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Description

In 2019, I took part in a wonderful artistic tradition, Mermay, using the event to introduce the Marie-Morgane, the most prominent merfolk race in Kroashent. Each day, I introduced a new member of the aquatic court of Queen Ahes Dahut (above), each based on a core Dungeons and Dragons class, showing their human form, their Marie-Morgane form, and a story about them. The first of these was Ahes herself. Ahes's wonderful design was created in collaboration with the amazing , who has contributed several designs of Kroashent characters. It was a wonderful inspiration to draw the rest of her court.

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A Vreizh-Izel da Vor Iwerzhon, Ahès vez graet ac'hanon, Ha da c'he-edal a ran...

From Low Brittany to the Irish Sea, My name is Ahès, And I'm waiting for you...

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Author's Note:

One of the most prevailing myths of the Celtic region of Brittany is the story of the sunken city of Ys, lost beneath the waves and its damned princess, Ahes Dahut, the Marie-Morgaine. The tragic tale of Ys is one of the foundational regional myths that inspired the creation of Kroashent. Full of magic and court intrigue, Ys is set apart from many "lost city" stories by focusing less on the city itself in the myth, but instead the characters who populated it. The wise king Gradlon, his scheming daughter Ahes Dahut and the saintly voice of redemption St. Guenole.

The story always struck me (the mermaid transformation at the end doesn't hurt), a fascinating legend of a fantastic lost civilization in the vein of Atlantis, Mu or Iram of the Pillars. Ys also highlights one of the most noteworthy facets of Celtic mythology. Unlike the relatively self-contained mythologies of the Greeks, Norse or even Egyptians, Celtic mythology, especially the continental regions of Brittany is influenced by its neighbors and translators, a mixture of the "pure" Celtic mythos combined with French, English, and Gaelic traditions, all viewed through the outside eyes of Roman conquerors and proselytizing Christian missionaries and monks. As such, it led me to wonder how much of these myths remain as they were and how much were later additions. As TV Tropes so helpfully points out "Hijacked by Jesus" is very much enforced in regional mythos and equivalent Roman values in earlier translations. When this happens, some characters, such as Morgan le Faye, Medea of the Argosy and Brittany's own Ahes Dahut are often viewed in a villainous role.

I wanted to explore Ahes, not as a conniving seductress, but as a leader with her own strong convictions and faults, to explore the underlying humanity of Brittany's most famous monster, her all-consuming loneliness and guilt over her past misdeed. So this "Mermay", in honor of the Queen of Ys-Beneath-The-Waves, I will be posting Tales of Ahes and Ys, interpreted within the world of Kroashent and themes of transformation. I hope you enjoy this project, I've worked very hard on it. Please let me know what you think of the character and stories!

Description

In 2019, I took part in a wonderful artistic tradition, Mermay, using the event to introduce the Marie-Morgane, the most prominent merfolk race in Kroashent. Each day, I introduced a new member of the aquatic court of Queen Ahes Dahut (above), each based on a core Dungeons and Dragons class, showing their human form, their Marie-Morgane form, and a story about them. The first of these was Ahes herself. Ahes's wonderful design was created in collaboration with the amazing , who has contributed several designs of Kroashent characters. It was a wonderful inspiration to draw the rest of her court.

--------------------------

A Vreizh-Izel da Vor Iwerzhon, Ahès vez graet ac'hanon, Ha da c'he-edal a ran...

From Low Brittany to the Irish Sea, My name is Ahès, And I'm waiting for you...

-------------------------

Author's Note:

One of the most prevailing myths of the Celtic region of Brittany is the story of the sunken city of Ys, lost beneath the waves and its damned princess, Ahes Dahut, the Marie-Morgaine. The tragic tale of Ys is one of the foundational regional myths that inspired the creation of Kroashent. Full of magic and court intrigue, Ys is set apart from many "lost city" stories by focusing less on the city itself in the myth, but instead the characters who populated it. The wise king Gradlon, his scheming daughter Ahes Dahut and the saintly voice of redemption St. Guenole.

The story always struck me (the mermaid transformation at the end doesn't hurt), a fascinating legend of a fantastic lost civilization in the vein of Atlantis, Mu or Iram of the Pillars. Ys also highlights one of the most noteworthy facets of Celtic mythology. Unlike the relatively self-contained mythologies of the Greeks, Norse or even Egyptians, Celtic mythology, especially the continental regions of Brittany is influenced by its neighbors and translators, a mixture of the "pure" Celtic mythos combined with French, English, and Gaelic traditions, all viewed through the outside eyes of Roman conquerors and proselytizing Christian missionaries and monks. As such, it led me to wonder how much of these myths remain as they were and how much were later additions. As TV Tropes so helpfully points out "Hijacked by Jesus" is very much enforced in regional mythos and equivalent Roman values in earlier translations. When this happens, some characters, such as Morgan le Faye, Medea of the Argosy and Brittany's own Ahes Dahut are often viewed in a villainous role.

I wanted to explore Ahes, not as a conniving seductress, but as a leader with her own strong convictions and faults, to explore the underlying humanity of Brittany's most famous monster, her all-consuming loneliness and guilt over her past misdeed. So this "Mermay", in honor of the Queen of Ys-Beneath-The-Waves, I will be posting Tales of Ahes and Ys, interpreted within the world of Kroashent and themes of transformation. I hope you enjoy this project, I've worked very hard on it. Please let me know what you think of the character and stories!