Historia Transfiguri
Historia Transfiguri is a wild ride through myths, legends, and the bizarre missteps of early 20th-century scholarship, taking its cues from Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). What starts as an exploration of shapeshifters, humans becoming animals and vice versa, quickly veers off into the deep end of the paranormal pool. Witches, ghosts, and all manner of creepy nocturnal things make their way into the mix. You might think you're getting a collection of folklore, but Hamel has other plans, none of which involve sticking to the topic.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Given the time period, there’s no shortage of cringey colonialism and tragically (yet laughably) wrong views on other cultures. It's like reading a weird, racist uncle's diary, fascinating, but you’re going to need to sift through some problematic trash. You’re not laughing with him, you’re laughing at him, but its still entertaining. Once you get past the garbage, though, you’re left with truly strange and imaginative material just begging to be stolen for your next tabletop roleplaying session.
Historia Transfiguri filters out the most problematic nonsense, leaving the juicy, creatively useful bits. We’ve taken all the oddball creatures, occult practices, and spine-tingling transformations Hamel stumbled upon (or made up, or misguidedly believed to be true) and polished them up for a modern audience. Whether you want to drop shapeshifting horrors into your setting, add witches with questionable motives, or pepper in spectral visitors from another realm, this book has you covered.
Content Warning
Historia Transfiguri engages with myths and legends, drawing on Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). That older book contains outdated and offensive views on culture, including colonialist perspectives and racial insensitivity. While overtly offensive material and language have been filtered, the context remains, if only between the lines, and readers may encounter problematic interpretations and outright false information that reflect the biases of the time. The material offers imaginative concepts for fantasy roleplaying, but it should be approached critically, particularly by those sensitive to issues of race, culture, and historical accuracy. We present this in good faith, not to venerate the past, but to mock it.
A Universal Sourcebook
You don’t need this book to play any of our games using The Simple Approach, but it’s here to spice things up if you want. It’s also written to be functionally system-agnostic, so feel free to throw its elements into any other roleplaying system your choice.
If you’re looking to use it with a different roleplaying system, don’t worry. There are notes at the end to help with conversion, and if you’re need more advice in translating material between systems, grab the Lightspress Handbook, available wherever you found this book.
Navigating This Book
This book contains the following:
Historia Transfiguri: An examination of historical records and writings on the phenomenon of animal transformation, tracing the evolution of this concept across various time periods and cultures.
Transformation: A study of the magical, religious, and mythological methods by which humans can transform into animals, including rituals, spells, and symbolic meanings.
The Second Soul: A deep dive into the idea of a ‘second soul’ or animal soul that resides within humans, influencing behavior and possibly manifesting in transformation.
Human Souls, Animal Bodies: An exploration of the belief that human souls can inhabit animal bodies, either after death or as a form of punishment, as presented in different traditions.
Animal Dances: A look at ceremonial dances mimicking animals, performed to invoke their spirits or powers. This section discusses how these rituals aim to achieve transformation or enhance connection to the animal realm.
Man-Animal & Animal-Man: A discussion of figures that blur the lines between human and animal, exploring the symbolism and meaning behind hybrid beings in mythology and folklore.
Scapegoats & Saints: The tradition of using animals to bear human sins or as representations of holiness and spiritual power. This section explores religious practices that center on the symbolic use of animals.
The Werewolf Trials: A historical look at witch trials that included accusations of humans transforming into animals, particularly wolves, examining the beliefs and fears that fueled these persecutions.
Werewolf Myths & Legends: A collection of myths and legends about humans transforming into animals, focusing on the common themes and variations in how these transformations are portrayed.
Lion-Men & Tiger-Men: An exploration of stories featuring human-animal transformations that symbolize power, strength, or spiritual connection, discussing their role in mythology and folklore.
Werefox & Werevixen: A detailed look at the deep folklore surrounding animal shapeshifters, focusing on their cunning, magical abilities, and the impact of their transformations on human interactions.
Witches: Examining the relationship between witches and animals, particularly how animals are used in their magic or act as extensions of their will. This section looks at the role of animals in historical witchcraft and transformation beliefs.
Familiars: A study of familiar spirits, supernatural beings that assist magicians or witches, taking on animal forms. This section looks at how these spirits are summoned and used in magical practices.
Folklore & Fairytale: An exploration of fairytales and folklore that involve humans transforming into animals, highlighting the lessons, fears, and desires these stories reflect.
Animals & Monsters: A look at the intersection of animals and monsters in folklore, where animals are either transformed into monstrous forms or inspire the creation of legendary creatures.
Human Serpents: An examination of myths where humans transform into serpentine forms, exploring how this represents themes of wisdom, danger, and transformation.
Cat & Cock Phantoms: A study of ghostly animals that act as omens or agents of supernatural forces, focusing on their role as harbingers of death or misfortune.
Bird Women: A look at myths and folklore featuring human-bird hybrids, exploring their symbolism and how they embody themes of beauty, danger, and transformation.
Family Animals: An exploration of the association between certain animals and family lineages, examining how animals act as omens, protectors, or symbols of inheritance and fate.
Animal Ghosts: A study of spectral animals that continue to haunt the living, serving as warnings or manifestations of unresolved issues from the past.
The Phantasmal Animal: A discussion of the metaphysical role animals play in folklore as manifestations of guilt, wrongdoing, or unfulfilled obligations.
Animal Elementals: An exploration of the belief in animals as elemental forces or avatars for nature spirits, and how these creatures are summoned or engaged with in esoteric traditions.
Ceremonial Magic: An in-depth look at the role of animals in ceremonial magic, focusing on their symbolic use in summoning, sacrifices, and protection rituals.
182 pages. PDF and epub files included.
Historia Transfiguri is a wild ride through myths, legends, and the bizarre missteps of early 20th-century scholarship, taking its cues from Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). What starts as an exploration of shapeshifters, humans becoming animals and vice versa, quickly veers off into the deep end of the paranormal pool. Witches, ghosts, and all manner of creepy nocturnal things make their way into the mix. You might think you're getting a collection of folklore, but Hamel has other plans, none of which involve sticking to the topic.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Given the time period, there’s no shortage of cringey colonialism and tragically (yet laughably) wrong views on other cultures. It's like reading a weird, racist uncle's diary, fascinating, but you’re going to need to sift through some problematic trash. You’re not laughing with him, you’re laughing at him, but its still entertaining. Once you get past the garbage, though, you’re left with truly strange and imaginative material just begging to be stolen for your next tabletop roleplaying session.
Historia Transfiguri filters out the most problematic nonsense, leaving the juicy, creatively useful bits. We’ve taken all the oddball creatures, occult practices, and spine-tingling transformations Hamel stumbled upon (or made up, or misguidedly believed to be true) and polished them up for a modern audience. Whether you want to drop shapeshifting horrors into your setting, add witches with questionable motives, or pepper in spectral visitors from another realm, this book has you covered.
Content Warning
Historia Transfiguri engages with myths and legends, drawing on Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). That older book contains outdated and offensive views on culture, including colonialist perspectives and racial insensitivity. While overtly offensive material and language have been filtered, the context remains, if only between the lines, and readers may encounter problematic interpretations and outright false information that reflect the biases of the time. The material offers imaginative concepts for fantasy roleplaying, but it should be approached critically, particularly by those sensitive to issues of race, culture, and historical accuracy. We present this in good faith, not to venerate the past, but to mock it.
A Universal Sourcebook
You don’t need this book to play any of our games using The Simple Approach, but it’s here to spice things up if you want. It’s also written to be functionally system-agnostic, so feel free to throw its elements into any other roleplaying system your choice.
If you’re looking to use it with a different roleplaying system, don’t worry. There are notes at the end to help with conversion, and if you’re need more advice in translating material between systems, grab the Lightspress Handbook, available wherever you found this book.
Navigating This Book
This book contains the following:
Historia Transfiguri: An examination of historical records and writings on the phenomenon of animal transformation, tracing the evolution of this concept across various time periods and cultures.
Transformation: A study of the magical, religious, and mythological methods by which humans can transform into animals, including rituals, spells, and symbolic meanings.
The Second Soul: A deep dive into the idea of a ‘second soul’ or animal soul that resides within humans, influencing behavior and possibly manifesting in transformation.
Human Souls, Animal Bodies: An exploration of the belief that human souls can inhabit animal bodies, either after death or as a form of punishment, as presented in different traditions.
Animal Dances: A look at ceremonial dances mimicking animals, performed to invoke their spirits or powers. This section discusses how these rituals aim to achieve transformation or enhance connection to the animal realm.
Man-Animal & Animal-Man: A discussion of figures that blur the lines between human and animal, exploring the symbolism and meaning behind hybrid beings in mythology and folklore.
Scapegoats & Saints: The tradition of using animals to bear human sins or as representations of holiness and spiritual power. This section explores religious practices that center on the symbolic use of animals.
The Werewolf Trials: A historical look at witch trials that included accusations of humans transforming into animals, particularly wolves, examining the beliefs and fears that fueled these persecutions.
Werewolf Myths & Legends: A collection of myths and legends about humans transforming into animals, focusing on the common themes and variations in how these transformations are portrayed.
Lion-Men & Tiger-Men: An exploration of stories featuring human-animal transformations that symbolize power, strength, or spiritual connection, discussing their role in mythology and folklore.
Werefox & Werevixen: A detailed look at the deep folklore surrounding animal shapeshifters, focusing on their cunning, magical abilities, and the impact of their transformations on human interactions.
Witches: Examining the relationship between witches and animals, particularly how animals are used in their magic or act as extensions of their will. This section looks at the role of animals in historical witchcraft and transformation beliefs.
Familiars: A study of familiar spirits, supernatural beings that assist magicians or witches, taking on animal forms. This section looks at how these spirits are summoned and used in magical practices.
Folklore & Fairytale: An exploration of fairytales and folklore that involve humans transforming into animals, highlighting the lessons, fears, and desires these stories reflect.
Animals & Monsters: A look at the intersection of animals and monsters in folklore, where animals are either transformed into monstrous forms or inspire the creation of legendary creatures.
Human Serpents: An examination of myths where humans transform into serpentine forms, exploring how this represents themes of wisdom, danger, and transformation.
Cat & Cock Phantoms: A study of ghostly animals that act as omens or agents of supernatural forces, focusing on their role as harbingers of death or misfortune.
Bird Women: A look at myths and folklore featuring human-bird hybrids, exploring their symbolism and how they embody themes of beauty, danger, and transformation.
Family Animals: An exploration of the association between certain animals and family lineages, examining how animals act as omens, protectors, or symbols of inheritance and fate.
Animal Ghosts: A study of spectral animals that continue to haunt the living, serving as warnings or manifestations of unresolved issues from the past.
The Phantasmal Animal: A discussion of the metaphysical role animals play in folklore as manifestations of guilt, wrongdoing, or unfulfilled obligations.
Animal Elementals: An exploration of the belief in animals as elemental forces or avatars for nature spirits, and how these creatures are summoned or engaged with in esoteric traditions.
Ceremonial Magic: An in-depth look at the role of animals in ceremonial magic, focusing on their symbolic use in summoning, sacrifices, and protection rituals.
182 pages. PDF and epub files included.
Historia Transfiguri is a wild ride through myths, legends, and the bizarre missteps of early 20th-century scholarship, taking its cues from Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). What starts as an exploration of shapeshifters, humans becoming animals and vice versa, quickly veers off into the deep end of the paranormal pool. Witches, ghosts, and all manner of creepy nocturnal things make their way into the mix. You might think you're getting a collection of folklore, but Hamel has other plans, none of which involve sticking to the topic.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Given the time period, there’s no shortage of cringey colonialism and tragically (yet laughably) wrong views on other cultures. It's like reading a weird, racist uncle's diary, fascinating, but you’re going to need to sift through some problematic trash. You’re not laughing with him, you’re laughing at him, but its still entertaining. Once you get past the garbage, though, you’re left with truly strange and imaginative material just begging to be stolen for your next tabletop roleplaying session.
Historia Transfiguri filters out the most problematic nonsense, leaving the juicy, creatively useful bits. We’ve taken all the oddball creatures, occult practices, and spine-tingling transformations Hamel stumbled upon (or made up, or misguidedly believed to be true) and polished them up for a modern audience. Whether you want to drop shapeshifting horrors into your setting, add witches with questionable motives, or pepper in spectral visitors from another realm, this book has you covered.
Content Warning
Historia Transfiguri engages with myths and legends, drawing on Frank Hamel’s Human Animals (1915). That older book contains outdated and offensive views on culture, including colonialist perspectives and racial insensitivity. While overtly offensive material and language have been filtered, the context remains, if only between the lines, and readers may encounter problematic interpretations and outright false information that reflect the biases of the time. The material offers imaginative concepts for fantasy roleplaying, but it should be approached critically, particularly by those sensitive to issues of race, culture, and historical accuracy. We present this in good faith, not to venerate the past, but to mock it.
A Universal Sourcebook
You don’t need this book to play any of our games using The Simple Approach, but it’s here to spice things up if you want. It’s also written to be functionally system-agnostic, so feel free to throw its elements into any other roleplaying system your choice.
If you’re looking to use it with a different roleplaying system, don’t worry. There are notes at the end to help with conversion, and if you’re need more advice in translating material between systems, grab the Lightspress Handbook, available wherever you found this book.
Navigating This Book
This book contains the following:
Historia Transfiguri: An examination of historical records and writings on the phenomenon of animal transformation, tracing the evolution of this concept across various time periods and cultures.
Transformation: A study of the magical, religious, and mythological methods by which humans can transform into animals, including rituals, spells, and symbolic meanings.
The Second Soul: A deep dive into the idea of a ‘second soul’ or animal soul that resides within humans, influencing behavior and possibly manifesting in transformation.
Human Souls, Animal Bodies: An exploration of the belief that human souls can inhabit animal bodies, either after death or as a form of punishment, as presented in different traditions.
Animal Dances: A look at ceremonial dances mimicking animals, performed to invoke their spirits or powers. This section discusses how these rituals aim to achieve transformation or enhance connection to the animal realm.
Man-Animal & Animal-Man: A discussion of figures that blur the lines between human and animal, exploring the symbolism and meaning behind hybrid beings in mythology and folklore.
Scapegoats & Saints: The tradition of using animals to bear human sins or as representations of holiness and spiritual power. This section explores religious practices that center on the symbolic use of animals.
The Werewolf Trials: A historical look at witch trials that included accusations of humans transforming into animals, particularly wolves, examining the beliefs and fears that fueled these persecutions.
Werewolf Myths & Legends: A collection of myths and legends about humans transforming into animals, focusing on the common themes and variations in how these transformations are portrayed.
Lion-Men & Tiger-Men: An exploration of stories featuring human-animal transformations that symbolize power, strength, or spiritual connection, discussing their role in mythology and folklore.
Werefox & Werevixen: A detailed look at the deep folklore surrounding animal shapeshifters, focusing on their cunning, magical abilities, and the impact of their transformations on human interactions.
Witches: Examining the relationship between witches and animals, particularly how animals are used in their magic or act as extensions of their will. This section looks at the role of animals in historical witchcraft and transformation beliefs.
Familiars: A study of familiar spirits, supernatural beings that assist magicians or witches, taking on animal forms. This section looks at how these spirits are summoned and used in magical practices.
Folklore & Fairytale: An exploration of fairytales and folklore that involve humans transforming into animals, highlighting the lessons, fears, and desires these stories reflect.
Animals & Monsters: A look at the intersection of animals and monsters in folklore, where animals are either transformed into monstrous forms or inspire the creation of legendary creatures.
Human Serpents: An examination of myths where humans transform into serpentine forms, exploring how this represents themes of wisdom, danger, and transformation.
Cat & Cock Phantoms: A study of ghostly animals that act as omens or agents of supernatural forces, focusing on their role as harbingers of death or misfortune.
Bird Women: A look at myths and folklore featuring human-bird hybrids, exploring their symbolism and how they embody themes of beauty, danger, and transformation.
Family Animals: An exploration of the association between certain animals and family lineages, examining how animals act as omens, protectors, or symbols of inheritance and fate.
Animal Ghosts: A study of spectral animals that continue to haunt the living, serving as warnings or manifestations of unresolved issues from the past.
The Phantasmal Animal: A discussion of the metaphysical role animals play in folklore as manifestations of guilt, wrongdoing, or unfulfilled obligations.
Animal Elementals: An exploration of the belief in animals as elemental forces or avatars for nature spirits, and how these creatures are summoned or engaged with in esoteric traditions.
Ceremonial Magic: An in-depth look at the role of animals in ceremonial magic, focusing on their symbolic use in summoning, sacrifices, and protection rituals.
182 pages. PDF and epub files included.