Hej guys
We're having a vacation, just telling you c: I'm travelling with my mom this week and I won't have internet until Christmas, and I have to talk to some people so we can decide what we're going to do next year (about this blog. I said I was going to make something different with some friends, but we don't know what. Yet.) and I think it would be nice to start it after New Year's Eve because of no particular reason, but I think it sounds better (????).
And that's it :3



Aaaaaand I have kind of a promise to you guys: if I pass that fucking test I did this week (which decides if I'm going to a public university or not) I'll shave a part of my hair. And I'm fucking serious. Write it down. I think it's fun how public schools are so shitty while public universities are so nice and everyone wants to study there. Makes no sense to me. 

And now it's really over.

Happy Holidays :D
See you in January

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

Hej guys (:
I had some problems yesterday (that's why I didn't write anything) and I'll have to go to more lessons soon, so, no, I don't think I'll write Thursday's post. I'll make a longer post next week. 

MYTHOLOGY: THE PEACOCK MAIDEN (part 1)

Hej (:
How are you guys? I'm fine, and soon I'll be on vacation *-*
I wanted to make a post about the Swan Maidens of Norse mythology, but when I was searching I found this Chinese legend and I found it nice:

 In Monbanja, a land of perennial green, there once lived a king named Bahkeladir. His granaries overflowed with the fruits of good harvests and his palace was beyond compare for splendor and richness, but he had no children. Both he and his queen Machena longed for a son, for an heir to succeed to the throne and complete their happiness.
 And then, one morning in early spring, their wish was fulfilled. The people rushed excitedly about, talking of a strange happening. A man-child crawled out from the foot of a huge white elephant and then disappeared without a trace. Right at this moment, the queen gave birth to a healthy son which the king named Chaushutun, after a prince famous for his bravery, hoping that his son, too, would grow into a strong and brave man.
 With each passing day Chaushutun grew taller and stronger. He diligently studied the arts of peace and war, becoming well versed in the arts and proficient with all weapons. His intelligence was astonishing, and his strength excelled all other men.
One day he peered into a well and by the dim light beheld a strange object in it. The wise old men said that the great King Bahmo had left a wonderful treasure there, which men for many generations had tried in vain to obtain. Chaushutun ordered the well be drained, and when this was done he descended into the well to examine it more closely. The object was a magic bow. So powerful was it that he who owned it could defeat an entire enemy army. No one but Chaushutun had the strength to bend the huge bow. He could draw it taut till it was as round as the full moon, and every arrow from it hit the target clean and sure.
 One day as an evil bird of prodigious size was arrogantly wheeling overhead in the clouds, a black fish clasped in its beak, an arrow from Chaushutun's bow pierced it. The fish fell from its beak into a river, and the bird, mortally wounded, plunged down into the forests below.
Sixteen times the breezes of autumn fanned the paddy fields into a swaying, burning gold. Chaushutun was now a brave, handsome lad, with deep, clear eyes that sparkled with life. His face was more lovely than the legendary Dewawo's, and his voice was like the chiming of bells, soft and musical to the ear.
 When the maidens saw him their mouths and eyes opened wide in admiration and they longed to toss the embroidered pouch of courtship at him, offer him the slit-bamboo stool reserved for their dear ones, and give him love nuts. His parents grew increasingly concerned about his marriage, and time and again urged him to marry a girl of noble birth.
 The treacherous minister Mahashena, eager to increase his influence over the throne, offered his daughter. But it was of no use. Of the many beautiful but empty-headed daughters of nobles, not one could win Chaushutun's heart. His one wish was to find himself a girl as capable as she was beautiful, who could be his faithful companion for life.
 One day, with his magic bow and sword, and mounted on his wonder horse, Chaushutun rode away, over vast fields, over range after range of mountains and through thick forests, to search for a girl after his heart. On the way he fell in with an old hunter named Gohagen and the two became firm friends. Together they hunted the wild boar and the flame-speckled deer, and shared the same fire. As they ate their fill of savory venison they talked of many interesting things. One of the stories Gohagen told the prince was this:

Not many years ago, Bahna, the God of Waters, with a magic weapon captured the son of Bahun, king of all fish-eating birds. In revenge the bird king caught the God of Waters while he was visiting the ocean's surface in the guise of a black fish. And just as the bird king was exulting high in the skies an arrow suddenly struck him, making him release the black fish, which fell down into a river, right into the net old Gohagen had spread. The black fish pleaded to be set free and promised to come to Gohagen's aid whenever he needed help. The kind-hearted Gohagen set the fish free.

 "I admired the bowman whose arrow brought down that fish! I have always hoped that some day I will meet him," concluded Gohagen.
"That unknown bowman probably wants to meet you even more," Chaushutun added with a smile. So they talked through the night, like old, intimate friends.
Chaushutun looked up and sighed. "Ah, bright star!" he said. "Herald of dawn! So high, yet so easily seen. Now why is a beautiful and talented maid born among men so difficult to find?"
 "Love never disappoints pure hearts. The steadfast and true will bring the deep-seated spring water to the surface," Gohagen chuckled knowingly.
Chaushutun nodded. He would remember that saying.
 "And not far from here," the old hunter went on, "is Lake Langsna with its jade-green waters as clear as a polished mirror. And every seven days, seven peacock maidens extraordinarily fair to see bathe there. They are as fair as resplendent flowers, and the youngest outshines them all. When you see her, you will see the beauty of the legendary Nandiowala and you will know what wisdom and cleverness really mean. Come, let us go and see."
 Chaushutun rose eagerly. They mounted their swift horses and soon were at the lake. They hid themselves on the lake's edge and waited.
Source: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/swan.html#peacock

That's it c:
See you next week
Hej då

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

"BRAZILIAN" CULTURE: IEMANJÁ

Hej c:

Today's post is about something that isn't really Brazilian, but is really present in our culture because of the beliefs of the African slaves and, in a in a predominantly Christian country, these beliefs are seen as "devilish" and a lot of people don't respect it. 

 Yemanja is an orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American religions. Africans from what is now called Yorubaland brought Yemaya/Yemoja and a host of other deities/energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the America as captives. She is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children.
 Because the Afro-American religions were transmitted as part of a long oral tradition, there are many regional variations on the goddess's name:
Africa: Yemoja, Ymoja, Yemowo, Mami Wata
Brazil: Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Janaína
Cuba: Yemaya, Yemayah, Iemanya
Haiti: La Sirène, LaSiren (in Vodou)
USA: Yemalla, Yemana, Yemoja
Uruguay: Iemanjá
Dominican Republic: Yemalla or La Diosa del mar (sea goddess)
 Yemaja is said to be the mother of all orisha. She also is the spirit of water, and her favorite number is 7.

In Brazil, the goddess is known as Yemanjá, Iemanjá or Janaína in Brazilian Candomblé and Umbanda religions.
 The Umbanda religion worships Iemanjá as one of the seven orixás of the African Pantheon. She is the Queen of the Ocean, the patron deity of the fishermen and the survivors of shipwrecks, the feminine principle of creation and the spirit of moonlight. A syncretism happens between the catholic Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes (Our Lady of the Seafaring) and the orixá Iemanjá of the African Mithology. Sometimes, a feast can honor both.
 In Salvador, Bahia, Iemanjá is celebrated by Candomblé on the very same day consecrated by the Catholic Church to Our Lady of Seafaring (Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes).Every February 2, thousands of people line up at dawn to leave their offerings at her shrine in Rio Vermelho.
 Gifts for Iemanjá usually include flowers and objects of female vanity (perfume, jewelry, combs, lipsticks, mirrors). These are gathered in large baskets and taken out to the sea by local fishermen. Afterwards a massive street party ensues.
 Iemanjá is also celebrated every December 8 in Salvador. The Festa da Conceição da Praia (Feast to Our Lady of Conception of the church at the beach) is a city holiday dedicated to the Catholic saint and also to Iemanjá. Another feast occurs on this day in the Pedra Furada, Monte Serrat in Salvador, called the Gift to Iemanjá, when fishermen celebrate their devotion to the Queen of the Ocean.
 Outside Bahia State, Iemanjá is celebrated mainly by followers of the Umbanda religion.
 On New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro, millions of cariocas, of all religions, dressed in white gather on Copacabana beach to greet the New Year, watch fireworks, and throw (white) flowers and other offerings into the sea for the goddess in the hopes that she will grant them their requests for the coming year. Some send their gifts to Iemanjá in wooden toy boats. Paintings of Iemanjá are sold in Rio shops, next to paintings of Jesus and other Catholic saints. They portray her as a woman rising out of the sea. Small offerings of flowers and floating candles are left in the sea on many nights at Copacabana.
 In São Paulo State, Iemanjá is celebrated in the two first weekends of December on the shores of Praia Grande city. During these days many vehicles garnished with Iemanjá icons and colors (white and blue) roam from the São Paulo mountains to the sea littoral, some of them traveling hundreds of miles. Thousands of people rally near Iemanjá's statue in Praia Grande beach.
 In Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, on February 2, the image of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes is carried to the port of Pelotas. Before the closing of the catholic feast, the boats stop and host the Umbanda followers that carry the image of Iemanjá, in a syncretic meeting that is watched by thousand of people on the shore.

Source: wikipedia

 

For real, if you think the Devil made this, there's something really wrong with you. I know people who have a real problem with afro-brazilian religions, like "omg, devil blah blah blah". Coincidentally, this person says "not like this band because they made a pact with the devil". 

But, yeah, that's it c:

Hej då 

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: CORPO SECO

Oh hej
Guess what happened?  No, I didn't forget. This time. I mean, I did, but I wasn't even at home, btw, so whatever. It's my last year of high school and yesterday we had all that beautiful ceremony and all. It was awesome, I've never thought that I would miss that school so much lol. 
Oh well, let's go:

Corpo Seco is a man who spent his life beating and responding to his moder. When he died, he was rejected by God, the Devil and the earth, disgusted, repelled him. One day, he rose from his tomb, completely rotten and completely furious, decided to scare everyone who passed near his favorite road.
In São Paulo, there is a variant of this legend: it is said that when a person passes near the Corpo Seco he jumps and sucks all your blood (like a vampire).
There are also reports of Corpo Seco in the state of Paraná, Amazonas, Minas Gerais, in the Midwest region of Brazil and some African countries of Portuguese language, reported by Brazilian soldiers of the mission UNAVEM III.
In Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, there is a variation of this legend, which tells that the Corpo Seco - after being repelled by the earth several times - is taken by firefighters to an apparent cave in a mountain range that lies south of the city. They say those who spend the night down the dirt road near to the place, you can hear his screams echoing from inside the cave.
Even today, there is a popular saying: "Whoever hits the mother stays with the withered hand."
Source: Brazilian wikipedia

Aaaaaaand that's it. I won't post anything tomorrow because I have my prom ball today and the ast assay for my flute recital my cousin's birthday party tomorrow and yeah, I think I won't have time. I'll try to post something, anyway.
Hej då

MYTHOLOGY: FREYJA

Hej :3

I'm sorry I forgot again. You can blame my brothr, it was because his birthday party u-u

 Freja (Freyja, Freya) - Freya is one of the major Goddesses of Norse Mythology.
 Equal in prowess to Thor, Freya is nearly the equal of Odin, the Allfather. The northern Europeans called their lusty Goddess Freya (pronounced fray'ya), which means, "mistress", and gave her name to the sixth day of the week, Friday. Freya – also Freyja or Freia – is the daughter of Niord and sister of Frey. She is one of the Vanir but came out of Vanaheim to live with the Aesir along with her father and brother. Her hall, Sessrumnir, is built in the field of Folkvang in Asgard, the realm of the Gods. She is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, one of the original fertility goddesses of the region. Patron of young lovers, Freya is viewed as a force for good in the world – protector of the weak, healer, granter of magic and source of love and peace. She listens to the prayers of men and women seeking love and helps them when she can.
 Beautiful, blue-eyed, golden-haired – Freya generally appears as the most desirable woman in the Nine Realms. She always wears Brisingamen, a wonderful necklace made from gold and amber that she received from dwarves. Often appearing unclothed to her followers, she is always described as the most beautiful of women.
 The goddess Freya's passions were abundant, vigorous, and unrestrained. Clothed or not, she is usually shown in sensual poses.
 Freya didn't discriminate in her choice of lovers: All Gods were fair game. When Freya appeared draped in her feathered cloak and wearing nothing but her magic amber necklace, none could resist her.
 She is often depicted riding her golden chariot through the skies, the chariot pulled by two large blue cats who were a gift from the Norse god Thor.
 Freya was a spectacular beauty known for her appreciation of romantic music and stunning floral arrangements. That was her softer side; she was also known as the goddess of war and death.
 Freya leads the Valkyrie, the Choosers of the Slain. These warrior maidens ride over battlefields on winged horses, taking the souls of noble warriors killed in battle to feast in Valhalla, Odin’s Hall. Freya claims half of the warriors for her own hall in Folkvang. This martial province makes Freya a more fully dimensioned goddess than most fertility deities.
 Freya taught magic to the Aesir, Odin in particular. Freya's magic is termed Seidr - a type of trance magic whose fully realized forms include shape shifting and astral projection. Freya herself has a falcon cloak which allows any who wears it to become a bird.
 Cats are particularly sacred to Freya. In addition to the two large cats who pull her chariot, other cats are generally associated with this kind and loving Goddess. Whether it's their grace, their beauty or their fierce nature when provoked, cats are the special darlings of Freya, often carrying messages for her. (Of course, sometimes they take a nap while enroute...)
 The goddess Freya reminds us to explore and acknowledge all of our emotions, longings, and traits, even those we wish we didn't possess.
If you feel awed by the wonder of veins in leaves in the lush green trees and feel your knees go weak at the joy of being alive, the passionate goddess of love is working in you. Freja's gifts are those that make us overjoyed to be alive! Freja loves all things that give pleasure, she indulges in love, romance and lovemaking - always walking in harmony and beauty. Her power brings men and women together to create new life, and she is the gentle goddess who ends life in order to perpetuate the circle of life with love and trust. According to Nordic myth she was also the Warrior Goddess who was hostess to fallen war heroes in her great hall.

Source: http://www.everygoddess.com/goddesses/freja-goddess.htm

That's it. See you next week :)

Hej då

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: CURUPIRA & CAIPORA

Hej :3

I forgot again lololol oh well, beter late than never, right? 

 Curupira's name comes from the Tupi language kuru'pir, meaning "covered in blisters". According to the cultural legends, this creature has bright red/orange hair, and resembles a man or a dwarf, but its feet are turned backwards. Curupira lives in the forests of Brazil and uses its backward feet to create footprints that lead to its starting point, thus making hunters and travelers confused. Besides that, he can also create illusions and produce a sound that's like a high pitched whistle, in order to scare and drive its victim to madness. It is common to portray a Curupira riding a Collared peccary, much like another Brazilian creature called Caipora. A Curupira will prey on poachers and hunters that take more than they need of the forest, and he also attacks people that hunt animals that were taking care of their offspring. There are many different versions of the legend, and so the creature's appearance and habits may vary from each region in Brazil. However, Curupira is considered a nationwide folkloric figure.

 Caipora is an entity of the Tupi-Guarani mythology in Brazil. It is represented as a dark-skinned, small Indian, naked with a very long black mane, smoking a cigar and very mischievous. Other depictions are as a stout hairy anthropomorphic being with the head of a fox. Sometimes it's said that he has his feet turned backwards, to deceive trackers, although this is mostly commonly said of the curupira instead. Some say it rides a great peccary. The Caipora also is said to help the people that are kind to the forest and hurt those who hurt it. It is known as a forest dweller, as a king of the animals of sorts and very vengeful of hunters who do not respect the rules of "fair-play" when hunting. It is told that it scares away prey and "hides" animal tracks or makes hunters lose their way in the jungle.

Source: wikipedia

And that's it :3

sorry again LOL

Hej då

why I'm not posting so much recently...

Hej guys
I didn't post about culture and mythology last week because I forgot. I'm really sorry. I had another big test, but it don't have anything to do with this, I guess. Or maybe I'm going crazy because of all this pressure and some other things. Do you understand why I need another person to use this blog? haha
No, seriously. I feel like there's a monster inside me and this motherfucker reminds me of its existence all the time. Have you ever feel like you have a monster inside you or something? If yes, tell me what you did about it. If you're feeling like it right now, let's talk about it and try to solve it together ヽ(•u•)ノ  

BTW, I promise I'll write normally this week (and probably write post for the next week too). I just wanted you guys to know why I'm so distracted these days. 

And now I think I should play some flute because I have lessons tomorrow and yeah

Hej då

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK;

Hej guys

I'll have a test tomorrow, which mean I should write tomorrow's post today. However, I'm not feeling well and I'm not writing anything. Sorry guys.

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: BOTO

Hej
How are you guys? This week I had my last test at school. Woah, this sounds so weird. There are gonna have more tests to enter college and then I'm done. (yeah, we have tests to go into college. you know, to see if we are intelligent enough or something like that. and it's a fucking big test, like, 70 questions, depending on the university. i think i'm going to write a whole post about it when it's over). Oh well, here's one more Brazilian legend for you guys:

 The legend of the boto cor-de rosa (it's a dolphin, basically) has its origin in the Amazon region (northern Brazil). It is still very popular in the region and is part of Brazilian folklore. According to legend, a dolphin colored pink leaves of the rivers on the nights of June Festival. With a special power, can turn into a beautiful young man dressed in white clothes social. He wears a white hat to cover his face and hide the big nose. With his flirtatious and talkative, the dolphin approaches of unaccompanied girls, seducing them. Soon after, convinces women for a ride on the river bottom, where usually impregnate them. The next morning back to become the boto.
  In popular culture, this legend was used to justify the occurrence of a pregnancy outside of marriage.
  Still nowadays, especially in the Amazon region, it is said that a child is the son of boto, when no one knows who the father is.
Source: in Portuguese

This is a boto, btw. It's like a dolphin that lives in rivers.

That's it.

See you

Hej då

MYTHOLOGY: RUNES

Hej :3

 More fortune telling-related shit today because it's awesome and I want to learn how to read this so hard. <3 font="font">

 What we now know as the runic alphabet seems to have developed from two distinct sources - one magical, one literate. Pre-runic symbols, or hällristningar, have been found in various Bronze Age rock carvings, primarily in Sweden. Some of these symbols are readily identifiable in the later alphabets, while others represent ideas and concepts which were incorporated into the names of the runes (sun, horse, etc.). The exact meanings of these sigils are now lost to us, as is their original purpose, but they are believed to have been used for divination or lot-casting, and it is fairly certain that they contributed to the magical function of the later runic alphabets.
 There is some debate over the origin of the "alphabet" aspect of the runes. Cases have been made for both Latin and Greek derivation, and several scholars are once again arguing in favor of both these theories. However, the strongest evidence still seems to point to a North Italic origin. The parallels between the two alphabets are too close to be ignored, particularly in the forms of the letters, as well as in the variable direction of the writing, and certain structural and even symbolic characteristics. This would also explain why so many of the runes resemble Roman letters, since both Italic and Latin scripts are derived from the Etruscan alphabet (itself a branch of the Western Greek family of alphabets). This theory would place the original creation of the futhark sometime before the 1st. century, when the Italic scripts were absorbed and replaced by the Latin alphabet. Linguistic and phonetic analysis points to an even earlier inception date, perhaps as far back as 200 B.C..
 When the northern tribes began integrating the Italic alphabets into their own symbolic system, they gave the letters names relating to all aspects of their secular and religious lives, thus transforming their simple pictographs into a magical alphabet which could be used for talismans, magical inscriptions and divination.

 The Elder Futhark
 The name "futhark", like the word "alphabet", is derived from the first few letters in the runic sequence, which differs considerably from the order of the Latin alphabet and is unique amongst alphabetic scripts. The futhark originally consisted of 24 letters, beginning with F and ending with O, and was used by the northern Germanic tribes of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Northern Germany. This form of the runes is known as the Elder, or Germanic Futhark.

 The Anglo-Saxon Futharc
 Sometime around the fifth century AD, changes occurred in the runes in Frisia (the area around the northern Netherlands and north-western Germany). This period coincided with the Anglo-Saxon invasions from this area and the appearance of similar runes in the British Isles. The forms of several of the runes changed. Also, changes in the language led to between five and nine runes being added to the alphabet to compensate for the extra sounds, and several runes were given different corresponding letters. This alphabet has become known as the Anglo-Saxon Futharc.

 The Younger Futhark
 In Scandinavia, the Elder Futhark remained in use until some time around the eighth century (the time of the Eddas), when drastic changes in the Old Norse language occurred, and corresponding changes in the runic alphabet were made to accommodate the new sounds. However, unlike the Anglo-Saxon Futharc, the Younger Futhark (as it is now called) reduced the number of runes from 24 to 16, and several runes came to represent multiple sounds. The forms of the runes were also changed and simplified. There are several variations of this futhark - Danish, long branch, Norwegian, dotted, etc.
 This form of the runic alphabet spread from Denmark north into Sweden and Norway, and was carried into Iceland and Greenland by the Vikings. It is possible that they were also brought to North America with the Vinland expeditions, but so far no authenticated inscriptions have been found.

 The Runic Revival
 The runes, primarily in their Younger form, remained in common use until well into the 17th. century. Up until this time, they were found on everything from coins to coffins, and in some places their use was actually sanctioned by the Church. Even the common people knew simple runic spells, and the runes were frequently consulted on matters of both public and private interest. Unfortunately, as with most of the magical arts, they were officially banned in 1639 as part of the Church's efforts to "drive the devil out of Europe". The rune masters were either executed or went underground, and the knowledge of the runes may well have died with them. Some say that the knowledge was passed on in secret, but it is almost impossible to separate ancient traditions from more modern esoteric philosophies in such cases.
 Perhaps the darkest period in the history of runic studies was their revival by German scholars connected with the Nazi movement in the 20's and 30's. What began as a legitimate folkloric resurgence unfortunately became so tainted by Nazi ideology and racism that the research from this period was rendered all but useless to any serious student of runic lore.
 After the Second World War, the runes fell into disfavor as a result of their association with Nazism, and very little was written about them until the fifties and sixties. It was not until the mid-eighties, with the widespread appeal of the "New Age" movement and the revival of Pagan religions that the runes regained their popularity as both a divinatory system and a tool for self-awareness.

Source: http://www.runestones.com/runes.htm

And that's it :3

See you next week

Hej då

LIFE IS HARD, BUT LOOK:

BRAZILIAN CULTURE: BOITATÁ

Hej :)
How are you guys? 
I miserably failed last week, eh. Sorry.
BTW, I was talking with a friend of mine and, since we like the same things, we're probably blogging together next year. We're looking for nice stuff to post, but it'll be about History, haha.

Aaaand today's post is about the Boitatá.
 Also known as "running fire", the boitatá is a large snake of fire. This imaginary creature was first cited in 1560, a text of the Jesuit priest José de Anchieta. In the Tupi Indian language, "mboi" means snake and "tata"  means fire.
 In the North and Northeast, people believed that the boitatá protected the woods and forests of the people who cause fires and it lived in rivers and lakes and leaves his "habitat" for people who do burn fires in the forests. According to this legend, boitatá has the capability of turning a log fire.
 In southern Brazil, the explanation for the appearance of the snake of fire is related to flood (the biblical story that talks about the rain that lasted 40 days and 40 nights). After the flood, many animals died and the snakes were laughing happy because there was food in abundance. As punishment, the belly of them burst into flames, lighting up the whole body.
 Researchers say that this legend is associated fires, which occur spontaneously due to the burning of gases from the decomposition of organic material.
Source: in Portuguese

 

That's all, folks :3
See you Saturday
Hej då

MYTHOLOGY: TAROT

Hej :3

I've been too interested in tarot reading and runes lately, I'm seriously thinking about buying a tarot deck or a rune set or something like that. 

 The word 'tarot' is commonly believed to have originated from the Arab word 'turuq', meaning four ways. Tarot cards consist of twenty-one trump cards, the fool and an extra card per suit along with the usual suit of playing cards. They are used in many parts of Europe to play card games and for purposes of divination. The earliest use of tarot cards can be traced back to the 14th century. The popularity of these cards for fortune-telling is as old as a few centuries ago. The history of Tarot cards describes their evolution from decks of olden days to the different types of decks of today.
 Tarot cards, which were an early form of today's playing cards, entered Europe in the 14th century. Feliciano Busi described these cards as being "from Saracinia" or Arabia. Then, they were used to play a game called tarocchi. Some theories suggest that the cards were created around 1410 to 1430 in Milan, Ferrara or Bologna in northern Italy and that some additional trump cards were later added to the suit. These new cards were known as the triumph cards. They began to be used to play a card game similar to bridge. The game of triumphs gained popularity in the northern regions of Italy and eastern France. The cards underwent certain changes in pictures and symbols depicted on them. They soon became popular in Sicily, Austria and Germany. This type of tarot cards exist in the form of fifteen fragmented decks painted in the 15th century for the rulers of Milan.
 After hundreds of years from then, people who believed in occult started regarding tarot cards as means of divination. The French and the English people were fascinated by the mystical symbolism of these cards. This led to the cards being used as divination tools.
 Most of the civil governments of those times had banned the use of playing cards but tarot cards were an exception. This makes evident the general acceptance of these cards.
During the olden times, mass production of tarot cards was not possible. They used to be hand-painted. With the invention of the printing press, they came to be produced on a larger scale. Antoine Court, formerly a Protestant pastor initiated the interpretation of tarot. In 1781, he wrote a speculative history describing the use of these cards for divination. Gypsies were among the first ones to use tarot cards for divination purposes.
 Alliette, a French occultist publicized the concept of using tarot cards for revealing the occult. He designed the first esoteric tarot deck. His design consisted of an addition of astrological ascriptions and some Egyptian motifs to the cards. He also added a divinatory meaning to the text on the cards.
 By the 18th and the 19th centuries, the mystics and occultists began using tarot cards. Their use started after a study on religious symbolism by a Swiss clergyman called Antoine Court de Gebelin was published. He proclaimed the name tarot to have originated from the Egyptian word, 'tar' that meant royal and 'ro' meaning road. He suggested that the word tarot signified a royal road to wisdom.
 The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot was published. It replaced the traditional designs with the portrayals of symbolic scenes. This deck remains popular in the English-speaking countries even today. The use of Tarot cards gave rise to the creation of the oracle card decks, which contain images of angels, goddesses and Power animals and are used for divination.
 Tarot cards find applications in card games and are popularly believed to serve as means of understanding one's fortune. The pictures and symbols that are featured on these cards are associated with certain happenings in one's future. There is a wide variety in the tarot deck designs. The emergence of tarot cards as a way of divination was an outcome of man's curiosity to discover the hidden future. The history of Tarot cards stands testimony to the human tendency to know things ahead of time. Their popularity further iterates the fact that we are always in search of ways to unfold mysteries.
Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-tarot-cards.html

That's it, I'll let some images for you :3

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BRAZILIAN CULTURE: WHY THE LAMB IS MEEK

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How are you? My school year is almost ending and next year I'm going to colllege (that's what I hope) and it feels so weird. I mean, I'm on the same school since I was 6 years old, leaving just doesn't feels right. :c

 Once upon a time there was a little lamb frisking gaily about the
pasture. The bright sunshine and the soft breezes made him very happy.
He had just finished a hearty meal and that made him happy too. He was
the very happiest little lamb in all the world and he thought that he
was the most wonderful little lamb. 
 A big toad sat on the ground and watched him. After a while the toad
said: "O, little lamb, how are you feeling today?"
 The lamb replied that he had never felt better in all his life.
 "Even though you are feeling very strong I can pull you into the sea,"
said the toad.
 The little lamb laughed and laughed until he rolled over on the
ground.
 "Just take hold of this rope and I'll show you how easy it is to pull
you into the sea," said the toad.
 The lamb took hold of the rope. Then the toad said, "Please wait a
minute while I get a good long distance away from you. I can pull
better when I'm not too near you."
 The lamb waited and the toad hopped down to the sea. He hopped up into
a tree which hung over the water's edge and from there he hopped on to
the whale's back. He fastened the end of the rope around the whale
and then he called out to the lamb: "All ready. Now we'll see how hard
you can pull."
 When the whale felt the lamb pulling at the rope he swam away from the
shore. No matter how hard the lamb pulled or how much force he exerted
it did not do one bit of good. He was dragged down to the water's edge
as easily as could be.
 "I give up," said the lamb as he reached the water's edge.
 After that, although the sunshine was just as bright as ever, any one
who watched that little lamb could see that he was a little more meek.
 One day not long afterwards the sunshine was again very bright and the
little lamb was again feeling frisky. He was so happy and gay that he
had forgotten all about how the toad had pulled him down to the water
until the toad spoke to him. Then he remembered.
 "O, little lamb, how are you feeling today?" asked the toad. The
little lamb replied that he was very well.
 "Let us run a race," said the toad, "I think I can beat you."
 "You may be strong enough to pull me into the sea," said the lamb,
"but surely I can run faster than you. I've watched you hopping about
my pasture. You can't run fast at all. However, I'll gladly run a race
with you to prove what I say."
 The toad set a goal and told the lamb to call out every little while
during the race so he could see how much farther ahead the lamb was.
Then the toad and the lamb started.
 The toad had assembled all his brothers and his sisters and his
cousins and his uncles and his aunts before the race and had stationed
them at various points along the path of the race. He had told them
that whenever any of them should hear the lamb calling out, "Laculay,
laculay, laculay," the toad which was nearest should answer,
"Gulugubango, bango lay."
 The lamb ran and ran as fast as he could. Then he remembered his
promise and called out, "Laculay, laculay, laculay." He expected to
hear the toad answer from a long, long distance behind him. He was
much surprised to hear some one near him answer, "Gulugubango, bango
lay." After that he ran faster than ever.
 After running on for some distance farther the lamb again called out,
"Laculay, laculay, laculay." Again he heard the answer at only a short
distance away, "Gulugubango, bango lay." He ran and ran until his
little heart was beating so fast that it seemed as if it would burst.
 At last he arrived at the goal of the race which the toad had set and
there sat the toad's brother who looked so much like him that the lamb
couldn't tell them apart. The lamb went back to his pasture very
meekly and quietly. He acknowledged that he had been beaten in the
race.
 The next morning the toad said to him, "Even though you did not run
fast enough to win the race, still you are a very fast runner. I have
told the daughter of the king about you and I have said to her that
some day she shall see me riding on your back with a bridle in your
mouth as if you were my horse."
 The lamb was very angry. "Perhaps you are strong enough to pull me
into the sea, and perhaps you can beat me when we run a race," said
the lamb, "but never, never in the world will I be your horse."
 Time passed and the sunshine was very bright and the soft, gentle
breezes were very sweet. The lamb was so happy again that he forgot
all about how the toad had pulled him into the sea, and how the toad
had beaten him at running the race. He was very sorry for the toad
when he saw him all humped up in a disconsolate little heap one day.
"O, poor toad, are you sick?" he asked. "Isn't there something I can
do to help you?"
 The toad told him how very sick he was. "There is something you could
do to help me," he said, "but I don't believe that you are quite
strong enough or can travel quite fast enough."
 The lamb took a deep breath and blew out his chest. "I'll show you,"
he said. "Just tell me what it is."
 The toad replied that he had promised to be at a party that afternoon
at the house of the king's daughter and he did not see how he could
possibly get there unless some one would carry him.
 "Jump on my back," said the lamb. "I'll carry you."
 The toad shook about on the lamb's back after they had started so that
it seemed as if he would surely fall off. After a little he said, "I
can not possibly stand riding like this. It jars all my sore spots.
I'll have to get off." He tried it a little while longer and shook
about worse than ever. Then he said, "Do you know, I think I could
endure this painful ride a little better if only I had something to
hold myself by? Do you mind if I take a piece of grass and put it in
your mouth? I can hold on to that when I shake about and my sore spots
will not hurt so much."
 The lamb let the toad put a piece of grass in his mouth.
 After a while the toad asked for a little stick. "The flies and
mosquitoes annoy me terribly," he said. "If only I had a little stick
I could wave it about over my head and frighten them away. It is very
bad for any one in my weak, nervous condition to be bothered by flies
and mosquitoes." The lamb let the toad have a little stick to wave
over his head.
 At last the lamb and the toad drew near to the palace of the king. The
king's daughter was leaning out of the window watching for them. The
toad dug his feet into the lamb's sides, pulled hard on the piece of
the grass in the lamb's mouth and waved the little stick about over
the lamb's head. "Go on, horse," he said and the king's daughter heard
him. She laughed and laughed, and when all the rest of the people in
the palace saw the toad arriving mounted on the lamb's back and
driving him like a horse they laughed too. The lamb went meekly home
to his pasture and from that day to this when one wishes to speak of
meekness one says "as meek as a lamb."
Source: http://fairytalesandfolklore.com/tale.php?tale=518

That's it :3
Have a nice evening or whatever lol
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MYTHOLOGY: HUMA BIRD

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How are you guys? I'm ALMOST late but I'm fine hahaha (no one cares, I know) today I'm on the mood to read about Turkish stuff LOL look at this:

 The Huma (Persian: هما‎, pronounced Homā, Old Iranian: Humaya ), also Homa, is a legendary bird especially of the Persian branch of Iranian mythology and Sufi fable. It is said to never come to rest, living its entire life flying invisibly high above the earth, and never alighting on the ground (in some legends it is said to have no legs).
 The word Huma which has a Persian origin is reflected in Old Iranian Humāya. In Arabic we find the term Bulah corresponding to Huma. The Sufi teacher Inayat Khan supposed that "in the word Huma, hu represents spirit, and the word mah originates from the Arabic "Ma'a" ماء which means water." However, this is disputed, as Arabic influence on the Persian language came after the Islamization in Iran, and the Old Iranian name Humāyaexisted long before any invasion. In Turkic mythology, it is referred as bird of Kumay or Umay which was used as a symbol of Çepni, one of the 24 tribal organizations of Oghuz Turks. Umay is the goddess of fertility and virginity in Turkic mythology and Tengriism.
 In some variations, the Huma bird is said to be phoenix-like, consuming itself in fire every few hundred years, only to rise anew from the ashes. The creature is often referred to as bird of paradise. The Huma bird is said to have both the male and female natures in one body, each nature having one wing and one leg.
 The Huma or Homa is considered to be a compassionate bird. It is named as bird of fortune since its shadow (or touch) is said to be auspicious. The shadow (or the alighting) of the Huma bird on a person's head or shoulder were said to bestow (or foretell) kingship. Accordingly, the feathers decorating the turbans of kings were said to be plumage of the Huma bird. Sufi teacher Inayat Khan gives the bestowed-kingship legend a spiritual dimension: "Its true meaning is that when a person's thoughts so evolve that they break all limitation, then he becomes as a king. It is the limitation of language that it can only describe the Most High as something like a king."
 In Sufi tradition, catching the Huma is even beyond the wildest imagination, but catching a glimpse of it or even a shadow of it is sure to make one happy for the rest of his/her life. It is also believed that Huma cannot be caught alive, and the person killing a Huma will die in forty days.
 The creature is a common motif in Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Urdu poetry traditions.
 The legend appears in Farid ud-Din Attar's allegorical masterpiece Conference of the Birds, an eminent example of Sufi works in Persian literature, in which the Huma bird (in this tale portrayed as a pupil) refuses to undertake a journey because such an undertaking would compromise the privilege of bestowing kingship on those whom it flew over. In Iranian literature, this function of the Huma bird is identified with pre-Islamic monarchs, and stands vis-a-vis ravens, which is a metaphor for Arabs. The legend appears in non-Sufi art as well.
 Huma is the most referred bird of all Legendary birds in Diwan poetry of Turkish literature. Also, it is used as a symbol of unreachable highness in Turkish folk literature. In the Memalik ul Mirat, Ottoman admiral Sisi Ali Reis describes having seen hurruz or huma birds on his return trip from India to Istanbul in 1557. The Huma bird, here, is said to avoid killing for food, preferring instead to feed on carrion. From his description of the birds eating carrion, these would seem to have been vultures or other scavenger birds.
 Some references to the creature also appear in Sindhi literature, where – as in the Diwan tradition – the creature is portrayed as bringing great fortune. In the Zafarnama of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, a letter addressed to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb refers to the Huma bird as a "mighty and auspicious bird".
 The Argentine writer J. L. Borges, in his short story The Aleph, briefly mentions a Persian mystic's talk of "a bird that somehow is all birds".

Source: Wikipedia

That's it. I'm gonna see my grades before I go sleep (and I hope I'm not fucked up o-o)

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BRAZILIAN CULTURE: SACI

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How are you doing? I can't believe we're in October already, this year is passing so fucking fast   . Really, wtf? 

But no one really cares about the fact that the time is faster now, so let's talk about the only Brazilian legend that all Brazilians actually know.

 Saci (pronounced: [saˈsi] or [sɐˈsi]) is a character commonly regarded to be the best known character in Brazilian folklore. He is a one-legged black or mulato youngster with holes in the palms of his hands, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes (usually in the middle of a dust devil). Considered an annoying prankster in most parts of Brazil, and a potentially dangerous and malicious creature in others, he will nevertheless grant wishes to anyone who manages to trap him or steal his magic cap. However his cap is often depicted as having a bad smell, most people who claimed to have stolen this cap often say they can never wash the smell away.
 An incorrigible prankster, the Saci will not cause major harm, but there is no little harm that he won't do. He will hide children's toys, set farm animals loose, tease dogs, and curse chicken eggs preventing them from hatching. In the kitchen, the Saci would spill all salt, sour the milk, burn the bean stew, and drop flies into the soup. If a popcorn kernel fails to pop, it is because the Saci cursed it. Given half a chance, he will dull the seamstress's needles, hide her thimbles, and tangle her sewing threads. If he sees a nail lying on the ground, he will turn it with the point up. In short, anything that goes wrong — in the house, or outside it — may be blamed on the Saci.
 Besides disappearing or becoming invisible (often with only his red cap and the red glow of his pipe still showing), the Saci can transform himself into a Matitaperêor Matita Pereira, an elusive bird whose melancholic song seems to come from nowhere. One can escape a pursuing Saci by crossing a water stream: the Saci will not dare to cross, for then he will lose all his powers. Another way is to drop ropes full of knots; the Saci will then be compelled to stop and undo the knots. One can also try to appease him by leaving behind some cachaça, or some tobacco for his pipe.
 He is fond of juggling embers or other small objects and letting them fall through the holes on his palms. An exceedingly nimble fellow, the lack of his right leg does not prevent him from bareback-riding a horse, and sitting cross-legged while puffing on his pipe (a feat comparable to the Headless Mule's gushing fire from the nostrils).
 Every dust devil, says the legend, is caused by the spin-dance of an invisible Saci. One can capture him by throwing into the dust devil a rosary made of separately blessed prayer beads, or by pouncing on it with a sieve. With care, the captured Saci can be coaxed to enter a dark glass bottle, where he can be imprisoned by a cork with a cross marked on it. He can also be enslaved by stealing his cap, which is the source of his power. However, depending on the treatment he gets from his master, an enslaved Saci who regains his freedom may become either a trustworthy guardian and friend, or a devious and terrible enemy.
 This indigenous character was appropriated and transformed in the 18th century by the African slaves who had been brought in large numbers to Brazil. Farm slaves would tell Saci stories to amuse and frighten the children. In this process the creature became black, his red hair metamorphosed into a red cap, and, as the African elders who usually told the tales, he came to be always smoking his clay-and-reed pipe. His name mutated into various forms, such as Saci Taperê and Sá Pereira (a common Portuguese name), and eventually Saci Pererê. While some claim that the Saci myth originated in Europe in the 13th century such as the Monopod (creature), it probably derives from the Ŷaci-ŷaterê of Tupi-Guarani mythology, a magic one-legged child with bright red hair who would spell-bind people and break the forest's silence with his loud shouts and whistles. He was originally a creature of the night, and indeed the ŷaci (jaˈsi) means "Moon" in Old Tupi.
 His red cap may have been inspired on the Phrygian cap which was at one time worn by Portuguese peasants. The Saci-Pererê concept shows some syncretism with Christian elements: he bolts away when faced with crosses, leaving behind a sulphurous smell — classical attributes of the devil in Christian folklore.
 The concepts of imprisoning a supernatural being in a bottle by a magically marked cork, and of forcing him to grant wishes in return of his liberty, have obvious parallels in the story of Aladdin from the Arabian Nights. This may be more than just a coincidence, since many slaves were Muslims and thus presumably familiar with the Arabian tales. Moreover, the occupation of parts of the Portuguese territory (namely in the south) by the Muslim Moors, between the years 711 and 1249, provides another possible path for Arabian influence on the Saci legend. With the purpose of countering the growing trend of adopting the Anglo-Celtic Halloween in Brazil (in Portuguese called Dia das Bruxas),the Day of the Saci was created in 2005, and it is likewise commemorated on October 31. A tongue-in-cheek Society of Saci Observers was also created. 
 The character remains quite popular in present-day Brazilian urban culture, mainly due to the immensely popular children's book O Saci by Monteiro Lobato (1932). In the 1960s, the one-legged gnome — by now "domesticated" into a prankish but inoffensive and lovable creature — was chosen by premier Brazilian cartoonist Ziraldo as the leading character of his comics magazine, O Saci Pererê. This original publication, the first of its genre to feature entirely "national" characters, was short-lived, but paved the way for other Brazilian cartoonists like Angeli, Laerte, and Mauricio de Sousa.
 Tom Jobim's hit song Águas de Março mentions the Matita Pereira, and Nei Lopes's samba song entitled Fumo de Rolo tells a tale of a fisherman being accosted by the saci while collecting reeds in the forest. The sací demands some tobacco for his pipe, but the poor fellow has lost his.

Source: Wikipedia

Aaand it's done :3

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