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Dagens Nyheter is Sweden's largest newspaper. In the culture section today, there was this story from when a reporter visited Nordic FuzzCon. Nordic FuzzCon is Scandinavia's largest furry convention, this year held in Malmö in south Sweden. Link to the article here: https://www.dn.se/kultur/hanna-hellquist-jag-kramar-en-orn-i-kostymbyxor-och-blir-knasvag/
The story is almost overwhelmingly positive about the furry community and the convention. It describes how amazing people's fursuits are, how people from all over the world come to visit Sweden for the convention, interviews some people about what they like about the furry community and about the friendships formed between furries. The reporter seems to be fascinated by the colourful and cuddly anthro animals, "like being a kid at an exotic zoo".
In one part, one of the interviewed attendees describes himself as a cow therian. The relevant parts google translated below.
There are, however, more cows, so many that they form their own little community in the furry world. There was also no choice for Erik. He's something called a therian, which means he doesn't just dress like a cow, he identifies as a cow. The costume he wears is a tribute to a bull calf he took care of in the summer of 2007, and which he has never been able to forget.
--- There's a long bit here about Erik's memories of the calf, who was sent to slaughter. The reporter is moved to tears. Cut for brevity. ---
Erik has not always identified himself as a cow. From the age of fourteen he was a wolf, something he explains by saying that the strong emotions he experienced as a teenager were better suited to a wolf. It was only when those feelings had cooled that he found his true cow-self.
Now when I try to summarize our conversation it sounds like I'm ridiculing him but that's not my intention. In fact, I don't question Erik once, which instead makes me question my own career choice. I feel like a lousy journalist sitting here. I'm just trying to understand.
- I still think I was a wolf, I wasn't wrong. And I was very open about it, I told mum and dad and my closest friends. But when I turned twenty, I had a year-long transition period where I slowly went from being a wolf to being a cow. I was a very weird wolf/cow hybrid there for a few months, but since the late 90's I've been exclusively cow.
How do you know you're just a cow now? Will you transform again?
My personality changed when I got older, it didn't happen overnight. I am much calmer now, much more like a cow. When I was a wolf I always ate my food first, but now I eat slowly, there are so many little things that make it so clear that I am a cow.
You still eat very fast, though, says Justin.
I don't do that at all, Erik protests.
Justin the okapi is a traditional furry who does not identify as his animal.
I know I'm human and I don't mind being one, I just think that animal people are so much cooler. But of course, if there was a magic potion I could drink to become an okapi, then maybe I would.
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