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Eukara Vox -> Issue 51 - A Look At Terran Mythology (Cow Face) (3/1/2010 16:57:20)
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A Look At Terran Mythology
By Cow Face
After what coverage of them we have featured here in The Zardian, I daresay that our readers know just what kind of crazy folk inhabit Terra. This article shall do nothing to improve your opinion of them, I'm afraid. (For example, some of them take trees from outside, and bring them inside from time to time. Can you believe that?) For your reading amusement, I did some research on these wild-and-crazy guys. Turns out that they don't seem to realize that Luck is increased by training it; instead, they seem to think that it can be brought about by certain creatures. But it's not always the kind of luck that they want.
One of these is a mischievous sprite known as Robin Goodfellow, Hobgoblin, Hop-o'-My-Thumb, or Puck, as well as various other names. While the etymology of the name "Puck" itself is uncertain, many cultures have similar creatures with similar names. For those of you who have watched the James Stewart movie Harvey, have read Christopher Stasheff's The Wizard In Spite of Himself series, or who play certain role-playing games, the term "pooka" may be familiar. This mischievous spirit, sometimes taking the form of an animal- in Harvey, a six-foot rabbit; often depicted as a horse- is an Irish myth; the word "pooka" comes from the Irish puca. However, this is only one example. Norse, German, Welsh, and still more European cultures have similar folklore.
Like much in European mythology, Puck serves at least two purposes: a morality judge, and an explanation for why bad things happen to good- and bad- people. If you treat him with proper respect, and are otherwise a good person, chances are that he'll do something nice for you. Maybe he'll help you with some chores overnight, or perhaps simply refrain from pinching you in your sleep. No matter how polite you are, though, you cannot ensure that he won't play any pranks on you. If he's in a mischievous mood, he might do something small; sour some milk, tease a cat, trip you up.
For those who behave improperly, Puck is not a good person to have about. Readers or viewers of A Midsummer's Night Dream should remember what happened to a fellow named Bottom. While I personally see nothing wrong with having a nice pair of donkey ears, it would seem that some others don't find the experience a pleasing one. Beyond such simple trickery, some legends attribute changelings (human babies swapped with elflings) partially to Puck.
Puck is a rather specific example of a worldwide phenomenon. Many, many cultures, from Europe to Asia to the Native Americans, hold or have held beliefs about the Wee Folk or Little People. This is partially due to the encompassing nature of the moniker, however. Trolls, trow (drow), goblins, leprechauns, pixies, goblins, kobolds, and many if not most other types of fae fall under this category. Most, like Puck, are similar morality figures, with mischievous natures.
The aforementioned "trow" or "drow" for example, is (mythically) attributed with contributing to the music of the Shetland Islands. On the other hand, they are also sometimes attributed with the death of children and infants. As with all legends, there is both a light and dark side to the tales of trows.
Several mythological creatures are viewed as basically good, but punishing to those who attempt to or manage to slight them. The German "kobold" is such a creature; it inhabits houses or other dwellings and helps with household chores. These are regarded as naturally invisible, but capable of assuming different forms. Attempting to force a kobold to reveal himself will result in any consequence from a verbal rebuke to being eaten by the kobold. Still, for a polite and gracious host, a kobold is typically a harbinger of good tidings and good luck. Except for miners, as "cobalt" comes from the difficult and sometimes deadly process of extracting cobalt ore, the trial of which was credited to kobolds in the mines.
How does one go about getting a kobold in one's house? Typically, it will pick you. However, it won't just decide to infest your house, assuming that you're a good person. In some tales, it will try to gauge how righteous a person you are. It might take the form of a soaked, pitiful animal, which will reveal itself as a kobold (by helping you out around the cottage) if you take it in. A less pleasant manner in which to get yourself a kobold is that the kobold will scatter woodchips and soil your milk with dung or dirt. Assuming that you feel drinking the milk and leaving the mess is worth the kobold, do so, and you've got a new tenant.
One of the most mysterious legends, and linked directly to phenomena observed worldwide, is that of a Will-o'-The-Wisp, also known as a Jack-o'-Lantern, Chir Batti, Hinkypunk, and so many others that to list them all would result in you likely glazing over and falling asleep. If you really want to see them all, I suggest you look them up yourself.
In many cases, this phenomenon is attributed to swamp gas or other underground gases which burn upon contact with the oxygen present in the atmosphere. On the other hand, in some areas such as India, it is scientifically unproven, and some locals still attribute it to ghosts or other such spirits. Will-o'-the-Wisps have also been likened to foxfire- not to be confused with a popular web browser, the leader of AdventureQuest's Igneus clan, nor any other blazing vulpinidae- and related fungi.
In popular culture, the wisps are present in much of fantasy literature and gaming, such as in the Lord of the Rings series (see Marshes of the Dead) and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In the latter, they are depicted as odd pseudo-spirits which attack by draining their victims of vitality. Unlike this depiction, however, there are no confirmed cases (to the best of my knowledge) of an attack by wisps, with some accidents caused by the observer following the wisp into a marsh.
Terrans have long tried to find explanations for phenomena which they cannot explain. While often highly unscientific, these theories do give color to the mundane and lead to fun and interesting fantasies. And who knows? Maybe there is something beyond the observable.
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