flower power?
Aglaophotis:"the soul which shows the truth".
Has anyone heard of this? It may be useful in our fight against the coming 'god'.
The Greek doctor Dioscorides named Aglaophotis as a member of the peony family, Paeoniaceae. It has been speculated that the species paeonia officinalis, or the European peony, is the source of Aglaophotis, but there is little evidence to prove this theory.
According to Dioscorides, peony is used for warding off demons, witchcraft, and fever. This is at odds with the presentation in the Necronomicon, in which it is used to call upon dark forces.
In lore, aglaophotis was used by the Magi to summon and dispel demons; in a most basic sense, it is a spirit-repelling potion that will burn or drive away creatures that are more supernatural than physical in nature. The following details about aglaophotis should be kept in mind:
-Spirits, genii, ghosts, Eldritch beings, fae, and other creatures of this kind will be burned as if by acid and, (in the case of a possession or a nonphysical spirit) forced away from the physical plane, if struck by aglaophotis.
-The substance is extremely powerful, but the most powerful beings, (Great Old Ones, for example) would only be mildly injured by it.
-Not all supernatural creatures are burned or driven away by it. Lycans, generic monsters, the weak undead, and any creature that cannot be classified as true Eldritch or Otherworldly will not be affected.
Ælian recommends the use of the dog to pluck the herb aglaophotis, which shines at night. When the dog has dragged up the root, and died of terror, his body is to be buried on the spot with religious honours and secret sacred rites.
reference: Cynospastus herba alio nomine aglaophotis dicitur (recordatus enim fidem liberare volo) haec per diem inter ceteras herbas, a quibus ne minimum quidem differt, delitescit, nec ullo modo agnoscitur; nocte vero stella instar lucens, et igneo splendore coruscans, facile in conspectum venit. Itaque signo ad radices ejus defixo discedunt, absque eo neque colorem ejus interdiu, neque speciem cognituri. Nocte jam exacta adventant, et herbam signo agnoscunt; evellere vero, aut circumfodere tantum, cavent: primum enim, qui ejus naturae imperitus eam attigit, periisse ferunt. Canem igitur juvenem adducunt diei spatio famelicum, et funiculum validum arctissime ad inferiorem herbae stipitem vinctum cani etiam alligant, et carnes assas multas ei objiciunt, quam longissime interim possunt recedentes: canis nidore motus, impetu ad carnes fertur, et herbam radicitus eruit; cunctis radices si sol viderit, canis mox exspirat, ex secretis quibusdam ceremoniis, utpote in ipsorum gratiam extinctus, sepelitur. Tum demum herbam contingere et secum domum ferre audent. usus ejus ad multa celebratur: et inter cetera, ad comitialem morbum remedium ex ea homini commendnat; item ad oculorum vitium, quod, delato in eos humore nimio, videndi facultatem adimit.
It is written in the Necronomicon: And to summon these and other Demons, the herb AGLAOPHOTIS must be burnt in a new bowl that must be the Evil Times, and at Night. But the Priest has the formulae..
The priest? Any of this strike a chord, Father Vincent?
The herb names olierobos and aglaophotis that play such a prominent role in the book, for instance, do have particular meanings. Further, one could argue that using aglaophotis, or peonies, to call up demons when it traditionally drove them away is curious. Aglaophotis usually is a herb used to keep a space purified.
I suppose all of this is moot if we've not got any aglaophotis, but perhaps we could grow some? I know there's a garden in the bowling alley.. surely the seeds could be obtained and the plant forced that we might obtain this particular magical resin quickly?
edit/update: I still believe I may be on to something here. If we accept that Aglaophotis may be from a form of peony..
The peony is named after Pæon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. According to the myths, Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.
According to the Language of Flowers, Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades.
Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour". In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions..
Oh wait.
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
Didn't Xulchilbara recently mention something about cherry blossoms?
So.. possibly aglaophotis is some kind of pork product????
Has anyone heard of this? It may be useful in our fight against the coming 'god'.
The Greek doctor Dioscorides named Aglaophotis as a member of the peony family, Paeoniaceae. It has been speculated that the species paeonia officinalis, or the European peony, is the source of Aglaophotis, but there is little evidence to prove this theory.
According to Dioscorides, peony is used for warding off demons, witchcraft, and fever. This is at odds with the presentation in the Necronomicon, in which it is used to call upon dark forces.
In lore, aglaophotis was used by the Magi to summon and dispel demons; in a most basic sense, it is a spirit-repelling potion that will burn or drive away creatures that are more supernatural than physical in nature. The following details about aglaophotis should be kept in mind:
-Spirits, genii, ghosts, Eldritch beings, fae, and other creatures of this kind will be burned as if by acid and, (in the case of a possession or a nonphysical spirit) forced away from the physical plane, if struck by aglaophotis.
-The substance is extremely powerful, but the most powerful beings, (Great Old Ones, for example) would only be mildly injured by it.
-Not all supernatural creatures are burned or driven away by it. Lycans, generic monsters, the weak undead, and any creature that cannot be classified as true Eldritch or Otherworldly will not be affected.
Ælian recommends the use of the dog to pluck the herb aglaophotis, which shines at night. When the dog has dragged up the root, and died of terror, his body is to be buried on the spot with religious honours and secret sacred rites.
reference: Cynospastus herba alio nomine aglaophotis dicitur (recordatus enim fidem liberare volo) haec per diem inter ceteras herbas, a quibus ne minimum quidem differt, delitescit, nec ullo modo agnoscitur; nocte vero stella instar lucens, et igneo splendore coruscans, facile in conspectum venit. Itaque signo ad radices ejus defixo discedunt, absque eo neque colorem ejus interdiu, neque speciem cognituri. Nocte jam exacta adventant, et herbam signo agnoscunt; evellere vero, aut circumfodere tantum, cavent: primum enim, qui ejus naturae imperitus eam attigit, periisse ferunt. Canem igitur juvenem adducunt diei spatio famelicum, et funiculum validum arctissime ad inferiorem herbae stipitem vinctum cani etiam alligant, et carnes assas multas ei objiciunt, quam longissime interim possunt recedentes: canis nidore motus, impetu ad carnes fertur, et herbam radicitus eruit; cunctis radices si sol viderit, canis mox exspirat, ex secretis quibusdam ceremoniis, utpote in ipsorum gratiam extinctus, sepelitur. Tum demum herbam contingere et secum domum ferre audent. usus ejus ad multa celebratur: et inter cetera, ad comitialem morbum remedium ex ea homini commendnat; item ad oculorum vitium, quod, delato in eos humore nimio, videndi facultatem adimit.
It is written in the Necronomicon: And to summon these and other Demons, the herb AGLAOPHOTIS must be burnt in a new bowl that must be the Evil Times, and at Night. But the Priest has the formulae..
The priest? Any of this strike a chord, Father Vincent?
The herb names olierobos and aglaophotis that play such a prominent role in the book, for instance, do have particular meanings. Further, one could argue that using aglaophotis, or peonies, to call up demons when it traditionally drove them away is curious. Aglaophotis usually is a herb used to keep a space purified.
I suppose all of this is moot if we've not got any aglaophotis, but perhaps we could grow some? I know there's a garden in the bowling alley.. surely the seeds could be obtained and the plant forced that we might obtain this particular magical resin quickly?
edit/update: I still believe I may be on to something here. If we accept that Aglaophotis may be from a form of peony..
The peony is named after Pæon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. According to the myths, Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.
According to the Language of Flowers, Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades.
Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour". In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions..
Oh wait.
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
Didn't Xulchilbara recently mention something about cherry blossoms?
So.. possibly aglaophotis is some kind of pork product????