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Friday, February 23, 2007

Behemoth


Behemoth
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(left image)
Behemoth and Leviathan, an engraving by William Blake


For other uses, see Behemoth (disambiguation).
Behemoth is a creature mentioned in the Book of Job, 40:15-24. In Hebrew it can be rendered as בהמות, Bəhēmôth, Behemot, B'hemot; in Arabic بهيموث (Bahīmūth) or بهموت (Bahamūt) .
The word is most likely a plural form of בהמה (bəhēmāh ("animal")). It may be an example of pluralis excellentiae, a Hebrew method of expressing greatness by pluralizing a noun; it thus indicates that Behemoth is the largest and most powerful animal.
Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity.
Contents[hide]
1 Characteristics
2 Meaning
3 Other cultures
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
//

[edit] Characteristics
The text from the Book of Job 40 (King James Version Bible) is as follows:
15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.16 Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his thighs are wrapped together.18 His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.19 He [is] the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach [unto him].20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.22 The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.24 He taketh it with his eyes: [his] nose pierceth through snares.
The passage describes a large powerful animal that appears to be herbivorous (40:15).
In Jewish belief, Behemoth is the primal unconquerable monster of the land, as Leviathan is the primal monster of the waters of the sea and Ziz the primordial monster of the sky.
There is a legend that the Leviathan and the Behemoth shall hold the battle of the end of the world. They shall kill each other and a huge number of other creatures in the epic battle. The two will finally kill each other, and the surviving men will feast on their meat. According to midrash recording traditions, it is impossible for anyone to kill a behemoth except for the person who created it, in this case the God of the Hebrews. A later Jewish haggadic tradition furthermore holds that at the banquet at the end of the world, the behemoth will be served up along with the Leviathan and Ziz.

[edit] Meaning
Behemoth can be interpreted as a mythical animal. However, some have attempted to identify it with real-life animals.
In the book of Job, both Behemoth and Leviathan are listed alongside a number of mundane animals, such as goats, eagles, and hawks, leading many Christian scholars to surmise that Behemoth and Leviathan may also be mundane creatures. Suggested animals include the water buffalo and the elephant, but the most common suggestion is the hippopotamus.[1] Some readers also identify a hippopotamus in Isaiah's bahamot negeb or "beasts of the south" (30:6). Indeed, one of the Russian words for hippopotamus is "behemoth," which does not carry the same mythical connotations in Russian. Although the animal's tail "moves like a cedar" (40:17), an unlikely description for any of these animals, "tail' could be a euphemism for an elephant's trunk. [2] Moreover, some suggest that "tail" is a euphemism for male genitalia. Support for this is based on another meaning of the Hebrew word "move" which means "extend" and on the second part of verse 17 describing the sinew around its "stones" (the Vulgate uses the word "testiculorum"].
Others disagree, pointing to the fact that Behemoth is called "chief of the ways of God" (40:19), indicating that it is not a mere animal.
Another proposal is that the Behemoth is a dinosaur. Some sort of sauropod is usually proposed since large sauropods had tails "like a cedar". Adherents to this viewpoint hold that it is more consistent with the literal application of the text. However, critics usually point out that according to paleontology, sauropods, unlike Behemoth, were tree-browsers that became extinct 65 million years ago, predating the appearance and rise of people or grasses. Additionally, opponents of this theory argue that the text is probably allegory at best.
There are modern rumors of a sauropodlike animal called Mokele-mbembe living in Africa. As both creatures are rumored to be dinosaurs, some believe that Mokele-mbembe and Behemoth may be one and the same.[citation needed]

[edit] Other cultures
The Hebrew behemoth is sometimes equated with the Persian Hadhayosh, as the Leviathan is with the Kar and the Ziz with the Simurgh.

[edit] See also
Behemoth in popular culture
Water buffalo incident
Akdamus
Behemoth (band)
Tarasque
Leviathan

[edit] Notes
^ Metzger & Coogan (1993) Oxford Companion to the Bible, p76.
^ Mitchell (1987)

[edit] References
Metzeger, Bruce M. (ed); , Michael D. Coogan (ed) (1993). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
Mitchell, Steven, 1987. The Book of Job. San Francisco: North Point Press. Cited in R. T. Pennock, 1999, Tower of Babel, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

[edit] External links
Jewish Encyclopedia: Behemoth.
Putting God on Trial- The Biblical Book of Job contains a major section on the literary use of Behemoth.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behemoth"

Bahamut

Bahamut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the dragon of the role-playing game, see Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons). For the Final Fantasy creature, see Bahamut (Final Fantasy).
Bahamut (Arabic: بهموت‎ Bahamūt) is a giant omnipotent being in Arabian mythology. Bahamut rides on a giant whale creature called Liwash that resides in a vast sea, the Adwad. He supports a huge bull named Kujuta who supports a rock of ruby, atop which stands an angel who supports the seven heavens.
Contents[hide]
1 Origin
2 Bahamut in fiction and popular culture
3 See also
4 References
//

[edit] Origin
It was said when a prophet looked unto it he fainted for three days losing control of all his senses.[1]
Bahamut is originally an aquatic figure of Arabic mythology.[1] Bahamut is an enormous overpower that resides in a vast sea.
Kuyūthā is the bull which rides atop the giant sea creature Liwash in some versions of one medieval Islamic cosmology. Kuyutha is described as having 4,000 eyes, ears and feet and it would take a journey of 500 years to go from one eye to another, or one ear to another. Several variations exist on the position of Kuyutha in the legend, but this is one order:
Seven Heavens
The First Earth (Inhabitants: man, genie and animals)
The Second Earth (Inhabitants: wind of suffocation)
The Third Earth (Inhabitants: stones of hell)
The Fourth Earth (Inhabitants: sulphur of hell)
The Fifth Earth (Inhabitants: serpents of hell)
The Sixth Earth (Inhabitants: scorpions of hell)
The Seventh Earth (Inhabitants: devil and his angels)
An Angel
A rock of Ruby
Kuyutha
Bahamut
Fathomless sea
Realm of Air
Realm of Fire
Falak, the omnipotent serpent

[edit] Bahamut in fiction and popular culture
Fantasy fiction derived from the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game reimagines Bahamut as a heroic dragon.
tri-Ace's Valkyrie Profile has a two-handed sword called "Bahamut's Tear", which deals exceptional damage to dragons. In Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, at the Seraphic Gate, there is a boss named Bahamut who contained the Demon Sword Levantine.
Bahamut is featured as both the "King of Dragons" and the "King of the sky" in Square Enix's Final Fantasy games, as a summon. He is one of the strongest summons available, and typically received in an optional side-quest. His attack is called Mega-Flare, a powerful non-elemental attack which targets all enemies on the battlefield.
Bahamut also appared in the movie "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children".
Super Mario RPG contains a dragon called Bahamutt that is summoned by a Magikoopa. The reference may be intentional, since the game was also made by Squaresoft, now Square Enix.
Battle Bakraid has a boss named Bahamut, which is a gigantic tank. The game's bosses are all named for mythical creatures, although the fight with Bahamut takes place in a desert, despite its namesake's aquatic nature.
Bahamut appears in the games Bahamut Bahant Senki, Bahamut Lagoon, and Realms of Despair.
"Bahamut" is the name of a huge motorcycle in the anime Megazone 23.
Bahamut is the IRCd (Internet Relay Chat Daemon) used by the DALnet IRC network.
In the cyberpunk DOS and Sega CD game Rise of the Dragon, released by Dynamix, Bahamut is a powerful and demonic dragon worshipped by the game's villain. The villain eventually transforms himself into a dragon to become an avatar of Bahamut.
In the game Brigandine, Bahamut is the evolved form of Couatl which evolved from the Basic Stage, Wyvern.
"Bahamut" is the title track of the first CD from the eclectic blues band Hazmat Modine. http://www.hazmatmodine.com/sound.html#
"Bahamut" is the name of a fish-like monster that lives in the subaquatic map of Atlans, in the MMORPG Mu Online, by Webzen.
In Fablehaven, Bahamut appears as a powerful demon who was chained up in order to build the preserve.

[edit] See also
Behemoth

Yggdrasil




Yggdrasil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Yggdrasil (disambiguation).

This illustration shows a 19th century attempt to visualize the world view of the Prose Edda.

In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil (Old Norse Yggdrasill, IPA: ˈygˌdrasilː; the extra -l is a nominative case marker) is the "World Tree", a gigantic ash tree, thought to connect all the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. Sometimes it is called Mímameiðr or Lérað. According mythology, Ásgard, Álfheim and Vanaheim rest on the branches of Yggdrasil. The trunk is the world-axis piercing through the center of Miðgarðr (often called Midgard), around which Jötunheim is situated, and below which lies Niðavellir, also called Svartálfheim. The three roots stretch down to Hel, Niflheim, and Muspelheim, although only the first world hosts a spring for Yggdrasil.
Contents[hide]
1 Etymology and alternative names
2 Yggdrasil in the Edda
3 Germanic sacrifices
4 Ragnarök
5 Germanic veneration of trees
6 Parallels
7 Potential origins
8 Modern popular culture
9 See also
//

[edit] Etymology and alternative names
The most commonly accepted etymology of the name is ygg "terrible" + drasil "steed". Yggr is taken to be an epithet of Odin, giving a meaning of "Odin's steed", taken to refer to the nine nights Odin is said to have spent hanging from the tree in order to find the runes. The gallows are sometimes described in Old Norse poetry as the "horse of the hanged." Another interpretation of the name is "terrible horse", in which case the association with Odin may be secondary. A third interpretation, with etymological difficulties, is "yew-column", associating the tree with the Eihwaz rune ᛇ
Fjölsvinnsmál, a poem in the Poetic Edda, refers to the World Tree as Mimameid (ON: Mímameiðr, "Mímir's tree" ). Most probably, the tree is also identical to Lærad (ON: Læraðr) a tree whose leaves and twigs reach down to the roof of Valhalla and provide food for the goat Heiðrún and the stag Eikþyrnir that both live on the roof.

[edit] Yggdrasil in the Edda
Three roots supported the trunk, with one passing through Niflheim, one through Jotunheim and one through Hel. Beneath the Asgard root lay the sacred Well of Urd (Urðabrunnr), and there dwelt the three Nornir, over whom even the gods had no power, and who, every day, watered the tree from the primeval fountain, so that its boughs remained green. Beneath the Jotunheim root lay the spring or well of Mímir (Mímisbrunnr); and beneath the Hel root the well Hvergelmir ("the Roaring Cauldron").
In the top of the tree was perched a giant rooster, or more often an eagle named Vidofnir, and sitting upon its forehead was a hawk named Vedrfolnir (Old Norse: Veðrfolnír). The Niflheim roots of Yggdrasil were gnawed at by a dragon, Níðhöggr. Ratatosk, a squirrel, scurried up and down the tree between Níðhöggr and the eagle, forwarding insults between them. There were also four stags feeding on the leaves of Yggdrasil: Duneyrr, Durathror, Dvalin, and Dainn.

This illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript shows Yggdrasill with the assorted animals that live in it.
The name Yggdrasil, interpreted as "Odin's steed," is taken to refer to Odin's self-sacrifice described in the Hávamál (although the tree is not explicitly identified as Yggdrasil):
I hung on that windy tree for nine nights wounded by my own spear.
I hung to that tree, and no one knows where it is rooted.
None gave me food. None gave me drink. Into the abyss I stared
until I spied the runes. I seized them up, and, howling, fell.

[edit] Germanic sacrifices
The Germanic custom of hanging sacrificial victims from trees was probably in reference to this myth (see also Human sacrifice, Tyr). In 1950, the preserved corpse of the so-called "Tollund Man" was found in a peat bog in Jutland. The excellent level of preservation made it possible to deduce that he had been ritually hanged and respectfully consigned to the bog, not more than a hundred yards from where a ritually hanged woman had been found some decades previously.

[edit] Ragnarök
Yggdrasil is also central in the myth of Ragnarök, the end of the world. The only two humans to survive Ragnarök (there are some survivors among the gods), Lif and Lifthrasir, are able to escape by sheltering in the branches of Yggdrasil, where they feed on the dew and are protected by the tree.

[edit] Germanic veneration of trees
Yggdrasil apparently had smaller counterparts as the Sacred tree at Uppsala, the enormous evergreen of unknown species that stood at the Temple at Uppsala and Irminsul, which was an oak venerated by the pagan Saxons and which was said to connect heaven and earth. The Old Norse form of Irmin was Jörmun and interestingly, just like Ygg, it was one of Odin's names. It appears, then, that Irminsul may have been representing a world tree corresponding to Yggdrasil among the pagan Saxons.
Germanic cultural fondness for tree symbolism appears to have been widespread, with other patron trees such as Thor's Oak appearing in surviving accounts (8th century) and Ahmad ibn Fadlan's account of his encounter with the Scandinavian Rus tribe in the early 10th century, describing them as tattooed from "fingernails to neck" with dark blue "tree patterns."

[edit] Parallels
Many people have discussed the parallels between Odin's self-sacrifice in search of knowledge and the Crucifixion, particularly as Odin, like Jesus, was pierced with a spear before death.[citation needed] However, while surviving texts may have possibly been influenced by Christianity, the myth certainly has pre-Christian origins. There are other apparent parallels between Norse Mythology and Christianity: a slaying and resurrection (Baldr) and an apocalyptic battle at Armageddon (Ragnarok).

[edit] Potential origins
It has been proposed as an explanation for the World Tree myth that the Cirrus clouds – to a ground standing observer appearing to be virtually stationary on the sky – was imagined to be the branches of a gigantic tree, turned seemingly pale the same way that far away mountains do. Accordingly, rain was held to be the dew dropping from the World Tree. Two old German synonyms for clouds, Wetterbaum and Regenbaum (meaning Weather Tree and Rain Tree), are said to attest to this hypothesis.

[edit] Modern popular culture
Main article: Yggdrasil in popular culture
Although depictions vary widely, Yggdrasil is generally portrayed in modern popular culture as a large tree with great power.

[edit] See also
Axis mundi
Banyan
Irminsul
Maypole
Thor's oak
Sacred grove
World tree
Fleur de lys
Palmette
Níðhöggr
Boktai

3.2.8.3. The Journey South

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The next morning, early at dawn, Robert and his hunting party are in front of Genilda’s shop. They seem well-slept and well-prepared. Of course they’ve had their breakfast, if not, Chris’ stomach would’ve been ‘singing the blues’ again. All they have to do now are to fetch their horses in the stable and go straight to Mount Hvalgarr. Genilda the guild master and her youngest daughter, Marjan helps them with the final preparations before leaving.
‘Chris, don’t forget your backpack. Most of the food is in there. Iris, is your quiver full?’ says Genilda like a mother to her children. When Iris answers her with a nod, the guild master smiles in satisfaction and says to the party, ‘Don’t forget what I’ve told you last night. Finish what you have to do, and you must come back here alive.’
‘With our limbs intact, of course,’ says Chris.
‘We can’t promise that we’ll come back here, Ilda,’ says Robert, ‘but we’ll try our best to keep each other alive.’
As he says that, Robert and friends go away. Genilda and Marjan wave good-bye to them. They wave back and walk on, leaving Genilda in her thoughts with a worried face.
I think I won’t see them again for a long, long time. O’ Vadis the Almighty, please protect them and strengthen them so they can overcome any enemy, no matter how powerful he is.
I hope they don’t run into Zal’fira. I hope my worst fears won’t come true.
Yemima Genilda sighs, saying, ‘Jolly holly,’ and goes inside her shop with Marjan, thinking. Well, so much for my dream team. I hope someone will come and buy flowers today.

==o0o==

An hour later, Robert and his friends are riding out from Barc’vadon, and they estimate that in this speed rate, they should reach the border of Bresconnor at night.
Robert rides his trusty steed Paeldagrin in a moderate speed. He doesn’t want to push Paeldagrin too hard, knowing that there’s still enough time and no one is chasing them - yet. Robert’s friends also ride in the same pace and speed as him.
Iris has a comment on this, ‘Hmm, remember when I said this horse is not elf-bred? But as I’m riding with others, it’ll be bad for you guys if you must catch up with me all the time.’ And the show-off elf girl gets no response from the others.
They are riding in a nearby village when suddenly Chris’ horse runs into someone. It’s a woman! And the collision throws her several feet away, and leaves her sprawling helplessly in the middle of the street.
‘Easy, Hailwind. Hea, hea, easy now!’
Chris is having trouble controlling his horse, Hailweather at first, but he soon calms his horse and dismounts. Andreas and Iris are already kneeling next to the poor woman, examining her.
‘Are you okay, ma’am?’ says the dwarf healer.
The woman answers with a faint voice, ‘Ahhh, I-I’m okay, I guess. Owch! My back!’
‘Lay still, ma’am. Let me heal your wounds. Vitali!’
Andreas casts a healing spell on the woman, and her broken backbone heals gradually. Chris goes near the woman he collided; helping her to get up after the effect of the spell eased her pain apologetically. He also expresses his apology by saying, ‘I’m sorry, truly sorry, ma’am. I didn’t see you coming.’
‘Oh, that’s all right, young man,’ says the woman. She must be in her late forties or older, as we can see a few wrinkles on her face. ‘It was I who must be more careful. My poor eyesight, you know... Eeep!!’
Suddenly the woman collapses, and Chris catches her nicely. The woman rests on Chris’ arms, slowly trying to stand again.
‘Thank you, young man,’ she says. ‘I must be going now. Next time I’ll be extra careful when walking.’
‘Pardon me, but are you sure you don’t want us to take you home? I mean, you’re still weak after healing,’ says Iris.
‘Oh, no need, no need. I see you are in a hurry, so don’t let this old lady hinder you. Just leave me here and go about your businesses.’
‘Well, if you insist. Take care of yourself then, ma’am.’
Andreas, Chris and Iris immediately mount their horses and ride away from there, leaving the healed woman standing on the street side.
As they ride on, Andreas remembers something about that incident that puzzles him a bit, saying, ‘Rob, Carol, why didn’t you help us back there? Luckily that lady was slightly injured.’
Carolyn answers Andreas, ‘You three are enough to handle that problem. Anyway, someone must stay behind and guard the horse and our things.’
Robert also responds, ‘Normally I must go and settle the matter for the party, but as it was Chris’ own fault, he must deal with the problem himself. And I saw him handling that like a mature man.’
‘Well, it’s not entirely my fault!’ says the redhead knight. ‘She came all so suddenly, I didn’t see her and didn’t have a chance to stop at all!’
‘But you apologized to her anyway. That attitude showed a real man. Enough of that, fellas. Let’s keep our heads down and faster our paces, Mount Hvalgarr is still days away.’

==o0o==

The party rides on into the woods miles away from the village. Suddenly, they hear sounds like someone in a trance. Robert looks around and finds no one else but them there. As he checks on his party, he finds Chris shaking, thrashing here and there and falls from his horse.
Knowing that something is wrong, the rest of the team dismount and walk towards Chris, trying to help him. Iris says, deeply concerned, ‘Ariel, what’s wrong with you?’
There’s no answer. Chris a.k.a. Ariel (the name given by Iris which she thinks more appropriate for him) just stare blankly at everyone. His expression is vacant, but suddenly turns wild! Chris charges on his own partners like a blinded boar.
‘HEEEYAAAGHHHH!!!!!’
He draws his long sword Wyrthal and swings it haphazardly like a ferocious madman, trying to slash into anything alive along his path. Of course, being seasoned hunters, Chris’ partners elude that attack easily. And they don’t want to hurt Chris, so they only try to bring him to his senses.
‘Chris! Snap out of it!’ Carolyn yells.
‘We’re not your enemies!’ says Iris, moving swiftly to Chris’ back. She leaps high, somersaults and slaps the hypnotized knight on his left cheek. But instead of being cured, Chris’ attack lands a scratch wound on Iris’ back as she lands, throwing her to the front. Iris falls and crashes on the ground. She’s in pain, thinking,
Damn! He’s heavily hypnotized! Sorry, love, I have to use the hard way now.
Meanwhile, Robert blocks another slash from Chris with his kiliji sword and counters it by elbowing Chris on his forehead. No shout of pain from Chris, but the elbowing makes him dizzy. He staggers a bit. Seeing this opportunity, the silver-haired ranger shouts, ‘Seize him!’ and quickly seizes and grapples Chris’ arms. Andreas throws himself in front of Chris’ feet and holds them tight. Carolyn also helps to hinder Chris’ movement by hugging his waist.
The berserk redhead knight struggles with all his might to release himself – in vain. Just as Iris is about to dispel the hypnotic effect on Chris with her Nervatr (Dispel Magic) spell, Chris shouts with a hoarse, distorted voice. One can say that it’s not Chris’ voice at all.
‘Go ahead, kill me, it’ll make me happier. That’s what happens to anybody who meddles in my business! I’m warning you, weaklings, if you go to Mount Hvalgarr, you will meet the same fate as he is! ALL OF YOU!!!’
Iris scolds at the voice, ‘Who are YOU!? What do you want?’
Chris’ face turns even more evil and horrifying. He laughs shrilly and femininely, then talks on, ‘I told you what I want. Don’t go to Mount Hvalgarr even if it’s the last thing you do, EVER, and go about your own businesses!’
‘Well thank you for your warning, old hag; you will know what we’ll do pretty soon, but until then... Nervatr!’
A jet of green light shoots from Iris’ left hand, and goes directly into Chris’ head through his eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears. Chris is shaking more madly than ever. He lets out an eerie shriek of pain, his head points upwards and the green light is gone. This hypnotized chap doesn’t move anymore, and falls unconscious on Robert and Carolyn’s arms. Rob and his friends then put him by the tree.
Robert grunts and shakes his fist and arm in great disappointment, saying
‘Dammit...! I should’ve known. I’ve let her had Chris!’
‘Yes, we’ve dropped our guards,’ says Carolyn. ‘Say, remember that old woman Chris ran into just now? I think she’s the witch who hypnotized my cousin.’
Andreas nods, saying, ‘Yes, and not a very strong one too. But to plant a mind bomb on Chris like that, it takes a very powerful sorceress.’
‘Yes, like Zal’fira,’ says Robert.
‘Zal’fira,’ says Iris in terror. ‘So, Genilda’s right. It’s her or another wizard like her.’
‘Hmm, so she risked exposure by giving us a warning,’ says Robert. ‘But now we know who we’re dealing with and how powerful she is. I bet she only used less than half of her power just now. Iris didn’t have much trouble to dispel that mediocre spell.’
Iris nods. ‘Yes, you’re right, Rob. If that’s all she’s got, she won’t stand against Algaban... or even Omegron.’
Carolyn joins the discussion by saying, ‘but at the same time, she knows more about us now. By that warning, she also meant to measure our strength. She might tap the telepathic connection between Rob and Algaban, and underestimated us at first. Then, after seeing our teamwork and what we’re capable of, she got more advantage against us than we against her.’
‘In short,’ says Andreas, ‘she just wanted to show us that she is far better than us altogether. Now that’s a real threat.’
‘And we’ll answer that threat,’ says Robert. ‘We’ll go to Mount Hvalgarr and meet her in battle. We’ll show her that we can go beyond our limits if we work together.’
‘Aye, very nicely said, Rob,’ says Andreas.
‘That’s the pep we need. We’ll show her that Algaban didn’t choose us for nothing,’ says Iris.
‘Yeah. I believe we can do that, fellas,’ says Carolyn. Then with her thumb, she points backwards, indicating Christopher. ‘But I’m not sure about that sleepyhead over there. I mean, Zal’fira can control his mind easily like playing with a puppet.’
As Carol says that, Chris suddenly wakes up and becomes fully conscious again. Christopher talks feebly, as though his power was drained to the bottom or he just woke up from a deep, long sleep.
‘Whaa... what’s hap... pened? D-did I fall from my... my horse? Everything went... black. I thought I’ve died.’
Carolyn sighs, ‘Oh, great. He always reacts whenever someone is talking about him, even when he was unconscious. What a dope!’
Robert comments, ‘She can also play with OUR minds like puppets, not just Chris’. And he’s much tougher than he was a year back. I remind you, once again, I trust Chris with my life. Now let’s not waste time, we go at once to Hvalgarr in full speed. And Iris, please tell Chris about our discussion and what happened to him. He is our family, so he has the right to know.’
Although he is still very weak, Christopher the knight still shows lots of determination to prove himself. Slowly, he mounts his horse, assisted by Iris.
Trust me with your life, eh? I promise I won’t disappoint your trust, my friend.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Desperately In Love

(A poem or lyric under construction)

Oh, what can I say?
I'm torturing myself each day
Killing myself each day
And I like it this way

I'm desperately in love
I'm dreaming without hope
Dying in my own obsession
No way to express my passion

Call me crazy, call me mad
It's the loneliness that I dread
Until another angel comes and saves me
I'm vanishing until I'm no more

Baring Myself to Critiques - Again!

Here's my thread on FireHeart - Legend of the Paladins Project
in www.epilogue.net forum. Just click on this link and see what THEY think of my work!

May the moon gives you good fortune and the stars guide you through the night
- BJ Vadis

Enter Thread

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

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Anda sudah melihat 6 iklan diatas? iklan tersebut salah satunya adalah tempat (zona) iklan Anda yang terdaftar di AdBrite.

Dalam bisnis ini, Anda hanya diwajibkan melakukan klik (hits) ke masing-masing link iklan diatas dari iklan Anda sendiri (level 0) sampai dengan level 6 setiap hari sekali (KERJA RUTIN TIAP HARI MAKSIMAL 5 menit).

Maksudnya klik disini adalah, anda cukup melakukan klik ditiap-tiap iklan diatas, sampai keluar halaman website iklan dari adbrite. Anda tidak diharuskan melakukan apapun dihalaman iklan dari adbrite yang terbuka tsb. Setelah terbuka silahkan kembali lagi ke halaman sebelumnya dengan menekan menu "BACK" di browser anda.

Selain itu Anda harus mengajak/merekrut minimal 10 rekan Anda untuk menjadi anggota di bawah Anda, dan bersama-sama menjalankan bisnis ini. Dan begitupun teman Anda, dia harus mencari minimal 10 rekan lagi. Begitu seterusnya, hingga terbentuk 6 level.

Rekrutment ini sangat penting untuk menduplikasi jumlah klik yang anda peroleh. Jika tidak anda akan membutuhkan waktu yang lama untuk mendapatkan dolar.

Seharusnya untuk merekrut rekan-rekan anda sangat mudah. Kenapa? karena bisnis ini sangat mudah, hanya kerja 5 menit sehari, dan yang paling penting Semuanya GRATIS TANPA MENGELUARKAN UANG SEPESERPUN.


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Cara merekrut rekan anda sangat mudah. Anda tinggal menyebarkan alamat website khusus Anda ke rekan-rekan Anda, atau ke mailing list yang anda ikuti atau anda promosikan ke iklanbaris internet ataupun media cetak. Dan apabila ada orang yang mengakses alamat website khusus anda tersebut mengisi form pendaftaran, maka otomatis orang tersebut posisinya ada di bawah anda.

URL (alamat website khusus anda) yang harus Anda promosikan adalah:

http://www.AdBrite.PasarBisnis.Info?id=vadis

Pastikan anda tidak keliru dalam penulisan URL, terutama user ID anda.

Selain itu untuk melakukan pekerjaan rutin klik semua link iklan diatas setiap hari, Anda tidak harus login di member area ini.
Cukup buka alamat website khusus Anda :
http://www.AdBrite.PasarBisnis.Info?id=vadis
lalu klik setiap link iklan yang ada. Karena iklan level 0 merupakan iklan anda sendiri.


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Secara rumus, bisnis ini dijabarkan sebagai berikut:

AdBrite + Web Pribadi + Sistem Matriks = Jutawan AdBrite

Perhitungan sistem matriks AdBrite


Anda 1 1 klik
Level 1 1 x 10 10 klik
Level 2 1 x 100 100 klik
Level 3 1 x 1000 1000 klik
Level 4 1 x 10.000 10.000 klik
Level 5 1 x 100.000 100.000 klik
Level 6 1 x 1000.000 1.000.000 klik
Jumlah klik harian 1.111.111 klik


Bayangkan, jika jumlah klik Anda setiap harinya mencapai angka tersebut di atas, apabila AdBrite membayar US$0.50 tiap 1.000 klik, maka bisa dihitung Anda akan mendapatkan US$ 555.5 tiap harinya. Dan bila dikurskan ke Rupiah Anda akan mendapatkan Rp 5.555.000

Jadi usahakan sekali untuk terus merekrut rekan anda minimal 10 orang. Jika tidak, anda membutuhkan waktu yang lama untuk mengumpulkan dolar, karena anda seperti bekerja sendiri. Sedangkan yang lain berkerja dengan sistem GOTONG ROYONG (bersama-sama).

Coba perhatikan jumlah klik yang anda dapatkan tiap hari. Jika anda bekerja sendiri maka anda akan mendapatkan hanya 1 klik tiap harinya. Namun jika Anda sudah merekrut 10 orang dan dibawah anda sudah merekrut 10 orang lagi sampai level 6. Maka jumlah klik anda mencapai 1.111.111 klik setiap harinya. Jadi pilih mana? bekerja sendiri atau bersama-sama?

Anda tidak perlu kebingungan, bagaimana cara mencairkan uang yang sudah Anda dapatkan. Karena AdBrite akan mengirimkan berupa cek yang bisa dicairkan di Bank yang telah direkomendasikan.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Hobgoblin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monstropedia Eternia
An Online Research for FireHeart Project by vadis
Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the legendary creature. For other uses, see Hobgoblin (disambiguation).

Hobgoblin is a term typically applied in folktales to a friendly or amusing goblin. The word seems to derive from 'Robin Goblin', abbreviated to 'hobgoblin', 'hob', or 'lob'. The name originally referred to that of a specific folkloric character Robin Goodfellow but has grown to be defined as a different species of goblin or fairy. The name is often interchangeable with "bugbear", "boogeyman", "bugaboo" or "bogie", and the term "hobgoblin" has grown to mean a superficial object that is a source of fear or trouble.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Fantasy Hobgoblins

[edit] Lord of the Rings

In The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hobgoblins are a menacing, larger and stronger form of goblins. Tolkien later remarked in a letter that through further study of folklore he had subsequently learned that "the statement that hobgoblins were 'a larger kind' [of goblins] is the reverse of the original truth".[1] This mistaken reversal in size on Tolkien's part has generally been followed in other fictional 'hobgoblins'.

[edit] Role-playing games

The creature commonly appears in the bestiaries of fantasy role-playing games, where it is portrayed as a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing cousin of the goblin, but not as high up on the goblinoid hierarchy as bugbears. See Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons) and Hobgoblin (Warhammer)

In Mage: The Ascension a hobgoblin is a physical manefestation of a hallucination suffered by a Mage's avatar.

[edit] Computer and video games

In the MMORPG RuneScape, hobgoblins are an evolved form of goblins that are stronger and attack weak players.

In the Fable game series they are small, fat and disfigured. they are called hobbes and are described as trouble, stupid and greedy. They eat flesh and sleep in rivers they shoot magical orbs from a staff or use weapons like hammers or axes. They can range from the size of a child to the size of a big man. The smaller weaker one can be summoned by wood nymphs and they also work for them. They usually live in hobbe cave. Also they are the guardians of a demon door guarding the dark will users suit.

[edit] Comic Books

Spider-Man comics feature a villain named Hobgoblin, first appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #238 written by Roger Stern.

Another hobgoblin is in Monster in My Pocket #23. In the comic book series, he is a prankster who serves as comic relief among the good monsters. He makes fire come out from his fingers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Carpenter, Humphrey and Tolkien, Christopher (eds.) (1981). The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, #319. ISBN 0-395-31555-7.

Goblin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monstropedia Eternia, an online research for FireHeart Project by vadis


Jump to: navigation, search

A goblin is an evil or merely mischievous creature of folklore, often described as a grotesquely disfigured or gnome-like phantom.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Description

Goblins are grotesque fairies that can be from dwarf to human height. Various (sometimes conflicting) abilities and attributes have been given to them. Nowadays, it seems any diminutive monster can be called a goblin

  • Goblins can grow to anywhere from 30 cm to 2 m tall.[citation needed]
  • They have a somewhat bestial appearance: their brow is fully covered with thick hair and their mouth is filled with yellowed, crooked teeth.
  • They have some traits of old men, which can include shortsightedness, but they are described as wiser than humans.
  • In recent depictions Goblins have been portrayed as green in color. This is a modern tradition.
  • They are sometimes said to be mostly invisible to human eye.
  • They steal human women and children and hide them away underground.
  • Goblin women steal human babies and dump them, replacing them with ugly goblin babies (changelings).
  • Goblin changelings are sometimes known as "oafs" or "crimbils".
  • They are sometimes described as being an entirely male race.
  • Female goblins are referred to as "hags" or "crones"
  • Goblins are of the Unseelie Court.
  • It is said that they mimic human actions in their sardonic way, twisting human rituals and culture to show the worst aspects.
  • Goblin pranks include hiding small objects, tipping over pails of milk, and altering signposts.
  • Goblins are often associated with fire, or have the ability to create said element.
  • Goblins like to borrow horses and ride them all night. If a horse is tired in the morning, it is said a goblin rode it. If a horse is panicking, the goblin is trying to mount it.
  • They are said to count the dead among their companions. Goblins like to roam and cause mayhem during Halloween, along with a crowd of ghosts, witches, etc.
  • 'Goblin’s Thimbles' is another name for the foxglove plant.
  • They sometimes eat humans.
  • In some cases, Goblins love mushrooms, and utilize them for housing, recreation, and as food.
  • Goblins are often depicted possessing a coarse raspy sounding and slightly high-pitched voice.
  • When speaking a human tongue, goblins will stereotypically refer to themselves in third person.
  • Goblins often have a particular interest in money or trading, like being banker in the Harry Potter book series or running trade houses in World of Warcraft.
  • Goblins love revenge
  • Goblins are very magical
  • Goblins capture pretty unmarried girls to be their brides.
  • Some stories portray goblins in a kinder light, as beings that could actually be quite helpful if treated well. However, if ill used or, strangely, given thanks for their help, a goblin's wrath could be limitless.

[citation needed]

[edit] Etymology

According to some traditions, goblin comes from Gob or Ghob, the king of the gnomes, whose inferiors were called Ghob-lings.[citation needed] However, according to "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English" the name is probably derived from the Anglo-French gobelin (medieval Latin gobelinus), which is probably a diminutive of Gobel, a name related to the word kobold. Goblin is also related to the French lutin.

[edit] Places

One fabled origin for Goblins is in France, in a cleft of the Pyrenees, from which they spread rapidly throughout Europe. They hitched a ride with Viking ships to get to Britain. They have no homes, being nomadic, dwelling temporarily in mossy cracks in rocks and tree roots. Bryn y Ellyllon 'The Hill of the Goblins' is a place in Somerset. The Gap of Goeblin is a hole and underground tunnel in Mortaine France.

Sir Walter Scott in his Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft ascribed gnomes, kobolds and goblins, along with Scottish bogles to all correspond with a caricature of the Sami people.

[edit] Goblins in art and literature

  • Poet Craig MacKenzie, known for his works in portraying mythical creatures, described these creatures as being a paean to early explorers tales, documenting what they seen, It is now known that these creatures were probably small apes. In one of his greater works, MacKenzie uses the comparison of a goblin to the liking of one of his townspeople, Michael Nimbley, using 'goblin' as an insulting phrase.
  • Other books that feature goblins are: The Book of Wonder (1912) (The Hoard of the Gibbelins) by Edward Plunkett (18th Baron Dunsany), The Brownies and the Goblins (1915), Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak, Rainbow Goblins, The White Goblin, The Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis
  • In the Jim Henson film Labyrinth, Goblins figure prominently. Jareth the Goblin King, a powerful sorcerer (portrayed by David Bowie), commands a legion of foul, diminutive, largely incompetent creatures. The goblins initially do the bidding of a young girl (played by Jennifer Connelly), who must ultimately overcome her fear of them and resist seduction by their king.
  • The U.S. fighter plane XF-85, is nicknamed "the Goblin". The Goblin is one of America's earliest jets, first flying in 1948. Only 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, it was intended to have a top speed of 650 mph and flying time of 80 minutes. The concept didn't get too far, though, with only two aircraft built and very few flights made. After only a year and with just a few drops and recoveries from B-29 Superfortresses, the program was cancelled.
  • The March of the Goblins is a polka song composed by J.J. Tarrant.
  • In the Spiderwick Chronicles, goblins are toothless, toadlike beings who use random artifacts in the place of fangs.

[edit] Goblins in modern fiction

Two major branches of goblins exist in popular game properties. Alongside with J. R. R. Tolkien's descriptions of Orcs, the older branch is inherently evil and malicious, with varying coloring and generally matted and filthy hair. This type of goblin appears in Dungeons & Dragons. The distinctive green-skinned, hairless, capricious, and generally amoral (rather than absolutely evil) goblins created for Warhammer are direct progenitors of goblins in more modern games, such as those in the Warcraft Universe or Magic: The Gathering.

[edit] Goblins in RuneScape

In the MMORPG RuneScape, most of the goblins that the humans of RuneScape are familiar with are those goblins that cover the surface of the world. There are few places goblins cannot be found, but there are also few goblins that could not be described as stupid. The Dorgeshuun tribe of goblins are the notable exception to this, as they have been separated from the main goblin race since the times of the godwars. The Dorgeshuun have since then been hiding themselves away in their underground city, Dorgesh-Kaan. Were it not for their remarkable stupidity, the common goblins of the surface could cause extreme problems for the human civilisations. The Dorgeshuun, who are nowhere close to as stupid or inclined to bickering as normal goblins, are opposed to violence of all forms. They do not trust humans, though, and it is a rare human that has seen their mines or had anything approaching a decent conversation with them. Some goblins are found in barbarian village and lumbridge

[edit] Goblins in Dungeons & Dragons

See main article Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons).

[edit] Goblins in Warhammer

See main article Goblin (Warhammer).

[edit] Goblins in Palladium

In the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game, goblins are a race of faeries who have lost much of their native magic. Only a few, known as Cobblers, retain any magic. The vast majority of goblins are stupid, cruel, and lazy thieves.

[edit] Goblins in Warcraft

In the Warcraft Universe, goblins are a green-skinned, diminutive, crafty race; known for their occasionally explosive, but usually effective engineering. They also tend to be a neutral party between the Alliance and Horde factions of Azeroth. Motivated almost entirely by greed, it is very likely that the only reason goblins remain neutral in the ongoing conflict is that if they chose a side, they would be unable to profit from the other. Fans have noted similarity between the greed of Warcraft goblins and that of Star Trek's Ferengi.

Main article: Goblin (Warcraft)

[edit] Goblins in Final Fantasy

In the Final Fantasy series of RPGs, goblins are synonymous with imps. In the earlier episodes of the series, they typically appear as the weakest enemy in the game. They are depicted as being small and skinny with browinish skin and pointy ears and nearly always wearing a stocking cap, owing more in appearance to a Scottish redcap than a Tolkien-style goblin. They also occasionally appear as a low level summoned creature. In Final Fantasy XI, they appear as one of the more intelligent species of Beastmen, occasionally living as merchants in cities and interacting with the people there. The more hostile Goblins are also known as some of the most annoying enemies in the game, frequently appearing at high levels in popular leveling zones, much to the chagrin of campers who must constantly avoid them.

[edit] Goblins in Everquest

In the MMORPG Everquest 2, goblins are portrayed as largely mischievous, primitive, fairly foolish creatures. Small and green, with large pointy ears and yellow eyes, they tend to look and sound as silly as they act. Gigglegibber Goblins run a series of gambling games throughout Norrath. Upon visiting their hideout during the 'Frostfell' season (Christmas 2005 special quest) it is revealed that in addition to this gambling game they are also attempting to - unsuccessfully - forge gold coins, and yet they have no intention spending any of this money, they simply wish to 'have' it. Most of their schemes are harmless, though often illegal. Not all goblins of Norrath are so benign, however, with some being evil, and even falling under the control of external dark magics.

[edit] Goblins in other computer games

Other computer games featuring goblins include Goblin Commandos, Dungeon Keeper 2, Ghost´n Goblins (Arcade), the MMORPG [http://tibianews.net/section.asp?Ids=7&Id=73 Tibia which has a complete entry for Goblins in its bestiary and the Gobliiins! series, in addition to games based on other works featuring goblins.

[edit] Goblins in Magic: the Gathering

In the collectible trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, goblins are a very popular and potent creature type. They tend to be red aligned creatures that come in large numbers, love rocks and have little to no sense of self preservation. They are often a source of humour within the game (for example, the flavour text of the spell Shock reads "I love lightning! It’s my best invention since the rock", attributed to the goblin weaponsmith Toggo). Their popularity and effectiveness is such that they have received more attention at the cost of other red flavoured creatures, such as dwarves and orcs.

[edit] Goblins in Yu-Gi-Oh

In the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game there are a small number of Monsters identified as goblins which are depicted as green or light grey anthropoids and are classed either as warriors or fiends. Also there are several Spell and Trap cards with goblin in their names which normally have effects linked to card drawing or life point alteration. However it should be noted that as of 2005 there are few of these and they don't fit a particular deck type or theme. The most famous of these monsters, with the word goblin in its name, is Goblin Attack Force and its Toon counterpart.

[edit] Goblins in The Elder Scrolls

Throughout the franchise, including the 2006 "Oblivion", goblins have been used as an NPC class of monsters. The goblins featured in Oblivion are semisentient, diminutive greenskined barbarians. They range in power from the weak and cowardly "peon" goblins to the mighty goblin warlords.

[edit] Goblins in The Grey Griffin Books

In The Revenge of the Shadow King, the first book in The Grey Griffin books, goblins are dark faeries who make up the Shadow Kings Armies. They are divided into sub-species, the most dangerous being the Slayer Goblin.

[edit] Goblins in the Artemis Fowl Book Series

Goblins are fairies that are considered very stupid by other races. They are able to conjure fireballs (as Foaly points out, giving this power to such unintelligent creatures amounts to one of evolution's nasty tricks). Goblins are lucky if they can make friends, as they cannot cooperate with others. A group of them create the B'wa Kell, a mafia group that smuggles batteries for weaponery and started a rebellion that nearly destroyed Haven, the capital of the fairy people.

[edit] Sources:

  • British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes
  • Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were by Michael Page & Robert Ingpen
  • The Complete Encyclopedia of Elves, Goblins, and Other Little Creatures by Pierre Dubois
  • Goblins! and The Goblin Companion by Brain Froud

[edit] See also

vadisworld - my way, my world

FireHeart Blog List

Vadis' Technorati Favourites

Pyr Publishing

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

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