I tried to build up some confidence with the third installment, but that just had me emotionally crash harder at the end. This time, I tried for a college horror story that took aspects from slasher and cult tales. It was a bigger cast than I was used to, so I had some juggling to do. I played with the idea of merging all of the books into a single volume and setting it up to publish too, but I still didn’t have the confidence for that. Not to mention, I really couldn’t figure out how to do good blurbs with these even when I remembered exactly what happened.
Raven’s Dawn
Apollo Chambers is doing his best in college and his nightmares are not making it any easier, especially the ones with a murderous teacher named Mrs. Addison. Only the fun he has with his twin sister and friends is getting him through the semester. Even with the difficult courses, he’s fairly sure he’s going to make it. Then, the strange events begin and classes are the last thing on the twins’ minds.
The Dybbuk comes out of Jewish folklore and it first showed up in the 16th century. Prior to that, demons were used in place of ghosts. So, it took a little time for this creature to gain some traction. So, what is it?
The Dybbuk possesses people, which is why you see it on the back of the person in the image above. Though, there are a variety of methods/reasons for them to latch onto someone:
Diverting from orthodoxy such as disbelieving various stories. This invited the Dybbuk into your home.
They are male spirits who possess women the day before their wedding. They enter through the . . . you know. This stems from a Yiddish play where a woman is possessed by the ghost of a man who she was to marry until her father broke it off.
It is a sinful soul that possesses the living and stays there until they clear themselves of sin. That or they finish whatever business of self-improvement they had when they were alive.
The person being possessed has a secret sin, which attracted the Dybbuk.
I couldn’t find any physical description of the Dybbuk, but that makes sense. These are spirits of the dead, which means they would look somewhat like they did when alive or nothing at all. There’s never been a standard description of ghosts. You’ve got invisible, skeletal, human with no legs, full body, blobs, and the list keeps going. This is why the Ghostbusters had categories instead of just ‘ghost’. Besides, any ghost that possesses a person ends up losing its initial form anyway until it leaves.
Now, this looks like it came entirely from literature instead of any religious text. Still, it resulted in Rabbis doing exorcisms on those who were possessed by a Dybbuk. This evolved from one powerful Rabbi alone to him having 9 other people. They would surround the possessed and the Rabbi blows a shofar (ram horn instrument) in a certain way to shock the Dybbuk and victim. The connection is weakened enough for a dialog and prayer to happen. Yeah, the Rabbi talks with the Dybbuk to find out what it wants and try to convince it to leave. The group does healing prayers for both parties while the spirit is sent away. Exorcism through a conversation is probably the most Jewish thing I’ve heard of in a long time. I just know part of this dialog is a guilt trip.
Like the Wendgio, the Dybbuk has a syndrome named after it. This diagnosis is connected to hysteria and schizophrenia. Are we surprised? Demon and ghost possession has always been connected to mental health issues. The Dybbuk is thought to have been born from mental issues involving paranoia and anxiety. It makes me think that the dialog method of exorcism isn’t just a bizarre and messed up version of therapy. You’re talking to someone and making their emotions feel justified instead of casting them aside. This whole thing really does feel like a creature born from mental illness and, oddly enough, a low stress way to help them. The shofar at the start isn’t great, but we’re not talking about strapping someone onto a bed and yelling at them while throwing water in their face. At least, when they group came into play.
The Dybbuk really makes me wonder about monsters and their connection to mental health. It explains so much about this specific lore.
I was going to say ‘big cat’ instead of ‘Panthera’ (the genus), but I thought some people would argue that there are pumas and mountain lions in the Americas. I never really understood why those aren’t considered big cats, but cheetahs are. Anyway, we’re here about the jaguar.
This animal is steeped in mythology and lore. They’ve been symbols of power and strength in many indigenous cultures. I couldn’t even begin to list how often it turns up in stories and artifacts. The point is that the jaguar is a very important animal to nature, human history, and human culture.
Where to even begin?
Jaguars are apex predators and the third largest cat behind lions and tigers.
They are stalk and ambush predators.
Their bite force is enough to crack turtle shells.
They will even hunt and kill caiman.
Jaguars are excellent swimmers.
They require a large range and can be used to check the health of an ecosystem.
They are solitary animals.
Interestingly enough, the jaguar is the least likely of the big cats to kill and eat a human. They will only attack when cornered even though they have a long-standing reputation as being man-eaters. This comes from the Spanish conquistadors being afraid of them even though locals said jaguars wouldn’t attack as long as they had enough capybaras to hunt and eat. In fact, the first official lethal attack by a jaguar on a human was in 2008. So, they’re kind of scary in reputation, but not murderous creatures. That doesn’t mean you try to give them a hug though.
Of course, jaguars are considered ‘near threatened’, which comes a lot from their reputation and beauty. Habitat loss results in jaguars and humans interacting more than they should. They’re killed to protect livestock, pets, or simply out of fear. There’s also the illegal fur trade. Jaguars have gorgeous coats, so there is a big problem with poaching. That’s why there are many programs to try and save them like the WCS.
Finally, there are black jaguars. They aren’t a different species like people think. Now for the fun pictures and videos.
You know it’s been a week if I’m writing my goal post on Saturday instead of the night before. It means things were crazy and I ended the week simply passing out at the first chance I got. So, what went right?
I did finish writing Darwin & the Avenging Elf last Saturday amidst the first round of chaos . . . Well, that’s about it.
One of the issues I had was that my cold got really bad last weekend. Even gave myself a home covid test, read it wrong, and ended up in the clinic thinking I had covid when I really didn’t. Helped me get some meds for the really bad cold before it turned into bronchitis or pneumonia. I kept feeling better, pushing myself a bit, and then ending my day feeling like crap. Didn’t sleep well because of the congestion, but always woke up at a terrible moment. Too close to my alarm to really fall back asleep and too far away from it to get moving for the day. Not fun.
To be fair, I didn’t really rest a lot. Last Sunday was a day of building shelving units for my son’s room. Found the ones I needed cheap and put them together. First unit went smoothly, but the second one had issues. A dowel broke off right at the edge of the hole, so I had to use a drill and needle nose pliers to get it out. Not fun when you’re semi-suffering from a cold and wishing you could rest, but the remaining pieces are scattered about your bed and floor. At least it got done and I was able . . . meet up with my son at a Monday doctor appointment because his cold turned into an asthma issue. Yeah, last weekend didn’t go smoothly.
Work had some crazy days with PSATs, faculty meeting, and a field trip. The days really bled together and the custody schedule was thrown off by events too. I’m having trouble remembering exact events on any day because of all the chaos. My laptop got stuck updating when I had an important zoom meeting. Far too may sudden errands and appointments. I ended every night working on the Atari 2600 Lego Set because my brain needed some type of outlet:
My mood has taken a big hit through all the stress and a few emotional body blows delivered by certain people. I’ve felt rudderless, pointless, lonely, and all manner of depressing mindsets. Only time I’ve been okay is at work where I have purpose and when I’m with my son. Once all of that is over, I’m left lying in my bed and wondering what the point of existing is. Not really pushing for the writing career and my life is fairly mundane with no chances (financially or time-wise) to do anything exciting. Every time I get a moment to myself, I’m too tired to do anything more than puzzles, TV, blog posts, or go to bed early. So, I’m either bored or just so overwhelmed with things I have to do that I can’t add anything fun to the list.
This isn’t going to change this weekend. I have my son, but we have 3 tests to study for and 2 assignments to finish. Pumpkin shopping will be respite, but it’s going to be quick and nearby. We have people coming over today and tomorrow. Going to try to watch the first ‘Batman’ movie from 1989 and he wants video game time. Yet, there’s no big outing for the day or even the afternoon. No fun trip or exciting adventure. Mostly because we need the whole morning to get schoolwork done. So, I don’t expect to change my mood this weekend. It’s another survival period.
I think I mentioned working on a notebook project last weekend. Never got to it because of my cold and exhaustion. It’s going to have to be put off until next weekend if I don’t find something else to do. I’m not going to start on the outline for Darwin & the Demon Game until November. Need to start preparing and publishing paperback versions of all my books too. I was saving that project for December, but I think I’ll start doing it little by little now. I’ve got 27 novels, which all need formatting. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find the motivation to get them all done by December.
TV-wise I’ve only been watching a Netflix show called ‘Locke & Key’. I don’t know what to make of it and I’m in Season 3. It took a little time to get into it and the magic keys were a cool creation. The characters were interesting until it felt like the magic was being overshadowed by the relationship dramas. It wasn’t that I lost interest, but I did find myself listening more than watching. Not sure what I’m going to watch afterwards. I think I had another live-action show in mind, but I don’t remember. Probably check another anime off the list.
So, goals of the week?
Work and parenting.
Do more or finish December Blog posts.
Maybe some ‘Phi Beta Files’ preparations.
Watch ‘Batman’ today.
Get over cold.
Get more sleep.
Do a couple paperback set ups if have the energy.
Make a better list goal for the following week because this is a ton of maybes.
Coming from Malaysia, the Pontianak is a ghost that is similar to Indonesia’s Kuntilanak. Both of them kept coming up because they’re supposed to be similar. Not sure how once I sifted through things. So, we’ll touch on the second one near the end.
The Pontianak is a type of vampiric ghost that takes the form of a pregnant woman who cannot give birth. They only appear under a full moon. They have long, dark hair, red eyes, and wear white gowns smeared in blood. Some areas call them white ladies who are vengeful spirits. They lure men to them in order exact their revenge and getting a meal. A Pontianak will drive their long claws into a victim’s stomach and eat the organs. They locate their prey by sniffing clothes that have been left out to dry.
There are some signs that a Pontianak is nearby. A potential victim may hear an infant crying or a woman laughing. If the sounds are quiet then she is nearby, but loud means far away. Dogs can also be a warning. Howling means one is around and not too close while whining means it is near. There is a smell as well. A potential victim will catch a whiff of plumeria flowers before smelling a rotting corpse.
So, where does a Pontianak come from? Well, they seem to be vengeful ghosts of women who died during childbirth. This is why they are pregnant, but cannot give birth. It could also be that they died along with the child. Some versions have it that they are carrying the baby who died and this is why they can’t give birth. There is another aspect where the Pontianak was a pregnant woman killed by men, which is why it wants revenge.
The only other habit of the Pontianak that I could find deals with it being a nocturnal creature. They hunt only under a full moon. During the day and other nights, they hide in banana trees.
Here is where you get the sense that this creature had something to do with how women were perceived. To subdue a Pontianak, you need to drive a long nail fully into a hole at the nape of their neck. You need people to help subdue the ghost because it is incredibly strong. The Pontianak transforms into a beautiful and good wife . . . Yeah . . . I’m sure good means obedient here. Also, it goes right to wife and seems to forget about the pregnancy thing. If the nail is removed, the ‘good wife’ returns to being a bloodthirsty Pontianak. There’s some definite social commentary here.
As for the Kuntilanak, I don’t understand how these two are connected. This specter takes the form of a bird and sucks the blood of virgins and young women. They can make their targets sick with a symptom being vaginal bleeding. If a man approaches the Kuntilanak while its in human form, it turns around to reveal it has a hollow back. They can be subdued by jamming a long nail into the top of their head, which is the only real similarity that I could find. Why does this one sound like an ancient culture’s attempt to explain a woman’s period?
The Pontianak is found in a lot of Malaysian horror movies. I thought it was really interesting and then plain strange as I learned more. Hope everyone else went ‘wuh?’ at least once here.
Let’s be honest. You know who this is and where he’s from.
(I wrote this after getting into a week long discussion with a conspiracy theorist who was all over the place. By day 4, I was just along for the ride and trying to think of a way to disappear. I like coming up with mysteries and small conspiracies, but I don’t go that deep. Mostly because I think those who get into seats of power are too arrogant and situationally stupid to keep everything a secret.)
I’ve seen this show up in so many anime that I had to put it on the blog. Doesn’t matter that there isn’t a lot of info out there.
The kasa-obake/karakasa-obake/kasa-bake/karakasa kozo . . . It has a lot of names, but it’s always an umbrella creature. Starting to appear during Japan’s Edo period, this is a ghost or yokai, which is a supernatural entity. Not necessarily a demon from what I can tell, but yokai tend to be used as such in modern fiction. Anyway, the kasa-obake is some version of what you see above. They typically have a long tongue, one leg, and are in the form of an umbrella. Of course, there are some variations:
Some have one eye and others have two.
Some have two arms.
Rarely, they’re depicted with two legs, but the one-leg is the common version.
So, what does a kasa-obake do? Well, one story talks about them simply sneaking up on people and giving them an oily lick. They don’t do more than that, so they’re more mischievous than dangerous. In fact, nobody is really sure how the kasa-obake came about because it’s not connected to folktales. As I said, it began showing up in small tales and art after the Edo period. Some even think that they’re basically a creation after the war in an attempt to design newer yokai. It means there’s a lot of mystery and limited information about its specific origins.
Yet, there is a legend that could explain the logic behind the kasa-obake. It’s believed that after 100 years, an everyday object can become an apparition. These are called tsukumogami, which might be the inspiration for this yokai. It isn’t a possible origin, but there are similarities. This can also be a lesson on why one should not discard old objects that may still have a use or some sentimental value.
Speaking of similarities, there are other umbrella creatures:
One is of a rain-umbrella that appears in valleys during a storm. Anyone who sees it would be paralyzed on the spot.
Another is the yureigasa, which is a one-legged, one-eyed umbrella yokai. This one blows people into the sky on windy days.
That’s really it. The kasa-obake shows up in a lot of anime, manga, and video games due to its appearance. Much of the information I found was from that instead of older lore like I previously stated. So, there’s still some mystery behind this yokai. That or there isn’t much beyond someone thought a creepy umbrella didn’t need more of an explanation.
Hi SEers. It is John with you today. If you have been following Story Empire, you know Gwen has been discussing the subject of diversity in her previous posts. If you missed any, you can go to the subjects of religion, race, wealth, physical ability, and gender identity and read them. Today Gwen and I will answer two questions about our feelings about writing other than our own gender characters. Next week will be another session with three questions that we each will answer. Before I get into the questions, I think a little information would be good on how we decided to do this.
No, we weren’t sitting in a bar drinking. We were in discussion with our fellow SE collogues, and a consensus was that such a post would be a good thing. Because Gwen had written the…
Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash 
Legends of Windemere 