Mythological Creature, ‘the Aloja,’ a sometimes benevolent, female shapeshifter, from Catalonia- with writing prompt

June 25, 2018June 29, 2018 ARJung

tumblr_n5z0bqgBgs1t08imeo1_500 — Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiK3Y-2u-_bAhXBjlQKHbkKA5wQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Ftagged%2Fcatalan-mythology&psig=AOvVaw3zxPsvwkqaDoI2IX_QIN8Y&ust=1530038421042556

In Catalan mythology, an Aloja, also known as a dona d’aigua, a goja or a paitida…is a female cryptid, living in places of fresh water. These “water-women” are said to be able to shapeshift into blackbirds.

According to the legend found on Wikivisually, these women are not immortal, but can live for thousands of years, retaining their youth.

Water-women symbolize the fertility and the life-giving virtues of water. They are said to possess oneiric beauty.

They appear as small and innocent women, with a high self-esteem and sometimes very prideful of their beauty. They are good women and try to bring wealth and well-being to the areas they live in. Water-women are nocturnal; have shimmering gold or red hair, and emerald or deep blue eyes. They wear fine, rich clothes; and enjoy viewing their reflections in lakes on full-moon nights. Some of them are said to have beautiful wings of various colors. Many are said to carry magic wands carved from hazel, which is considered to be the only wood capable of casting spells. ✨

There are many legends about romance and marriage between water-women and humans; in order to marry a water-woman, a human must agree to the water-woman’s conditions. Often, one of the conditions is that the husband cannot reveal that his wife is an Aloja. If he does, the water-woman leaves him and disappears with his fortune. However, it is also said that the water-woman will still comb her children’s hair and dress them every morning.
Aloja are purported to knowingly avoid any relations with humans, though this is not always possible.

When contact with humans does occur, it often turns out ill for the humans. It is said that the lakes where the Aloja bathe, can boil in anger if a stranger enters there. In Majorca, the most famous water-woman is known as Maria Enganxa.

According to tradition, she lives inside all of the wells and cisterns and takes all of the children that pass near them with her hook. She is not a kind Aloja.

Writing Prompt

2e9f15988e67245404a3122d4c3324ec — Photo Credit: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E3X8yWV-0ic/Tin2Zq08p9I/AAAAAAAAApE/6ft3EaEWLGY/s1600/emilycrowley_aloja.jpg

Catalan myths and legends are passed down for generations, of course, as part of that region’s popular culture. In Catalonia those characters that are invoked to induce fear in children for practical purposes, for example to avoid speaking to strangers or leaving home alone are called Espantamainades (Espantachiquillos).

At the anthropological level, sometimes these are manifestations of the fears of the unknown and inexplicable in nature. Some are local representations related to those figures also existing in other cultures, such as witches, Goblins and the bogeyman. Others are purely local variations, such as Marraco the peasant and the Dips.

The Aloja is a local representation. She can be a “good guy,” or a “bad guy,” but always is beautiful, vain and territorial.

Your writing prompt is this, you are in Majorca, or Mallorca, which is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, and are part of Spain; located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983.

You find yourself on a hike, past a lovely freshwater lake. It’s picturesque, with black water birds flying in a circular pattern, just inches above the water. You stop to watch their dancing. Suddenly they shapeshift into many Alojes and seem to be fighting amongst themselves. You hear the most beautiful, alpha Aloja say;

“I’ve had enough of your clumsiness, you are not to leave here again, because I can’t trust your judgement.”

…and then you see him…a love struck human man, with a camera around his neck…a journalist type. His face is set in a way that makes him seem years younger than he probably is. He looks forlorn…and then sullen as the group of women continue to ignore him. He leaves and you continue watching. The Aloja who is seemingly in trouble…for reasons that are unimaginable, is put into a bird cage and hung high in a tree…you watch in wonder as the caged black bird flaps it’s beautiful wings…trying to free itself of the cage.

What did she do, and who is the human man, who is so sullen?

You get the impression, that the Aloja is in severe danger…but why? Your skin prickles and you see the alpha pointing her hazel wand at the caged bird. What happens next?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!

Mythological Creature Archive

Mythical Creature, “the Al-mi’raj,” a horned rabbit from Arabic poetry- with writing prompt

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018 ARJung

al_mi_raj_by_semirealistic-d8a3ul1 — Photo Credit; http://semirealistic.deviantart.com/art/Al-mi-raj-500705173

Also checkout Jackalope, Wolpertinger, and Lepus Cornutus but the Al-mi’raj or Almiraj (Arabic: المعراج al-mi’raj) is known as a mythical beast from Arabic poetry, said to live on a mysterious island called Jezîrat al-Tennyn within the confines of the Indian Ocean. I couldn’t find much about this island…but there is a perfume, which I found interesting and is called Jezîrat al-Tennyn.

According to Wikipedia, Al-mi’raj is a large, harmless–lookingyellow rabbit with a single, 2-foot-long, black, spiraling horn protruding from its forehead, much like that of a unicorn.

Despite its docile appearance, Al-Mir’aj is actually a ferociously territorial predator known to be able to kill animals and people many times its size…with just a few stabs of its horn.

It also has an immense appetite and can devour living things several times its size without effort. Al-Mir’aj frightens other animals.

The people of the Jezîrat al-Tennyn island were so terrified of the Al-Mi’raj eating them and their livestock that they would turn to witches to ward them away as soon as they heard the Miraj was near. It was reported that only a true witch would charm the Miraj, rendering it harmless so the people could remove it from the area.

tumblr_m7u46aiQ7R1qb5wbbo1_500 — Photo Credit; http://centuriespast.tumblr.com/page/617

It is possible this myth originates from observations of the effects of any one of several diseases in rabbits that can create horn-like growths upon the bodies of animals, most commonly Fibromatosis and Papillomatosis (SPV).
Papillomatosis is the result of a virus infecting the skin, causing a large, red, swelling growth on the skin of the subject. These red marks may have appeared to be where horns broke off or were shed. Fibromatosis is a similar virus which infects the skin and causes the flesh of the rabbit to mat with hair, hardening into long, hard horn-like protrusions. Both diseases could account for the appearance of wild, fierce (with pain) rabbits with “horns” as infected specimens have been found, catalogued and are well documented.

In Pop culture

List compiled by Wikipedia

Al-Mi’raj has been occasionally featured in video and role-playing games.
Al-Mi’raj has been adapted into Dungeons & Dragons, as part of the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Fiend Folio.
An enemy in the Dragon Quest Series (アルミラージ … arumirāji), first appearing in Dragon Quest III, where it is a low-level monster with a sleep attack used to render players helpless while it attacks. In U.S. it has usually been renamed to “Spiked Hare,” but its name is preserved in the Game Boy Color version. Unlike the normal legendary Miraj, this Mi’raj is purple with a white horn and white cheeks. Its standard treasure is a gold and a Leather Hat. In Dragon Quest VIII, it carries Medicinal Herbs and Bunny Tails.
According to lore, at the base of a unicorn’s horn is a ruby red jewel that is the concentrated essence of its power. With this in mind, it is possible that Ryo-Ohki from Tenchi Muyo! could be a reference to Al-Mi’raj, albeit dehorned and thus not dangerous to humanity.
Getting closer to the original mythology, the Devil Bunny game series by Cheapass Games is a game about horned, super-intelligent carnivorous evil rabbits that spend their time attempting world domination via an assortment of silly means and tormenting the Humans.

al_miraj_ambush_by_lyekka-d5hy6ll — Photo Credit; http://lyekka.deviantart.com/art/Al-Miraj-Ambush-332479209

– In Episode 10 of the anime game, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? the first floor of the mid level contains multiple white rabbits that walk on two legs. Two of the main characters Lilly and Welf claim that they are the protagonist Bell Cranel due to the matching red eyes and white hair. The rabbits are then identified as al-mi’raj by Bell before being interrupted as the rabbits attack.

– The behavior of General Woundwort, the antagonist of Watership Down, and the Killer Rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail might have been inspired by Al-mi’raj.
In the animated short “Red” (2010) the little wolf-boy protects Red from an Al-Mir’aj that can grow to a monstrous size, and kills it.
The Yu-Gi-Oh Breakers of Shadow booster pack has released a card based on this mythical creature called Al-Lumi’raj.
The game Rage of Bahamut (and subsequently the Shadowverse CCG which is based on it) contains a character called Moon Al-Mir’aj, a humanoid rabbit with a black horn called Ramina.
In the Donald Duck story Mythological Menagerie, written and drawn by Don Rosa, Donald tries to fool Huey, Dewey and Louie by painting a rabbit yellow and attaching a horn to it, but the nephews identify it as a the Mi’Raj.

Writing Prompt-

The Mi’raj, the American Jackalope, the Wolpertingers and the Lepus Cornutus are all the same animal in this prompt. SPVirus or no, that isn’t the concern of this writing prompt. Let’s look at the parable of The four blind men and the elephant, to get a sense of what this prompt is asking you to do.

(Adapted from David A. Horner) According to everystudent.com, there is a popular analogy used to illustrate how all religions are valid in their ways of describing God, the universe or the creator.

Theological professors especially love this philosophic analogy, because it equalizes all religions, making them “omni-true” in their description of the God force.

horned_rabbit_sketch_by_unita_n-d54y5qa — Photo Credit; http://unita-n.deviantart.com/art/Mi-Raj-sketch-310643074

The parable goes like this: there are four blind men who discover an elephant. Since the men have never encountered an elephant before, they grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new phenomenon.

One grasps the trunk and concludes it is a snake. Another explores one of the elephant’s legs and describes it as a tree. A third finds the elephant’s tail and announces that it is a rope. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the elephant’s side, concludes that it is, after all, a wall, a leather wall..at that!

Each in his blindness…describes the same animal: an elephant. Yet each describes the same thing in a radically different way.

According to many, and I love this sooo much…this is analogous to the different religions of the world — they are describing the same thing in radically different ways. Thus one should conclude that no individual religion has a corner on truth, but that all should be viewed as essentially equally valid.

The Mi’raj is not documented as being a benevolent, kind creature…but let’s make it one, because who is to say that it is not?

Your writing prompt is this…looking at different cultures, races, and religions, there are many legends and mythological stories which attempt to explain natural phenomena. Explain the rabbit with a horn. This is a character development prompt. Who is he or she? Why is he seen in so many cultures? If he is a divine, or at least “good,” creature…what does he bring to the cosmic, moral table?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!

Mythological Creature Archive

Mythical Creature, ‘The Akkorokamui,’ a Japanese ‘Kami,’ and benevolent octopus spirit- with writing prompt

June 11, 2018June 12, 2018 ARJung

Kami (神) is a Japanese word for the spirits worshipped in the Shinto religion. According to Wikipedia, they can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, and beings, as well as qualities that these beings express. They can also be the spirits of the venerated dead. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans. Traditionally, great or sensational leaders like the Emperor could became Kami.

Shintoism

According to the BBC, the nature of Shinto as a faith should not be misunderstood. ‘Shinto.’ is often called the ‘Japanese religion’, and has had a major influence on Japanese culture and values for over 2000 years. But some writers think that Shinto is more than just a religion – it’s no more or less than the Japanese way of looking at the world.
Because ritual rather than belief is at the heart of Shinto, Japanese people don’t usually think of Shinto specifically as a religion – it’s simply an aspect of Japanese life. This has enabled Shinto to coexist happily with Buddhism for centuries.
Shinto is involved in every aspect of Japanese culture: It touches ethics, politics, family life and social structures, artistic life (particularly drama and poetry) and sporting life (Sumo wrestling), as well as spiritual life.

thDJM6VIFX — Photo Credit: http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Akkorokamui_Physiology

Many events that would be secular in the West involve a brief Shinto ritual in Japan – for example, the construction of a new building would involve a Shinto ceremony.
Although most Japanese follow many Shinto traditions throughout life, they actually regard themselves as being devoted to their community’s local shrine and Kami, rather than to a countrywide religion.
So many Japanese don’t think that they are practicing Shinto nor are followers of the Shinto religion, even though what they do is what constitutes actual Shintoism, rather than theological or academic Shinto.

The Akkorokamui

Akkorokamui (アッコロカムイ,) according to cryptidzwikia, is a gigantic part-human-part-octopus monster from the Ainu ancestors as well as Shinto folklore. This is a creature which lurks in the Funka Bay in Hokkaidō, Japan, and has been sighted in several other locations including Taiwan and Korea for hundreds of years.

According to the Shinto mythology, this creature is human-like and contains a bright red color. The 19th century account by John Batchelor confirms this. His book, free here, The Ainu and Their Folklore, provide many details of the creature. It states that it was 120 meters in length. The book specifies that the red color of the Akkorokamui a striking red, seemingly “likened to the color of the reflection of the setting sun upon water.”

akkorokamui-watermark — Photo Credit: http://yokai.com/akkorokamui/

The Akkorokamui is also characteristically described with the ability to self-amputate, like several octopus species, and regenerate limbs. This characteristic manifests in the belief in Shinto that Akkorokamui has healing powers. Consequently, it is believed among followers that giving offerings to Akkorokamui will heal ailments of the body, in particular, disfigurements and broken limbs.

Once, spirits cursed Rebunge, a villager of Abuta Toyoura, with destruction of his town. They sent a part-spider-part-human creature, Yaoshikepu (ヤオシケプ), to fulfill the curse. Yaoshikepu caused rampant destruction throughout the town, slaughtering so many that the streets were filled with crimson blood. After hearing the townsfolk tremble with fear, the sea kami, Repunkamui, transformed Yaoshikepu into an octopus, and cast her into the sea.
After Yaoshikepu was cast into the sea, she began to grow, eventually beginning to consume larger prey, such as whales and ships. One day, Akkorokamui gobbled up a boat full of fishermen. In her stomach, they called for help. Hearing the cries, Repunkamui poisoned Akkorokamui, causing her great pain. As Akkorokamui hollered in agony, the fishermen escaped. However, Akkorokamui learned to harness the venom, using it to attack her prey. In a 1800s sighting, John Batchelor stated that as the monster attacked the ship, it “emitted a dark fluid which has a very powerful and noxious odor,” confirming the myth’s truth! :))

Writing Prompt- The healing powers of the Akkorokamui

According to livescience Octopuses (this is the correct plural for octopus) have three hearts and blue blood; they squirt ink to deter predators; and being boneless, they can squeeze into (or out of) tight spaces. They are quite intelligent and have been observed using tools.

Photo Credit: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/akkorokamui-bibo.html

The Akkorokamui is a sacred beast. A healing sage. What is bigger or more sensational than that? A creature that still has all of the attributes of the sea creature, but is holy and benevolent?

Your writing prompt is; The Akkorokamui is living directly off of the coast of where you live. How do I know? You’ve sensed him. You are also Kami, and important, influential and dominant in the region. Who are you? (This will take research, because regions in Japan have specific dominant Kami.)

You find yourself in cahoots with Akkorokamui since there is a new spirit in town causing all matters of ill to the people. What is your special strength that can aid or hinder the Akkorokamui? Do you find yourself a conduit for good or for evil?

Or, what is more likely…do you find yourself living in the grey area, and why?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!

Mythological Creature Archive

Mythical Creature, “the Akka,” a Sami, Scandinavian and Finnish goddess – with writing prompt

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018 ARJung

41c6af30d0ef3d7e7be872a47755b93a — Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.se/pin/93942342201006265/

While the Sami, or Lapps (formerly named), are commonly thought of as the inhabitants of Lapland…they have never had a country of their own.

According to everyculture.com, the Sami live in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Their neighbors have called them Lapps, but they prefer to be called Samer or Sami, since Lapp means, a patch of cloth for mending and was a name imposed on them by the people who settled on their lands and is considered a derogatory term.

The Sami refer to their land as Sapmi or Same, and first appeared in written history in the works of the Roman author Tacitus in about AD 98. Nearly 900 years later, a Norwegian chieftain visiting King Alfred the Great of England spoke of these reindeer herders, who paid taxes to him in the form of furs, feathers, and whale bones.

Sami Folklore

Traditionally, the Sami believed that specific spirits were associated with places. Many of their myths and legends talk about the underworld. Others involve the Stallos, a race of troll-like giants who ate humans or sucked their strength out of them through an iron pipe.

Fig-000-467x640 — Photo Credit: http://www.norark.no/innsikt/samiske-trommer/

Many tales involve Sami outwitting these Stallos.

According to everyculture.com, another kind of villian in Sami folklore is the stallu, a wicked person who can shape shift.

The Sami creation myth, is directly related to the harsh environment around them. It tells the story of a monstrous giant named Biegolmai, the Wind Man.

In the beginning of time, Biegolmai created the Sapmi region by taking two huge shovels, one to start a funnel of wind and the other to drop huge amounts of snow, making it very difficult to live there. One day, however, one of Biegolmai’s shovels broke, and the wind died down, and the Sami were able to enter the Sapmi region.

800px-Lapper_og_Reinsdyr — Photo Credit: http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2015/12/rare-old-photos-of-indigenous-sami.html

The Pathfinder

There are other Sami epics which trace Sami ancestry to the sun. In the mid-nineteenth century, a Sami minister, Anders Fjellner, recorded the epic mythical poems in which the daughter of the sun favored the Sami and brought the reindeer to them. In a related myth, the son of the sun himself had three male children who became the ancestors of the Sami. At the time of their deaths they became the stars in the heavens, and can be seen today in the belt of the constellation Orion.

orion-constellation — Photo Credit: http://reztycira.blogspot.com/2010/12/pramuka-island-i-saw-orion.html

One of the most famous Sami folktales is the story of “The Pathfinder.” In it, a Sami village is attacked by a marauding tribe from the east called the Tjudes. The village fights as best it can, but the invaders vastly outnumber the Sami and soon kill all but one—a young boy. The Tjudes then force the young boy to lead them to the next village where they will attack and overtake it as well. The boy reluctantly agrees, leading the Tjudes by night through the mountains. Of course it is very difficult to see at night in the mountains.

At the top of one peak, the Tjudes discussed their plotted course, deciding to wait until morning to go on. They feared they would lose their way getting down the slopes. The Sami boy, however, urges them to follow him. He says he knows the mountain well and will lead them by torch. He suggests that they all tie themselves together by rope, so none of them get lost. The Tjudes agree, grateful that the Sami boy has become so loyal to them.

As they make their way down the mountain, the Sami boy leads them to a great cliff… which only he can see. Stopping at its edge, he tosses his torch over into the great expanse, yelling, “Follow me!”

The Tjudes, tied together, unaware of what befalls them, lunge over the edge to their deaths.

This story was made into a movie called The Pathfinder (2007).

The Madderakka- or Akka Spirit

4881652 — Photo Credit: http://neufjoursneufnuits.weebly.com/saacutemi/akk-ahkk

“Akka,” is traditionally a female spirit in both Sami and Finnish mythologies. Akka means old woman and in Finnish it means great grandmother or ancestress.

Madder holds the meaning of earth or ground, but Madderakka is the Sami goddess of childbirth herself.

She is assisted by three of her daughters Zarakka, the cleaving woman, Uksakka, the door woman and Juksakka, the bow woman who all watch over the development of children from conception through early childhood. The following story comes from goddesses and gods blogspot, and tells of the nurturing nature of these spirits.

“MADDERAKKA” AND HER MALE COMPANION “MADDERATCHA “WERE, ACCORDING TO THE LAPPS, THE DIVINE COUPLE WHO CREATED HUMANKIND. MADDER-ATCHA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOUL AND “MADDERAKKA” FOR THE BODY. TO FORM A CHILD THE SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO “MADDERAKKA” WHO CREATED THE BODY FOR THE SOUL WHICH HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM RADIEN, THE WORLD RULER DEITY, AND THEN PLACED IN THE MOTHER’S WOMB. WHILE “MADDERAKKA “HAD GENERAL CONTROL OF FERTILITY, HER DAUGHTERS WERE MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH HUMAN REPRODUCTION.

“JUKSAKKA “CAN CHANGE IN THE WOMB A DAUGHTER TO A SON. ZARAKKA” WAS ALSO THOUGHT OF AS THE SEPARATING WOMAN WHO MADE CHILDBIRTH EASIER AND WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A DEITY OF WOMEN IN A MORE GENERAL SENSE, AIDING THEM IN WOMEN’S CONCERNS SUCH AS MENSTRUATION. IT WAS SAID THAT SHE SUFFERS THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH RIGHT ALONG WITH THE MOTHER. “USSAKKA” WAS BELIEVED TO RECEIVE THE CHILD AT BIRTH AND CARE FOR IT, PROTECTING IT FROM ACCIDENTS.

“MADDERAKKA” LIVED INSIDE THE WALLS. THE PLACE OF “ZARAKKA” IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE, BY THE HEARTH. “UKSAKKA”, THE OLD DOOR WOMAN, WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARD THE ENTRANCE TO THE HUT. THUS A LITTLE MILK WAS ALWAYS THROWN OUT OF THE DOOR AT MEALTIME IN ORDER TO WIN THE FAVOR OF THE UKSAKKA AND JUSAKKA WAS PROBABLY AT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.

Writing Prompt-

35a1c628cc2469927ec198c83213000a — Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/christinesbest/saami-people/

Imagine a world where Biegolmai still roams the earth and he takes instead of creates. In this world Madderakka is anything but nurturing. She is a modern woman who is very career driven and has her three daughters working for her.

They make it look like she really can have it all. The daughters, in addition to the fertility and child rearing support have also taken on the duties of press secretary, PR manager and sales manager. For a hefty fee, you can have either a boy or a girl of your choosing, but you must pay extra for a child to be healthy and to have no birth defects.

How did the Spirits devolve into what they are today? Why have they become so self involved? They are the ones who are suppose to lead and inspire us…has working so closely with us caused our nature to become their own?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!

Mythological Creature Archive

Mythical Creature, “the Akhlut,” an Inuit, orca/wolf hybrid- with writing prompt

May 30, 2018June 4, 2018 ARJung

bcdb8b6fc0102279661bb1b33c6c3120 — Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/419045940304454322/

In Inuit mythology, Akhlut (Pronounced Ock-lut or Ack-lut) is a spirit that takes the form of both a wolf and an orca. It is a vicious, dangerous beast. The Akhlut is very keen and opportunistic, and will certainly attack you if you have fallen asleep near the edge of the water or are walking by the edge. Sometimes it goes as far as the Inuit camp to hunt. It has a furious appetite and will eat anything. Its tracks are recognizable simply because they are wolf tracks that lead to and from the ocean. Often, dogs seen walking to the ocean and/or into it are considered to be evil by Inuit tribes.

It has been said that this is a well known creature, but most of the Inuit surprisingly never consider that the Akhlut may be the one attacking them while they are trying to fish out in the Arctic Sea. The only thing they seem to take note of, where the Akhlut are concerned is, when there are wolf tracks coming out of the water.

According to cryptidwiki, there are many stories of how the Akhlut came to be, but this legend is the most popular: a man who was obsessed with the sea wanted to be around it all the time. After coming home after a long time away, he returned to his village, but his people didn’t recognize him.

He had become too obsessed with the ocean and ended up getting banned from the village.

While out on his own, he found a pack of wolves, and because he was so hungry, like a wolf, (and for revenge;) he became one with the pack.

One day, his affection for the ocean became so strong that he jumped in, to be with it. He then, transformed into an orca.

Thus, he now swims beautifully as a majestic whale, living in peace, but whenever his hunger for revenge once again shows itself, he simply comes to land and transforms into a wolf to feed.

Writing Prompt-

children — Photo Credit: https://tyronetribulations.com/2013/03/23/more-snow-in-kildress-than-in-arctic-eskimo-settlers-mostly-welcomed/

These three kids saw something that has only been a myth to them up until now. Their mother used to lightly threaten them with the Akhlut, telling them to stay away from the waters edge,

“Or Akh, will come and get you.” And then she would chuckle, because it was an endearing name for the monster.

The family even named a stray who would sometimes come into their yard, “Akh,” and the children delighted in this game. Akh, never came too close, but he was bigger then an average dog and always seemed ravenous, because of his size.

The children liked to pretend that the mythological Akhlut was their pet and that it was their job to feed him every night. It became their ritual. This particular group of children happened to be the kids of the fisherman who lived…with his wife…closest to the waters edge.

The children would sneak out after their mother and father went to bed and wait all night until the wee hours of morning hoping to see something. They would take books with them outside and warm things to drink. The Akhlut never came, but they never gave up hope that he would.

akhlut_by_katepfeilschiefter-dadk4kk — Photo Credit: http://katepfeilschiefter.deviantart.com/art/Akhlut-627435812

One early morning, this morning, actually, their stray dog came into their yard again…it was “Akh,” but they saw him come out of the water this time and they gasped at his sheer size. They were terrified, because…he was Akh, but he had shapeshifted and was half dog or wolf and half orca, which was a completely new look for him.

The children had good reason to be afraid. The Akhlut let out a hideous bellow and sprayed them with sea water. His claws swiped for them and the children ducked and rolled away…retreating to the safety of their house.

It’s now 10 am and the children are thinking about telling their father about what had happened at sunrise this morning…though they know that they are either going to be in big trouble, or that they aren’t going to be believed. What happens next? Does the Akhlut come back?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!