Hi! You are awesome, your blog is awesome, it's a great inspiration and very interesting to read!
(I even want to translate some of the posts, with credits and everything, to share your awesomeness with not-english-speaking part of the fandom, if you don't mind)
I saw you helped other fans with creating looks for their original characters... Please, can you give an advice: where to look for references if I want to draw an AU with Yue being saved by not the Moon, but the Ocean spirit? Just mentioning the general direction would be great! She definitely should have a different hairstyle (+hair color ofc), a different spirit-form and a different name... I barely know anything about asian/ingenious cultures and don't want to make rude mistakes.
I know it's a lot so any small advice will be very helpful.
And thank you for your posts, you are absolutely amazing! 💜
Aww, thank you! I’d love it if you translated my posts into German. <3
Interestingly enough, both the Chinese and Inuit ocean deities are women, so there is plenty of inspiration to draw from for Yue. ^_^
Like most mythology, these stories have countless versions. I’ll be choosing the versions that are most relevant to Yue. This will be a two-part post, with the first part covering Inuit culture.
Inuit Mythology: Sanna / Sedna
There was once a beautiful and kind girl named Sanna who did not want to marry and turned down many suitors. One day, a seemingly talented hunter passes through her village and demands she become his wife. Her father decides to marry her off against her will, in exchange for the hunter’s large haul of fish.
The man reveals himself to be a powerful raven in disguise and carries her off to his nest— this won’t be the only time that The Raven tries to kidnap a pretty girl in Inuit mythology. Realizing his mistake, Sanna’s father gets in his boat and steals her back from The Raven’s nest. As he and Sanna begin rowing away, The Raven flaps it great wings and conjures up a storm.
Fearing The Raven’s wrath, Sanna’s father throws her into the sea as an offering. She swims back to the boat and grabs on to its edge to stay afloat. Fearing that she’ll capsize the boat with her weight, her (asshole) father chops her fingers off in a panic.
Poor Sanna sinks helplessly into the ocean, her chopped off fingers following behind her. Fortunately, she is reborn as the Mother of the Sea and her chopped off fingers transform into the beloved sea mammals of the Arctic (and a much more substantial food source than fish): Whales, narwhals, seals, sea lions, and walruses.
The waters and animals that Sanna watches over will be good to those who treat animals and other people with respect.
You can see how her tale relates to Yue’s story. Physically speaking, Sanna is often portrayed as resembling a mermaid, but with a seal’s tail. Yue’s hair could be black like a murky ocean. I also think it would be cool if you gave Yue line tattoos on her fingers, to represent the tragedy that befell Sanna.
Additional Thoughts
I like the idea of ocean goddess/mermaid Sanna wearing a parka with mittens; she only takes off her mittens to show off her finger stubs and give people a little fright. She’s got a sense of humor about it. ^_^
Chukchi people, who are culturally similar and geographic neighbors to Inupiat people, believe the ocean god is the son of The Raven. I guess their version of Sanna ended up staying and having kids with her bird husband.
Sanna’s story is so heart-wrenching. She should spend the rest of her days playing with baby seals and pranking people with her hands.
Interestingly enough, both the Chinese and Inuit ocean deities are women, so there is plenty of inspiration to draw from for Yue. ^_^
Like most mythology, these stories have countless versions. I’ll be choosing the versions that are most relevant to Yue. This is a two-part post, with this post covering Chinese culture. Part 1 can be found here.
Like Sanna, the story of China’s ocean goddess begins with an ordinary human girl. The girl’s name was Lin Moniang (林默娘) and she is said to have lived during the 10th century in what is now China’s Fujian Province. Her given name of Moniang means “silent girl”, as she never cried as a baby. The daughter of a fisherman, she seemed to have been her village’s shaman, as she would often read people’s fortunes and predict weather conditions for the local fishermen.
Her principal legend concerns her saving her father and brothers. Hearing news that her family’s fishing boat had been caught in a typhoon, 16-year-old Moniang meditates and spiritually projects on to the boat. She manages to save her brothers from drowning, but is unable to save her father in time. This was due to her mother awakening her from her trance, thinking her daughter was having a seizure.
Wanting to find her father, she tirelessly searched the waters and islands of the archipelago where she lived. According to legend, she eventually died of exhaustion and her body washed up on the shores of Nangan Island. Her spirit ascended to godhood, where she gained the name Mazu (媽祖 - “Ancestral Mother”), and became a guardian deity to sailors and fishermen. The archipelago where her family fished is now known as the Matsu Islands, after her goddess name.
Visually, Mazu is often depicted wearing a lot of beads. Perhaps because they resemble pearls or water droplets? The crown she wears is called a mianguan (冕冠), which was historically worn by East Asian emperors and is featured in many depictions of royals and gods alike.
Avatar Szeto’s hat is modeled off the Shamarpa crown found in Tibetan Buddhism. The Shamarpa (ཞྭ་དམར་པ་), meaning “Holder of the Red Crown” in Tibetan, is the person regarded to be a manifestation of Amitābha (the Buddha of immeasurable light and life) in the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. This makes it an appropriate hat for the Avatar, another reincarnated divine being.
Assuming the context is similar in the Avatarverse, I find it interesting that Szeto chooses to wear a crown with strong spiritual connotations, while Roku doesn’t. Perhaps the Fire Nation was much more spiritual during Szeto’s lifetime than during Roku’s. Maybe the hat is meant to denote the Fire Avatar’s leadership role over the Fire Sages? In contrast, Roku’s hairpin was given to him by Sozin, subtly foreshadowing how Roku’s loyalty to his nation’s crown prince would take precedence over his moral and spiritual duties as Avatar.
Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^
hypothetical, would kanzashi like the kinds made by sakae and wargo be too anachronistic for atla era?
For anyone wondering, kanzashi are traditional Japanese hair decorations. Sakae is a modern kanzashi maker and Wargo is a store in Japan (Asakusa) that sells modern kanzashi. Here is an example of Sakae’s kanzashi below:
The designs of Sakae/Wargo’s kanzashi actually look pretty timeless, but the material used to make them looks to be “resin epoxy”, which became popularized for use in arts and crafts starting in the 1960s. So yeah, the material would be a little too anachronistic for the ATLA era. You could probably incorporate it into Korra’s world without it feeling weird, though. For contrast, pictured below are traditional folded fabric (tsumami) kanzashi:
The ATLA era probably uses mostly traditional kanzashi materials: fabric, starch paste glue, wood, and metal. China also has a similar history of making fabric flower hair pins. You might want to reference those styles of hairpins for areas of the EK outside Kyoshi. If you want to be avante garde in a way that makes sense for the ATLA era, glass or crystal hair accessories made by earthbenders would work. Glassbending would probably be a sandbender specialty. Pictured below, a glass kanzashi:
Regardless of what you call them, they’re a fascinating choice of weapons for the roguish guerrilla fighter. For one, while hook swords are now used in a few different forms of kung fu, they’re traditionally associated with Northern Shaolin. Firebending is also based in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. In other words, Jet’s fighting style is likely heavily inspired by firebending. This is both very appropriate and very tragic: On one hand, most of Jet’s worldly possessions are likely scavenged from violent encounters with the Fire Nation; on the other hand, considering all the hardship Jet has experienced as a result of firebending, it probably causes him more than a little strife that he has to defend himself using firebender-esque techniques.
If you’d like to see some amazing demonstrations of hook swords click here, here, and here.
The other aspect of Jet’s swords that’s so interesting are their historical context. Like Zuko’s broadswords, Jet’s hook swords are a relatively new kind of weapon from the Qing Dynasty, were created/used exclusively by civilians, and initially had a rather “low class” reputation. They’re fitting weapons for an orphaned freedom fighter who regularly takes on trained soldiers. Is it any wonder why Jet and Zuko worked so well together on the ferry to Ba Sing Se?
Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^
Hi! Firstly, thank you so much for all the work you do! I love this blog and have been a silent enjoyer for ages now :)
I was wondering if you’ve compiled anything about non-royalty/nobility Fire Nation clothing? I know they’re pretty southeast Asian inspired, and I’d be interested in how you think the average or poorer fire nation citizen would dress? Where would you recommend looking to for research?
Yeah, I have a few posts that touch on commoner’s clothes. To be honest, what Azula and Zuko wear in “The Beach” also could’ve passed as commoner’s clothing, if not for all the jewelry and gold embroidery that they insisted on wearing for the party.
A slight twist on my usual “Chinese History and…” series.
The Order of the White Lotus is likely inspired by the China’s real-life White Lotus Society.
The White Lotus Society (白蓮敎) originated as a hybrid religion of Buddhism and Manichaeism that centered on the worship of the goddess Wusheng Laomu (無生老母), also called Wujimu (無極母). However, what the White Lotus is most remembered for was its tendency to constantly foment revolutions, uprisings, and all other forms of dynasty-shaking upheaval throughout Chinese history. Examples of the White Lotus’ many rebellions:
White Lotus monk Peng Yingyu organized rebellions in the 1330s to protest the Mongol’s rule over China (the Yuan Dynasty).
White Lotus monk Zhu Yuanzhang leads another revolutionary army against Mongol rule in 1352. He wins over the Chinese masses by forbidding his soldiers from pillaging in observance of White Lotus religious beliefs. By 1355, the rebellion spreads throughout much of China. By 1387, the White Lotus finally liberates China from Mongol-rule.
In 1774, White Lotus herbalist and martial artist Wang Jun leads an uprising that captures three small cities and lays siege to the larger city of Linqing. After initial success, he was outnumbered and defeated by Qing troops.
In 1794, the White Lotus leads another rebellion in central China to protest unfair taxes. In 1804, the Qing dynasty finally puts an end to the revolution after 10 years of warfare and suppression.
In 1812, White Lotus leader Lin Qing declares that he is the reincarnation of Gautama Buddha and is destined to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. In 1813, he leads an attack on the Forbidden City that comes to be known as the Eight Trigrams Uprising of 1813. By the time the government suppressed the revolt, more than 20,000 Eight Trigrams members had been killed. It is estimated that 70,000 were killed in total during the period of disorder.
When you consider that the final episodes of Avatar involve a secret society of spiritual old men driving out a foreign occupying government from a Chinese-inspired city and also giving their full support to a divinely-chosen monk, is it any wonder why the creators chose to name this group after The White Lotus?
Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^
Middle image courtesy of @atla-lore-archive. In the music class scene of “The Headband”, we are shown the many instruments that the children of the school play. The instrument that On Ji plays is a morin khuur or Mongolian horsehead fiddle. This isn’t the first time that Mongolian culture has been depicted in the Fire Nation.
The notable characteristics of the horsehead fiddle are its trapeziform sound box and its carved horsehead scroll. Both the string of its bow and the two strings of the instrument are made from horsehair, with one string being stallion tail hair and the other string being mare tail hair. Since plain ol’ horses don’t seem to exist in the ATLAverse, what animal do you think is used for their version of the instrument?
I don’t have much else to add, so I’m going to share a wonderful band that utilizes two horsehead fiddles, Khusugtun:
I will warn you, given that it’s a book from the 18th-century, it’s rather racist in certain parts. That said, it’s still an interesting read and it might be a good source of inspiration for any fanartists or fanfic writers out there. It feels like a book that Professor Zei would write and illustrate.
The biological inspirations of Avatar: the arctic camel
Perhaps my greatest disappointment regarding The Legend of Korra was the lack of many new animal hybrids to chew on. I hope The Seven Havens can give us more in that regard. In the meantime, I have to admit that the animal designs we did get from TLoK are absolute bangers. Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for ungulates, but the arctic camel has quickly become one of my favourites.
The question arises- why choose a camel as the base for an animal that lives at the South Pole? It’s not generally the kind of animal you’d envision living in a tundra. It’s possible that this is the reason it was chosen, as yet another fantastical part of the Avatar world. But interestingly, the idea of a camel braving cold and snow is a lot more realistic than you might first think.
In the modern day, there are two surviving lineages of camel: the one-humped dromedary camel, which hails from Northern Africa and the Middle East, and the two-humped bactrian camel, found in the deserts of Central Asia. Avatar’s arctic camel is obviously based on the latter. Atlaculture has previously pointed out that certain aspects of the Water Tribe are based on real-world Mongolian cultures; I have to wonder if this is the reason camels were chosen as mounts for the Water Tribe.
Photo by Nurlan Kalchinov
The Central Asian deserts are highly seasonal. Temperatures swing from -20°C (-4°F) in the winter to 30°C (86°F) in the summer. Bactrian camels are thus not just adapted for the searing heat, but also the frigid cold. In the winter, they grow long, shaggy coats, and wild bactrian camels have even been seen eating snow.
If we go back in time, we can even find truly arctic camels in our real world. The record for “furthest north camel” is currently held by the Ellesmere Island camel (binomial name pending). For those of you who are like me and don’t know anything about North America, this is Ellesmere Island:
The fossil of the Ellesmere Island camel is highly fragmentary, so unfortunately we don’t know anything about it except that it was Very Big. This makes sense, as arctic animals tend to get larger than their equatorial counterparts (see: Bergmann’s rule), which may be because larger animals lose less heat. It’s important to note, however, that this animal was not living in today’s arctic climate. It lived about 3.5 million years ago, before the current era of northern glaciation. That’s why, while there are no trees on Ellesmere Island today, there are some in the background of this delightful paleoart by Agustin Diaz:
The Ellesmere Island camel is only one example of the “High Arctic camels” that lived before the ice age. So… why were arctic camels a thing?? The truth is, camels and their closest living relatives- llamas, alpacas, and so on- are just a modern snapshot of an ancient and diverse lineage called camelids. We can see just from camels and llamas an adaptation to many different environments- hot and cold deserts, mountains, and the high arctic. Camelids first evolved in the North American prairie, as small antelope-like creatures. My favourite extinct camelid is Aepycamelus, which convergently evolved with giraffes.
Art by Carlost1205
Since camels first evolved in North America, they had to cross the Bering land bridge- a sunken steppe that once connected Siberia and Alaska- to make it to their modern homes in Asia and Africa. They had to adapt to the arctic to make this crossing, and their relatives left behind in North America are now all extinct. So, if arctic camels really were a fantastical pipe dream… we may not have camels at all. Funny how that works.
Yes, this is my first post on this blog. Does anyone have any ideas for fictional creatures or media properties I could cover in the future?
This is so neat. LOK definitely leaned more into Mongolian culture in general, compared to ATLA, so the cold weather camels align with that.
