'Otherkin?' What's that?
Wikipedia states that 'Otherkin' means "a subculture made up of people who consider themselves non-human or having a connection to a mythical archetype in some way, usually believing to be mythological or legendary creatures."
I personally believe that 'Otherkin' describes a human who believes (however correctly or incorrectly) that they possess (to whatever degree) a bond with or a soul of a creature other than human. There are many types of Otherkin, more than I could possibly hope to EVER catalogue in my entire life... therefore, I've listed the most common ones (Angelic, Draconic, Fey, Therian, Vampiric) and included an 'Others' section, which is where (as the name implies) any others besides these are listed. I've included Therianthropy under this category not only because it fits in with my personal definition of Otherkin, but because it also makes for easier navigation.
A (Very) Brief History
According to Reference.com, the earliest recorded use of the word Otherkin was in 1996, and it grew out of the elven online community in the same general time frame.
A Lesson in Grammar
Interestingly enough, Otherkin isn't a proper noun. In other words, you aren't an Otherkin, you are (insert name of species here). You are described as Otherkin, you're not an Otherkin. Although, I do have to admit, this isn't a universal rule; there's a lot of differentiation between whether or not it's acceptable as a noun in various groups.
Recommended Links
- Otherkin.net is a great place for the newbie (NOT n00b; newbie
means person new to the scene). It also has an option to create an account (for free as of April 17, 2006), so you can
meet other people interested in or claiming to be 'Kin.
- Werelist.com is an awesome forum-based site that focuses on
Therianthropy.
While you're waiting on the sections in this area to be put up, please feel free to visit the Extras section.