Inspiration for the backwater bayou nymph Character Breakdown.

When I think of True Blood and Louisiana, Where it is set, a lot of images come to mind. The first thing I think of is the Bayou's. The cyprus trees stretching tall over the water and the weeping willows blowing in the warm breeze. I think of the Landscape, the crocodile's, abandoned plantation homes and shacks by the road, Bar and grills, Diners, New Orleans, Voodoo, Blues, The sticky heat, the food. There is so much History in the south and so many cultures and heritages that have migrated there. Its full of atmosphere and I love the fact that True Blood has tried to show this in its long running series. 

All of this came to mind with this project as True Blood was my first choice and I felt instantly inspired when I started watching it again. I really wanted my character to have a connection with the landscape and certain powers. There are so many different supernatural characters in the series and in series 4 They brought in 4 new species so I decided that this would be the season My characters would be brought in. I decided that Quentin would have already been apart of the series and that he would be given a bigger role as the connection to my Nymph character of Claudia began. She would be brought in as another species in season 4. 

I knew I wanted Quentin to be a vampire but I wasn't sure who I wanted Claudia to be. I began by looking through the brief to see what characteristics would have to be. I decided to use a creative licence and alter this brief to fit with the True Blood Series. After researching Louisiana and watching True Blood I started reading up about the myths, folklore and superstition in Louisiana. There is a lot of superstition around the spirits of the water, which I have spoken about in a previous post. I immediately thought of a water nymph character.  Because of her connection to both water and land being half mortal, I decided that because water symbolises emotions, She could control emotions of all living creatures. This would give her the upper hand over the vampires as she could control all land and water animals. I made her a similar species to Sookie's fairy character but a different type of fairy. She happened to be more powerful as she could read all creatures thoughts as well as control them. It was important to me that she is a strong character and has the upper hand against Quentin. He needs to see something in her that challenges him so that he can make the connection with her that lasts.  

I also liked the idea that she slips through fantasy and reality and her weakness is loneliness. So because of this she has developed a lot of obsessive tendencies. She can completely control Quentin which he loves and is drawn to her for, But she is drawn to him because he wants her and she cant bear to be alone. She thinks he is magical and was dropped on her Doorstep for a reason. She can control him if necessary but most of the time she lets him have his free will. She wants him to choose to come back to her which of course he always does. I think because of her powers she is his equal. They both have had really difficult backgrounds and this has affected them greatly, But this connects them and binds them together. They have an understanding of one another. 

Image Refs: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b4/a8/9b/b4a89bc3101c987c7de272281cc11be7.jpg

Nymph research

http://www.artble.com/imgs/f/7/0/17828/the_siren.jpg

I remember being taught about water nymphs for the first time in primary school when we were learning about Greek mythology. I thought the stories were beautiful and found Nymph's in particular  really intriguing. They are depicted in many Greek stories and Art through out the ages. 

There are many types of water nymphs:

• The Water Nymphs of Springs were called the Pegaeae
• The Water Nymphs of Marshes were called the Eleionomae
• The Water Nymphs of Lakes were called the Limnatides
• The Water Nymphs of Rivers and Streams were called the Potameides
• The Water Nymphs of Fountains were called the Crinaeae

List and Information Taken from the site: http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/nymphs/naiades.htm

I feel as though they are always described as youthful, beautiful and seductive. They were known to have inhabited lakes, marshes, rivers, streams, fountains, and seas. They were attendants for the God Artemis. Their job was to care for the young and help with their transition from childhood to adulthood. They were the divine nurses and protectors.

"The Naiades water nymphs were also believed to have the power of prophecy and divination"

This aspect was really important to me. It gave me inspiration for the powers Claudia would have. I found this information incredibly interesting.

All information for this post I got from the following site: http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/nymphs/naiades.htm

Ref: http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/Naiades.html

Southern Stories: Retold by St Nicholas

http://www.christianhomeschoolhub.spruz.com/gfile/75r4!-!GLGMML!-!zrzor45!-!LNDSSQEG-SIJG-HDOO-OSHS-MFQEEMOFNHFF!-!72y1nq/zz_326.jpg

I found this book when looking for images for my mood board for my characters. This book contains 15 short stories that were written between the times 1889-1907 in the South of North America. They are mostly fiction with some references to the civil war, slavery, general life in the south and political beliefs and movements at that time. I was also researching for my short story and this became really helpful when trying to describe the going's on, landscape and atmosphere. The descriptions are brilliantly written and poetic and were inspiration for the way I wrote my short story.

Below is an beautiful excerpt from the the story 'His Hero'. Written by Margaret Minor.

"It was an October afternoon, and through Indian summer's tulle-like haze a low-swinging sun sent shafts of scarlet light at the highest peaks of the Blue Ridge. The sweet-gum leaves looked like blood-colored stars as they floated slowly to the ground, and brown chestnuts gleamed satin-like through their gaping burs; while over all there rested a dense stillness, cut now and then by the sharp yelp of a dog as he scurried through the bushes after a rabbit."

Reference: Margaret Minor,(1889-1907) Southern Stories Retold from St Nicholas, New York, The De Vinne Press.

inspiration for claudia/nymph

http://www.artble.com/imgs/4/a/7/77082/hylas_and_the_water_nymphs.jpg

"Taken from the story of Jason and the Argonauts, Hylas was an Argonaut warrior and the assistant and lover of Herlkas. He was also known to be a very handsome youth.

When Jason's boat landed on an island during his search for the Golden Fleece, Hylas was sent to fetch water for the camp. Finding a pool in a clearing, he reached down and put his pitcher into the water. Before he could lift his pitcher he looked up to discover water nymphs encircling him. Drawn by his beauty, one of the nymphs reached up to kiss Hylas.

The tale stops there and Hylas disappeared without trace from that moment, it was said that Herlkas searched the island for his beloved, in fact such a time passed that the boat left without him."

Excerpt taken from: http://www.artble.com/artists/john_william_waterhouse/paintings/hylas_and_the_nymphs

This painting really drew me in when researching nymphs in Greek Mythology. I really wanted to learn more about their history and how they are perceived so that I could base my idea around them. 

Looking at the painting I could really interpret what was happening. Hyla's was fetching the water and it looks as though they are drawing him closer. pulling on him and trying to make him stay with them. It looks seductive. He isn't in any position to say no as the nymphs are all around him, enticing him. It says that they are 'drawn by his beauty' but I think he is drawn by theres too. It looks heavenly there and beautiful. It also made me think of the way vampires glamour there 'victims' it feels as though they are glamouring him. 

I loved this idea and reading the description and really inspired me to create my nymph like this. I want her to look seductive, but also very beautiful and with nature as I want her to be striking to Quentin. I love the idea that Nymphs have a seductive power and I want to incorporate this into my character. I want her to have gifts and powers, so that she is his equal to Quentin and his gifts. I want her to be able to combine her beauty with an ability to control emotions as this reflects the relationship with water. Water is always used as a symbol for emotions in art, music, etc. I think this is an important aspect to my character development. 

True Blood chosen series and chosen words.

http://images.tvfanatic.com/iu/s--w46tPQmj--/t_slideshow/f_auto,fl_lossy,q_75/v1403115802/true-blood-season-3.jpg

For the second part of the semester we have to create 2 characters and fit them into a TV series listed below. We also had to choose 1 word for each of our characters:

• Choose one of the TV series:

•The Walking Dead

•American Horror Story

•Dexter

•True Blood

•Bates Motel

•The Strain

•Supernatural

•Penny Dreadful

•In the Flesh

•Being Human

•Hemlock Grove

•Hannibal

•Grimm

Choose one of the key word to further generate/inspire your characters:

•Special delivery

•Blue coat

•Hydro bath

•White rose

•Ascend

•Glass prison

•Red rave

•White rave

•Taste

•Bandages

•Fork

•Stitches

•Save us

•Hellevator

•Slipping

•Veiled

•Spinning

•Exam

•The Woods

•Spiral

•Awakening

•Door

•Face

I have chosen True Blood as my chosen series. I'm not a huge fan of Gothic horror/ Horror and this one was the only one I have watched and enjoyed. I Love the southern feel and think its really diverse with all of its characters.  

I have chosen the word Slipping for my word to inspire Claudia. I think this fits perfectly with her as with my design she slips from reality and Fantasy. 

I have chosen the word taste for Quentin. This would be the obvious choice for a vampire which I have designed Quentin to be. I have, however associated this word with him when it comes to his taste for women. He also craves the taste of Claudia because he will never be able to. This creates the strong connection and needed for this character connection. 

This has really helped me develop my characters further and I feel this has helped with developing there background and also there relationship.

https://heymikeyatl.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/true-blood-season-7-episode-1.jpg

http://images.firstcovers.com/covers/flash/v/voodoo_in_the_bayou-766046.jpg

Monster Mash. Lesson with Kat

A monster is a distortion of something that has a normal, non-threatening form. The monstrous form is threatening and disturbing because it is beyond the pale of what we consider normality. A monster is a deformation of what we consider normal and there and theresafe. 

Baron Samedi- master of the dead

A spirit. Live and let die played jeffrey holder. Zombie movie craze is an interpretation of the aging of human society. No one escapes the indignities of old age physical decrepitude and death. 

Ghost- American horror story hotel. Inspired by the hotel. Unfinished business. Why are they here? 

Warewolf: hybrid. Cartesian dualism, I think there for I am. Separating of the body and the mind. in its human form it is interiorised. Seen as an other alien threatening the social collective. Negative of a normailised social identity. 

Vampires. Nosferatu: symphony of horror. vampire count orlock. rat creature, long teeth, claws, long ears, the portrayal changes. powerful, good looking, How did the red eyes and fangs happen. the original thoughts were for the vampire to go to london to infect with the vampiric virus. The hunger the lust. David bowie in a vampire film. Elegance and privilege. Live forever. Consumer. Consuming and vampires sucking the life out of the living. These are compared. 

What do you fear? death, ageing, through the vampires we are projecting virus's terrorism. Interview with the vampire. Aids desease. lust and sexual desire leads to desease. vampires lust will lead to death. 

Terror, war, economic crisis. just as atomic anxiety infused cold war era-pop culture. 

These vampires are viruses incarnate. pandemic and vurge of extinction, guillermo del toro.

9/11 reaveled our weakness's death destruction and invasion of breaches of security our powerless to control others. Twilight. fear of ageing. interest in plastic surgery. Read a text from monster culture. Read list. 1d 

I found this class really interesting, as I have never looked at monsters in this way before. I understand a little more about how I will create my characters and there back story.

What Scares me

When this project was first introduced to us I was really excited as I felt that this was a really great way to be creative. As time went on though I realised that this was going to be challenging for me. I don't like watching scary movies or tv shows because Im too sensitive and end up feeling too much of what I'm seeing. Ive always been really sensitive to Horror movies and find it difficult to separate fact from fiction. I feel the underlying messages in the movies and this tends to stick with me and I end up convinced the movie;s plot could really happen to me. This is something I have always struggled with since I was child.
My biggest fears as a child was being attacked, murdered, kidnapped. I was terrified of the dark, and ghosts and so horror movies was the last thing I was going to watch. My mum used to let me watch scary movies with my sister's when I was very young. I think she thought it was ok because I was with them, but it ended up giving me nightmares for years and I think traumatised me when I was younger. As Ive gotten older these fears haven't really left me, although I'm able to tell my self that its just fear talking. I do identify and understand though, how being around traumatic situations and/or scary situations as a child has made the feelings of fear deeper and how these experiences can in some way connect to your fear. I was around a lot of scary situations growing up and this, I think can lead to lingering fear in adult life. I, on the other end of the spectrum though, am quite a strong person and quite stubborn by nature so I have found that when faced with scary situations I can hold my own and can face my fears with strength. This helps with understanding the difference between fear and reality.