MonsterFest 2011-Griffin (and another character possibility?)

I am so enjoying taking part in this MonsterFest hosted by Sommer Leigh at Tell Great Stories. And today I'm taking a quick look a The Griffin, a creature I have always been fascinated with. And have to say I am also reading Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone . Talk about taking a mythical creature (monster, maybe not so much depending on your point of view) and spinning it (and whole lot more) into a marvelous urban fantasy! Highly recommending this book to teens and adults who are fans of the genre. The characters, the setting---it all sucks you in.

AnyWHO! On to some quick Griffin facts and places you can go to hunt down more if you are so interested. As I read more about it and pulled myself away from the very little knew that made me think of them as a monster (half lion, half eagle--scary to the kid me) I realized there may be more to admire than fear.

-guard treasures
-mate for life
-not always a lion and eagle
-feed their young (with horses and, er, humans...okay, that's kind of scary)
-known to dig for gold (still working on researching why the interest in doing that)
-sometimes known to have the tale of a snake
-deadly enemy of the horse

I particularly like this from  Mythical Creatures Meanings & Fantasy Animals in World Traditions :

"The griffin is a symbol meaning one who refuses to be taken captive at all costs. The griffin is a mythical creature with a lion's body and the wings and head of an eagle. The griffin is a symbol of both dominion and destruction. In christian symbolism, Christ is compared to both the lion and the eagle. Thus, the griffin became a symbol of Christ, particularly used by Dante. In medieval scripture, however, the griffin symbolized the devil due to its purported ability to swoop down and carry off animals and humans. Eventually the griffin became a symbol of valor and magnanimity due to the inherent characteristics of the lion and the eagle. The griffin became an emblem of nobility and was depicted in the coat of arms of many noble families in Europe."


And even though I don't illustrate (I am more of a doodle and thinker...watching the following vid made me want to try and learn to draw the griffin as I think on him or her as a possible character in a future books.






Sources and more reading for you:

Griffin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Medieval Bestiary : Griffin


Greek and Roman World Mythology: Mythical Creature Griffin

Happy Hunting!

MonsterFest 2011-Banshee (and a new character for my book?)

The first time I became aware of the banshee was long, long ago in a movie called Darby O'Gill and the Little People. (made the same year I was born, eek!)

There is a scene on the side of the mountain with a screaming, scary, determined banshee after a soul. I was fascinated and terrified all at the same time. Over the many many years since that time my imagination drifts when the wind howls and I think about the ban-shee or....bean-sidhe. 

Now.  My child imagination was scared by the banshee. But the more I read I doubted the monster status I gave them. Basically they wail at the death or just before the death of a family member. And, it was only for certain families. Often said to be the soul of a murdered woman or a woman who died in childbirth, sometimes beautiful, sometimes a hag, even a washerwoman! Not dangerous, just scary, especially to hear with a wail that could break glass.

But.

What  if they get the foretelling wrong? Will they give up or will they haunt the family until they get the soul they want?

Further reading reading revealed that in the U.S., though, the banshee is a ghoul and then I came up the information that if you come upon a comb beware picking it up. It could have been placed there by a banshee trying to trap your soul (similar stories about mermaids doing this, by the way).

So.

Changed my mind back. Monster indeed!

Needless to say this monster hunt has my imagination fired. Will be researching more, because I really want to create a banshee character now. The possibilities with her are endless.







Some links to images:

Banshee, Norma Peters, SciFi Fantasy Art (this one is good and scary)

"Banshee" by Rebecca Röske | RedBubble (definitely the beautiful one)

Irish Banshee Images (this is where I got the images for this post-there are many, many more here)

Where I did my reading up on banshees:

Irish Fairies | Banshee

Banshee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other places to go to find out more and I will. MUST finish my current wip first, I must must. Although, because HAPPY MEDIUM is a paranormal a banshee character is entirely possible. I know. Focus, Deb, focus.

 Banshee - Mythical Creatures Guide

The Banshee of Ireland

And of course need to head to the library, get books!

Happy hunting! Thanks to Sommer Leigh @ Tell Great Stories for leading the charge.

All the pretty (dangerous) horses-The Kelpie

The hunt continues with  a big thanks to Sommer of Tell Great Stories for inspiring to search out and share a monster or two as part of Monsterfest.

I love horses. Love. them. And so when I first heard of the Kelpie oh so many years ago I thought, oooo, nice! A beautiful mythical horse that lives in the water. Then I learned a wee bit more.

• they may offer you a ride across the deep river, but rather than take you to the other side they drown you (or dump you off and you drown on your own)
• they have been known to lure men, women and children (wether you need a ride or not) into the water, drown you, then eat you

From Encyclopedia Mythica :

In old Scotland, the Kelpie is a treacherous water devil who lurks in lakes and rivers. It usually assumes the shape of a young horse. When a tired traveler stops by a lake to rest or to have a drink, he would see a horse, apparently peacefully grazing. When he mounts the horse, the Kelpie dives into the water and drowns its victim. Occasionally it has helped millers by keeping the mill-wheel going at night.

The mention the kelpie helping millers to keep the mill-wheel going intrigues me. It means they are a bit of good in them? Or maybe the miller offers up...food also known as people?

If this has wetted (I know--really bad pun) your appetite to delve a bit more into the world of the kelpie here are a couple of links to follow:

House Shadow Drake - Kelpie

Kelpie | Mysterious Britain & Ireland

And that is it from me. Short and sweet (ish). But. There is some more digging I want to know. In my travels (ie the last link, above-Kelpie|Mysterious Britain & Ireland) there is mention of the fact that Kelpie's or Water Horses were not always so evil. I want to know more. Won't be jumping on the back of anyone of them none to soon, but interested to find out if they are in fact a misunderstood monster.

MonsterFest-Meet the Sluagh...

...then run for your life (or I should say soul). Seriously. And next time I pick something to learn about, something deep, dark and evil? I will not be writing about it in the wee hours of night while it is raining and the wind is howling in the trees. What. was. I. thinking. Oh, right...I was thinking:

Here are some quick info bits on the Sluagh:

• part of Celtic Mythology
• travel in flocks, on the wind, behind thunderstorms
• fly in from the west
• not welcome in heaven or hell
• happiest when snagging up the newly dead or the dying
• possible that not Sluagh are evil, some are innocent and trapped souls forced along for the ride (yikes!)
• associated with the wild hunt and therefore been known to grab up the living and carry them far far away to a not so wonderful end

In other words, they hunt down souls and, well, eat them. Usually it is the souls of sinners, but as noted above there are rumours of the innocent being taken prisoner to fly with them.

It's still howling and blowing outside. I really don't want to go and see if the wind is coming from the west, do I? The writer's imagination in me, though, is tempted. On the other hand there are tales of the Sluagh swooping down on the living and howling off into the ink black night with them. Yeah. Think I will stay inside.

If this has wetted your appetite to learn a bit more go here:

Sluagh - Monstropedia

And here:

The Wild Hunt - folklore and legend - tales by Cassandra Eason

I know I'm interested in learning more, especially incorporating some aspect of them into a story. That story will be written in the light of day, though. Does that mean I have to give up my membership in the Monstrologist club?

Happy hunting all! And special thanks to our fearless (and brave) leader, Sommer of Tell Great Stories.


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Still time to enter my giveaway for ASHES, ASHES right here.

I'm Joining In-MonsterFest 2011 » Tell Great Stories

Fridays in October I'm hanging with some monsters, oh yeah. Banshee, Griffin, Kelpie and Sluagh will in the house, er, I mean on my blog. All thanks to Sommer Leigh over on Tell Great Stories. Why not check it out and join in some scary good fun?

MonsterFest 2011 » Tell Great Stories

BOO! Or ARRRRR OOOOO, depending on what the monster you choose to feature does. One of mine hunts down souls, not sure what kind of sound they make--maybe I don't really want to know?