Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander
What mythological or legendary threats do forumites first think of when they hear something described as the 'Cold Ones'?
What cultures or traditions might forumites expect to have a concept of demons, evil spirits or other supernatural beings that might deserve such an appellation?
If I were to make up a mythology around them, where should I look to find the bare bones of reality to hang my fancies on?
|
I saw a documentary on the
Gorgon that pointed out that the oldest image of the Gorgon was a human face distorted in the same ways as an untreated/unembalmed corpse's face. The documentary looked at several similar beings including certain female Vampires of India who all had faces distorted like the faces of the not yet rotted dead. I also remember that the
Rusalka is often described as "mermaids that live in oak trees all summer and in winter they go underwater and become dead maidens." The Rusalka is often described as cold and from the first snowfall until the Thursday before Easter they look like the corpses of maidens. Between Holy Thursday and the first snowfall, they look like fair young maidens.
In reading a book called,
Greek Heroine Cults I found that corpses washed up on beaches were often given shrines and worshiped as heroes. This was most common with female corpses. "
The corpse of the sea is calling me./Dead, it calls with a living mouth"
Many scholars describe the idea of the fairies as the souls of the pagan dead and confusions between the fay and the dead.
Try this idea, The Cold Ones are non-material beings that can inhabit the bodies of the dead and give dead flesh a new inhuman life.
Any good for you?