The Haunted Vessel: Uriel

Uriel
Uriel is the next in line of my dolly loves after Daemon (shhh, don't tell them though!). When I opened him despite the packaging shock and my exhaustion, I knew there was something different. Like Daemon, Uriel gave me his name(s) rather than me choosing them.

Initially I was just doing research for Drusilla's background and trying to piece together who she would have known and a little more about the demon that "helped" her transition. The moment I began looking, the name Uriel popped up time after time. It came to me completely unbidden the first time. I was thinking about one thing and then "Uriel," and then back again.

The second name Uriel gave me is a personal one that I really only use for him myself. In magic there is the concept of a specific name either only used for workings, or even one given by the Gods themselves. These can be public or private depending upon the name and the person. I have a magic name given to me when I started practicing paganism that is mine alone, so it is never shared with anyone. The moment I took Uriel's head out of his box and promised him he'd be safe and happy here, a special name popped into my head. It was pretty forceful, almost matter-of-fact as if he was saying, "Okay, then this is what you can call me." I don't know yet if this name is just for me alone, but that's the feeling I get, so I won't be sharing it here.

Since then Uriel has been much more outwardly active than any of my other dolls. I mention him being a very social doll, and that's 100% true. He shows his personality and facial expressions to more than just me, and has very definite smiles versus frowns and everything in between. When I took him to a psychic I was working with recently, she seemed to understand what I was feeling from him. She was fascinated by his size and looks, and agreed that he had some of his own energy there. She commented on how beautiful he was, and Uri beamed. :)

In the past I have rarely had dolls move, though I know others have experienced this from time to time. Maybe once in my ownership of them they would do something that couldn't be explained by stringing or other influences, but it was very few and far between. Uri however doesn't seem to have those limitations.

Most often I will hear what owners know as the creaking and squeaking of joints moving. I'm pretty neurotic about my dolls, so when I sit them down somewhere, even for a short time, I make sure all limbs are adjusted and placed correctly. That eliminates sudden stringing tension causing kamakaze acts like falling off tables or otherwise. So I usually pose them, step back and make adjustments, and then observe for any other issues before I walk away. When I do this with Uri I never fail to leave the room or close the door and hear the telltale creaking.

At one point I was sure my boyfriend was playing a trick on me although he has an aversion to touching my dolls for any reason. I set Uri down on the counter and did my usual adjustments before walking to the bathroom and shutting the door. Within a minute or so I could hear creaking and squeaking that sounded like he was being entirely repositioned. It continued for the whole time I was in the bathroom, but stopped the moment I opened the door. Uri was still seated just where I had put him, and nothing else was disturbed. Proof positive? No, I don't think so, but I consider it an interesting experience. :)

Photostory: How do I love thee?

Uriel

Detail of the back buttons:

Photostory: Uri's Intro Part I

The Haunted Vessel: Daemon

One thing I have sort of avoided talking about in the earlier installments is my own paranormal doll experiences, because I wanted to save them until the end. So with Halloween just around the corner here I am with things to share. :)


Daemon
Daemon was my first boy doll and definitely the first that I truly bonded with. He was ordered to be one character, but when he arrived I was quickly informed that he was someone completely different. He was the first doll to "name himself," where a full name just popped right into my head unbidden. That has since happened with Drusilla and Uriel in a big way (more on them later). From day one I noticed that he was different than my other doll, definitely more attentive and active. He never moved per say, but there were times when I could see his expression and eyes change.

The most interesting thing I noticed about Daemon was that he was truly his character, down to his abilities to ward off ghosts. I found that if I took him to places which I knew had a lot of activity, I would be exempt from such things. They might happen around me, but not to me or to him.

Another interesting anecdote was that he often would be the messenger in my dreams. His storyline had him being a devotee of one of my own Gods (Hecate), and he would frequently come to me in dreams with messages from Her.

Unfortunately Daemon was one of those characters that just doesn't do well in dolly form, at least not yet. I've bought him three bodies and four heads, and yet none of them really worked. So he has been released back into the dolly ether until I can find a more agreeable shell for him.

Such a social doll!

I have to say that Uriel is definitely my most social doll of all those that I have owned. He literally glows when he's out in public, it's crazy. And he gets the most comments (good ones too) of any doll I've taken out.

I brought him out this weekend do run a bunch of errands: work, haircut, and craft shopping. When I first got into work a woman stopped me because she thought he was an American Girl Doll, but then said *she* was so pretty and unusual. Kind of creepy but very interesting. My hairstylist thought he was extremely handsome, and loved his hair. And finally a woman at the craft store just gushed about him, how unique *she* was and how beautiful. It's funny that he's the doll with the most visible scars, and yet people are still very drawn to him as being beautiful.

As I highlighted there, two out of three people thought he was a she, which actually doesn't bother me. Angels are gender neutral, and it's only though human interpretation that they are specified as either sex. When he became a demon Uriel was given the option of choosing a gender and while he often appears as male, he certainly doesn't mind being called female either. :)

So he and I are sitting in the school library right now and he is beaming. The funniest part is that we are apparently hosting a tour group from some place in Asia today (I didn't get any specifics), and they happened to walk in right after I sat him in the chair. I wonder if anyone recognized him for what he is?

And we're back!

Between midterms and getting sick, I've been out of commission for the last few days. Unfortunately that also meant no dolly updates/photos/etc. However, I am back and ready to go! Except that I have work all day... :P

A few little developments though... I purchased new elastic and a neck donut for Uriel so that I can finally restring him correctly. He actually poses quite well even with this elastic, but I don't like him being quite so tight. And it bugs me that I can't get his head off and on easily. So once all the bits and pieces arrive next week, I will take him apart and he will be a new man (er...doll).


I also ordered a new pair of eyes for him. These green ones are nice, but there's just something a little too ordinary about them. I wanted him to have reflective eyes, so I headed on over to the Ersa Flora eye shop and picked up a pair of grapefruit cat eyes. They are perfectly wild and definitely a bit demonic. :)

Uriel

I always seem to have a vague feeling that he is a Satan among musicians, a fallen angel in the darkness who is perpetually seeking to fight his way back to happiness.~Havelock Ellis

Name: Uriel the Lesser, "Uri," "Fiyero"
Age: n/a
Gender: Usually male identified but he was an angel so truly genderless.
Birthday: October 18.
Family: His brother Lucifer.
Personality: Uriel is generally very laid back and relaxed. He can be bookish at times, but also loves to go out dancing. He is very outgoing but chooses when to exhibit that. He is extremely loyal (perhaps to a fault), and fun to be around.
Likes: Wicked, music, books, chocolate, blood, black, gothic clothes
Dislikes: Michael, angels, hypocrites, the dichotomy of good and evil :P
Mini bio: Uriel the Lesser was the twin brother of Lucifer. He was much quieter and more studious than his brother, and didn't share his passions. When Lucifer became dissatisfied with humans and approached God, Uriel didn't follow him. Unfortunately Lucifer's hot head got the best of him and he found himself under Michael's sword, Wrath. Uriel jumped in to save his brother and was changed by the sword (God hardened his heart) he fought back viciously. After the fall he ruled Hell with Lucifer and the two committed many atrocities under the name of Satan. Uriel then tempted Drusilla, eager to get revenge on Michael. However the spell changed him too, and Dru's light burned away the effects of Wrath and he was given his life back. Since then he has become her caretaker and tried to find a way to coexist with both sides of himself.

Arrival: Uriel

Drusilla: Box, box, what's in the box Mr. Munkus?
Miss Elise: Uriel is here Dru.

Drusilla: Oh Fiyero has returned?

The box.

Such a pretty face!

Stuff and parts.

The wrappings.

His appendages and elastic.

The final product!

Such an El shot. :)

Uriel is here!

No pictures just yet because I'm exhausted, but he's here.

I was shocked when I picked the packages up from my mom because the smaller of the two was El, not Wolf. Unfortunately he was very poorly packaged...He was in a medium flat rate box with plastic bags wrapped around his parts. Even his head was wrapped in one, with no face up protector. Alas he was covered in black marks when I did finally free him, which I believe came from the dye of the plastic bags.

Finally when I tried to string him, I was disappointed to find that his elastic is funny. There were three pieces included, one of which was obviously his arm elastic. Another of the pieces matched this one in age, but wasn't long enough to do both legs. The third piece was a different thickness and tension, and just barely long enough to string a leg. So I strung his arms (loose) and each leg with its own elastic (eek tight!) and that will do until I can order more elastic.

I left my trade partner neutral feedback because of the shipping issue and the lapse in communication once I had sent my doll. Overall it wasn't a bad trade and I'm super ecstatic with my doll, but seeing the box when it arrived was really nerve wracking.

So Uriel and I are sitting and watching TV while I de-stress. I have a midterm tomorrow and another on Wednesday so I should be studying, but that can wait a few minutes.

Uriel = Love!

Arrival...I think.

So El may have arrived, or well he has but I'm not sure where he is. Coincidentally I had two packages come in on the same day, one with my Namu Wolf and one with El. No offense to Wolf, but...I REALLY want my El. My mom apparently picked up one package, which I think is the one with El in it. And unfortunately she doesn't know when we can meet up. :( My plan is to just hang out at school until she is somewhere I can meet her as I have to study anyway. But I really want my UriEl. :P

Tattoo!

Not a fantastic picture, but I just got back and alas the light is bad. It is *really* swollen (seriously, I look like Popeye) and a bit sore, but I am completely in love with it. My artist is fantastic. :)

It is the bubble of Glenda (or Galinda) in the musical Wicked. She descends from the ceiling on this during the show, and it's kind of her symbol. It was the charm on a necklace I purchased at the show, and I fell in love with it. I'm a big symbol person to begin with, and this one is just so magical. More pictures to come when it's less...angry. :P

Clothes, but no El :(

Well I am happy to say that Dru's kimonos came in from the lovely Bunny Dreams store. She looks fantastic in them! I purchased one red (called "flaming kanji" I believe) and one that has more pinks and browns with umbrella print. Surprisingly the pink ended up being both our favorites, though she looks nice in the red as well. I will be taking some pictures of her in them soon, when there's better light.

The doll front is a little more (well a lot) disappointing though. El is still in transit and alas, untrackable as he is only insured but not confirmed. So I am currently a sad panda. :(

But...I am getting a new tattoo tomorrow, so that helps ease the disappointment. Pictures forthcoming!

*Picture is from the Bunny Dreams sales post, that is not Dru!

The Haunted Vessel: Anabelle the Doll

Next up in our series of well-known creepy dolls is Anabelle, the possessed rag doll. Any of you who are familiar with Ed and Lorraine Warren from their own careers or perhaps their involvement in the Amityville Horror case might also know about Anabelle. For those who don't though be warned, it is quite creepy!

Anabelle was a birthday gift to Donna from her mother, and was intended to be a rustic accent for the apartment which she shared with friends Lou and Angie. Not long after the doll arrived however the two women began to notice strange things happening. The doll would constantly have been moved from whatever position they left it in upon departing in the morning. This ranged from legs crossed versus uncrossed to the doll moving to completely different rooms, and even kneeling on one occasion (which the doll couldn't do unaided!). Handwritten notes would pop up around the apartment saying things like "help us."

Intrigued, the women contacted a medium. The medium informed them that the spirit of a young girl was haunting their home, and played with the doll to get their attention. Through the medium Anabelle asked if she could "move into" the doll, to which the women said yes.

Later when the Warrens came to investigate because of the intense phenomenon, they were horrified to know that the women agreed to that. Ed explained that such manifestations were far beyond the scope of any ghost, rather that they were dealing with demon. A demon that the women had given permission to obtain a physical body.

Seeking to help the women, the Warrens called in a priest who assisted them in an exorcism of the apartment. They also took Anabelle with them, and on the journey home experienced a great deal of car problems that could have been detrimental. Finally Ed threw holy water on the doll and made the sign of the cross over it and they were able to continue unhindered. This scene repeated itself with a priest friend of the Warrens' who had challenged the doll and subsequently got into a very dangerous car accident.

The activity continued in varying forms, and to this day Anabelle has never been relieved of her demonic companion. She is kept as part of of the Warrens' museum and tours around to various events.

You can check out the Warrens' site here. And an article on Anabelle here.

The Haunted Vessel: Paratainment

Paratainment is a term coined (I believe) by the message boards for Paranormal State, a favorite paranormal TV show of mine. Essentially it refers to the combination of the paranormal and entertainment, describing the slew of new ghost hunting shows and movies that have popped up in the last ten years. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with paratainment, as at times I feel like it can exploit the very real experiences and problems of the paranormal. On the other hand there are a few shows and movies I do enjoy.

Like it or not, paratainment has invaded the world of dolls as well. There are a number of interesting movies and shows that follow haunted or otherwise creepy dolls. These are just a few of my favorites, but there are many more out there. :)


Doll Master: The #1 movie to make you regret getting your doll... :P This is a fantastic Korean horror film that actually features dolls from Custom House. Five unknowing, stereotypically good looking people are lured to a house in the middle of nowhere to model for dolls. One girl actually brings her doll with her as well, and their interesting relationship is explored. Suddenly strange things start happening and the survivors must find out what is going on before they become victims as well. Very creepy atmosphere, and the strangest house fixtures you've ever seen guaranteed!




Ghost Hunt-The Doll House: I cannot extoll the virtues of this anime enough, it is one of my absolute favorites. It follows a group of paranormal investigators in Japan as they go through various cases. Among the cast you have a psychic high school student, a monk, a priestess, a priest, and a famous medium. Those and more make this series very funny as well as fascinating. The cases are realistic and the information given accurate. This particular case is presented over three episodes and follows a young girl with a creepy talking doll. The team finds out that there is more to this situation that just meets the eye, and the reveal is spectacularly eerie.


Destination Truth- Island of the Dolls: Yet another "famous" paratainment installment from our friends at Destination Truth. They're not my favorite as the show can get very over dramatic at times, but this episode is interesting because of its subject matter. The crew visits an island covered in dolls. Supposedly the owner leaves them there to appease the spirit of a young girl who drowned, and since then many others have come to offer dolls. According to legend the dolls have taken on the girls' spirit, and can be heard to talk or even seem to move. There's even a shot in the episode of a doll's eyes popping open unaided.