The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Weapons that can kill Immortals?
jonas:
--- Quote from: Quantus on July 07, 2017, 04:49:03 PM ---Id be careful on that. "Skinwalker" is a term that is widely used but also very diverse in its application. Just because another myth gets translated to "Skinwalker" wouldnt be enough on it's own to equate them with Naagloshii in my book. Many Skinwalker usages Ive seen, for example, are basically just (usually evil) shapeshifters. The Dresden TV show had a "Skinwalker" that was mostly just a shapeshifter with a Buffalo Bill fetish.
The elements Id look for to equate with a Naagloshii are shapeshifting and/or innate Magic, the whole Power Via Fear thing, the "Intellectus for Torture" Ability, the presence of both Native/divine versions and the Trained Ex-Human ones, and also the part where they are Anchored to a particular geographic location and loose power if they leave.
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Mostly i'd isolate it to 'witch/sorcerer' and ability to shapeshift. The area thing would be a DF thing to apply to all, and the differences otherwise would be local faith applied directly to said being(s) vs over general belief in the species as a whole. Each one is potentially a junior godling.
Rasins:
--- Quote from: Quantus on July 07, 2017, 04:49:03 PM ---Id be careful on that. "Skinwalker" is a term that is widely used but also very diverse in its application. Just because another myth gets translated to "Skinwalker" wouldnt be enough on it's own to equate them with Naagloshii in my book. Many Skinwalker usages Ive seen, for example, are basically just (usually evil) shapeshifters. The Dresden TV show had a "Skinwalker" that was mostly just a shapeshifter with a Buffalo Bill fetish.
The elements Id look for to equate with a Naagloshii are shapeshifting and/or innate Magic, the whole Power Via Fear thing, the "Intellectus for Torture" Ability, the presence of both Native/divine versions and the Trained Ex-Human ones, and also the part where they are Anchored to a particular geographic location and loose power if they leave.
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Q - I'd agree with this, if you were looking for Naagloshii that are named something different in different cultures. However the term "skinwalker" could easily apply to lots of other beings.
Pretty much anything that can change it's shape and is "evil" would suffice.
Why is a Naagloshii even called a skinwalker. Did Shagnasty ever try to imitate anyone else and "walk in their skin" like the one in the TV series?
Quantus:
--- Quote from: Rasins on July 07, 2017, 06:26:59 PM ---Q - I'd agree with this, if you were looking for Naagloshii that are named something different in different cultures. However the term "skinwalker" could easily apply to lots of other beings.
Pretty much anything that can change it's shape and is "evil" would suffice.
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I really dont think so; "shapeshifter" applies to lots of different ones, and so you could take the literal translation of the Naagloshii (lit."by means of it, [he or she] goes on all fours".). But "Skinwalker" isnt used anywhere else but for the native american For our purposes I'd point to this WOJ and suggest we ignore that. We already have 5 different flavors of Werewolf, we dont need to lump them all into a larger shapeshifter category, and certainly shouldnt expect the navajo Skinwalker to be in any way related (necessarily) by virtue of a fluid form alone. Otherwise suddenly the Alpha's and LTW and a wide swath of Fae are all "Skinwalkers."
And beyond that, there are a whole bunch of relatively unique traits to the Naagloshii that are not at all related to changing forms. Not to mention that Shaggy was oddly bad at shapeshifting (in that it always maintains some cosmetic elements like it's yellow fur).
I see it as akin to the age-old nerd debate of the differences between Vampires, Zombies, and Mummies; all are undead, but the first has specific Blood fetish, while the last has specific (usually Egyptian) religious and cultural overtones. Skinwalkers are the Mummies of the Shapeshifter world
But all that being said, Ner-taxonomy is a hell of a rabbit hole that we may not want to chase too long, for sanity's sake
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--- Quote from: jimbutcher on March 04, 2009, 09:22:19 PM ---
--- Quote from: loganphoenix on March 04, 2009, 07:25:31 AM ---though in mythology a skinwalker is a human who can take animal shape
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In mainstream Western academic mythology, which was mostly established at a time when everyone automatically assumed that the Native Americans couldn't possibly have had anything original in their mythos, (and when Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show was drawing big crowds by claiming to present the "true" West) yes, a skinwalker is the same thing as a European gothic-witch/werewolf. :D
I'd advise anyone to at least read something that was written by someone who /talked/ to a Native American at some point, though. :) Preferably one of the Dine', though it is not a matter of open discussion among the tribes, even today.
They aren't the same. They share some similar capabilities, but they are not at /all/ the same. 8)
Jim
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--- Quote ---Why is a Naagloshii even called a skinwalker. Did Shagnasty ever try to imitate anyone else and "walk in their skin" like the one in the TV series?
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"Skinwalker" is the traditional translation of the actual mythological Naagloshii (yee naaldlooshii), which is a Navajo/Dine tradition.
Rasins:
Okay .... I can buy that.
kazimmoinuddin:
With the theme of being vulnerable to your own energy, could goodman grey be a threat to a skinwalker?
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