2007-10-18 [Nehirwen]: oops, sorry ;) and all the others of the poll too?

2007-10-19 [Artsie_ladie]: Yes, but I'm sure there are many more in the future to be set up. I'll keep you in mind. Thanks! I appreciate your help. :D

2007-10-19 [Nehirwen]: okey! and you're welcom

2007-10-27 [xido]: I would love to see all sorts of dragons from all sorts of backgrounds, and even some dragon-related creatures (since they take many forms in many mythologies around our own world, let alone the fantasy realms). Great question, [Mom]! I am really excited to know that you have an interest in joining! *hugs*

ECM Nymph looks okay, but is it anywhere on the list of potential to-do's? D&D classifies Nymphs as a type of Fey (Fae, Fairyfolk, Sylvans, etc.), and they are identified as spirits of nature in mythology. Because of that, I personally would consider them a faerie (kin or folk), and potentially part of that contest. Or, of course, you could wait until we get to that point on the CL... Which means you might be waiting a while.... Anyways, I commented on the Nymph ECM page potential. Please see that comment.

Sorry I am not around much, guys. I am hoping to change that soon. I have been doing a lot of work on my own things, and on some RP content concepts that I am seeking representation for.
*loves Elftown and misses her*

I have a semi-connection now, so I can be on every so often again. Starting a new job, hoping to find a place to live (again), and hoping to make money doing what I love: art and writing. Wish me luck!

On that note, I wish all entrants in the ECM Dragon the best of luck! I will keeping an eye on the new entries, and can't wait to see what all of you have in store for us. You all rock! x.o)
-will

2007-10-27 [Skydancer]: Nymphs are not fairies, and dnd is not the reality of human mythology. Nymphs are the immediate spirits of the life of a place. Those that "are" the spirits of the trees, plants, waters, rocks, and places of a natural area. A nymph such as a hammadryad may be a host to fairy folk, but they are definately two different species, according to everything I know about them. Of course real fairies, in mythology are generally not friendly to man and in fact tend to be quite dangerous if not downright lethal :) Just my opinion from what I know of course.

2007-10-27 [Artsie_ladie]: *listening & trying to learn* :)

2007-10-27 [Skydancer]: I will if I can keep my energies up dig out some of my books and references and see what I can put up as actual legendary and mythological spirits and individual cultural information. Most of my knowledge is celtic, briton, germantic, norse, irish and of course native american. It would be very interesting to me, if we could have some serious input from natives of the various countries and what they might be able to find in their own libraries from their own legends and tales of their people. :)

2007-10-27 [Artsie_ladie]: I agree about hearing from native folk. Often they can shed a more intricate light about aspects, which one can't easily find in books & other sources. :)

2007-10-28 [SilverFire]: I agree with Skydancer, nymphs and faeries are different, they have their origins in different cultures and myth-sets. I was going to comment on D&D, but I see Skydancer beat me to that too. <3

2007-10-28 [Artsie_ladie]: Yes, my daughter, who knows a lot more about this topic than I, also agrees with Skydancer. :P

2007-10-28 [Skydancer]: Well, D&D is a venerable game system, but basically none of it is based on fact or real cultural legends and myth. Its a little like taking World of Warcraft as the basis for information about World War Two.

2007-10-28 [Artsie_ladie]: *nods* I understand. In other words, one needs to consider the source. :P It seems so many are into WoW or FF or Star Wars, etc., & so much art today seems to center around these games & movies. Personally, I'd like to see more unique, more original art, outside the box, the box being the aforementioned. There is such an infinite supply of inspiration, I ask, why be so limited? Ok, so I'm getting a bit off the subject. :P

2007-10-28 [SilverFire]: You mean people didn't ride gryphons to bomb behind enemy lines in WWII?? Drat. I've been deceived. ._.

2007-10-28 [Skydancer]: well, heres the thing as I see it. This is suppose to be, from what I have been reading, about "real" dragons, mages, elves, fairies, etc, etc, etc. I wonder how many folk realize just how little of what is out there in fantasy art has any relation to the "real" thing. Vampires for instance. Not real at all except for the vampire bat. Not even legendary. Probably the nearest thing to a vampire are the fox women of oriental legend. And they do not drink blood. The whole concept of immortality through blood is one, a pure invention by a writer, two, expounded and developed upon by other writers, and three... based on a christian theme, which is in reality, a very small percentage of the actual religions out there.

2007-10-28 [SilverFire]: Which means that 'vampire' falls under the category of 'modern myth'. But I don't see how that makes it any less a myth, or gives it a lower status than long established myths.

2007-10-28 [Skydancer]: Because its not myth. Its a fantasy story by a fantasy author, not from the fabric, history and tales of a culture, which is what a legend or myth is. If you accept that as the basis of myth, then Yoda is a mythic figure. Its not about status, its about traditions. And legends and myths have established traditions for generation upon generations. Accept vampires if you wish, but in doing so what you are really doing is saying that a few authors fantasy, which they themselves say is fantasy, are the truth of your past. Legends and Myth are not fantasy, they are taken, and told, and taught, as the reality of a culture. Tales to keep them alive, or to teach moral lessons, or to learn important truths about surviving in a given society. It just really depends on what these references are to be. Are they about the truth of legendary and mythic creatures, or are they just references to fantasy literature and art? Or some where in between? There is a huge amount of material out there about vampires, and its all "fanfic" or direct fantasy stories by fantasy authors who make it quite clear they are authors, not legendary historians. Shrug.

2007-10-28 [Skydancer]: Actually I only spoke up using vampires as an easy example. The exact same thing applies to modern books on fairie, or dragons, or elves, or what have you. What I really was after was to start a discussion on just what this reference was going to be about. :)

2007-10-28 [Nehirwen]: I wasn't thinking at all about D&D when I made the ECM Nymph... I just thought they're the spirits of nature etc, according to the Greek mythology. I would love to see [Skydancer] to dig up some information out of his books and references to share with us :) I will go to the library as well ^^ *loves to see there are more people around interested in Nymphs*

2007-10-28 [Skydancer]: I will do that, I was just researching oriental foxes and norse elves. Which actually are pretty much what people think of as fairies today. Little people under the hills, live in underground halls, under trees, etc, the elves that is.

2007-10-28 [Nehirwen]: I appreciate that ^^ I'm really curious in what you will come up with :)

2007-10-28 [SilverFire]: So to be a myth, it has to have been aroud for X amount of time? And Who decides who old it has to be before it suddenly counts as a myth? The reason most myths didn't start as stories written down was because when they were made, there was no writing. So they became part of an oral tradition instead. If there had been writing, they would have been part of a literary tradition - as happened with older myths as soon as writing was developed. The vampiric myth has evolved in much the same way as ancient myths. Stories get retold, retold and retold, and as that happens, they evolve. That's why there are so many versions of some of the ancient myths. Just because a story doesn't come from the period that one traditionally expects of myth, doesn't mean it isn't myth. Myth is not history, it is fantasy. And you seem to be suggesting that all people like Bram Stoker wanted to do was tell a pretty fantasy story, as if there's no moral aspect to his work.

Every myth has a beginning. There was a point for every myth where it wasn't part of a culture, or a history, it became so because people repeated it. If people talked of Yoda in the same way they talked of vampires, they yes, actually, I would happily accept Yoda as a mythic figure. As is, they don't. But they do talk about vampires in the same way they talk about Gorgons and chimeras. It has become myth, just like the plight of Achilles became myth.