#maybe i should've been a mythology major... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dorothygale123 · 6 months

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I'd say I'm becoming a nerd, but that ship sailed a long time ago. I guess I'm just expanding my nerdiness to other areas.

Anyway, MORE MYTHOLOGY!

So in Journey to the West, the Buddha explains that there are 4 'spiritual primates' that don't fit into any categories for immortals or types of creatures. Fans of Lego Monkie Kid are likely familiar with 2, the Stone Monkey Sun Wukong and the Six Eared Macaque. The other 2, the Long-armed Gibbon and the Red-Buttocked Baboon are a lot more obscure. They only get a brief mention in JttW because the focus of the chapter they appear in is Macaque, but the idea of a set of super powerful Immortal monkeys is just too fun to pass up, you know? So I've been thunking my thinker.

What if each primate was associated with a different realm (mortal, heavenly, lunar, and underworld) and element? I know the 4 elements (earth, water, wind, fire) are a western idea rooted in alchemy and eastern mythology has 5 elements (earth, water, fire, metal, wood), but there aren't 5 monkeys and this is just a thought experiment and not me trying to force western ideas onto eastern culture.

Got it? Good.

Now, Sun Wukong is very solidly earth because he's, you know, a rock. No surprise there. He was also born in the mortal realm and spent most of his life there, so we'll call him the celestial primate of the mortal realm while we're at it.

The Six-Eared Macaque is another easy one. A lot of LMK fannon associates him with wind, inferring that his heightened hearing has something to do with wind magic. He's also very closely tied to the moon because of the line in "Shadow Play" where he directly compares the Warrior (himself) to the moon. So Macaque is the celestial primate of wind and the Lunar realm.

Now here's where we get a bit more speculative and start using information creatively. There are 2 monkeys, realms, and elements left I want to use, so let's start with the monkeys so everyone has a baseline understanding.

The Long Armed Gibbon (Gibs, from now on) is described as being able to "seize the sun and moon, shorten a thousand mountains, distinguish auspicious from inauspicious, and manipulate planets and stars."

The Red Buttocked Baboon (Babs for short) has "knowledge of yin and yang, understands human affairs, is adept I'd daily life and can avoid death and lengthen its life."

Starting with the realms because they seem easiest to assign, I would give Gibs the Heavenly realm because of its ability to move around celestial objects like the sun, moon, planets, and stars. This leaves the Underworld to Babs, which I think fits nicely because their "knowledge of yin and yang" and "understand[ing] of human affairs" would make them a good assistant to the 10 Kings of the Underworld.

Next comes the 2 remaining elements, water and fire, which are a bit tricky because it could go both ways.

Gibs could be fire because the sun and stars are giant balls of burning plasma, but also water because the sky/heavens are often associated with an ocean or other bodies of water in several different mythologies. For example, in Egyptian mythology, Ra sailed his boat through the sky every day, while in early Abrahamic belief the sky was a huge dome with water on the other side, and rain happened when floodgates were opened to let the water through. In Chinese myth specifically, the Milky Way is often depicted as a river that is sailed through by various deities.

Babs could fit with fire as well because underworlds and hell-adjacent places are often shown to have fires to torment and punish the sinful dead, no surprise there. But there is surprisingly a lot of water symbolism in the realm of the dead as well. For example, some people may be familiar with the Japanese idea of the Sanzu River, very similar in concept to the Greek River Styx, as well as the Chinese Huang Quan/Yellow springs.

Personally I would pair Babs with fire because he has red in his name, making him the celestial primate of fire and the Underworld.

That leaves Gibs to be the celestial primate of water and the Heavenly realm.

I feel pretty good about this, but if anyone else has other ideas I'd love to hear them.

Sh*tpost Masterlist

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happyk44 · 11 months

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Was writing up a different thing but my thoughts kept stalling so I'm twisting it. I've seen posts before about how Demeter's children logically should've been part of the prophecy and child ban in PJO because she is also one of the eldest gods. And yeah, that's still true, Rick should've altered the wording or maybe made it more clear that "gods" in that context was specifically refering to god as a male term, but whatever.

Anyway, it got me thinking about her children. I never read TOA and don't intend to and I think? One of her kids is a major player in that one, but whatever. This is ignoring TOA because I don't have context (and I don't want to).

We know the Big Three are overtly powerful. We don't see much of Thalia's raw power (or Jason's really, but I already have my own separate thoughts on that), but ultimately we know that they are closer to the gods than other demigods. And I was thinking about Demeter's kids would factor into that and I realized.

Ah. They can't.

See: Zeus is god of the the sky, right? And the sky is often equated with air. Air is everywhere: the ocean, the earth, the sky, underground, everywhere. The only place there is no air is in a vacuum, and that's irrelevant because a vacuum has nothing in it, so no one would have power there and it's pointless to bring it up.

Anyway, Jason and Thalia might be slightly diminished in certain places, but ultimately their power can't die. Even underwater, there will be some kind of air they could manipulate if they just try. And, as I've mentioned elsewhere, lightning is just electricity. Electricity exists in the body in the form of our nervous system. If you look it up, you'll find that technically all biological cells are electrical. So plants, people, animals. Fucking computers too, probably, at this point, why the fuck not. Just sap all forms of electrical energy as a power-up.

Basically even the most basic form of their powers exists everywhere in nature: sky/air and lightning. And they can manipulate that however they choose.

Similarly, Hades, who is often equated with death (even though that's Thantos's business), exists everywhere as well. Death touches everything. It lingers. Darkness too. No matter what, the sun will always set and the dark will prevail. I mean darkness prevails regardless. If you walk into a room with no windows, there isn't light. You have to make that, you have to add it.

And when you factor in my theory that as god of the Underworld, Hades has a touch of specialty regarding the gods/spirits/etc who live in his domain, well you've added in even more for him to reach out to: sleep, dreams, rest and relaxation, and more probably my brain is stalling again.

But anyway, those things exist everywhere. They touch everything. So power is absolute - except maybe the sky. I don't think ghosts can linger in the sky. If you die, you fall to the ground. Even on planes, a corpse will eventually land. But it still graces the sky. A shot bird still dies in the clouds before it is touches the ground. So there's range there, and that's Nico and Hazel.

Poseidon in the ocean, yes, but people still equate him to all forms of water - and maybe that's more a modern thing these days, but I don't doubt that people way back when probably did too, maybe at a lesser degree because they were aware of other water-type gods for specific things and unless you've immersed yourself in Greek mythology/Hellenistic polytheism, you probably aren't and even then you might just default to the big guy anyway BUT I DIGRESS.

Water is everywhere. It is vapour in the air we breathe. Sits in our veins, our bodies. It soaks into the ground, nourishes the plants, drips from cave walls and sloshes in underground rivers. Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. Even a desert, as dry as it might be, has to have water somewhere. Even if you have to claw your way into the sky and clouds and drag it down into a torrential pour of rain, there is water somewhere.

So there we go with Percy.

Then Demeter.

Earth is not part of the sky. Earth is not part of the ocean. It is part of the underground. But limited in spaces. It is a powerful thing to be reckoned with and I don't doubt that her demigod kids are more powerful than your standard demigod, but there is a difference. The earth cannot follow Jason into the sky, it will fall. The earth cannot follow Percy into the ocean, it will muddy and dissolve. The earth can follow Nico underground but he can combat it head on if he wanted to.

The earth is powerful and stubborn. But it is limited.

Not to mention, Demeter, while regarded as an earth goddess, is not technically the earth goddess - that's Gaea. Demeter is the harvest and agriculture, grain and crops. And as we know, some places, even surrounded by dirt and grass and trees, cannot create a functional harvest. You have to actively put in work to create a functional farm, to grow.

The other three will always exist no matter what. There is no active work into creating their domain. The ocean and water will always flow. Air will always be breathed. People and animals and plants will always die.

I think this would also fall for the other two, if they were to ever have demigod children. Hestia is the hearth and warmth. That has to be created. Hera is marriage and family. That has to be created.

So Demeter's children are probably pretty powerful. But not as powerful as their cousins. Because her domain is crafted out of creation, but the boys' domains exist regardless.

#happy talks pjo #demeter (pjo)#percy jackson #jason grace #nico di angelo #thalia grace #hazel levesque

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multi-lefaiye · 2 years

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If you're doing worldbuilding wednesday:

What's the religion and mythology in your WIP like? How does it affect the culture, characters, theme, and plot? If your WIP has prominent mythology and or religion in it, what are the main deities and what are some popular myths? How to the people in your WIP feel about the deities they believe in? If there's a popular religion, how widespread is it and are there any well known leaders? Any common practices and or teachings? What about people who don't follow the most common religion, what's it like for them in your WIP? etc etc etc.... (you don't have to answer all of the questions, they're just ideas for what you can share)

hi hello there! you sent this ask, ah. a while ago. and i never answered it. but thank you for sending it! this is a very fun ask and i'm excited to answer!

so i've mentioned before that fantasy religions and mythology are pretty much my favorite part of worldbuilding. i don't have a big reason behind it, i just think that's a fun part of worldbuilding and it's usually where i spend my time.

to answer this question, i'm going to talk about magic apocalyptica, which isn't a single wip and more of a worldbuilding project i rotate in my mind from time to time! maybe someday i'll figure out how to tell a story taking place here, haha....

the basic premise of this world is that it's a post-apocalyptic setting in which the apocalypse happened as the result of a major meteor strike that, by all accounts, should've ended pretty much all life on earth. however, the strike awoke primordial deities that had been slumbering for millennia, who woke up and went "hey why is our house on fire" and intervened to preserve the planet and those living on it as much as possible. cut to a few thousand years or so later, and society has mostly rebuilt itself, with the added bonus of ancient, primordial beings, the presence of magic, and also big ol' fuckin holes in the planet. it's a fun time.

anyway, there are several major religions in this universe, but the ones i generally focus on are: talionism, harborism, hailenism, adulatism, fathomism, and lunism. there's also vastationism, but that's less developed than the others.

i've summarized all of these before, but to recap:

talionism: "maybe if we're really nice to the gods they won't cause another apocalypse"

harborism: "the gods went back to sleep after the apocalypse, and maybe if we're really nice to them they won't wake up and cause another one"

hailenism: "actually those things that stopped the apocalypse don't matter--there is only one god and he lives in the swamp and we can go visit him"

adulatism: "the gods are really high up and watching over us and maybe if we're really nice to them and go high up like them, they'll keep us safe from another apocalypse"

fathomism: "actually those things that stopped the apocalypse don't matter--what we really should worry about are the big fucking holes in the planet and what might be living down there"

lunism: "actually those things that stopped the apocalypse don't matter--the real gods are long dead and we need to devote our time to slaying these imposters"

wow this is getting long--anyway so those are the major religions, minus vastationism, but i do want to say that religions from before the apocalypse have, on some level, persisted! i haven't put much... development... into that.... at this point... so they're kind of in the background at this point, but i'll probably get there eventually,,,

there are also still atheists in this world, but atheism in this setting in general is less about "gods don't exist" and more about "why are we all agreeing that these beings are gods and worshipping them and accepting that they have power over us".

i did make a map of the general spread of these religions in the continental US, but it's a bit of an eyesore so i'm probably going to redo it. however, i will say that some of these are, for the most part, region-locked! hailenism is almost exclusively practiced in the southeastern US, especially in what used to be florida; fathomism is practiced primarily around the big fucking hole that used to be several states (known as a fathom); lunism is practiced primarily in the south/southeast, around what would've once been the border with mexico; aaaand finally, adulatism is almost exclusively practiced in the walled, mountainous city of trance, located in appalachia.

also this isn't an important or well-known detail, but the god of hailenism is a real person. he's a real guy and his name is doug and he's one of my favorite characters in this universe. hailenist mythology describes doug as an ancient, primordial beast with the head of an alligator (or crocodile, depending on the version) who lives in the swamps, eats humans alive, can heal the sick and dying (for a great price), and has control over the weather. in reality, about half of those things are true. he's just a nice guy with social anxiety who wants to be left alone and really dislikes the fact that people worship him.

i haven't figured out details on the gods who actually put a stop to the apocalypse, but one idea i've been considering is that those gods don't... really exist anymore, for the most part. they did at some point, and the evidence of that is undeniable, but they didn't stick around after everything settled.

and as a last note, i've been reconsidering lately whether i would actually classify lunism as a religion in the same way the others would be, because lunism is less about... well, faith... and more about a call to action? i'm not sure how much sense that makes, but when i say that lunists as a whole think the gods are imposters and want to kill him, i mean that they are actively trying to accomplish this goal.

anyway idk how much sense this makes, i'm still trying to figure out how to get a google doc about all of this together. thank you for reading!

#talk to the bunnykitty #worldbuilding wednesday #except it's monday!#magic apocalyptica #cherrybombfangirlwrites #thank you for this ask! i apologize for taking so long to answer!#long post #jic

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class1akids · 3 years

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I know you're not a fan of Deku's arc, but what do you think about people saying Shouto or Kirishima (or Katsuki, but I've mostly seen Shouto and Kiri) should've been the MC? I kinda find it disrespectful and sad tbh...

What I think about people expressing their opinions? That’s what their blogs are for. No matter how much I agree or disagree with the content, I believe it’s ok for them to put the thoughts they want there - as long as it’s not something illegal.

If you ask my personal opinion? I think Deku as the MC is fine and obviously someone like Shouto or Kirishima being the MC would be a different story. Deku’s story is an arc of someone seemingly ordinary getting a chance to be extraordinary and his journey to grabbing his opportunity and taking it to greatness (and maybe finding on the way that he was always extra-ordinary).

If Shouto was a main character, the story would focus more on overcoming a tragic origin and rise above one’s family legacy. A story with Kirishima or Bakugou would be one of winning over one’s weakness.

These can be all appealing stories, and we all relate to the different characters to different degrees, so I don’t think there is anything wrong or inherently disrespectful with people imagining what the story would look like with a different MC. Obviously, it’s pretty moot, because Deku is the MC and nothing’s going to change that. It only becomes disrespectful if it involves attacking the author or other people personally.

I think it’s perfectly fine and natural to be critical with a story you engage with. I love BNHA and spend quite a bit of time thinking about the story and playing with it in fics - and still there are things I wish were different (e.g. how the female characters are written). That doesn’t mean I reject the whole story. I still love the world created and a lot of the characters in it and I do appreciate many aspects.

I’ve actually liked Deku quite a bit for being an MC (I just usually can’t get too invested in MCs, because they are always set to win in this kind of media which kills the dramatic tension for me and often the way they get to leapfrog everyone else’s growth is off-putting to me personally, which is why for me it’s always about the secondary / tertiary characters and how compelling their story is), but after DvK2, especially during the Overhaul arc, his writing started to get really flat for me. I think it was an interesting exploration to see if Deku was the best choice to inherit OFA, but I think in the end, Mirio’s character ended up being a plot device and the issue was swept under the rug quickly without a proper resolution. (And honestly, it should come up again, since imagine this war arc if the quirk was passed down at the time Sir warned All Might to someone he could have handled it - society would have had a ready No.1.)

I also had issues with OFA being given a bunch of extra quirks, which took even more the focus away from Deku and instead of him discovering and understanding the complexities of the world he lives in (which normally is what the MC is for - we explore the world through his eyes and peel off layer after layer), his arc was overtaken by the quirks themselves, which ironically also took a lot away from one of the most interesting aspects of Deku - his ingenuity.

And instead of exploring the power-structures of the BNHA-world and the society (which his arc promised to focus on with the introduction of “People are not born equal”), his character started to focus much more on passively experiencing the “mythology of AFO-OFA”. So if you are someone, who is most invested in OFA stuff, Deku is a great MC. If you are someone more interested in the current society and how it faces its mistakes (like apathy) and its threats (like quirk singularity), then Deku as he’s been written lately is not the best MC.

Coming to the end of this arc, and finally getting a power with some downsides that lets Deku experience his limits, I’m a bit more optimistic about him and even looking forward to the aftermath from his POV. I really hope that his focus is not reduced again to the OFA-stuff, but that he has to put more effort in understanding hero society and its shortcomings as well as start to formulate his own visions of it.

To me, he won’t be credible as greatest hero, if his character is only about power-ups in the form of more quirk and wanting to be a cool hero like All Might, instead of going from a naïve hero-fanboy to someone with more understanding and deeper insights and convictions about hero society and the role of heroes that can be the driver of a major structural change.

But maybe I’m simply expecting too much, and Deku’s story won’t be anything different than him rising to No. 1. through most powers and most quirks and becoming the next Symbol of Peace.

TL; DR: While I think Deku is a good MC, I don’t think he’s spectacular, especially lately, but for me the jury is still out on where his arc goes from here on. Depending on what someone expects from the story, he can seem like a great MC or a bit of a letdown and I can definitely understand where people are coming from who wish for digging into other parts of the world and think that maybe with a different MC, the story would have gone in a different direction. Expressing these thoughts respectfully is fine - obviously without harassing others or trying to force it on people who love Deku (e.g. not putting it into the tags).

If you see these opinions a lot (I personally don’t) and they do upset you, I suggest to use the block button. I can understand it’s hurtful if you feel like your comfort character is disrespected. I do the same tbh with people who are very negative of Shouto. I don’t think they are wrong to criticize him or his writing, I just don’t want to see it, because it makes me unhappy.

#please curate your social media #people who criticize something you like are not there to attack you #unless they are trying to just start fandom discourse #in which case just stay away from the trolls #but it's fine to feel hurt about it #i also hate seeing negativity about my faves #so make sure you block / mute / unfollow them

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