Self-Inserts and OCs

[Róisín]

Which parts of the bible might resonate with a little kid? Psalms? Gospel of John? The four evangelists? Hymns?

I’m a Celtic Pagan born and bred myself, but when my widowed dad married a Christian when my brother and I were in our early teens I made a serious study of Christianity so that I could have a civilised discussion with her about why we were not going to automatically convert to her faith. I read both Testaments thoroughly, several times, managed to track down parts of the apocrypha, read all the Christian theology I could lay my hands on, and discussed matters at length with friends who were a devout Catholic, an Anglican priest, an elderly lady who wrote hymns and had been a missionary, the son of a Mormon bishop, and one who was a non-practising Baptist. I learned a lot. I recommend CS Lewis (yes, as in the Narnia books) as an interesting writer on modern Christian theology. Both ‘The Problem of Pain’ and the Screwtape Letters are worth a read.

Maybe your character knows hymns sung to her by her parents? Like the little kid’s ‘Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep’? Or maybe her guardian angel may decide that the most useful thing it can do for her is facilitate her training as a mage? I see no reason why magic and Christian faith need be mutually exclusive, having known several Christians and Christian priests who actually practised magic in our time and world (mostly of the healing kind). And remember Pastor A, who was probably a Lutheran pastor?

[Corvo]

Which parts of the bible might resonate with a little kid? Psalms? Gospel of John? The four evangelists? Hymns?

I’m a Celtic Pagan born and bred myself, but when my widowed dad married a Christian when my brother and I were in our early teens I made a serious study of Christianity so that I could have a civilised discussion with her about why we were not going to automatically convert to her faith. I read both Testaments thoroughly, several times, managed to track down parts of the apocrypha, read all the Christian theology I could lay my hands on, and discussed matters at length with friends who were a devout Catholic, an Anglican priest, an elderly lady who wrote hymns and had been a missionary, the son of a Mormon bishop, and one who was a non-practising Baptist. I learned a lot. I recommend CS Lewis (yes, as in the Narnia books) as an interesting writer on modern Christian theology. Both ‘The Problem of Pain’ and the Screwtape Letters are worth a read.

Maybe your character knows hymns sung to her by her parents? Like the little kid’s ‘Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep’? Or maybe her guardian angel may decide that the most useful thing it can do for her is facilitate her training as a mage? I see no reason why magic and Christian faith need be mutually exclusive, having known several Christians and Christian priests who actually practised magic in our time and world (mostly of the healing kind). And remember Pastor A, who was probably a Lutheran pastor?

Perhaps the same prayers to which we are accustomed ("Our Father", "Angel of God" and "Holy Mary") could evolve, and become evocations that Asia recites at the time of hunting or fighting, as if to propitiate his own luck and the outcome of his actions.

C.S. Lewis is interesting: maybe in Asia's new Christian religious vision, Aslan the Lion could be mixed with Jesus, what do you think?

 Yes, I do remember that. In fact, I'd like to see, along with Finnish and Swedish wizards, Christian wizards as well....

[Maglor]

Corvo, I kinda made that thing for my filler-story, with an attempt to bring a final death to a local Kade via East.Ortodoxal liturgy. So yeah, I think, prayers will work as well as pagan magick.

[Corvo]

Corvo, I kinda made that thing for my filler-story, with an attempt to bring a final death to a local Kade via East.Ortodoxal liturgy. So yeah, I think, prayers will work as well as pagan magick.

Really?

I took this idea from another work, a manga called Youjio Senki. You know it?

[Maglor]

No. But the idea is obvious...

[Jitter]

One prominent feature of the Catholic system is the position of the Pope. Italians could easily have been discussing what has happened in Rome and in the Vatican, during the first years when everyone in the shelter understood what that meant, and such tales could well have taken some interesting turns later, when the reality of the Old World slipped away and became first a story, then a myth. Add some independent thinking by a bright but unguided child, and she might for example think that the Pope is a supernatural being, possibly Jesus himself, and will be alive in the Vatican waiting for the faithful.

[Corvo]

One prominent feature of the Catholic system is the position of the Pope. Italians could easily have been discussing what has happened in Rome and in the Vatican, during the first years when everyone in the shelter understood what that meant, and such tales could well have taken some interesting turns later, when the reality of the Old World slipped away and became first a story, then a myth. Add some independent thinking by a bright but unguided child, and she might for example think that the Pope is a supernatural being, possibly Jesus himself, and will be alive in the Vatican waiting for the faithful.

This is a very interesting idea.

Do you know the Legend about Frederick Redbeard, the legendary Emperor who, according to legend, sleeps inside a mountain waiting to return one day, should his people be in danger, to save them?

Maybe I could create something similar...

[Jitter]

King Arthur Pendragon is likewise in Avalon waiting to return when needed. As is Väinämöinen, the hero / demigod of the Finnish epic Kalevala (he’s not in Avalon, he’s just away for the time being, although I think he also left by boat so maybe he’s staying with Arthur). Could well see such stories mingling together!

[Corvo]

King Arthur Pendragon is likewise in Avalon waiting to return when needed. As is Väinämöinen, the hero / demigod of the Finnish epic Kalevala (he’s not in Avalon, he’s just away for the time being, although I think he also left by boat so maybe he’s staying with Arthur). Could well see such stories mingling together!

Indeed! Do you think something like this could happen to Christianity as well?

[Groupoid]

Corvo, I kinda made that thing for my filler-story, with an attempt to bring a final death to a local Kade via East.Ortodoxal liturgy. So yeah, I think, prayers will work as well as pagan magick.

I look forward to this story. I got some CDs of russian orthodox lithurgy that I like a lot (from Chevetogne Abbey). I got them via my russian teacher some years ago.

The second coming of Christ would be another story with the same trope of waiting. And I’m interested in the magic and religion that Asia will use. There have been some very interesting ideas here and there’s so much material to work from. I’m not sure how realistic it is, but maybe older stories and historical events could get mixed up, turning the years where there had been three popes into an epic story, maybe they fought against eachother or had to do some quest to find out who was the real pope. I don’t feel very qualified to answer your last question Corvo, since I don’t know a lot about how stories are told & retold, but do it anyway. I think it’s possible for mixups to happen, but maybe they need special circumstances. The Rash-crisis might provide some.

Maybe the liturgical objects like holy water, cross, host, mitre, bishop’s staff etc. serve as boons against ghosts and beasts?

[Corvo]

I look forward to this story. I got some CDs of russian orthodox lithurgy that I like a lot (from Chevetogne Abbey). I got them via my russian teacher some years ago.

The second coming of Christ would be another story with the same trope of waiting. And I’m interested in the magic and religion that Asia will use. There have been some very interesting ideas here and there’s so much material to work from. I’m not sure how realistic it is, but maybe older stories and historical events could get mixed up, turning the years where there had been three popes into an epic story, maybe they fought against eachother or had to do some quest to find out who was the real pope. I don’t feel very qualified to answer your last question Corvo, since I don’t know a lot about how stories are told & retold, but do it anyway. I think it’s possible for mixups to happen, but maybe they need special circumstances. The Rash-crisis might provide some.

Maybe the liturgical objects like holy water, cross, host, mitre, bishop’s staff etc. serve as boons against ghosts and beasts?

Considering the environment, that may well be true....

[doorcf]

Somewhat surprising seeing another catholic character although considering the Italian hereditage it is neatly explained. Never really thought about using the swiss bunker system (or something similar) which is a creative birthplace.

[Keep Looking]

If you want a good SSSS story involving Catholicism and how that'd work with the SSSS magic system, there's a really great one set in Poland that you can find here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxDz9X04g_2HbzR1LTZUS3hMV1U/view?usp=sharing

I'm not 100% sure who wrote it, as it's a google doc, not on ao3, but I've had it stored in my bookmarks for a while now.

[Róisín]

That is one good story. And did you know that Wavewright has written several stories that contain Christian mages? Those are good. Look up her work on Archive of our own. One of those stories has both Christian and Hindu magic, and I especially liked the nascent Christian child mage in ‘Thanksgiving at the Last Curry House in New Jersey’ telling her father, as they watch a young man manifesting Agni to kill a giant, something like “No Daddy, that’s not Jesus, that’s just some other god.” and then calmly proceeding to sing the released souls home. Delightful stories.

[doorcf]

If you want a good SSSS story involving Catholicism and how that'd work with the SSSS magic system, there's a really great one set in Poland that you can find here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxDz9X04g_2HbzR1LTZUS3hMV1U/view?usp=sharing

I'm not 100% sure who wrote it, as it's a google doc, not on ao3, but I've had it stored in my bookmarks for a while now.

that story is sure proving to be interesting, thanks for the rec