| Term |
Definition |
B
|
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| Bacchus |
The Roman name for Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and altered states. See entry on Dionysos. |
| Balloonies |
People who are into inflation (like a balloon). This ranges from people who know chunky & pregnancy is beautiful to people who would like to become a living balloon. |
| "Barclay's protomorphosis disease" |
A transformative disease that appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation towards the end of the series' run. Accidentally caused by and named after a crewmember Reginald Barclay, who suffered from so many phobias that it is a wonder he was in space at all. The disease caused crewmembers to devolve to more primitive life forms over a period of a few days, turning into cavemen, amphibians, spiders, etc. Since their minds devolved as well, they were unaware of the transition. The disease was cured by Data and Captain Picard who had been away and were unaffected by the disease long enough to discover a cure. |
| BE |
Breast Expansion, for those who like their women overly well endowed. |
| Beastiaries |
A generic name for collections of animals, hybrid creatures (centaurs, mermaids, sirens, etc) and other fantasy animals (dragons, unicorns, etc) used by the early and medieval church as a sort of iconography and decoration for their houses of worship. Since many Christians of this era were illiterate, such symbolism was critical in teaching and reminding them the stories of the Bible. For instance, mermaids were portrayed as an agent of the devil and an symbol of deceit. Dragons, a symbol of evil and the villian against whom many Saints fought and defeated. Such symbolic relations were used by the European nobility as they rose and adopted crests for their houses. The term is also applied (less frequently) to similar collections of creatures in non-European cultures, such as China. See also Associations, Heraldry. |
| Beefcake |
Usually, images of well developed scantily clad or nude men in provocative poses. See also Cheesecake. |
| Belt |
An article of clothing usually used to hold up one's pants. In some stories though, belts have supernatural powers, usually granting the wearer strength or invisibility. |
| Bigfoot |
A pop culture name for the Sasquatch, as most of the evidence found indicating such a creature exists are large footprints. Bigfoot is mainly sighted in the Pacific Northwest, although other sightings and other cultural names have been applied to a similar creature across the globe. See also Sasquatch, Wild Men, Yeti. |
| Bioengineering |
Using science to create better animals and plants quickly, rather than the old fashioned way of "Selective Breeding". |
| Birth Defect |
A broad term covering a variety of ailments ranging from mental to physical problems. These are caused by a variety of factors, including random genetic mutation, environmental hazards, radiation, and poorly tested drugs. Usually these defects are detrimental to the individual who is born with them. For specifics, see entries on Conjoinment, Freak Show, Hermaphrodite, Pickled Punks, Siamese Twins, and Tail |
| Bizarro |
A character from DC comics, Bizarro is an imperfect duplicate of Superman with chalky white skin and a defective brain that reverses everything- so when he is doing bad, he thinks he is doing good. Prior to the 1980's his background story had grown so complex that he lived on a square planet (Bizarro World) populated by Bizarro versions of Superman's friends. After the 1980's, Bizarro reappeared periodically as an imperfect clone of Superman, since human cloning technology can't recreate Kryptonian DNA correctly- and in the end, he would usually revert to an inorganic state. Recently he has appeared more often as part of a group of super villians occupying a small country in Europe. |
| Blade(s) |
Possibly one of humanity's oldest tools, a blade is used to cut things, and has been granted a certain mythos. The most common ones are blades that can cut through anything and act as a symbol of authority (See Swords) Magicians use blades to "cut" their assistants in half, leading to a type of magic blade that will cut and dismember without actually killing the subject, who is usually restored. |
| Blodeuwedd |
In Celtic, "Flower Aspect" - a woman created out of a bed of flowers by the magician Math lord of Gwynedd Wales and his nephew Gwydion for the hero Lleu Llaw Gyffes because his mother swore he would never have a human wife. Blodeuwedd though was unfaithful and tried to kill her husband who escaped in the form of an eagle. Her lover was later killed, and she was turned into an owl. Blodeuwedd is modern Welsh for "Owl". |
| BM |
Shorthand for Body Manipulation |
| Body Manipulation |
A type of transformation where a body part is added or removed; enhanced or reduced; or minor characteristics such as skin, eye and/or hair color is altered. See also Topographic TF, BE, GTS, Conjoiment, MB. |
| Body Modification (Cultural) |
In different regions of the world, some cultures have taken upon itself to perform certain body modifications to distinguish themselves as a group, or to add to what their social beliefs believe is "beauty". Among these varied modifications are circumcision (practiced by the Jewish faith) small feet (once practiced on women in China) and 'flatheads' (practiced by some Native American tribes, a child's head was placed between two boards so as it grew, the head developed into an elongated shape). More common today are tattoos and body piercing. |
| Body Painting |
An art form where a person's body is painted. Temporary in nature, it is usually used in unique photo shoots, notably by PETA. |
| Books, Magic |
Spellbooks are often used as a source of knowledge and magic. However having the knowledge to use the magic correctly is another thing entirely. In some cases, the book is merely an icon that allows the user to possess power without understanding how to read it. This of course is a disadvantage to the user. See also Scroll, Icon. |
| Burak |
A creature from Islamic mythology with varying descriptions. The basic Burak has the head of a human (often female); the neck and body of a horse or antelope; wings of an eagle; and the tail of a peacock. It is a colorful creature, mainly white, and is able to understand all languages of man. Its most emphasised power is that of speed, and according to Islamic tradition, it is the steed of the archangel Gabriel. The prophet Mohammed made his "Night Journey" (isra) from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night on the back of the Burak. He was later carried into heaven on the back of the Burak. |
