagery by using well-known associations.

Cultural considerations are good to consider in advance of incorporating symbolism. If you want to borrow from existing cultural traditions, then it’s essential to make sure you research and respect those cultural beliefs. Avoid appropriation, and be sure you strike the right balance between traditional symbolism and personal interpretation. There is nothing wrong with interpretation, but it is important to be respectful when borrowing from another person’s culture.

There are also new and interesting ways you can use your own experiences to develop your own symbolism. You can use deer as a symbol to explore themes of conservation and environmental protection. In Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, she uses deer as a symbol of the return of nature in a post-human world. They can also be used to comment on urban expansion and habitat loss, and with enough research, you can use a scientific understanding of their behaviours to build your own mythology.

[cyren-myadd]

Have you watched Avatar The Last Airbender? If so, I'm curious what kind of bending you think the characters from Avatar (Blue one) would have in this universe!

omg I LOVE thinking about an avatar avatar AU (avatar squared lol) I'm so glad I got this question!

So I know some people like to base the elements off of personality when making an ATLA AU, but I want to go by tribe so-

Sky People/Avatars/Recoms= fire nation

Omaticaya= Air Nomads, except they bond with wind dragons instead of sky bison and they aren't pacifists

Metkayina= Water tribe, but tropical instead of arctic

so Jake was a firebender soldier for the Fire Nation tasked with removing a group of Air Nomads from their ancestral home so the Fire Nation could build a mine. One day, he gets separated from his squad and lost in the forest where he's attacked by a sabertooth moose lion. The moose lion is about to kill him when all of a sudden Jake earthbends and escapes the moose lion. Jake is confused by his newfound ability to earthbend and little does he know he was being watched by an airbending huntress, Neytiri, the entire time. Neytiri brings Jake to the giant tree where her people live and announces she's found the Avatar (cue theme music). The Omaticaya are wary of Jake, but Mo'at checks him out and realizes he is in fact the Avatar and announces it is their duty to teach Jake how to airbend, fire nation soldier or not, and appoints Neytiri as his teacher. Jake goes along with the teaching, because, hey, new element, but he still feels loyal to the Fire Nation.

The story progresses just like A1, with Jake going back and forth on what to do until the Colonel Quaritch, leads a group of firebending soldiers in airships in a devastating attack on the Airbenders. This pushes Jake to turn against the Fire Nation and embrace his role as the Avatar. He's joined by a few nonbender Fire Nation citizens who are sympathetic to the cause, like Grace, Norm, Max, and Trudy. While defecting, Quaritch fatally wounds Grace and the airbenders ask the spirits to save her. Grace falls into a coma, and later they discover she is pregnant. Colonel Quaritch targets a sacred tree which acts as a portal to the spirit world with the intention of doing some Zhao-The-Moon-Slayer nonsense that he believes will help the Fire Nation. Jake, with a mighty red wind dragon, leads the Airbenders in a counterattack and successfully defeats the Fire Nation and Colonel Quaritch gets dragged into the portal by a vengeful nature spirit.

Years pass, and together, Jake and Neytiri raise their family. The oldest, Neteyam, is their pride and joy, an airbending prodigy who became the youngest person to ever earn his airbending tattoos. He is also very skilled with the bow, like his mother. Jake and Neytiri also adopted Kiri, the baby born from Grace (who passed away shortly after she was born) whose father is unknown. Despite Grace being a nonbending Fire Nation woman, Kiri is an airbender. She's not the most talented bender, but she has a very strong connection to the spirit world (like Jinora). Their second son, Lo'ak, is a firebender like Jake, and he secretly wishes he was an airbender like the rest of his family. Because of his upbringing, Lo'ak has a very unique firebending technique that is heavily influenced by airbending: it's very acrobatic and involves using fire jets to let him jump around. Their youngest is Tuk, a bubbly, energetic little airbender. She loves to ride around on air scooters and befriend wild animals. And of course, there's also Spider, a nonbender war orphan of unclear parentage who became best friends with their children. Though Spider isn't a bender, he's heavily influenced by being surrounded by airbenders just like Lo'ak, and he can run and jump around so agilely he almost looks like he's airbending.

As the years pass, Mo'at encourages Jake to continue on his journey to become a fully realized Avatar, especially since she fears the Fire Nation will strike back some day. Jake, who has only mastered fire and air at this point, keeps brushing it off until it's too late.

Quaritch somehow returns from the spirit world, younger, healthier, and angrier than every before. He also now has blue fire! When he miraculously returns to the Fire Nation, he wants his wealth and status back, but General Ardmore tells him he needs to capture the Avatar to restore his honor, so Quaritch gladly assembles a team of elite nonbending soldiers to hunt him down.

Quaritch manages to capture Spider, prompting Jake and his family to flee to the tropical Water Tribe so Jake can finally start learning waterbending. The water tribe are wary of Kiri, who looks very Fire Nation despite being an airbender, and Lo'ak, who looks more like his mother but actually is a firebender, but Jake reminds them that he's Fire Nation himself, and as the Avatar, they have a responsibility to teach him. Tonowari agrees to become Jake's waterbending master and allow his family to stay with him.

Then ensues the teenage bullying and shenanigans, and Lo'ak befriends a Unagi named Payakan. He also falls for Tsireya:

"I'm a Firebender! That's all they see 😡😡😡"

"I see you 🥺🥺🥺"

Meanwhile, Quaritch realizes that Spider is the son of one of his old concubines, making him his heir and the only family he has left, which gives him very conflicting feelings about Ardmore torturing him for information on the Avatar. Almost dying and getting lost in the Spirit World made him realize he doesn't have a legacy to leave behind. Quaritch frees Spider and then Spider challenges Quaritch to an Agni Kai, demanding that if he wins he'll be set free but if he loses he'll cooperate with Quaritch. Quaritch points out that Spider isn't a bender, but Spider grabs the equivalent of a flame thrower from one of his soldiers and yells "I said, Agni Kai, bitch!"

The battle results in half the arena being burnt down, but Quaritch wins in the end and Spider reluctantly agrees to be his translator (the nations speak different languages in this AU and spider knows air language and water language).

and then yadda yadda yadda, Jake masters waterbending, Quaritch somehow figures out where Jake is, grabs his kids, they have a big epic battle on a Fire Nation ship, Neteyam dies, Quaritch nearly drowns but is rescued by Spider, and then everyone goes home the end.

[sapphim]

I cannot overstate the degree to which a bear would be the most unhinged possible thing I, as a normal fereldan citizen, could encounter alongside the grey wardens. I'd be EXPECTING spooky blight bullshit. if I was like "hey that guy over there is giving me the heebie jeebies what's his deal" and the answer was "oh he's a darkspawn. he talks. his name is the messenger. and he's our friend" I would be like "cool! okay! fine! why not!" (← sweating profusely) I would not actually be fine with it, but it would MAKE SENSE.

learning that a senior warden is a disney princess who frolicks in the woods with wild animals and has a pet bear would deeply unsettle me to my core. it would be LESS upsetting if it were a spookyweird blighted bear or if he summoned the spirit of a bear from the fade or some shit than if it were just a perfectly normal-looking bear he trained to eat darkspawn. I know what a bear is! I've seen fucking bears, preferably from as far away as possible! what sort of maniac has a bear!!!

it would be akin to witnessing the inquisitor charging in to battle on a fucking moose. the hand glowing and crackling with all the incredible power of the fade is one thing. I am not prepared to emotionally process that thing. but christ, fuck off with the moose!!!

[darkwood-sleddog]

ngl i am side eyeing iditarod officials a bit for them penalizing dallas seavey for not "properly gutting" the moose the he shot to protect his team. the rule about gutting downed animals does not define what "properly gutted" means. He gutted the moose and i myself would have also eschewed "properly" gutting a dead animal to ensure my dogs were okay (especially relevant knowing Faloo was critically injured, but is now home safe).

i understand the spirit of the gutting rule (saving meat for surrounding communities and in general low/no waste of resources), but it needs to be weighed against providing dog care which imo of this situation should absolutely take precedence.

[life-in-the-garden]

Jar Spell: "Stay Off My Turf!"

This jar spell is a ward that will protect your residence, vehicle, or any other physical location/object. It’s a type of aggressive defense that might entail something nasty happening to any would-be intruder or curse-maker, so you should be okay with any ill-wishing intruder getting their comeuppance for attempting to break the ward, as opposed to just being scared off. This spell is for marking your territory and promising harm to anyone who dares step over the line; this is baneful magic.

This spell can potentially involve bodily fluids (not blood) + animal products, but neither of these elements are required. It definitely involves destruction of the jar (glass is preferred for its tendency to shatter under blunt force trauma; safety measures will be discussed further on).

With all of that in mind, let’s get on with the spell!

You will absolutely need:

1 small-ish vessel with a lid, preferably glass

sealing wax (preferably red) or liquid glue

a tool with which to break the vessel, such as a hammer, large wrench, or other heavy object.

A durable bag in which to encase the vessel prior to breaking

For your medley of potential ingredients to go inside the vessel, you will want things that are aggressive, fiery, and martial. You want ingredients that do the symbolic equivalent of spitting in an intruder’s eye and kicking them while they’re down to ensure they stay down. Things that align with the planet Mars, and/or are affiliated with warrior deities whom you work with, and/or are connected to territorial animal spirits whom you feel connected to… they will also do well in this capacity.

Some ingredient suggestions are:

the spiciest pepper you can find, chopped but not seeded

a large helping of cinnamon

red pepper flakes

very hot chili oil

rusty nails and/or fishhooks

iron filings

a small quantity of urine (human or otherwise)

a braided black and white cord/ribbon to represent a skunk

a drawing of a moose’s rack of antlers

a tooth from a carnivorous animal

a sigil involving the symbol or name of a warrior deity/spirit

Directions:

Once your ingredients are assembled and in the jar, put the lid on seal it with the red wax and/or glue. Carve an X onto the wax/glue on the lid and put the entire vessel into a durable bag. Seal the bag, then say something to the effect of, “Fuck off, you bad vibes bastards!”

Once that is done, smash the jar using your smashing tool. (The bag ensures that glass shards don’t go everywhere and from there present a safety hazard). Your ward is now set. Dispose of the bag and its contents without opening the bag (to avoid contact with glass shards).

[disneytva]

20th Television Animation Showcases First Simpsons-less San Diego Comic Con Schedule

With the WGA currently picketing and a looming SAG-AFTRA strike already impacting San Diego Comic-Con with several Disney divisions skipping the convention (Marvel Studios,Lucasfilm Entertaiment,Disney Television Animation) However, here’s a glimpse at the schedule of the convention.

Some shows have promised cast appearances, but that’s still TBD given that the SAG-AFTRA contract expires on July 12, and actors aren’t permitted to promote their wares during a work stoppage. 

For the first time ever the hit animated prime-time comedy "The Simpsons" will skip the convention as the crew of the show wants to stay soliditary with the WAG strike and SAG strike as the show is under the WAG.

Thursday, July 20

FX’s Archer: 14th & Final Season Exclusive Screening and Q&A: 

Archer returns in advance of its upcoming 14th and final season, premiering August 30 on FXX. Includes screening of the season opener and additional surprises.

Ballroom 20, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, July 21

Solar Opposites

The show packs up the sci-fi and gets normal . . . for a second. Then it’s back to classic Solar chaos, mayhem in the Wall, and some all-new Silvercops adventures. Join the aliens for a hilarious and out-of-this-world first look at the upcoming fourth season on Hulu.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom, 3PM.

The Great North

The Tobins are back at Comic-Con. Join your favorite Lone Moose family for a hilarious look at their outrageous Alaskan adventures on The Great North, ahead of its fourth season on FOX.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom, 4PM.

Bob’s Burgers: 

The Emmy Award–winning animated series returns to Comic-Con with an exciting first look at an upcoming episode before the series returns to FOX this fall.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom 5PM.

Saturday, July 22

 “Futurama” 

You won’t want to miss the world premiere screening of the beloved sci-fi animated series “Futurama” before new episodes debut on Hulu on July 24. After a 10-year hiatus, “Futurama” has sprung triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact.

(Ballroom 20) 11AM

“American Dad!” 

Emmy Award–winning animated comedy “American Dad!” is back in action at Comic-Con for another year! Don’t miss all the fun that the Smith family has in store before all-new episodes return to TBS this fall.

(Ballroom 20) 12PM

“Family Guy” 

Award-winning and fan-favorite series, “Family Guy” returns to Comic-Con for another iconic year. Join in on the Griffin family fun as they celebrate one of the longest-running shows on television, with over 400 episodes and more all-new episodes coming to Fox this fall. (Ballroom 20) 12:45PM

[flowersandbigteeth]

Is Clark a mild germaphobe? Or does he just like bathing reader? It’s actually pretty cute. Understandable hygienic concerns for sleeping next to a wild bear…but his feathered mage superior? (Sorry I forgot her name).

Watch Clark turn into a giant fluffy bear for us since we sleepily muttered that we liked cuddling with “teddy bears,” and he took it literally not knowing we were talking about plushies.

Adding onto the way to cute idea you had of reader sleepily stumbling into a bear’s den. What if more animals (that hibernate or not) just started to pile in cause they naturally liked to be near nymph/nature spirits? Cut to Clark finding reader being swaddled by bears, wolves, squirrels, and even a moose. I’d like to see how Clark would handle that scenario!

Yeah, you could say Clark is a little germaphobic. Moreso because he doesn't like people touching his bb. When he was young he lived with the town doctor and saw people get sick from various illnesses which made him very cautious in his adulthood. He is also petty AF and quick to hand out insults when it comes to anyone getting close to his darling!

I love the idea of her attracting all of the animals. It made me think when spring arrives all of the new mommy animals showing up at his door with their babies to see the nymph and he tries to chase them all away but ends up sitting on the lawn, pouting, with a kitten on his head and some ducklings in his lap while the reader meets all the little babies.

If Clark discovered the reader in a den full of creatures he would be horrified! How could she be cuddling with anyone but him! He would definitely either turn into an animal to carefully extract her or he would blend in, nuzzling his way through the animals until he could wrap his body around hers for protection 🥺 He would be thrilled to be her teddy bear 🐻 😍

[cluelessmoose]

MOOSE.

Soulscape Saccade

Soulscape Saccade (Title May Change)

Warriors Centric- Our lad is pulled from his world and gets tossed after a group of heroes in a shiny new adventure. Which would be made so much easier if he wasn't being thrown into different animal forms with each new world, apropos of nothing that rune trap he only barely escaped from.

OR

Warriors meets the Chain but he takes the shape of the spirit animal of the host Link's world they're in, and they have NO idea this random animal is another hero, and Wars also takes a hot minute to cotton onto what's happening because it's not like any of it was explained before it all started with him almost being caught and... something'ed by a Dark Link

There's also a part of the plot I'm still waffling over including or not and the mechanism by which he's locked into this is a little wishy washy BUT STILL the animals are all but picked

------------------------------

He stepped back, facing the direction of the building magic, but it was moving fast as a fired arrow, a low humming fading into hearing and reality warping around it as the phenomenon slipped up the hill, a strange transparent ripple in the air a few feet above the ground. Link whistled, a sharp three note warning, and Ygrette had barely acknowledged before the rift opened before him, still moving quick as a bird. He had barely a moment to realize it wasn’t trying to let an enemy out but instead trying to capture him within. 

Link rolled out of the way only for the ground to vanish under his shoulder as the magic ate him regardless, a startled cry escaping him. He felt reality twist around him then worm in on itself, a string spun between two fingers until it collapsed and malformed into a self-contained tangle, the familiar butter rum sense of goddess magic and smokey licorice of twili greeting him, almost enough to hide the fast fading tinnitus of malice’s touch on the travel point. Link felt his momentum swerve away from the other end of the rift, as sudden as  blinking and suddenly facing the wrong way, but there was no time for anything more than a flashpoint of trepidation before he was finishing the failed dodge and rolling to his feet in a strange place, sword at the ready as he warily spun around. 

Twili magic was thick here, the same heady sense of burning botanicals that had always lingered around Midna’s shadow companions. The trees were old, towering farther above than he’d known was possible, the forest oddly silent of all but the high off, distant creaking of branches. There was something tickling at his mind, a kind of brightness and warmth he could only wonder at, but trying to follow it was like flexing a muscle of a limb he hadn’t had before. It pooled and split, the sense of it rising pure and joyful as laughter within him. His heart skipped a beat and something sharp seized in his chest-

Link whirled as he snapped out of the wonderment, sword up and blocking- 

Nothing. 

He blinked in surprise before instantly searching for the danger that had to be nearby. His instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong even as the happy, bright thing in his mind steadied and sunk into place, and even if it felt wholly different to the sick coil of wrongness the circumstances and timing were too much to be disregarded solely because it felt friendly and good and precious-

He snapped himself forcibly from the blooming affection, instantly suspicious that it had charming properties woven into its allure, possibly to make it all the more irresistible as an implant or trap, and Link could not allow it. He may not be talented enough to interact with it to cut it out from himself but he threw up walls around it, letting his magic drown it and keep it down, muffled and distant. The happy feeling dispersed instantly, even if he could feel the core of it deep within him still. 

That would have to be good enough. There was no time for anything more because something was breathing at his back and he spun again to find naught but sparse grass and hulking tree trunks. Something could certainly hide behind them but this urgency spoke of danger hovering right over his skin, a blade  at the throat, waiting to bite. Link’s gaze darted around, searching for an enemy that wasn’t there, dread building like an incoming flood. Where were they?

Realization snapped into place like a breaking bone. His eyes shot down, already tensing to move, but it was too late. 

The magic building beneath him gave up on subtlety and locked him into place, a trap neatly sprung. Without missing a beat Link activated his blade- it may not be the Goddess Sword, but it was forged with light magic all the same. He stabbed down, baring his teeth as the runes bled into sight, utterly illegible to his untrained eyes but seeping dark magic all the same. It all but screamed at the sword’s strike, throbbing like a beating heart before spinning up like a striking snake. The runes bloomed into three dimensions, rising and multiplying as they surrounded him in the eye of the whirlwind. The forest around was obscured in a moment, inky darkness spreading like smoke from the runes, edged in searing crimson as it rose higher around him, the imperceptible screaming growing louder as the magic swelled. 

He drew his sword from the ground and slashed the encircling magic, scoring a blazing line of white through it. The gash closed behind the blade though, little more than a short comet’s burst tailing his slash before the billowing darkness consumed it. Link gave frustrated cry, desperation building as the window to get out unscathed closed with every racing pulse of his heart, but even as he dragged himself a single step to try to escape the ensnaring runes around him collapsed inward, coating his skin and eating hungrily at his magic.  

A scream wrenched from his lips, cut off sharply as the magic dove in around the sound. It hissed and reeled back- his scarf flaring about him defensively, the protective light magic woven into it by Zelda herself humming and singing as it fought back the darkness. He gasped, body jerking as he tried to bring the sword up, frantically wondering whether it was better to strike out with his magic or hide it within himself, whether the bright connection from before was friend or foe in all of this. 

Time ran out. 

The rune circle was well-prepared and purposely tailored for this attack; even Zelda’s magic, strong as it was, was only a general protection. Link went down in a wave of bright-edged darkness, his very soul burning as the malicious power washed over him. He crushed down the panic- Link knew he was alive by conscious design, his death averted by restraint, not powerlessness against his desperate attempts to fight back or escape. He was fading fast, the physical struggling already nothing more than a taut twitching of his body as the evil energy wound around him, binding his limbs in snakelike coils. His fingers clawed into the dirt, consciousness waning fast as his magic flickered, fast losing the fight against the trap’s runes. 

Runes had power when used correctly; anchored as they were magic could be cultivated within them with the right materials and symbols and patience. They were as versatile in function as the runesmith was creative and clever, but traded off flexibility for precision; any small change on LInk’s part could have rendered this circle, intricate as it was, useless. Any companion would have been able to smudge it and let him free, the scarf and its powerful enchantments alone enough to jar it and allow him to last even this long. His screams tapered off, caught in a rictus of pain too complete to allow for even that. 

Something slipped in his mind, the last of Link’s defenses falling apart in shreds under the Malice slicing into him. He was barely aware of the way the cordoned off intruders in his mind and magic were free now, -and in the darkness around him there was something familiar, and he latched onto it unconsciously, the enchantments in the scarf giving one last desperate pulse in answer to his desperation. He slipped into the familiar cool shadow feel, drew it from that shared point to soak into his being, let it alter him as it wished, helpless-

The runecircle’s steadfast grip on him faltered, then slid off his newly tainted aura, but Link barely had time to be relieved before his muscles wrenched themselves from his bones, mind blanking out as agony blazed across his body, an invisible force breaking and remolding him. He had no breath to scream with, his body disconnected from the wild urge to flail and writhe. He lasted barely a handful of moments before his consciousness broke away and shut him off from it all, flickering back to aching limbs and a disjointed sense of himself, thoughts sluggish from the memory of pain, even the startled recall of struggling and inevitable capture barely breaking through. 

He laid there, breathing and afraid of the alien feeling of his body, his magic shadowed heavily in twili magic. There was no sign of the rune circle now, likely falling from activation when it ceased perceiving him as its target. He needed to get away from it so he could slough off whatever magic was drenching him, had to hide and be ready for when the caster finally made it here to see what went wrong. Link tried to get up and failed as his arms and legs bent in all the wrong places, his torso’s flexibility wholly different than a hylian’s. The sound that echoed from his alien form was high and throaty in panic, and he flailed, helpless now in a whole new way than before, sharply aware of the danger looming if he was caught here, unable to move. 

Another warming pool of interdimensional magic heated below him, and Link only held back the scream for fear of alerting the enemy of his position yet in the dormant trap. He tried to roll free, the half-hearted attempt to clamber to his feet meeting with the horrified realization that he was no longer bipedal, but this doorway was no more escapable than the last had been, and with a defiant cry Link fell through the earth and space between worlds, taken once more.

[irithnova]

Sakha and Evenkia's relationship

In this post I’m going to be talking about Sakha and Evenkia's mentor-student relationship. In my master post about Sakha I talked about how we can see how the Sakha people assimilated certain peoples into their own through observing certain traditions of theirs, the most prominent being their shamanic traditions which were greatly influenced by the Evenks and Evens.

The Evenks have had a profound influence on Sakha culture in particular though, which is why I headcanon Sakha and Evenkia to have a mentor-student relationship, or more like, they used to have a mentor student relationship. The Sakha’s people genesis began when they migrated from the area of Lake Baikal/Southern Siberia up Northwards, most likely because of pressure from the expanding Mongol Empire.

When Sakha first migrated, he came into contact with a number of different people, such as the Yukaghir, Even, and Evenks, who he considers all his mentors to an extent, however Evenkia was the most prominent one and had the most impact on his culture.

Sakha was young, bright eyed, eager and somewhat annoying, especially to his older neighbours who were pressured to move upwards because of him. Evenkia was also kind of irked by him, but was much more willing to guide him than the others were. Close contact and intermarriage between the Sakha and Evenk people

Let’s first compare both Sakha and Evenkia folk epics about the universe and see how similar they are, and then talk about Evenks influence on the Sakha language.

Sakha Folk Epic Olonkho:

- Sakha epic poetry envisions the universe with three levels: Earth (middle), Heaven (upper), and Hell (lower).

- The universe is symbolised as a giant tree, Aal Luuk Mas, housing these levels.

- Lower level: Devil (abaahy), Middle level: ajyy people, Upper level: deities and some evil spirits.

- Earth and Heaven are interconnected, with Heaven representing spirituality and Earth as a material entity.

- Animism features gods (ajyy), demons (abaahy), spirits (itchi), ancestors, and animals (üör) across the three levels.

- Different regions in the upper world are designated for creators, good spirits, ancestors, and evil spirits ruled by Uluu Toyon.

- Heavenly bodies influence life on Earth; the Sun is associated with Yurung Aar Toyon, the god who rules destinies.

- Olonkho describes Heaven with 7 (sometimes 8 or 9) layers and 4 parts (East, West, North, South).

- Yurung Aar Toyon (upper God, the white master, white creator) is the Master of 9 heavens, Tsar of 8 heavens, and prince of 7 heavens.

- Heaven writers record each person’s destiny, and shamans, transforming into clouds, encounter different cloud types.

- Cloud characteristics (all clouds have their own characteristics): ‘aahar bylyt’ (passing), ‘kuotar bylyt’ (escaping), ‘jetineh bylyttar’ (thunderstorm clouds).

Now let’s compare to Evenki tradition about the universe:

- Evenk epic envisions the universe, which they call Buga, with three levels: upper (Ugu Buga), middle (Dulin Buga), and lower (Hergu Buga).

- Ugu Buga (heaven) has parts like Juri Jultjen Turinyn (place of the rising sun), Jenin Nadar Bomchar (mother of the seven canyons), and Nadan Buldjar (land of seven seas)

- Earth, referred to as Sivir, is described as the “mane of our Earth,” the middle green world.

- Ugu Buga, the upper world, is portrayed as a place of eternal summer and well-being. God Seveki resides there, creating the middle world.

- Warriors from the middle world journey to the upper world to seek brides – daughters of the sun Dylacha Khunadin, moon, and stars Bega Khunadin.

- Buga represents the upper entity governing nature, taiga life, and human-animal spirits, with Buga Musin (mistress of the universe) depicted as a moose cow, reindeer, or an old woman in charge of spirits.

- Humans are associated with heavenly entities like Dylacha (sun), Gevan (dawn), Nyangnya (heaven), and sky. Humans are living things that are a subject to these entities.

- Tribes like ai, aji, agbea, aji ajmak, ai tegel have names reflecting qualities of help, rescue, goodness, and beauty.

- Their purpose is to create good in the middle and upper worlds, opposing the Avakhi tribe from the lower world, engaged in constant conflict without intermarriage.

As we can see, they both share the same HEAVEN – MAN – EARTH triad. However there are some differences along with the similarities. In the epic worldview of both the Sakha and Evenk, the structure of the heavens is remarkably alike. However, the Sakha cultural narrative doesn’t distinctly portray heaven and earth as realms of good and evil. The Sakha envision heaven as not only inhabited by gods but also by evil spirits and ancestors, while for the Evenk, heaven resembles a paradise. According to Evenk epics, devils and enemies are only confined to the lower world, whereas Sakha epics depict evil spirits across all three worlds.

The sky god, recognised as the Creator of the Middle World, is referred to as “Yurung Aar Toyon” in Sakha and “Seveki” in Evenk. The Sakha term the middle world as “ajyy land” and its inhabitants as “ajyy ajmaga,” whereas the Evenk collectively call the residents of all three levels as “aji.”

The Sakha and Evenk people also share the concept of the Serge as being the model of the universe:

- A Serge is like a pillar used to tie horses in Sakha culture.

- In Sakha, it's important for shaman traditions and used in rituals during celebrations, weddings, and the summer holiday Yhyakh.

- In Evenk culture, Serge is a special object representing the world's structure. It has three parts: the upper dome for the upper world, the disc-shaped part for the middle world, and the rounded part for the lower world.

- A sacred reindeer tied to the pillar serves as a connection between humans and God, specifically the Master of the upper world, named Seveki.

So Sakha and Evenkia do have a number of similarities when it comes to their religious practices from their time living together. The Sakha people adapted aspects of Evenk belief into their own.

When Sakha first arrived, as I said before, Evenkia was initially irked by him, as the migrations pressured his own people to move further Northwards. However this did not last long. Evenkia certainly took a liking to Sakha. In Evenk culture, many of the children’s activities mimicked adult duties, and so it was almost natural that Evenkia would want to teach a (younger) Sakha and take him under his wing, especially considering how keen Sakha was to learn because of the fact that he only just recently moved there and needed to help around. Evenkia was a huge relief for him.

A lot of the words Sakha borrowed from Evenkia was a result of him trying to adapt to new living conditions:

- In phonetics, some changes occurred in Sakha due to Evenk influence, like certain sounds not occurring at the beginning of words (g, h and p) and changes in intonation.

- Morphologically, Sakha borrowed affixes like -chaan and -ndja, -ndaa from Evenki.

- Vocabulary-wise, Sakha borrowed words related to landscape, flora, fauna, clothing, reindeer breeding, and dwelling from Evenk.

- Polish scholar S. Kaluzhinsky found around 400 Tungusic words in Sakha and listed more words related to various aspects of life.

- Evenk words were likely borrowed during the Sakha adaptation to new living conditions, with a focus on clothes, bird names, geographical features, animals, plants, and reindeer breeding terminology.

So in this sense Evenkia truly was Sakha’s teacher/mentor, and was one of the reasons why Sakha was able to adapt to and make sense of the new living conditions he found himself in. They got comfortable with each other pretty quickly, and Evenkia tried to instill in him certain values that he thought were important – such as not gossiping or rumour spreading. In Evenk culture, gossiping/rumour spreading is greatly frowned upon, and most likely had something to do with not screwing up the accuracy of the location of an animal during a hunt. I’ll refer back to this later, but all in all, Sakha learned a lot from Evenkia, and Evenkia was more than pleased to teach him.

They certainly got comfortable with each other quite quickly, and Sakha definitely found Evenkia’s more bawdy jokes in particular to be quite funny, but was careful not to make them back (in Evenk culture, bawdy jokes are acceptable but elders are allowed to make them in front of younger people and men in front of women, but not the other way around)

Now onto Sakha and Evenkias relationship with Dolgan. I talked about Sakha’s relationship with Dolgan and how he’s like a father to her in a previous post:

“Quick sidenote on the Dolgan: I see Sakha as being quite close with Dolgan. Dolgan culture incorporates aspects from different groups, including reindeer herding from the Evenki, herd dogs from the Nentsy, and women's fur coats from the Sakha.

In fact, the Dolgan people originated from a few Evenk clans that later adopted a dialect of the Turkic-speaking Sakha (Yakut).

So Sakha does try to look out for Dolgan and imagining him like. Dressing her up/giving her clothes and jewellery is so cutee. He's a lot more involved with her than Evenkia is, much to his annoyance.”

I also see Dolgan taking after Sakha personality wise, as I see Sakha as someone who is quite hard headed/outspoken (I jokingly called him the Saul Goodman of Siberia) and I see Dolgan being that way too, as the Dolgan people wield a lot of influence in Siberia despite their small numbers,

“The 2002 Russian census recorded 7,261 Dolgans in the whole Russian Federation. The Dolgan people today are one of the most politically powerful groups in their territory, and many senior officials of the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug are Dolgans.”

“The Dolgans and other indigenous peoples in the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug have created an Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug through which they are demanding the rights to control their own destinies. The Association has declared that indigenous peoples in Taimyr have priority rights to the land and its subsurface resources and hopes to be able to use revenues from mineral exploitation and economic development to fund programs addressing the many social and economic problems facing indigenous peoples today.”

So Dolgan really is like Sakha’s protégé/junior (and yes he’s very proud of her).

This is more of a crack headcanon of mine but seeing as the Dolgan originated from Evenk clans that took on a dialect of the Sakha language, I see Dolgan as almost being their child. Though I believe that Sakha had a much greater hand in her upbringing considering they, again, took on a dialect of the Sakha language, took on Sakha attire and personality wise, she’s also very much like Sakha. However she physically looks more similar to Evenkia. Due to the fact that Sakha had a greater role in her upbringing he uhh holds some resentment towards Evenkia for dumping her on him for not having a bigger part in it, he was his mentor after all. Evenkia dismisses his complaints as silly rumours (“didn’t I teach you the importance of not gossiping?), which only annoys Sakha further.

It’s okay though, Sakha is now bigger and stronger than his previous mentor and can make him pay him back in his own way ;)

But in all seriousness, Sakha does credit Evenkia with helping him adapt and survive when he first moved and won’t ever deny that, though he sometimes finds Evenkia irksome to deal with these days. Yukaghir defends Evenkia because she’s also an oldie and so she uses his age to defend him most of the time.

[mislamicpearl]

Okay hear me out, this idea just came to me:

RGB siblings x Brother Bear AU

No 'cause like I don't think people really appreciate how great the drama is in Brother Bear?? Like if you just remove the bits entirely that are just dumb kid's jokes with the moose and Koda and other animals and all that, there's like a whole fertile ground for angsty AU possibilities!

I mean, youngest brother messes up and gets oldest brother killed, then kills the "monster" that did it in revenge, only for the spirit of the oldest brother to transform him into the same kind of monster to teach him a lesson... and then the middle brother arrives to find the youngest brother "dead" and a monster in his place, and naturally assumes that monster killed his one remaining family member as well, and then spends the rest of the movie hunting his own younger brother down without realizing it's him?? Seriously, how has no one ever talked about how good this set-up is???

So if we plug in the RGB sibs in this situation:

Kai is the oldest brother who's killed and becomes a ghost, transforming Lloyd into a dragon to teach him a lesson about them not being monsters, and Nya is the middle sibling who finds Dragon!Lloyd and assumes he's been killed, and in anger and grief chases him down not knowing who he is. Or, if we're going by personalities, I guess Nya could be the one who's killed (and become Ocean Nya as a guide) and Kai the one to go on an obsessive angry quest for revenge. Oh and Riyu can play the role of Koda I guess.

Kai: It doesn't matter what the Masters say. You'll always be our ~baby brother~! Lloyd: Oh yeah? Well wait till I get my Element! Kai: Baby brother! Nya, smacking them both: Hey, knock it off!

Lloyd: I just want to get my handprint on that wall.(And they do do the handprint on the wall thing at the end of season 10!) Nya: Just be patient, Lloyd. When you live by your Elemental Power, you will.

Kai: I know what you're feeling... But killing that dragon is wrong. Lloyd: Wrong? Our sister is dead, and it's because of that monster! Kai: I don't blame the dragon, Lloyd.

Lloyd: Why is he chasing me...? Ryu: Because that's what they do! Lloyd: But it's not like him...

Kai: I'm sorry Lloyd. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I need help... *Nya appears in a nearby river and beckons him downstream* Kai: Nya...?

Ay? Ayyyyy??