How We Decided You’re People Page 9
October 5th, 2016Toothy Kit tells us the real reason the elders decided the newcomers were human. And it’s her! She’s the reason. Well, an earlier version of her from a previous generation. Only one more page to go! Mittie has a preview when you vote for Snow by Night on Top Web Comics.
Long Vigil’s words on this page are from our world’s history. I jotted this down as a note while doing my research. I believe the speaker is Teganissorens, an Onandaga elder, and this was in the many councils that would lead to the Great Peace of Montreal which ended about 100 years of intermittent warfare throughout the northeastern woodlands. When I first read them, I knew I had to include them into Snow by Night somehow. It perfectly captures one of the themes of this story.
I hate to be *that* guy, but the circumstances surrounding the previous métis child’s birth have the potential to be very, well, not uplifting.
Imagine if it Was snacks. Poutine would be a swaying point if around then.
The child in question? Cienan. It Would explain Penelope’s teasing of how Old he is, as well as his ease of spirit communication.
I wonder if Toothy Kit is/was The Child who swung the debate?
This was about 100 years ago so it wasn’t Toothy Kit. However, it was another métis child just like her so she feels some kinship!
I have been reading this cartoon for a while and I was not prompted to write until you included that last panel. Very well said. Something that people need to remember when dealing with others.
I very much like that you included that quote it is very fitting. Well done on this page.
Lúthien Tinúviel might have something to add to this discussion … in fact, fantasy is FULL of non-humans having children with humans. Also, Divine Parentage isOlder Than Dirt (tvtropes).
Lúthien draws from Finnish tradition. Toothy Kit’s folklore is drawn from Algonquin myths which doesn’t have Divine Parentage as a major theme. I did hedge my bets by having Kit add “in the normal way” just to be careful about it.
What Finnish tradition does Lúthien draw from? There are a few stories in Silmarillion that take some inspiration from Kalevala, but as far as I can tell, Lúthien’s is not one of them. So is she from some other story I’m forgetting…?
I thought Luthien was from the same pool of sylvan European myth that Dunsany dredged for “king of elfland’s daughter”
Tolkien has heavily influenced by the folklore of Scandinavia in general and Finland in particular. You can read about it here, here, and here. As a widely-read and incredibly literate man, Tolkien had many influences including Celtic and Greek folklore. The Mabinogion is another likely influence.
Beautiful last panel there. And not where I was expecting this to go, either!
So if spirits don’t have children in the normal way, how do they have children? Winter has a daughter after all. Wonder who the mother is?
Spoilers! Congrats. You found one of the reasons I included this vignette in the larger story.
Isn’t Summer famous for having children from male humans (algo, for killing them in the process)?
Yes, Summer is famous for both of those.
That…but the implications…whoa…
no kidding o_o
Common ground. It’s a pity so many people forget that we are all human, because it sure makes getting along easier. There will always be differences, there will always be misunderstandings, war, strife, hunger, and other calamities of our own making, but that which brings about those conditions also gives us the ability for camaraderie, peace, prosperity and love.
I think Toothy Kit needs to be taken more seriously sometimes.
Toothy Kit totally agrees!
Biology for the win!
Indeed!
https://xkcd.com/1520/