atla-annotated:

Unalaq, what have you unleashed?

Some interesting things to notice:

Let’s start with that the spirit Tonraq angers looks vastly different than the angry spirits we encounter in the SWT. The one angered by the flooding of the forest have more definition, more detail. The ones we see in the SWT are less detailed, more shadowy. 

Secondly, if the spirits are angry that the spirit-portal is blocked, why are they trying to stop Korra from opening it? Shouldn’t they encourage/help her? Especially if that is the statue of the first Avatar, and they are connected to her. 

Now it gets really interesting: The markings on the totem pole? match the facial markings of the angry spirits, implying a connection between the statue and the angry spirits.

Further, the helix around the statue matches the ones Unalaq conjures. 

For me all of this begs the questions of whether that statue is benevolent, miss-used or evil and if those are actually spirits, or something else? 

And if Unalaq conjured/summoned those angry spirits, why does he want Korra to open the spirit-portal? 

And is thing going to get as debunked as my Energybending theory?