therians and otherkin?

[midnight]

Hi guys, ok first off I am a therian here in south africa. I know loads of therians and otherkin are furries to so, is there any other therians or otherkin in this forum? Would be awesome to chat and swap experiences and so on. You can reply or if you don't want it in public feel free to send me a private message. Realy want to get to know you guys. So any therians or otherkin?

[jacojerb]

So... I don't know what exactly therians are. Just googled it. Reading the wikifur article... Looks very similar to otherkin. In fact... What exactly is the difference?

[Sev]

I was under the impression that otherkin and furries are entirely separate beasts. After all, I must assuredly do not believe that I'm an animal spirit trapped in a human body. Or better yet, that I'm a mythical dragon reincarnate.

[Valerion]

Some people say that Therians are to Otherkin like Wolves are to Furs.

In essence, a Therianthrope is a person that identifies with a real animal, while an Otherkin is a person that identifies with a non-human being, mythological or otherwise. Otherkin often say they are re-incarnated from another form, or perhaps trapped in a human body.

Some reading, since it's always good to see how a fandom defines itself:

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Otherkin
http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropy

http://otherkin.wikia.com/wiki/Therians
http://otherkin.wikia.com/wiki/Otherkin

Here's a dissenting view, of someone that thinks the first statement in the post is wrong:
http://www.paganspace.net/forum/topics/ ... n-therians - lots of links here

And one that more or less agrees with this sentiment:



So in short - Therians identify with a real, living animal type (like a wolf), while Otherkin identifies with mythological creatures.

Interestingly, the word Therianthrope has similar roots to Lycanthrope. Therian = wild animal (mammalian), and thrope comes from Anthropos, for human. Similarly, Lycan = wolf. So lyncanthropes = wolf men, while therians are animal men. Some legends amongst people do talk about were-creatures other than wolves. So there are a group of people that classify Therianthropes as an umbrella term for all shifters (including lyncanthropes). That would include werefoxes, weretigers, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therianthropy

Now, for extra study credit, define the difference between a Therian and a Furry

[midnight]

Well many people believe therianthropy is a subdivision of otherkin other people just devide them into 2 groups. Personally I don't mind how they are grouped. Therians are animalkin like wolves tigers dogs reptiles birds marine mammals fish all the currently living animals otherkin are basically all the others grouped together. Extinct animals like saber tooth or triceratops, mythical animals like dragons or werewolves, objects, plants, fiction characters like DBZ and naruto and so on, each of these also have their own distinct names so its up to the person to decide weather or not its 2 distinct categories or not anyhoo I'm realy looking for all of the above.

[midnight]

As for therians and otherkin in the fury community yes lots of therians and otherkin are furries. Just like any other fur they like dressing up in fursuits wearing tails and so ion just like you just we feel a deep real connection to our animal where as many other furs don't really feel all that connected. To most therians being a fur is an opportunity to outwardly express how they feel inside.

[Hargan]

Now I have a query:

Let's say, and since it'll be easier to use me as a figuritve example instead of dealing with he, they, etc, I think I am a dragon. Not a dragon spirit or stuff like that, merely a dragon, but above and beyond a person with a fursona of a dragon.

Does that link me automatically to it, even though I might disagree with stuff like re-incarnation?

This is all figurative and not representative of my beliefs, and I'm looknig to understand where lines are drawn, and where people are placed

Thanks

[jacojerb]

Also, how do you make sure? I mean... Obviously, you "feel" like whatever animal, but on a psychological level, it must be pretty easy to merely be confused. I don't mean to say that it's impossible to actually be otherkin/therian, but how does one separate feelings of wanting to be it, and actually being it? It sounds so easy to just believe it's true... But then again, what's the difference between someone who truly believes it is so, and someone who just is so?

... I really want to study psychology and philosophy so I can actually phrase these questions right

[Leeward]

I don't mean to sound insensitive but this sounds an awful lot like it could be a form of Munchausen syndrome or somatoform disorder... Forgive me if I have trouble taking the whole concept seriously.

[Sev]

I want nothing to do with people who think that they are reincarnated dragons. The fandom already has a bad enough reputation as is.

[midnight]

I don't mean to sound insensitive but this sounds an awful lot like it could be a form of Munchausen syndrome or somatoform disorder... Forgive me if I have trouble taking the whole concept seriously.

Try species dysphoria but not all therians and otherkin are.

[Hargan]

I want nothing to do with people who think that they are reincarnated dragons. The fandom already has a bad enough reputation as is.

Is that the fandom though? Because I've spoken to otherkin and such like who want nothing to do with the furry fandom So....

[midnight]

I want nothing to do with people who think that they are reincarnated dragons. The fandom already has a bad enough reputation as is.[/quote]
First of all, if you don't want to have anything to do with therians and otherkin then why not just brows on to the next post? And second I never said I'm the reincarnation of a dragon ok, that was another poster who used it as an example. I am a canadian wolf therian and no I don't think I was a wolf in a past life. This is exactly the sort of negativity and closed mindedness that is preventing the therian and otherkin comunity of south africa from getting on its feet. No offense to you but its the truth.

[Leeward]

Two questions.

(1) Why exactly would you want a community for this? Furries I can understand have hobbies in common like art and fursuiting and would enjoy doing that in groups, but I'm not going to start a demisexual club because there would literally be no point to it.

(2) Have you even seen/touched/interacted with a Canadian wolf? How do you know that you actually feel like you should be one and that it's not all just ideation that has gone overboard and turned into a delusion?

I mean these in a genuinely curious manner, by the way.

[Helios_phi]

I want nothing to do with people who think that they are reincarnated dragons. The fandom already has a bad enough reputation as is.

First of all, if you don't want to have anything to do with therians and otherkin then why not just brows on to the next post?

Lol. Not possible. Sev is a very special snowflake that is just bursting to express himself.

[Randall]

I have no idea what is going on in this thread. Its all way above what my little brain can handle.

[Sev]

First of all, if you don't want to have anything to do with therians and otherkin then why not just brows on to the next post?

Firstly, because I have every right to voice an opinion.

Secondly, I think that therians confuse wanting be a animal with "feeling" like one.

I wanted to be Jake Long growing up, that doesn't mean anything.

[Randall]

First of all, if you don't want to have anything to do with therians and otherkin then why not just brows on to the next post?

Firstly, because I have every right to voice an opinion.

I agree, and I am also getting this feeling that there's some intolerance growing here. Its happened today in another thread too. Voicing an opinion is somehow not cool anymore?

[Leeward]

Just because you have an opinion and have a right to voice it doesn't mean you should do so. It's called diplomacy.

[Sev]

This fandom's unparalleled penchant for tolerance has done nothing but harm it.

There are some completely fucked up subcultures in the furry fandom (baby furs, Nazi furs, etc), and everyone is too "tolerant" to speak out against them. Every time I see a lifestyler on some reality show or interview, it always makes my blood boil. Society think that we're freaks, and that's mostly because of these "furry extremists".

If a baby fur came to this forum, I would make no attempt to hide my loathing of them.

I will be civil around people like midnight, but I will not treat them any differently to anti-vaccers, conspiracy theorists, or other misguided groups.

[Helios_phi]

First of all, if you don't want to have anything to do with therians and otherkin then why not just brows on to the next post?

Firstly, because I have every right to voice an opinion.

I agree, and I am also getting this feeling that there's some intolerance growing here. Its happened today in another thread too. Voicing an opinion is somehow not cool anymore?

Not at all. Everyone is allowed to express their own individual opinions, even when it contributes absolutely nothing of value to the conversation.
It's what's happening right here.
Obviously repeatedly doing this might urk some people and eventually get one known as "the answer to the question nobody asked"
But it is allowed.

[Sev]

Yet doing so earns me the title of "special snowflake".

[Leeward]

Not saying that therians and/or otherkin are, but what's wrong with being delusional if it doesn't affect anyone else? Anti-vaxxers put everyone's health at risk if they act according to their stupid belief, but dysphorias of any kind do literally no harm at all. Sure some fetishes are seriously messed up, but if they don't have a significant impact other than inducing disgust, I don't see the problem.

[Helios_phi]

I have every right to voice an opinion.

Hey, hey now, I'm not trying to be nasty Sev. I'm just trying to be a community rep and explain to some furs why other furs are like they are without starting a fight. I assumed he didn't like your comment and that's why he said you should rather brows on.
I'm trying to start a dialogue as to why you feel the need to leave your two cents on the matter so the it doesn't escalate into a fight.
What would you rather have it that I call you instead?

[Sev]

Because to an outsider, a group ends up being defined by it's extremists.

Islam is a perfect example. The US at large has an extreme distrust and even fear of Muslims. That's because of the extremists. The fact that "moderate" Muslims are not doing any sort of damage control doesn't help their case.

[jacojerb]

This is, however, unrelated. Otherkin and therians are not, by default, furries, and they don't attempt to say that they are. It is two completely different concepts. They do often mix with the furry community, but they don't set the standards of what furry is. So, @Sev, seriously, it's not gonna make people dislike furries more. They don't advertise being furries

Secondly, can we please be civil. I am curious about otherkin/therians and I know my questions won't get answered with all this drama...

[Leeward]

Agreed. We're all adults here, so let's not act like children.
And Helios, you're really not helping by stating the obvious here.

[Sev]

I know loads of therians and otherkin are furries to so.

Picture furries and therians/otherkin as a Venn Diagram.
While he himself did not claim to be a furry, he did say that the two are not mutually exclusive.

It doesn't matter to an outsider whether or not furries and therians/otherkin are only tangentially related.

[midnight]

Well leeward to answer your first question. Therians and otherkin do reside in south africa. Saying therians don't need an established community is just like saying that there shouldn't be an established community of people who are into LARPing or saying there is no point to the SAVN. The fact of the matter is that therians and otherkin in south africa are not as accepted as in america. For example a person in america can freely express that they are therian without much hassle but when my friend who is a cat therian told his parents that he is a therian and explained what it was they sent him to 4 different priests 2 psychologists 2 mentors 5 counselors and a psychiatrist also he was severely bullied to the point he attempted suicide, so as you can see there isn't much acceptance of the therian and otherkin community. Therians and otherkin are simply people who are different from what is accepted by the closed minded country of SA as normal. You will get the same accounts from loads of the SAVC members. That is why they formed the community in the first place, to be in contact with people who are like them where they can be accepted as is. To unite people and help support each other and create a safe haven for people to be who they are without being ostracized. We also like hanging out but let's face it if we don't establish a permanent community then we will never have the chance to be accepted and will always be seen as whacks and evil satanic cults. Seriously before I moved to beth I had a little group of 5 therians and otherkin (me included) and a little boy in the neighborhood went to sleep over at a friends house without telling his mum. That night the police crash in on our movie night with her and she starts accusing us of kidnapping and sacrificing or eating her kid. The next morning after they found him she didn't even apologize just said she "will be watching us closely and expose our satanic rituals to world" this is what people in south africa think of therians and otherkin. You can see why most of us keep our kinnity a secret and as a result become very depressed. Every person has the right to be who they truly are. An anonymous based therian and otherkin community is exactly what south africa needs to start the process of being accepted by the general public and being understood. How would the furs feel if they were considered wackos who like to dress up in animal costumes have orgies and dance around bonfires doing all sorts of rituals. For a time this was the view of the general public. But after establishing a community and being more understood cleared up the misconceptions and now furs are mostly accepted throughout south africa. This is the aim of the therian and otherkin community. A safe anonymous platform on which to express their views and experiences, meet others in their area, arrange meets, buy and sell kin related items. Vent about their troubles and give support to those who have fallen upon hard times. Just like any other community weather its ZAfurries or SAVC the therian and otherkin community deserves to be permanently established in order to enable those who form part of the community to be who they are without being shunned for it.

And to answer your second question yes I have had contact with a canadian wolf, my friend in poul roux has a pair that were bere bred in captivity (yes she has a permit for them) and yes I am sure I am a canadian wolf therian not because I have petted and playd with one but because I have always known I am not completely normal. From age 11 to 13 I believed my dad (who I never knew) was a werewolf lol thinking back now it seems foolish but ey I was a kid trying to make sense of my identity. After reading about therians and otherkin I knew I was a therian and after about 2 years of meditation, soul searching, research and self study I realized that I am a canadian wolf therian. This was about a year and a half before I even met my friend who has the wolves. It is not a fantasy or any such thing, IT IS AN IDENTITY people who believe its a cult or that people who are therians and otherkin are crazy, delusional or fantasizing do not grasp the true meaning of being kin and as result are usually ignorant and too closed minded to learn about the community and rather stick to notions of insanity or satanic worship as part of the therian and otherkin community. Me and my therian friends aim to help other therians and otherkin by creating a sanctuary for those not accepted by mainstream public.

[Sev]

As hard of a time as I have taking therians seriously, the way that that woman acted is completely unjustified. Especially considering that you seem to be a decent human being. I have experienced a similar thing repeatedly, because I am really into extreme metal.