Otherkin Timeline The Recent History of Elfin, Fae, and Animal People By Orion Sandstorrm Version 1.9 – Updated 2012-01-16 Project created 2010-07-17 This free eBook is RATED PG for some references to adult concepts. Safe for work. However, some links lead to web-sites that may offend, and may be unsuitable for minors. (cc by-nc-sa) 2012 by Orion Sandstorrm Creative Commons license: Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike (cc by-nc-sa) This means that you have permission to download, share, and print this free e-book, so long as you credit Orion Sandstorrm as the original author, and don‘t sell it or make money off it. You can even modify this e-book, on the condition that you share it under identical terms. Original file location: http://orion.kitsunet.net Otherkin Timeline – 2 Summary Spanning from 1972 to 2011 inclusive, this work of non-fiction traces the recent history of therianthropes and otherkin: real people who identify themselves as animals and legendary beings. All events in this timeline are drawn from primary sources when possible, such as contemporary print and electronic media, as well as interviews with people who were directly involved at the time. Events covered include the coining of jargon, the publication of books, the development of philosophical explanations for being otherkin, and much more. Keywords: alt.horror.werewolves (AHWW), community, books, draconity, Elfinkind Digest, Elf Queen‘s Daughters, Elves, Fae-born, gatherings, newsgroups, otherkin, Silver Elves, therianthropes, werewolves. Illustrations: None. Rated PG. This document contains some references to adult concepts. This document itself is safe for work. However, some links lead to web-sites that may offend, and may be unsuitable for minors. Trigger warnings: death (not graphic), scams, ableist language, harassment, and social conflicts (with as little personal detail as possible). Author: Orion Sandstorrm has been involved in the otherkin and therianthrope communities for about ten years, and so has witnessed some of the events firsthand. Orion Sandstorrm identifies as a dragon person, and therefore can relate personally to the writings produced by otherkin and similar communities. Orion Sandstorrm – 3 Cite this document Please cite my e-book in your own research! I‘ll even help you do it right. Contrary to popular misconception, students must cite the sources for any online content that they use as a source for their research. The Internet isn‘t all public domain. If you do cite my document in a research essay, I‘d love to hear about it. Replace the red letters with your current date. You might have to make other some adjustments. Even now, authorities disagree on the format to cite electronic sources, so you might ask your professors about their preferred standards. APA format (on References page) Sandstorrm, O. (2012 Jan. 16). Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 1.9. The Art and Writing of Orion Sandstorrm. Retrieved month day, year from http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html Chicago style (in Bibliography) Sandstorrm, Orion. ―Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 1.9.‖ Last modified Jan. 16, 2012 in The Art and Writing of Orion Sandstorrm. Accessed month day, year. http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html Chicago style (in footnotes) Orion Sandstorrm, ―Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 1.9,‖ last modified Jan. 16, 2012 in The Art and Writing of Orion Sandstorrm. Accessed month day, year, http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html MLA format (on Works Cited page) Sandstorrm, Orion. ―Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 1.9.‖ The Art and Writing of Orion Sandstorrm. 16 January, 2012. Web. Day month, year. <http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html> MLA format (in footnotes or endnotes) Orion Sandstorrm, ―Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 1.9,‖ The Art and Writing of Orion Sandstorrm. 16 January, 2012, day month, year <http://orion.kitsunet.net/nonfic.html>. Otherkin Timeline – 4 Table of Contents Cite this document……………………………….3 1998………………………………………………46 Introduction……………………...……………….5 1999………………………………………………50 1972………………………………………………10 2000………………………………………………55 1973………………………………………………11 2001………………………………………………58 1975………………………………………………12 2002………………………………………………62 1976………………………………………………15 2003………………………………………………67 1977………………………………………………17 2004………………………………………………70 1978………………………………………………18 2005………………………………………………74 1979………………………………………………19 2006……………………………………………....77 1980………………………………………………20 2007………………………………………………79 1981, 1984, 1985…………………………………21 2008………………………………………………81 1986………………………………………………22 2009………………………………………………84 1987, 1989……………………………………….24 2010………………………………………………87 1990………………………………………………25 2011………………………………………………89 1991, 1992………………………………………...27 Help Needed……………………...….………….93 1993………………………………………………28 Glossary………………………………………….94 1994………………………………………………30 Bibliography…………………………………….95 1995………………………………………………32 Index……………………………………………103 1996………………………………………………39 Document version history……………………110 1997………………………………………………42 Orion Sandstorrm – 5 Introduction Who are otherkin and therianthropes? identify as animals, most commonly wolves or The otherkin and therian communities felines, but many other kinds of animals are have much in common in their history, ideas, represented as well. Some such people call and similarly unusual personal identities. themselves therians, werewolves, Were-beasts, 13 14 15 Socially, the communities mingle with one Weres, shifters, or animal people, and each another, and their philosophies overlap to some of these terms carries different shades of extent. However, they aren‘t entirely meaning. synonymous. The therian community that we know of People who call themselves otherkin began in 1993 with speculative discussions on 16 (meaning ―kin to the other‖1) look human, but the alt.horror.werewolves newsgroup, identify as supernatural entities ordinarily apparently with no contact with the otherkin thought of as legendary or mythological, most community until a few years later. (I have commonly elves, Fae, and dragons, but many found no evidence of any therian community other kinds of creatures are represented as before the Nineties. If you have some primary well.2 sources to prove otherwise, please let me know.) The therian community thrives to this The concept of otherkin, as we know it, day, enjoying many in-person get-togethers apparently got its start in about 1972 when (called Howls)17 and many online communities. groups of people (the Elf Queen‘s Daughters, The philosophy started in English, but now the Silver Elves, and others) said they were there are significant groups of therians who 3 elves. In 1990, mailing lists began to bring actively discuss therianthropy in French,18 people together who identified as elves, as well Russian,19 Spanish,20 Swedish,21 and as other creatures, for whom they coined the Portuguese.22 word ―otherkin.‖4 A community of people who identify as dragons developed independently of With both otherkin and therians, this this on the alt.fan.dragons newsgroup, starting identification as another species will be in about 1994.5 The otherkin community thrives explained in very different ways, depending on to this day, arranging many in-person get- the individual‘s own interpretations of his or togethers (called Gathers)6 and many online her own nature. Depending on the person, he communities. The philosophy started in or she may say he or she identify as another 23 English, but now there are significant groups of species in a way that is spiritual, 24 25 otherkin who actively discuss it in Spanish,7 philosophical, metaphorical, experiential, 26 27 Hungarian,8 and (formerly?) in Czech.9 behavioral, or psychological. Most rarely, a few do claim they are non-human in a physical People who identify as vampires or or ancestral way.28 incarnate extraterrestrials may possibly count as otherkin. However, their communities When we otherkin or therians say things developed separately from the otherkin like ―I am an elf,‖ we say it in earnest, and community, and they don‘t mingle socially we‘ve put a lot of thought into how we came to 29 with otherkin very much, either. Some more that statement, over many years of our lives. otherkin-like people call themselves Fae-born, This identification is not a make-believe role- 30 which refers specifically to those who were playing game. It is who we are in real life. supernatural beings in past lives, or a mystical Although the concept of otherkin and being in spirit.10 However, some Fae-born make therians sometimes involve spiritual concepts, a point of saying that they don‘t call themselves it is not a religion.31 This is because being otherkin. Another separate group of people call otherkin or therian is a personal thing. themselves Fae or Faeid, who in some (but not Individuals make up how it works for their all) cases identify as fair folk themselves.11 own selves alone, because only you can People who call themselves therianthropes determine what you are, and nobody can do 32 (meaning ―animal people‖)12 look human, but your introspection for you. Nobody can tell you that you‘re an otherkin or therian, and they Otherkin Timeline – 6 can‘t tell you in what way you‘re an otherkin or just originated in the Nineties or Seventies or therian, either.33 We have no widely-agreed- whatever… there must have been some earlier upon leaders,34 and no common dogma. precedent somewhere.