#shell blowing triton

[acrosscenturiesandgenerations]

▪︎ Shell-blowing Triton.

Place of origin: Venice

Date: 1st quarter of the 17th century

Workshop/Artist: Nicolo Roccatagliata (ca. 1560, Genoa-1629, Venice)

[dezkal18]

Random collection of Prince Eric/Jonah observations (sorry it's so long and rambly):

1. The way he grabs Ariel's hand as he's waking up on the beach.

2. The way he runs up the stairs to see if she's the girl who saved him.

3. His face when he realizes she can't be the girl because she can't talk. He looks so heartbroken, like he was so close and then his hopes were dashed. But he's trying his hardest not to let her see his disappointment because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings, so he pushes through and offers her anything she needs.

4. The awe on his face when she finds the stone in the fossil and blows the conch shell.

5. I love how he's up for trying anything for her, no matter how foolish it makes him look. He just wants to give her anything she wants.

6. And you can just see a lightness and innocence in him when he's around her, like she's brought back the joy into his life and made him feel like a kid again. I think he does so many things he wouldn't have otherwise. Like, with the boat, he was planning on just grabbing his hat and going back to the carriage until he saw her looking at it. He also seems to just be in awe of her innocence and curiosity and the way she views the world.

7. In Kiss the Girl, right before he leans in the final time, you can see him breathing heavy and he's so nervous.

8. Grimsby, my man. The ultimate shipper. But I think an underrated moment is when he sees how smitten Eric is with the new girl and decides to casually bring up that they haven't found the mystery girl to make Eric stop chasing after a fantasy and see what's right in front of his eyes. I see what you did there and I approve.

9. How he pushes through Vanessa's spell and knows something is wrong.

10. How he's confused about Ariel being a mermaid and what just happened with Vanessa but he trusts his gut and trusts his feelings are real and decides to protect her.

11. When Eric sees Ariel standing there petting Max and he rushes to hug her, he has this crinkle in his forehead. I honestly thought he was going to cry and he looks so relieved, like he's thinking "oh thank God, I thought I was going to have to live a life without you"

12. His face when he sees Triton. I wonder if he's thinking, "Oh my God, my father-in-law is a merman and the King of all the oceans, what is my life?

13. Eric has to be so confused about what's going on but also amazed at the magic that has come into his life with this girl. Like finding the stone in the fossil and the conch shell. The animals and bugs lighting things up during Kiss the Girl. The girl he loves turning into a mermaid. Fighting an octopus lady. Etc.

14. Jonah's delivery of certain lines just gets me, they're not even significant lines:

-Oh. Me? No. Really? Alright... (when she shows him the conch shell)

-Grimsby, I feel a little... (You can tell he's so confused. He's been looking for his mystery girl and here comes this other girl and he's feeling so much for her in such a short period of time)

-Pretty much anytime he says "Ariel".

Ugh, Jonah. You have ruined every other male lead for me from now on. No one else will be as sweet and funny and genuine.

[garden-walks-an-strawberry-tarts]

The best part of the movie is Ariel and Eric bonding. They each of these passions for adventure and discovering new things. Each in their own way. Ariel showing Eric the hidden crystal in the rock, her blowing the conch shell, and showing her knowledge. Then later we see Eric sharing all his travels. For the first time he’s being heard and someone is interested in his hobbies. His mother never really had an interest in his travels. She was more concerned if his safety and Grimsby didn’t understand Eric’s passion. Now he’s found this girl who was lost at sea. Who is listening to every word, grabbing more maps to learn more, and just fascinated by anything he says. While Ariel has been misunderstood her entire life. Triton can’t see past her being the youngest and he struggles with her growing up. Never fully listening to her desire to know what’s above. Due to the trauma of losing her mother. Her sisters don’t really connect with her. So, once again she’s being misunderstood. Now here she’s discovered a human. Which is exciting and new of course. However, this is a human that understands her! Who feels the exact same way she does. It’s even cuter because she fell for his personality first. She doesn’t even see him right away. She over hears his conversation with Grimsby first. They are just two precious little beans. Who are misunderstood by their loved ones and long for something more. The bonding over the stars, his treasures, the library, and just the unknown is so special.

I loved that Disney showed a backstory to the Prince. While also making his personality shine through.

[khaire-traveler]

🧜🏾‍♂️Subtle Triton Worship 🐚

Blow into a conch shell, especially when by the ocean or a body of water

Clean up trash by the ocean shore or any body of water

Go swimming, especially in the ocean; play pool games

Go diving (Safely, please)

Get a candle that reminds you of him; no altar needed

Wear jewelry that reminds you of him

Keep a picture of him in your wallet

Help any beached sea creature you stumble across (Or any fish that wash up on a lake and are alive)

Learn about the invasive species in any bodies of water in your area; advocate for their removal, and remove them if you come across any (And are able to do so safely)

Collect any seashells or pretty stones you come across near water

Have a fish, dolphin, horse, or crab stuffed animal

Have imagery of the ocean (especially the deep sea), conch shells, tridents, sea creatures/plants, and merfolk (especially those with two tails or dolphin tails) around

Try eating seafood or seaweed (Be aware that many people are often allergic to shellfish!!! Shrimp, crabs, lobsters, etc.)

Keep a pet fish or water dwelling creature; be sure to research the animal first to ensure quality of life under your care

Stay hydrated; drink lots of water throughout the day

Drink warm water with honey stirred in

Donate to or support ocean/river/lake-focused organizations or animal shelters

Learn about the deep sea marine life; learn about any form of marine life

Go sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, etc. (Safely)

If you don't know how to swim, take swimming lessons or have someone teach you; always wear a lifejacket or floaties for your safety, until you feel comfortable with your skill

Practice asserting yourself and standing your ground; do your best to assert your personal boundaries; take time to learn what your boundaries are if you aren't sure

Take a warm shower/bath when you feel overwhelmed; use the water to cleanse and relax you

Leave a glass of water on your windowsill for the night or day; either replace or drink it after a few hours (you don't need to have water there constantly, it's just a once in a while thing)

Keep a jar of seaglass; make art from it or simply put it in the light, it'll look great either way

Collect ethically sourced shark teeth; collect ethically sourced fossils of ocean creatures

Learn to play the trumpet, trombone, French horn, or other brass instrument

Embrace your inner strength; celebrate how far you've come and how resilient you are

Ground yourself near a body of water, particularly the ocean; allow yourself to be one with the waves or subtle ripples of water; match your breath to the tide if you can

Fall asleep/meditate to the sound of ocean waves or sea creatures

Wash your hands/face with salt water

Dance/sing to music that makes you feel empowered or badass

-

This one was definitely tough because I struggled to find historical accounts of Triton being worshipped. Typically, I can draw some ideas from that if I'm not familiar with a deity, but Triton didn't have many records of worship, despite being widely accepted as Poseidon and Amphitrite's son. He was mostly known as Poseidon's herald, and in some accounts, he was even Athena's foster parent, yet there is still such little information about him to be found.

At least for now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Triton. I hope to be able to add more in the future, and I hope that it's still helpful to people as is. Take care, y'all, and chill with the waves. 💚

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[blueiscoool]

Archaeologists Find Statue of the Roman Sea God Triton in Mausoleum

Archaeologists have uncovered a Roman Statue of Triton during excavations in preparation for a housing development in Kent, England.

Archaeologists from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) have discovered artifacts, including a mausoleum which is to be buried within a roundabout, which are more than 1,700 years old during an investigative dig related to a new housing development close to London Road in Teynham.

Robert Masefield, Director for RPS, said: “We expected interesting Roman archaeology, perhaps a cemetery, but the finds including the lively and unique statue of a Triton and the mausoleum remains have by far exceeded that. These finds are now part of Teynham’s local legacy and the nations rich Roman story. Further study will place the findings in their full historical context.”

The area, which is being built on by Moat Homes and Chartway Partnerships Group for its Frognal Lane development, follows the ancient Roman Watling Street and during an initial site evaluation, fragments of chalk wall foundations and Roman cremation burials were discovered. As a result, Swale Council, with advice from Kent County Council Heritage Conservation, required a 0.5-hectare archaeological excavation at the site.

The Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) was tasked with leading the dig, which revealed elements of a 30m square walled enclosure surrounding a c.7m square structure. Further excavations revealed that the structure is a Roman mausoleum containing a Roman coin dating from around 320 to 330 AD. The site also included Roman, and possibly later, burials with various grave goods.

However, the highlight of the findings was the discovery of a stone statue, representing the sea god Triton.

The Triton statue is substantial, appropriately 70cm (27.5 inches tall) and 70cm wide. It weighs more than 132lb (60kg). Archaeologists did not need to dig far. It was only 1.3 feet (40cm) below ground.

In Roman mythology, Triton was the son of Neptune, the god of the sea. The unique stone statue depicts Triton – a merman with the torso of a man and the tail of a fish – riding on a sea monster.

As a demi-god, he could calm the waves by blowing on his conch shell, which he appears to be holding in the uncovered sculpture. That part has been broken off, but the artifact is otherwise in incredible condition. It was carved between the late first century and second century AD.

Dr. Richard Hobbs, senior curator of Roman Britain at the British Museum, told MailOnline it is ‘spectacular’.

He said that, although a few fragments of Triton sculptures are known from Roman Britain, ‘nothing quite like this has been discovered before’.

Excavations are continuing at the site.

By Leman Altuntaş.

[meeravandaseera]

Similarities of Folklore in H2O: Just Add Water

Previously I did a post on Cleo's bathtub transformation and how it's a previous motif in some legends. I now want to dive into the rest of the folklore that can be fished out of the show. Many parallels are not directly the same, but still share some interesting origins. First, let's look at the powers.

Edited and cropped "Sous la Vague" or "Les Baigneuses" by Nicolas Auguste Laurens in 1898.

1: Cleo's hydrokinesis can be found in many waterpeople. Almost all humanoid water deities across the world are able to bend water to some extent, many of would would be countless to name in one post. For instance, Poseidon/Neptune was said to be able to control the seas. Triton could calm and raise the waves of the sea with the blow of his conch shell. Aside from water deities themselves, other waterpeople were able to control water. According to "Scaled for Success: The Internationalisation of the Mermaid" on page 108, the Filipino sirenas were said to be able to control water "by manipulating water levels and/or create whirlpools to swamp their prey". According to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 180, the Filipino kataws control the waters around the Philippine Islands, namely its "tides, currents" and even the "movements of the aquatic creatures". The Asturian xanas were in charge of keeping rivers and fountains calm according to: Mitología Asturiana - Marsellaviana on Freehostia under the llavanderes or washerwomen entry http://marsellaviana.freehostia.com/mitologiaasturiana/seresmitologicos.html

One xana in particular was able to flood as she supposedly flooded the town of Gayangos and created an entire lagoon and the lakes in the area according to: La leyenda de la Xana de Gayangos - La Cantabria Burgalesa https://lacantabriaburgalesa.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/la-leyenda-de-la-xana-de-gayangos/

Asturian llavanderes, basically mythical washerwomen, were able to summon floods and create whirlpools according to the aforementioned Marsellaviana site.

Another mermaid is the seewief or seewiefken of German folklore in Minsen. She once got caught in the net of some fishermen and got tormented, yet she eventually escaped. In revenge, she cast a curse and created storm floods in the years of 1164, 1362, 1717 and 1962 that hit Minsen. This is told according to: The Minsen Mermaid Statue - a Seewief from the Middle Ages https://mermaidsofearth.com/mermaid-statues-mermaid-sculptures/public/minsen-mermaid-statue-seewief/ (This sourced some other sites, but they are gone), Die Sage from Minsener Seewiefken - NAKUK https://www.nakuk.de/wiki/seewiefken/, Seewiefken - Wangerland https://www.wangerland.de/poi/seewiefken and Das Minsener Seewiefken Vom Fluch der Meerjungfrau - NWZ Online https://www.nwzonline.de/kultur/minsen-das-minsener-seewiefken-vom-fluch-einer-meerjungfrau_a_50,6,796560382.html

Yet another is the zeemermann of the Saeftinghe legend in the Netherlands. A zeemermin once got caught by a fisherman who refused to let her go. Her husband swam after the boat, yet to no avail. He cursed Saeftinghe and flooded the land. It was said that only Saeftinghe's towers would remain. Now, the land, it's called the drowned land of Saeftinghe. This is told according to "The Mermaid Atlas - Merfolk of the World" by Anna Claybourne on page 31 and Wandelen in het verdronken land van Seaftinghe - JNM https://jnm.be/nl/activiteiten/wandelen-in-het-verdronken-land-van-seaftinghe

~~~

2: Rikki's fire power: Waterpeople can be associated with fire, the sun or warmth despite inhabiting the water. (Added note: Originally, I did not acknowledge that). In Thai folklore exists the so-called Phi thale ผีทะเล sea spirit who is able to appear as a mermaid or a beautiful woman who can lure sailors to their demise. Sometimes a Phi Thale takes form as a St. Elmo's fire, basically a weather phenomenon caused by electrical discharges during thunderstorms. It seems to appear like faint luminosity or "fire" and in context of the Phi Thale it might, for example, take place on a ship's mast as shown on the illustration, but one is not absolutely shore. St. Elmo's fire also appears in many other forms like on church towers. Phi Thale description is from: What is a Phi Thale (ผีทะเล)? - PAHUYUTH https://pahuyuth.com/en/glossar/phi-thale/ and information on the Saint Elmo's Fire - Britannica https://www.britannica.com/science/Saint-Elmos-fire

Illustration from "The Aerial World" by Dr. G. Hartwig in 1886 on page 310.

Sulis is a Celtic water goddess from the United Kingdom who is still associated with the sun and is thus both a water and solar deity. She was also associated with the hot springs in Bath according to Sulis, Goddess of Celtic Mythology | Characteristics & Depictions - Study. com https://study.com/academy/lesson/sulis-celtic-goddess-mythology-history.html?srsltid=AfmBOopQslCH2QEArMfaq5VE7QDgXuMQS3z55jnppUGbVGlpA3E7ldu2.

The lakes of the Catalan freshwater-maidens called the dones d'aigua were said to boil if a stranger would dive into them, yet this is only said on Wikipedia without a source and until I do not have found any good source for this, please do not claim it as fact.

The Portuguese water-maiden Maria da Manta meaning "Mary of the Blanket", Maria Gancha namely "Mary Hook", Maria Ganta meaning "Mary of the Grid" or as in the Miranese language, Mariamanta, was said to live in wells. While her appearance varied a lot, some would say she possessed eyes made of fire despite living in the waters of wells according to: Maria Gancha - Portuguese Creatures and Legends Galore https://portuguesecreaturesandlegendsgalore.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/maria-gancha/

 Illustration for "Las Supersticiones De La Humanidad" by Jose Coroleu in 1881.

Melusine from French folklore is sometimes said to grow wings when she flies away in the legend and therefore is sometimes considered to be a literal dragon-maiden either with one or two fishtails and sometimes only with a serpent tail depending on the version. She is both considered a watermaid and a dragon-maid in different versions because of that.

Illustration from "Le Roman de Mélusine" in ca. 1450-1500.

An enchanted xana could also turn into a cuélebre, namely a snake-like dragon, in order to be disenchanted. Her savior must perform some tasks so that she would be able to be free from her spell, turn back into a xana or a normal human being and be freed from being bound to her lair. This disenchantment is really complex and one can find a wide sea of different methods. One source of mine is: Some thoughts on Asturian Mythology - David A. Wacks https://davidwacks.uoregon.edu/2014/12/12/asturian/. In spite of that, both of these dragon-turned watermaids didn't emit fire from their mouths. I still included them because it shares a little of the fire aspect due to their dragon forms.

~~~

3: Emma's ice power: Plenty of waterpeople live in colder waters, but do not possess the power to manipulate water and turn it into ice. The only mention one ever heard of are the Filipino kataws who can also turn water into ice according to this Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kataw_(Philippine_mythology) that sourced "Mga Engkanto: A Bestiary of Filipino Fairies. Philippines: eLf ideas Publication. 2003". It's probably a privately published book as I can only find a Blogspot post about its concept idea. Would like to confirm the source, but as of now one does not have the book.

~~~

"The Last of the Fairies" by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888-1960)

4: Simply the moon or the full moon: Waterfolk has a relationship to the full moon. There is no moon pool or a direct moon spell affecting waterfolk, yet Catalan dones d'aigua tended to only show up on full moon nights where they would come out of their caves to dance, to comb their hair and to wash their laundry. Some would only sing on full or new moon nights, maybe they got spell-bound by the moon? Who knows. This is told according to: Les dones d'aigua - Elisenda Vilaró Móra http://www.elisendavilaromora.com/2012/03/les-dones-daigua/, Llegendes del riu i les done's d'aigua - Turisme Les Planes D'Hostoles https://turismelesplanes.cat/localitzacions/el-riu-i-les-dones-daigua/, Llegendes: Dona D'Aigua - Generalitat de Catalunya Departament d'Educació https://agora.xtec.cat/ceipcamins/4t/llegendes-dona-daigua/, Llegenda de les Dones d'Aigua - Mapes de Patrimoni Cultural https://patrimonicultural.diba.cat/element/llegenda-de-les-dones-daigua, Les dones d'aigua en la tradició popular - Mitologia Catalana Blogspot https://mitologiacatalans.blogspot.com/2016/09/les-dones-daigua-en-la-tradicio-popular_23.html and Mitologia Catalana - Isaac Baley https://www.isaacbaley.com/mitologia-catalana.html

One xana was said to be only present on full moon nights, dancing in the forest. This is said according to: La leyenda de La Xana: una historia de amor en Asturias - Crónica Asturias https://cronicaasturias.es/blog/la-leyenda-de-la-xana-una-historia-de-amor-en-asturias

Atargatis is one of the earliest waterfolk deities aside from the kullulû of Mesopotamia. She's an Assyrian fertility and mermaid goddess, yet was also described to be a moon goddess according to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 78.

The selkies were also said to go ashore on full moon-lit nights to shed their sealskins and dance at the seaside.

~~~

Illustration by Hugh Thomson for "Highways and Byways in Devon and Cornwall" in 1897.

5: The granting wishes ability from episode 5 "Hocus Pocus" on season 2: In the Cornish legend of Lutey Curry and the merry-maid, the merry-maid was said to have given Lutey three wishes as he had helped her go back into the water from being beached ashore. He wished for the power to heal the sick, the power to "defuse wicked spells" and to have his powers passed on after his death according to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 102 and Curses, Vengeance, and Fishtails: The Cornish Mermaid in Perspective https://www.academia.edu/31865439/Curses_Vengeance_and_Fishtails_The_Cornish_Mermaid_in_Perspective

The Scottish ceasg or maid-of-the-wave was also said to grant one three wishes if one caught her and then released her again according to #FolkloreThursday: The Ceasg - Steampunklibrarian Blog https://steampunklibrarian.blog/2021/09/30/folklorethursday-the-ceasg/ and Gaelic Folklore (5): Ceasg - Nicovleeuwen https://nicovleeuwen.blogspot.com/2019/06/gaelic-folklore-5-ceasg_7.html

~~~

6: The shapeshifting from mermaid to human is something prevalent in folklore, but not at the simple touch of a water drop. Instead, primarily only if the lower half is fully submerged, basically when fully going into a water body. Most waterfolk only have a fishtail that they can discard and wear later on again like a piece of clothing, but some do fully shapeshift like the mermaids of the show do. According to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends and Lore" on page 181, the fishtailed yawkyawks from the mythology of the Kuninjku people in Australia could go ashore and "sprout legs and seem to be wholly human".

~~~

Edited “Unter-Wasser-Philosophie” by Erich Schütz for Mocca in 1934. Yawkyawks were said to have green hair resembling green algae in freshwater streams and rock pools, called man-bak in Kuninjku according to Yawkyawk (Ngalkunburriyaymi) - Maningrida Arts and Culture https://maningrida.com/artwork/683-23/.

As the show is set in Australia, the waterfolk of Australia is another part to consider. Here's a list of the Indigenous Australian watermaid ones. I won't skim through the entirety of their lore due to the fact that there are barely any parallels between them and the show, aside from the yawkyawks who could shapeshift into humans:

< Yawkyawks (other terms: ngalkunburriyaymi, ngalberddjenj (both possibly from the Kuninjku people) ngalworreworre (Wugularr community) from the book "Mermaid and Serpent - A Story from Wugularr Community", and ngalkodjek (Darnkolo people) as from: Owen Yalandja: Ngalkodjek Yawkyawk 2019 - ARTKELCH - Contemporary Aboriginal Art https://www.artkelch.de/en/artists/owen_yalandja_216/works/ngalkodjek_yawkyawk_1827

< The pearl-givers or the mermaids of the Keppel Islands of the Woppaburra people are found in "Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea" on pages 98-99.

< The Ji-merdiwa from the Burarra people near the Blyth river can be found on: Mermaids tales appear in myths across the world- Arnhem Land included by Anna Whitfeld - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-11/mermaids-across-the-world-arnhem-land/9846210

< Wíwa spirits (mermaid spirits) from the Kunibídji people and Djómi and Bábbarra, and the other successor Djómi spirits: Our Bedtime Stories Episode 8: Djómi (Mermaid Story) - ICTV Play https://ictv.com.au/video/item/5508?lp=1, Djomi ( Fresh Water Spirit) Bábbarra Women's Centre https://babbarra.com/design/djomi/

< The karukayn of the Gurindji people as told in “The Penguin Book of Mermaids” on pages 224-225

< and the Muli Kanybubi from the Marri Ngarr Yek Dirrangara people as told in “Muli Kanybubi Tjitjuk Kawuny Na Yagatiya - The Two Mermaids’ Dreaming Place”. 

More resources on the Indigenous Australian watermaids: Mermaids in Folklore & Australian Indigenous Culture - troublemag https://www.troublemag.com/mermaids-in-folklore-australian-indigenous-culture/ and H2O: Just Add Water and myth of mermaids in Australia - Anglophone Literatures Blog https://blogs.phil.hhu.de/anglophoneliteratures/2022/04/04/h2o-just-add-water-and-myth-of-mermaids-in-australia/ 

Whether intentional or not, the lore is pretty deep.

(If any sources are not able to be viewed, consult an archival site)

Re-published and re-polished from the edited original entry on reddit via r/JustAddWater: https://www.reddit.com/r/JustAddWater/comments/1f934vx/similarities_of_folklore_in_the_show/

In the original entry, I had wanted to include these depictions that can be seen here, but it got removed. I am not shore what the culprit was, but it may have been the second or latter depiction of Melusine as I did not edit it back then since I thought it would be tolerated because no chest was directly visible. On the un-edited version of the depiction, her chest was already obscured by a light spot that looks like as if the paper had been ripped.

[disease]

“A TRITON BLOWING ON A SHELL” JACQUES DE GHEYN: II // 1616-20 [etching on paper | 198 x 165 mm.]

[mashiee]

debut of my hermes design finally

design notes (in no particular order):

• his hat comes loose very often because he's so fast, but it can fly on its own, so it always returns to Hermes.

• his shoes can also fly on their own and return if needed but theyre much more securely tied so theyre almost never an issue

• ears, eyebrows. and eyelashes are meant to be "winged" (ish)

• eyes are ALWAYS closed

• he's wearing an Ionic chiton which i don't think actually has such long sleeves on men, but i gave him them anyway so that he can hide the things he's stealing in them :)

• his earrings are rooster feet due to roosters being one of his sacred animals (from what i've seen, it's not entirely sure why roosters are one of his sacred animals, as there are no myths with Hermes and a rooster, but many hypothesize that it has to do with when Hermes was born. he's said to be born at the "crack of dawn" which is also when a rooster crows. as a side note, i find the coincidence of roosters also being called cocks and Hermes being associated with phalluses and Herms very funny)

• Hermes' Caduceus (staff) is usually depicted as the winged staff with two snakes twisting around it, but it's also shown in a double ring style (with one open) in ancient art. I additionally titled the upper ring to the side so that it can be used as a shepherd's staff, as Hermes is a god of shepherds

• long strings on staff are often used either as lassos (shepherd/cowboy thing or whatever) or to sneakily slither into the pockets of people with wallets :)

• there is a rotating coin in the middle of the staff for wealth but also i like rotating objects in the centre of staffs it itches something in my brain

• the ram horn on his waist serves as the cornucopia for Hermes Psychopomos (guide of the dead)/Hermes Chthonios (of the Underworld). i chose to make it a ram horn because rams are one of his sacred animals. i don't believe he actually uses something to hold souls in mythos, but i saw the cornucopia idea in Blood of Zeus and liked it. (the show was super inaccurate but as a show it was good. second season was a complete dumpster fire though -3/10)

• the horn/cornucopia can also be blown and is what's used to call council meetings. when Hermes blows into the horn, all the souls previously stored inside are forcefully ejected and that's how ghosts that haunt places are formed :)

• bonus: horn that can be blown/played hangs on the waist of Hermes a messenger god; corresponds with the conch shell of Triton, another messenger god, that can be blown/played. though Triton's is actual myth. it's making me consider giving all messenger gods (ie Iris and Arke, as well as another god whos become a messenger god in my mind, but is not actually one in myth. theres almost no surviving story of the god tho so (as a character) i can do what i want lol) some kind of horn to blow

• the triangle things on Hermes' chiton are meant to be wing motifs. the triangle can be seen as his hat, or Hermes himself. the two wings on top can be seen as the wings of the hat, or head wings. and the bottom two wings can be seen as the sandal wings, the sandels themselves, or foot wings

• additional: he does have a light blue chamlys and i was going to do a version with and without it but ive literally spent weeks on this piece so i gave up on drawing it

[thesilicontribesman]

This lady is called Curatia Dionysia. Her tombstone is one of a number from Chester which show the dead person enjoying a banquet in the after-life.

Curatia is shown lying on a couch, in the normal position used by the Romans when they were eating. There is a three-legged table next to her. In her hand she holds a drinking cup.

The top of the stone is decorated with two birds perched on garlands of leaves, and in the comers are two tritons (sea monsters - half man, half fish) blowing on sea-shell trumpets. These monsters were believed to accompany the souls of the dead on their voyage into the after-life.

Grosvenor Museum, Chester

[museum-archives]

Fountain with Two Tritons Blowing Conch Shells

c. 1736

François Boucher (French, 1703-1770)

France, 18th century.

Black chalk with stumping, and red chalk, heightened with white chalk on beige laid paper

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

On a scale of Blegh to Slay Girl, which OB character design is the best and worst?

I'll be talking about my own thoughts in this post, but if you're interested in seeing a larger sample size's opinion on this question, you can check out the results of this poll! Vil was initially hardcore in the lead, but over time (I think because someone datamined and shared Malleus's full body OB design during the period in which the poll ran) Malleus overtook him.

From personal Blegh (worst/least liked) to Slay Girl (best/most liked):

Azul — This is the first “real” look we’ve had of his true form, and it doesn’t leave a good impression on me. It’s not that I don’t like Azul’s look as an octopus, the proportions of his tentacles just seem… off?? Like I feel like they should be much longer than they actually are. Additionally, the design of the tentacles makes them look plasticy and fake, almost like pool toys you’d blow up and then whack around in the water.

I also feel like because of Azul being an octopus, the design feels a little empty and the designers overcompensated by cover up the empty space (ie slapping random stuff on). The placement of the shells on his lower body is very weird on him, and compared to his collar (the necklace, the coral spiking off his shoulders) there’s not a lot happening here. The harsh black blot against the grey-purple of his skin also looks very jarring (which, as you’ll see, will continue to be a point of contention for me as we get into other OBs). Perhaps the only element I like in Azul’s OB is his crown, which resembles King Triton’s (you know, after Ursula yoinked it from him). It’s not too much embellishment like the elements at his collar, and it’s not oddly placed like the shells are.

Vil — I like his sleeves, veil, and little metal talons!! I also appreciate this his single glowing eye has blot running down like tears or running mascara! … That’s about it. I find that nothing else about his look does it for me 💦 Vil’s chest feels… oddly empty?? It’s like he has no form at all there because of how unnaturally smooth it is. And while I kind of get where the devs are going with the religious imagery and the incorporation of peacock feathers, I don’t think it all visually meshes very well together. The blot that his fabric fades into ends up looking like weird clumps of hair sticking onto the ends of Vil’s train and sleeves because no one was there to hold them up for him to keep them clean.

His crown is meant to make him look regal and imposing, but I just giggle a little because it looks so… chunky that it comes off as comedic and top-heavy (like he’ll keel over from the weight of it any second now). Yes, I understand it’s the same crown as that of the Beautiful Queen; I just think the extra things they added to it (ie the peacock feathers in the halo) gives additional weight that isn’t needed. I’m not sure if I get the weird spikes at his waist either; it was probably to better color distribute the scarce white in his look, but I feel like some other design element would have made it look less disjointed.

Malleus — This look is what I jokingly call “Nosferatu”; it reminds me a LOT of a stereotypical vampire, from the cape and slicked back hair to the zombie-like tint to the skin and draconian is this considered a pun clothing. The skin (being a reference to Maleficent) is, of course, a muted green color. That… just makes Malleus look hella seasick to me DX maybe like he has some cyanosis coming on??? In any case, I don’t like it. hdisbskskxos ANOTHER THING, THE GLOW IN THE DARK/LIGHT UP HORNS AND TAIL ARE SO FUNNY 😂 It doesn’t make me take him seriously as a threat when he’s over here lighting up like a lava lamp.

The main thing that makes me like this design a little over Vil’s is that the colors of neon green and deep blue-purple offer a greater contrast between the super dark parts of his clothing. There are also little details I appreciate, like how the blot on Malleus’s face forms little black scales like that of a dragon or a lizard and the continuous incorporation of thorns throughout the design. There are thorns over his torso, thorns crawling up his waist, thorns forming the “cage” of his skirt, and thorns climbing up from his cape—it really sells the imagery that his own insecurities and loneliness are swallowing him. The thorns on his chest are of particular interest to me 👁️ It’s like Malleus has “walled off” his heart to intruders, refusing to let them into his perfect dream world where no one leaves him. It just works well thematically!!

Jamil — I know Jamil’s OB design is really unpopular. I didn’t initially like it that much either, but the more and more I thought about it, the more I realized that while I don’t think the outfit is awful, it’s Jamil’s physical traits that drive people off from him. I actually really enjoy many elements of his OB: the tattered veil, how his skirt flares out at the end, the shoes, the beads, the draping cloth of his sleeves… The problem is, that’s not what my eyes are immediately drawn to. I’m way too busy staring at his snake hair and fake facial hair to notice anything else 😂

The snake hair looks so goofy (I think because of them lacking a lot of detail), and I'm not sure if the hair turban was a good choice either. I think it gives kind of clashing ideas as well??? The idea of snake hair invokes thoughts of Medusa, who is more closely linked to Greek mythology (which, thematically speaking, is more of an Ignihyde thing than a Scarabia thing; I’m not saying that Idia should have snake hair, but the fact that it was put on Jamil who had no association with Greek mythology may feel slightly off). The blot pooling at his chin and forming pseudo facial hair is also pretty silly (I know it's to mimic Jafar's goatee, but it's still weird to see on Jamil). Altogether, it creates a weird initial impression, especially when combined with the various over-the-top facial expressions Jamil makes while in this form.

Riddle — Here’s the part where I admit I probably ranked Riddle high due in part to nostalgia and because I’m really into Alice in Wonderland motifs 🤡 I think it’s a nicely balanced design, not only because of the even distribution of black and red in the dress (plus white as a much needed accent color), but you very clearly get the “Queen of Hearts” vibe without the very obvious overabundance of hearts everywhere. There’s a lot of neat little details, like the roses at his waist, the “spider legs” of playing cards, the loops of the bow that form a “heart” behind him, and the incorporation of suits into his choker and various other areas.

One thing that I think helps Riddle really stand out is just how small he is compared to everyone else; his OB outfit helps to further emphasize that, with the length of his dress’s train curling around him. We see the size difference highlighted in the battle against him as well. Riddle’s Phantom looks over him while he floats slightly hunched over, as if a puppet on strings. It makes me think of how his mother still has a strong hold on him, so she’s the one “in control” of his strings, the one influencing his toxic behavior. That lends Riddle’s OB a lot more personality in my eyes.

Idia — Cringe lines aside, I like how different and dynamic Idia’s OB is! The electronic mouth guard helps him be a lot more expressive than he usually is, and all the blue flames and swirling blot creates a super distinctive look. (I’m especially a fan of the vortex of blot that makes up the lower half of his design.) Blue and black work really well together, and I also feel like that color combination is good for emphasizing the sleek, cybernetic armor Idia sports, with the black part being metal and the blue part being the lights/energy/magic/electricity coursing through that powers it.

I guess the one big con against Idia’s design is that it doesn’t much resemble Hades. However, I tend to find that I have a preference for more subtle design elements in OBs, so I don’t really mind this. There’s enough sprinkled in to get the idea, from the stripe of cloth hanging from Idia’s clavicle to the slender (resembling the robes of Hades), pointed fingers of his gloves (again, similar to Hades), and even the vortex of his armor (like the spirits of the underworld swirling around). A lot of the tech elements help make Idia stand out and tie back to the trauma he experienced, so I think retaining the robotic nature of the OB is a must!

Leona — The single major qualm I have with this design is his lack of footwear 🥲 I never want to see bare feet (I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say it’s related to a traumatic childhood memory). Other than that, I think this is the most cohesive design of the OB boys. It's not too much, but it's also not too little, and the colors aren't too garish, nor too much black. The slicked back hair and furry collar resemble a lion's mane, and even something as understated as Leona's silhouette is made to better resemble his Disney counterpart (Scar's body shape is replicated using a corset of sorts). The blot covering his hands also gives him sharper nails, similar to a lion's claws. Leona's jewelry is also an interesting choice; the necklaces, of course, resemble the teeth of a predator, but everywhere else the jewelry seems very shackle and chain-like, perhaps alluding to how Leona feels resigned to his fate because of something he cannot control (his birth order). He's trying to break free of those attempts to keep him down, rebelling against people's low expectations of him.

The fabric that's draped over his lower half is a little on-the-nose; it's ramshackle and stitched together, resembling "scars" (geddit, cuz "Scar"). In the context of an OB though, I think I can overlook this. All of them feel broken, so seeing torn and ruined elements only makes sense. You can see his tail chilling inside of that cage of stitched fabric, but just barely because there's also golden cloth in front mostly covering it. To me, this is a good thing because tails on humanoid characters kind of unnerves me 😅

Anyway, those are my thoughts on all the OB designs ^^ I hope that was at least somewhat interesting to read.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Triton nods to them before blowing the conch shell once more, and the tidal wave then submerges itself under the water, all of the merfolk still in it.

And there Circe was, holding Melodía in her clutches. The mermaid’s eyes widened at the sight of the merfolk, and especially of Triton. It had been a very long time since she had seen others of her kind.

“Mellie…” Triton says under his breath. This was his first time seeing her since she was a hatchling. She obviously didn’t remember him, but he VERY much remembered her.

The witch then speaks in mermish. “Took you long enough.”

The king scowls. “Enough of your antics, Circe, let us just get this over with, yes?”

Circe rolls her eyes. “Very well, I suppose. You never were any fun.”

“What do you want, Circe? All I want is my granddaughter back.”

The woman scoffs. “Isn’t it obvious, Triton?” Her face twists into a scowl before pointing at the trident. “I want the power that is rightfully mine. And rightfully my father’s.”

Triton huffs in exasperation. “How many times must I TELL you that my father won the War of Corinth fairly?”

“LIAR!” Circe screams, a burst of energy emitting from her before she squeezes Melodía tighter. “You know very well that if it weren’t for Briareos, my father would have all of Corinth, AND Acorinth. And while I know you can’t give that to me, you can give me your trident.”

When she squeezes Melodía tighter, her grandfather panics slightly. “ALRIGHT, alright, whatever you say, just…. Don’t hurt her.”

Melodía looks between the two of them in slightly confused fear. “Don’t do it, grandfather.” She pleads with Triton. But before he can respond, Circe squeezes her again before putting a tentacle over her mouth.

“That is ENOUGH!” The merman booms. “Let us discuss the terms above the surface for privacy, yes?” He knew that if he ordered the merfolk to attack, or even did it himself, she would use Melodía as a shield. Not to mention killing multiple of his people in retaliation. He just hoped the dragon riders knew what they were doing.

The ebony haired woman thinks this over before nodding. “Alright.” And with that, both of them ascend to the surface, along with Melodía, who is still in Circe’s tentacle.

Once Triton and the merfolk were back underwater, Hiccup signaled the dragon riders. "Wide circle formation! Be ready for anything! Circe is unlike anything we've ever faced before. She's tricky. Under no circumstances, do not let Melodía get hurt! Let's go!"

They got into formation, waiting patiently for Triton to bring Circe to the surface as he said he would.

"Whoever is at Circe's back when she comes up, I need you to fire, but do very concentrated blasts! And everyone, watch out for her tentacles!"

The twins looked at each other, asking in unison. "Her what?"

"Yeah, she's uh, part octopus."

Fishlegs let out a squeak. "But Hiccup, you know what's said about those--"

"Yeah, I do, but I know we can handle this. Be ready!"

Fishlegs patted Meatlug, telling her to be brave. The other riders sat atop their dragons, watching the water.

They were ready.

When the oceans surface was broken by the three merfolk coming through, Hiccup looked to Astrid, who was at Circe's back.

"Stormfly!" The Deadly Nadder fired a magnesium blast at the witch's back, hitting her square between the shoulder blades.

"Now, Toothless!"

Seeing some of Circe's other tentacles, Hiccup had Toothless fire plasma blasts, hitting them in succession.

But how could he get Circe to let go of Melodía? Without any harm coming to her?

He'd have to look for a weakness.

[comma-after-dearest]

A nitpick about The Little Mermaid (2023)

Remember the scene in Eric’s treasure trove where he shows Ariel his conch shell, and she shows him how to blow it, and he tries it and fails?

The scene is basically just used as a visual gag to make Sebastian think Ariel and Eric are going to kiss. But I wish something more had actually come of it.

Maybe during the climax, Eric could have blown the conch shell to distract Ursula from Ariel and make himself a target (thus both saving Ariel’s life and allowing her to land the killing blow). This time it would be good and loud, showing that he had actually practiced it on his own, as he told Ariel he would.

I know several people have complained about Eric’s big heroic moment of killing Ursula being given to Ariel in the remake. The biggest complaint seems to be that this was the moment that changed Triton’s mind about humans and made him accept Ariel and Eric’s relationship, and that without it, Triton has no reason to make Ariel a human at the end. (This argument doesn’t really hold up because Triton doesn’t actually see Eric kill Ursula, but maybe Ariel told him about it later? IDK.)

With this idea, they could have kept Ariel killing Ursula in the remake, but also given Eric a heroic moment during the climax, instead of just having him hang uselessly off the mast of the ship. This would also probably carry a lot of weight with Triton since he’s the one who taught Ariel how to blow the conch shell in the first place.

But that’s just my two cents.

[cjbolan]

Is King Triton THE Triton? From Greek mythology? The remake shows him blowing a conch shell, just like his namesake. BTW his namesake is also a merman. (“Triton in later times became associated with possessing a conch shell,[7] which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves.[9]”)

[triton-maldives]

TRITON - a god of the sea!

According to the Greek mythology, Triton is a Greek god of the sea, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, god and goddess of the sea respectively. Triton lived with his parents in a golden palace on the bottom of the sea. Later he is often depicted as having a conch shell he would blow like a trumpet.

[stoicbreviary]

“The World Is Too Much with Us"

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) 

The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;— Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune; It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn. 

IMAGE: Jacob de Gheyn III, Triton Blowing on a Conch Shell (c. 1615)