Editing 1776: Reindeer
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Needs lots more stuff.}} | |
+ | [[Black Hat]] is at it again, by replacing the eight reindeer of {{w|Santa Claus|Santa's}} sleigh with a single spider-legged reindeer. He considers this "more authentic" because Santa Claus is based on Odin (among ''many'' other things), the chief god of Norse mythology. On the pagan holiday of Yule, Odin was said to ride his eight-legged horse, {{w|Sleipnir}}, across the land. Children would leave one of their boots out and fill it with hay for Sleipnir to eat, then Odin would refill the boot with gifts. This presages the Christmas tradition of hanging stockings by the chimney. | ||
− | The | + | The intuitive interpretation of a horse with eight legs is probably making the body longer to make an additional set of normal equine legs fit in. Such a creature could be made to look natural. Black Hat's interpretation is to change the type of legs in order to fit all eight legs in there. Many people do think of spiders when they think of "eight legs." But the result of this is to make a chimaera (Greek word for any animal with body parts from two or more different animals), and a terrifying one at that. Black Hat also thus plays upon arachnophobia, or the quite common fear of spiders. |
− | The title text is a parody of two lines from the poem " | + | The title text is a parody of two lines from the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", "And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof / The prancing and pawing of each little hoof." The lines are changed to what they could have been if Santa had a spider-legged reindeer. |
− | The | + | The title text refers to the sound of "eight tarsal claws", referring to the small pair (or triplet) of claws at the end of each of a spider's eight legs. These claws allow them to hold onto objects, including their own web. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | Black Hat: In earlier Norse myths, the eight reindeer were actually one steed with eight ''legs''. | |
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− | + | Black Hat: So I think this is more authentic. | |
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+ | Boy: AAAAAA! | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Christmas]] | [[Category:Christmas]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | ||
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