So, I’m sure you folks are wondering what on earth the Eldritch update is doing on the cusp of Saturday and Sunday… well, truth is, I’m gonna be gone on Wednesday. In fact, I think I’m going to be gone for a week. Maybe a little more. I’d been planning a trip to see some family and get away for a bit, but in light of some of the more recent stuff I’m dealing with, I’ve decided to also outright unplug and spend some time completely away from the internet. So, I’ve been busting my butt-- (which is why I’ve been falling behind on comments so much lately… I have read most of them, but I’ve had no time to reply. I’ll try my best to get to as many of them as possible before I leave.) --to make sure that I was set to post an early update, as well as have an update ready for whenever I get back. I’ll be doing some replies tonight and tomorrow, but after that, you may not see me until the 21st. I just need some time to recharge.
So, with that out of the way, um, more folkloric stuff! Our raving friend here may or may not have all of his facts straight, but it is still derived from my studies…
Saint Ronan of Locronan stands out due to his connection with wolves… and the accusation of lycanthropy lodged against him. A woman named Keban, whose husband often listened to the saint’s gospels, claimed that Saint Ronan could take the form of a wolf! In this shape, she said, he terrorized the countryside, prowling about and going after livestock. She even claimed that her little girl had fallen victim to his lupine appetite. She pointed to his ability to pacify wolves as proof of his lycanthropy, however, the saint convinced others that this was not true, and forgave Keban for her accusations.
Saint Christopher’s folklore is complex, and I cannot do him justice in the small space I’ll have here… But, some things say he was a sort of giant, some say he was a cynocephali, some indicate he was more normal… my way of handling this is by treating him as a shapeshifter (This isn’t too unheard of, really… Saint Guinefort is said to have been a dog at first, but then changed into a man by God). Saint Christopher, while not acknowledged by the Vatican, is one of a couple cynocephalic saints, the other being Saint Andrew Cynocephali. Regardless, Saint Christopher was the patron saint of travelers, which is interesting when also viewed along with Wepwawet.
Wepwawet was the wolf-headed god of Egypt. He was something of a war deity, however, he was “the opener of ways” and is said to have opened the way for victory… He also, it is said, was able to guide the souls of the dead through the Duat (a place sort of like purgatory). His guide-like associations are mirrored in Christopher’s position as the patron saint of travelers, and his association with the realm of the dead is also relevant in the context of in the Hounds of God’s ability to travel down to hell. (As well as the funerary benandanti’s ability to commune with the dead, but that’s a story for another time.)
Also… yeah, the whole thing about the sphinx? It’s actually a proposed theory; a book was written on it. Trippy.
Take care guys, and have a gander at these books:
The Werewolf in Lore and Legend --Montague Summers
Werewolves --Dr. Bob Curran
The lives of the British Saints; the Saints of Wales, Cornwall and Irish Saints V 4 -- S. Baring-Gould and John Fisher
Village France -- Automobile Association (Great Britain)
The Sphinx mystery: the forgotten origins of the sanctuary of Anubis--
Robert Temple, Olivia Temple
The Night Battles --Carlo Ginzburg
Myths of the Dog-Man --David Gordon White
So, with that out of the way, um, more folkloric stuff! Our raving friend here may or may not have all of his facts straight, but it is still derived from my studies…
Saint Ronan of Locronan stands out due to his connection with wolves… and the accusation of lycanthropy lodged against him. A woman named Keban, whose husband often listened to the saint’s gospels, claimed that Saint Ronan could take the form of a wolf! In this shape, she said, he terrorized the countryside, prowling about and going after livestock. She even claimed that her little girl had fallen victim to his lupine appetite. She pointed to his ability to pacify wolves as proof of his lycanthropy, however, the saint convinced others that this was not true, and forgave Keban for her accusations.
Saint Christopher’s folklore is complex, and I cannot do him justice in the small space I’ll have here… But, some things say he was a sort of giant, some say he was a cynocephali, some indicate he was more normal… my way of handling this is by treating him as a shapeshifter (This isn’t too unheard of, really… Saint Guinefort is said to have been a dog at first, but then changed into a man by God). Saint Christopher, while not acknowledged by the Vatican, is one of a couple cynocephalic saints, the other being Saint Andrew Cynocephali. Regardless, Saint Christopher was the patron saint of travelers, which is interesting when also viewed along with Wepwawet.
Wepwawet was the wolf-headed god of Egypt. He was something of a war deity, however, he was “the opener of ways” and is said to have opened the way for victory… He also, it is said, was able to guide the souls of the dead through the Duat (a place sort of like purgatory). His guide-like associations are mirrored in Christopher’s position as the patron saint of travelers, and his association with the realm of the dead is also relevant in the context of in the Hounds of God’s ability to travel down to hell. (As well as the funerary benandanti’s ability to commune with the dead, but that’s a story for another time.)
Also… yeah, the whole thing about the sphinx? It’s actually a proposed theory; a book was written on it. Trippy.
Take care guys, and have a gander at these books:
The Werewolf in Lore and Legend --Montague Summers
Werewolves --Dr. Bob Curran
The lives of the British Saints; the Saints of Wales, Cornwall and Irish Saints V 4 -- S. Baring-Gould and John Fisher
Village France -- Automobile Association (Great Britain)
The Sphinx mystery: the forgotten origins of the sanctuary of Anubis--
Robert Temple, Olivia Temple
The Night Battles --Carlo Ginzburg
Myths of the Dog-Man --David Gordon White
Yay! Vacation! Don't feel bad about taking a break when you're all burned out and frazzled, that's like feeling bad for eating ice cream when you're sick. You deserve it dammit, and don't let anyone stop you!
ReplyDeleteAs for the page, I like this guy a little. He's kind of like me when I go on rants about computers and stuff. I get all frothy at the mouth, spout facts like a broken faucet and then go hit on some random girl. (I don't actually do any of those things, but I can burn your ear off with a tirade about the architectural advancements of the modern CPU.)
Oh yes, comments. I really don't care whether you respond or not, just so long as you read them and know that the community is there for feedback. I've only been following the story for 3 years, but I have tried to make sure you know I'm here every Wednesday to be entertained by your lovely comic and folklore.
Anyway... I must depart. Have a fun week, we'll be here when you get back.
Cheers!
She's cute.
ReplyDelete