Summoning Spirits
Hah! You thought the ghost was going to come out and do something stupid! But it didn’t! Hah!
I wanted to do a strip about Bloody Mary but it’s surprisingly hard to come up with a good strip that actually includes her. Instead we’re left with this comic that subtly addresses the issues of alcoholism and ghosts. Writing comics is a strange business.
One of the interesting similarities between the cocktail and the ghost is that nobody seems to know much about their origins. Each has variations on the story and nobody is entirely sure which features the grains of truth so common to stories of this nature. Where we can (with some effort) trace the origins of many myths, legends, and urban legends, Bloody Mary (the ghost, and the drink) remains a mystery. While most of the people engaging in the various ways to summon the enigmatic figure tend to be pre-teen girls, it is unlikely the story began with them. More likely, it began as a local legend that was passed around for years before it made its way outside its original stomping grounds and evolved into the many different forms we see today. It’s these forms that make the origin of the story so hard to find as each one is so different. The figure of Mary ranges from Queen Bloody Mary, to Mary, Queen of Scots, to a woman named Mary Worth. Even the effect of summoning her is different given who you talk to.
Personally, I choose to believe that if you were to summon Bloody Mary she would A) Scratch out your Eyes, B) Fortell your death, C) Show the face of your future husband, and D) Pull you into the mirror. Not necessarily in that order.
That’d be one badass ghost.
Although, I suppose it’s possible that you call out the name and some bartender reaches through the glass to hand you a refreshing alcoholic beverage with tomato juice and a piece of celery.
What an interesting job that would be. I was considering to go to an overnight rehabs to get my alcohol addiction in control. Anyway, I hope everyone’s enjoying the new server the site is hosted on. Everything should be nice and fast when loading and there shouldn’t be any issues aside from the store not really working yet (working on that tomorrow). Everyone say thank you to Coe.
Thank you, Coe.
Speaking of which, if you like minecraft (which is a wonderful indie game, by the way) be sure to check out his website if you haven’t yet. It’s called Coe’s Quest and it is fun and interesting.
LOL!
I hear Bloody Mary was the Queen of Scots variation. It is known that her first “child” turned out to be stomach cancer and she died. What I heard of the myth is that you are supposed to hold your arms like you are holding a baby.
That’s one of the versions! There are several iterations of the story that involve a woman by the name of Mary Worth who has become a deadly ghost due to losing her children and being driven to suicide after going insane as well. Actually, a fair number of the different versions of the story have the element of losing children and/or doing something in the ritual that would remind her of those children to draw her out.
It’s probably one of those things that actually goes back to the roots of the story seeing as it’s so prevalent but still, nobody really knows its true origins.
Her child WAS stomach cancer?! I knew she was evil…
I heard the version of Mary Tudor… She was nicknamed Bloody Mary because she wanted there only to be one religion and killed everyone who didn’t follow it.
Something like that. I remember reading it at one point in some book about her sister or cousin or something.
She appears in many countries, under many different names – the Spanish have “Verónica”, the Swedes have “The Black Madam”. Sadly, AFAIK, only Bloody Mary will get you drunk.
I think it has something to do with how, as a species, we still can’t get over the primal fear of “HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THAT?” with mirrors, and also…
Babies are freaking freaky. They’re like tiny little wriggling crippled grotesques of ourselves, but we’re compelled to love them.
That and mirrors are ALSO freaking creepy, what with the whole subtext of showing society it’s faults.
The preteen girls + dead babies + mirror thing to me says that it sort of prays on said preteen girls feelings of inadequacy and fear of, but still their attraction to, motherhood.
O.o
A new version places her as Mary, mother of Jesus, who goes mad at her Son’s death, cries blood, and storms heaven with a gaggle of daemons and Satan to overthrow Yahweh, only He isn’t there, He’s skarkered and nobody knows why.
Here is an article with the mythos, it’s kinda messed up, and may make you want to slit your wrists with the tragedy our society allows to flourish in our own back alleys and city streets.
Myths Over Miami
Myth is necessary, and when there is a lack of it to bring meaning to the sh/t life throws at us, we make it up or cobble it together from wherever.