Happy New Year 🦇🎇👻🎆

 

Another year flies bye, but for better or worse  time marches on.

Thank you for reading these posts and hopefully enjoying what i put here. 

May you're new year be a great one.

Happy New Year 🎆👻🎇

Christmas Elves....

 

🎄 Christmas Elves ⛄

We all know of Santa and his workshop of elves, but we're did this story come from what are the  origins of the jolly fat man's helpers?

 The modern elf folklore come  from Norse/Scandinavian mythology, the Nisse or house gnome and the  álfar, also called  huldufólk or  hildafolk 'hidden folk'.

Sweden's gift giver before Santa was the Tomten and the Yule Goat though by 1891, the Good old St Nick had merged with Tomten, who was originally an elf or gnome like farm guardian  (like the Nisse).  following the work of Jenny Nyström, this new combination of  old and new Christmas figures became  the Jultomten.

In Nordic countries, Nisse are the closest thing you could consider as Christmas Elves even though  nisse are not actually  elves and they will usually  only wear red instead of the green and red outfits that elves are known for in most western  countries.

 Several  Norse legend were likely combined with other Scandinavian and Celtic legends and myths about these small magic beings.

All kinds of stories about elves, fairies  nature spirits and even gnomes can be found from  multiple regions through Europe there are also similar supernatural beings that could be connected to elves, such as kobolds or duende  from Germany Mexico and South America or the Scottish house spirits called brownies. In Medieval Europe, elves were seen as tricksters and were often linked to demons especially after the christianization of Europe most things of a supernatural or otherworldly nature where considered evil.

The modern  Christmas elf + working in Santa's workshop) appeared in literature as early as 1850 when Louisa May Alcott (Little Women ) completed, but never published a book called Christmas Elves. 

Though a earlier reference to Christmas elf's can be found  In the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (   'Twas the Night Before Christmas), by  Clement Clarke Moore, Santa Claus himself is described in line 45: "He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf".

The image of the elves in the workshop was also popularized by Godey's Lady's Book, with a front cover illustration for its 1873 Christmas issue showing Santa surrounded by toys and elves with the caption "Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time".

 During this time, Godey's was a very influential figure to the birth of some of our Christmas traditions, having shown the first widely circulated picture of a modern Christmas tree on the front cover of its 1850 Christmas issue. Additional recognition was also given in Austin Thompson's 1876 work "The House of Santa Claus, a Christmas Fairy Show (Christmas play) for Sunday Schools"

A few other versions of elf's or helpers are

Ded Moroz (father Frost / Grandfather Frost )  and his grand daughter Snegurochka (Frost Maiden) from Russia ⛄🎁

Knecht Ruprecht from Germany.🍻🎅

The  Hoesecker in  Luxembourg.🦌

Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) In the Netherlands and Belgium who accompany Saint Nicholas on his global gift giving.🎄

And lastly the modern Christmas tradition involving that ever watchful snitch The Elf on the Shelf  .🧝‍♂️👀

Hopefully none of you are on the naughty list, this year 🙂

Have a great Christmas and happy New Year.

🎄🎁🎅⛄🦌🎄

🦇M🦇

Last Post for the year, thanks for stopping by and have an awesome 2025🎆🎇

Kallikantzaroi, Christmas Goblin's 🎄🇬🇷

 

The Kallikantzaroi is a goblin like creature from Greek folklore.

 They live underground most of the year and spend their time sawing away at the world tree trying to bring it down and the world with it,  only coming out during the twelve days of Christmas, from December 25th to January 6th. 

They are small creatures  most often described as goblins or tiny demons with tails,  long, shaggy hair and hooves for feet.

 Despite their monstrous appearance, they are mostly prankster not good, but not entirely evil, however their mischievous behavior during the Christmas season can be troublesome similar to the pranks played by the Yule lad's.

 

 They're pranks usually involve stealing peoples belongings, and messing with  food. 

 There are several customs and rituals to keep them away,  including leaving a fire burning in the hearth throughout the night to prevent the Kallikantzaroi from entering through the chimney,  hanging holly and garlic, and placing a colander on the doorstep are some methods  believed to keep the Kallikantzaroi at bay.

 

They're pranks will continue until the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th. As the waters are blessed during the Epiphany service, the Christmas goblins return to they're underground home only to resurface the following year when the holiday season arrives once again.

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⛄Merry Christmas 🎄

And 

Happy New Year

🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇

🎃👻Happy Halloween 👻🎃

🎃Happy 👻Halloween 🎃 

Thanks for the views and shares, have a safe and fun night.🦇🌕🦇

Scandinavian Folklore: Mara.👻

The Mara is a female spirit like being from Scandinavian mythology.

One of the earliest mention and possibly the original origins of the tale comes from the Norse Ynglinga saga, a 13th century saga written by Snorri Sturlson, an Icelandic poet. 

In the saga King Vanlandi Sveigoisson of Uppsala is killed by a mara which is conjured by the Finnish sorceress Huld, hired by the king’s abandoned wife.

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–Ynglinga Saga, Verse 16..

“Driva bribed the witch-

wife Huld, either that she should bewitch Vanlande to return to

Finland, or kill him. When this witch-work was going on Vanlande

was at Upsal, and a great desire came over him to go to Finland;

but his friends and counsellors advised him against it, and said

the witchcraft of the Finn people showed itself in this desire of

his to go there. He then became very drowsy, and laid himself

down to sleep; but when he had slept but a little while he cried

out, saying that the Mara was treading upon him. His men

hastened to him to help him; but when they took hold of his head

she trod on his legs, and when they laid hold of his legs she

pressed upon his head; and it was his death. The Swedes took his

body and burnt it at a river called Skytaa, where a standing

stone was raised over him.”

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....... .

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In Polish folklore the mara is described as a soul of a living person who leaves their body at night (astral projection) and are seen by others in the form of wisps of hair or moths. 

In Czech lore there are stories  of a “night-butterfly,” also thought to be linked to the mara legend. 

In Russian folklore she's  invisible but with the ability to also take the form of a woman with long hair. Other mentions of mara in Slavic folklore include descriptions of the her as a succubus-like creature that invades men’s dreams and lead them to their doom (Croatia) and as a spirit who enters through the keyhole and strangles you while you sleep (Serbia). 

In Turkey, the mara is called the Karabasan which translates to “ominous-presser.”

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In the  Icelandic Vatnsdæla saga as a spirit connected to the fate of the person it is attached to and in the Eyrbyggja saga (also Icelandic in origin) where the sorceress Geirrid is said to assume the shape of a marlíðendr or “night-rider.”

In Germany there are records of charms and prayers to ward off the mara, such as the below:

Here I am lying down to sleep;

No night-mare shall plague me

until they have swum through all the waters

that flow upon the earth,

and counted all stars

that appear in the skies.

Thus help me God Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!..

,..... . 

The legend of the mara is also connected to the legend of the old had or night hag, a story used in many cultures to explain sleep paralysis. 

The first definition of sleep paralysis appears in Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary under the term “nightmare”:

Nightmare n.s. [night, and according to Temple, mara, a spirit that in the heathen mythology, was related to torment to suffocate sleepers.] A morbid oppression in the night, resembling the pressure of weight upon the chest.

                        Old Hag, Night Hag.

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Other versions from around the world.

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In Japan it is referred to as kanashibari, which translates as “to bind” or “to tie.”

In Mongolia sleep paralysis is called khar darakh, which translates to “to be pressed by the Black.” 

Thai belief describes sleep paralysis as being caused by a ghost called Phi Am.

Newfoundland and parts of the southern United States where the hag leaves her body and sits on the chest of the victim.

In Arab cultures it is referred to as Ja-thoom which means “what sits heavily on something.” It is believed sleep paralysis can be prevented by reading the Throne verse of the Quran.

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The origins of the name comes from the Nordic word for nightmare (the Norwegian word for nightmare is mareitt, the Icelandic name is martroo, and the Swedish word  is mardrom). Mareitt and martroo roughly translate as “mare-ride”, referencing the original use of the term, while mardrom translates as “mare-dream.” 

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🎃 Happy Halloween  👻

Japanese Yokai: Gashadokuro 💀

 

💀Gashadokuro💀

This Yokai is the physical manifestation of human regret, hunger and death.

The Gashadokuro is a towering monstrous skeleton formed from the grudge and regret of those that have died on the battle field or from starvation. It's body is made from the Bones of countless dead  individuals.

The earliest record of a gashadokuro goes back over 1000 years to a bloody rebellion against the central government by a samurai named Taira no Masakado. 

His daughter Takiyasha hime was a famous sorceress. When Masako was eventually killed for his revolt, his daughter continued his cause. Using her dark magic, she summoned a massive skeleton from the bodies of dead soldiers to attack the city of Kyōto. Her monster is depicted in a famous print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

. . 

In another vision of the story the Gashadokuro is formed from soldiers whose bodies are left to rot in the fields and victims of famine who die unknown in the villages or off in the wilderness and don't receive a proper funeral, unable to pass on, their souls linger as vengeful spirits these people die with anger and pain in their hearts. 

That energy remains long after their flesh has rotted away, As their bodies decay, their anger ferments into a grudge against the living, which twists them into a supernatural force. When the bones of hundreds or thousands of victims gather together into one mass, they form the giant, skeletal monster. This Yokai existence will last for however the rage and regret in the bone s it's made of still lingers. They are most often found around graveyards mass Graves or battlefields where there are a large mass of dead bodies or death.

This Yokai wanders around the countryside in the late hours of the night. Their teeth chatter and bones rattle with the “gachi gachi” sound. 

However they aren't always noisy. If they spot a human out late on the roads, the gashadokuro will silently sneak up and catch their victims, crushing them in their hands or biting off their head.

Be careful of you're next night walk you definitely don't want to run into one of these guy's... 💀👻

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Gashadokuro in anime.

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💀🎃👻

Wyoming wolfman.

Eyewitness Dogman sighting in  Boulder Wyoming..

My name is Ken, 8 years ago my brother Jon was heading home from his girlfriends house off a county road outside of Boulder 11 miles south of Pinedale Wyoming. 

It was around 1 or 2 am when he saw what he said was a huge dog traverse down the slope on the south side of the road and commense to run along side his pickup.

 He was driving a 69-70 Ford F150 highboy which came from the factory lifted. The dogman was running with him at 35-40 mph. 

Theres a 2-3ft barrow ditch running along the road and the dogmans head was level with his as he was driving so Jon puts its height at 7 to 8 ft. 

It was dark in color with grey or white on its muzzle running from its nose to under its eyes which were amber in color. 

He sped up to 45 and the dogman kept up with him often looking inside the pickup. He said at around 50mph he lost it and thats all he would tell me.

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