Cogito, ergo sum
It was about a month ago that the Norns first decided to direct me hither. That time having elapsed, I find myself typing in my first entry, and ingratiated to the ever-resplendent katsii for her help in the matter.
The name that I chose to register as has something of a history, although an obscure one. I had intended, initially, to register as the perennial 'Myth', but found it already in use. The next word that came to mind - and out of the blue, might I add - was Oboro, and I fail to understand why it did so. The subconscious mind is intiguingly intricate, but then again so are the workings of the Moirae.
There are only two contexts - in my mind, at least - to the name. I first encountered the name as that of a character from a play station game called 'Darkstalkers 3', known otherwise as 'Vampire Saviour'. The latter name, that of the Japanese release, enthralls me more - although 'Darkstalkers' also has a charm that is entirely its own.
The Darkstalkers Oboro, in my understanding, was a demonic spirit that had undertaken to take possession of a colonial peasant. The peasant, however, was more that he had seemed, and the two now lived in a type of symbiosis, a dark force fighting, paradoxically, on the side of light. I loved Oboro, who was a hidden character, mainly because he was a transcendent (read: more powerful) variant of an already selectable character named Bishamon. Bishamon was my favourite in the game, seconded by Oboro, because his theme soundtrack was absolutely enchanting. Add to that the fact that he was an embodied spirit - being thus entirely in control - and spoke loudly of fedual Japan, and it is no wonder, to those who know me well, that I thought so highly of him. Bishamon is, in itself, a fascinating name, and it brings to my mind the also Japanese myth of the seven gods of good fortune. One of them was Bishamonten, who I think was, although I don't exactly seem to be able to recollect his specialization, and I am sure I am wrong, the god of good harvest. If I were to give free rein to association, I would talk of Zephyrus, of Innana, and of Baal, all of whom come to mind in a strangely subsequent simultaneity (a self-belying dichotomy, I realize).
The other 'hyperlink' in my mind - if I may call it that - of Oboro is to the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute. I happened to come across the title to a shakuhachi piece by Miyato Kohichiro (or Kohachiro, I am unable to recall exactly), entitled 'Oboro Zukiyo', written roughly in the late 1950s, and the name stuck due to the fascination with the video game Oboro.
Strangely enough, Hachiman now comes to mind, and I realize that this might go on indefinitely. This rather free association that goes on in my mind leads me to tend the inner hypochondriac with the conviction that I have syndromes - minuscule in aspect - of the frontal lobe.
A while back, I read a letter by Basho, the Haiku master, and the quaint account was fascinating. It had a rustic beauty to it which was, well, beautiful. I think I shall let the opening to that letter serve as an ending to this. For the time being, at least.
"Beyond Ishiyama, with its back to Mount Iwama, lies a hill called kokub-uwama - the name, I think, derives from kokubunji, or government temple of long ago."
The name that I chose to register as has something of a history, although an obscure one. I had intended, initially, to register as the perennial 'Myth', but found it already in use. The next word that came to mind - and out of the blue, might I add - was Oboro, and I fail to understand why it did so. The subconscious mind is intiguingly intricate, but then again so are the workings of the Moirae.
There are only two contexts - in my mind, at least - to the name. I first encountered the name as that of a character from a play station game called 'Darkstalkers 3', known otherwise as 'Vampire Saviour'. The latter name, that of the Japanese release, enthralls me more - although 'Darkstalkers' also has a charm that is entirely its own.
The Darkstalkers Oboro, in my understanding, was a demonic spirit that had undertaken to take possession of a colonial peasant. The peasant, however, was more that he had seemed, and the two now lived in a type of symbiosis, a dark force fighting, paradoxically, on the side of light. I loved Oboro, who was a hidden character, mainly because he was a transcendent (read: more powerful) variant of an already selectable character named Bishamon. Bishamon was my favourite in the game, seconded by Oboro, because his theme soundtrack was absolutely enchanting. Add to that the fact that he was an embodied spirit - being thus entirely in control - and spoke loudly of fedual Japan, and it is no wonder, to those who know me well, that I thought so highly of him. Bishamon is, in itself, a fascinating name, and it brings to my mind the also Japanese myth of the seven gods of good fortune. One of them was Bishamonten, who I think was, although I don't exactly seem to be able to recollect his specialization, and I am sure I am wrong, the god of good harvest. If I were to give free rein to association, I would talk of Zephyrus, of Innana, and of Baal, all of whom come to mind in a strangely subsequent simultaneity (a self-belying dichotomy, I realize).
The other 'hyperlink' in my mind - if I may call it that - of Oboro is to the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute. I happened to come across the title to a shakuhachi piece by Miyato Kohichiro (or Kohachiro, I am unable to recall exactly), entitled 'Oboro Zukiyo', written roughly in the late 1950s, and the name stuck due to the fascination with the video game Oboro.
Strangely enough, Hachiman now comes to mind, and I realize that this might go on indefinitely. This rather free association that goes on in my mind leads me to tend the inner hypochondriac with the conviction that I have syndromes - minuscule in aspect - of the frontal lobe.
A while back, I read a letter by Basho, the Haiku master, and the quaint account was fascinating. It had a rustic beauty to it which was, well, beautiful. I think I shall let the opening to that letter serve as an ending to this. For the time being, at least.
"Beyond Ishiyama, with its back to Mount Iwama, lies a hill called kokub-uwama - the name, I think, derives from kokubunji, or government temple of long ago."