Deities Daily

A blog dedicated to exploring and sharing the aspects of different supernatural, religious, and mythological beings

[deitiesdaily]

Are you still alive or active?

While I still post frequently on my main blog, Deities Daily has not been active in quite some time.

I’m very pleased with the progress I made, however, and I hope that you and other users will continue to look through these posts and have at least half as much fun reading them as I did writing them.

[deitiesdaily]

Is there a demon named chenor?

I did an article about Chenor a while back, but there was few information to be found about him when I first conducted my research back in May of last year. 

However, if you (or anyone, really) would be able to supply the blog with more information pertaining to this particular demon, that would be very much obliged!

[deitiesdaily]

hello i am a 13 year old boy doing a heritage fair project on thunderbird and are wondering if i can use your images

Of course! Just be sure to follow the links (if they are provided, as the ones with links are ones I got from various artist websites) and provide credit to the original sources. Most of them were simply found using Google Images, though like I said, I believe a few of those pictures are from a couple of artist websites. I’d try and ask permission from those artists personally if I were you, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind as long as you gave them credit.

[deitiesdaily]

September 11th, 2013 - The Night Parade

How is everyone out there doing? Good, I hope? If you're feeling bad, then try and cheer up!

Anyway, since I love the yokai of Japanese mythology so much, today I've decided to talk about a particular concept involving these demons that I've mentioned before during one of my previous articles, called the Hyakki Yagyō! What's that, you ask? We'll, you'll have to read and find out!

In Japanese folklore, the Hyakki Yagyō was the term given to the annual "parade" that the yokai participated in, in which they would all gather up and march through the streets of towns on Summer nights. In fact, Hyakki Yagyō translates literally to "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons". Anyone unfortunate to stumble across this parade was sure to perish, unless they were protected by an onmyoji's (Japanese sorcerers) handwritten anti-yokai scrolls. In fact, only onmyoji clan heads were said to be powerful enough to walk by one of these processions unaffected.

For those of you who don't know what a yokai is, I definitely recommend taking a look at some of my earlier articles, such as the Tanuki or Kasa-obake. But to put it simply, "yokai" was a catch-all term used to refer to the many demons, ghosts, and spirits so prevalent in Japanese folklore, ranging anywhere from living pieces of cloth to women who breathed ice.

The yokai that leads the Hyakki Yagyō is the Nurarihyon, who is depicted as a little old man with a very large head, best known for sneaking into people's houses while they are busy or away and making himself at home, usually by preparing a cup of tea, treating the place as if it were his own pad. Talk about an uninvited guest. According to some sources, they are more likely to appear as the year draws to its end. However, there is another entity in Japanese folklore that shares the Nuraihyon's name: a floating, misshapen mass that vaguely resembles the head of a human. Seemingly only appearing in the Bisan Strait, these things would float on and on until someone tried to take it out of the water. It would sink below the waves, only to resurface a few minutes later to taunt them.

The Hyakki Yagyō is a very popular artistic theme in Japanese culture, made mostly famous by printmaker Toriyama Sekien, who attempted to categorize the yokai of his country's folklore in an illustrated bestiary, which he called the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō; literally "The Illustrated Night Parade of One Hundred Demons". The series (consisting of four books) serves as an encyclopedic picture book for these creatures.

[deitiesdaily]

Hey, I've always had an interest in all things supernatural and mythological, and recently have a begun a project I have to do for college. My project is on the myth, legend and folklore of Great Britain and Ireland, and I'd be very grateful if you could point me in the direction of anything I absolutely must include. Any suggestions would be wonderful! Thank you :)

European folklore, huh? I'd love to hep you out!

For Ireland, I would definitely recommend mentioning some of the more well-known beings from folklore, as well as a few of lesser known ones. For the more well-knowns, I would include the Banshee, Cu and Cat Siths (might be fun to compare and contrast them...), the Dullahan (he's one of the Unseelie, as opposed to the other fairy court, the Seelie; talk about these classifications and their individual traits!), Selkies, and Kelpies. As for the lesser known ones, I would really love to see someone talk about the Leanan Sidhe. In fact, you should talk about all of the Aos Sí, which is the supernatural race of fairies all of these figures belonged to...save for Kelpies. I would almost recommend avoiding talking about Leprechauns because they're a bit cliche. Like you could be all like, "Did you know there are other fairies in Irish folklore besides just the Leprachaun?" and then bam talk about the Aos Sí.

After you've talked about these guys, I would move on to discussing major gods and goddess of the Celtic pantheon. Cu Chulainn is a fantastic character appearing in the Ulster Cycle, which is basically one of four big collections of legends and such from Celtic legend. Cu Chulainn being the prominent character, he trains with the warrior queen Scathach and meets the goddess Morrigan (who made love with the giant god Dagda) over the course of the tale. But there are other Celtic deities that are still pretty noteworthy even if they don't have a role in that story, such as Dagda's daughter Brigid, or Arianrhrod. I would also definitely talk about the god Lugh, and the story of Pryderi.

The best part about Pryderi is that his story has mention of England in it! Which brings us to discussing the folklore of Great Britain. To my knowledge there aren't really any gods or goddesses when it comes to talking about English folklore, so be sure to compensate by talking about all the lovely little fairy folk; like Brownies (and Boggarts), Tommyknockers, and the Redcaps. Talk about Jack Frost, too; and the Sandman...at least I'm pretty sure the Sandman is British. Double-check me on that one.

But honestly, I think it would be both really interesting and pretty hilarious if you talked about the demonic Spring-heeled Jack, an urban legend from the United Kingdom who looks like he was a prototype for Batman.

I really hope my recommendations helped! If you have any more questions or need any more help when it comes to completing your project, know that my ask box is always open!

[deitiesdaily]

I was wondering how many deities there are the are involved or surrounded by death and the ideals surrounding death. I know the Grim Reaper is one. And what are those deities backgrounds. Thank you so much for your time and for answering this question, it's greatly appreciated.

Hmm…this is a pretty open-ended question, anon!

Generally speaking, I’d say it’s safe to assume that in every pantheon, there exists a god or goddess of death. With that said, it’s a bit difficult to pin point just how many deities there are associated with death, considering that some pantheons may have one or two major gods of death, while other gods or goddesses in the same pantheon might be slightly associated with it without death being at the core of their concept. That’s especially true when talking about stuff like Christianity, as there are quite a few angels associated with death rather than just one…even if these roles are sometimes pretty minor. For example, while Samael is considered an angel of death, the archangel Michael is considered his more benevolent counterpart. According to Islamic tradition though, Azrael is the archangel of death and retribution. There are even MORE gods pertaining to death, particularly funerary processes, when it gets down to Egyptian mythology…such as Anubis or Osiris, lord of the dead.

If I were to list the ones I’m more familiar with, though…

Thanatos, from Greek mythology was associated with more peaceful deaths, while his sisters, the Keres, were associated with more gruesome ends. I guess you could include Hades here too, since he’s the lord of the Underworld and such…

Kali was a goddess from Hindu mythology that although I have yet to talk about, I know is associated not only with death, but also time, change, and destruction. I really like the close relationship of these associations, though…time brings change, which brings destruction and death; but good things too! Like new life. It’s important to realize that death is not always a gruesome concept, as it can also mean new beginnings. It’s all culture-sensitive!

Let me use another example to reiterate what I mean. The Aztec goddess of death is Itzpaplotl, was considered the queen of the Tzitzmitl, skeletal females of the stars, who descended upon the earth during solar eclipses (which was said to be caused by these women attacking the sun itself) to feed on humans. Despite this, they were said to be protectors of women, particularly midwives and women in labor, and are also seen as symbols of fertility. Itzapaplotl herself lives in and rules over Tamoachan, where the spirits of women who died in child birth were said to reside. Here, a tall tree grows where the spirits of dead children reclaim their strength before reincarnation.

But of course, not all interpretations of death are as optimistic. Celtic folklore has the Dullahan: a headless and malevolent horseman that acted as Irish grim reapers. Where the Dullahan stops is horse is where someone is fated to die, and by calling out one’s name he is able to draw out one’s soul, dooming them to die at the spot he has directed. Celtic folklore also has the Cu Sith and the Banshee, but it's important to mention that Celtic mythology doesn't just have fairies involved with death, but also figures such as the goddess Morrigan or the warrior queen Scathach.

I hope that my lecture answered your question! If you’re looking for more information, Wikipedia has a great directory of articles featuring deities pertaining to death here.

[deitiesdaily]

July 21st, 2013 - Gandharva

Hmm...I always feel like I could use more Hindu mythology around here. I really sorta' like it, but sometimes I'm anxious writing about it because there's usually a lot to take note of...But there's no sense in worrying about that sort of thing! Today, we'll be talking about the Gandharva, who I mentioned in a previous article...

Nature spirits of Hindu mythology, the Gandharva are the husbands of the Apsara: airy spirits of dance. Sometimes described as being half-bird and half-equine, the Gandharva possess excellent musical skills. At feasts and parties, Gandharvas would sing and play music while their wives, the Apsaras, danced for the enjoyment of the company. A lot of these sorts of get-togethers happened Indra's (the storm god) pad on top of Mt. Meru. With that said, according to Buddhism many Gandharva were actually followers of Jikokuten, one of the four Heavenly Kings, whose duty was to protect the East. Also according to Buddism, the Gandharva were considered low-ranking devas in accordance with cosmology. If a person was reborn as a Gandharva, that meant they had followed only the basis of ethics, and it was in fact quite embarrassing for a monk to be of no better birth than one of these reincarnations.

Singing was not the only thing the Gandharva were known for; they could also bestow fantastic singing abilities onto others! Er, girls at least. With that said though, many popular singers are sometimes referred to as Gandharvas. While these spirts were associated with healing and medicine, they also possessed the ability to cause madness. Sometimes, the Gandharva would act as messengers for the gods, akin to Hermes of Greek myth. They lived in both the sky, and in forest ponds and glades. While they seem to be mostly benevolent, some were known to disturb monks while they mediated, while others would sometimes have sex with and impregnate young girls only to leave them afterwards.

The Sanskrit epic Mahabharata refers to them as warriors, which make sense when you keep in mind that these guys apparently had a pretty fierce rivalry with the snake-like Naga race. The Gandharva are also tasked with preparing and guarding soma, the ritual drink of the gods. 

On a side note, the Gandharva also lend their name to a type of marriage, appropriately called Ganharva marriages. In these unions, the marriage is solely on the mutual attraction between man and women, noted for not having any rituals, witnesses, or family participation as part of its routine.

[deitiesdaily]

July 20th, 2013 - Strigoi

Okay, time for a new sect of mythology! Today, I'll be talking about a figure from Romania! With so many countries in Europe all having such diverse pantheons and such, I'm glad I didn't just hunk them all together in a European Mythology category. That would have been way boring! Anyway, today's guest is the Strigoii!

According to Romanian legend, the Strigoii, or Strigoi depending on how many "i"s you prefer in a given word, were a breed of vampires that can only be described as double dead. Or at least in most cases. See there are commonly two types of vampires in Romanian mythology: the Strigoi, dead vampires, and the Moroi, the living vampires. The Strigoi is very similar to say, the Asian Jiang Shi, in that it has the qualities of both a zombie and a vampire.

But before we go into discussing more about the Strigoi's characteristics, it's important that I inform you of the many ways one of these creatures may come into being. First and foremost, when a Moroi was killed, that vampire would simply resurrect as a Strigoi. Sort of like an extra life in a video game. However, there were numerous ways that a human corpse might turn into one of these monsters as well...a cat could jump over the corpse, or any sort of animal could pass over it...or the body might not have been buried correctly, or if a shadow was cast on the corpse's open coffin...or if the person, in life, had died from suicide, or if they were unmarried and died with unrequited love. Not to mention that there were some people that were pretty guaranteed to become Strigoi's upon death anyway, like kids born with cauls, or seventh sons. If a vampire so much as stared at a woman's womb, it was pretty likely that her kids were going to become vampires too. Other sources say black magic could be used to resurrect a corpse as a Strigoi, or even turn a living human being into one.

Luckily enough, there are lots of methods on how to locate and eradicate a Strigoi while its still sleeping under the earth, as to subdue these creatures before they become a serious threat. Graves occupied by a Strigoi were fairly easy to locate, as blue flames would hover above them, as if some sort of invisible candle was hanging there. Other times vampire hunters would employ the help of a 7-year-old boy, dressing him in white and placing him atop a white steed. Letting the horse run free though the graveyard, it was said that it would stop when it came to the grave of a Strigoi. Not only that, but Strigoi's would always rest with one blood red (some sources say blue) eye open, staring at all those came past. Plus, there bodies never decayed, and because they couldn't breath under there, lots of them poked holes in their coffins...so picking them out from the rest of the corpses probably didn't prove too difficult.

In order to vanquish a Strigoi, there are quite a few ways..a sickle through the heart seems to do the trick, but others have subdued these creatures effectively by ripping out their hearts and setting them on fire while prayer is being said. The person digging up the grave might strike the head of the Strigoi with the head of his shovel, filling the mouth of the corpse with herbs. To distract a Strigoi, one might spread poppy seeds, clothes, or petals all around the monster's grave at night. When they awoke to reign terror, they would notice said items and work vigorously to clean them up. Some sources say that to completely avoid an encounter with a Strigoi, men would go to bed, drunk, on wine, as this would make their blood become unpalatable to the vampire. This is a bit odd to include though, as the slow-walking, double-hearted Strigoi don't actually suck blood unless it is from someone they knew in life. Instead, these vampires sap peoples energy, leaving them sickly and weak. They would also spread diseases from house to house, (the Strigoi would infect entire families, with the only cure being to burn the body of the first family member to go and have the rest drink water mixed with the ashes) and could even turn invisible to go full-on poltergeist on someone's ass. Throwing around objects...dousing fires...the works. Strigoi could also turn into animals.

[deitiesdaily]

July 19th, 2013 - Mokumokuren

Hehe, even if I practically just got done talking about a whole bunch of yokai, I'm already in the mood to talk about another one...gosh do I love these guys. Today I'll be talking about another one of the tsukumogami: introducing, Mokumokuren!

What's a tsukumogami, you ask? Well, for the readers who don't know, the tsukumogami were a sort of breed of yokai if you will; ghosts born from inanimate objects that had reached 100 years of age. After 100 years of service, these objects developed souls, and although most are simply mischievous, they will often seek revenge upon a human(s) if they were carelessly discarded or wasted. Ceremonies were sometimes performed to prevent an inanimate object from becoming one of these monsters.

The Mokumokuren in particular is a ghost born from mistreated tatami mats, paper walls, and sliding doors, that, through age and mistreatment, have developed many holes. Manifesting as a swarm of many eyes, the Mokumokuren will cause eyeballs to pop out of each and every little hole. Very odd choice in interior design if you ask me. And probably one you don't want in your home...rumor has it that those who stared at any of these eyes long enough would lose their sight...and maybe even their eyeballs.

According to one story, there once was a man who was very determined to stay in a house that had a Mokumokuren in it. Perhaps as a test or courage? He attempted to ignore the ghost by wrapping a blanket around his entire body, then fell asleep. But when he awoke, he found that his eyeballs were missing. But not to worry! If for some reason you find yourself plagued by a Mokumokuren, all you have to do is patch up all the holes, and the ghost will be dispelled. But according to another story, you might be better off just removing the eyes rather than covering them up...

A very cheap traveling merchant who once tried to save money by sleeping in an abandoned house once found himself confronted by a Mokumokuren, but rather than patching the paper wall, simply removed all the eyeballs and made a profit by selling them to an eye surgeon. But who in their right mind would want to buy ghost eyes?

[deitiesdaily]

July 18th, 2013 - Cimeies

I counted recently, and so far, the blog has around 30 articles pertaining to Ars Goetian demons! That's a bit to of a surprise to me...I thought I was closer to having covered all of them...oh well! All there is to do is keep on writing, you know? Today, we'll be talking about the demon Cimeies!

Also spelled as Kimaris, Cimeies is listed as number 66 in the Ars Goetia; though he is also mentioned in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and The Rosie Crucian Secrets. According to the latter, Cimeies was presumably a helpful angel before his fall, known as Cimeiriel or Chamaris. However, this could also just be simple speculation. What we do know though, is that as a demon, Cimeies holds the title of Marquis, and has 20 legions under his command; though he also holds control over all the spirits in Africa. Pretty impressive.

Cimeies appears as a god-like warrior, riding a jet black horse. His specialties include tutoring grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and possesses the ability to locate hidden or lost treasures. Maybe that includes car keys? I don't think car keys count as "lost treasure", though...But if a summoner was looking to become tougher, he might ask Cimeies to make him into a warrior, which he was perfectly capable of doing! However, in doing so, the summoner would take on Cimeies' likeness.

Interestingly enough, according to Wade Baskin's Dictionary of Satanism, Cimeies name is derived from a group of people known as the Cimmerians, who specialized in waging war and were said to live in complete darkness. The alternate spelling of Cimeies' name, Kimaris, might also associate this demon with fire, darkness, and desire, as this alternate spelling could very well have been derived from the Hebrew word "kemar", which of course means, well, fire, darkness, and desire.

On a side note, there is a demon listed in the Munich Handbook of Necromancy that shares Cimeies' characteristics, known as Tuvries. The two seem to be incredibly similar save for the fact that Tuvries has 30 legions rather than 20, and also possesses the ability to enable a person to cross bodies of water quickly.

[deitiesdaily]

July 17th, 2013 - Sandman

How's everyone out there doing? Good, I hope? It feels like it's been decades since I talked about any figures from European folklore, so I think that's what I'll do today. I've actually been meaning to talk about this particular figure for quite a while...So let's go ahead and get started! Today's figure is the Sandman!

Most commonly, the Sandman is the name of a character from European folklore that is said to bring dreams to children at night while they sleep, and aid those who have not yet began to slumber in resting peacefully. This was done by sprinkling magical sand into their eyes, which the Sandman kept on hand. The dreams brought on by this sand were reflective of the child's behavior: naughty children might receive bad dreams, or no dreams at all, while good children got well, good dreams. Legend says that the grit you get in your eyes in the morning (called rheum) is a result of his handiwork.

Ole Lukøje, a folk tale starring the Sandman written in 1841 by Hans Christian Andersen, depicts him carrying two umbrellas: one with pictures on the inside, and one without. Though this version of the Sandman would still use sand to get children to sleep, he would use these umbrellas to provide them with dreams. As stated before, the child's behavior would determine the types of dreams they received. For children that had behaved well, the Sandman would open up the picture-filled umbrella above them, filling them with all sorts of lovely stories and images. As for naughty children, they got the blank umbrella, which meant nothing but extra sleep.

But in the same folk tale, the Sandman's nature begins to shift. Hans Christian Andersen describes him not only as a helpful little man who brings sleep to children, but also as Death himself, leading souls to their final rest. Though by no means does the Sandman seem to be a malevolent sort of guy...unless you're talking about E.T.A. Hoffman's version of the fellow. The German author wrote a story depicting the Sandman as a very nasty, sinister sort of creature who would throw sand in the eyes of children that wouldn't sleep. Rather than bringing about dreams, this sand caused children's eyes to fall right out of their head, which the Sandman would collect and bring to his children for food. If that wasn't strange enough, this story also describes the Sandman's place of residence as an iron nest on the moon.

Maybe the type of Sandman that visits you is all up to how you behave...

[deitiesdaily]

July 16th, 2013 - Bloody Mary

Hey there, everyone! Today's article was inspired by one of my good friends, who, in conversation, mentioned the Bloody Mary while talking about things she was afraid of as a kid. So I thought, hey! Why not write an article about Bloody Mary?

Although the Bloody Mary is also the name of a cocktail made by mixing tomato juice, vodka, and spices, we'll be talking about the folklore figure today, or rather, the ritual invoking her. Likely originating from the 1960-70's, there are many ways to supposedly "summon" her, though the original incantation she most likely came from at all didn't have anything to do with blood or a girl named Mary! Historically speaking, the Bloody Mary is a very butchered version of a ritual in which young girls would walk up a set of stairs backwards while holding a candle in one hand, and a mirror in the other with the lights off.

As they looked into the mirror, it was said they would be able to view the face of their future husband. However, for some unlucky girls, a skull might appear in the mirror instead, meaning that they would die before they even got the chance to be wed. Some other versions of this ritual call for the girl to comb her hair and eat an apple before the mirror if she wishes for the face to appear.

With all the superstition regarding mirrors, it's no wonder that this ritual gave birth to such a wild ghost story. Everyone knows the old saying that claims breaking a mirror brings bad luck, and there are some who believe, or possibly still believe, that the faces of the dead should never be reflected in a mirror, or they will be unable to rest. But mirrors aside, the Bloody Mary ritual nowadays is usually performed on a dare, and involves the ritualistic chanting of the ghost's name: Bloody Mary.

But who is Bloody Mary? It's hard to say. Some say she is the ghost of a beautiful, narcissistic girl whose face was horribly disfigured in a bloody car accident, while in other versions her story is almost identical to that of the La Llorona. The car accident theory seems to hold more weight, as the story goes that in life, she was always checking her appearance in the mirror. Makes sense that she would be so distressed about it getting messed up...when properly summoned, Bloody Mary has been known not only to curse or scream at her victims, but might even drink their blood or strangle them...some say she is even capable of stealing souls and bodies. Scratching peoples' eyes out though, seems to me to be the worst fate.

[deitiesdaily]

July 15th, 2013 - Caladrius

Still very humid here...I don't think it'll ever let up! Well, until fall rolls arouns...Anyway, today we'll be focusing a bit on Roman mythology! Today's creature, the Caladrius, is actually one I've been meaning to talk about for a while now, so let's not waste any time! Heeeere's Caladrius!

Featured in medieval Roman mythology, the Caladrius was a pure white bird that looked something like a cross between a dove and a heron; possibly a white plover (pictured below). These birds would dwell within the house of kings. However, they did not serve the king directly, and were more like living vaccines than nurses or attendants. Let me explain; the Caladrius served to cleanse the sick of their illnesses. However, it it came across a patient that wasn't going to make it, Caladrius would look away: a sure indicator that they were as good as dead.

But if the patient had at least some chance of survival, the Caladrius would maintain eye contact in order to literally draw whatever illness the person was suffering from into itself. Then, it would fly away quickly, racing towards the sun, where the disease would be burnt up. The Caladrius would then return, curing not only itself of the disease, but the patient as well. Obviously a lot more effective than whatever modern medicine had to offer way back when...and sort of more effective than what we have now, actually...

To some, the Caladrius simply serves as a metaphor for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who took away sin from mankind in the way that Caladrius takes illness away. However, Caladrius, like many Roman mythical creatures and deities, had a Greek predecessor. This bird was called the Dhalion, who like Caladrius, was a bird with healing properties. So in some sense, the Caladrius is both a mythical creature and a Christian analogy.

Ironically, Caladrius was actually considered very unclean bird whose consumption was fiercely advised against. But who would want to eat a bird that cures illnesses in a snap anyway?

[deitiesdaily]

July 14th, 2013 - Zerachiel

Another request! This one came at a good time...I haven't really talked about many angels in a while. So today, we'll be talking about the angel Zerachiel!

Known as "God's Command", Zerachiel is listed in the Book of Enoch as one of the seven archangels, though depending on the religion his spot is taken by Sariel or Selaphiel; with Selaphiel more associated with Catholicism, and Sariel more associated with Judaism. In any case, Zerachiel is primarily an angel of healing, and is also one of the many angels responsible for leading the souls of those who have passed to receive judgement.

He also serves as the prince of the angels tasked with watching over mortals, especially children; and even more so of children whose parents lead sinful lives, who in turn might pass their destructive behavior onto their kin. Zerachiel is not only the presiding angel of the sun, but is also said to have dominion over earth, providing care to wildlife and the environment.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Angels also credits him with the ability to help with memory problems, trouble with sleep and dreams, and lost pets. 

[deitiesdaily]

July 13th, 2013 - Kullervo

With a lot of sections of mythology needing some more articles, I'm glad that I have readers to make recommendations on what sort of mythology to write about, as well as whom. Today, upon request, I'll be taking a look at Kullervo; a character from Finnish myth. So let's get started!

Kullervo is a feature character in five of the 50 chapters of the Kalevala: a 19th-century compiled collection of significant works from Finnish literature, regarded as Finland's national epic. Chapters 31 through 36 give us a brief but tragic look at Kullervo's character, which goes a little something like this...

In the story, Kullervo has two uncles by the name of Kalervo and Untamo, notorious for their constant one-upping. Although they were raised separately from each other, the two brothers eventually came together one faithful day when Untamo decided it would be a good idea to fish in Kalervo's fishing spot. Seeing this, Kalervo steals Untamo's net, along with all the fish he caught with it. And thus the rivalry began...Many disputes and confrontations later, Untamo becomes so fed-up with his brother that he declares war, killing all of Kalervo's tribe save for his sister, Untamala, who surrenders and submits herself to him, and gives birth to Kullervo soon after. However, some versions say that Untamala instead had a virgin birth.

When Kullervo is only three months old, he begins to promise revenge and destruction upon Untamo for what he did, so Untamo tries to kill the young boy before he can make these threats real. However, any attempt made to kill the boy doesn't seem to work, as he is consistently saved by his supposed latent magical powers. Drowning him doesn't work. Setting him on fire doesn't work. Even flat out hanging him doesn't end with the desired result. So Untamo just sort of gives up and allows him to live and tries to find work for Kullervo, but because of his latent magic powers and wild, unpredictable nature, he proves ill-fit to complete any sort of task given to him, be it housework or cutting wood. Untamo decides to get rid of the boy once and for all by simply selling him into slavery.

Sold to Ilmarinen, a blacksmith and inventor known as the "Eternal Hammerer", Kullervo's only memento from his past life is a knife he had as a child. As a slave, he is raised in isolation as his magic powers and fierce temper continue to grow. Things might not have been so bad had it not been for Ilmarinen's wife, who found quite a lot of enjoyment in tormenting the young boy. One particular day she asks Kullervo to go out and tend to the livestock, with only a loaf of bread (filled with stones) to eat, and a poem invoking protection and prosperity to aid him. When Kullervo goes to cut the bread with his childhood knife, it breaks on the stones hidden in the bread. Enraged, Kullervo casts a curse on the livestock that makes them turn into bears, which in turn kill Ilmarinen's wife. Kullervo then flees from slavery, and soon finds out from a traveling old woman that his family is actually still alive! All except for his sister, who is presumed to be dead. Traveling to north, Kullervo reunites with them there.

Kullervo's father has just about the same amount of luck in trying to find work for his son. However, Kullervo proves to be successful at collecting tributes for the tribe upon his father's instruction, but on the way back, meets a beggar girl whom he ends up seducing and sleeping with. The next day, Kullervo finds out that this beggar girl was actually his long lost sister, and after she comes to realize the situation, promptly commits suicide out of shame. Kullervo returns to his family to deliver the bad news.

After confessing to his family that he slept with his sister, Kullervo intends to kill himself as well, though his mother begs him not to. So instead, Kullervo decides to take out his emotions on Untamo in order to finally get revenge. Though his family attempts to dissuade him from doing so, warning that the path he walks is an evil and fruitless one, Kullervo has his mind set on revenge. Because of this, his family rejects him, all except for his mother. But Kullervo still refuses to change his mind, and begins to prepare for his quest. As he is doing so, however, all of his family members begin to die off. He doesn't mourn for any of them except his mother, who was the only one to ever show him love. 

Choosing not to attend any of his family's funerals, not even his mother's, Kullervo then travels to meet with Ukko, the god of the sky, who gives him a magic broadsword, which he uses to kill Untamo, as well as every single last member of his tribe, effectively wiping them all out before burning their village to the ground. With is goal completed, he returns to his home only to find it empty. As reality slowly begins to sink in, Kullervo begins to weep, crying for days before calling out for his mother, who appears to him as a spirit. His mother's spirit tells him to go into the forest, hoping that the wood nymphs there would shelter and protect him.

Making his way into the forest, Kullervo instead stumbles upon the corpse of his long lost sister. Understandably, Kullervo finally snaps, drawing his sword and asking it to take his life. Being a magic sword and all, the weapon bursts into song, claiming it doesn't care what sort of life it takes, be it guilty or just. With that, Kullervo plunges the sword through his body and takes his own life.

But such a sad story is not without a moral: raise your kids right. Children should never be discarded or treated poorly, or they will surely suffer in the future.

[deitiesdaily]

July 12th, 2013 - Phenex

Our town is so humid during the summer...I can barely stand it! Oh well. I hope all my readers out there our enjoying their summer weather, at least. But anyway; today, we'll be talking about a demon from the Ars Goetia called Phenex! So sit back and enjoy.

Listed as the 37th demon in the Ars Goetia, Phenex is classified as a Great Marquis, and rules over twenty legions of demons. Cast out of heaven, he hoped to return in 1,200 years after his fall, but its unlikely that he'll ever make it back. As his name might suggest, Phenex bears some resemblance to the phoenix: mythical bird of flame, but only in some regard. While his tail feathers were decorated with red, orange, and yellow, the rest were a jet black, and tend to fall out as he flies through the night sky.

Phenex is said to be very obedient, and will teach the summoner of all sorts of sciences, but is equally as qualified in the arts of poetry and calligraphy. When summoned, Phenex appears in the form of a bird, singing with the voice of a small child. However, not only does Phenex seem to require a group of summoners to properly evoke him, but it is also important for those involved in the process to give the demon's singing no mind. Otherwise, the Phenex will hypnotize its victims with its song, causing them to practically serve themselves as food to him. They'll just walk right in!

In order to avoid this, the summoner and his companions should bid Phenex to take on human form. Although his human form was said to be quite ugly, it's much safer than his bird form...After that, things should apparently go pretty smoothly! Phenex is said to be an obedient summon, after all. But sources say that although he follows commands, he is very deceptive, and after tricking one into trusting him, will destroy them spiritually and psychologically. Above is his respected seal for all those interested, but I never recommend attempting to summon these guys unless you know what you're doing.

[deitiesdaily]

July 11th, 2013 - Astras

It's been a while since I talked about any sort of mythological weapons or artifacts, so as I searched for one to talk about, I stumbled across a very interesting bit of knowledge from Hinduism, and I'm very excited to say that today's article combines both weapon and deity in a pretty cool way. So let's learn about what these things are. For starters, they're called Astra! I don't have a lot of pictures, but I do have a whole ton of information!

According to Hinduism, astras were a type of mantra: a sound, syllable, word, or group of words capable of creating spiritual transformation. Astras themselves can easily be described as the weapons of the gods, with each one presided over by a specific entity. The invocation of these astras did not grant the user a real, physical weapon, but rather endowed an already existing one with supernatural power. Of course, several conditions had to be met in order to properly wield these astras, and any violation of said condition(s) could prove deadly to the user.

The mantras that were used to properly control an astra were passed down from teacher to pupil by word of mouth, but it is important to note that only those considered of worthy character were able to be taught to wield such power. But in some cases, knowledge of the mantra itself was not enough, and the astra had to be handed down from the presiding deity themselves. These astra are especially important in the stories of Hindu heroes and wars, as many warriors were said to have used these astra to aid them in battle. The most common case were in archers, who would imbue the astra into an arrow before firing, but any sort of object seems to be able to host an astra; even a single blade of grass.

Not all astra were used purely for attacking either; defensive astra existed as well. Such as that of Mohini, an avatar of the god Vishnu, that could dispel any type of illusion or magic. Other astras, such as the Sammohana (or Pramohana) astra could cause entire armies to collapse in a trance-like state, while the Parvata astra could summon an entire mountain to fall on a foe. But one of the more notable, and most destructive of these astra was called Pashupatastra, the personal weapon of Lord Shiva (and Kali, the goddess of death), which could only be taught by him. It was capable of vanquishing any being or destroy any creation. It would also summon several monster, and a large spirit that personified the weapon it was cast upon. It was also known to cause explosions on scale with a hydrogen bomb. Of course, due to its destructive and potent power it was never to be used on lesser enemies, and only to uphold the principle of Dharma: the law that upholds, supports, or maintains the order of the universe. In Hinduism, it refers more to the moral transformation and purification of the human being.

The rest of these astra are as follows...

Aindra astra, the astra of Indra, the god of weather, was capable of bringing down a shower of arrows from the sky.

Agneya astra, the astra of the fire god Agni, could imbue a weapon with inextinguishable flames.

Varuna astra, named for Varuna, the god of water, caused a weapon to release large volumes of water. Used as a way to counter the Agneya.

Two astras belonged to the Nagas, a group of serpent-like deities in Hindu lore: Naga astra (the weapon would always hit, turning into deadly and snake) and Naga paasha (upon impact, the weapon would become a venomous snake, entwining around and binding one's opponent)

The god of wind, Vayu, gave his name to the Vayu astra, which was capable of summoning winds that could blow away entire armies.

Surya, the god of the sun, watches over the Surya astra, which creates a penetrating beam of light that could shine through and dispel darkness.

Another one of Indra's astras was named for his weapon, the Vajra; the Vajra astra could strike down foes with bolts of lightning.

The celestial builder Twashtri's astra, named the Twashtar astra, could cause a group of foes to mistake each other for enemies.

The Manavastra belonged to Manu, the father of the human race, and could be used to overcome foes with supernatural protection. It could also transport its target hundreds of miles away, and can even inspire morality in the those with even the most wicked of hearts.

The god of water, Varuna, watched over the Varunapasha, which could create a noose that no man or god could escape from.

Bhaumastra was used to turn a weapon into something of a super shovel! Belonging to the goddess of earth, Būhmi, this astra was used to create deep tunnels through the earth and make jewels appear.

Similarly to the Aindra astra, the Bhargavaastra (of the Bhargava clan) could not only rain down a storm of all sorts of different weapons, but also destroy a military's tactical formation, and completely wipe out an enemy's defenses.

Shiva also had reign over the Maheshwarastra, which contained the power of his third eye. Using this astra, one could create an infallible beam of fire that could burn any foe into ash.

Brahma, the Creator, had the Brahmaastra, which could counter most any other astra and utterly destroy an opponent, (like the Pashupatastra, it was used more so to uphold Dharma) as well as the Brahmashira, which could make a weapon capable of killing gods. The Brahmashira was notably four times stronger than the Brahmaastra, but was only able to be wielded by those completely devoted to Brahma.

Vishnu's astras had to be learned from him directly. The Narayanaastra was a one-time astra attack that could create a shower of discs or arrows to rain down on an opponent, with increasing power depending on the enemy's defenses. However, if used a second time, it was likely the user would be the one to be injured. The other astra, the Vaishnavaastra, imbued a weapon with enough power to destroy an opponent completely and infallibly, regardless of their nature.