Greymuzzle is a term used to refer to an older or more experienced therian or otherkin.[1] Definitions for greymuzzles differ depending on subculture and individual, but a greymuzzle may refer to:
- A therian who was an active member on Alt.Horror.Werewolves.[1]
- An older, adult individual who has been an active participant in therian and otherkin community spaces for near or over a decade.[1]
- An individual who has made widely recognized positive contributions to the otherkin and therian communities, typically over a period of several years to several decades.[2][3]
- An older therian or otherkin (quite literally someone who is beginning to grey, typically someone above the age 30 or 40). [4]
- Some combination of the above qualifiers.
There is no single, set criteria for being considered a greymuzzle, as it is largely considered a community given title.[2][3][5] Because of this, referring to oneself as a greymuzzle may be seen as bragging or as an attempt to make one seem more important or experienced than they actually are. Greymuzzle and synonymous terms, like elder and old fruit, do not denote any claim to community leadership and is not representative of a hierarchical rank.[6][7]
Some individuals may insist that greymuzzle is a term that can only be used regarding therians, but its usage has spread to other nonhuman-identifying communities in the last decade. It has been defined within otherkin circles as an term that otherkin can use[8] and it has been used in academia to refer to both otherkin and therians.[9]
History and etymology[]
Greymuzzle was originally a term coined in the therian community, likely inspired by the furry fandom's identical term greymuzzle to reference pre-internet furries, older furries, and furries who have been involved in the fandom for specific lengths of time. The term seems to have first appeared in the therian community on Alt.Horror.Werewolves from participant Smash Graywolf sometime prior to 1996 or 1997.[10]
The term is likely a reference to to the ways in which some species of canine, such as wolves and domestic dogs, will develop grey fur on their face as they grow older.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Orion Scribner (September 8, 2012). [http://frameacloud.com/nonfiction/otherkin-lexicon/ Otherkin Lexicon A Multi-Lingual Dictionary of Jargon Used in the Communities of Otherkin, Therianthropes, and Other Similar Peoples] p. 17.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 YoureDoingKinWrong: "hi there! i was just wondering what's a grey..." (English) (August 2, 2021). youredoingkinwrong.tumblr.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Therian Nation: "how old do you have to be/what do you have to do..." (English) (May 14th, 2017). theriannation.tumblr.com.
- ↑ Therian Nation: "I was just curious what age would someone..." (August 17, 2017). theriannation.tumblr.com.
- ↑ DoveWithScalee: "Shocking revelation (for anyone who isn't..." (September 19, 2017). at.tumblr.com. ""Pretty sure this anon isn’t [a greymuzzles] though. First because I can’t imagine a respected member of the kin community backing an anti-kin, and second because a real greymuzzle knows better than to declare that they are one.""
- ↑ Dinocanid: "In light of the discussion bubbling around in the..." (October 16, 2022). tumblr.com.
- ↑ Raven: "Herding Cats: A Model of Distributed Leadership" (English) (September 10, 2016). otherkin.net.
- ↑ OtherkindFAQ: "Glossary" (English) (2018). otherkindfaq.tumblr.com.
- ↑ Devin Proctor (May 19, 2019). On Being Non-Human: Otherkin Identification and Virtual Space p. 161. “The persistent rift between the older “greymuzzles” and the younger “tumblrkin” characterizes much current Otherkin discourse.”
- ↑ KatmanDu: "Frequently Asked Questions for alt.horror.werewolvs PART 9 - Odds and Ends" (English) (1996?). firelion.org.