A TO Z CHALLENGE 2016 -- UKTENA

Yes! Come warrior, you think as the lithe man appears.  He has traveled far to face you.

He has no idea how easy it will be to destroy him.  He will die trying to take your life, to claim the stone you possess.

He won't succeed. You will dazzle him and the warrior shall perish.



The Uktena, in one legend, was a man who was transformed by the Little Men (maybe it was the Yunwi Tsunsdi' aka Little People).  As this creature he was sent to kill the Sun.  She has sent down a sickness because man angered her.  He failed and was angry and jealous that Rattlesnake was sent instead.

Pronounced ook-tay-nah, this creature is the one of the deadliest among the creatures of the Cherokee.  It has a body of a snake and has rings or spots of color going down its body.  One description also has it having buzzard wings and deer horns.

They are hunted for the crystal on their forhead.  As an object of great power, the Ulunsuti or Ulun'suti stone has great magic for good and evil.

It dazzles the person and even asleep it can render death.

BOOK CHALLENGE 2015 #13 A BOOK THAT BECAME A MOVIE

Okay, I admit to bawling my brains out at the end of the movie when I was a kid.  What?! How could anyone not cry at the end?

Anyway, the movie actually followed the book very well. All the pertinent points of the story were there.

What they did not have in the movie did not detract from it at all. The minute details that filled the pages of the book were so neat.  There's back story on Schmendrick and more details about Haggard and his lands. Lir's story is there as well.

Also the world has more people and places that fill the story.

I liked this book.  As I read I watched the movie in my head when the scenes were the same.

Sigh.  And now I have America singing the theme song to the movie stuck in my head. Brick wall here I come. 

A to Z Challenge -- Z -- PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND STARS. OH MY!

ZODIAC -- There are many different zodiacs out there.  The Western one we are familiar with.  Gemini, Capricorn, Virgo, etc. There are also the Chinese, Celtic, and others.

The origins of Western Astrology come from the ancient Babylonian and Mesopotamian as well as Sumerian and Egyptian, but here are the mythological origins from the Greek.  Aries -- Ram of the Golden Fleece, Taurus -- Europa's ravishment by Zeus, Gemini -- the twins Castor and Pollux, Cancer -- Hera's giant crab sent to attack Hercules during the battle with the Hydra, Leo -- the Nemean Lion, Virgo -- goddess of purity and innocence, Astraea.  Last to return to the heavens when Pandora opened the box and is associated with Dike goddess of justice, Libra -- scales of Themis, goddess of divine justice, Scorpio -- the scorpion that killed Orion, Sagittarius -- Chiron the centaur, Capricorn -- goat Amalthea who fed the infant Zeus or Pan, Aquarius -- Ganymede, Pisces -- Aphrodite and Eros escaping Typhon.

There are different versions of why the Chinese Zodiac (sheng xiao) animals are in the order that they are.  Most have the a competition that a heavenly being (be it the Jade Emperor, Yellow Emperor, etc.) has ordered. The race would decide the order.  The cat and the rat were friends, and it ends up somehow the cat was left out of the race by some means by the rat, albeit on purpose or not.  So once good friends are eternal enemies.  You can go HERE or HERE or even Wikipedia even to read.  Also the animals change with the different countries.  In different Asian countries, some of the animals are altered slightly, but on the whole they are similar.

The Celtic one is fairly new.  The ancient Celtic calender was more fluid, using the lunar cycle as a guide. It is also probable they were not named for trees or animals.  Most likely they were named for the quadrants.  Samhain, "Summer's End", would be an example.

So here is a brief rundown of signs and their months/years.

Western 

Capricorn  -- The Goat - Dec. 22–Jan. 19                             

Aquarius -- The Water Bearer - Jan. 20–Feb. 18

Pisces -- The Fishes - Feb. 19–Mar. 20

Aries -- The Ram - Mar. 21–Apr. 19

Taurus -- The Bull - Apr. 20–May 20

Gemini -- The Twins -May 21–June 21

Cancer -- The Crab - June 22–July 22

 Leo -- The Lion - July 23–Aug. 22

Virgo -- The Virgin -Aug. 23–Sept. 22

Libra -- The Balance - Sept. 23–Oct. 23

Scorpio -- The Scorpion - Oct. 24–Nov. 21

Sagittarius -- The Archer - Nov. 22–Dec. 21

Chinese

Zi – Rat – 1936, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 2008, 20

Chou – Ox – 1937, 49, 61, 73, 85, 97, 2009, 21

Yin – Tiger -- 1938, 50, 62, 74, 86, 98, 2010, 22

Mao-- Rabbit -- 1939, 51, 63, 75, 87, 99, 2011, 23

Chen – Dragon -- 1940, 52, 64, 76, 88, 2000, 12, 24

Si – Snake -- 1941, 53, 65, 77, 89, 2001, 13, 25

Wu -- Horse -- 1942, 54, 66, 78, 90, 2002, 14, 26

Wei – Sheep -- 1943, 55, 67, 79, 91, 2003, 15, 27

Shen – Monkey -- 1944, 56, 68, 80, 92, 2004, 16, 28

You – Rooster -- 1945, 57, 69, 81, 93, 2005, 17, 29

Xu – Dog -- 1946, 58, 70, 82, 94, 2006, 18, 30

Hai – Pig -- 1947, 59, 71, 83, 95, 2007, 19, 31

Celtic

Beth – Birch – Dec. 24 to Jan. 20

Luis -- Rowan – Jan. 21 to Feb. 17

Nion -- Ash – Feb. 18 to Mar. 17 

Fearn -- Alder - Mar. 18 to Apr. 14 

Saille – Willow – Apr. 15 to May 12

Uath -- Hawthorn - May 13 to June 9 

Duir – Oak - June 10 to July 7

Tinne – Holly - July 8 to Aug.4

Coll – Hazel – Aug. 5 to Sept. 1

Muin – Vine- Sept. 2 to Sept. 29

Gort --Ivy - Sept. 30 to Oct. 27

Ngetal -- Reed – Oct.28 to Nov. 24

Ruis -- Elder –Nov. 25 to Dec. 22


Disclaimer: None of these pictures belong to me.  I found them on Google.