Otherworld Mythology

A mythology and culture blog featuring illustrations and text by me, with added assistance from the community! Please make use of the tab links below to navigate the blog!

[otherworldmythology]

Anansi

Originating in West Africa, likely from the Akan people in Ghana. He is known by many names and titles and due to the slave trade and migration his story has stretched across the sea to the Caribbean and America, becoming a staple character among African folktales. He is sometimes considered a god or lesser spirit, most known for his incredible wit, wisdom, and the stories told of him and by him. He appears often as his symbolic animal, the spider, equally skilled in weaving and intelligence. Anansi's stories most often feature him in some mischievous role or teaching a lesson. Some famous tales include: the sky god Nyame's stories becoming Anansi's, how his head became small and his behind large, Anansi and Tiger's rivalry, his hoarding of all wisdom in a calabash, and how he married his wife Aso. He is sometimes featured alongside other notable characters like Br'er Rabbit who also has origins in West Africa. He is used not only as a storyteller or comic relief, he is also representative of perseverance and tied to the hardships Africans went through during the slave trade, now a lasting symbol brought over with them and rooted into several countries' folklore.

Pantheon: Akan, African Diaspora

Domain or Function: Spider trickster being who teaches lessons and entertains with stories of his quick thinking and antics, sometimes also a messenger for the sky god Nyame or a deity in his own right.

Alternate Names: Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, Anancy, Ba Anansi, Nanzi, Nancy, Aunt Nancy, Sis Nancy, and other variations.

Character Traits: Incredibly smart and a quick thinker, a wonderful storyteller. Often acts for selfish or comical reasons but can sometimes also act for the benefit of others.

Visual Traits: Shown either as a spider, a man, or a man-spider in some fashion, with multiple limbs or the lower half of a spider, or sometimes as a spider with a human's head.

Symbolism: Spider

Design Notes: Wearing traditional West African clothing made of kente. On his necklace and textiles he has the symbols for Gye Nyame (for the god Nyame), Ananse Ntentan (for the spider's web), and a spider on the front. Around his waist situated on his back is his calabash to resemble a spider's abdomen. He has eight limbs in the form of cartoony stretching limbs, colored to mimic orb weaver spiders!

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5

[otherworldmythology]

Ik the list is long already but I remembered Deer Woman from native american cultures want I wanted to request her after seeing you do White Buffalo Calf Woman.

Will add her to the list!

[otherworldmythology]

🐦‍⬛NATIVE PACIFIC NORTHWEST🐦‍⬛

Disclaimer: These will be constantly updated and will not have everybody on them immediately! Gods who feature in multiple regions or pantheons will have tags for all regions and pantheons they were a part of. If you see anything missing or off please feel free to contact me!

🐦‍⬛Click here to view all Native Pacific Northwest chibis!

🐦‍⬛Source links at the bottom!

Scattered across cold coastal areas are the indigenous people of the northwest, including the Haida, Tlingit, Eyak, Gitxsan, Kwakwakaʼwakw, and Makah. This area most famously gave rise to the imagery of the totem pole, a stacked pillar of often animal depictions that tell stories and relay the art of the people. In many myths the spirit of the famous Raven is present, a trickster who is known for bringing light to humanity, and tales tell of the regions beneath the sky and sea.

🐦‍⬛HAIDA

🗡️ Ta'xet: Spirit who recieves the souls of those who die violently at his house in the sky.

🪿 Tia: Spirit who warns of impending violent death.

🐦‍⬛Sources

Simple Wikipedia article on the people of the Pacific Northwest coast!

🐦‍⬛Haida Sources

Book on the studies of the Haida!

Book on some myths of the Haida!

Simple Wikipedia page on the mythology of the Haida!

[otherworldmythology]

Tia

Also called "Death-By-Violence". This spirit appears in many forms, sometimes a groaning entity in the woods or, most disturbingly, a headless bird in flight, crying "tia, tia!" just before the untimely gruesome death of someone who sees it. In one story a bunch of men were in a canoe and all except one named K'adja'-i saw the headless bird fly past. At night they heard a groan around the campfire, and all except K'adja'-i were struck dead. A similar spirit is called Ta'xet, who has a mansion in the sky where the violently killed go.

Pantheon: Haida

Domain or Function: Warns of impending violent death.

Alternate Names: Death-By-Violence

Character Traits: Said to foretell a violent death.

Visual Traits: Appears in many forms, often a headless being with blood spurting from its neck.

Symbolism: Blood, headless body.

Design Notes: Depicted as a cormorant from the northwest (pegalic cormorant) with blood spurting from its headless body!

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[otherworldmythology]

Ta'xet - Tā'xet

High in the clouds lives the spirit Ta'xet in his mansion called Ta'xet nā'ga. Here are where humans go after they have died unexpectedly and violently. He is sometimes said to live here with his daughter and another being known as Sga'ngo, a chief's son transformed into a raven who punishes those who cause disturbances by boiling them in water. One tale says a man named Saqdō'ji died violently but heard his friends sobbing and intended to return by leaping from the sky house, but upon doing so found himself reborn. He was able to remember his past but not speak on it, and upon reaching adulthood was able to talk about it and Ta'xet. Another tale says people throw coals from the house to let others know they are above.

Pantheon: Haida

Domain or Function: Spirit who resides over the dead who have died violently.

Alternate Names: T'axxid

Character Traits: Not specifically given any.

Visual Traits: Not specifically given any, however the ta'xet is also a type of bluish salmon.

Symbolism: Death, possibly the sockeye salmon.

Design Notes: Traditional Haida inspired clothing with ripped pieces to represent the death of the body. His face is a transformation mask revealing a shocked skull on the inside, and behind his back he holds a knife. His outfit is decorated with blue salmon!

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[otherworldmythology]

White Buffalo Calf Woman

The tale says that long ago two men from the Lakota set out to hunt for food during a time of famine. During their hunt they encountered an alluring woman who descended from the clouds, dressed in white with dark features. The first man was overcome with lust for her and grabbed at her, only to be swept up in a mist and turned to bones in front of his friend. The second was told to tell his people to build an altar of cherry and sage, and so they did, for she would return with a gift the next day. During sunset the next day she appeared and walked clockwise around the altar, setting down the bundle and unraveling it to reveal the ceremonial pipe (čhaŋnúŋpa) with which they would reconnect with the great spirit Wakan Tanka, only to be used during prayer and to carry them back to their sacred spiritual connection with the world. She bestowed upon them the Seven Sacred Rites and left over a hill, turning first into a black buffalo, then red, then yellow, and finally white, granting her the name Ptesáŋwiŋ, the White Buffalo Calf Woman.

Pantheon: Lakota

Domain or Function: Holy woman who bestowed the ceremonial pipe, Seven Sacred Rites, and taught the Lakota how to return to their connection with Wakan Tanka.

Alternate Names: Ptesáŋwiŋ, Ptesan-Wi, Buffalo Calf Maiden.

Character Traits: Holy and with supernatural powers.

Visual Traits: Described as having dark skin, eyes, and hair, and dressed in white buckskin.

Symbolism: White buffalo, ceremonial pipe, sage.

Design Notes: Wears a white buffalo as a skin/second face which billows smoke from its nose. She wears a white buckskin dress with the four sacred directional colors as well as a medicine wheel with the same colors. She carries the ceremonial pipe as well as a bundle of sage!

Sources: 1 2 3

[otherworldmythology]

🦬NATIVE GREAT PLAINS🦬

Disclaimer: These will be constantly updated and will not have everybody on them immediately! Gods who feature in multiple regions or pantheons will have tags for all regions and pantheons they were a part of. If you see anything missing or off please feel free to contact me!

🦬Click here to view all Native Great Plains chibis!

🦬Source links at the bottom!

The plains of North America are home to many native nations including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, Blackfoot, Kiowa, Ojibwe, Kitsai, Pawnee, and Osage. The typical appropriated image of "Native Americans" borrows heavily from the Great Plaints groups, made up of combinations of their buckskin clothing, feathered head adornments, tipis, and associations with the buffalo and eagle. Their religious practices share similarities but vary between each group, many adopting the "Sun Dance" ceremony and a notion of 'holiness' that is earned through years of training.

🦬SIOUX

🦬Lakota

☁️ White Buffalo Calf Woman: Holy woman who descends from the clouds to give the Lakota the ceremonial pipe and seven sacred rites.

🦬Dakota

🦬Sources

Simple Wikipedia page on the Plains nations!

Simple Wikipedia page on the Lakota people!

List of Ojibwe books! (from Yenny!)

[otherworldmythology]

The Great Spirit

Several Native groups of the U.S. and Canada revere a presence called "The Great Spirit" which goes by many titles, representing an ever-present life force that exists and acts on all things. Usually this presence is a permeating supernatural force that simply exists, but in some stories does in fact act on the world in different ways, said to have breathed life into all things, given the land to specific groups, or saved the land after a great flood. Sometimes the spirit is believed to manifest in many forms, like the manitous of the Algonquian, and some are said to be able to speak for or through it such as the spiritual leader Tenskwatawa of the Shawnee. As Christianity bled into the Americas the concept of the Christian God too bled onto the practices of the Great Spirit, forming groups such as the Native American Church.

Pantheon: North American Native Groups

Domain or Function: Life force/energy that exists in all things and can act on them, sometimes thought of as an anthropomorphic spirit or god.

Alternate Names: Also known as The Great Mystery, Our Father, Father Sky, God, etc.. Wakan Tanka/Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka to the Lakota, Manitou to the Algonquian, Gitche-Manitou/Gichi-manidoo to the Anishinaabe, Apistotoke to the Blackfoot, Maheo to the Cheyennes, and many more names and titles.

Character Traits: Can be given none or several, almost always benevolent.

Visual Traits: Not typically given any visual traits.

Symbolism: Exists in all things, but often referred to with the sky or earth in mind.

Design Notes: Made use of common imagery in Native tribe flags (successions of dots, circle for the sky or earth, and a diamond) to make a non-descript design!

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

[otherworldmythology]

Friend suggested the idea of adding a little bullet point for why some of my chibis look the way they do, like a description, so I will be adding that slowly! I will also be adding the transparent version of each chibi, both for my own concern of losing them on my PC somehow and also if you would like to use them somehow! I only ask that you credit me if you do so!

[otherworldmythology]

Ariel - ʾÁrīʾēl - אֲרִיאֵל

Usually angel number 46 in the Shem HaMephorash listing of the Kabbalistic angels, their name meaning “the revealing God” or sometimes said to mean "lion of God". In Kabbalah, Ariel is a virtue who reveals hidden treasures and brings revelations, and has dominion over nature. The Bible verse attributed to them is “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." In mysticism and other sources Ariel is possibly just a name or a deity, and is sometimes given as an alternate name of the Gnostic deity Yaldabaoth. They can be attributed the title "lord of the earth" and associated with the elements and nature.

Pantheon: Kabbalah, Mysticism

Domain or Function: Revelations, lord of the Earth and nature.

Alternate Names: None, though sometimes confused with the angel Uriel.

Character Traits: Dominion over the elements and helps revealing messages to humans.

Visual Traits: Unknown

Symbolism: Unknown

Sources: 1 2 3

[otherworldmythology]

Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór!

👍

[otherworldmythology]

Flatwoods Monster

On September 12th, 1952, Edward May, Fred May, and their friend Tommy Hyer reported seeing a bright light fly across the sky and land on a farm nearby. Returning with their mother and other kids they headed toward the farm and saw a pulsing red light, and when a flashlight was shone they saw a tall humanoid figure with a red glowing face and a pointed hood, which then hissed and glided toward them causing the group to flee. Reports of a nauseating mist were also claimed as well as skid marks and an odd gummy deposit, leading some to claim a UFO had landed there. The most agreed upon explanation for the creature was a frightened barn owl and the red light a meteor across the sky or aircraft lights, and the residue and ground marks from a Chevy truck driven through the area.

Pantheon: West Virginian Folklore

Domain or Function: Reported cryptid alien figure.

Alternate Names: Braxton County Monster, Braxie, Phantom of Flatwoods.

Character Traits: Said to have hissed at the group and glided toward them, so possibly hostile.

Visual Traits: A glowing red face, dark green or black body, clawed limbs, clothing-like folds for a body, orange-green glowing eyes, and a hooded ace-of-spades shaped head protrusion.

Symbolism: Red face, ace-of-spades head.

Design Notes: Based on the original description, turning the body into a sort of armor-gown combo with a spade shaped glass helmet that the head earily floats inside!

Sources: 1 2

[otherworldmythology]

Mothman

A cryptid reported to exist near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. On November 15th, 1966, Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette were the first to report the creature near the TNT Area, said to be slender, muscular, seven feet tall, and with white wings, but most of all equipped with big red 'hypnotizing' eyes. It reportedly flew after them, screeching, and eventually disappearing. Many after reported seeing it, some attributing it to the sandhill crane or an owl. The later collapse of the Silver Bridge on December 15th, 1967 gave rise to a further legend that Mothman was somehow connected, popularized by the book The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel. Some claim he could be an avian beast while others cling to the paranormal or even extraterrestrial origins. It has become a cult image figure and even has its own festival in Point Pleasant which started in 2002.

Pantheon: West Virginian Folklore

Domain or Function: Flying creature possibly linked to the paranormal or UFOs.

Alternate Names: None

Character Traits: Some link it to disaster or that it chases after humans.

Visual Traits: Said to be seven feet tall, slender and muscular, and having white wings either feathery or leathery. Its most defining trait is its big red eyes. Descriptions give it more of an avian look than an actual moth.

Symbolism: Red eyes.

Design Notes: Based on his original description with a black lanky-muscular body and lighter wings, placing emphasis on his glowing eyes!

Sources: 1 2

[otherworldmythology]

Seven Sisters

The various native groups of Australia share a few stories, one of those being the legend of the Seven Sisters. Though they vary the story always shares some similar themes: the presence of seven sisters, their pursuit in some fashion, and their ascension into the sky as the seven stars of the Pleiades constellation. In the Warlpiri version they are the Napaljarri sisters and they carry a man named Wardilyka who loves them, but they are chased each night by another man in love named Jukurra-jukurra. The Nyarluwarri sisters of the Yamatji people use their light to predict seasonal rainfall. In Martu country the Minyipuru sisters flee from a sexually obsessed man named Yurla whose genitalia and lust changes the landscape as they flee, weakening their numbers, and in the APY lands they share a similar story of the Kungkarangkalpa sisters fleeing from Wati Nyiru. The Wurundjeri people tell of the Karatgurk sisters who are tricked by the Crow spirit into giving up fire to humanity, and are then whisked into the sky with their fire-lit digging sticks creating the light of the stars. The versions of the story are innumerable and seemingly very important; some groups do not share their full version of the story if at all and consider it a sacred protected songline.

Pantheon: Aboriginal Groups

Domain or Function: Sisters who personify the Pleiades constellation.

Alternate Names: The Napaljarri (Warlpiri), The Nyarluwarri (Yamatji), The Minyipuru (Martu), The Kungkarangkalpa (APY), The Karatgurk (Wurundjeri), and many many more.

Character Traits: Can be personified as innocent maidens, playful sexually-charged women, or victims. Sometimes capable of flight or supernatural abilities.

Visual Traits: Often said to be beautiful, sometimes holding specific items like digging sticks.

Symbolism: Pleiades

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[otherworldmythology]

Bila

A sun-goddess from the Flinders Ranges. In the old days there lived a horrible woman, Bila, a cannibal who roasted the bodies of men over her fire, sicking her hunting dogs on new victims. Two men, the goanna-man Kudnu and the gecko-man Muda, paid a visit to their neighbors, only to find them mauled by Bila's dogs. The two plotted to kill her and, upon seeing her, Kudnu threw his boomerang at her before she could throw her own, harming her. In a fit of rage she turned into a fireball and flew across the horizon. Kudnu, fearful of the darkness without Bila's light, threw his boomerang in all directions, but when he threw it eastward she came flying back through the sky once more, creating the ever-lasting day and night as she fled from it. Due to this the gecko and goanna have become sacred animals among the Adnyamathanha people of the region.

Pantheon: Adnyamathanha

Domain or Function: Cannibalistic sun goddess who creates the day by fleeing from a boomerang.

Alternate Names: Belah

Character Traits: Evil and hungers for human flesh.

Visual Traits: Not specifically given any.

Symbolism: Boomerang, sun, dogs.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[otherworldmythology]

Have u done Meng po from Chinese mythology?

Haven't gotten around to her yet but I'll add her to my list!

[otherworldmythology]

Muuruup

An evil spirit of the Victoria groups including the Djab Wurrung and Dhauwurd Wurrung. He is also called Wambeen neung been-been aa, the 'maker of bad-smelling smoke'. From the sky he flashes as lightning burning trees and vegetation as he darts from place to place. He is said to have a taste for the flesh of children and will attack travelers. He uses owls to scout out victims, leading some to have a superstition of them. He lives in an underworld-like realm called Ummekulleen, consumed by flames, and under his command are a number of dark spirits also known as muuruup.

Pantheon: Victoria Aboriginal Groups

Domain or Function: Evil spirit who eats humans and causes disaster, commands an underworld-like realm.

Alternate Names: Wambeen neung been-been aa ("maker of bad-smelling smoke"), Wambeen.

Character Traits: Evil, cannibalistic.

Visual Traits: Said to appear as a large shaggy man hiding in the brush or as lightning.

Symbolism: Lightning, owls.

Sources: 1 2 3 4