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leebird-simmer · 3 years ago

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Russian Fairy Tales Test Prep: Pagan Deities

The best known roster of pagan deities is that of the six whose statues Prince Vladimir erected upon assuming sole rule of Kiev. According to the Primary Chronicle for the year 980, he “placed idols on a hill, outside the palace yard, a wooden Perun with a silver head and a golden mustache, and Khors and Dazhbog and Stribog and Simargl and Mokosh.” Missing from this list is Volos/Veles, the god of cattle (skotnii bog) and commerce, whose veneration in ancient Rus’ is widely attested, and by whose name (along with that of Perun) ancient Russians ratified oaths.

A. Perun/Bog

1. equivalent to: Lithuanian Perkunas, Latvian Perkons, Albanian Perendi, Roman Jupiter, Greek Zeus, Hittite Teshub, Norse Thor/Donar, Celtic Taranis. 2. primary sources: Nestor’s Chronicle, mid-6th century Procopius, 10th-century Varangian treaties 3. primary story: a creation myth, in which he battles Veles, the Slavic god of the underworld, for the protection of his wife (Mokosh, goddess of summer) and the freedom of atmospheric water, as well as for the control of the universe. 4. dvoeverie: After Christianization in the 11th century CE, Perun's cult became associated with St. Elias (Elijah), also known as the Holy Prophet Ilie (or Ilija Muromets or Ilja Gromovik), who is said to have ridden madly with a chariot of fire across the sky, and punished his enemies with lightning bolts.

In Slavic mythology: Perun was the supreme god of the pre-Christian Slavic pantheon, although there is evidence that he supplanted Svarog (the god of the sun) as the leader at some point in history. Perun was a pagan warrior of heaven and patron protector of warriors. As the liberator of atmospheric water (through his creation tale battle with the dragon Veles), he was worshipped as a god of agriculture, and bulls and a few humans were sacrificed to him. In 988, the leader of the Kievan Rus' Vladimir I pulled down Perun's statue near Kyiv (Ukraine) and it was cast into the waters of the Dneiper River. As recently as 1950, people would cast gold coins in the Dneiper to honor Perun.

Appearance & Reputation: Perun is portrayed as a vigorous, red-bearded man with an imposing stature, with silver hair and a golden mustache. He carries a hammer, a war ax, and/or a bow with which he shoots bolts of lightning. He is associated with oxen and represented by a sacred tree—a mighty oak. He is sometimes illustrated as riding through the sky in a chariot drawn by a goat. In illustrations of his primary myth, he is sometimes pictured as an eagle sitting in the top branches of the tree, with his enemy and battle rival Veles the dragon curled around its roots.

Perun is associated with Thursday—the Slavic word for Thursday "Perendan" means "Perun's Day"—and his festival date was June 21.

Reports: The earliest reference to Perun is in the works of the Byzantine scholar Procopius (500–565 CE), who noted that the Slavs worshipped the "Maker of Lightning" as the lord over everything and the god to whom cattle and other victims were sacrificed.

Perun appears in several surviving Varangian (Rus) treaties beginning in 907 CE. In 945, a treaty between the Rus' leader Prince Igor (consort of Princess Olga) and the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII included a reference to Igor's men (the unbaptized ones) laying down their weapons, shields, and gold ornaments and taking an oath at a statue of Perun—the baptized ones worshipped at the nearby church of St. Elias. The Chronicle of Novgorod (compiled 1016–1471) reports that when the Perun shrine in that city was attacked, there was a serious uprising of the people, all suggesting that the myth had some long-term substance.

B. Kors/Xors/Chors

- most frequently mentioned Slavic god, after Perun - dvoeverie: appears in the apocryphal work Sermon and Apocalypse of the Holy Apostles, which mentions Perun and Khors as old men; Khors is said to live in Cyprus. Khors also appears in the apocryphal text Conversation of the Three Saints, a text which combines Slavic + Christian + Bogomil traditions. In it, he is referred to as “an angel of thunder” and it is said that he is Jewish. - his functions are uncertain and there are multiple interpretations of his name.

1. Sun God hypothesis: associated with Dazhbog; in The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, Prince Vseslav, who “came to Tmutarakani before the cocks" and "Khors ran his way", traveled from west to east and thus reached the castle before the cocks crowed, and in this way "overtook" the Sun; his name means “rays.”

2. Moon God hypothesis: Prince Vseslav was called “wolf” and his journey takes place at night when the sun is absent from the sky; his name does mean “rays” but they’re the moon’s rays and not the sun’s rays.

3. Fertility God/Vegetation hypothesis: link between Thracian & early Slavic cultures indicates Kors is more of a Dionysus-type figure, who dies and is risen; like Dionysus, Dazhbog (who Kors is often linked to) has a double nature (Eastern Slavs assign him solar qualities, while Southern Slavs assign him chthonic qualities).

C. Dazhbog

1. equivalent to: Khors (Russian/Iranian), Mithra (Persian), Helios (Greek), Lucifer (Christian) 2. primary sources: John Malalas, The Song of Igor’s Campaign 3. family: Son of Svarog, brother of fire god Svarozhich, husband of Mesyats (the moon), father of the Zoryi and Zvezdy 4. primary myth: He resided in the east, in a land of everlasting summer and plenty, in a palace made of gold. The morning and evening auroras, known collectively as Zorya, were his daughters. In the morning, Zorya opened the palace gates to allow Dazbog to leave the palace and begin his daily journey across the sky; in the evening, Zorya closed the gates after the sun returned in the evening. 5. dvoeverie: There was a belief that each winter he would enter people's homes and gift gold to those who had been good. That belief passed into Christianity, especially in Serbia, and this visitor was called Položajnik. During Christianisation, his cult was exchanged with the cult of Saint Sava, while Dažbog became lame Daba - the most powerful demon in Hell. Reasons why he was demonized are various, possibly because his cult was the strongest in Serbia or because he was considered also as the god of Nav, the Slavic underworld and world of the dead.

In Slavic mythology: Dazbog was the Slavic sun god, a role that is common to many Indo-European people, and there is ample evidence that there was a sun cult in the pre-Christian tribes of central Europe. His name means "day god" or "giving god," to different scholars—"Bog" is generally accepted to mean "god," but Daz means either "day" or "giving."

His totem animal was a wolf, therefore wolves were sacred animals and killing them was considered a great sin. Wolves were considered to be messengers of Dazhbog, while he himself could shift into a white wolf.

According to one myth, Svarog became tired of reigning over the universe and passed on his power to his sons, Dazhbog and Svarogich.

Appearance & Reputation: Dazbog is said to ride across the sky in a golden chariot drawn by fire-breathing horses who are white, gold, silver, or diamonds. In some tales, the horses are beautiful and white with golden wings, and sunlight comes from the solar fire shield Dazbog always carries with him. At night, Dazbog wanders the sky from east to west, crossing the great ocean with a boat pulled by geese, wild ducks, and swans.

In some tales, Dazbog starts out in the morning as a young, strong man but by the evening he is a red-faced, bloated elderly gentleman; he is reborn every morning. He represents fertility, male power, and in "The Song of Igor's Campaign" he is mentioned as the grandfather of the Slavs.

4. Stribog

Very little is known about him, although he was clearly very important to early Slavic peoples. In the epic ”Slovo o polku Igorove “ it is said that the winds, the grandsons of Stribog, blow from the sea. This leads to conclusion that Stribog is imagined as an old person, since he has grandsons. The grandsons were the winds from all directions.

Eagle was the animal consecrated to Stribog. Plants consecrated to Stribog were hawthorn and oak. When pledges were made, Stribog was often warrantor. Festivities in Stribog’s honor were organized in the summer as well as in the winter. They were probably organized in the summer in order to invocate winds and rain, while in the winter they were organized in order to appease him. In the period of Christianization Stribog’s characteristics were overtaken by St. Bartholomew and Stevan vetroviti (windy).

5. Simargl/Semargl

- may be equivalent to Simurgh in Persian mythology, who is portrayed similarly (winged lion and/or dog). He can also take human form. - God of physical fire (as opposed to celestial fire; that’s Svarog) - He is said to be the husband of Kupalnica (or Kupalnitsa), goddess of night, from whom he got two children: Kupalo and Kostroma.

Zorya, solar goddesses who are servants or daughters of the deity Dazhbog, keep Simargl chained to the star Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor. Should he break free and destroy this constellation, it will cause the world to end.

Why would he be worshipped in Rus’, you ask? A couple of possible answers: a. Eastern Slavs borrowed Simargl from Sarmatian-Alanian people and worshiped him. b. Eastern Slavs never worshiped Simargl. Just at that time, a significant number of Kiev residents were of Khazar and Sarmatian-Alanian origin. Vladimir included their deity in the pantheon to get their support.

6. Volos/Veles (also Vlas, Weles Vlasii, St. Blaise, or Blasius)

1. equivalent to: Velinas (Baltic), Varuna (Vedic), Hermes (Greek), Odin (Norse) 2. primary sources: The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, old Russian chronicles 3. primary myth: a creation myth, in which Veles abducts Mokosh (the Goddess of Summer and consort of Perun, God of Thunder). Perun and his enemy battle for the universe under a huge oak, Perun's holy tree, similar to both Greek and Norse (Yggdrasil) mythologies. The battle is won by Perun, and afterward, the waters of the world are set free and flowing. 4. dvoeverie: Velia remains a feast of the dead in old Lithuanian, celebrating the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead, with Veles operating as a role of guiding souls to the underworld. The battle between Perun (Ilija Muromets or St. Elias) and Veles (Selevkiy) is found in many different forms, but in later stories, instead of gods, they are complementary figures separated from one another by a furrow plowed by Christ, who converts them. Veles is also likely represented by St. Vlasii, depicted in Russian iconography as surrounded by sheep, cows, and goats.

In Slavic mythology: A second creation myth associated with Veles is the formation of the boundary between the underworld and the human world, a result of a treaty forged between Veles and a shepherd/magician.

In the treaty, the unnamed shepherd pledges to sacrifice his best cow to Veles and keep many prohibitions. Then he divides the human world from the wild underworld led by Veles, which is either a furrow plowed by Veles himself or a groove across the road carved by the shepherd with a knife which the evil powers cannot cross.

Veles is associated with a wide variety of powers and protectors: he is associated with poetry and wisdom, the lord of the waters (oceans, seas, ships, and whirlpools). He is both the hunter and protector of cattle and the lord of the underworld, a reflection of the Indo-European concept of the netherworld as a pasture. He is also related to an ancient Slavic cult of the deceased soul; the ancient Lithuanian term "welis" means "dead" and "welci" means "dead souls."

Appearance & Reputation: Veles is generally portrayed as a bald human man, sometimes with bull horns on his head. In the epic creation battle between Velos and Perun, however, Veles is a serpent or dragon lying in a nest of black wool or on a black fleece beneath the World Tree; some scholars have suggested he was a shape-shifter. In addition to domestic horses, cows, goats, and sheep, Veles is associated with wolves, reptiles, and black birds (ravens and crows).

Reports: The earliest reference to Veles is in the Rus-Byzantine Treaty of 971, in which the signers must swear by Veles' name. Violators of the treaty are warned of a menacing punishment: they will be killed by their own weapons and become "yellow as gold," which some scholars have interpreted as "cursed with a disease." If so, that would imply a connection to the Vedic god Varuna, also a cattle god who could send diseases to punish miscreants.

7. Mokosh

1. loosely comparable to: Gaia, Hera (Greek), Juno (Roman), Astarte (Semitic) 2. epithets: Goddess Who Spins Wool, Mother Moist Earth, Flax Woman 3. primary sources: Nestor Chronicle (a.k.a. Primary Chronicle), Christian-recorded Slavic tales 4. dvoeverie: With the coming of Christianity into the Slavic countries in the 11th century CE, Mokosh was converted to a saint, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa (or possibly the Virgin Mary), who is sometimes defined as the personification of the day of Christ's crucifixion, and others a Christian martyr. Described as tall and thin with loose hair, St. Paraskeva Pyanitsa is known as "l'nianisa" (flax woman), connecting her to spinning. She is the patroness of merchants and traders and marriage, and she defends her followers from a range of diseases.

In Slavic mythology: The origins of Mokosh as mother earth may date to pre-Indo-European times (Cuceteni or Tripolye culture, 6th–5th millennia BCE) when a near-global woman-centered religion is thought to have been in place. Some scholars suggest she may be a version of Finno-Ugric sun goddess Jumala.

Mokosh, sometimes transliterated as Mokoš and meaning "Friday," is Moist Mother Earth and thus the most important (or sometimes only) goddess in the religion. As a creator, she is said to have been discovered sleeping in a cave by a flowering spring by the spring god Jarilo, with whom she created the fruits of the earth. She is also the protector of spinning, tending sheep, and wool, patron of merchants and fishermen, who protects cattle from plague and people from drought, disease, drowning, and unclean spirits.

Although the Great Goddess has a variety of consorts, both human and animal, in her role as a primary Slavic goddess, Mokosh is the moist earth goddess and is set against (and married to) Perun as the dry sky god. Some Slavic peasants felt it was wrong to spit on the earth or beat it. During the Spring, practitioners considered the earth pregnant: before March 25 ("Lady Day"), they would neither construct a building or a fence, drive a stake into the ground or sow seed. When peasant women gathered herbs they first lay prone and prayed to Mother Earth to bless any medicinal herbs.

Appearance & Reputation: Surviving images of Mokosh are rare—although there were stone monuments to her beginning at least as long ago as the 7th century. A wooden cult figure in a wooded area in the Czech Republic is said to be a figure of her. Historical references say she had a large head and long arms, a reference to her connection with spiders and spinning. Symbols associated with her include spindles and cloth, the rhombus (a nearly global reference to women's genitals for at least 20,000 years), and the Sacred Tree or Pillar.There are many goddesses in the various Indo-European pantheons who reference spiders and spinning. Historian Mary Kilbourne Matossian has pointed out that the Latin word for tissue "textere" means "to weave," and in several derivative languages such as Old French, "tissue" means "something woven." The act of spinning, suggests Matossian, is to create body tissue. The umbilical cord is the thread of life, transmitting moisture from the mother to the infant, twisted and coiled like the thread around a spindle. The final cloth of life is represented by the shroud or "winding sheet," wrapped around a corpse in a spiral, as thread loops around a spindle.

Our brief survey of agrarian holidays indicates that the peasant’s central concern is fertility and that special rites in the cemetery and/or rites involving a symbolic death & resurrection are a major component in these celebrations.

Belief in the absolute sanctity of “Mother Damp Earth” (Mat’syra zemlia) has been central to folk belief throughout the centuries. In remote areas, old people observed a ritual of asking the earth’s forgiveness prior to death into the 20th century. A number of scholars have maintained that peasants transferred attributes of earth worship to their particular veneration of Mary as “Mother of God.”

Fedotov: “At every step in studying Russian popular religion, one meets the constant longing for a great divine female power, be it embodied in the image of Mary or someone else. Is it too daring to hypothesize, on the basis of this religious propensity, the scattered elements of the cult of a Great Goddess who once...reigned upon the immense Russian plains?”

#Russian fairy tales #study blog #my notes #Slavic deities #slavic mythology #Russian paganism #russian folk belief

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germanicseidr · 4 years ago

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Proto-Indo European Deities

One of the most likely theories, considering the origins of most of the Germanic spiritual practices and Gods, is that they have originated from the bronze age people who came into contact with the Proto-Indo Europeans. These Proto-Indo Europeans spread their language, traditions, way of life and spirituality all across Europe (with a few exceptions). In this post I want to name several reconstructed Proto-Indo European deities and their etymological descendants throughout Europe, and the middle east and India.

Dyeus: At first I want to begin with Dyeus. This is the reconstructed name of the chief God of the Proto-Indo European pantheon. The name means 'brightness of the day' and is reconstructed with the help of Grimm's law and by carefully researching related languages such as Sanskrit, Ancient Greek, old Armenian and old Anatolian. All of the Indo-European languages, modern and old, seem to have a common root word for God.

The meaning of the name plus the fact that the root is still visible in every Indo-European language, suggests that this deity was incredibly important, most likely the most important of all deities. Dyeus is the sky father, associated with brightness and the skies and perhaps creator of mankind according to the Proto-Indo Europeans. There are however no written sources nor physical evidence describing Dyeus so his exact role will forever be a mystery.

If we look at the Proto-Indo-European root 'Dyeu', we can discover many deities with a very similar name and role. These deities are likely etymological descendants of Dyeus, here is a list:

Proto-Indo European: Dyeus Hellenic: Zeus Hittite: Sius Thracian: Zi or Diu Vedic: Dyaus Pittr Indo-Iranian: Dyaus Anatolian: Diu Roman: Jupiter Slavic: Diva Baltic: Deiwas Germanic: Tiwaz and Wodanaz Gaulish: Deuos Gaelic: Dagda

Perkwunos: This is the reconstructed name of the thunder/weather god of the Proto-Indo European pantheon. The meaning of the reconstructed name means either: 'the striker' or 'lord of the oaks'. Two roots are possible for this theory, the root 'Per', which means 'to strike' and perkus 'the oak'. It is also possible that both roots are actually united since it is possible that people associated high trees, like oaks, with lightning strikes.

We do not know how Perkwunos looks like but if we compare his etymological descendants with each other, it seems that Perkwunos might be wielding a weapon like a hammer or a club. He's not only the god of thunder but appears to be controlling all of the weather. Perhaps the Proto-Indo Europeans prayed to him when they wanted rain for their crops or when they wanted a natural disaster to stop. Here is a list of his etymological descendants:

Proto-Indo European: Perkwunos Slavic: Perun Baltic: Perkunas Vedic: Parjanya/Indra Greek: Heracles and/or Keraunos (the name of Zeus' bolt) Gaulish: Taranis Gaelic: Tuireann Germanic: Donar/Thor Thracian: Perkos Scythian: Pirkunas Nuristani (Afghanistan): Pärun Illyrian: Perendi

Neptonos: This is the reconstructed name of the God of the seas/waters. The name literally means 'Grandson of the waters' and it has been reconstructed by observing all of the sea deities of the Indo-European cultures. Since we have no image or written sources about this deity, we do not know how he would have looked like, perhaps he was holding a staff like most other sea deities. We also do not know his exact role in the Proto-Indo European pantheon but he is apparently master of all the waters of the earth. Here is a list of his etymological descendants:

Proto-Indo European: Neptonos Hellenic: Neptune Roman: Poseidon Gaulish: Nodens Gaelic: Manannán Germanic: Nehalennia/Njördr/Nerthus Vedic: Varuna Illyrian: Bindus Baltic: Bangputys

Suhul: This is the reconstructed name of the deity related to the sun. There is less evidence for this deity but it seems that the Proto-Indo European root for sun 'Suhul' is connected to quite some sun deities. Here is a list of etymological descendants of Suhul:

Proto-Indo European: Suhul Gaulish: Sulis Hellenic: Helios Roman: Sol Germanic: Sól Slavic: Dazhbog Baltic: Saule Vedic: Surya

Mehnot: This is the reconstructed name for the deity related to the moon. It is a common Indo-European tradition to have two deities related to the sun and to the moon so it is possible that they have a common root with a Proto-Indo European Moon God. Here is a list of etymological descendants of Mehnont:

Proto-Indo European: Mehnot Gaelic: Elatha Hellenic: Selene Roman: Luna Germanic: Máni Slavic: Hors Baltic: Menulis Vedic: Soma

The divine twins: Sadly it is impossible to reconstruct the name of these divine twins but it is a well accepted theory that these are either two brothers or brother/sister of the Sky God Dyeus. Almost every Indo-European religion has a divine twin riding either a horse or another animal. The role of this twin is unclear since divine twins from related cultures seem to have seperate roles. Here is a list of etymological descendants of the divine twins:

Proto-indo European: divine twins/name unknown Vedic: The Asvins Baltic: the sons of Dievas Hellenic: Castor and Pollux/Dios-Kouroi Germanic: Frey and Freya/Hengist and Horsa Polish: Lel and Polel Indo-Iranian: Nakula and Sahadeva Etruscan: Tinas Clenar/sons of Jupiter Gaulish: Divanno and Dinomogetimarus Welsh: Bran and Manawydan

Dheghom: This is the reconstructed name of the earth-Goddess. Mother earth seems to have been known since paleolithic times although we can of course not provice any proof for this theory. She's most likely the wife of the Sky God Dyeus as this is usually the case in Indo European religions. She represents growth, fertility and death. The meaning of her name is still being debated but it might mean 'the broad one'. Here is a list of her etymological descendants:

Proto-Indo European: Dhegom Gaelic: Danú Hellenic: Hera or Gaia Slavic: Maty Syra Zemlya Baltic: Zemyna Roman: Juno Thracian: Zemela Germanic: Nerthus/Jörd Vedic: Prithvi

God of the Underworld: Sadly it is also not possible to reconstruct the name for the God of the underworld but since virtually every Indo European religion has a God/Goddess of the underworld, it is very likely that the Proto-Indo Europeans also had a deity to guard the underworld. Here is a list of etymologically related Gods of the underworld:

Proto-Indo European: unknown Vedic: Yama Hellenic: Hades Roman: Dis Pater Slavic: Veles Baltic: Velinas Germanic: Hel/Holle Gaelic: Aed

Pehuson: This is the reconstructed name of a deity representing nature itself. We do not know how he looked like or what his attributes were, we do know that many Indo-European deities have similar Gods representing nature. Here is a list of etymological descendants of Pehuson:

Proto-Indo European: Pehuson Gaelic: Cernunnos Gaulish: Cernunnos Germanic: Ullr/Frey Hellenic: Pan Roman: Faun Vedic: Pushan

Hausos: This is the reconstructed name for the deity of dawn or spring. She represents the rebirth of nature and warmth thus her attributes are quite similar to the solar deities. Yet again most Indo-European religions appear to have a deity of dawn/spring. Her name means 'to shine'. Here is a list of her etymological descendants:

Proto-Indo European: Hausos Gaelic: Brighid Gaulish: Brigantia Germanic: Eostre Hellenic: Eos Roman: Aurora Slavic: Zorya Baltic: Ausrine Vedic: Ushas

Here are other beings that are present in virtually every Indo European religion and thus have likely a common root in the Proto-Indo European religion:

Beings of fate: There is a very big possibility that the Proto-Indo Europeans believed in three Goddesses or beings who were able to spun or weave the fate of all living beings in the universe. They often appear as either three young maidens or three women representing the three stages of life or the three stages of time (past, present, future). Here is a list of possible etymologically related beings of fate:

Proto-Indo European: name unknown Hellenic: the Morai Germanic: the Norns Hittite: the Gulses Roman: the Parcae Baltic: Deives Valdytojos Slavic: Rozanicy Albanian: the Fatit Gaulish: The three Morrigna

The giant serpent: Almost every Indo-European religion has an epic story of a hero battling a gigantic snake/dragon/serpent. This hero is often the thunder God or another deity related to weather. Because this theme is so incredibly common, it is a very likely theory that the Proto-Indo Europeans also believed in a giant serpent/dragon and a thundergod (Perkwunos) who fought it. Here is a list of etymologically related serpents:

Proto Indo-European: Unknown Hittite: Illuyanka (slain by Tarhunt) Vedic: Vritra (slain by Indra) Hellenic: Typhon (slain by Zeus)/ Hydra (slain by Heracles) Germanic: Jörmungandr (fought by Donar/Thor) Persian: Zahhak (slain by Fereydun) Slavic: Veles (slain by Perun) The Christian/Jewish story of the Genesis: Tehom Sumerian: Tiamat Armenian: Vishap (slain by Vahagn) Gaelic: Meichi (healed by Dian Cecht)

I am so sorry for this incredibly long post but I hope you have some more insight into the Proto-Indo European pantheon and realise that all European deities (with a few exceptions) all represent the same attributes/roles/beings. The stories of the Germanic Gods are not unique but a shared story with other European and even Indian native religions.

Here are images of: Dyeus and his etymological descendants by Starkey Comics, Perkwunos and his etymological descendants by Starkey Comics, A modern interpretation of Perkwunos by Wegsetios Tekkerdes, An image depicting several Serpent/hero battles. An image representing the divine twins (Castor and Pollux),

#Germanic #European #Pagan #Deities #Proto-Indo European

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eclipsblog · 3 years ago

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'Vepra Perendis.

Dhe mu turr si era,

Mju vershu krejt

luginave ttrupit tan.

Mterheq mterheq,

Ti shum oj zan,

e mes krahve tmi

rrezuar nat pasjon tvy

je tu thirr a klith.

Era stuhi po formon.

Peshperijn ndo fjal gjethet.

Era i ledhaton,

peshperim ndo fjal dhe ne.

Ndashni tmytur ,

tmytur fort .

E ashtu tperlyer me epshin e kenaqsis dergjesh ti mbi mua ne kte veper tperendis.

Throwing back to this writing of me just gives me the same energy and feelings i have felt the day i was writing it.

#shqip #shkrime shqip #poezi shqip #shkrime

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blairsanne · 3 years ago

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In the Cards (3&4)

Big Wolf on Campus fanfic. Merton x OC. [Tommy also gets some pairings.]

Kalida and Merton spend some time alone, and Merton learns that she only likes happy-ending movies. Then the trio hang out together and study like good kids, eat chicken in the hearse, and try not to drown at the Factory. Typical night in Pleasantville.

Also on FF & AO3.

Chapter 3: Alone & Chapter 4: Circumpolar

After the incident on Friday night, Merton didn't hear from Tommy or Kalida the rest of the weekend. He spent the two days catching up on homework and trying not to worry about whether or not Tommy was going to come clean to Kali. Monday morning, he was surprised to see both of them at their lockers.

"Hey!" Tommy grinned lopsidedly. "Morning Merton. Hey, did you finish that lab report for Bio?" Merton tore his eyes from Kali. "What? Biology? Uh, yeah." "Did you get the question about myocardium?" "Of course." Merton raised a brow. "Need me to run you through it at lunch?" Tommy clapped his hands together. "Yes, thank you." He threw his bag over his shoulder. "I gotta go catch Brett before class." He ruffled Merton's hair on his way past.

Merton tried to fix his spikes covertly as he rummaged in his locker. "Um, Merton?" Kali moved to stand next to him. He tried to act casual as he turned toward her, the smell of her shampoo giving him butterflies. "Mm?" "I, um, made you this."

She held out a small black pillow with a symbol stitched onto the front in green embroidery floss. "It's a protection charm." "Oh." Merton took the small thing from her carefully, examining it. "You made this? Really?" He didn't know what to say. He'd never had anyone make something for him. "It's got good herbs and crystals inside, for protection." She fidgeted, looking down. "To, um, keep you safe. When you're doing… that stuff."

It was all Merton could do to not call her adorable, holding his hand over his heart. "Thanks. I'll keep it with me." She nodded and looked up at him hesitantly. "I won't tell anyone." The soft smile on his face made her chest burn. "But if you ever need help…" "You're not afraid?" "Well, I'm not… unphased." She rubbed her arm. "It just seems like a lot to take on by yourself." "It's not just me, there's also the wolf man," Merton was quick to add. "He really does most of the dangerous stuff. I'm more of a supporting role." "Still, I…" She tapped her foot anxiously. "I'm going to worry." Merton put a hand gently on her shoulder, holding the charm up. "Thanks for worrying over me."

---

At lunch, Merton leaned across the table toward Tommy. "So, after what happened on Friday, you know what Kali did this morning?" Tommy thought. "Confessed a deep fear of thunder genies?" "Perendi," Merton rolled his eyes. "And no. She gave me this." He held up the trinket. "A tiny pillow?" He sniffed. "Smells funny." "A protection charm. That she made."

"Wait, she made that? I never saw her doing anything like that." He slipped it back in his pocket and got quiet again. "And she told me she wouldn't tell anyone about Friday." "Who's going to believe her anyway?" "She didn't bring it up with you at all? All weekend?" Tommy shrugged. "She doesn't even know it's you, and she's already keeping it a secret. You should tell her the truth."

Tommy shook his head. "No way. We agreed. No telling my family." "But she's already half in the loop. Now I have to keep pretending that I don't know it's you." "That's right, Merton. Do this one thing for me." "What if she asks me outright?" "Just lie!"

"Tommy…" "C'mon, you're my best friend, right? You know you're the only one I trust with this." Merton sighed as Tommy batted his lashes at him. "Ugh, fine. But only because you pulled the best friend card." Tommy relaxed. "Thank you." "You really should tell her, though." "I'll think about it. Now help me with this homework before coach pulls me from the team."

---

After school, Merton ran into Kalida again at the lockers. "Hey." He thought a moment, pointing her way. "Tommy has practice right?" She glanced over, rushing to shove her textbooks in her bag. "Yeah!" "Would you… want to hang out? I could give you a ride home after." "Oh, uh…" She closed her locker, looking away. Merton's heart sank. He could tell by her expression that it was a no. "I would, but-" "It's okay. I get it if you don't want to hang out with the creepy guy-"

"No!" She put her hand on his chest. "I just have my driver's test today, and Uncle Bob is picking me up, and he doesn't really like m- er, that is, I- I shouldn't keep him waiting." She started backing away. "But tomorrow? After school?" "Oh. Yeah, tomorrow's great." "Okay." Kali turned and waved behind her. "Bye!" Merton stood and watched her go, unsure what she had meant about her uncle. He'd always assumed that things were good in the Dawkins household. They seemed… overly good. But Kali's panic about making her uncle wait was making him uneasy.

---

The next day, Merton didn't see Kalida at the lockers in the morning. Or Tommy. It wasn't until lunch time that he had a chance to question Tommy about it. He slid into the seat across from Tommy and tried to force a casual tone. "Hey, where were you this morning?" "We barely made it to school in time for first period." "Why?" "Nothing important, Kali was kinda slow." He downed a carton of milk. "I saw her light on in the middle of the night. She said she was up studying."

"How did her driver's test go?" "Oh, good!" he nodded. "She got her licence." "So she can drive Betsy now." "Uh, yeah." Tommy raised a brow. "How do you know about Betsy?" "She told me about her camper the day I drove her home." He thought a moment. "Her first day of school?" "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." He bit into an apple, grinning. "You're a real good friend, Merton. Thanks for looking after her." "It's not a big deal," Merton smiled bashfully, pushing his food around. "She's sweet." "Yeah, she's a good kid."

"Tommy," Merton hedged. "Stop me if I'm overstepping, but Kalida said something odd about your dad yesterday." "Odd how?" "Well…" He tilted his head. "I may have misunderstood, but I think she's worried he doesn't like her?" Tommy's usual carefree expression faded and he looked away. "Tommy?" "I dunno what to say, man." "So I take it your dad really doesn't like her?"

"My dad…" Tommy sighed and leaned forward toward Merton. "My dad has a problem with Aunt Macy. Says he put weird ideas in his brother's head. He thinks she's…" he gestured, drawing circles beside his head. "He's been really strict with Kali, telling her she has to get certain grades to stay with us and stuff. Before she came to town he told me to keep an eye on her. Not like, watch out for her, but like, spy on her." "Tommy, that really doesn't sound like a good situation." "I know, man." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But Kalida's smart and she's getting the grades fine. It's not like I'm gonna snitch on her or anything." "You should talk to your dad about it." "I can't, Merton. I have a hard enough time talking to him about being out past curfew." "What about your mom?" "Oh, mom loves Kali. It's not a big deal." Tommy tore off another piece of apple. "My dad's just a bit of a hardass."

---

Merton got caught by T&T after school, delayed on his way to meet with Kali by being picked up, folded in half, and dumped in a trash bin. "Great. My favourite," he muttered as he pushed himself off the floor and dusted himself off.

When he finally made it to the lockers, he was disappointed to see that Kalida was sandwiched between them and Brett Johnson, who was speaking fervently about something to her. "Hey Brett," he called, a little too loudly, when he got to his locker. Brett turned toward him, then forced a smile. "Mr. Dingle." Kali slid away, then walked around Brett and stood behind Merton. She spoke quietly. "Are you ready to go?"

"How's your little club?" Brett asked, approaching Merton's locker. "Still trying to drum up members?" "The Gothic Fantasy Guild has more than the minimum number of members to be an officially listed extra-curricular activity, as the council is well aware." Brett patted Merton's shoulder. "That's just great, Merton." He continued to speak at Merton, but turned his gaze to Kalida. "The council is always encouraging students to pursue what they enjoy." "See you tomorrow, Brett." she offered. "See you in Chem." Brett nodded with a smile, then walked off.

"You two are getting chummy," Merton remarked. "I guess. I take it you two don't get along?" "Brett's…" Merton hesitated as he shut his locker, then shook his head. "I don't know, he's fine I guess. I don't know him that well." Kali shrugged. "Anyway…" Merton brightened, remembering that they were going to hang out alone. "So, did you want to drive around? Or we could go back to the Lair?" "The Lair sounds good."

"Great." He led her out to the parking lot. "I was worried I creeped you out last time." She laughed softly. "Well, I'm a little curious about some of the stuff you've got lying about, but I feel confident that you're not going to chain me to the wall or anything." Merton shrugged. "No promises."

---

Kali dumped her bag beside the couch, then took another tour of the space. Without the context of a weird magic thing that needed dealing with, the room seemed a lot more… mundane. She was able to tell now that most of the weird things were props or fakes. She stood before a display of weapons. "Do you actually know how to use these?" "Most of them. But not that well." "Do you use them on magic things?"

Merton paused his pillow fluffing. "If I needed to. But usually Wolfy takes care of it." She walked over to his book collection and started casually perusing the spines. "And Tommy has no idea?" He hesitated. "Just Wolfy and me." "I wonder what he'd think," she murmured. Her fingers rested on a spell book for a moment before she decided she should probably stop pacing the room. She took a seat on the sofa. "So have you and Wolfy been dealing with these things a long time?"

Merton settled in beside her, rubbing his neck. "A few months now. Since right around the beginning of the school year." "Oh. That's not that long, then. You're so blasé about it, I thought maybe it was a family tradition or something." Merton laughed. "No, I'm the freak in the family." Kali sank into the cushions, rolling her eyes. "Tell me about it."

He furrowed his brows. "I thought you all got along?" Her eyes widened and she put her hands up defensively. "Oh, no, don't get me wrong. Tommy's great, and… everyone's great." She looked away, deflating. "I just spend a lot of time trying to fit in with them. It's tiring." He leaned closer. "What do you mean?" "Just, everything?" She ran a hand through her hair. "It's been a culture shock, moving here. My uncle's really strict, and banned me from even bringing some of my stuff into the house. I have to keep it in the camper." He frowned. "What kind of stuff?"

"Tools of devil worship." She rolled her eyes. "Literally candles, incense, that kind of thing. Says he won't have any of that hippie garbage under his roof." "Well," he put a hand on her knee and offered her a sheepish smile. "You can always bring that stuff over here." She snickered, leaning toward him. "Thanks. We can cast some spells together sometime." Merton licked his lips and smirked softly, aware of the shrinking space between their faces. "Make a little magic."

He leaned in slightly, closing his eyes, when suddenly his bedroom door banged open. "Freakzilla, mom says you have to make dinner tonight. Her and dad are gonna eat out- is that a girl!?" Becky gaped in the doorway as Merton ran a hand over his face. Kalida turned around, poking her head over the back of the couch. "Um, hi." "Kalida Dawkins!? Oh. Em. Gee." She bobbed up and down holding the phone against her chest. "I'll order pizza. Just go upstairs!" Becky backed out of the room and slowly closed the door. "And learn how to knock!" Merton called after her.

"Freakzilla, eh?" "Oh my god, you just said eh!" Merton pointed, grinning widely. "I thought that was just a stereotype!" "Don't be such a hoser." She smacked him with a pillow, sticking her tongue out. He laughed, pushing her over. "You're so cute with your canuck nonsense." "I make perfect sense!" She righted herself and started fixing her hair. "I can't help it if yankees are remedial." "Whoa, now, I might have to kick you out." "You better not." She poked at his side. Merton rubbed the back of his neck. "I should probably order that pizza. Do you wanna stay for dinner?"

---

Kalida pulled the pepperoni from her pizza, settling in again on Merton's couch. She had called home and told Dean she was over at a friend's place studying and would miss dinner. Merton locked his bedroom door and joined her. "Wanna watch a movie?" "Okay." "I just got the Scream trilogy on DVD." "I don't really like horror movies." Merton nearly choked. "Oh." He pounded his chest. "I just thought, because you like Buffy-" "I don't like the violence." She winced. "It gets in my head and I can't stop thinking about people I know getting hurt." Merton nodded. "Happy ending movies, got it." He hummed. "A Knight's Tale?" "Oh, I love that one!" she squeaked.

---

When William went up against Count Adhemar, Kali pulled her knees up against her chest, hiding her face behind balled fists. Merton snickered under his breath. He reached around her and squeezed reassuringly. "Happy end, remember?" She whined and pressed her face into his shoulder. "I know, but it's so hard to watch." Merton held her close during the final minutes. As the credits scrolled up the screen, Kali finally moved away.

"I should probably get home. It's a school night." "Right. Don't wanna miss curfew." Merton got up and stretched, trying to relax. "And thus ruin any chance of doing this again." He put his hands in his pants. "Definitely don't want that."

---

On the short drive home, they talked about what other movies he owned that they could conceivably watch together. Kali took off her seatbelt and looked up the driveway. "Thanks for tonight." Merton studied her face in the dim light from the street lamp. "Any time." "I like hanging out with you." She turned to him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I feel like I can just be myself." He nodded. "That's good."

He was just about to lean over and try to kiss her again when she swung the passenger door open. "Night, Merton." "Goodnight."

Chapter 4:

That weekend, Merton invited Tommy and Kalida over for a study party. Tommy was still hovering dangerously close to his minimum GPA to stay on the football team - and Kalida spent all her time studying anyway - so they brought their materials over to the lair Saturday morning.

Kali had a stack of English worksheets on the coffee table, and was sitting on the floor filling them all out. Merton was going through flash cards with Tommy on the couch. "Myocardium." "Heart muscle." Tommy grinned. "Epicardium." "The, uh, outside membrane." "Of?" "Of the heart muscle." "Endocardium." "The inner lining of the heart muscle."

Merton passed the stack of cards back to Tommy. "Okay, that's Bio. I think you'll be fine for the test now." "With how many times we just did that, I feel like Kali could take the test now." Kalida laughed. "I never took Biology. Once it switched to English in grade 10, I couldn't follow along." "Wait, you did biology in French?" Tommy gaped. "Yeah, everything was in French, except for English class. Until like grade 8. And then it was just French," she counted them out on her fingers, "Social Studies, P.E., and Science." Merton raised his eyebrows. "No wonder you're fluent." She laughed. "Yeah, but ask me to do long division the English way and you're out of luck." She went back to her worksheet.

"I didn't even know there was an English way to do math," Tommy fell back, stretching out over the arm rest. "Maybe that's why I suck at it." "You suck at it because you don't try very hard," Merton chastised. "Did you even bring your Math homework?" Tommy rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom." "Let's do that next."

---

By the time Merton was done helping Tommy with his math, Kalida had packed up her homework and was reading a novel quietly on the recliner. Tommy stood up and stretched. "I need a break. I'm gonna go take a run around the block." "Alright."

Merton tidied up the sheets they'd been working on, then looked over at Kalida. "How's your book?" She peeked up at him with a small smirk. "It's terrible. This teacher has the worst taste." He laughed. "Tell me how you really feel." He rubbed his shoulders and neck, sighing. "I'm gonna need to start charging him. Puts a real crick in my neck."

She tossed the book at her bag and moved over to sit sideways next to him on the couch. "Turn around, I'll rub it." "Oh, uh, sure." He licked his lips nervously, but closed his eyes as her small hands smoothed over his shoulders. "Relax." She pressed his shoulders down, trying to reposition them. "You're really tense." "I'm not highly experienced with getting massages." "Well lucky you to have a sweet girl like me to help you out." She kneaded his tight muscles methodically. Merton let out a small pleased whimper, leaning into her hands. "You can definitely do this any time you want." She chewed her lower lip, trying to get him to make that sound again.

A few charged minutes later, Tommy walked back in Merton's exterior door. Spotting her massaging Merton's shoulders, Tommy tapped his chest. "Me next." Kalida laughed, drowning out Merton's sigh. "Sure, come sit down." Tommy settled on the floor in front of the couch and Kali switched to rubbing his shoulders. "Ohhh, yeah…" Tommy let out a long, pleased groan. Merton rolled his eyes and settled back against his seat, trying not to feel jealous. They were cousins, after all. "Kalida, why are you not giving me a massage every day?" Tommy continued, eliciting a laugh from her. "Because it makes my hands sore? You two are so tense!" She balled her hands into fists and started pummeling his back. "You gotta relax." "I could if you'd massage me."

Merton cleared his throat. "What should we do for dinner?" "Let's go out," Kalida interjected, stopping her massage to turn to Merton. "I haven't been anywhere but The Factory yet." "There isn't much else." Tommy whipped around. "We could eat at the Hungry Bucket." Merton pinched his nose. "Yeah, we could. Again." "What's wrong with the Hungry Bucket?" "Nothing." Merton shook his head, giving a look to Kali. "Tommy's a little passionate about their chicken." "I need a lot of protein. I'm a football player!" She laughed. "Well I'm game." "Let's get it to go, then." Merton suggested. "The ambience is a bit lacking."

"Oh, we can eat it in the back of the hearse up at the lookout!" Tommy stood up, excited. "It looks super cool at night, and Kali hasn't been up there yet." Kalida shrugged. "Sure, sounds good." Merton stood up. "Alright, children. Time to pile into the Merton-mobile."

Once they'd hit the drive through, they snaked their way up a mountain road. The waxing moon was the only light (other than their headlights) guiding their path, and Kali shivered as she looked out into the pitch black woods. "Aw, are you afraid of the dark, cuz?" Tommy wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his other resting on the seat behind Merton's head. "More like what's in it," she half-joked. The tree-lined path gave way to a grassy clearing, and Merton backed the vehicle up toward the ledge. When they hopped out, Kali stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out at the aerial view of the small town below them. "It's beautiful." Tommy nudged her and pointed up. "Stars are pretty nice from here, too." Her gaze followed his, but she was distracted by the sounds behind them.

Merton opened the back doors to reveal the large empty space within, already draped with blankets. "Wow!" Kali gaped. "You could sleep in there." Merton shrugged. "Thought about it a few times."

Tommy hopped in, holding the massive bucket of chicken they'd bought. "Best view in town, best people to share it with." Kalida climbed in beside him, leaving Merton enough space to sit on her other side. They were quiet for a few minutes as they ate, the faint sounds of the city below filtering through the sounds of the forest.

When Kalida was done eating, she turned around and laid on her back, letting her head hang off the back end slightly as she stared up at the sky. "The constellations are different," she murmured. Merton gazed upward. It was the same sky that he'd seen every year around this time. "Some of them must be the same. Ursa Major, Ursa Minor." She pointed, smiling softly. "Cassiopeia, Draco. All the circumpolar constellations." "Circum-what now?" Tommy squinted up at the stars. "That means they rotate around the north pole, so you can see them everywhere in the northern hemisphere." Tommy tapped her on the nose. "Nerd."

Tommy polished off the last of the chicken, and they spent a good hour up on the hill. They told camping stories and discussed their star signs. When it got cold, Kalida suggested that they get some dancing in at The Factory.

They pushed through the crowd. Merton leaned over to Tommy. "I don't think there are any tables." Tommy pulled Merton along. "Guess you'll just have to join us on the dance floor, then!" Kali joined in, hooking arms with Merton to playfully force him into the fray. The three danced together as a group for a few songs - Merton a little more awkwardly than his partners.

A senior girl from Kalida's English class started dancing near Tommy, catching his attention. As the crowd grew and closed in around them, Kali moved closer and closer to Merton. He was careful to keep his hands off her. When the music slowed, he realized that he could no longer see Tommy in the throng.

Kalida reached up to hold Merton's shoulders, resting her head against his neck. He swallowed and held her close, his hands on her hips. "Relax," she whispered. The way her breath tickled his skin made him shiver. "Y-yeah, I'm very relaxed." Kalida closed her eyes. Though it could hardly be called dancing, rocking back and forth in his arms made her cheeks burn.

Merton was enjoying their embrace until he felt something seeping into his shoes. He looked down to see water was flooding the dancefloor. "Whoa." Kalida pulled away, but was pushed into him as the crowd started moving away from the entrance. "Another monster thing?" "Probably."

They let the throng press past them, finally revealing a blue-skinned woman covered in scales and seaweed. Waves crashed through the entrance behind her. Merton rubbed his chin. "Bipedal mermaid?" "Don't mermaids drown people?" Merton pointed at Kalida with a whimper. "Maybe we should go." The mermaid glared, fixing a glowing gaze upon him. He turned, holding hands with Kali as they trudged toward the exit. The water was now at their knees, and they looked up to see that the back door now appeared to be taped shut by kelp. "How do you kill a Mermaid?" Merton squeaked.

Tommy jumped down from the stage area in werewolf form, blocking the mermaid's path. "Hey water lady, go back to the ocean!" Despite his battle stance, he was slowly backing toward his friends as the mermaid shot various forms of sea life at him. Kalida leaned against the back door and took a deep breath, studying the creature. "The shell in her crown is glowing. Maybe that?"

"Oh, like in Disney's animated classic The Little Mermaid!" Tommy called behind him. "What happened?" "Well, some say it was the film that brought Broadway to cartoons with its Academy Award winning musical score-" "In the movie, Merton. What happened in the movie?" "An evil sea witch trapped the mermaid's voice in a shell. When the shell was broken, so was the spell making the witch look pretty." "I don't think this is the exact same thing," Kalida interjected, pushing the wolf man out of the way as a swarm of sea stars were launched their way. The weight of the creatures sticking to her knocked her over into the water. Tommy felt a surge of frustration and lunged through the air, knocking the creature into the growing pool.

Merton helped Kalida up, and started peeling the echinoderms off of her. "You protected Wolfy," he gushed. "He's the muscle, right?" She winced, clawing at the sea star on her neck.

Suddenly the thrashing in the water stopped and Tommy stood up, holding the broken crown in his hand. The sea creatures and kelp turned to water, and the lake inside The Factory quickly dissipated. At Tommy's feet lay an unconscious teenage girl. Sopping wet, Kalida sighed in relief and leaned into Merton. "I'm starting to think this place is cursed." Tommy turned to Merton and Kalida and gave them a nod before darting out of the building.

The girl on the ground sat up, holding her head. "What happened?" Kalida rushed over. "Hey, we got caught in a flood. Are you okay?"

---

After making arrangements for the girl - who seemed to have amnesia of the whole ordeal - Merton and Kalida finally made their way out into the parking lot. Tommy rushed over to them, still damp. "There you are! Can you believe it? A water main burst down the street!" "I'm so glad you're safe!" Kalida hugged Tommy tightly. "It was awful, The Factory totally flooded and we couldn't get the door open. We had to hide on the stage 'til enough of it drained." He hugged back, raising a brow a Merton. "I'm glad you're okay." He mouthed that's a good lie. She's amazing, Merton mouthed back.

---

Chapter 5 here.

Chapters: 1&2, 3&4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

#bwoc #big wolf on campus #merton dingle #tommy dawkins #merton x oc #nobody is going to read this but my nostaglia makes me post it regardless

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