Supernatural Aid in Mythology: A Mini-Essay

     In his exploration of mythology, Joseph Campbell argues many of the myths told throughout the world possess a similar formula, which the scholar labels the monomyth. Although this structure varies slightly with each legend, the overall configuration remains the same: a hero leaves the confines of everyday life, enters an otherworldly realm, encounters characters and circumstances which provide either assistance or trouble on the quest, and returns home a new individual.[1] One of the first and largest elements the hero faces, Campbell argues, is the magical aid, who often presents the hero with protective talismans and superhuman abilities to help during the course of the adventure.[2] While these figures wear alternate guises in different cultures (for instance, the humble hermit Kyazimba in East-African legends, the Spider Woman in Native-American tales, the Virgin Mary in Medieval-Christian lore, and the fairy godmother in contemporary narratives), they all have common attributes: the aids are supernatural beings who reside in the strange world the hero enters and bestow the protagonist with mystical artifacts and powers.[3] As a result, the supernatural, Campbell explains, plays a pivotal role in the monomyth and the progression of the journey. Without these magic elements, the hero, who is often from the human realm, would be unable to truly contend in the enchanted plain where the adventure occurs, especially against antagonists who possess their own charms and superhuman abilities. Hence, the magical aids and their mystical support elevate the hero to an even field, which allows the events of the adventure to transpire.

Works Referenced

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 1949. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1972.
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[1] Campbell, 30.
[2] Campbell, 69-77.
[3] Campbell, 69-77.

Sightless Clown

$10 - $15 (based on 2019 prices)

Makes one mask

 

I normally craft my own mask and costume for each haunt to correspond with the theme; however, working on a haunted house in 2017 presented me with the chance to not only costume myself but also a collection of scare-actors with a series of doll masks. 2019’s haunt, in turn, provided me with the same opportunity and I fabricated this clown mask for the scare-actor at the end of the haunt to wear.

• One plastic skull mask
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat brown
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat white
• One yard of white fabric
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the fabric
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One set of resin false teeth
• One clear plastic Christmas ornament (two inches in diameter)
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of red food coloring*
• One 4 oz. bottle of clear, all-purpose tacky glue gel*

1. Remove the elastic band and any other accessories from the mask and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the top portion two coats of white spray paint and the bottom section two coats of black.

2. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the cloth in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for four days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the fabric to add spots. Remove the fabric from the water and allow it to dry.

3. Cut the fabric into a square large enough to cover the masks (mine was 15” x 15”) and, starting at the front of the skull, glue the cloth to the mask. I found that this process works best if you move in stages: apply a layer of glue to one section, hold the fabric down until it sticks, and then repeat the process.

4. Once the glue has dried, trim the excess fabric from the edges to give the prop a cleaner appearance. Alternatively, you could leave the extra cloth, fraying and tattering it for a more unkempt look.

5. Add a level of age and distress by dusting the cloth with a light coat of black and brown spray paint. To give the appearance of dirt, hold the can over twelve inches away from the mask’s surface and make quick flicking motions. You can also apply a flecking of black paint and smears of brown to enhance the weathered appearance.

6. Cut an opening along the mouth, shred the edges of the fabric, and glue the fake teeth in the orifice to create a gnarled grin. For additional grime, you can use wood stain to make the teeth appear rotten before attaching them to the mask.

7. Remove the hanging hoop from the back of the ornament and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give it two even coats of black spray paint.

8. After the paint dries, glue the portion of the ornament where the hanging hoop once was to the mask to fashion a nose. For a sturdier hold, especially if the scare-actor plans to be highly active, use superglue.

9. In a plastic container (because the food coloring will stain, use something disposable or that you won’t mind dying), pour in your desired amount of clear glue gel and slowly add red food coloring to the solution until it achieves the sanguine hue you desire. To give the blood further density, add blue food coloring and mix well.

10. On a newspaper-lined surface, apply the blood glue to the mask and allow it to fully dry. You can use an old spoon or plastic utensil to strategically dripple the liquid along chosen areas (e.g. around the opening of the mouth) or pour it haphazardly for a gory mess.

11. Reattach the elastic band and, if you like, you can enhance the mask further with a swarm of bugs crawling across its surface or a tattered wig.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"A Psalm of Life" (A Poem)

First published in The Knickerbocker in 1838, “A Psalm of Life” quickly became one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s most popular poems, being translated into over eight languages over the span of three decades.[1] Over time, though, the work fell out of favor due to its simplistic perspective on death and mourning; however, some literary critics see it as an artistic representation of Longfellow’s grief for wife’s death in 1835, in which the narrator finds solace in himself rather than religion.[2]

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

 

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.[3]

 

Works Referenced

 

Cengage Learning Gale. A Study Guide for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “A Psalm of Life.” Framington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2000.

 

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “A Psalm of Life.” Longfellow: Poems and Other Writings. Ed. J.D. McClatchy. New York: Library of America, 2000. 3-4.

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[1] Cengage Learning Gale, 1-2.

[2] Cengage Learning Gale, 1-2.

[3] Longfellow, 3-4.

Aquatic Specimens

$10 - $15 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes two jars

 

The laboratory for 2020’s haunt required dozens of jarred specimens, so I created a variety of props to provide the doctor with a vast assortment of subjects. For this version, I used expandable sea creatures for a collection of marine experiments. Although the package said they would reach full size within a matter of days, they actually took over two weeks to do so. Because of this factor, they barely made it into the haunt. My advice for the time-pressed haunter, in turn, would be to either start this project at the beginning of the building season or purchase larger specimens that do not need to grow.

• One sixty-four-ounce glass jar
• One twenty-five-ounce glass jar
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in red chestnut*
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” paper with specimen labels printed on it
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• One pan large enough to soak the paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Two expandable sea creatures
• One 10 oz. cans of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat maroon*
• One 0.44 oz. bottle of glossy green nail polish*

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the jars. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). Then, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well ventilated area, paint their surfaces with the Jacobean wood stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. After that, dab the glass with the red chestnut wood stain to create spots of dried blood.

2. Boil enough water to completely submerge the paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.

3. After the paper has dried, cut out the labels, leave a small border around their edges, and use sandpaper to fray their sides and create holes. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the sides of the jars. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains.

4. Fill the jars with water and add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make it appear like a formalin solution. Since you still want the specimens to be visible through the liquid, slightly tint it with the coloring.

5. Add the expandable sea creatures to the jars and allow them to grow to your desired size (you may need to add additional water over the course of the growing process as the sponges absorb the liquid).

6. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the lids a few even coats of metallic spray paint. I used two, but you may apply more or less. To achieve a nice coverage, select a paint which adheres to metal.

7. After the paint has dried, dab maroon paint onto the lids. I used an old paintbrush with splayed bristles; however, a sponge or paper towels will work well. As you do so, concentrate your application on areas where rust would naturally form, particularly along the edges.

8. Once the maroon paint has dried, repeat the process with brown paint. During this application, be careful not to cover too much of the maroon paint.

9. Apply a slight flecking of black paint to complete the rusted patina. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

10. Reattach the lids to the jars and use hot glue to create a dripping effect starting from the center and spreading outward. How much of the glue you want to drip down the sides depends on your chosen aesthetic. Keep in mind, though, that this process will permanently seal the jars, so, if you want to make their contents accessible for future uses, either skip this step of limit the amount of glue used.

11. Color the drippings with one or two coats of glossy green nail polish. To achieve a more translucent appearance, limit the coats to two.

12. The props can be enhanced further with subtle details, like biohazard or poisonous labels, to cater them to the specific theme of your haunt.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.