#whale corpses

[spookygibberish]

Funeralworms comprise a genus of Juggernaut characterized by a heavily-built, serpentine form, the absence of eyes, a single pair of broad, paddle-like forelimbs, and a prominent array of individually articulated, crushing jaws. They are employed in the disposal of organic materials, the production of high quality fertilizer, and the reclamation of Ibis tissue from corpses. The latter function earning them a central role in Bibat funeral rites, hence the name.

In Bibat, it is believed that Ibis tissue, while a powerful creative force in life, is equally capable of corruption, especially when touched by death. It is therefor not adequate to bury the Ibistouched, since Ibis tissue, if allowed to decompose, has the potential to render the earth fallow and breed illness. By consuming the Ibistouched dead, Funeralworms collect the Ibis tissue from the flesh, freeing it from corruption, purifying it, and accumulating it in their bodies to be returned to the Oracle System. It is mandatory that the corpses of all dagnyds, Sansin, Thrones and Throne-children both headless and unbodied alike, be fed to the Funeralworm. This is not a necessary funeral rite for those who are not Ibistouched, but the devout often choose to have it preformed upon their death. If a funeralworm is not available, cremation is an acceptable alternative.

Funeralworms are semi-aquatic dagnyds that reside entirely in special pools (bymūt)constructed for their housing. At their least elaborate, bymūt are little more than shallow ponds dug into clay soil, but they are often encircled by a low, stone fence with an offering platform at one end, and a chamber for dung collection at the other. These pools are usually located several kilometers from areas of habitation, although many larger cities have grown to encircle bymūt that were originally constructed a more acceptable distance away. These tend to be the most elaborate of their kind, ending up with bespoke temple complexes erected around them. As the functions of the Funeralworm are deeply linked to Bibat customs, their husbandry is entirely handled by Sansin, though the service they offer is a public one.

The design of the bymūt is necessary for the survival of fully mature funeralworms, who are not only so large as to be incapable of freely moving over dry land, but risk being crushed beneath their own weight without the support of water. Newborn funeralworms, at about a meter and a half in length, are the most mobile of their kind, and often attempt to escape their bymūt to explore. This is usually permitted (with supervision), as such young individuals have limited processing capacity, and rarely exist in a context where the sole burden of waste management relies on them. Many Sansin are sympathetic to the plight of the Funeralworm, and see little purpose in restricting the movement of a creature which never approaches agile at any age, and for most of its decades long life will be confined to a single small pool.

Despite a life spent entirely in water, Funeralworms are entirely air-breathing, and are not particularly good swimmers. They are protected from flooding by the high fat content of their bodies, which renders them buoyant and unlikely to drown. The greatest risk floods pose is temptation. Rising water allows Funeralworms the opportunity to travel freely from their bymūt, and many die after becoming stranded once the water level recedes, especially those which are particularly old and heavy.

[uwmspeccoll]

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: fossil records, ravens, and layering with dg nanouk okpik

This week we feature Alaskan poet dg nanouk okpik (b. 1966). Born in Anchorage, okpik is Inupiaq, Inuit, though she was raised by a white adoptive family. She’s taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts and served as resident advisor for the Santa Fe Indian School. Her most recent collection blood snow was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. The poems featured here are drawn from her first collection, corpse whale, published in 2012 by University of Arizona Press as part of the Sun Tracks series. Sun Tracks was established in Tuscon in 1971 to highlight the creative work – writing as well as visual arts – of Native Americans. corpse whale won an American Book Award and the May Stanton Award.

In his foreword to corpse whale, Arthur Sze highlights the layering of time in okpik’s poems, and suggests a “visionary quest” for some eternal element at the core of the work: “Past, future, and present co-exist, and this underlying conception of time strengthens the mythical elements in her work.”

Speaking with Southeast Review after the release of blood snow, okpik explains Sze’s profound influence on her own work – she studied with him at the Institute of American Indian Arts – and the way her poetics is shaped and layered by such influences, as well as her travels: “my diction is a composite of these travels and many stories told. It is comprised of beauty and the agony of man’s struggles. In eight types of symbolism that come naturally to me. I let the writing speak for itself.”

View other posts on Natives American/First Nation Women Writers.

See other Women’s History Month posts.

–Amanda, Special Collections Graduate Intern.

[revllz]

I never see these images on this website so here you go, enjoy images of my beautiful amazing wife

^ this wasn’t clicked in originally but it did show up the post so have a fun thing to just idk use as a reaction image

okay now bad to hibernation bye

[dark-elf-writes]

Part of me is imagining Shang Qinghua breaking ever so slightly under the pressure of being a spy and crying during Wine Night and Wei Wuxian comforting him. No questions, no comments, just comfort

Shang Qinghua, delirious with lack of sleep after trying to keep both Cang Qiong and the Mobei-Jun’s lands running and several bottles of wine deep, all but tumbling into Wei Wuxian’s lap and sobbing to his bro about a rival demon clan that has been causing his king issues and his he doesn’t even remember writing them in the first place so clearly they aren’t even worth the time for his king to handle it himself so Shang Qinghua has to solve it and Bai Zhan broke another gate again could Wei Wuxian believe it and—

(It’s more peaceful than anything he can remember in either of his lives, lying across his bro’s lap and crying his woes into his robes. Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to mind the shameful display as he takes Shang Qinghua’s hair down so the stupid hair piece can stop digging into his head and asks all the right questions like he can follow along with Shang Qinghua’s blubbering.

He wonders if this was what having a brother was supposed to be like.

He decides having a friend is better.)

He wakes up the next morning with a black outer robe tucked around him, a note telling him that Wei Wuxian woke up early and had some “business “ to take care of which knowing his friend could mean anything from teaching disciples to grave robbing, and a bowl of neon red congee that he can smell the spice on event this far away on his desk.

His cleared desk.

After he panicked a bit, ate the spiciest breakfast of both of his lives (seriously he was no slouch with spice in his first life but did Wei Wuxian use an entire bottle of chili oil in this?) and fought through the haze of his hangover to find his work he is left stunned.

It’s all done.

The requisitions from other peaks. A written report detailing the repairs on Bai Zhan that were both started and finished some time that morning. A notice from his king that the rival clan had apparently decided to up and move without a word, leaving most of their belongings behind to be claimed like they had been chased out.

He knows without asking who is responsible. Knows that it was a gift solely for Shang Qinghua alone. Knows that should he need anything else all he had to do was mention it and it would be taken care of.

So, of course, it’s only fair that as a proper friend he does the same for Wei Wuxian whenever possible.

[kashe86]

Motherfuckers talk too much about the Megaladon as if it’s the scariest thing to ever exist in the ocean and “ooo wouldn’t it be nuts if it’s still alive down there today!?”

As if there weren’t vastly more terrifying animals already living down there.

I present: The Humboldt Squid.

Don’t think it’s all that scary next to a gigantic great white shark?

Well… it averages about 5ft in length (i.e. about as long as most people) and weighs an average of 110lbs.

They travel in shoals of 1,200 individuals, have a reputation of being aggressive towards humans (although this may only be under specific circumstances), and have been seen migrating as far north as Alaska from the warmer waters off of Mexico.

Colloquially, they’re sometimes called “Diablo Rojo” or “Red Devil” for their tendency to flash red and white colors while attacking.

Fuck the (extinct) giant shark, there’s much scarier things in the ocean as is already.

[merakiui]

ooh, Mera!!! any tips to seduce Jade?

In the context of TMDG (because Jade is so seduced in the fic), I think it boils down to a few key things that will leave Jade absolutely smitten:

✧ have the same crazy energy as him. You're passionate about and obsessed with Floyd (wrong eel in Jade's humble opinion), while (unbeknownst to you) Jade is very infatuated with you. The two of you are so unhealthily obsessed, so in a way it's like a mirror reflection. And Jade likes that sort of energy. You always liven up a room because you're so genuinely, painfully you. Also, he just likes being able to tease you when you're in the middle of monologuing about why Floyd is so perfect lol.

✧ engage in the weird flirt-banter Jade likes to have with you. Is he flirting? Is he threatening? Is he foreshadowing????? Is he plotting something???????? You can never know, but ooooo does it get his blood pumping when you snap back with your own witty retorts. Similarly to how Floyd gets hyped for a fight or a challenge (if he's in the mood), banter leaves Jade an excited wreck, especially if you can't come up with anything good and so you default to: "stupid, sly eel" or "asshole eel" or any insult placed before eel. He thinks you're so cute when you're insulting him.

✧ know little things about him. Though he doesn't like being transparent, he is immensely touched when you remember certain details about him (details he would have thought were easily forgettable because you're so focused on Floyd and everything he is). So when you bring up the mountain lovers club or his interest in mushrooms and you show genuine curiosity for these hobbies of his? Oh, he wants to marry you right now!

✧ you sort of have him wrapped around your finger. He's like a big, scary guard dog who is collared by his overwhelming attraction to you (metaphorically, of course, but then he wouldn't mind it in the literal sense) and if you were to tug on his leash he'd come padding forwards. He's just so whipped for you, and there's something enticing to Jade about this fragile human having so much power over him. He would kill for you, sacrifice everything for you, drop everything and elope with you, carve out his heart to please you. So why do you continue to chase after Floyd? :(

✧ be yourself and don't hold back. Jade likes unfiltered, shameless you. The you who treats failure like it's the end of the world when it was really just one small blunder. The you who is so wrapped up in an uncertain romance. The you who eats his cooking and grades it accordingly, lowering the score when he annoys you out of petty childishness. The you who is so easy to please when he puts on Floyd's voice. Every part of you captivates. Even the sides of you that are ugly and not the healthiest, he loves those just as much.

✧ there's so much more I could write, but just know he is in love with you and doesn't want you to change for the world. <3

[qliphothtako]

the devil with sunset-colored hair

[encrucijada]

i wanna write about angels

[review-anon]

Fun fact: It is quite common that after you die, you burp a lot as you have more gas build up. Dead bodies can also sit up on their own sometimes. @shsl-printmaker

Its also why you shouldn't approach dead whales.

When the body breaks down after death bacteria start to digest the body and this produces various gases like methane and hydrogen sulifate, this is actually the second phase of death and it can cause the corpse to bloat in size as a result of this gas build up. Its all down to cellar breakdown.

B-but what does that have to do with why shouldn't approach dead whales?

Because normally the corpses burp to release that gas but in whales there is no areas the gas can escape so it builds up and up until eventually they literally explode and if you are standing too close to the whale, then you might join it.

Whhhaattt? Is that why Gundham tells us to stay away from them when they die?

Correct and this is why authorites advise you that should you find a dead whale to never approach it as you won't know if a gas explosion could occur and you would be drenched in dead whale remains which can stink for ages and if its a large whale, you could die from the explosion.

[amalgamationink]

NAPOWRIMO25 #9: corpse-whale

[dark-elf-writes]

Binghe cooking for his Mama Wuxian to make sure he’s always happy and healthy and will never leaves or dies

Plus, you know, he gets head pats and hugs and kisses whenever he makes Wwx’s favorite foods so that helps

And you know Wei Wuxian would have A Thing about food considering he transmigrated right after the first siege of the Burial Mounds so he remembers being hungry far more than he remembers being a pseudo young master of a wealthy sect without thirteen years to dull the ache of memory.

Memories of the shidis (easier to remember as alive when he himself looked like he did before Lotus Pier burned) and A-Yuan are also fresh in his mind, so he definitely gives plenty of head pats and affection in the easy mindless way of a parent. Affection that Binghe soaks up so readily.

[enbycrip]

[shadowsayshi]

thinking about the potential of whale falls in the soul eater universe ...

[spider-artdump]

[anime-ships-all-good]

Kizami Yuuya x Mochida Satoshi x Kishinuma Yoshiki

Corpse Party

[terra-tortoise]

do emperors only form at the moment of death or cpuld you hypothetically move 3 long dead imp bodies together and create an emperor? dragon corpses must exist bc 1) emperors 2) earth flight cairnstone rest skeletal dragons. what are the funerary rights of each flight?