# Sideshow Gaff Fairy and Mermaid



## Aquayne

This is my version of a mermaid. In this case I call it a Nicor. It is from Teutonic mythology. It is a demon that drowns people. I have a whole story I will post.









This is another view of my work.


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## Aquayne




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## Aquayne

This is a closeup of the gills on the head.


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## Aquayne

The Nicor
(a Myth by F. Wayne Johnson)
In Teutonic mythology, Nicor are malignant water monsters who drown people. One historic story describes in detail a talented diver sent to retrieve a fallen castle’s hidden treasure from the bottom of a sacred pond. The diver was known for his ability to stay submerged for extended periods due to his barrel shaped chest and prodigious lungs. His strength was unrivaled. He dove to the bottom and located the treasure. On his second dive be went back with a rope and basket to claim his prize. To his surprise a diminutive demon faced Nixie with the torso of a human and tail of a fish confronted him. The little demon spoke in a shrill voice, “”Leave these waters and their wealth to me, they are not for thee or thy masters.””” The diver immediately swam for the surface and burst from the water. He reported his encounter with ragged breath. He repeated the words of the tiny demon and the warning he received. The new lord of the fallen castle compelled the poor swimmer, at point of sword, back to the pool to finish the job of recovering the spoils of war. The young man girded himself with steely resolve and dove to the bottom of the pond again. On the bank of the sacred pond the lord and his anxious men at arms waited impatiently. After a wait of no more than two minutes the young man’s lungs and heart floated to the surface. Shocked and frightened by the sight the lord abandoned the pond as a fool’s folly and returned to his newly acquired castle. 
In 1897 the current lord of the manor sponsored a modern attempt to retrieve the lost treasure said to be at the bottom of the, now neglected and overgrown, pond. The first diver returned to the surface with bad news. The bottom of the pond was filled with silt and stones and no treasure was in easy sight. A second dive resulted in a bizarre event. The diver returned to the surface in a panic. He said that a tiny face with horns and a fishes tail swam strait up to his face and told him to get out. The young man was in such a state that he left the expedition immediately forfeiting his pay and any possible share in its findings. A second young man named Will O’Donahee was not deterred by the report and dove into the pond to claim his prize. Within a few moments a beating heart and still inflated lungs broke the surface and brave Mr. O’Donahee was no more. The party argued the next course of action, with quitting and forgetting the treasure recommended strongly. In the end the new lord of the manor decided to forgo diving and dig a deep ditch up to the pond to drain it and thus reveal it secrets both grisly and fabulous. The draining took two full years to accomplish with none of the workers willing to so much as look at their reflections on the surface of the cursed body of water. At long last the day came to break the final section of earth and release the water to the country side. When the water burst from its containment down the path prepared for it, an unexpected surge of dark water swept the new lord into its torrents to his death. 
The pond continued to drain even in the absence of the lord of the manor, for he had been the last of his family. At the bottom of the muddy pond was found the disjointed remains of dozens of would be treasure seekers and unwitting bathers. Many bones showed evidence of the marks of small sharp teeth. Beneath the sad remains was found the treasure. It was made up of siver platters and two golden goblets of modest dimensions. No great fortune met the tired victors. 
When the grumbling crowd pulled their reward from the rotting muck a small high pitched screaming was heard in a quickly dwindling puddle. The voice said “”Leave it alone it is not for thee or your master, it is mine and mine alone.”” With that, one of the men skewered the tiny beast through the top of the chest with a sharpened stick thus silencing the voice forever. 
The little body was collected and dried. It sat for decades in a jar in the manor house store rooms. It was officially forgotten but often whispered about by the household servants. During World War II the house was used as a Royal Air force landing strip and barracks for the young flyers. One of the young men, Thomas Tibbs of Yorkshire, happened upon the artifact and pried the story from the household staff that remained under the employ of Her Majesty’s Army. At the end of the confrontation young Mr. Tibbs returned to Yorkshire with an additional item in his possession. The creature from the pond was in the possession of Tibbs family until Thomas’s death compelled them to offer the preserved creature for sale along with most of his other worldly possessions. 
The creature passed into shadow for the next forty years until it reappeared in a collection of artifacts once belonging to a well respected Zoologist Dr. M. T. Prentice PhD. of London. It was once again auctioned off and came into the possession of the family of Frank W. Johnson from Huntington WV USA. Upon his death it is now in the ownership of his son Wayne.


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## Frighteners Entertainment

just creepy!


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## Aquayne

The Next exibit is of an Ankou Fairy.


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## Aquayne




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## Aquayne

A close view of the wings.


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## Aquayne

Ankou -
The faerie version of the grim reaper.
(A myth by F. Wayne Johnson)
Sometimes portrayed as a benevolent, comforting figure. When the Sea Tortoise arrived in Boston harbor in 1798 it was manned only by a frightened cabin boy named Billy Brandhee. The ship was sighted at the mouth of the harbor at sunrise and was soon secured and moored by local seamen. She was boarded and searched to find survivors. The sailors searched the ship and found no one aboard alive save Billy hiding in a barrel half filled with salted fish. The frightened boy was speechless.His lips were chapped and bloody . He was nursed to health by a local woman who ran an Inn built by her late husband Elias Walker. Mrs. Walker cared for the boy for some weeks while he slowly gained strength both physical and mental. Finally Billy was ready to tell the events that occurred upon the Sea Tortoise. 
Billy told of an unexpected stop at a port on the western coast of Ireland. There the seas were rough and dark, the fog hung heavy and clamped it’s cold embrace on the body and souls of the crew. The Captain rowed ashore at this unlikely port with a letter in a wooden chest secured by a silver chain and lock. The crew waited anxiously for his return. The gloom was so thick that night and day became one. Sleep was elusive and troubled by all on board. Finally Captain Bradley returned with half his men and a different box. This one made of iron and wrapped in steel chains and a lock. The landing party was exhausted and splattered with blood and filth. None would tell of the adventure on land. Days passed with little evidence of the Captain or the remaining men that had gone ashore with him. They stayed in a small cabin usually reserved for gunpowder. Hours became days, with the men in an ever more emaciated state huddled around a prize on a small table in the little room. 
The main complement of crew became ever more anxious about the unusual behavior of their captain. The absence of a leader led to some chaos. The crew was all good men and none disposed to rebel but the lack of direction was taking its toll on their patience. Eventually the men gathered and decide to confront the withering party in their tiny sanctuary. Upon entering the room a foul smell met the new arrivals. The Captain and all present were dead and in various stages of decay. Sitting in the center of this grisly congregation was a small figure about the size of a man’s hand. The personage was quietly sitting with feet crossed and a pair of beautifully colored wings slowly stirring the air around it. The figure smiled a pleasant smile, a smile understanding and said, “Come sit with me and I will tell you of such things as you can never imagine. I will tell you of lands far and near filled with beauty and adventure for persons such as we who do not fear the end.” The men quickly fled the room. Unfortunately they failed to secure the door upon their retreat. The strange happenings were discussed with the crew deciding to leave the Captain and his small circle undisturbed. They feared charges of mutiny upon arrival in the America’s. For the first few nights they all stayed on deck. Eventually some decided that they were being fools and set about to return below deck and their quarters. They never returned. Another group decided to go after the first with the same results. In the end, according to young Master Billy , there were only three left on deck. The two sailors knew that they must go below and retrieve water and food. These two men were clever and devised a trap for the diminutive executioner.They set up a jar with a lid held by a movable stick. Inside the jar was a silver cross given to one of the sailors by his mother upon going to sea as a lad. They all agreed that they had heard stories of the little folk’s love for silver. They believed it was their only chance of catching the menace and gaining the stores. Very carefully the three, including Billy, secured the trap to a short plank and lowered it down into the hold of the ship. In the gloom they could see all of their shipmates in tight circles withered and dead while in a trance. In the center of each circle of corpses was a table with an object just big enough for the winged assailant to sit and entertain his “guests” until they left this world for the next. 
The trap was set. The three went to seek shade from the day’s heat. Hours passed and the hunger and thirst became unbearable. One of the men stood on unsteady feet and walked to the hatch to the bowls of the ship. “I will die of heat or of heathen and I fear heathen be the most merciful choice for me.” With that he dropped down below with a thud, loud enough to turn the stomach. The last sailor rose and without a word followed his friend to his fate. Billy was left alone on the ship. The smell of rot and death rose from the hold of the ship like a fountain of hatred washing over the once beautiful ship. Billy waited for another day before he too decided that a quick death was better than what awaited him on deck. Slowly on unsteady legs he made his way below. The men, all in tight circles as if still listening to an unseen speaker. On the floor was the only movement in the room. The little winged emissary of death had indeed been tempted by the silver and was now caught in the heavy jar and lid. Billy quickly made his way to the captive and screwed the lid tight. He made holes in the lid out of pity for the little one. Through the glass he could hear the comforting and compelling voice of the captive. Exhaustion and dehydration impaired Billy’s hearing so the spell that had befallen the rest of the crew did not impact him. Billy went to find food and water and was horrified to find most wasted or spoiled. Only a barrel of salted fish and a jug of water was salvageable. Fearful of the little demon he started to prepare an escape. As he rolled the barrel up the stairs the smooth voice, now emboldened said, “do you know who I am?” Billy responded with a horse grunt. “”I am Ankou, bringer of solace and death. Those that come to me want peace and I give it to them. Come to me now and listen to my stories and be at peace.”…” Billy forced himself to leave the cabin and continue on deck. He closed himself in the barrel with the fish and the water and hoped the wandering ship would find its way to shore before he ran out of either. Days passed in the hot barrel and he could hear the melodic voice from below. Finally his eyes saw only black and he fell unconscious. His next memory was of the boarding party finding him in the barrel and taking him to Mrs. Walker’s care. 
The heavy jar was found below. It’s occupant apparently dead of neglect while trapped in the jar. The jar has never been opened. Though the Ankou, or Fairy of Death, appears to be dead and dried to preservation it sits in a posture not of death but of contemplation and waiting. Perhaps waiting for someone to foolishly unscrew the lid to see for themselves the face behind the hand. Perhaps they would hear its smooth and comforting voice say, “Come to me and listen to my story of beautiful places and wondrous things and be at peace and rest---……………forever more.”


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## RoxyBlue

Great story and lovely little mermaid in a spooky way I really enjoy seeing what people come up with when they use a sideshow oddities theme as their inspiration.


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## fick209

Excellent stories and 2 excellent creations to go with them. Very nice work!


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## bobzilla

Both are awesome ! Great job


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## Aquayne

Thanks for the comments. I really enjoyed making them.


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## Aquayne

I dont know what to make next.


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## RoxyBlue

Aquayne said:


> I dont know what to make next.


How about something like this? I don't know what it's supposed to be, but you could probably come up with a great story to go with it.


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## Aquayne

Does anyone remember the Dragon embryo hoax from several years ago?


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## Spooky1

The fairy looks great. I love the wings. The mermaid is creepy.


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## Aquayne

They both started life as a string of skeleton garland at the Dollar Tree. 4 for $1.00. Used a tube of $1.50 caulking from Wal*Mart with a few tablespoons of water to make it creamy. Colored with watered down layers of acrylic paint from the Craft Section. Jar for Fairy is from Wal*Mart and The case for the water demon is from AC Moore.


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## Aquayne

The body of the water deamon was a rubber dolphin from The Dollar Tree.

The wings of the Fairy are an image from a moth site. It is an Atlas Moth. I copied the image onto Word then made a mirror image. Glued the two images back to back then cut out while still wet.


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## spinwitch

Really nice work! (I remember the nicors from Beowulf). I'd like to have some of those for year-round display in cases in the living room (sort of like an old Victorian Cabinet of Curiosities). Time to hit up the dollar tree!


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## Dark Angel 27

those are just beautiful...and creepy!

i enjoyed the stories very much!


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## cerinad

Those are really fantastic! I enjoyed reading the stories too. Thanks for sharing.


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## Rahnefan

Love this kind of stuff. What is your method for "skinning" them?


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## Aquayne

This is the link with the original instructions for skinning. http://www.shadowmanor.com/blog/?page_id=4666 
I just used the hose material on the torso and covered the whole thing in multiple layers of thinned and tinted cheap caulking from Wal*Mart. I then stain with watered down acrylics from craft section. My version is much more detailed IMHO.


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## Regions Beyond

These are very awesome, love the kind of traditional sideshow gaffs and these have a lot of character...great stuff


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## morbidmike

wow those are great love the super tiny detail great work!!!!


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## beelce

so nice...so creative


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## The Evil Queen

Aquayne said:


> This is the link with the original instructions for skinning. http://www.shadowmanor.com/blog/?page_id=4666
> I just used the hose material on the torso and covered the whole thing in multiple layers of thinned and tinted cheap caulking from Wal*Mart. I then stain with watered down acrylics from craft section. My version is much more detailed IMHO.


The link were you found your info is great!


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## Aquayne

I am working on a baby dragon now.


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## Aquayne

Started out with 5 different toy dino's from Wal*Mart. Cut off the pieces that I needed and put them all together in a different arrangement. Found an image of a real bat to make the wings complete with musculature. It is bigger than I wanted. I was shooting for a fetus but I think I ended up with a hatchling. Pictures to follow.


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## Aquayne

Here is my baby dragon.


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## Aquayne

Here are







some other views of him.





















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## RoxyBlue

Awww, he's cute He'll make a fine addition to your sideshow set up.


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## Aquayne




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## Aquayne

Made a label for the specimen


Draconis Serpens Subditus
Hatchling
Last Known Range: Eastern Europe from Latvia to Ukraine 
Status: Presumed Extinct. 
Last collected specimen preserved 1790 by Dr. Hugo Yves PhD. Royal Herpetological Academy of Science, London .

Draconis Serpens Subditus

BTW means Dragon Crawler Counterfeit.


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## BrainSkillet

Wow. These are incredible. I love the unique idea here and the execution is top notch.


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## Aquayne

I made a stand for the dragon out of twigs so it is displayed better now. I will try to get a picture but the stand is attached inside the jar so the image will not be easily done.


thank you so much. I enjoyed making these things and appreciate the kind words of those who see them. I wish I was creative enough to build a creepy side show exhibit to display these things. Things like lighting and atmosphere are difficult for me.


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## Just Whisper

Really great ideas, very imaginative. Those props are so creative and really well made. Fantastic addition to any display or haunt.


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## hpropman

Wow these are great! love them


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