Hermit heretic

[helgaferae]

My nature is shy and solitary, perhaps like an otter, unusual to find me in congregation. Allegedly autistic, an artist, working mainly with death, although endeavouring to do no harm, for 'in filth it shall be found'. I disassemble corpses, clean bones, tan skins, create art, ritual, make offerings. Would that I may be granted wisdom. I am searching for insight, for something other. Sometimes life feels unendurable. But today, now it feels sublime. 

[ilumairen]

Welcome to the buns @helgaferae

[Giles]

Namaste helgaferae.

[Nungali]

4 hours ago, helgaferae said:

My nature is shy and solitary, perhaps like an otter, unusual to find me in congregation. Allegedly autistic, an artist, working mainly with death, although endeavouring to do no harm, for 'in filth it shall be found'. I disassemble corpses, clean bones, tan skins, create art, ritual, make offerings. Would that I may be granted wisdom. I am searching for insight, for something other. Sometimes life feels unendurable. But today, now it feels sublime. 

 

Hi, I am wondering where you are from and the nature of your 'corpses' .  I am in Oz so I sometimes find some unusual specimens  and get to examine them closely .  EG.

 

I have a large python skull , I have not noticed this or heard about it before , the vertebrae seem to continue past the join to the skull and inside it and are fused to the top of the inside of the cranium and run down to the the 'mouth' area where there is a hollow tube . Is the snake's tongue  and extension of its spinal cord ?

 

The framework of a platypus' bill are actually its morphed canine teeth , on a platy skull you can gently remove them and slot them back in next to the other teeth .

 

 

... and this is pretty wild ; if you look at the skull from underneath , it looks like like some type of  'spirit person'  /  fetish doll (in the anthropological sense of the term )  :

 

I use a  large 200 lt. ex  olive barrel as a 'digester'   - any dead animal , road kill etc . goes in ; 'fuzzy brew' - a biodynamic fertilizer with high phosphorous content   for the garden .  Afterwards there are bones at the bottom . Another way is to stake them out near a meat ants nest , but I have lost some to goannas that way .   I had some magnificent python skins . The hardest thing I ever skinned was a water dragon ... I'll never try that again !   Very loose soft skin , VERY hard to do without ruining it .

 

 

I used to have the bones hanging up around the porch by the front door . On the very rare occasion 'missionaries' would find their way to my cabin ... one look at that and it was a quick retreat , clutching their Bibles to their breast .

 

Offerings are good, one of the main central practices along with 'expressing gratitude '  from ..... 'all time'  - generates 'healthy psychology'  * and  that helps with the realization and experience that life can be sublime .    

 

* " Good thoughts, good words, good deeds "    -  the Zoroastrian 3 principles  .... who, incidentally hold the otter in the highest regard above other animals  ( I dont know why though ? ) 

[helgaferae]

15 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

Hi, I am wondering where you are from and the nature of your 'corpses'.

Greetings from East of England Nungali. 

Your specimens! Wonderful. Mostly here it's roadkill, some are from the shoreline. The hardest skinning was badger, and recently seal. So heavy and the oils so copious, it took a lot of processing.

The reverse of skulls and bones often have curious appearances, a hare cervical spine section here looks like a totem pole of canine faces.

There's a friend here I will ask about the python.

The otters back feet step into it's front footprints, treads lightly on the land, leaving little trace. 

[helgaferae]

I'm wondering if the python skull anatomy may be related to Jacobson’s organ, also called vomeronasal organ.

It's tongue flicks up and into a receptor place in the roof of the mouth. 

Other than that I have no idea, neither does snake friend here! 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by helgaferae