 Horror/Scary: March 09, 2016 Issue [#7521] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Elemental horror Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Our ancient ancestors saw the world as being ruled by four natural elements: earth, air, water, and fire. Spirits of these elements could make powerful allies--or enemies. They may be good or evil, or may be simply forces of nature. Artifacts or relics associated with each element may be seen to have magical powers associated with the element. Elemental creatures from classic folklore are great subjects of horror stories, but you can also make up new ones of your own.
Earth: Earth elementals may be made of soil, rock, or clay, or just live under ground. Examples from classic folklore are gnomes, kobolds, and golems. A golem is a figure made of clay that is brought to life by magic, usually to serve as a slave to the its creator. Earth elementals are often associated with caves and mines. They may be master metal workers, unlike most fae folk who cannot stand the touch of iron. Objects associated with earth include rocks, gems, or metal charms.
Air: Air elementals are associated with the sky, the wind, or flight. An air elemental might be as innocuous as a butterfly or as powerful as a tornado. Or it could be an extremely powerful butterfly! Objects associated with air include feathers or the airborne "parachute" seeds of plants such as dandelions. The alchemist Paracelsus referred to air spirits as sylphs.
Water: Water elementals are associated with the sea, lakes, or rivers. Examples from classic mythology include mermaids, naiads (water nymphs), selkies, kelpies, and the Kraken. A water sprite might be associated with a particular lake or stream and will die (or become very angry) if its home is damaged. Some water elementals may leave the water occasionally. For example, the kelpie of Scottish folklore comes on land in the form of a horse. You can recognize a kelpie in horse form because its mane is always wet and tangled with seaweed. If you meet one, never ever climb on its back! Objects associated with water include seashells and smooth river bottom stones. Some classic writers referred to water spirits as undines.
Fire: Although our human ancestors learned to use and control fire, they still recognized its power. Classic fire elementals include dragons and the phoenix. Objects associated with fire include volcanic glass and flint. Active volcanoes are the source of legends about many fire spirits and deities, such as Pele, the Native Hawaiian volcano goddess. Fire spirits were sometimes called salamanders, which is interesting since the amphibian we now call a salamander lives in water. The word salamander may have referred to all lizard-like animals, and may have also been used for dragons.
Some creatures may be more than one type of elemental. For example, a phoenix could be seen as both a fire and air elemental. An interesting character might be one that can be all four types.
Something to try: Write a horror story that involves elemental spirits as protagonists, villains, or both. |
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