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Post by Elfhild on Feb 15, 2009 8:09:33 GMT
The Shadow People are mysterious apparitions that people see on the periphery of their vision, often in dim light. Often, people see these pitch black humanoid silhouettes at the foot of their beds and experience a sense of paralysis, leading many skeptics to believe that the shadow people are nothing more than hypnagogic hallucinations (visions caused by the brain's transcendence from wakefulness into sleep). However, the shadow people are seen just as often by people who are perfectly awake. Read this article at Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_peopleStrange how (with the exception of the fedora man) the humanoid ones resemble the Nazgul, complete with Black Shadow! Perhaps Tolkien had encountered one of these shadowy entities himself, thus inspiring the Nazgul. After all, he often said that characters "came to him." ;D By the way, stories of the shadow people inspired parts of "Ghosts of Midwinters Past." They are the dark entities summoned by Skri's depression. Spirits of the primeval night - born of the ancient theme of discord and summoned forth by anguish and sorrow, or perhaps wrought from melancholy itself - immerged soundlessly from the gloom like ink spreading over parchment. The dark ones hovered about him, gaining strength in the shadow of his withering despair, the anguish and sorrow of this mournful lord of darkness and fear. They danced to solemn dirges that only he could hear, their shuffling footsteps dragging through the ethers, their claw-like hands tearing at featureless faces.
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Post by khazarkhum on Feb 16, 2009 7:42:03 GMT
By the way, stories of the shadow people inspired parts of "Ghosts of Midwinters Past." They are the dark entities summoned by Skri's depression. Spirits of the primeval night - born of the ancient theme of discord and summoned forth by anguish and sorrow, or perhaps wrought from melancholy itself - immerged soundlessly from the gloom like ink spreading over parchment. The dark ones hovered about him, gaining strength in the shadow of his withering despair, the anguish and sorrow of this mournful lord of darkness and fear. They danced to solemn dirges that only he could hear, their shuffling footsteps dragging through the ethers, their claw-like hands tearing at featureless faces. They used to visit my mother. She would see the hooded forms, standing quietly while they watched her. They never did anything but stand and watch, which was unnerving enough for her! She never saw faces, hands or any part of the body. I have only seen one, perhaps two; but I have seen regular ghosts. Many people recall seeing them wander by their rooms while they slept, or hovering over their beds. Both times I saw them they were moving. There is a great deal of debate in the parapsychology world about them and just what they are. Of course, if Tolkien saw these guys he would certainly have a very strong, lingering impression to take with him: www.insecula.com/oeuvre/photo_O0000154.htmlThey are pleurants, mourners; it looks like a Nazgul funeral. There are eight of them carrying the bier. Perhaps they are burying all they could find of Aran Morgul?
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Post by Elfhild on Mar 2, 2009 21:26:25 GMT
Khazar, I am sorry for not having answered this sooner, but I have been having some health problems.
Your mother certainly must have been frightened by the sight of a dark figure watching her! This experience has never happened to me, thankfully, but sometimes in cities I see dark figures waiting on the street corners or walking down the street. When I turn to look again, they are no longer there. It's probably just an optical illusion (as the brain sometimes imagines things seen in the peripheral vision as figures, animals, etc.).
That was a great photo! It conjures up images of the remaining Eight holding a funeral for their fallen lord after Pelennor. (Hmmm... inspiration for a tragic canon-based fic here...)
By the way, Angmar came across a reference to shadow people in a book he is reading. The story is set in Anglo-saxon times and a character talks about shadow creatures called "sceadugenga." I did some research to see if this was only a creation for the book, and here is what I found on Wikipedia:
"The Sceadugengan (Singular: Sceadugenga), or 'shadow-goer,' are fantastical beasts which are neither living nor dead, and which can shape-shift. They dwell in the forests of England. The first element of the name is from Old English sceaduwe (shadow)>[1] and the second elements is likely to be from Old English gong (a going or journey) [2] or Old English gan (to go)[3]."
Here is some more information from the Viking Lady Answer Page:
"Like the draugr, Grendel is a creature of the night. He is deogol dædhata deorcum nihtum (l. 2775, 'the hidden doer of hateful deeds in the dark night'), the scrithan sceadugenga (l. 703, 'the gliding shadow-goer'), who moves through the landscape of shifting shadows and intermittent moonlight so characteristic of the undead: Sceaduhelma gesceapu scrithan cwoman wan under wolcnum (ll. 650-651a, 'the shadow-cloaked shape comes gliding, black under the clouds.')"
So it appears that the concept of shadow people is not really a new phenomenon.
Strange how they all seem like Nazgul...
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Post by khazarkhum on Mar 4, 2009 1:16:33 GMT
Khazar, I am sorry for not having answered this sooner, but I have been having some health problems. Your mother certainly must have been frightened by the sight of a dark figure watching her! This experience has never happened to me, thankfully, but sometimes in cities I see dark figures waiting on the street corners or walking down the street. When I turn to look again, they are no longer there. It's probably just an optical illusion (as the brain sometimes imagines things seen in the peripheral vision as figures, animals, etc.). I often tell people that they have seen ghosts but don't realize it. My mother would come running when she spotted them watching her. She had seen them since childhood, apparently. I inherited it from her. Of the two I saw, one was a black mass, standing in my old bedroom. I hid under the covers and it eventually disappeared. The other was a truly bizarre event, but I don't know if it belongs here. I first saw the tomb decoration in an Art History book. Our class wasn't covering tomb monuments, and the text barely discussed it. Nevertheless, it leaves a very powerful impression. I can imagine what it must have been like in its cathedral, lurking in the deep shadows where the candlelight never quite illuminated it, making the congregation wonder if it moved when they weren't looking. If I knew my late Medieval French heraldry I could identify the mourners. All I can see is that one of the last ones was from Pot's family. You need to write that story. I'd be shocked--SHOCKED--to find out Tolkien knew of them! ;D
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