1992
January 24:
Dean turns thirteen today. For his birthday we went out to dinner at a greasy spoon called Mama Janer’s, in Flint, Michigan. It’s freezing and miserable here, and we’re headed farther north to check out some things I’ve been hearing about shape-shifters in the North Woods, from Michigan all the way across through Minnesota. Odd for them to be active this time of year, since there aren’t that many people outside for them to prey on. It makes me think something big is happening.
Outside L’Anse, in a roadhouse full of Indians from the lumber camp down the way, I overheard this:
There was a white woman named Jennie who had an Indian working for her —a shiftless, lazy Sioux. She hated him so much that if he was at the table, she wouldn’t sit down, but he bragged down around the docks that he was going to have her. All I have to do, he said, is go into the woods and find the right root, and you’ll see. I’ll have that Jennie. Well, all of his buddies down at the docks, they made fun of him, but pretty soon he started leaving little candies around the table, and Jennie would eat them when he wasn’t around so he wouldn’t know she was doing it, and wouldn’t you know it, all of a sudden —wasn’t but a couple of months later— she up and married him. Then, when he had her in his power, he treated her real bad, almost starved her to death. He worked his bearwalk on one of her relatives, too, and that was enough. They took care of him, and we didn’t ever see him around here no more.
March 30:
I thought the lesson was learned back in Wisconsin, but the same thing almost happened again. I left the boys next at the beach in Two Lakes State Park and went looking for a skin-walker, and then it was Ichi all over again. Only this time the skinwalker took on the appearance of a park ranger it had killed, and nearly got the boys to come with it because they trusted the uniform. I still can’t completely trust them on a hunt. I took it down, and lit into the two of them. Especially Dean. I have to be hard on him because one of these days I’m not going to be around, and he’s the one who’s going to have to look out for his brother. He’s a badass, though. I thought I was tough when I was thirteen, but Dean would have kicked my ass six ways to Sunday.
April 27:
Procopius, Secret History, on Justinian:
And some of those who have been with Justinian at the palace at night, men who were pure in spirit, have thought they saw a strange demoniac form taking his place. One man said that the Emperor suddenly rose from his throne and walked about, and indeed he was never wont to remain sitting for long, and immediately Justinian’s head vanished, while the rest of his body seemed to ebb and flow; whereat the beholder stood aghast and fearful, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. But presently he perceived the vanished head filling out and joining the body again as strangely as it had left it.
Another said he stood beside the Emperor as he sat, and all of a sudden the face changed into a shapeless mass of flesh, with neither eyebrows nor eyes in their proper places, nor any other distinguishing feature; and after a time the natural appearance of his countenance returned. I write these instances not as one who saw them myself, but heard them from men who were positive they had seen these strange occurrences at the time.
They also say that a certain monk, very dear to God, at the instance of those who dwelt with him in the desert went to Constantinople to beg for mercy to his neighbors who had been outraged beyond endurance. And when he arrived there, he forthwith secured an audience with the Emperor; but just as he was about to enter his apartment, he stopped short as his feet were on the threshold, and suddenly stepped backward. Whereupon the eunuch escorting him, and others who were present, importuned him to go ahead. But he answered not a word; and like a man who has had a stroke staggered back to his lodging. And when some followed to ask why he acted thus, they say he distinctly declared he saw the King of the Devils sitting on the throne in the palace, and he did not care to meet or ask any favor of him.
May 2:
Sammy is nine years old today. Last year on his birthday we were getting the hell out of Albuquerque. This year I nearly lost the boys because of the skinwalker. They’re both learning, but they’ve got a lot still to learn.
May 11:
This list is beings that can change their shape at will, or who undergo recurrent changes.
WEREWOLF (loup-garou, rougarou, oboroten, vrykolakas, pricolici, maj-coh): Change caused by full moon, or isolation, or brought on by recitation of a spell. Too many variations, and I’ve never seen one. Never met anyone who has, either. Needs some separate research. Lycaon?
VAMPIRE - ask Elkins
KITSUNE: Japanese fox spirit, has as many as nine trails to signify its age and wisdom. Can be tricksters, lvoers, messengers of Inary. Myobu designates kitsune associated with Inari (kami of rice, color white); nogitsune are the variety that are untamed, tricksterish, dangerous. After livint 1000 years, kitsune acquires its ninth tail along with the ability to see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. They hate dogs, and the presence of a dog sometimes makes them revert when they have assumed human form. Often change appearance to beatiful women, encountered alone. They will take human lovers, and bear children, but vanish again when their true nature is discovered. Also can appear in dreams. Kitsunetsuki is the term for possession by a kitsune, which causes the sufferer to behave like a fox and speak strange languages. Exorcism must take place in a shrine to Inari. Kitsune often carry round balls alight with kitsune-bi, foxfire. A human who gets one of these balls has leverage over the kitsune. As tricksters, kitsune often target pride and greed, taking people down a peg. Sometimes they’re just malevolent, but this is rare. More likely to find them in abandoned houses, where they will resist new residents. Korean version known as kumiho, Chinese huli jing. Kumiho generally are evil, eating either human hearts or livers in an effort to consume human essence and become human themselves; less common variant stories have the kumiho becoming human by resisting its urge to kill for a thousand days. Huli jing more ambivalent, like kitsune. Emphasis in Chinese tales on possession and seduction.
TANUKI. Japanese “raccoon dog,” can assume any shape and often takes on the appearance of inanimate objects —teakettles, etc.— to play a trick on humans. Largely good-humored, but can turn dangerous as well known for the size of their testicles. Very fond of alcohol, and like to play games with merchants by cheating them using disguised leaves as money.
BOUDA: East African were-hyena, from name of the tribe where the power originated. Handed down matrilineally, power also related to more general witchcraft. (Witchcraft in Africa often related to blacksmiths… interesting. Think of Ogun and the Colt…). Parallel were-hyena legends is of the qora. Ethiopian Jews often accused of being bouda. Also numerous legends in Ethiopia and Sudan that white —or albino— people had hyena blood, or could transform into hyenas.
WERE-JAGUAR. (runa-uturungu in Argentina, also yaguarte-aba; chacmool in Mexico?)
SELKIE: Said to be souls of drowned people now inhabiting bodies of seals. Shed their seal skins to come ashore at prescribed intervals, or when they fall in love. If a human captures the selkie is in his (or, less often, her) power. Selkies live human lives, have human children… until they discover where their skin has been hidden. Then they seize it and return to the ocean. Some selkies are out to avenge hunting of seals —they are said to curse and sabotage fishermen. Tales come from across the North Atlantic, some similar stories in Pacific Northwest. Related stories of swan-maiden (swanmay, dove-girl, peacock maiden), various other animal-wife tales.
LESZY: Slavic woodland spirit, protector of forests and natural world. Tall men, with beards of grass and vines. Can assume any form, including plants and trees. Known to appear as a giant talking mushroom, and to keep company with wolves and bears. When in human form, his eyes glow green and his shoes are on the wrong feet. Will enter pacts with peasants or farmers, keeping their cattle or sheep from getting lost, but will also react violently to any perceived threat. Hides axes, leads lumberjacks astray, destroys signs, kidnaps young women, even known to tickle people to death. Leszy can be repelled by wearing clothes inside out or by starting a fire in their forests. Unusual among shape-shifting beings because it has a family: leszachka, wife, and leshonky, children.
NAGA: Common to Indian and Buddhist myth, nagas are snake spirits. Sometimes take human form to live among humans. More often they live in bodies of water or underground, where they guard treasure. Nagas have influence over natural events, and are offered sacrifices. Worshipped across south and southwest Asia, from India to Tibet to Cambodia and all the way to Malaysia.
RAKSHASA: Reincarnated from evil human beings. Rakshasas are powerful shape-changers who may not have a native form. They also have magical powers, including invisibility. They are cannibalistic, and particularly target anything religious or holy. In addition to human flesh, they will eat spoiled food. Their fingernails are poisonous. In the Mahabharata, some rakshasas who give up cannibalism eventually become allies of humans.
YUXA: In Tatar folklore, a snake who reaches 100 years of age becomes a yuxa, and will assure the appearance of a young woman to have children, who then become more yuxa.
TENGU: Spirits of the arrogant or vains, tengu appear as old men or birds. Sometimes they attack those who are the most like they were in life —typically overly proud samurai, priests, nobles. More broadly, they deceive travelers, kidnap children, and lead priests astray. Often their victims are found tied to the tops of trees, sometimes insane. They have strong powers of illusion, and will possess young women in an attempt to seduce priests and monks away from their vows. If the tengus identity is guessed or discovered, it has to assume its true form —a large bird, like a kite— and it will flee. Sometimes it can be propitiated with sacrifices. Usually in these cases a tengu has chosen a place to guard or make its home, and intruders who don’t observe the proper rites are in for trouble.
PUCA: May appear as a variety of animals, always dark in color. Most often a horse who will give unexpecting humans a wild ride. Can speak and if it takes a liking to a person, it will give him advice —especially on November 1. Crops left in the fields after this date are considered to belong to it, as it is always hungry. If not fed, its temperament can turn more dangerous.
EACH UISGE: Usually a horse, can be a young man. As a human, tries to seduce young women. As horse, it carries its rider into the water before eating the rider, leaving only the liver. If kept away from water, it can be controlled.
ENCANTADOS: Group of beings from Brazilian lore. Can be snakes or disembodied spirits, but typically used to describe dolphins who can assure human form. Encantados come from another world, have magical abilities related to music and seduction. Like Celtic faeries, they sometimes kidnap children, especially progeny of their human liaisons —but no changeling stories. Encantados are known to drive people mad, but rarely kill outright. Will sometimes force a transmutation of a human into following the encantado to its realm, known as Encante. In human form, they wear hats to cover their blowholes, which do no disappear in the transformation. A magical powder composed of manioc andh chile, scattered over the water where the encantado appeared, is said to break their spell.
Loki-tricksters always can change shape? Ellegua, Coyote, Hell, Bugs Bunny is always dressing up like a woman…
May 17:
This would have been our fourteenth anniversary. Ivory.
June 21:
Last night, Sammy woke up in the middle of the night telling me he was afraid of the thing in the closet. I went and looked. There was nothing in the closet, but I’ve seen too much not to believe that there could be. So I handed Sammy the .45 and told him the next time he saw the thing in the closet, he knew what to do. I don’t think I’ll win any award from parenting organizations, but five nights running now Sammy has slept without nightmares. Sometimes a .45 under your pillow is all you need.
Daniel says vampires can’t change their shapes. Says that’s all an invention of Bram Stoker.
November 2:
Mary has been dead for nine years. Nine years I’ve been on this quest, and I’ve accumulated so much stuff I needed t rent a storage space for it.
December 9:
It is well known to all, that there is a Certain vertue in the Loadstone, by which it attracts Iron, and that the Diamond doth by its presence take away that vertue of the Loadstone: so also Amber, and jeat rubbed, and warmed draw a straw to them, and the Stone Asbestus being once fired is never, or scarce extinguished: a Carbuncle shines in the dark, the Stone Aetites put above the young fruit of Women, or Plants, strengthens them, but being put under, causeth abortion; the Jasper stencheth blood; the little fish Echeneis stop the ships: Rhubarb expels choller; the liver of the Camelion burnt, raiseth showers and thunders. The Stone Heliotrope dazles the sight, and makes him that wears it to be invisible, the Stone Lyucurius takes away delusions from before the eyes, the perfume of the Stone Lypparis calls forth all the beasts, the Stone Synochitis brings up infernal Ghosts, the Stone Anachitis makes the images of the Gods appear. The Ennecis put under them that dream, causeth Oracles. —Agrippa.
Magus: Then there is the pyrophilus, of a red mixture, which Albertus Magnus reports that Æscolapius makes mention of in one of his epistles to Octavius Cæsar, saying, “There is a certain poison, so intensely cold, which preserves the heart of man, being taken out, from burning; so that if it be put into the fire for any time, it is turned into a stone, which stone is called pyrophilus.”