Classic Mouse Parade

Known as the All-Father, Odin is one of the most complex characters in Norse mythology. He is the god of war, wisdom, poetry, death, divination, and magic. He is the protector of heroes and warriors, who are guided by Valkyries to join him in Valhalla after being slain in battle. He is the great magician among the gods, mainly associated with runes, and often accompanied by two ravens (Huginn & Muninn), two wolves (Geri & Freki), and the eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. He is forever on a ruthless and relentless quest for wisdom, knowledge, and power. Any kind of limitation is something to be overcome by any means necessary. One of his defining features is his being one-eyed, a result of him having sacrificed an eye to drink from the Well of Uror, which had granted him an incomprehensible amount of knowledge of the universe.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

In her earliest appearances, the Hindu deity, Kali, was titled The Destroyer of Evil Forces and was often associated with violent endeavors. However, Kali is actually a very complicated entity who is also seen as creative, nurturing and benevolent.

Kali is depicted as wearing a garland of skulls and a skirt of dismembered arms because the ego arises out of identification with the body. It is believed that we are beings of spirit and not flesh, so liberation can only proceed when our attachment to the body ends. Thus, the garland and skirt are trophies worn by her to symbolize having liberated her children from attachment to the limited body. She is also portrayed holding a sword and a freshly severed head dripping blood. This represents the legendary battle in which she destroyed the demon Raktabija. As the story goes, every drop of blood spilled by Raktabija became a fighting demon clone once it hit the floor, so Durga manifested Kali into the battle. To defeat the demon, she drains him of his blood and consumes it before it hits the ground, then devours his replicates.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

Hel is the Norse queen of the dead who oversees the underworld, Niflheim. She was born with the bones on one half of her body fully exposed, and often incited fear from her appearance alone.
(I was able to clean and use the rat’s real skull for this one! Oh, and that’s a rat tail staff!)
She is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, making her the sister of the wolf, Fenrir, and the world serpent, Jormungand. The Aesir gods feared these three children because of their parentage and the prophecies of chaos surrounding them. In response, Odin sent each of the children away to the place where they could do the least harm.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

Anubis is one of the oldest gods of Egypt. He is associated with all aspects of death including embalming/mummification, protection of the body, and guidance of the soul. He is one of the earliest gods to be depicted on tombs and is often shown tending to a body or standing/kneeling with the golden scales of judgement on which the heart of the soul is weighed against the white feather of truth. Although there have been a few shrines discovered, archaeologists have not unearthed any monumental temple dedicated to this god. His “temples” are the tombs and cemeteries of the people he protected.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

In Japanese mythology, it is said that the first gods Kunitokotachi and Amenominakanushi summoned two divine beings into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with creating the first land. The two deities created the island Onogoroshima, and soon after, they wished to be married. They built a pillar and a palace, and circled the pillar in opposite directions. When they met on the other side, Izanami spoke first in greeting. They mated and had two deformed children that they put into a boat and set out to sea. They petitioned the gods for an answer as to what they did wrong. The gods told them that it was not proper for the female deity to speak first during the marriage ritual, so they went around the pillar again with Izanagi speaking first. From their union were born the Ōyashima (the "great eight islands), six more islands and many deities.

Izanami later died during child birth. Izanagi was so upset that he went on a journey to Yomi (the shadowy land of the dead) to search for her. When he finally found her, he could not see her because it was so dark. He asked her to leave with him, but she said that she couldn’t, that it was too late. He lit a torch and saw the horrid rotting form of the once beautiful Izanami. He cried out and started to run away, abandoning his dead wife. Angry at him, she shrieked and sent a mob of spirits after him. He managed to escape the underworld and block the entrance with a boulder creating a barrier between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Izanami cried out to him and swore that if he left her she would kill 1,000 people from his land every day. In response, he said that he would cause 1,500 more to be born each day. From then on, Izanagi became god of the land of the living, while Izanami became queen of the land of the dead, and their marriage was ended.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

Morana was a Slavic goddess of winter and death. Morana was associated with long winters that could bring death through famine, disease, and extreme cold. Her arrival was therefore always expected with fear, and her departure was celebrated with a lot of noise and cheer.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

Hecate (Hekate) is a goddess of Greek mythology who is associated with magic, the Moon, doorways, and ghosts. She is queen of the Night, Goddess of Witchcraft, and among the rulers of the Spirit World. She is usually depicted carrying a torch and often is portrayed with three faces. In her role as Guardian of Crossroads, she serves as an intermediary between spirits and humans. She owns the ultimate skeleton key: the key that unlocks the gates to all realms.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

The Morrigan was the Irish goddess of war, death, prophecy, and fate. She is both a single deity and a triple goddess, made up of Ireland’s most powerful goddesses. The Morrigan was a shapeshifter who frequently appeared in the form of a black crow or a conspiracy of ravens, an ominous sign for those who saw her circling prior to battle.

As many of you know by now, taxidermy is my art medium of choice. During a recent art challenge, which aimed to recognize and share the stories of different deities from around the world, it was brought to my attention that my contributions to it may be seen as disrespectful and culturally insensitive. I would like to apologize to those who may view it that way, but my true intention was the exact opposite of that. My aim was to learn more about the entities that shaped many of the cultures around me and share their stories with others. I stand by my art. It is the way I express myself and my feelings and it’s often how I connect with others. A lot of my work is meant to be silly, but these pieces were not. These pieces were serious works of mine that I spent countless hours on making and researching. I hope they cause more joy than they do pain, but I can not control that. Art causes emotions. That’s what makes it art.

In Islamic tradition, Azrael is known as The Angel of Death or The Angel of Destruction. His role is to record all life and to separate the souls from their bodies after death, then guide them to the afterlife.

Though he has unbelievable power, he does not act independently. He is only informed when anyone will die by the tree beneath God’s throne as it drops a leaf bearing the person’s name.

Azrael is described as having four faces and a body covered in countless eyes and tongues. These features represent the billions of people alive on Earth. Islamic teachings also describe Azrael as having 70,000 feet and 4,000 wings.

He may be titled as The Angel of Destruction, but he is said to be a being of light and is also known to give counsel to those who are grieving from loss.