Spiritwalking
PaulEberhardt on Nov. 29, 2012
I had an uncommonly persistent headache the other day, which prevented me from finishing the page earlier. Perhaps I'm just getting old - I somehow can't take night shifts any more the way I used to… Oh well! I updated now, I apologise for my lateness, and I hope you like it anyway.
Gundula's magic is largely influenced by old Nordic sources. I consciously avoid those symbols of Christian or cabalistic origin you find just about everywhere else in comics and fantasy art nowadays (though I make exceptions from time to time) to give it a more earthy, primordial feel, that is however still quite sophisticated in its own weird way. The technique on this page seems to mingle a number of different cultures, but I'm not entirely sure whether it actually does. When thinking of spirit guides in animal shape, people usually think of a number North American Indian tribes, but in fact, it can be found around the world. For instance, the Smi culture of Lapland knows something like it too, if I remember correctly. I wouldn't be surprised if other Northern European peoples had similar rituals as well. Gundula's incantation, by the way, is shamelessly ripped off from the old Nordic poem “Grgaldr” found in a 17th century manuscript. The quoted lines mean:
Fare now on thy way / Where danger lies / Let evils not lessen thy love; / Perchance thou mayst find / What thou fain wouldst have / If Fate grant you her blessing (or something along these lines; Skuld is the Norn of the future)
Well, may “Fate” grant you a nice weekend, and thanks for reading an commenting! :)
willgun at 12:25AM, Dec. 2, 2012
Aargh, night shifts! Hope the best for you (like a better shift) having been there too long.
artdude2002 at 1:59PM, Nov. 30, 2012
The squirrel is missing out on a nice warm napping place.
NightReflection at 12:54PM, Nov. 30, 2012
Tiger is filling in until she finds her spirit guide, of course!
utekatz at 9:33AM, Nov. 30, 2012
That really i s something for Tiger - warm radiator on one side, warm human body on the other, teddy bear as a pillow.:D Is this how you get to know your spiritual animal guide? Then I'd choose tiger, too. OK, cats any size. Nothing like a soft PURRRRRRRR to send you into dreamworld.
KimLuster at 5:58AM, Nov. 30, 2012
Interesting stuff, and well drawn. When I was younger I looked into neo-shamanistic stuff (never dived in), and I always wondered what form an animal spirit guide of mine would take. I thought, maybe a Dolphin (until I found out Dolphins are perverted rapists haha). Now I'm sort of partial to Aardvarks :)