Genius Loci

[Snowpoint]

I have read some basic information about Genius Loci on Wikipedia, but I am looking for more detailed information. My understanding of the concept comes from how Genius Loci are presented in other works of fiction. The story I'm working on features Genius Loci as a central conflict. If you know of some strong resources, that would be cool.

I have a few major questions about Genius Loci, "the Spirit of a Place" in mythology.

Are they more often associated with wilderness like forest, or with cities?

Do they look like animals or people when seen in period Art?

Are they anthropomorphic representations of a place, or more like a Patron Saint, or Guardian Spirit?

--- In other words, Would a Genius Loci say, "I am from Chicago." "I am Chicago." or, "I'm not actually from here, but I protect Chicago."

My story is about a Cowboy teaming up with the literal Spirit of Texas. I'm just trying to hammer out the details. Genius Loci are a central point of the magic in the book. The villain is trying to use the power of a Genius Loci to become a Black God. How exactly this works is still to be determined. Either he eats the Spirit, or becomes the Spirit, Replaces the Spirit. Not Sure yet.

 

[danr62]

This can vary pretty widely, I think. However, I do believe that a Genius Loci would tend to say either "I am Chicago" or "I protect Chicago" more than "I am from Chicago".

 

[CupofJoe]

Are they more often associated with wilderness like forest, or with cities?

Mythologically it would be with country areas they come from but that might just be because [to us now] the whole place looked pretty wild. Modern GL might well come to being in urban area.

Do they look like animals or people when seen in period Art?

Snakes are the most common in Roman art. Once you get beyond them I would guess that Xtian stamped out any obvious illusions [... but the there are a lot of satanic "Worms" in early Xtianity...].

Are they anthropomorphic representations of a place, or more like a Patron Saint, or Guardian Spirit?

For me it is a Guardian Spirit, but not usually in an anthropomorphic form.

This can vary pretty widely, I think. However, I do believe that a Genius Loci would tend to say either "I am Chicago" or "I protect Chicago" more than "I am from Chicago".

I'd go further. I think that a GL would have difficulty understanding the idea of "from Chicago". My idea of the GL is the spiritual/ethereal counterpoint to the German term for the human feeling of Heimat.
From what I know it is modern understandings of GLs are as an Earth elemental [in effect] and its powers weaken rapidly once away from it's home.
But as this is for a story and not in a religious discussion, the usual line of "If you can write it well..."

 

[Shockley]

I'm not too familiar with what the Romans would have thought, but I can give you the more northern European idea of this:

We have, for one, two meanings of the term 'local spirit.' On one hand, it could mean an anthropomorphic nature spirit. On the other hand, it could mean something very broad - just the idea, or being, of a place. So the local spirit of say, a bay, could either be a human who lived in the depths of the bay or the 'bayness' of the bay itself.

An interesting idea was the idea of tilled land, if I recall it correctly. The spirit of the farm would always stay with the farm, but generally identify itself as a member of the family of the man who first tilled the soil. So if you were to extrapolate that to Texas, you might find your spirit identifying as a relative of Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Alonso de Leon or even a Native American.