Welcome to my page, Darlings!!!... I'm writer and cosplayer Antoinette Beard. For many years I played Maleficent. HAAAAAAAAAA!!!... I could say that she is my alter ego!!!... DO enjoy every aspect of this blog, as I have in creating it!!!... And, I wish for you all, TO LIVE THE MAGIC!!!... (DO scroll all the way down to the end of this page, so you don't miss ANYTHING!!!)
Nice...
This is my raven Diaval, in his humanish form. Hot, isn't he???... Scroll down this page to read my history and to find out more about the Unseellie Court, of which there are myriads of denizens. (I think you'll find it fascinating!!!)
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Monday, December 10, 2018
Who Is Cthulhu???...
| Cthulhu Watu | |
|---|---|
| Cthulhu Mythos character | |
A 2006 artist depiction of Cthulhu.
| |
| First appearance | "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928) |
| Created by | H. P. Lovecraft |
| Information | |
| Species | Great Old One |
| Title | High Priest of the Great Old Ones The Great Dreamer The Sleeper of R'lyeh |
| Family | Fishe (child) Dyce (child) Crovil (significant other) Nug (parent)[1] |
Cthulhu (/kəˈθuːluː/ kə-THOO-loo) is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft and first introduced in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the American pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the pantheon of Lovecraftian cosmic entities, the creature has since been featured in numerous popular culture references. Lovecraft depicts Cthulhu as a gigantic entity worshiped by cultists. Cthulhu's appearance is described as looking like an octopus, a dragon, and a caricature of human form. Its name was given to the Lovecraft-inspired universe where it and its fellow entities existed, --- the Cthulhu Mythos.
Though invented by Lovecraft in 1928, the name Cthulhu is probably derived from the word chthonic, derived from Classical Greek, meaning "subterranean", as apparently suggested by Lovecraft himself at the end of his 1923 tale "The Rats in the Walls".
Though invented by Lovecraft in 1928, the name Cthulhu is probably derived from the word chthonic, derived from Classical Greek, meaning "subterranean", as apparently suggested by Lovecraft himself at the end of his 1923 tale "The Rats in the Walls".
Lovecraft transcribed the pronunciation of Cthulhu as Khlûl′-hloo and said that "the first syllable pronounced gutturally and very thickly. The u is about like that in full; and the first syllable is not unlike klul in sound, hence the h represents the guttural thickness."[ S. T. Joshi points out, however, that Lovecraft gave several differing pronunciations on different occasions. According to Lovecraft, this is merely the closest that the human vocal apparatus can come to reproducing the syllables of an alien language. Cthulhu has also been spelled in many other ways, including Tulu, Katulu and Kutulu. The name is often preceded by the epithet Great, Dead, or Dread.
Long after Lovecraft's death, the spelling pronunciation /kəˈθuːluː/ kə-THOO-loo[8] became common. Others use the pronunciation Katulu/Kutulu /kəˈtuːluː/.
Description
In "The Call of Cthulhu", H. P. Lovecraft describes a statue of Cthulhu as "A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind." Cthulhu has been described in appearance as resembling an octopus, a dragon and a human caricature, hundreds of meters tall, with webbed human-looking arms and legs and a pair of rudimentary wings on its back. Cthulhu's head is depicted as similar to the entirety of a gigantic octopus, with an unknown number of tentacles surrounding its supposed mouth.
Like most Lovecraftian entities, simply looking upon the creature's incomprehensible form drives the viewer totally and incurably insane.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
BEST Krampus Parade Ever!!!... �� 5.12.2016 - SEIDÄ PASS �� Live @ Dun Aengus Rattenberg (Tirol / Austria...
Hmmm... So, THAT'S where my old fuel tank went!!!
Who IS the Krampus???...
The history of the Krampus figure has been theorized as stretching back to pre-Christian Alpine traditions. In a brief article discussing the figure, published in 1958, Maurice Bruce wrote:
Discussing his observations in 1975 while in Irdning, a small town in Styria, anthropologist John J. Honigmann wrote that:
The Krampus figures persisted, and by the 17th century Krampus had been incorporated into Christian winter celebrations by pairing Krampus with St Nicholas.
Countries of the former Habsburg Empire have largely borrowed the tradition of Krampus accompanying St Nicholas on 5 December from Austria.
Modern history
In the aftermath of the 1923 election in Austria, the Krampus tradition was prohibited by the Dollfuss regime under the Fatherland's Front (Vaterländische Front) and the Christian Social Party. In the 1950s, the government distributed pamphlets titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man". Towards the end of the century, a popular resurgence of Krampus celebrations occurred and continues today. The Krampus tradition is being revived in Bavaria as well, along with a local artistic tradition of hand-carved wooden masks.
Appearance
Although Krampus appears in many variations, most share some common physical characteristics. He is hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue lolls out, and he has fangs.
Krampus carries chains, thought to symbolize the binding of the Devil by the Christian Church. He thrashes the chains for dramatic effect. The chains are sometimes accompanied with bells of various sizes. Of more pagan origins are the Ruten, bundles of birch branches that Krampus carries and with which he occasionally swats children. The Ruten may have had significance in pre-Christian pagan initiation rites. The birch branches are replaced with a whip in some representations. Sometimes Krampus appears with a sack or a basket strapped to his back; this is to cart off evil children for drowning, eating, or transport to Hell. Some of the older versions make mention of naughty children being put in the bag and taken away. This quality can be found in other Companions of Saint Nicholas such as Zwarte Piet.
Krampusnacht
The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St. Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses. The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Ritevestments of a bishop, and he carries a golden ceremonial staff. Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and the Ruten bundles.
Krampuslauf
It is customary to offer a Krampus schnapps, a strong distilled fruit brandy. These runs may include Perchten, similarly wild pagan spirits of Germanic folklore and sometimes female in representation, although the Perchten are properly associated with the period between winter solstice and 6 January.
Krampuskarten
Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s. Sometimes introduced with Gruß vom Krampus (Greetings from Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems. Krampus is often featured looming menacingly over children. He is also shown as having one human foot and one cloven hoof. In some, Krampus has sexual overtones; he is pictured pursuing buxom women. Over time, the representation of Krampus in the cards has changed; older versions have a more frightening Krampus, while modern versions have a cuter, more Cupid-like creature. Krampus has also adorned postcards and candy containers.
Regional variations
In Styria, the Ruten bundles are presented by Krampus to families. The twigs are painted gold and displayed year-round in the house—a reminder to any child who has temporarily forgotten Krampus. In smaller, more isolated villages, the figure has other beastly companions, such as the antlered "wild man" figures, and St Nicholas is nowhere to be seen. These Styrian companions of Krampus are called Schabmänner or Rauhen.
A toned-down version of Krampus is part of the popular Christmas markets in Austrian urban centres like Salzburg. In these, more tourist-friendly interpretations, Krampus is more humorous than fearsome.
In Cave del Predil, in the northern part of the Udine province in Italy, an annual Krampus festival is held in early December. Just before the sun sets, the Krampus come out from an old cave and chase children—boys but also adults—punishing them with strokes on the legs. To satisfy their anger children and young people must recite a prayer.
North American Krampus celebrations are a growing phenomenon.
Similar figures are recorded in neighboring areas. Klaubauf Austria, while Bartl or Bartel, Niglobartl, and Wubartl are used in the southern part of the country. In most parts of Slovenia, whose culture was greatly affected by Austrian culture, Krampus is called parkelj and is one of the companions of Miklavž, the Slovenian form of St. Nicholas.
In many parts of Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil wearing a cloth sack around his waist and chains around his neck, ankles, and wrists. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicholas he is given a golden branch to represent his good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child's bad acts.
Costumes
Costumed characters are a central part of all Krampus celebrations. These characters include: Krampus, Saint Nikolaus, the woodsman, angels, and the old woman. As Krampus is half-goat and half-demon, the costume normally shares certain primary elements such as: a fur suit, horns, demon mask, and hooves. Props commonly used are; bells, a birch switch, basket worn on the back, chains, walking staff, and a horse hair or hemp flogger. The most traditional Krampus costumes are made from goat/sheep skins, animal horns, and hand carved masks. More often they are made with modern and less costly materials, such as: fake fur and latex masks. Several Krampus costume instructional YouTube videos are available.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
"Sleeping Beauty," --- The Curse Scene...
...And, she SHALL DIE!!!... [Ahhh-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
Monday, October 29, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
9 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About "Labyrinth"!!!...
Yes, and David Bowie had one green eye and one brown eye. You can see that above. It's called heterochromia.
Monday, September 24, 2018
The Perfect Menu For Your Halloween Party, --- [Including easy to make "Witch's Fingers" & "Eyeballs On Toast" appetizers]...
Halloween dinners traditionally feature hardy comfort foods, and especially vegetables that are grown on or under the ground, Here's my favorite menu for a luscious Halloween feast!!!... [It's more fun if you come in costume.]
ON THE BUFFET TABLE:
"Witch's Fingers" Appetizers --- Make these by getting pretzel rods, slivered almonds and cheddar cheese spread. Get a wide mouthed glass jar. Glue the slivered almonds on the ends of the pretzel rods with the cheese spread, transforming them into the "fingers". Put them upright in the glass jar.
"Eyeballs On Toast" --- Boil eggs, cool, slice. Get green olives stuffed with pimentos. Slice the olives so they make little rings. Make toast, cool it, spread with cream cheese, cut each slice of toast into four little sections. Put a slice of egg on each piece of toast. Put the "eyeball," a slice of green olive, with a little pimento as the "pupil" glued in the center of the egg with a little cream cheese.
Beef Stew With Baking Powder Biscuits [You can cheat with canned stew if you like.] with baking powder biscuits [Again, you can cheat by buying those ready-bake biscuits that come in the little cans in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.]
Mashed potatoes [Of course, you can use instant ones, but if you do you can make them taste better by adding some ranch dressing.]
Yellow Hubbard Squash --- Remove seeds, cut it in chunks, boil it, scrape the cooked squash out of the skin and mash with plenty of butter, sprinkle the mashed squash with powdered nutmeg
Raw Carrot & Black Raisin Salad With Mayonnaise [Because it's delicious and black and orange.]
Raisin Bread with Cream Cheese
Pumpernickel Bread With Whipped Butter
Buttered Spinach [Yes, get frozen, if you like.]
Blackberry Pie [I'm not a baker, so I always buy deserts.]
Chocolate Cake
Apple Cider, Cola, Orange Pop [Because they're black and orange] For The Kids
Coffee, Tea, Red Wine & Ale For The Adults
Fresh Golden Delicious Apples Piled On The Serving Table
ENTERTAINMENT: Tell ghost stories, or read them... One of my favorite ghost story books is the paperback series "Haunted Ohio". You can probably get it from your library or on Amazon cheap.
Have a costume contest, one for the adults, one for kids. Give gift certificates to cool stores as prizes.]
Or, ALL of you go Trick Or Treating.
Or, put one of these wonderful movies in your dvd player, --- "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow," [May be too scary for children], with Johnny Depp & Christina Ricci, or the animated Walt Disney version, "The Addams Family," with Angelica Huston & Raoul Julia, "Beetlejuice," with Gena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton, "Practical Magic," with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Aidan Quinn, Diane Weist & Stockard Channing. Or, for those who like a really dark and very adult movie, most definitely NOT for the kids, "From Hell," about Jack The Ripper, with Johnny Depp, or "The Skeleton Key," also adult dark and scary, about Hoodoo, with Kate Hudson, or "The Haunting," based on the Gothic horror novel "The Haunting Of Hill House," an adult and creepy movie," with Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson & Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The Origins Of Halloween...
Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots. Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived". Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for 'summer's end'."
Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn,
Samhain/Calan Gaeaf marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. Like Beltane/Calan Mai, it was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí (/iːsˈʃiː/ eess-SHEE), the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into this world and were particularly active. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as "degraded versions of ancient gods whose power remained active in the people's minds even after they had been officially replaced by later religious beliefs". The Aos Sí were both respected and feared, with individuals often invoking the protection of Godwhen approaching their dwellings. At Samhain, it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for the Aos Sí. The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them. The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures throughout the world. In 19th century Ireland, "candles would be lit and prayers formally offered for the souls of the dead. After this the eating, drinking, and games would begin".
Throughout Ireland and Britain, the household festivities included rituals and games intended to foretell one's future, especially regarding death and marriage. Apples and nuts were often used in these divination rituals. They included apple bobbing, nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation, and others. Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, and were also used for divination. In some places, torches lit from the bonfire were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them. It is suggested that the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic – they mimicked the Sun, helping the "powers of growth" and holding back the decay and darkness of winter. In Scotland, these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders in some parishes. In Wales, bonfires were lit to "prevent the souls of the dead from falling to earth". Later, these bonfires served to keep "away the devil".
From at least the 16th century, the festival included mumming and guising in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales. This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aos Sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to the custom of souling. Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. It is suggested that the mummers and guisers "personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune". In parts of southern Ireland, the guisers included a hobby horse. A man dressed as a Láir Bhán(white mare) led youths house-to-house reciting verses—some of which had pagan overtones—in exchange for food. If the household donated food it could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune. In Scotland, youths went house-to-house with masked, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits, and that faces were marked (or blackened) with ashes taken from the sacred bonfire. In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod.[66] In the late 19th and early 20th century, young people in Glamorgan and Orkney cross-dressed.
Elsewhere in Europe, mumming and hobby horses were part of other yearly festivals. However, in the Celtic-speaking regions they were "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers". From at least the 18th century, "imitating malignant spirits" led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. Wearing costumes and playing pranks at Halloween spread to England in the 20th century. Traditionally, pranksters used hollowed out turnips or mangel wurzels often carved with grotesque faces as lanterns. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits, or were used to ward off evil spirits. They were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the 19th century as well as in Somerset (see Punkie Night). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of England and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns.
History Buffs: "From Hell," --- [Jack The Ripper movie based on the graphic novel of the same name. Oh, yeah... this movie, starring Johnny Depp, contains a lot of dark "adult" stuff!!!]...
Heh-heh-heh... I don't care if it's improbable and even silly. I still find it very entertaining. [Bring on the cheese curls and the blackberry wine, while I put my feet up and relax with four cats on my lap.] =^_^=
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Look For Me As Maleficent At The Youngstown, Ohio "Comic Con," --- Sat. July 8, 2018...
And my son Josh, dressed as Shadow Link.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
It's Midsummer, --- June 21, 2018...
Yes, it's Midsummmer, a very magical time of the year, especially for both dark and light faeries. It's when the Oak King is overturned and dethroned by the Holly King. From now on the year will wan as the amount of daylight gets gradually shorter.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
The Wily Leprechaun, --- [Yes, he is one of the Unseelie Court!!!]...
Now, the leprechaun is a very clever little faerie, a faerie shoemaker, actually. But, he only works on one shoe, never two. And, he likes to sit under the big leaves of the burdocks, humming or giggling to himself... Which is exactly what he was doing when a young man from Limerick came upon him. He grabbed the leprechaun by the back of his green coat and lifted him up while the little shoemaker struggled and tried to slug him.
"Lemme go!," the leprechaun screamed.
"No!," the young man, whose named was Billy, replied. "I know you have a pot of gold hidden somewhere that you'll give to me to get your freedom!"
"No! Ye can't have me gold, ye greedy fool!"
"I know if I take my eyes off you you'll disappear, so I'll keep looking at you and I'll hold onto you till you tell me where your gold is!"
"Never! LEMME GO!"
Yet, although he wiggled and wiggled the leprechaun couldn't get free of Billy's strong grip. Finally, he sighed. "Okay. Okay... If ye let me go I'll tell ye where I keep me gold."
"No, you show me first, THEN I'll let you go."
"Yer a smart lad, Billy. Alright, I'll take ye there."
And, the leprechaun told Billy where to carry him, to a field of daisies. In the middle of the field the leprechaun told Billy to stop. He pointed to the ground at Billy's feet. "If ye dig down six feet you'll find me pot o' gold. Now, lemme go! And see, I'll tie me red garter around the stem of this daisy right over the spot so you'll know where to dig when ye come back with yer shovel. Okay?"
Billy scratched his chin. "Alright, I guess. I'll let you go."
And, he did. Quick as the blink of an eye, the leprechaun disappeared. But, Billy looked down at the red garter and grinned. He'd be rich. He ran back to his shed to get a shovel. When he returned to the field of daisies he threw down the shovel and started to swear mightily as he looked out over the vista of beautiful flowers. Every one had a red garter around it's stem. Billy thought he could hear the leprechaun laughing and laughing nearby. "Uh-uh-UH!!... Ye can't have me gold!"
Now, the leprechaun is a very clever little faerie, a faerie shoemaker, actually. But, he only works on one shoe, never two. And, he likes to sit under the big leaves of the burdocks, humming or giggling to himself... Which is exactly what he was doing when a young man from Limerick came upon him. He grabbed the leprechaun by the back of his green coat and lifted him up while the little shoemaker struggled and tried to slug him.
"Lemme go!," the leprechaun screamed.
"No!," the young man, whose named was Billy, replied. "I know you have a pot of gold hidden somewhere that you'll give to me to get your freedom!"
"No! Ye can't have me gold, ye greedy fool!"
"I know if I take my eyes off you you'll disappear, so I'll keep looking at you and I'll hold onto you till you tell me where your gold is!"
"Never! LEMME GO!"
Yet, although he wiggled and wiggled the leprechaun couldn't get free of Billy's strong grip. Finally, he sighed. "Okay. Okay... If ye let me go I'll tell ye where I keep me gold."
"No, you show me first, THEN I'll let you go."
"Yer a smart lad, Billy. Alright, I'll take ye there."
And, the leprechaun told Billy where to carry him, to a field of daisies. In the middle of the field the leprechaun told Billy to stop. He pointed to the ground at Billy's feet. "If ye dig down six feet you'll find me pot o' gold. Now, lemme go! And see, I'll tie me red garter around the stem of this daisy right over the spot so you'll know where to dig when ye come back with yer shovel. Okay?"
Billy scratched his chin. "Alright, I guess. I'll let you go."
And, he did. Quick as the blink of an eye, the leprechaun disappeared. But, Billy looked down at the red garter and grinned. He'd be rich. He ran back to his shed to get a shovel. When he returned to the field of daisies he threw down the shovel and started to swear mightily as he looked out over the vista of beautiful flowers. Every one had a red garter around it's stem. Billy thought he could hear the leprechaun laughing and laughing nearby. "Uh-uh-UH!!... Ye can't have me gold!"
--- Copyright 2018 by Antoinette Beard.
--- Copyright 2018 by Antoinette Beard.
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