KALI!

                        
OH MY GOODNESS! LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE NEEDS AN ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS! Introducing Kali, A Hindu goddess with a taste for blood, literally! In a few of the stories about her in hindu mythology, Kali actually gets drunk on the blood of the slain. She also dances on them! Gosh, if this is how she reacted when she won a battle, what would she do if she lost? By the way, the dude Kali is standing on isn't a slain enemy, it's her HUSBAND! His name is Shiva, and for those who are wondering, NO, this is not domestic violence. It symbolizes their co-dependence.
You may have noticed Kali's chic and styling necklace! You may be wondering, 'What beads are on that gorgeous necklace?' Dear reader, they are not beads, they are actually severed heads! You may also notice that she is holding another severed head in one of her four hands. She has her tongue rolled out, her hair wild and tangled, and raises her weapon, with blood and corpses in the background! Pretty impressive, if you ask me! 


     
Kali can be depicted in two forms: Kali, as you saw her in my first picture, or Mahakali, who is shown in pictures as having ten heads, ten arms and ten legs. Mahakali is the greater form of Kali. 
     
One famous story about Kali ( my favorite ) is the legend in which she slays the demon Raktabija.
Durga and her assistants continually try to destroy the demon Raktabija. No matter how they tried to kill him, no matter what  weapons they used, nothing worked. in fact, they actually made things WORSE!  For every drop of blood of Raktabija that was spilled, Raktabija produced a clone of himself. As you may have guessed, this made destroying the demon a lot harder.  Durga, in dire need of help,      ( obviously), summons Kali. Kali kills Raktabija by sucking all the blood out of his body. That may be one of the most disgusting things i can picture in my mind, along with some dude getting eaten by a wendigo. After sucking the troublesome demon dry, she puts all the demon clones into her incredibly large mouth ( it would have to be, to hold all those demons ). Kali, always up for a good time, dances on the corpses of the slain.  She is pleased with her victory, and is celebrating. Talk about a great day!


 

Your probably waiting for the BIG QUESTION, but i'm not so sure it applies here. Does Kali exist? I have no idea. What i DO know is that she must be the toughest goddess i've learned about yet!
Thanks for reading my blog! be sure to read my next post. 
Your blog writing pal,
Avigail

WENDIGO!

  
WHOA! THAT IS ONE GUY I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE OVER FOR DINNER!
I can imagine the whole scene in my head:
Mom: Thanks for joining us for dinner!
Wendigo: Thanks for having me! Would you mind passing me a leg?
Mom: We don't have any chicken legs!
Wendigo: I wasn't talking about a chicken leg, I was referring to those two (pointing)
Mom: you're pointing to my husband
Wendigo: I know


And from everything would go downhill from there! You see, wendigos eat human beings. That may not sound that shocking, as a lot of supernatural beings eat humans. What is special about a wendigo is that it started out as a regular human! Sounds impossible, right?                                    how could something possibly go from this:

To this:                                   Freaky, right? Its a pretty disgusting process! I will explain through a little story I wrote all by myself: One day there was a guy named Joe.  Joe went on  camping trip with Bob and Steve and got lost on the way to the campsite. Then, after setting up camp in a random and unknown location in the woods, a bear ate all their food. Joe got really hungry and moody without his BLT, so he killed and ate Bob and Steve. He then discovered that he had become incredibly ugly and was obsessed with eating human flesh. He went on eating people around the world and lived happily ever after. THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   And there you have it; Once a human resorts to cannibalism, there is no turning back. A cannibal will make the transformation mentally and physically ( according to lore ). You can also become possessed by a wendigo spirit, usually in a dream. This myth was common in  Algonquin Native American folklore.  the legend of the wendigo enforced the belief that the practice of cannibalism is taboo. It is also said that wendigos can bend space and time in order to find a victim. In other words, once a wendigo has decided you are his/her next meal, you're as good as dead!
 Among some Algonquin tribes, a ceremonial dance was performed during famine to reinforce the wendigo taboo. We can't have little Tommy snacking on the kid next door!
   
YUCK! Even the mask is gross! 
wendigo psychosis is a condition in which the sufferer develops an insatiable desire to consume human flesh, even when there are other food sources available. Often when an Algonquin developed this psychosis, they believed they were literally turning into a wendigo. Gosh, what an awful thing to have happen to you! Really, when you think about it, its not too hard to develop this psychosis. all it takes is a placebo, or even an extreme case of cabin fever. If you truly believe that you need to eat human flesh, that you are turning into this abominable monster, you might actually become delusional and start eating other people. then another placebo comes in, where you become convinced that you are addicted to human flesh. Its all in your head!
  

You may not have noticed this, but I have written this whole blog post in the color red to symbolize blood. Just thought I'd mention that, for those who didn't notice. Anyway, It's time for.....drum roll please...... THE BIG QUESTION! Is it real?
Well, its debatable as to whether cannibalism will physically turn you into a monster, but I can easily believe that some depraved crazy person would take to dining on other human beings! so while you probably won't bump into a giant monster in the woods, You very well might run into a mental wendigo!
 Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you enjoyed it! Before I bid you all adieu, i have only one thing to ask of you: Please don't eat other people. It's very rude, and can completely ruin a perfectly nice dinner party.
Your blog-writing-not-people-eating-buddy
Avigail 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!  IT'S HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!


you may have noticed that i am writing in orange ink today. this is to signify the coming of halloween! yep, it's coming up and I am HAPPY! halloween is one of my favorite holidays! it is filled with many wonderful activities like


Carving pumpkins        

bobbing for apples 

Dressing up   





....Which goes hand in hand with trick-or-treating!  

And, of course, many other fun activities! 


Everyone loves halloween (including Charlie Brown) but no one really knows it's  origins.  I would like take this opportunity  to write about them!
















Halloween has it's roots in a Celtic festival called Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints day. Today it is a secular holiday, obviously.  Samhain translates roughly to summer's end.  A festival not unlike it was held by ancient Britons, and it was called Calan Gaeaf . What a cool name. It's so much fun to say! Go ahead, say it a few times. You know you want to! Calan Gaeaf  Calan Gaeaf  Calan Gaeaf. hahaha. that was fun.
anyway,  the festival Samhain celebrates the "darker half" of the year, sometimes regarded as the Celtic new year!
           The Celts believed that on Samhain, the border between the world that we know and the mysterious other world of ghosts and spirits thinned, allowing these ghosts and spirits to come in. Ooooooooooooh, spooky! The Celts also thought that while this meant that the spirits of ancestors would cross over to our world, it also meant that evil and harmful spirits would  follow them!
     And so lost relatives and ancestors were welcomed, and harmful spirits were warded off.  How did they ward off these harmful spirits? COSTUMES AND MASKS! this is where our modern tradition of dressing up in costumes comes.  In Scotland young men would even disguise themselves as the evil spirit to avoid harm. pretty crafty.    
    other festivities during Samhain included bonfires and divination.
          
Even the name Halloween has roots. Halloween is the contracted form of                        All Hallows Eve.   Gosh, Halloween is absolute history!
Eeek. Better try and push that thought out of my brain.


        
     there is TONS of symbolism in Halloween! Like Jack'o lanterns:  The souling practice of commemorating the souls in purgatory with candle lanterns carved out of turnips ( eeeeeeewwwww) has become  our modern practice of carving pumpkins! I can see why the changed from turnips to pumpkins: pumpkins are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy cooler than turnips!


As cool as the history of Halloween is, I sure am glad for the traditions we have today. I am greatly looking forward to trick or treating! i'm going as an alien. I love the scary stories, the folklore, the TV specials, the Ouija boards,  the preparation and decorations! It's all so much fun! I have been reading and learning about some interesting spooky activities! Here are some you might be interested in:


1. divination games: there are tons of stuff you can do to learn about the future. One game is where you take a long apple peel and throw it over your shoulder. supposedly the apple peel will take the shape of the first letter of your future spouses name. this is traditionally done in Scotland.
  Another cool divination experiment: legends say that if a girl looks into her mirror on halloween night in a dark room, she will see the face of her future husband.
  There are several divination activities to do (mostly with food)!
  
2. Ouija Board: Great for asking questions about the future and contacting spirits, just make sure you'r careful about blessing the house or whatever precautions are recommended. You wouldn't want to bring in any evil spirits! I'm serious.

3. ROCKY HORROR SHOW: Great to go see if you're old enough ( some adult themes)

4. Pulling pranks: Don't be afraid to freak people out!
5." Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board": Wanna make your friends levitate? get three people. have one person lay down, and the other two stand on either side of that person. Everyone closes their eyes, and chants " light as a feather, stiff as a board " keep you eyes closed, and WHAMMO! levitation. look it up if you want more information.



I hope you enjoyed reading my post! It was fun to write! Now go out and have fun! threaten the neighbors with eggs and toilet paper, and gorge yourselves on candy, and frighten your younger siblings to the point where they need a change of pants! 
And most of all............Happy Halloween!!!!!!
your blog writer,
Avigail

DEVIL MONKEYS!

  
*sigh*. It's just so beautiful. Behold, the majesty of the Appalachian Mountains, in our own beloved USA! Filled with beautiful wildlife, like bears,
Elk,

   

And vicious evil monkeys. *sigh* just beautiful.
You weren't expecting that last one, were ya? I know I wouldn't have! I am writing this post at the request of my younger brother, and because I myself recently returned from a vacation at the smoky mountains, so I became inspired to write about the devil monkeys. While I did not have any encounters with these predatory primates ( much to my disappointment ), a few other people have.  These devilish monkeys are dog like monkeys that are extremely aggressive. It is would be a bad idea to pet one, unless you were seeking an amputation. Man, can you blame 'em? I know if a had a set of chompers like that I'd be tempted to chomp off a few fingers, whether I was a monkey or not! Hmm. that lasted sentence must've sounded a bit odd. Ah, well, honesty is the best policy. 
These 'lil cuties like to eat/attack livestock and pets. So keep your small hybrid dogs in your purses.
 Now, I'm sure you are wondering, " do these guys have a taste for people"? as a matter of fact, dear reader,  they do! What a good guesser you are! Now your thinking " well, they won't attack if I'm in my nice safe car, right?" WRONG!  Silly little reader, they LOVE those yummy crunchy cars! 
   "well, I'm safe if the car is moving, right"? WRONG AGAIN!  they will even attack moving cars! Isn't that just absolutely awesome?!
they stand from 3-8 feet tall, and are said to be able to leap 20 ft into the air! they are muscular, fast, and crazy. they leave three toe footprints and have been described as cat-like or kangaroo-like in movements. While most are described as having tails, every now and then you get a report about a tailless devil monkey.
Wow. These things are incredible. i can imagine what this horrifying monster looks like. I am picturing it right now:




















Yep, it's like they pulled that image right out of my mind.






And now, it's what you've all been waiting for..... drumroll please..... dumdumdumdumdumdumdumdumdudmdum diddly
POW
THE BIG QUESTION: is it real?????
hmm. this is a toughie. Well, there aren't that many sightings, but it's not that unlikely! Chimps and other primates can be extremely vicious! some chimps have been known to attack humans and even eat each other. Maybe these devil monkey are some escaped primates from a zoo, or maybe they are an ancient species we just don't commonly see. Whatever the case may be for these big and hairy beasts, I don't expect to see one around my house any time soon.        *chuckle*.
Wait.
What is that thing looking at me through the window?
it's eyes are glowing.....
AAAAAAAAACK! IT JUST BROKE THROUGH THE WINDOW!
OH MY GOSH, IT'S RUNNING TOWARDS ME!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! IT'S GOT ME!
GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! AAAAAAAAAAA, BAD DEVIL MONKEY, BAD!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
your blog writer and about-to-be-eaten-by-an-evil-monkey buddy,
Avigail

THE JERSEY DEVIL!

 

" Don't worry about what those kids at school say. you are beautiful! ( on the inside)"

I guess that's what it's mother might have said if it hadn't run away almost immediately run away after birth. It must have been tough being the thirteenth kid. And his mother was a WITCH! Literally. She was said to be a witch that invoked the devil while giving birth, and so after a couple lovely minutes of being a normal human being, little baby jersey devil became a horrifying winged biped with horns, claws and a weird pointy tail, and flew into the surrounding pines. Home sweet home.                      
                            If you have not already guessed, this super model is known as the Jersey Devil, or sometimes the Leeds Devil. I like the first name better. Leeds just doesn't sound very scary or intimidating to me, even with the word "devil" after it. Anyway, he is a bit of a celebrity now. He has made his way to pop culture, which is no surprise, considering how awesomely cool he is! New Jersey's team in the National Hockey League has the Jersey Devil to thank for their name.

      There have been too many sightings of this devil dude to count. people report sightings all the time.
Throughout the 1800's,  the Jersey Devil was said to be behind livestock killings, strange sounds and strange tracks. In 1960, merchants around Camden offered a $10,000 for the capture of the Jersey Devil, and even said that they would build him a private zoo. I do not think i am alone in thinking that they were idiots. Even if the Jersey Devil is real, there is no way a mere mortal could possibly capture it. or cage it.
This brings me to our favorite part of my posts.  THE BIG QUESTION!!!!!!!
You all know by now what the big question is, even though i have never ever ever ever called it that.
THE BIG QUESTION:  Is it real?? While common sense, logic, and science will defy what I am about to say, I kind of think it could be real. there is no denying that there have been countless accounts of sightings, and surely at least a few of those people who reported a sighting were sane. As unlikely as it seems, I am a bit of a believer. This is a gut instinct, obviously. But my gut can be pretty accurate at times.
     Well, I hope you enjoyed my post, even if it was a bit short.
Thanks for reading, and if your in New Jersey, LOOK OUT! Our frightening friend could be flying over the roof right now...........
Your buddy blogger,
Avigail

SKINWALKERS!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Many people would probably identify this creature as a werewolf. they are pretty close! this is know in Navajo legend as a skinwalker. A skinwalker was a supernatural being that could change into any animal they wanted. bear, lion, wolf, persian cat, goat, bunny rabbit..... anything, as long as they were wearing the pelt of the animal. These creatures were not just known in Navajo belief, but also in other cultures, where they are known as shapeshifters. however, They are best known in the Navajo legends.  In these legends, the skinwalkers were called yee naaldlooshii, which translates to " With it, he goes on all fours".
A  yee naaldlooshii is one of the many Navajo varieties of witch. in a few versions of the legends, men or women ( mostly men) who have reached the highest level of priesthood can become a skinwalker by killing a member of their family, earning the evil powers that go hand in hand with skinwalkers.  Whoa, that's like something out of a movie. Quite awesome, I think. Well, not the kill-a-family member part, but the being able to turn into an animal.
 the skinwalkers horrible and cool transforming abilities are not limited to animals. Legend says that if you lock eyes with a skinwalker they can absorb themselves into your body. Ooooooooooooh, that send chills down my back. Just imagine what would happen if one of them had a audience with the president!
As you might be able to tell from the picture I posted above, skinwalkers were described as naked, except for the animal skin (ick). Their eyes glow like an animal when in human form, yet when in animal form their eyes do not glow like an animals. They try to avoid the light. Ooooooooooooooooooh, spooky.
These terrifying witches are fast, agile, and impossible to catch. If you want to shoot one, you have to dip the bullets in white ash first otherwise shooting is useless. Track 'em down? Not a good plan, seeing as they will lead you to the house of someone you know. That would lead to some false accusations, arguments, fights and  who knows what else. One way to stop them in Navajo legend is this: should you know the person who is behind all this gruesome skin-walking business, then you must pronounce the horribly mean jerk's full name, and then about three days later they will become sick or die as punishment for the crimes they have committed. Skinwalkers, skinwalkers, when will you learn? You cannot hide from the law forever. the law of nature, that is.
Another interesting thing about skinwalkers is that they can read minds. They know exactly what you are thinking word for word. Talk about the perfect psychiatrist!

Skinwalkers were also said to be able to imitate voices and animal noises so that they could lure unsuspecting victims out of their homes. Who wouldn't rush out of the house at the sound of a crying baby outside your door?

There is doubt about it that skinwalkers sound like bad news. And now for the one question I always bring up when I blog about mythological beasts. Are they real? I don't think so. It is not logical for a man to be able transfrom in to another animal by wearing its skin, nor could it be impervious to bullets that were not dipped in white ash. While I have often said to myself " *Avigail, anything is possible", this does not seem the case with skinwalkers, when thinking scientifically and logically. So, dear readers, rest easy tonight and relax. you have nothing to fear. Now, I have to go turn on all the lights in my house, dig out my old stuffed teddy bear from my attic, make sure all the doors, windows, closets, cabinets, refrigerator and anything else that can be opened is locked and enter 911 into my speed dial. Not that writing this blog has scared me or anything. I just feel like, you know, shaking things up a bit.
Your totally-not-freaked-out blog writer,
Avigail