#otgw The Ritual

[annaberunoyume]

Lovely.

Art by Malin Mellryd

[enviedear]

enviedear's FEAST OF THE DEAD 🪦ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི⋆₊ ♱

⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ 𝔦 𝔠𝔞𝔫'𝔱 𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔰𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔬𝔨𝔶 𝔰𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔬𝔫—𝔰𝔬 𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔰 𝔦 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔴𝔢𝔡 𝔲𝔭 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔥 𝔬𝔣 𝔬𝔠𝔱𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔯, 𝔦 𝔥𝔬𝔭𝔢 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔪 𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔢𝔶𝔢! 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔣𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔡𝔬, 𝔩𝔢𝔱'𝔰 𝔰𝔢𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱'𝔰 𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔲…

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

SLEEPY HOLLOW!AU | your small town is overrun with strange happenings. murders and deceit run rampant, so much so, that you're wary of trusting a single soul. superstitions have become as sacred as the holy book, delusions making up most of the townsfolk's minds. particularly that of the feared headless horseman. so when constable jason todd comes into town, impassioned to find an end to the madness, you vow to aid his mission. october 10.24

GHOST!JASON | on hallows eve, jason todd undergoes his worst nightmare. death, or rather, the thin line between living and death. he's cursed to reanimate, walk the earth again—only as a malformed spirit, a mere shadow of life. a cruel fate, that he’s dead set on making enjoyable. for him, at least. october 17.24

ELDRITCH!JASON (otgw inspired) — there’s a known beast within the woods—the fearsome death of hope. he’s known to run amok every full moon, hunting for victims. searching for the last of their hope to steal away. how unfortunate for you to get lost in his woods tonight. october 24.24

CORPSE BRIDE!AU | on the eve of your wedding, while practicing your wedding vows in the woods—a ritual meant for a life you never wanted—you accidentally awaken a long-forgotten spirit—dick grayson. a ghost of a groom who left his bride at the altar, forever cursed to yearn for what he gave up. but he'll claim a bride, no matter how much time has passed—and what a beautiful accident that you left a wedding band on his grave. he'll take it as proposal enough. october 31.24

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

a/n — some dates may get moved around, because, life. but i have all these fics rough drafted/complete. just a little fyi! feel free to lmk if you like any of these ideas (or have anymore)

[shardofsun]

I call the yearly OtGW rewatch on Halloween ‘the ritual’ and I highly recommend doing this because it leads to me gathering snacks and setting up my computer while quietly chanting “the ritual! the ritual! the ritual!”

[johnfkennedaddy]

The ritual of rewatching otgw is kind of a lovely sacred practice (morally neutral) for like the folk spirituality of (north American) Halloween

[wooserr]

Happy Halloween! Have you done our annual ritual?

Watching OTGW again!

It’s the season again! 🎃🍂

[cetrece]

SORRY FOR THE ABSENCE!!!

Sadly, I'm gonna be pretty absence from now on ; - ;

I just begin my last year of highschool (COLLEGE I'M STARING AT YOU) and these firsts weeks are not so hard, but is going to be really hard. Like, seriously hard. I know it.

So from now, I'll try to upload some traditional + few-touches-on-digital sketches, like these:

1) Guess who cut her hair too short again but ended liking it except when it pastes to her potato head? Yup, me.

2) Greg showing big bro his neat new powers. Big bro is not so excited tho. Ritual AU related, no actual canon reaction of Wirt.

🌓 OTGW - The Ritual AU 🌓

⏩ READ THE PROLOGUE OF THE RITUAL HERE! ⏪

[imnotevenhere9]

If you're still doing Matchups, could I please get one for Lotr and The Hobbit please? Thanks so much!

🌱 She/They Nonbinary // Bisexual // Autistic and Chronically Ill with a bonus Anxiety Disorder // 18 years old at the moment

🌱 I know a lot of Home Remedies and Superstitions for like no reason. For instance, did you know that Raspberry Tea helps with Menstrual Pain, or that knocking on wood invokes the protection of the tree spirit and that’s why it’s said to give you luck? I don’t know why I know that, but I do.

🌱 Winning a fight is on my bucket list, but it has to be for a good reason. I’m not one to just pick fights for the sake of fighting, and I’m actually pretty conflict-averse, so I need to actually have a solid reason for throwing hands. But I’ve always wanted to do it for some reason.

🌱 I often get the inexplicable urge to bake something, so my loved ones just kinda end up with surprise brownies and zucchini bread at random. This habit has only worsened over Quarantine, of course.

🌱 I really like studying Witchcraft for some reason. The first spell I ever performed was a Healing Spell to help my friend who was sick with Crohn's Disease. Thirty minutes after performing the ritual, I got a text saying he felt a lot better and he was released from the hospital a couple days later, so I guess it must’ve worked. 😁

🌱 My love language is definitely gift giving. I’m pretty cheap, but I’m also an artist, so when push comes to shove I’ll just make something for someone when I like them. I pay very close attention to what people like because it gives me more ideas on how to interact with them. I’m essentially a large, flightless Crow. You were nice, so you get something shiny. But though I like giving gifts to others, I’m not very materialistic at all. I prefer to be practical when it comes to things, and I get very nervous when spending money.

🌱 I LOVE going outside and getting messy. Playing in the mud, getting soaked in the rain, I’m the type to go outside and come back home covered in dirt and twigs. It’s just really fun to me.

🌱My Dad’s a really good cook and I seem to have inherited that gene. He actually has me make dinner whenever we’re having eggs because I always cook them better than he does.

🌱 I’ve always wanted to be a really good gardener. My dream house is just covered in flowers and plants and such. I want to live in a Greenhouse, basically.

🌱 I have a habit of giggling to myself just by remembering something funny that happened, even if it was a couple years ago. I also laugh when I do something stupid, because I find my flaws and shortcomings funny for the most part. I love to laugh with people, but never at them.

🌱 You know the sort of “Girl Next Door” trope? That’s my type. Like the guy in the dorm just down the hall, or the girl in my neighborhood who I casually flirt with. I’m a sucker for cute little interactions like that, so it’s not too much of a surprise that I always fall for people like that. I never forget people I meet on the road, and often find myself hoping to meet up with them again someday.

🌱 I know way too much about Spirits and Fae. My favorite book is called ‘The Encyclopedia of Spirits’ and it shows you how to contact and interact with a ton of different deities and spirits, and I’m addicted to reading it. It’s the best.

🌱 I’m basically like a tiny, less-impressive Aragorn. I love travelling on foot, getting messy outside, I was kind of a Horse Girl as a kid ngl, I’ve always wanted to be a knight or king of some sort, chances are that I haven’t bathed in awhile, and I too would pine for a hot elf girl for literal years on end.

🌱 I always have to have some sort of weight on me to feel comfortable, because of my Autism. That usually takes the form of a large backpack stuffed with books and snacks, or a big jacket. However, my muscles are always pretty stiff and achy, so that does kinda backfire too.

🌱My closest friends say I give off “Dwobbit” vibes. That’s a ½ Dwarf and ½ Hobbit btw. I’m around 4’ 10” tall, I don’t shave, I love crafting and art, I live in the Mountains, I’m tomboyish but I also love gardening and can be a bit of a homebody, I love going barefoot, etc.

🌱 I really love History, Folklore, Mythology and Fairy Tales. My favorite is the Irish myth of Oisín in Tir Na Nog. Look it up if you don’t know it, it’s a fantastic story. But I also appreciate myths from all sorts of different cultures, like the myth of Annapurna in India or the tale of Princess Kaguya in Japan. Did you know that in Mesopotamian Mythology, Nonbinary People were said to be given the gift of prophecy and magic by the goddess Ishtar? And that a recurring figure in Slavic Folklore is the Snake King, who’s just a big ol’ snake with a doofy looking crown? I love it.

🌱 I’m an Aquarius, INFP and 4w5 if that means anything. For reference, characters who are also 4w5 INFPs include Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice), Wirt (Otgw), Frankenstein’s Monster, Luna Lovegood (HP), Napstablook (Undertale), The Phantom of the Opera, and Celeste from Animal Crossing. That kinda tells you a lot about me, doesn’t it?

🌱 I’ve been growing my hair out, so it’s getting pretty long too. It’s always messy, and I both use a lot of conditioner and it naturally curls when wet, so I basically end up having a very fluffy mane with a lot of stray hairs and weird curls. Also, fun fact, I never learned how to braid because I’ve only really made friends with boys and I have very poor hand-eye coordination when it comes to such things. And my hair is so thin and fluffy that it’s impossible to tame anyways, so the best I can do is put it in a ponytail, since I’m basically incapable of doing anything fancier than that. When worst comes to worse, I have plenty of hats though.

🌱 I have really pale skin that’s always covered in moles, freckles (especially on my arms) and lots of scabs. It’s also getting warmer out, so chances are that I have a farmer’s tan. I have blue eyes and glasses.

🌱 I have a habit of seeing shadows move out of the corners of my eyes, frequently mistaking them for people or animals, but when I turn to look there’s nothing there. I’ve gotten my eyesight checked multiple times, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary, so it’s either a lack of sleep, or the Fae are getting antsy with me. Probably the former of course, but part of me would like to believe the

Oof, sorry that description was so long! I really hope you don't mind. Thanks so much in advance!!

A/n: I made it really wholesome (at least in my eyes), so I hope you like it! ^_^

Masterlist • Prompts • S/o match ups • Taglist

S/o from The Hobbit: Kili! 

will take your hands and kiss all the moles and freckles when you two are alone

listens to you talking about Fairy Tales while hugging you from behind and plays with your hair

likes to fall asleep with you on his chest, so he can plent small kisses on your head

loves everything you bake, it doesn’t matter if he heard of it or not, he always gets so excited to try what you baked

gives the best massages. He will prepare a bubble bath, help you stretch, whatever makes your achy muscles hurt less

small peaks behind your shoulder when you're

S/o from LOTR: Arwen!

adores your hair. Like literally. She loves to braid them, brush them, run her fingers through them, basically everything you can think of

please share everything you know and learnes about Home Remedies and Superstitions. She loves listening to you talk, it doesn't matter if she already knows all of it, she just wants to listen to you talk about it

your random giggles? In her eyes the cutest thing ever. Just hearing you giggling brightens her day so much

will probably go outside and get messy with you, because she loves to see you happy

gets shy when you give her gifts, she loves them all so much tho

will get you different books about Witchcraft, so you can learn and practice more!

[limetameta]

2022 writing goals

I am taking this with a grain of salt, due to the simple fact that I can get a wip out of thin air these days

Bolded are the ones i really gotta focus on, whether or not i want to because it's just embarrassing to have them be wips.

Finish: RETIRED PROMETHEUS (i mean cmon it's only one chapter left surely it can't be that hard, crying)

Finish: Black Honour (I'll give this one a wide berth of 20 estimated chapters, if it's less it'll be better for me since all of these chapters are like 10-25k a pop; though I have PLANS unfortunately that may make it long) (*superstitious ritual to make sure it doesn't become longer than retired prometheus*)

Finish: Dark Lord's Child (estimation: 25 - hopefully less than this, i do want to have a life outside of fanfic)

Finish: OTGW Hunter-Witch fic. (1 chapter left, a super fucked up chapter but only one's left)

Finish: Fashion yes yes - prequel to retired prometheus that is about hermione's life up until she leaves for the mentorship programme (i need to get to that mimosa scene i've been dreaming about it for months - sirius black hosts a mimosa party at his and remus' house to celebrate the vanquishing of lord voldemort because word from the grapevine says that the dark lord's most hated drink used to be a mimosa -- i really want to write high albus dumbledore)

Write a little bit: Welcome to Slytherin (i harbour no notions that I'll finish this fic. all the inspiration i had towards it has diminished and i feel sad)

Write: Vengeful Woolwich (title up to change) - the Billy Stubbs/Tom Riddle story. I really want to lean into the fact that when Tom can't use magic he has to get super creative - couple that with the crew of traumatized orphans he's got at his disposal and Woolwich is going to become its own very warzone. Also because of a new common enemy (the new orphans who have taken over wool's in Tom's abscence at Hogwarts) all the orphans that are scared of Tom Riddle have to include him in their side. I have this goldmine of a conversation ready:

They're drunk children. Because of course they are. There's no supervision when Mrs Cole's drinking fine whisky.

''So you aren't satanic?''

''No, I'm not.''

''I think you're just lying now. Billy, does it feel like he's lying for attention?''

''Yeah! Tommie's lying for attention.''

''Oi, piss off Benson. And no, I'm not lying.''

''Then do some magic, then.''

''Can't. There's this Statute of Secrecy.''

''It's all right, Riddle, we're paying attention to you now so you can stop lying.''

''I'm not fucking lying!''

''He always made up lies as a kid. I can talk to snakes, hiss hiss.''

Tom Riddle glared with all of the murderous intent he wanted to unleash but legally couldn't. ''I can talk to snakes.''

They laughed at him. ''Sureee you can.''

Tom Riddle nursed his pint and hissed under his breath: ''Just until September 1st. Just until September 1st.''

[midearthwritings]

Could I please get an Lotr and The Hobbit Matchup, of you're still doing them? Thanks so much!

🌱 18 year old Woman // Bisexual // Autistic and Disabled with a bonus Anxiety Disorder

🌱 I have a litany of Chronic Illnesses including Autism, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Dyscalculia (Dyslexia for Math), Scoliosis, Sleep Apnea, Asthma, a Growth Hormone Deficiency, Insomnia, and a very bad Overbite. I also have a condition where my right leg is physically longer than my left, which causes pain in my hip and right leg, as well as trouble walking. My usual symptoms include Fatigue, Back Pain, Executive Dysfunction (struggle to get tasks done), Difficulty breathing and talking, Very short stature, and difficulties with my balance. I also stim by pacing around in circles and talking to myself.

🌱 I have a serious fear of heights, partially because of my balance issues. It's so bad that I can't even use stairs without holding onto the railing.

🌱 I know a lot of Home Remedies and Superstitions for like no reason. For instance, did you know that Raspberry Tea helps with Menstrual Pain, or that knocking on wood invokes the protection of the tree spirit and that’s why it’s said to give you luck? I don’t know why I know that, but I do.

🌱 Winning a fight is on my bucket list, but it has to be for a good reason. I’m not one to just pick fights for the sake of fighting, and I’m actually pretty conflict-averse due to trauma, so I need to actually have a solid reason for throwing hands. But I’ve always wanted to do it for some reason.

🌱 I really like studying Witchcraft for some reason. The first spell I ever performed was a Healing Spell to help my friend who was sick with Crohn's Disease. Thirty minutes after performing the ritual, I got a text saying he felt a lot better and he was released from the hospital a couple days later, so I guess it must’ve worked. 😁

🌱 My love language is definitely gift giving. I’m pretty cheap, but I’m also an artist, so when push comes to shove I’ll just make something for someone when I like them. I pay very close attention to what people like because it gives me more ideas on how to interact with them. I’m essentially a large, flightless Crow. You were nice, so you get something shiny. But though I like giving gifts to others, I’m not very materialistic at all. I prefer to be practical when it comes to things, and I get very nervous when spending money on myself.

🌱 I’m an avid writer and am actually planning on publishing a book this summer!

🌱 I LOVE going outside and getting messy. Playing in the mud, getting soaked in the rain, I’m the type to go outside and come back home covered in dirt and twigs. It’s just really fun to me.

🌱 I've been told that I'm a very good cook, and I can bake pretty well too.

🌱 I’ve always wanted to be a really good gardener. My dream house is just covered in flowers and plants and such. I want to live in a Greenhouse, basically.

🌱 I have a habit of giggling to myself just by remembering something funny that happened, even if it was a couple years ago. I also laugh when I do something stupid, because I find my flaws and shortcomings funny for the most part. I love to laugh with people, but never at them.

🌱 I know way too much about Spirits and Fae. My favorite book is called ‘The Encyclopedia of Spirits’ and it shows you how to contact and interact with a ton of different deities and spirits, and I’m addicted to reading it. It’s the best.

🌱 I’m basically like a tiny, less-impressive Aragorn. I love travelling on foot, getting messy outside, I was kind of a Horse Girl as a kid ngl, I’ve always wanted to be a knight or king of some sort, chances are that I haven’t bathed in awhile, and I too would pine for a hot elf girl for literal years on end.

🌱 My closest friends say I give off “Dwobbit” vibes. That’s a ½ Dwarf and ½ Hobbit btw. I’m around 4’ 10” tall, I don’t shave, I love crafting and art, I live in the Mountains, I’m tomboyish but I also love gardening and can be a bit of a homebody, I love going barefoot, etc.

🌱 I really love History, Folklore, Mythology and Fairy Tales. My favorite is the Irish myth of Oisín in Tir Na Nog. Look it up if you don’t know it, it’s a fantastic story. But I also appreciate myths from all sorts of different cultures, like the myth of Annapurna in India or the tale of Princess Kaguya in Japan.

🌱 I’m an Aquarius, INFP and 4w5 if that means anything. For reference, characters who are also 4w5 INFPs include Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice), Wirt (Otgw), Frankenstein’s Monster, Luna Lovegood (HP), Napstablook (Undertale), Erik The Phantom of the Opera, and Celeste from Animal Crossing. That kinda tells you a lot about me, doesn’t it?

🌱 I am naturally very shy and take awhile to open up to people. I also get flustered very easily and tend to avoid social interaction a lot. I’m a huge introvert, but I also really do love meeting interesting people, so I try to talk to them when I have the energy to.

🌱 I have very long Disheveled brown hair, that actually used to be blonde when I was little, so there’s a few lighter patches in there. It's essentially a fluffy mane at this point, but because of my poor hand-eye coordination I never learned how to braid it. I have really pale skin, with lots of moles, freckles and scabs. It’s also warmer out, so I almost certainly have a farmer’s tan. I have very light blue eyes and glasses.

🌱 I have a habit of seeing shadows move out of the corners of my eyes, frequently mistaking them for people or animals, but when I turn to look there’s nothing there. I’ve gotten my eyesight checked multiple times, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary, so it’s either a lack of sleep, or the Fae are getting antsy with me. Probably the former of course, but part of me would like to believe the latter too.

Sorry the description is so long, I can't wait to see my results! Thanks so much, wishing you the best!!

Hey darling! First, wow that was really long! Sorry for taking so long to make it, as I mentioned before, I'm a fucking procrastinator.

Aragorn

For LOTR, I'm pairing you up with Aragorn.

Aragorn had probably loved you for a really really long time.

But he's extremely patient and careful with you, so it took him a while to confess his love.

When he did, it was kind of overwhelming for you, and you were really doubting the whole thing. But again, he was really patient with you.

Aragorn doesn't cover you in gifts to show his love. He shows it by remembering all those little things that make you you.

The two of you can spend hours telling stories and tales to the other. It's your favorite thing to do together.

He loves that you write and always ask to read your work. Although, he never pushes you and respects you when you refuse.

He knows about every single one of your illnesses and makes sure that you always have what you need.

Bilbo Baggins

For the Hobbit, I picked Bilbo.

Bilbo loves you deeply and truly. He thinks all the things that are annoying to others are what make you the most unique being he has ever met.

He thinks listening to you tell tales is more fascinating than reading.

Most of all, he loves when you read to him the stories that you have created.

Sometimes, your illnesses are a bit complicated for him to understand, but he does his best and listens to your needs.

His favorite thing to do with you is cooking. Sometimes, you will even compete over who is the best cook. Although he admitted more than once that you were.

When you are out gardening, he sits outside with you and watches you. He thinks it's beautiful how hard you work to make his garden look so gorgeous.

He is often insecure about losing you. He is scared that he won't be able to provide you with what you need, or won't be able to show you how much he loves you.

As for you, you fear that one day he might grow tired of you.

But the communication in your relationship is great and your insecurities are even washed away by promises of eternal love.

Again, sorry for the wait! I hope you liked it!

[zooophagous]

It's my little fall ritual to watch otgw too!!! My SO hates it, but they'll sit down and watch it with me once a year on a weekend in October because they know it makes me happy. :3

It's too good to pass up!

[disc0-hospital]

I'm so jealous.

Y'all gonna have real Halloween.

There will never be a real Halloween for me.

Fuck, they even tried to ban any Halloween-related parties and shit in some cities, and priests always losing their shit how it SATAN WORSHIPPING AMERICAN EVIL PAGAN RITUAL NOT FOR SAINT AND MORALLY SUPERIOR RUSSIANS UWAAAH.

(me and friends sometimes gather together in the end of october to watch otgw and stuff, bc there is also my birthday in october but. It's not the same. There will be NEVER decorated streets, big sales and stuff)

[graphicpolicy]

Over the Garden Wall Special with author of The Art of Over the Garden Wall on Demand

Over the Garden Wall Special with author of The Art of Over the Garden Wall on Demand #OTGW

On demand: iTunes ¦ Sound Cloud ¦ Stitcher ¦ BlogTalkRadio ¦ Official Fall ritual: rewatching the award winning animated special Over the Garden Wall. And now you can do it with the experts. Dark Horse has released a book: The Art of Over The Garden Wall. The book is a complete tour through the development and production of the animated masterpiece, containing hundreds of pieces of concept art…

[blupking-blog]

just some pitchers i wanna end up remembering/expand on.

 A cult revolving around the belief of magics and the cosmos having seemingly innocent beliefs start to gather people who have rumored or been accused of using magic/being witches, in order accomplish their goal of spreading there “innocent” belief and completing an action described in their inscriptions. Kiyoko being taken into this cult,  as she is accused of being a whitch in hiding, and Naze (the son of a general who bought kiyoko as a playmate for Naze) getting mixed into it as well. Once the ritual is taking place each “witch” involved is “passed across the barrier to branch together this world and the one waiting beyond.”  We follow Kiyoko and Naze as they try to escape the world of the beyond before the rest of the needed witches are brought, running into other’s who are also looking for a way out and figuring out how they are deemed “witches” (background wise) and for what grander reason the religion was made/believed in.

We follow the life of a schizophrenic woman who is diagnosed, her family is aware of her condition. In a more ‘silent short film’ kind of style we see her change emotionally and mentally, the affect of it has on her family and her un-wanting to take treatment. Starting off with reality being reality, we switch into what she sees from time to time, only small changes as first that are hard to tell, these changes/differences becoming clearer as the show goes on and will shows a line between reality and her thoughts. As it progresses past that point or clarity, the line between reality and her thoughts dwindles away and is almost non-existant and we are left wondering in which reality we’re in, understanding hew point of view and what she feels.

A more kid friendly and geared thought, a young girl (around 8-10) meets a rather strange child (looking about 5 years old), her iris being unnaturally dark and large, always seen with a yellow raincoat and yellow rain cap and dark rain boots.  It’s a sort of OTGW feel with mystery and unknowing, but a layer of childish mischief. They meet for brief periods always ending with the child disappearing. It is later found out that the child comes from a different dimension, supporting the alternate dimension theory,  she tends to cross these dimensions unwilling and is rather lost. The 8-10 your old being tied to the girl in some way but we don’t know in what way until later on. Eventually our main character ends up crossing the dimensional line with the child to find out her role in the alternate dimension which is greatly different in more ways than one.

 Taking place in a more medieval/viking time in norse, a prince and princess are homeschooled and go on small adventures re-inacting the stories and fables of heros and grand vikings. The princess much more of a tomboy and the prince far more feminine, are made fun of by the other children and rumors are spread by parents about the kids being “devils” and “shameful”, with analogies of the the parents thinking they are even queer. The kids prove this wrong and even use their preferences to their use and show they are more than their ‘labels’ and ‘gossip’ along with other morals through out their adventures and social problems. Eventually gaining allies and changing views. 

[kurara-black-blog]

Some OTGW Theories

So, I was watching "Over The Garden Wall" once again, and I started thinking... I'll put some questions here, then some possible answers. I'm not sure if any of this make sense, I just needed to get it out my mind.

1. What (or who) is the Beast? 2. Why his soul is not with him? 3. Why the Woodsman doesn't want the Beast near the lantern? 4. Why  the Woodsman thought he wouldn't never see his daughter again? 5. Why the Beast don't take the lantern by force? 6. Why the lantern was with Woodsman in the first place? 7. Why people turn into trees? 8. Why it needs to be an oil made with a specific kind of tree? 9. Why the Beast never kills someone directly?

And there's some answers.

1. I don't know. The only thing I know is: He's a male and has a body made out of faces...?

2. It makes no sense for anyone (hero, villain or whatever) to put their soul, the very culmination of their being, into something so fragile as an oil lantern. It's like me putting my soul in a candle, if the flame dies, I die. So, he didn't do that. So what did it? Or who did it? Some possible scenarios:

He wasn't the Beast before. Probally as a human, he did a ritual or a deal to gain power and immortality. It turned him into a shadow. Having your soul in something so fragile as the light was the price.

He was created by someone, and that someone made this to be sure the Beast had some weakness.

The Beast has an enemy, or, at least, someone who didn't like him. So it was a curse (or something like that) put upon him, making his soul fragile as the light, his opposite.

He was a creature of light, but was corrupted by darkness. His lantern didn't need oil before, but after he let the darkness consume him, it started dying. That also could explain why the preference for trees who were people. The emotions.

3. I mean, yes, he believes his daughter is in the lantern, but... If you notice the obsession the Beast has... Pretty sure he wouldn't let the flame die. Which means the Woodsman could just let the Beast take care of it, or at least come near. Besides, I don't think the Beast would just randomly appear to the Woodsman and say "Here, keep it lit, I have your daughter". I don't think he would let a human even go near it, let alone give it to one. So, the Woodsman had the lantern before the Beast "took her soul". He knew about the lantern, probally because of the tavern and the song (the woman did say "We all know the Beast"). He probally didn't want the Beast to have it back (maybe was even thinking about blowing out the flame), so the Beast made up all the "Her soul is in the lantern" shit so the Woodsman would have a reason to keep the lantern lit.

4. Maybe his daughter was simply lost (maybe even in Wirt and Greg's world) and the Beast took advantage of that. Maybe the Beast kidnapped her (Which I think it's impossible, because he never laid one hand in Greg or Wirt or even Beatrice. He waited until Wirt gave up to act). Something happened to make her "vanish", and make the Woodsman think she was dead. I bet she was having her own adventures.

5. Yes, there's a scene where they fight, but even then, I don't see the Beast ripping it of the Woodsman's hands. He's more powerfull than most characters, then why he let's the Woodsman stay with it? He's always trying to make the Woodsman give it to him by "free" will, or trying to steal it while the man is not looking. And don't say to me "He can't touch it because it's light" because that's bullshit! A creature like him must be, at least, fifty years old, they made songs about him, for God's sake! Which means the Woodsman didn't always carry the lantern. And the lady in the tavern let it clear there was a time the Beast himself carried the lantern: "He who carries the dark lantern must be the Beast". So maybe he can't take the lantern by force. Remember the song? "For once your will begins to spoil". "Will" is the answer! For some reason, the Beast can't go against people's will! WHY?!

6. As I said, maybe his daughter liked aventures, and found the lantern. She brought it back home, the Woodsman recognized it and tried to dispose of it. His daughter lost herself in some place (again, maybe in Greg and Wirt's world), the Beast took advantage of it and tried to make the Woodsman give him the lantern. Maybe the people believed the Beast powers was in the lantern, so the Woodsman refused. The Beast then said "Let's make a deal. I'll put your daughter soul in the lantern, and as long the flame burns, she'll live inside the lantern". Again, there's no way the Beast would give his soul to someone, a normal human no less.

7. I also don't know, but it has something to do with free will, so I'm guessing it's because trees have no will? They don't walk, they don't talk, they only move if someone moves them, pretty much like someone with a "spoiled will". And lost people easily lose hope!

8. Maybe the emotions? The feeling of despair we feel when we lost all hope? The Beast can't go against will, soooo... a soul with no free will, a perfect tree. The victims souls are still there, but have no hope, no will.

9. He waits until they turn into trees (I think they aren't really dead), then until the Woodsman make some oils. He could just dispose of the Woodsman and continue his life(?).

Those theories may not make sense, but, hey, I’m not an expert! I could be (and probally am) wrong. But whatever, just want some answers.

[cetrece]

Drawing my forgotten kids, I’m feeling really inspired about them lately. Also JOHN IS IN L - O - V - E what a dork

John & William | Adelaide, Ágatha & Annabelle | Elise

🌓 OTGW - The Ritual AU 🌓

⏩ READ THE PROLOGUE OF THE RITUAL HERE! ⏪

[cetrece]

Anna took a deep breath through her mouth, her own blood stoppering the air in her nose. 

"I'll say it one more time: leave this forest and let the souls rest this instant"

The Beast gaze was a mix between furious and completely delighted.

“You're lucky that my hand will grow back...”

She was being lucky, indeed. He was more bruised than her.

“...but meanwhile, I'm forced to take one from you” 

                                                         * * *

Anybody who believes Anna wouldn't fight the Beast like this please unfollow me now >:U just kidding I love y'all <3 Wanted to draw a fight scene between these two hehe  the initial title for this was  me vs. finals, I’LL  END THEM NEXT WEEK FINALLY this is not canon in The Ritual AU but damn it would be so epic I love the possibilities around these two, how they would meet? How would they interact? So many fields to explore aah

Also not feeling like drawing a mouth for the Beast, idk why :O

ENJOY!