More Witch Plot Babble
I've been a slacker here lately. Sorry. Sometimes life gets overwhelming for me when there is too much going on.
Ok, I’ve been semi-away from the project for like a month. The biggest problem I solved is that Earth finally has a name, Acacia. I don’t know her last name or middle name yet. Must get her race down.
Now more thought mulling:
Since werewolves are ancient, I want their witchcraft to be ancient too, which creates a problem. I’ve been studying Wicca, but Wicca as we know it today, pretty much began in the late 1950’s. Therefore I need to work on a specific brand of witchcraft--perhaps Druidry--to mix with Wicca. I found a helpful website that tells of people who mix druidry with Wicca and they call it Druidcraft. It’s on my list of possibilities.
Since this is werewolf culture/race of witchcraft, I don’t have to be completely historically accurate, but I do want it to have a backbone of truth. I can’t say Wiccans have been around since ancient times if they haven’t. I can say werewolf magic has, but again, I need a backbone of something that's been around that long to build on. Since I’ve made my ancient werewolves Italian, I may need to look into Roman Gods. Or at least look at what kind of witches existed during Romulus and Remus’s time.
The problem is, I don’t like studying myths or basing my story structure on them because it feels like stealing plots or characters. Years ago, an author friend of mine said it doesn’t matter if I think I’m not stealing things from myths because everything you read has mythological structure.
Anyway, I’ve blocked myths, since Mrs. Knigge’s 7th grade English class. (She’s one of two teachers I've had in my lifetime that made English class not fun--a difficult feat. I love English class.) Because of her, I have no interest in myths. Because of Ms. McKinney’s 5th grade English class, it took me 20 plus years to pick up a mystery novel. (She forced us to write a book report on a mystery and then gave me a bad grade when I said I didn’t enjoy the book in my book report. I never said I was rational.) But I like many mysteries now and I know I should force myself to study myths too.
If anyone is out there reading this--not that I should expect anyone to be. I haven't been reading other blogs--please update me on your current projects, whether it be writing, crafts, or anything else. Please share. I'm interested. :)
Ok, I’ve been semi-away from the project for like a month. The biggest problem I solved is that Earth finally has a name, Acacia. I don’t know her last name or middle name yet. Must get her race down.
Now more thought mulling:
Since werewolves are ancient, I want their witchcraft to be ancient too, which creates a problem. I’ve been studying Wicca, but Wicca as we know it today, pretty much began in the late 1950’s. Therefore I need to work on a specific brand of witchcraft--perhaps Druidry--to mix with Wicca. I found a helpful website that tells of people who mix druidry with Wicca and they call it Druidcraft. It’s on my list of possibilities.
Since this is werewolf culture/race of witchcraft, I don’t have to be completely historically accurate, but I do want it to have a backbone of truth. I can’t say Wiccans have been around since ancient times if they haven’t. I can say werewolf magic has, but again, I need a backbone of something that's been around that long to build on. Since I’ve made my ancient werewolves Italian, I may need to look into Roman Gods. Or at least look at what kind of witches existed during Romulus and Remus’s time.
The problem is, I don’t like studying myths or basing my story structure on them because it feels like stealing plots or characters. Years ago, an author friend of mine said it doesn’t matter if I think I’m not stealing things from myths because everything you read has mythological structure.
Anyway, I’ve blocked myths, since Mrs. Knigge’s 7th grade English class. (She’s one of two teachers I've had in my lifetime that made English class not fun--a difficult feat. I love English class.) Because of her, I have no interest in myths. Because of Ms. McKinney’s 5th grade English class, it took me 20 plus years to pick up a mystery novel. (She forced us to write a book report on a mystery and then gave me a bad grade when I said I didn’t enjoy the book in my book report. I never said I was rational.) But I like many mysteries now and I know I should force myself to study myths too.
If anyone is out there reading this--not that I should expect anyone to be. I haven't been reading other blogs--please update me on your current projects, whether it be writing, crafts, or anything else. Please share. I'm interested. :)
posted by Cherry Red at 10:56 PM
2 Comments:
Hmm. From what little I know of Roman magic practices, much of it centered around differing sorts of divination. You could also look at the Iliad and Oddysey for some examples of raising the dead and/or sacrificial magic.
Alternately, and much harder, you could do some research on Etruscan (the people in Italy before the Romans took over) but not a whole lot of facts are known.
Druidic/Celtic mythology would be another source, especially if your werewolves are operating with some conflict against the Roman Empire (Druidism was one of two religions outlawed in the empire. The other being Christianity, which had something of a rise in fortune later. :) )
While it would require a lot of explanation, and could stray into some already trod ground, Runic/Norse magic systems have been around a long time and weren't centered only in Scandinavia but was also present in most of central Europe as well as as a possible inroad, there was a lot of migration of the Germanic tribes into Roman lands, with a lot of the various Goths, Gauls and Germans serving in the Roman military.
As for updates, I'm still being bad and lazy. :) I'll have at least some re-writes up soon.
I'm planning to work on a graphic art project for hanging on the wall behind my sofa. I just hope I can my idea justic. :)
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