#The Sword of St Maurice | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

didanawisgi · 2 years

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The Sword of St.Maurice (Type XII) The Sword of Saint Maurice (Turin) is one of the best preserved 13th century swords. It is a massive sword, surely intended for use from horseback. From our own experience with our recreation, we have found that it is best weilded with the forefinger over the guard. About St. Maurice St. Maurice is believed to have been an officer in a legion of Christian soldiers from Upper Egypt during the reign of Emperor Maximian Herculius, circa 287. His legion, Legio Thebiae (Theban Legion), is believed to have been composed of as many as 6,600 Egyptian Christian Copts who had been originally recruited from and stationed in Thebias in Upper Egypt. Maximian transferred the Theban Legion, among other imperial units, to Gaul in an effort to crush a Gaulish revolt. The entire Theban legion was massacred en masse by their own side when they refused to participate in pagan sacrifices at Aaunum, an area of modern Switzerland. The earliest surviving evidence for St. Maurice consists of a letter written during the early 5th century. It names a late 4th century bishop, Theodore of Octodurum, as the discoverer of the relics of St. Maurice and his companions. The fact that St. Maurice is said to have belonged to a legion called the Thebiae, which was stationed in northern Italy in the early 5th century at the latest, suggests that Theodore invented the story of St. Maurice in order to appeal to this legion for political reasons. One possibility is that he had been trying to persuade the legion not to accept the usurper Eugenius as their new emperor in 392. Saint Maurice is one of the most popular saints in western Europe. There are over 650 sacred places bearing his name in France alone and over seventy towns bear his name. In the Middle Ages, Saint Maurice was the patron saint of a number of the dynasties of Europe and of the Holy Roman emperors, many of whom were anointed before the Altar of Saint Maurice at Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome. King Sigismund of Burgundy donated land for a monastery in his honor in 515. Henry I (919-936) ceded the Swiss province of Aargua in exchange for the Lance of the Saints; and another sacred relic, the Sword of Saint Maurice (Vienna), which served as the coronation sword of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany and Austria, sometimes with parts of Italy) for over 700 years. The Vienna sword was last used in the coronation of Emperor Karl of Austria as king of Hungary in 1916 and is now is kept in the Weltliche Schatzkammer, Vienna . Saint Maurice's feast day is September 22. The Sword Unlike the other sword attributed to St. Maurice that resides in Vienna, the Turin St. Maurice was kept together with relics of the saint. The sword was believed to have been the one used to behead St. Maurice, though it is clearly a 13th century sword. Originally in the Treasury of the Abbey of St. Maurice in the Valois (Switzerland), in 1591 Carol Emanuele I of Savoy transferred the sword, together with half the bones of St. Maurice, to the Royal Chapel at Turin. Since 1858, the sword has been displayed in the Armeria Reale (Royal Armory) in Turin and has the inventory number AR G 25. It is in a very fine state of preservation - looking almost as if it was forged yesterday. The sword is believed to have been made in the first half of the 13th century. Unlike its name-sake in Vienna, this is very much a no-frills fighting sword without any embellishments. The iron pommel is a so-called "Brazil nut" pommel of Oakeshott's type A. The grip is made of wood covered with thin, brown leather, parchment or possibly even linen, some of which has dried and peeled away during the centuries. The iron cross is of Oakeshott's style 6, slightly bent-down and with flattened tips. The steel blade is an Oakeshott type XII and has a rather broad (1/3 of the blade width), shallow fuller running about the three quarter's length of the blade. There are some marks engraved on both sides of the blade: H + H and + H +, respectively. One reason why the sword is in such a fine condition is probably because it was stored in a special leather case. The case is made of finely tooled and decorated dark brown leather and gesso duro (a type of plaster). It was fashioned in the years 1434-38, which is evident from the style of armor worn by the saint painted on the hilt end of the case. Other decorations are the arms of Savoy, Piedmont and Genoa, and an inscription in Latin: O bone mauricii defende tui cor amici ut nunquam subici laqueis possit inimici. Peter Johnsson says: "Just by being close to this sword, especially since it is not according to contemporary ideas, makes one develop a deeper understanding for what the medieval sword was all about. This is one end of the spectrum. This is one of those totally dedicated, unabashed and no nonsense swords. It is not about finesse, but totally about when and where to use. It´s effectiveness is not being brought out by tentatively chopping the air. It takes a full swing *against a target* to understand what this one is all about. I have been waiting eagerly to see this one completed. Handling the original was one of my finest moments yet. It made a very strong impression on me, having the original in my hand. This sword is not about [aesthetics]. It is just what it is: no prettyfying, just the brutal basics. And still it is not undignified or unevolved. In its own way it is very well planned out and executed. "

#sword #St. Maurice

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kemetic-dreams · 2 years

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Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius; Coptic: Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲙⲱⲣⲓⲥ) was an Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that martyred group. He is the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms.

According to the hagiographical material, Maurice was an Egyptian, born in AD 250 in Thebes, an ancient city in Upper Egypt that was the capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt (1575-1069 BC). He was brought up in the region of Thebes (Luxor).

Maurice became a soldier in the Roman army. He rose through the ranks until he became the commander of the Theban legion, thus leading approximately a thousand men. He was an acknowledged Christian at a time when early Christianity was considered to be a threat to the Roman Empire. Yet, he moved easily within the pagan society of his day.

The legion, entirely composed of Christians, had been called from Thebes in Egypt to Gaul to assist Emperor Maximian in defeating a revolt by the bagaudae. The Theban Legion was dispatched with orders to clear the Great St Bernard Pass across the Alps. Before going into battle, they were instructed to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and pay homage to the emperor. Maurice pledged his men's military allegiance to Rome. He stated that service to God superseded all else. He said that to engage in wanton slaughter was inconceivable to Christian soldiers. He and his men refused to worship Roman deities

Martyrdom

However, when Maximian ordered them to harass some local Christians, they refused. Ordering the unit to be punished, Maximian had every tenth soldier killed, a military punishment known as decimation. More orders followed, the men refused compliance as encouraged by Maurice, and a second decimation was ordered. In response to the Theban Christians' refusal to attack fellow Christians, Maximian ordered all the remaining members of his legion to be executed. The place in Switzerland where this occurred, known as Agaunum, is now Saint-Maurice, Switzerland, site of the Abbey of St. Maurice.

So reads the earliest account of their martyrdom, contained in the public letter which Bishop Eucherius of Lyon (c. 434–450), addressed to his fellow bishop, Salvius. Alternative versions have the legion refusing Maximian's orders only after discovering innocent Christians had inhabited a town they had just destroyed, or that the emperor had them executed when they refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods.

Veneration

Saint Maurice became a patron saint of the German Holy Roman Emperors. In 926, Henry the Fowler (919–936), even ceded the present Swiss canton of Aargau to the abbey, in return for Maurice's lance, sword and spurs. The sword and spurs of Saint Maurice were part of the regalia used at coronations of the Austro-Hungarian emperors until 1916, and among the most important insignia of the imperial throne (although the actual sword dates from the 12th Century). In addition, some of the emperors were anointed before the Altar of Saint Maurice at St. Peter's Basilica. In 929, Henry the Fowler held a royal court gathering (Reichsversammlung) at Magdeburg. At the same time the Mauritius Kloster in honor of Maurice was founded. In 961, Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, was building and enriching Magdeburg Cathedral, which he intended for his own tomb. To that end,

in the year 961 of the Incarnation and in the 25th year of his reign, in the presence of all of the nobility, on the vigil of Christmas, the body of St. Maurice was conveyed to him at Regensburg along with the bodies of some of the saint's companions and portions of other saints. Having been sent to Magdeburg, these relics were received with great honour by a gathering of the entire populace of the city and of their fellow countrymen. They are still venerated there, to the salvation of the homeland.

Maurice is traditionally depicted in full armor, in Italy emblazoned with a red cross. In folk culture he has become connected with the legend of the Holy Lance, which he is supposed to have carried into battle; his name is engraved on the Holy Lance of Vienna, one of several relics claimed as the spear that pierced Jesus' side on the cross. Saint Maurice gives his name to the town St. Moritz as well as to numerous places called Saint-Maurice in French speaking countries. The Indian Ocean island state of Mauritius was named after Maurice, Prince of Orange, and not directly after Maurice himself.

Over 650 religious foundations dedicated to Saint Maurice can be found in France and other European countries. In Switzerland alone, seven churches or altars in Aargau, six in the Canton of Lucerne, four in the Canton of Solothurn, and one in Appenzell Innerrhoden can be found (in fact, his feast day is a cantonal holiday in Appenzell Innerrhoden).Particularly notable among these are the Church and Abbey of Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, the Church of Saint Moritz in the Engadin, and the Monastery Chapel of Einsiedeln Abbey, where his name continues to be greatly revered. Several orders of chivalry were established in his honor as well, including the Order of the Golden Fleece, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and the Order of Saint Maurice. Additionally, fifty-two towns and villages in France have been named in his honor.

Maurice was also the patron saint of a Catholic parish and church in the 9th Ward of New Orleans and including part of the town of Arabi in St. Bernard Parish. The church was constructed in 1856, but was devastated by the winds and flood waters of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005; the copper-plated steeple was blown off the building. The church was subsequently deconsecrated in 2008, and the local diocese put it up for sale in 2011. By 2014, a local attorney had purchased the property for a local arts organization, after which the building served as both an arts venue and the worship space for a Baptist church that had been displaced following the hurricane.

On 19 July 1941, Pope Pius XII declared Saint Maurice to be patron Saint of the Italian Army's Alpini (mountain infantry corps). The Alpini have celebrated Maurice's feast every year since then.

The Synaxarium of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria does not mention Saint Maurice, although there are several Coptic churches named for him.

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graceofromanovs · 9 months

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Orders and Medals → ɢʀᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴜᴋᴇ ᴋᴏɴꜱᴛᴀɴᴛɪɴ ᴘᴀᴠʟᴏᴠɪᴄʜ

Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the second son of Emperor Paul I of Russia, was recorded to have been a recipient of twenty-three awards. Seven nationals: Order of Saint Andrew, Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky, Order of St. Anna, Order of St. John Jerusalem, Order of St. George, Order of St. Vladimir, and Order of the White Eagle. And sixteen foreign: Military Order of Maria Theresa (Austria), Military Order of Maximilian Joseph (Bavaria), Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain), Order of St. Januarius (Naples), Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit (Naples and Sicily), Military Order of William (The Netherlands), Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia), Iron Cross (Prussia), Supreme Order of the Holy Annunciation (Italy), Order of St. Maurice and Lazarus (Italy), Legion of Honour (France), Order of the Holy Spirit (France), Order of St. Michael (France), Order of Our Lady of Carmel and Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (France), Order of Saint Seraphim (Sweden), and Order of the Sword (Sweden).

#konstantin pavlovich #romanovs #history #orders

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richmond-rex · 3 years

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Sometime ago @beardofkamenev mentioned Henry VII's relationship with one particular Welsh saint, Saint Armel/Armagill. Although not one of the patron saints Henry VII mentioned in his last will, there's a fascinating aspect about what links those two together:

It's worth pointing out that St Armel was a relatively unknown saint in England before Henry VII popularised his cult: a rubric found in Prince Henry’s prayer roll (pictured above) explains that the saint’s ‘life and legende’ was ‘brought out of Britayne at the ynstans off the kynge owre sovereyn lord Harry the seventh.’ There are those who assign the spread of his cult to politically astute courtiers seeking favour with Henry VII, but we cannot say every image of St Armel in the country had a political meaning behind it: ‘The king’s devotion to the saint brought him back into the list of suitable saints for commemoration’ as one scholar points out, ‘that is all.’

Yet beyond the similarities shared with his life, St Armel’s iconography might have held a range of political meanings for Henry VII. Armel was not merely a priest — he was often represented wearing armour under his chasuble, gauntlets on his hands and sabatons and spurs on his feet, possibly a warrior saint as much St Maurice or St George. According to the legend, Armel took up his sword against the Saxon invaders in Wales over the Christian cause ('Armel therefore resolved to be a soldier, but a soldier of Jesus Christ'). It has been noted that the ordaining of bishops shared symbolic similarities with the crowning of kings: Armel’s saintly status as a warrior might have appealed to Henry VII’s own conception of sacred and ordained kingship.

The saint was often represented holding a maniple or a stole in his right hand with which he controlled the dragon he had subdued according to the legend. Perhaps a puzzling aspect of Armel’s iconography, then, would be his dominion over the dragon. The dragon was an important Welsh symbol, specially brought under the spotlight in Tudor England following Henry VII's adoption of the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr as his personal symbol. However, there are significant differences in the representation of Armel’s dragon in Brittany and France compared with the depictions of this saint found in Wales and England.

In the first case, Armel’s dragon was represented as a large, fierce and aggressive creature. In the case of Wales and England, the dragon was depicted as small and submissive. As exemplified by the statute placed in Henry VII's Lady Chapel at Westminster (pictured above), the dragon is so small Armel is able to rest his foot on it: the beast is turned into a pet. In the words of Madeleine Gray, it was an important iconographic change:

This may have been an attempt to negotiate the rather difficult situation in which Henry found himself as a monarch whose emblem was the dragon ruling over a country whose patron saint was the dragon-slaying St George. On the one hand, the saint mutates from being a dragon-slayer to a dragon-friend. On the other hand, the small, tamed dragons of Merevale, Torbryan and Romsey are a reassurance to the English that Henry has the Welsh under control, while they also reassure the Welsh that he regards them as his loyal allies.

Like @beardofkamenev I recommend Madeleine Grey’s chapter “Politics, Power and Piety: The Cult of St Armel in Early Tudor England and Wales” in Rewriting Holiness: Reconfiguring Vitae, Re-signifying Cults. Kings College London Medieval Studies; vol xxv (2017).

1. Illustration of St Armel in a prayer roll belonging to Prince Henry, later Henry VIII (BL Add MS 88929) | 2. Plaster cast of St Armel, from Henry VII’s Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey, ca. 1505 (V&A Musem Collection)

#st armel: i just think he is neat!#henry vii #saint armel #dailytudors #historian: madeleine grey #politics power and piety: the cult of st armel in early tudor england

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jimmythedonut · 6 years

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Coming soon.....

#swords #sword #St Maurice #arms and armor #Oakeshott XI

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fortitudinem · 4 years

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TIMELINE FOR DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS UNIVERSE

under the cut because it is a long post

AU – Ante Unionem ( before union, this takes place before the union of the kingdoms under King Adam and counts backwards in years ) IB – Imperium Bestia ( beast’s reign, this takes place after the union of the kingdoms and counts forwards. )

38 AU – In Olympia, The newborn Hercules is stolen from his parents by Hades’ minions who attempt to remove his power and fail, leaving him to be found and taken in by a human family.

36 AU – Moana is born in Motuni, daughter of the Chief.

33 AU – In Lone Keep, Aladdin is born and orphaned in Agrabah.

32 AU – In Northern Wei, Fa Mulan. In Paris, Quasimodo is born and his mother killed on the steps of the cathedral by Frollo, who is then made to sponsor the boy’s upbringing within the walls of the cathedral.

31 AU – In Camelot, Arthur is born and adopted. In Agrabah, Princess Jasmine is born.

30 AU - Princess Merida is born in the Borderlands.

29 AU – In Solaria, Aurora is born to King Stephen and Queen Leah, at her christening the dark fairy Maleficent curses her to die by pricking her finger on a spindle before her sixteenth birthday as revenge for having not been invited. Aurora is betrothed to Phillip. The curse is rewritten by the Good Fairies. Aurora is taken away by the Three good Fairies to be raised as Briar Rose in the woods. In Prydain, Taran is born. In the Golden Citadel, Future Emperor Kuzco is born.

28 AU – Princess Elsa is born in Arendelle. Pocahontas is born.

27 AU – Princess Eilonwy is born in Prydain.

25 AU – Princess Rapunzel is born in Corona and kidnapped by Gothel. Princess Snow White is born in the Summerlands. Princess Anna is born in Arendelle. Ella is born in Verrelac.

23 AU – Tarzan is born and his parents take him on a ship down the coast, but it is shipwrecked and they are forced to trek into the jungle and make themselves a home in the trees. However, they are killed by a leopard named Sabor. Tarzan is found by the Gorilla Kala and taken in by her.

22 AU – Tiana is born in New Orleans.

20 AU – Hercules is revealed to be the son of Zeus and begins his training. Hades finds out and attempts to kill him and release the Titans to go and kill his brother Zeus. This also fails. Hercules gains his godly powers back but chooses to remain on the mortal plane. Hades escapes the souls and goes back to ruling the underworld. In Arendelle, Anna suffers an injury from Elsa’s powers and the trolls have to erase her memories to fix it. Elsa begins to withdraw and the sisters are kept apart. In Motunui, when a blight strikes her people Moana defies her father’s wishes for no-one to leave the reef, leaves the Kingdom and journeys to deliver the heart of the sea to Te Fiti. She succeeds at fixing the goddess and making the seas safe for all once more.

19 AU – In Camelot, Arthur removes the sword from the stone and is crowned King Arthur. Merlin bests the witch Madam Mim. In the Summerlands, King White dies, leaving his second wife, Queen Grimhilde as regent while his daughter is too young to rule.

18 AU – In Villanueve, ten year old Prince Adam receives an unwanted visitor to his castle and he sends them away, but they are revealed to be an enchantress who turns him into a beast to punish him for his selfish behaviour. He has until the even of his 21st Birthday to fall in love and make someone fall in love with him in return.

16 AU – Northern Wei is invaded by the Hun army, Fa Mulan enlists under the guise of a warrior named Ping. She buries the Hun army in an avalanche but is caught out for being a woman and sent home. Instead, she rescues the emperor.

15 AU – In Agrabah, Princess Jasmine tires of meeting suitors and never being allowed outside of the palace, so she sneaks out and meets Aladdin, who is then arrested for kidnapping her. Jafar searches for someone to get him into the Cave of Wonders to find the genie lamp and ends up using Aladdin for this purpose. Aladdin finds the lamp, but ends up taking control of the genie. He arrives at the palace as a suitor for Jasmine, having fallen in love with her. Jafar gains control of the lamp and takes over Agrabah, but is beaten by Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie. In Prydian, Taran is put in charge of the psychic pig Hen Wen to stop the Horned King getting his hands on the Black Cauldron. He is captured but frees himself and Princess Eilonwy and eventually they destroy the cauldron. In Verrelac, Ella’s mother passes away.

14 AU – In Sherwood Forest, King Richard is away on crusade and his brother Prince John has usurped the throne and is taxing villagers relentlessly. Robin Hood steals from these taxmen and the rich to pay back the poor people who have nothing left. Prince John fails to capture Robin and his men and Richard returns to Sherwood to take back his throne from his brother. In Faraway, Princess Merida defies custom and propriety and accidentally turns her mother into a bear. This is fixed and the evil bear Mor’du is defeated.

13 AU – Aurora’s sixteenth birthday draws near; the fairies prepare to take her back to her parents once they have outmatched the curse. Aurora meets and falls in love with Phillip, unknowing that he is already her betrothed. She is taken back to the castle and found by Maleficent who spells her into pricking her finger and falling into a deep sleep. Maleficent also captures Phillip. The Good Fairies send everyone else to sleep too and then rescue Phillip, who in turn goes to wake Aurora. He slays Maleficent in her dragon form and wakes Aurora with a kiss. Aurora is returned to her parents. Alice Liddell is born in London. In Verrelac, Ella’s father marries Lady Tremaine.

12 AU – Captain Phoebus is named head of the Paris Guards. Quasimodo leaves the church for the first time ever and is proclaimed King of Fools at the festival, but the people of the city mock him and he returns to the church, disheartened. Judge Claude Frollo falls for Esmerelda and suspecting she has placed him under a spell, seeks to burn her for witchcraft. She takes sanctuary at the church and Quasimodo helps her escape, but is later fooled by Frollo into showing him where her true hiding place, the Court of Miracles is. Frollo orders Esmerelda and her people captured and killed. Phoebus helps set them free instead and Frollo is killed in the ensuing battle. Quasimodo is hailed a hero. In Verrelac, Ella’s father passes away, leaving her in the care of Lady Tremaine.

11 AU – In the Golden Citadel, Emperor Kuzco fires his advisor, Yzma, for attempting to run the country behind his back. In retaliation, she turns him into a llama and attempts to have him killed, but the attempt fails and Yzma is turned into a cat. Kuzco is returned to his human self and put back on the throne. In the Summerlands, Princess Snow White has been being raised by Queen Grimhilde, forced to work in the castle she should own. The queen is reclusive and vain and when she hears that Snow White is now considered prettier than her, she orders the girl taken into the forest and killed. Instead the huntsman simply abandons her and tells her to run. Snow White happens upon the cottage of the dwarves and soon makes friends with them. The Queen, however, is told Snow white is alive by her magic mirror and decides she needs to kill her herself with a poisoned apple. She tricks Snow White into eating the apple while she is alone and the dwarves returns to find her seemingly dead. They chase Queen Grimhilde off a cliff and lay Snow White in a coffin of glass, until Prince Heinrich-Florian arrives to bestow upon her True Love’s Kiss. She awakes and the pair unite their lands.

10 AU – In the future King George Town, Governor Radcliffe’s ship arrives from London with the intent of searching the area for gold, but there is none to be found. John Smith falls in love with Pocahontas, the daughter of the Chief of the area. When one of the Chief’s men is shot dead, John is blamed and sentenced to death. Pocahontas saves him and he, in turn, saves the life of the Chief by taking a bullet intended for him. He is shipped back to London for medical care. King Agnarr and Queen Iduna perish in the Dark Sea, leaving their daughters to rule Arendelle. However, no-one takes the throne and Arendelle is without regent.

8 AU - In Villanueve, a small town in the Kingdom of Auradon, Maurice the inventor is captured by the Beast (actually Crown Prince Adam), Belle gives her freedom to rescue him, Belle and Beast fall in love, breaking the curse and freeing Adam back into his human form.

7 AU – In South Riding, the day before her 18th birthday, Rapunzel is accosted in her tower (where she has been living with her mother, Gothel for 18 years in order to protect her magical hair) by a stranger, a thief by the name of Flynn Ryder. She agrees to exchange his belongings for being walked to the city of Corona to see the lanterns that shine every year on her birthday. They are pursued by guards, Gothel and Flynn’s acquaintances, the Stabbington brothers all across the land until they finally reach Corona. Unfortunately, Rapunzel is returned to the care of her mother and taken back to the tower where a memory is triggered of her childhood. She reveals to Gothel that she knows she was the princess taken as a baby. Gothel attempts to imprison her, but Eugene escapes custody and scales the tower, leading to Gothel stabbing him. Rapunzel promises to go with Gothel if she is allowed to heal Eugene, but as she goes to do it, Eugene cuts her hair off, rendering it no longer magical. Gothel falls from the tower, turning to dust on the way down. Rapunzel is returned home to grateful parents. In Arendelle, Queen Elsa is coronated. A celebration is thrown where the doors to the palace are opened for the first time in three years. Elsa’s powers manifest, throwing Arendelle into a perpetual winter and she flees into the mountains. Anna goes after her and after tracking her down, is wounded and brought back to Arendelle for a cure to stop her turning to ice. Elsa is imprisoned in the castle, but escapes. A battle ensues on the frozen fjord, where Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa, thus thawing her frozen heart. Elsa fixes the weather and takes over the Kingdom.

6 AU – In Verrelac, Ella is living under the care of her stepmother Lady Tremaine, who treats her like a servant and dubs her ‘Cinderella’. She longs to go to the ball that is being thrown for the Prince, to find him a wife, but is denied the chance. Fairy Godmother appears to her and uses magic to send her to the ball in style. Ella and Prince Christopher fall in love, but Ella has to flee the castle at midnight as the magic won’t last. She loses a glass slipper on the staircase, prompting Christopher to send men all over the kingdom looking for her. Despite interference from Lady Tremaine, the pair are united and married. Ella becomes Princess Ella. In London, Alice Liddell is spending some time outside when she spies a rabbit wearing a waistcoat and follows it into a topsy-turvey world. She almost has her head removed by the Queen of Hearts but manages to flee Wonderland back to her own home. In Corona, Rapunzel’s hair magically grows back after she comes into contact with magic black rocks (other adventures ensue).

5 AU – In Atlantica, King Triton’s youngest daughter Ariel is scheduled to make her debut. However, she misses it, sparking her father’s anger. She saves a human prince, Prince Eric of Tirulia, from drowning when his ship capsizes in a storm. When her father finds out, he destroys her prized possessions, driving Ariel into the arms of the Sea Witch Ursula, who promises to make her a human for the cost of her voice and with the caveat that she has three days to get true love’s kiss from Eric. Now human and mute, Ariel is found on the shore by Eric who takes her in and shows her the human world, but after a near miss he is spelled by Ursula into marrying her instead. Ariel fails the task of getting a kiss and turns back into a mermaid under Ursula’s power. King Triton gives himself up for Ariel, leaving Ursula with his sea-controlling sceptre. Ursula is killed when Eric spears her through the heart with a ship. Ariel and Eric are reunited and married. In the Deep Jungle, Tarzan has been raised by his Gorilla family, but they soon come under threat from a hunter named Clayton. Tarzam meets Jane and her father, interacting with another human for the first time since his parent’s deaths. He accidentally leads Clayton back to the gorilla’s home and has to save them when Clayton attempts to take them away with him. The gorilla leader Kerchak is shot and dies, naming Tarzan his successor. Clayton accidentally hangs himself on vines. Not too far away, in another jungle, Mowgli the man-cub has been raised by wolves but with the return of the man-eating tiger Shere Khan to the region they feel it is time to return him to the man village. Mowgli, not wanting to go the man village, joins instead with a bear named Baloo, but ultimately, after several near misses with snakes, monkeys and Shere Khan himself, Mowgli is returned to the man village. In a small village, a woodworker named Gepetto wishes for a puppet he created to be turned into a real boy. His wish is granted (to a degree) and Pinocchio is born, but still made from wood. After being led astray, being locked up, put on a cursed island and eaten by a whale, Pinocchio is finally turned into a real boy, instead of a wooden puppet. In Corona, after a rocky few months, Rapunzel and Cassandra battle the evil Zhan Tiri and win. Varian invents hot running water. King Adam enters into negotiations with Verrelac, Solaria, The Summerlands, North Riding, Camelot, Westerly and Tirulia, promising a new era of prosperity and safety if they would be willing to unite under his banner.

4 AU – In London, the Darling family are living in their townhouse, which is being frequented at night by Peter Pan. The children of the house, Wendy, Michael and John, are taken away by Peter to a magical cloaked island where no-one grows up called Neverland, where they fight pirates, including Pan’s nemsis, the evil captain Hook. Eventually, they return home to their parents. In Paris, Madame Bonfamille alters her will to leave everything to her cats. In response to this, her butler attempts to have them killed so he can inherit her fortune instead. Luckily, the cats survive and Edgar is sent away. In a small city, Jim Dear and his wife decide to go on vacation, leaving their baby in the care of an aunt, who mistakenly identifies their dog, Lady, as dangerous and purchases her a muzzle, prompting Lady to run away and befriend a local stray. The stray is eventually brought home with her and adopted by Jim Dear and Darling. Atlantis is discovered by Milo Thatch. In Arendelle, Queen Elsa is having strange experiences with a voice calling to her, when a series of disasters drives all the citizens out of the city of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna embark on a quest to fix the problem by journeying to an Enchanted Forest where they meet the Northuldra people and learn more about their own past. Elsa journeys further alone, to Ahtohallan, a glacial river of ice said to hold memories. There she finds out that she is the fifth elemental spirit and that their grandfather damaged the magic of the forest by building a dam and then attacked the Northuldra people, prompting the forest to close itself off. She manages to get this message to Anna before freezing solid. Anna is prompted to action by the message and uses rock giants to bring down the dam, even though it would destroy Arendelle. The spirits all agree to spare Arendelle due to her selfless and brave actions and Elsa and the Nokk turn back the tidal wave before it can destroy the city. Elsa chooses to stay in the Enchanted Forest and Anna is crowned Queen Anna of Arendelle. In Tirulia, Melody is born. The ship is attacked by Ursula’s sister Morgana who swears vengeance on the child, prompting Ariel to shut their castle off from the sea, vowing that she will not return to the mer-folk kingdom until Morgana is found. Negotiations are finalised with King Adam for the Kingdoms of Verrelac, Solaria, The Summerlands, North Riding, Camelot, Westerly and Tirulia to unite under his banner.

3 AU – In New Orleans, Tiana agrees to cater for her friend Charlotte’s party for the money to buy herself a building to turn into the restaurant of her dreams. Prince Naveen, a visiting dignitary from the nearby Maldonia, is turned into a frog by Doctor Facilier. Tiana finds that the money is not enough to buy the building and when Naveen, in frog form, asks her to kiss him to turn him back she reluctantly agrees in exchange for the money she needs. However, because she isn’t a princess, she instead also turns into a frog. Tiana and Naveen trek through the bayou to find a voodoo queen named Mama Odie to help turn them back and following her advice they journey back into the city to get Charlotte to kiss Naveen and break the spell, however they run out of time and the spell sticks until Tiana and Naveen are married as frogs, making Tiana and princess and capable of breaking the curse. Tiana sets up her dream restaurant.. In The Summerlands, Bambi’s mother is killed by a hunter. Adam enters negotiations with East Riding, South riding, Northern Wei, Lone Keep, Winter’s Keep and Apheliotia, pressuring them to join under his banner utilising the strength he has already amassed.

2 AU – In London, Roger and Anita Radcliffe’s dogs Pongo and Perdita, give birth to fifteen puppies. These puppies are dognapped by Anita’s college friend and wealthy heiress Cruella De Vil after Roger refuses to sell them to her. She intends to make a coat out of them. The puppies are saved by their parents and it is revealed Cruella also bought 84 other puppies. Pongo and Perdita take them all home with them to be cared for by Roger and Anita. In the Summerland, in the enchanted wood, the orphaned deer, Bambi, wins a courtship duel, chases hunters from his lands and is forced to outrun a forest fire. He is crowned Great Prince of the Forest by the other animals. News spreads across the kingdoms of a flying elephant named Dumbo. Negotiations are finalised with East Riding, South riding, Northern Wei, Lone Keep, Winter’s Keep and Apheliotia, bringing them all under Adam’s banner.

1 AU – In a big city, a box of kittens is left abandoned when only one remains. Oliver attempt to adjust to life on his own and instead befriends a dog named Dodger and his crew of thieving dogs, headed up by their human, Fagin. Fagin owes a lot of money to Bill Sykes, a mobster, so he encourages the dogs to attempt to steal a car. The plan goes awry and Oliver is found by a little girl, Jenny and taken in. The gang, thinking he has been captured, seek to free him and Fagin attempts to use him to get a ransom from Jenny’s rich family. However, upon seeing Jenny he has a change of heart, but Sykes won’t accept that, he kidnaps Jenny. But Jenny is rescued by the dogs and Fagin and Sykes’ car is hit by a train. Oliver goes to live with Jenny. In the countryside, a hunting dog refuses to hunt a fox, instead choosing to protect it. The Wild Kingdom, Borderlands, Farway, Schwartzvald and Olympia sign an agreement to unite under Adam’s banner, with caveats. Neverland’s cloaking magic is removed and it too is forced into the agreement with Auradon.

0 IB – Beast and Belle marry, Auradon is united under one flag with Beast proclaimed High King through popular vote, though it had already been decided. The Isle of the Lost is created, and the villains are captured or brought back from the dead to be placed in this prison.

1 IB – Auradon Preparatory school is formed, utilising an old castle to turn into a boarding school for future generations. The Recycling Act is passed, sending all the garbage from Auradon to the Isle of the Lost. Fairy Godmother is made headmistress of Auradon Prep.

3 IB – Beast declares that magic will no longer be used in Auradon where possible, that it will be phased out and that it will be replaced with technology. While not an outright ban on magic, he makes it very clear that magic is now considered dangerous and frowned upon.

4 IB – Prince Benjamin, Princess Audrey, Prince Chad are born in Auradon, along with the rest of their future classmates. On the Isle of the Lost, Mal, Jay, Evie, Uma and Harry are born. Adam passes a regulatory law on the powers of his King’s Council, taking power from them and giving himself more control.

5 IB – Jane Fae is born in Auradon. Carlos De Vil is born on the Isle of the Lost. King Adam passes a law to make his line of succession the line of succession and to eliminate the ‘vote’ aspect of becoming High King and to pave the way for Ben to become the next High King.

6 IB – King Hubert passes away. Corona and South Riding merge into one Kingdom under the control of King Frederic.

7 IB – In Tirulia, Melody is turning twelve. She sneaks out into the sea often and she ends up finding out about Atlantica and mer-folk even though Ariel has been hiding it from her. She ventures out into the sea and is taken to Morgana, who offers her a tail in exchange for Triton’s trident. Melody, not knowing who she is, finds the trident and gives it to Morgana, but upon realising her mistake, she manages to take it back and Triton encases Morgana in a block of ice and then banishes her to the Isle of the Lost.

9 IB – The last free villains are imprisoned on the Isle, marking the turning point for Auradon. It is marked with a celebration.

10 IB – On the Isle of the Lost, Queen Grimhilde is banished from society by Maleficent for failing to invite Mal to her daughter’s birthday party.

18 IB – Princess Rapunzel is made Queen of Corona by her retiring father.

19 IB – The Sidekicks Act is developed by Prince Ben, giving the workers access to rest days and adequate pay, as well as pension funds and college plans, He starts a movement towards modernisation in every home, especially ones that have previously had woodland animals to do the chores for them.

20 IB – Ben makes a proclamation giving the children from the Isle of the Lost a second chance. He brings over four such children to prove that this program works. Beast steps down as King, leaving Ben in charge. Maleficent is rendered into the form of a small lizard.

21 IB – Ben puts an embargo on travel in and out of the Isle of the Lost, except by pre-approved means. He declares any barges going into the Isle must be full of real supplies instead of garbage. Mal is named Lady Mal at Cotillion. Uma escapes the Isle and disappears into the sea, becoming a fugitive.

22 IB – The VK Day program is set up. Four new children from the Isle of the Lost are chosen to attend Auradon Prep. King Ben proposes to Lady Mal. Princess Audrey is spelled by Maleficent’s Sceptre and attempts to put all of Auradon under a sleeping curse. She is stopped by Lady Mal. At their engagement party, Lady Mal and King Ben decide to remove the barrier once and for all and pardon all the villains. Work begins on turning the Isle in a liveable habitat.

23 IB – Work is completed on a new school for the Villain Kids and a real prison for villains who fall back into their old ways.

notes: i probably need to add more to the IB sections, that is a later problem.

#disney descendants #descendants #disney's descendants #descendants meta #descendants worldbuilding #4000 words later #HISTORY | AURADON.#ABOUT | AURADON.

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drdln3-blog · 3 years

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Science, Religion, and Spirituality: In Search of God

Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon Mountain House, CA 95391, USA

Science and religion have traditionally been treated like oil and water--they don’t mix. They don’t mix because we have been led to believe that religion is a form of subjective fundamental belief whereas science is objective veriﬁable phenomenon. In this article, I have developed a formula to mix science and religion and to explain that the concept of God has practical value only if we accept it as part of us. A scientist may ﬁnd difficult to believe that some wise old man or woman sitting up in heaven is keeping track of everything, but can’t deny the incredible awareness and intelligence that exists in life, in nature, and in us. It’s being a scientist that makes us spiritual.

The questions about God, hell, heaven, and rebirth, and their relationship to realization, enlightenment, and spirituality, have occupied our mind for centuries in one form or another: What is God? Does He/She really exist? Why do we search for God? Do religions really believe in the same God? Why are there religious wars? Is there really a place such as heaven or hell? What was our past life? What will be our future life? Is there really such a thing as past life or future life?

Religions and prophets have been preaching about God, hell, and heaven for centuries, and millions of people have cultivated belief in these phenomena. The revolution of science and technology in this century has forced many of us to reevaluate the doctrines and tenets of our faith. Should we believe in creation or should we believe in evolution? Should we believe in heaven and God's court of justice when we look up in the sky, or should we believe in the space, the planets, and the galaxies up there? I hope this article provides a fresh insight into the mysteries about God, hell, heaven, and rebirth--and leave us wiser, peaceful, and enlightened.

What is God?

The philosophy of religion or the institute of God is the human's greatest discovery. God is not a physical object. It is a state of mind. God is the Electromagnetic pulse of energy that gives life and lives within all. What we call our conscious/soul is part of God within us. That is why great prophets and religious scriptures say God is everywhere (omnipresent). Whenever, wherever, our mind and soul is with us, God is there; and the saying goes “God resides in our hearts- -not in temples, mosques, or churches. Bernie Siegel (author of Love, Medicine & Miracles) says same thing, “God resides in each of us.” In other words, God is a spirit that exists in every person. The rich, the poor, the king, the subject, the religious, the atheist, the sinner, the sage, the Easterner, the Westerner, the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the Muslim, the Sikh, the Buddhist, and on and on.... This is consistent with what the Christians preach: “We are ideas of God!” And ideas come from--the divine mind. Only people (Homo sapiens) among the animal species are fortunate enough to have a powerful mind and experience the presence of spirit in their mind. The recognition of that spirit is what gives us spiritual living or realization of God. Completely illuminated human beings know that God is present in the deepest and most central part of their own soul. God is not outside the world. God is the world. So, philosophically, God is a State of Mind; OR It’s our mind, which is God! OR God is a spirit/conscious energy that exists in each one of us! (lf you're confused, don’t worry! Read on!!)

“God is not outside the world. God is within us. Live a Holy, Healthy, Happy Life.”

Religion-spirituality and science can come together. God is scientific. God is light. God is darkness. God is intelligent, loving energy. God is nature. God is in us. God is psychoneuroimmunology when we witness miracles of healing. God is all. Some of us may distinguish between religion and spirituality; religion may be a possessive and destructive force that doesn’t allow expansion of mind, whereas spirituality is a healing force with no rules attached to God’s love or God’s ability to sustain us. We should remember the real purpose of a religion is spirituality; and we should try to stay away from names and deﬁnitions. God, for example, is one of the many names of the same divine force or universal energy.

For those who feel comfortable with the word God or Creator, it’s a divine word! It brings peace of mind. With prayer, we speak to God. With miracles, God responds. Science now explains miracles of healing through the mind-body relationship. With prayer we awaken the spirit in our mind, and the transformed-spiritual mind causes hormonal and other chemical changes that eventually may result in healing. As such, God or Creator is not a separate entity, it’s part of us- -present right in our mind all the time. God is within us every moment, in every circumstance. He/She is to our left and to our right, before us and behind us, above us and beneath us. God watches every act--criminal or noble--and every moment, whether we’re alone or in a crowd. We cannot deceive God (our own mind/conscious) by thinking nobody is watching us.

What about our belief in God's form of existence or court of justice? Nobody could describe the physical or descriptive existence of God in the past, nobody can describe it now in the present, and nobody is likely to describe it in the future. For an atheist there is no God because physical existence cannot be proven. And that is why discussion on existence or nonexistence of God never gets anywhere. God's existence cannot be proved or disproved. God is not a body like us sitting somewhere in the sky. We have launched rockets into the space, we have built space-station, we have analyzed moon rocks, we have taken close-up pictures of the planets--we don’t find even primitive life form, never mind ﬁnding God in the sky. Science may not ﬁnd God in the sky who keeps track of everything, but the incredible awareness and intelligence that exists in life, in nature, and in us on this Earth is a form of God's scientiﬁc existence.

It’s impossible to see God, because He/She is an integral part of our mind. Since God is within us, we obviously can’t see God, just as, for instance, an eye cannot see itself and an ear cannot hear itself. And Zenrin puts in simply, “Like a sword that cuts, but cannot cut itself; like an eye that sees, but cannot see itself.” Our soul and God are one. The individual soul (atma) is part of universal or original or supreme or perfect soul called Parmatma (name of God in eastern scriptures). The attempt to bring the soul and God together merely perpetuates the illusion that the two are separate. It’s not so, and we’re already It. To know God is to be God; the two are not at all separate, points out the Hindu scripture Upanishad. If God and we were two separate entities, then we could see, hold, and go around Him/Her in a ceremonial worship! However, in various religions we find unique ways to worship God. Practitioners use symbols of godhead varying from images/statues to holy books and even imaginary pictures.

The great prophets, Christ, Mohammed, Nanak, Buddha, Krishna, and Mahavir, all provided avenues to the realization of God or to awaken the spirit that exists in our minds. These paths are different, but the destination or message is similar. More importantly, there is one common element; they all focus on something that exists in our minds and strive for a realization or spiritual awakening that forms the basis for a changed or spiritual state of mind.

If God is a state of mind with awakened spirit, what is that state of mind!

That state of mind is without fear, without enmity, immortal without the fear of death or birth, complete within itself--timeless, ageless, and form- less (Akaal Moorat). We know that only the physical body ages, spirit is not affected by time or age or birth or death. A few blessed ones realize that state of mind (Nirbhau, Nirvair, Akaal Moorat, Ajooni, Saebhang, Gur Parsad Mul-Mantra or Basic Principle, Japuji). Nanak, Mohammad, Christ, Buddha, Mahavir, and other great prophets attained such a state of mind. They were able to awaken the spirit that existed in their minds. They realized the presence of spirit (God). In other words, they found God.

It is that state of mind with awakened spirit which Rajnish called orgasmic, saints call peaceful, psychiatrists call tranquil, and drug addicts call getting high.

Many spiritual masters have called this enlightened state of mind by different names. Buddha called it “the enlightened one.” Christ and Messiah also meant the same. St. Paul called it “the peace of God that passeth understanding” and Richard Maurice Bucke named it "Cosmic Consciousness.” Guru Nanak described as “realization of ultimate truth.” In Zen it is satori, in yoga it is samadhi or moksha, in Suﬁsm it is fana, in Taoism it is wu or the Ultimate Tao. Gurdjieff labeled it “objective consciousness”; Sri Aurobindo refers to it as “illumination,” “liberation,” and “self-realization.” Dante said, “trans-humanization into a God.” Likewise, enlightenment has been symbolized by many images; the thousand-petaled lotus of Hinduism, the Holy Grail of Christianity, the clear mirror of Buddhism, Judaism’s Star of David, the yin-yang circle of Taoism, the mountain top, the swan, the still lake, the mystic rose, and the eternal ﬂame.

How an individual describes the enlightened state of mind may seem quite different and even opposed. As one and the same pain may be described either as a hot pang or a cold sting, so the descriptions of the enlightened experience may take forms that seem so different. One person may say that he/she has found the answer to the whole mystery of life, but somehow cannot put it into words. Others will feel that they have experienced, not a transcendent God, but their own inmost nature. Some will get the sense that their egos or selves have expanded to become the entire universe, whereas others will feel that they have lost themselves altogether and that what they called their egos were never anything but abstractions. Some will describe themselves as inﬁnitely enriched, while others will say they haven't a care in the world. A theist may call it a glimpse of the presence of God.

Irrespective of that experience, we can call this state of mind with awakened spirit “the spiritual state of mind.” In everyday living, spiritualism is experienced as kindness, forgiving, mercy, compassion, peace, joy, acceptance, non-judgment, joining, intimacy, and an absence of need to dominate others. Spiritual beings focus on authentic personal empowerment, utilize multidimensional thinking, and believe loving guidance is available. They feel connected to all of humanity and practice a life without desire to control someone or to prove that they are right and the other person is wrong. They know a dimension beyond cause and effect. They are motivated by morality, serenity, and quality of life. They recognize a violent response to evil as participating in evil and focus on what they stand for. They feel a sense of responsibility and belonging to the universe. They have a tendency to extend love and help others rather than feel enmity and competition. Their minds are not controlled by anger, fear, lust, greed, attachment, false ego, or envy. Their existence is not affected by time and age. They are not afraid of getting old or of dying young. They see no sin in the world to escape from.

Nonspiritual people, on the other hand, are in a state of fear and experience anger, abuse, pain, greed, addiction, selﬁshness, obsession, corruption, and violence. They hold grudges and seek revenge for perceived wrongdoing. They are only motivated by achievement, performance and acquisitions. They feel separate from all others.

Why is there a spiritual need to search for God?

“Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.” --Paramhansa Yogananda

To satisfy the sense may be the major challenge for some of us, but it is actually the easiest part. The mind and spirit require continual attention and stimulation. It is not until we assume responsibility for the enhancement of the total self that we can live full lives.

For the sake of simplicity, let's divide human life into three levels of existence. All three levels, we may point out, are a normal part of the human life cycle. It’s how we handle these levels that create hell or heaven in our lives.

1. The ﬁrst level of our existence as a highly evolved animal leads us to search for sensual pleasures such as lust, drinking, smoking, drugs and anything that satisﬁes or pleases the senses. Many people may spend their entire life right at this level.

2. The second level of our existence as we advance leads us to think more like humans since we live as a civilized society. That is to have a well-paying and respectable job, a good house, an expensive car, and other materialistic desires. All this is a normal character of ego which requires strength, strategy, and effort to achieve material possessions. Most of us spend our life rising only to second level.

3. The third or highest level of our existence demands something more than the ﬁrst level of sensual pleasures and the second level of materialistic living. It provides an extra touch to the ﬁrst and second levels! That third level is spiritual living or enlightenment, which we can call the ultimate achievement in human existence. It is because of this desire that we ﬁnd well educated, highly intelligent, extremely successful, wealthy people looking for a spiritual leader or guru. These are the people who desperately follow those who can provide some insight into spiritual philosophy, whether it is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi or Bhagwan Rajnish or Swami Prabhupada--author of English version of Bhagvad Geeta and founder of International Society of Krishna Consciousness in the western world, which provided the seed of Hare Krishna movement.

Most often the spiritual gurus are from the east since the western society is very big on action and there is no guidance for spiritual advancement. Owing to this spiritual need or void, 2500 or more cults exist in the U.S. alone. Cult leaders come from both east and west. Cult leader Jim Jones poisoned hundreds of his followers in the 1980s and David Koresh lead 86 people to burn themselves to death at Waco, Texas in 1993. Luc Jouret led over 50 members to forced death in Canada and Switzerland in October 1994. In March 1997, 39 followers of Heaven's Gate died in a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California near San Diego. It’s the understanding of spirit in our own mind that can save us from cult incidences.

“To seek spiritual power, there is no need to seek it through any occult hierarchy, any guru, any doctrine,” says J. Krishnamurti. “The important thing is to free our mind of envy, hate, and violence; and for that we don’t need an organization.” He calls people to examine their own hearts and minds to see the egotism and self-ignorance at the root of all sufferings and troubles; that is precisely what prevents enlightenment and spiritual power.

The spiritual power doesn’t come from the same sources that feed our ego. Ego power is an important part of society in the worldly sense. It requires strength, strategy, and efforts to achieve things that have a social value. We like a well-paying respectable job regardless of whether we're good at it, and it’s because of ego power we often are attracted to other material possessions.

Our efforts to achieve ego power, however, don’t necessarily empower the spirit or soul. The spiritual power comes from living close to the heart. It comes from unexpected sources such as failure, sickness, and loss. For example, when we endure through loss of job or illness, we ﬁnd inner strength that strengthens our spirit. Spiritual or soul power also comes from being ourselves doing what we’re good at. Inherent qualities such as intelligence, attractive appearance, and even powerful voice provide soul power. Spiritual power comes from doing something for community or country. Although we may not see a beneﬁt in the worldly sense, it nurtures the spirit and feeds the soul. When we fail to nurture our soul, we fail to live in peace with ourselves in the face of illness, loss of job or loss of loved one. It was perhaps the spiritual power, more than her wealth or recognition that provided Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis the strength to live through life-crises up to the last minute of her life-- May 19, 1994. It is for those successful, intelligent people who are looking for a spiritual power this article, I hope, will play a signiﬁcant role. And please remember, a life lived in a spiritual state of mind or enlightenment is an everyday life with an extra dimension.

How about hell, heaven, and rebirth?

It’s our mind that creates hell. It’s our mind that creates heaven. And it’s the liberation of our mind (or soul/conscious which is part of God in us) from the fear of death or other miseries of the world that is liberation from birth and death cycle. Buddhism calls it Nirvana.

Does hell or heaven exist as a particular place? No one has seen! But a person is in heaven if he/she is in spiritual state of mind; and is in hell if he/she loses control of mind. And our personality is the reflection of our state of mind. If our state of mind is saintly, we are a saint; if our state of mind is love, we are lovable; if our state of mind is complete, we are complete; if our state of mind is intelligent, we are intelligent; if our state of mind is unlimited, we are unlimited; if our state of mind is hope, we are hopeful; if our state of mind is honest, we are honest. On the other hand, if our state of mind is devilish, we’re devils; if our state of mind is evil, we become evil person. When, for example, we lose our control of mind to drugs--we’re opening the door to hell.

Satan or evil is nothing but a counterpart of goodness. We know heat exists, but its counterpart cold doesn’t exist. Cold is merely the deﬁciency or lack of heat. Similarly, light exists, but its counterpart darkness doesn’t exist. Darkness is merely the deﬁciency or absence of light. Same is true for evil. Evil doesn’t exist, but its counterpart goodness exists. It is simply the deﬁciency or absence of goodness that we have named evil. And evil is what leads us to the door of hell. Evil mind is the mind out of control. It’s like the ﬁre, which is our servant for cooking and keeps us warm, but becomes evil when it gets out of control.

Conclusion

All the thoughts here are part of a single concept. By improved state of mind or spiritual state of mind or sharpening our faith, we can add an extra dimension to everyday life. This concept ignores neither science nor religion, and removes the cloudiness of fear and confusion that interferes with achievement of ultimate happiness. Those who are in the business of saving souls after death should focus on the soul when they are still living on this planet.

This article is Yale-educated Dr. Dhillon’s personal conviction that has two pillars: an advanced degree in life sciences, molecular biology and evolution from the west and a fascination with spirituality from the east crafted out of studies at Yale University, U.S.A. in the west and Punjab University, India in the east. His views are expressed in over 12 books in self-help and spiritual series, several research articles, on television, in newspapers, and workshops.

References: "Science, Religion & Spirituality," "In Search of God," and "Soul and Reincarnation" available at various Book Sellers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. http://drdhillon.blogspot.com/

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poetlcs · 4 years

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books I’ve read in 2020 (so far) + their ratings

(update books 60-70) / 7.10.20

non-fiction

crossing the line: australia’s secret history in the timor sea by kim mcgrath

hood feminism: notes from the women that a movement forgot by mikki kendall

the uninhabitable earth: life after warming by david wallace-wells

homo deus: a brief history of tomorrow by yuval noah harari

SPQR: a history of ancient rome by mary beard

sister outsider by audre lorde

all boys aren’t blue by george m. johnson

under a biliari tree i born by alice biari smith

the lost world of british communism by raphael samuel

the ethnic cleansing of palestine by ilan pappé

stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in America by ibram x. kendi

catch and kill: lies, spies and a conspiracy to protect predators by ronan farrow

classics

maurice by e.m forster

emma by jane austen

perfume by patrick suskind

the color purple by alice walker

a study in scarlet by arthur conan doyle

dracula by bram stoker

the tenant of wildfell hall by anne bronte

fantasy

the diviners by libba bray (reread)

lair of dreams by libba bray (reread)

before the devil breaks you by libba bray (reread)

the king of crows by libba bray

clockwork princess by cassandra clare (reread)

we unleash the merciless storm by tehlor kay mejia

wolfsong by t.j klune

the fate of the tearling by erika johansan

girl, serpent, thorn by melissa bashardoust

crier’s war by nina varela (reread)

we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal

ghosts of the shadow market by cassandra clare + others

a storm of swords: part two by george r.r martin

amarah by l.l mcneil

chain of gold by cassandra clare

the gilded wolves by roshani chokshi (reread)

the silvered serpents by roshani chokshi

girls of storm and shadow by natasha ngan

science fiction

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

not your sidekick by c.b lee

the martian by andy weir

speculative fiction:

the deep by rivers solomon

how long ‘til black future month? by n.k jemisin

terra nullius by claire g. coleman

magical realism

blanca & roja by anna-marie mclemore

mystery

the family upstairs by lisa jewell

the hand on the wall by maureen johnson

the lake house by kate morton

contemporary fiction

maybe in another life by taylor jenkins reid

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo

tin heart by shivan plozza

a little life by hanya yanigahara

a girl like that by tanaz bhathena

little fires everywhere by celeste ng

stay gold by tobly mcsmith

everything leads to you by nina lacour

the falling in love montage by ciara smyth

normal people by sally rooney

the glass hotel by emily st john mandel

only mostly devastated by sophie gonzales

historical fiction

half of a yellow sun by chimamanda ngozi adichie

hamnet by maggie o’farrell

all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr

romance:

get a life, chloe brown by talia hibbert

poetry:

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

clap when you land by elizabeth acevedo

translated fiction:

princess bari by hwang sok-yong (south korean)

graphic novels:

laura dean keeps breaking up with me by mariko tamaki and rosemary valero-o'connell (illustrations)

anthology:

meet me at the intersection edited by rebecca lim and ambelin kwaymullina

#reading update #mine

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mightystargazer · 3 years

Text

Readinglist 2020

Another year gone, another (audio)booklist completed! Not as many as past years, but that´s because I watched a lot of series instead.

Here goes!

Stephen Leather The House on Gable Street

Scott Sigler Pandemic

Jennifer McMahon The Invited

Robert R. McCammon Swan Song

Peter James The House on Cold Hill

Michael McBride Subterrestrial

Karl Beecher Interstellar Caveman

Flint Maxwell Dead Haven

Flint Maxwell Dead Hope

Flint Maxwell Dead Nation

Flint Maxwell Dead Coast

Flint Maxwell Dead End

Andrzej Sapkowski The Last Wish

Andrzej Sapkowski Season of Storms

Andrzej Sapkowski Sword of Destiny

Andrzej Sapkowski Blood of Elves

Andrzej Sapkowski Time of Contempt

Andrzej Sapkowski Baptism of Fire

Andrzej Sapkowski The Tower of the Swallow

Andrzej Sapkowski Lady of the Lake

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Extinction Ashes

Jonathan Maberry Rage

T.W. Piperbrook The Reckoning

T.W. Piperbrook The Change

Jeremy Robinson Infinite

Bobby Akart The Shift

Bobby Akart The Pulse

Bobby Akart The Collapse

Chuck Dixon Blooded

Eoin Colfer Highfire

India Hill Brown The Forgotten Girl

Jeff Strand Cyclops Road

Kevin Hearne First Dangle and Other Stories

Douglas Preston Gideon’s Sword

Douglas Preston Gideon’s Corpse

Douglas Preston The Lost Island

Douglas Preston Beyond the Ice Limit

Douglas Preston The Ice Limit

Douglas Preston The Pharaoh Key

Adrienne Lecter Uprising

Adrienne Lecter Retribution

David Morrell Creepers

David Morrell Scavenger

Greig Beck The Void

Greig Beck From Hell

Peter Clines Terminus

James Herbert Moon

Damian Dibben Tomorrow

Dean Koontz Ricochet Joe

Jack Hunt As We Fall

James Herbert The Dark

Jeremy Robinson Tribe

Michael McBride Subhuman

Michael McBride Forsaken

Mark Tufo Asabron

Dean Koontz 77 Shadow Street

George Hill Uprising USA

J R Grey Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices

Simone St. James The Sun Down Motel

Mike Evans Origins

Mike Evans Surviving the Turned

Mike Evans Strangers

Mike Evans White Lie

Mike Evans Civil War

Mike Evans Divided

Mike Evans Flight

Keith C. Blackmore Make Me King, Mountain Man

Dean Koontz Darkness Under the Sun

Craig DiLouie One Of Us

Mira Grant Alien Echo

Ambrose Ibsen The Splendor of Fear

Daniel Kraus Bent Heavens

Dean Koontz Watchers

Jack Townsend Tales from the Gas Station 2

Jeff Strand Dead Clown Barbecue

Patrick F. McManus Strange Encounters of the Bird Kind

Scott Cawthon The Silver Eyes

Scott Cawthon The Twisted Ones

Scott Cawthon The Fourth Closet

Eoin Colfer The Fowl Twins

Richard Laymon The Traveling Vampire Show

Peter Meredith The Queen Unthroned

Peter Meredith The Queen Enslaved

Peter Meredith The Queen Unchained

Luke Duffy When There's No More Room in Hell

Larry Levin Oogy

Joseph Duncan The Oldest Living Vampire

Joseph Duncan The Oldest Living Vampire on the Prowl

Jeff Strand Sick House

Douglas Adams Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency

Patrick F. McManus Mosquito Bay

Clive Barker Mister B Gone

Jeremy Robinson Tether

James Herbert The Survivor

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Thunderhead

Darcy Coates The Carrow Haunt

Adam Nevill The Ritual

Ben Kissel The Last Book on the Left

Craig Robertson The Galaxy According to Giddeon

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 1

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 2

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 3

Kc Wayland We're Alive season 4

Stephen King If It Bleeds

Patric F McManus Scritch's Creek

Luke Duffy The Dead Walk

Jeff VanderMeer Annihilation

Jeff VanderMeer Authority

Jeff VanderMeer Acceptance

Adrian Tchaikovsky The Expert System's Brother

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Days

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Lies

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Hearts

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Games

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Places

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Reapers

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Rites

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Witches

Amanda M. Lee Freaky Fangs

André Alexis Fifteen Dogs

Cherie Priest The Family Plot

Danielle Trussoni The Ancestor

Michael McBride Burial Ground

Mary Roach Stiff

Dean Koontz Devoted

Grady Hendrix The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

James Herbert The Jonah

Mark Tufo Bitfrost

Robert Bevan 7d6

Scott Carson The Chill

Ambrose Ibsen Beyond

Creepypasta Creepypasta storytime

Darcy Coates Craven Manor

Greg F. Gifune Children of Chaos

Joe Hill Full Throttle

Jonathan Janz Exorcist Falls

Linda S. Godfrey Monsters Among Us

Michael Bray Something in the Dark

Terry Pratchett The Colour of Magic

Terry Pratchett Light Fantastic

Terry Pratchett Equal Rites

Terry Pratchett Mort

Terry Pratchett Sourcery

Terry Pratchett Wyrd Sisters

Terry Pratchett Pyramids

Terry Pratchett Guards Guards

Terry Pratchett Eric

Terry Pratchett Moving Pictures

Terry Pratchett Reaper Man

Terry Pratchett Witches Abroad

Terry Pratchett Small Gods

Terry Pratchett Lords and Ladies

Terry Pratchett Men at Arms

Terry Pratchett Soul Music

Terry Pratchett Intreresting Times

Dean Koontz Breathless

Terry Pratchett Maskerade

Terry Pratchett Feet of Clay

Terry Pratchett Hogfather

Terry Pratchett Jingo

Terry Pratchett The Last Continent

Dean Koontz By the Light Of the Moon

Terry Pratchett Carpe Jugulum

Terry Pratchett The Fifth Elephant

Terry Pratchett The Truth

Terry Pratchett Thief of Time

Terry Pratchett The Last Hero

Dean Koontz After the Last Race

Adrienne Lecter Green Fields Book 12

Dean Koontz Chase

Terry Pratchett The Amazing Maurice

Terry Pratchett Night Watch

Terry Pratchett The Wee Free Men

Terry Pratchett Monstrous Regiment

Terry Pratchett A Hat Full of Sky

Terry Pratchett Going Postal

Terry Pratchett Thud

Terry Pratchett Wintersmith

Terry Pratchett Making Money

Terry Pratchett Unseen Academicals

Terry Pratchett I Shall Wear Midnight

Terry Pratchett Snuff

Terry Pratchett Raising Steam

Terry Pratchett The Shepherds Crown

Dean Koontz Shattered

Terry Pratchett Mrs Bradshaws Handbook

Terry Pratchett The Folklore of Discworld

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld I

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld II

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld III

Terry Pratchett The Science of Discworld IV

Dean Koontz Darkfall

Mark Tufo Hvergelmir

Stephen R. George Nightscape

Alan Dean Foster To the Vanishing Point

Barry J. Hutchison A Lot of Weird Space Shizz

Drew Hayes The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales

Drew Hayes Undeath and Taxes

Drew Hayes Bloody Acquisitions

Drew Hayes The Fangs of Freelance Fred

Drew Hayes Deadly Assessments

Drew Hayes Undeasding Bells Fred

Guillermo del Toro Blackwood Tapes 01

Mark Tufo The Bleed

David Haynes Dead Crow

Alex North The Shadows

Adam Nevill Apartment 16

David Gerrold Hella

DC Alden UFO Down

Rachel Aukes 100 Days in Deadland

Rachel Aukes Deadland's Harvest

Rachel Aukes Deadland Rising

Dean Koontz Nightmare Journey

Mark Tufo The Trembling Path

Drew Hayes Underqualified Advice

Tim Lebbon Eden

Eden

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 1

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 2

Jeff Strand Wolf Hunt 3

L.G. Estrella Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Army of Golems

Rick Gualtieri Strange Days

Rick Gualtieri Everyday Horrors

Jeff VanderMeer A Peculiar Peril

Dean Koontz The Taking

John Connolly A Book of Bones

John Connolly The Dirty South

Neil Gaiman The Sandman

Greig Beck The Siberian Incident

Robert A. Heinlein Between Planets

TW Brown Zomblog

TW Brown Zomblog II

TW Brown The Final Entry

TW Brown Snoe

TW Brown Snoe's War

TW Brown Snoe's Journey

Adam Nevill The Reddening

Dean Koontz The Darkest Evening Of The Year

Bernard Taylor The Godsend

Carole Stivers The Mother Code

Spencer Quinn A Cat was Involved

Spencer Quinn Tail of Vengeance

Spencer Quinn Dog on It

Spencer Quinn Thereby Hangs a Tail

Spencer Quinn To Fetch a Thief

Spencer Quinn The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Spencer Quinn A Fistful of Collars

Spencer Quinn The Iggy Chronicles

Spencer Quinn The Sounds and the Furry

Spencer Quinn Paw and Order

Spencer Quinn Scents and Sensibilty

Spencer Quinn Heart of Barkness

Spencer Quinn Of Mutts and Men

Mark Tufo United States of Apocalypse

Robert Bevan Critical Failures VIII

Jeremy Robert Johnson The Loop

Nathan Hystad Red Creek

Nathan Hystad Return to Red Creek

Tom Abrahams The Scourge

Gary Small M.D The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

Dean Koontz The Voice Of The Night

Mark Tufo The Spirit Clearing

Robert Paolini To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Orson Scott Card Treasure Box

Ted Dekker House

Darcy Coates Hunted

Dean Koontz The Vision

Mark Tufo Encounters

Mark Tufo Reckoning

Mark Tufo Conquest

Mark Tufo From the Ashes

Mark Tufo Into the Fire

Mark Tufo Victory's Defeat

Mark Tufo Defeat's Victory

Brandon Sanderson The Original

Dean Koontz Elsewhere

Mike Baron Florida Man

Keith C Blackmore The Majestic 311

L.G. Estrella Two Necromancers a Dragon and a Vampire

L.G. Estrella The Hungry Dragon Cookie Company

L.G. Estrella a Dwarf Kingdom and a Sky City

Bobby Adair Zero Day

Bobby Adair Infected

Bobby Adair Destroyer

Bobby Adair Dead Fire

Bobby Adair Torrent

Bobby Adair Bleed

Bobby Adair City of Stin

Bobby Adair Grind

Bobby Adair Sanctum

Darcy Coates Ghost Camera

Susanna Clarke Piranesi

Marc-Uwe Kling QualityLand

Darcy Coates The Folcroft Ghosts

Charles Stross Dead Lies Dreaming

D.M. Siciliano Inside

Jim C. Hines Tamora Carter

Jamie McFarlane Junkyard Pirate

Yudhanjaya Wijeratne The Salvage Crew

Andy Mulvihill Action Park

Darcy Coates The Haunting of Blackwood House

Luke Arnold Dead Man in a Ditch

Iain Reid Foe

Micaiah Johnson The Space Between Worlds

Richard Kadrey Hollywood Dead

Richard Kadrey Ballistic Kiss

Orson Scott Card Lost and Found

Greig Beck To the Center of the Earth

Jenny Lawson Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Jenny Lawson Furiously Happy

Guy Adams Arkham County

James Patterson The Warning

James S. Murray Don't Move

Neal Asher Dark Intelligence

Luke Arnold The Last Smile in Sunder City

Jeff Menapace Dark Halls

Darcy Coates The Haunting of Rookward House

Laurel Hightower Crossroads

Pierce Brown Red Rising

Bobby Adair The Liar

Erik Henry Vick Demon King

Alister Hodge The Cavern

Linda S. Godfrey Monsters Among Us

Aaron Mahnke Dreadful Places

R. R. Haywood A Town Called Discovery

Kate Alice Marshall Rules for Vanishing

Ted Dekker The Girl Behind the Red Rope

Steve Alten Primal Waters

Steve Alten Hell's Aquarium

Steve Alten Nightstalkers

Steve Alten Generations

Adam Savage Every Tool's a Hammer

Darcy Coates Black Winter

Eoin Colfer Deny All Charges

David Moody Isolation

Jonathan Maberry Ink

Stephen Graham Jones The Only Good Indians

Barry J. Hutchison The Hunt for Reduk Topa

Lily Brooks-Dalton Good Morning, Midnight

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kultofathena · 10 months

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A post shared by Kult Of Athena | Swords & Armor (@kult_of_athena)

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Today we are looking at #words in the better range of this series, in particular:

Balaur Arms – Knight Templar Arming Sword

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didanawisgi · 2 years

Photo

Saint Mauriceca. 1520–25

Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop, German

“A commander of the Roman legion, Maurice was martyred near Agaunum (in present-day Switzerland) in A.D. 280 or 300 for refusing to slaughter Christians. He was from North Africa, and in the thirteenth century in Germany he began to be shown as Black, influenced by the reign of the Emperor Friedrich II (1194–1250). Friedrich's vast territories comprised a diverse community of individuals, and his court in Sicily included Black advisors, soldiers, and musicians.”

Source

About St. Maurice “St. Maurice is believed to have been an officer in a legion of Christian soldiers from Upper Egypt during the reign of Emperor Maximian Herculius, circa 287. His legion, Legio Thebiae (Theban Legion), is believed to have been composed of as many as 6,600 Egyptian Christian Copts who had been originally recruited from and stationed in Thebias in Upper Egypt. Maximian transferred the Theban Legion, among other imperial units, to Gaul in an effort to crush a Gaulish revolt. The entire Theban legion was massacred en masse by their own side when they refused to participate in pagan sacrifices at Aaunum, an area of modern Switzerland. The earliest surviving evidence for St. Maurice consists of a letter written during the early 5th century. It names a late 4th century bishop, Theodore of Octodurum, as the discoverer of the relics of St. Maurice and his companions. The fact that St. Maurice is said to have belonged to a legion called the Thebiae, which was stationed in northern Italy in the early 5th century at the latest, suggests that Theodore invented the story of St. Maurice in order to appeal to this legion for political reasons. One possibility is that he had been trying to persuade the legion not to accept the usurper Eugenius as their new emperor in 392. Saint Maurice is one of the most popular saints in western Europe. There are over 650 sacred places bearing his name in France alone and over seventy towns bear his name. In the Middle Ages, Saint Maurice was the patron saint of a number of the dynasties of Europe and of the Holy Roman emperors, many of whom were anointed before the Altar of Saint Maurice at Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome. King Sigismund of Burgundy donated land for a monastery in his honor in 515. Henry I (919-936) ceded the Swiss province of Aargua in exchange for the Lance of the Saints; and another sacred relic, the Sword of Saint Maurice (Vienna), which served as the coronation sword of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany and Austria, sometimes with parts of Italy) for over 700 years. The Vienna sword was last used in the coronation of Emperor Karl of Austria as king of Hungary in 1916 and is now is kept in the Weltliche Schatzkammer, Vienna . Saint Maurice's feast day is September 22.”

Source

#St. Maurice #Lucas Cranach the Elder #art #knight #roman legion #Saint Maurice #fav #legend

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magpie-trove · 4 years

Note

here's a thought to get you started: lots of people have pointed out the parallel between the romances in B&B and the ST because of their inherent dichotomy (one = the Beauty/Goodness, the other = the Beast/Undesirable for One Reason or Another) but, maybe it's just too small or obvious a point to talk about, but I haven't read a comparison between Reylo and Belle and the Beast (from the 1991 Disney film) and how both couples are drawn to each other but HATE that at first and then shift.

Aaaah thank you so much!! So (hopefully I am understanding correctly), a direct comparison of Disney’s version and Reylo? *cracks knuckles and wiggles fingers over the keyboard * Alright!

So Disney’s BatB actually popularized a small and recent sub-adaptation of BatB. Circa Maurice Sendak’s version. It cuts out a lot of the nuance and plot details and characters, and gives us basically the simplest version of the tale, but it’s still definitely BatB of course. And the ST is too. So Belle and the Beast still pretty much ARE Reylo. Which gives us a whole hoard of parallels to work with!!

Like you said, their dynamic is the same! Belle is held captive by the Beast. She hates him for it, he’s. . .pretty much taken from the start but he’s a monster and angsty and so angry. (Actually the Beast is a lot more threatening to Belle (in terms of yelling and actually trying to punish her what with the no food thing) than Ben ever gets with Rey really. But they make up for it by swinging dangerous laser swords at each other I guess lol). But most of the anger and hesitancy is on Beauty’s side, which we see with how Rey deals with him between the interrogation scene and early force bonds—the kind of righteously angry attitude. The Beast’s anger springs from putting on the angsty show of being a Beast. It’s playing the part to convince himself he’s unlovable so he doesn’t get hurt. Ben for his part is cocky and maybe vaguely threatening in the interrogation scene with “I can take whatever I want” but his lip is trembling half the time, so we know it’s a show too. Then! The turning point comes when Belle manages to escape. She runs off into the snowy woods (which we have a one to one analogue for in TFA) and re-encounters the Beast. The Beast is terribly Wounded during this encounter (I.e., the wolves). Beauty stays to patch him up, and that’s where they first start to bond. She sees he’s maybe gentler and more human than she thought he was.

Lo and behold, what should our Beast being doing when he and our Beauty first bond but. . .getting patched up. From the wounds he got in the snowy woods because of her. (In an interesting twist, our Belle is the wolves too). So over the next series of encounters, we get them slowly coming to terms with each other. Rey learns Ben is gentler and more human than she thought. He’s sliding and being a nerd and definitely fully human, and she comes to a better understanding of him and him of her. This part of Disney BatB is actually about them finding a balance between their natures. That’s why we have scenes like the dinner scene, where Beauty’s manners and the Beast’s slovenly become an easy familiar way of eating soup somewhere between the two. (Lol I think this corresponds to the hand touch scene. I know in the 1991 version it’s followed by the library, and iirc its includes a close-up shot of their hands on each other’s too. Because books are the balance between civilization and wildness, tame ness and adventure!) So Rey and Ben come to this balance in the hand touch scene. They are friends! They are in love! Now they can dance! So we get their prettied up selves in the Star Wars version of a dance—dueling back to back. For one perfect moment, everything is Right.

But then it all falls apart. Beauty sees her father—her home figure/childhood (in Rey’s case, the Resistance and Finn) in the mirror (hence the weird mirror-like magnifying glass in Snoke’s throne room) and decides she has to go back. But her work is never done. In order to grow up, she must return to the Beast and both reconcile with and save him. We get pining (which we know was how Reylo spent their year apart), we get violence brought upon him again by Belle (tho Disney’s is indirectly) and then he is mortally wounded. He is dying. And the only thing that saves him is Beauty’s declaration of true love. (”I wanted to take your hand—Ben’s hand”). Then!! The Prince stands before her!! Transformed!! The spell broken!! And (for a few minutes at least) they can live together happy and in love and married, before the end of the story.

(Thank you again, I hope that addressed the right thing, but at any rate aaaaahhhh I love it!!!! *cries forever *)

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randomnameless · 4 years

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more randomness after re-reading the forgotten memoirs

It has been several months since King Nemesis has been defeated, and the tides of war have turned from bad to worse. I have received news that my friend Daphnel has fallen as well. Those zealots are after our heads, and those of our leaders. All that is left for us is to dissapear into the muddy waters Seiros has created. My long life may soon come to an end... ___/2 - Itha Plains I somewhow escaped with my life, but I fear the end is near. Most of my clan has already surrended to the Empire. To my surprise, I am told their safety was guaranteed. I, however, am a different matter. My life, along with my sacred weapons, will unquestionably be forfeit. My dear son and daughter... I hope you can forgive me one day.

Before Nemesis’ defeat, Maurice (if he really is the author?) thought that the tides of war were “bad”. Meaning that the Empire with its army full of randoms, maybe some dudes who bore crests of Saints, the Saints themselves and Seiros managed to fight and were winning against Nemesis, his army of randoms, and his Eleven Dudes? Not bad, especially given all the hype around the Sword of the Creator!

Daphnel didn’t die when Nemesis did, but later. Maurice escaped Tailtean.

Who are “those zealots”? The Church? The Empire? They can’t believe the modern Church dogma because here they’re hunting the 11 Elites, so nope, those guys have never been on their side. Or because the Empire embraced Seiros’ faith they became zealots? Or are the Zealots Maurice’s talking about only some dudes from Seiros’, idk, personal 100% Adrestia soldiers free 100% Church army?

Maurice’s clan surrended to the Empire, not the Church, because the Empire is the entity fighting? What was the Church of Seiros at that time? Chilling in Enbarr while their prophet was on the frontlines? I mean, if St Paul went to fight, I’m pretty sure some of their “pious” followers would have followed asap, being part of St Paul’s army and not be part of Tiberius’ imperial army. (which raises another question, how were the saints integrated in the Imperial army, if they had no men of their own? Seiros was a general, like Cethleann, Seteth, Macuil and Indech?).

The Empire accepts to spare Maurice’s clan and family, but want his head and his weapon - still, the Empire in 98 ruled over the continent, so why needing to kill Maurice? Is it only because Seiros wants his head and weapon? Meaning that Seiros could “borrow” some imperial soldiers to hunt Maurice when, geographically speaking, there’s no need to kill him since his lands are already under imperial control?

The wiki said the Church gained “considerable” influence at the end of the war, so before the end of the war of heroes, Seiros’ followers were just randoms who somehow tried to build a cult? But when the war ended, everyone had to acknowledge that Seiros was that rad person who killed Nemesis, so those randoms from before who were preaching her teachings were actually right and their cult should be followed?

I suppose that ultimately, the Church was central in rewritting History (which also helped Adrestia, okay the og Adrestians aren’t heroes anymore because the Dudes became heroes, but on the other hand, it prevents revolts from the Dudes’ supporters and what was left of Nemesis’ allies) after the war, but how long after, idk...

Or maybe, to Maurice, the Church and the Empire were one and the same but the Church actually had some martial randoms, the prototype of the Knights of Seiros, under Macuil’s leadership (the reason why his sigil is used for the knights)?

Basically : Why is Maurice talking about zealots and the empire, does he mean that everyone in the empire is a zealot because they side with Seiros or is he implying there are two different armies, one lead by the “church of Seiros” composed of zealots, and the Imperial Army?

How were Nabateans integrated in the Imperial Army? Were they part of a strike force or did they lead their own legions? What was the Church’s role in the War of Heroes?

I don’t know and I don’t think I will ever know

#FE16 #I might start an useless thoughts series about this game #useless because nothing will be answered #I hate it #did seirosism became a state religion?#or was it just like in the game 'convert if you want idgaf'#did we have a primitive form of the knights of seiros during the WoH or was it just imperial army all around?#like Maurice goes = they are allies of Seiros = Seiros is a religious figure = they're zealots #did the imperial army gave figs to the Nabateans or were they just listening to their emperor?#why hunting momo if the continent is already under control? Momo notes Seiros hates them #not 'the Empire' but singles out Seiros #if we have to HC everything about Fodlan then i'd rather waste my time pondering about pre imperial Fodlan than anything else #pre imperial era

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sparklywaistcoat · 5 years

Text

An art thing that I have to share

So I spent the day at the National Gallery today, and I just gotta share this thing (well, six things, actually) I found. It’s this series of paintings (oil and gold leaf on canvas) by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, painted between 1907 and 1913.

The series depicts the life of Joan of Arc, and de Monvel's technique is just astounding. He uses very thin layers of paint, using less detail and shading in some larger areas of color (such as Joan's tunic in the sixth painting), but using very soft, subtle, and detailed shading on the human faces and the knights’ horses. De Monvel outlines everything with a very, very fine stroke in black. The paintings are simply luminous, and the gold leaf explodes off the canvas, especially in the last painting.

1. The Vision and Inspiration. Joan, at the center of the painting, wearing a grey dress and a short pink jacket, kneels before a vision of St Michael, St. Catherine, and St Margaret, who are on the left in front of some trees. The saints are encircled by a fiery nimbus, and Michael, at the center in golden armor, holds out his sword and left hand in a gesture of benediction or command. He has pale pink and blue wings. Margaret and Catherine wear white robes with gold decorations. A group of bored-looking sheep laze behind Joan on the right.

2. Joan Appeals to the Dauphin. Joan, dressed in a man’s tunic and hose, is one one knee in front of the Dauphin, who is dressed in a brilliant blue surcote over a rose-colored tunic. Joan points to the Dauphin with her right hand, and holds a cap by her side in her left. A collection of male and female courtiers in brightly-colored fifteenth-century dress are arranged across the whole painting in an arc behind Joan and the Dauphin. The back wall of the room is red with gold decorations and heraldic designs.

3. The Maid in Armor on Horseback. In the foreground, a group of monks wearing black cowls and white habits walk two by two in a procession in front of Joan. One of them holds a gold processional cross. Joan rides a palomino horse and is wearing a full suit of plate armor. The beaver of her helmet is up and she holds her hands in an attitude of prayer. One monk walks beside Joan’s horse and carries her banner. More monks in brown habits are behind her, and behind them is a group of knights on horseback carrying lances. In the background a line of men-at-arms wearing helmets and holding halberds are on one knee as Joan passes them.

4. The Turmoil of Conflict. A riotously colorful battle scene showing a mass of pikemen in a rank that starts in the middle of the canvas and extends diagonally up towards the left-hand side. The pikemen are defending themselves against the charge of a group of horsed knights bearing lances. In the background on the upper right, a second line of knights await their turn to charge. Joan is in the middle of this background line, in full armor, and she holds her banner aloft.

5. The Crowning of the Dauphin at Rheims. At left center, the Dauphin, wearing a long blue cloak decorated with the gold lilies of France and an ermine shoulder cape, is one one knee in front of a bishop, who places the crown of France on his head. Behind the bishop on the left-hand side of the canvas is a group of other prelates. They all wear golden robes and golden mitres. A group of men in fifteenth-century dress stand behind the Dauphin in the center of the canvas, their backs to the viewer, while Joan kneels behind them in line with the Dauphin. Joan wears a white tunic with gold lilies over plate armor, and she holds her banner. Behind her is a line of trumpeters and knights. The trumpeters play a fanfare and the knights draw their swords in a show of fealty to the new King of France.

6. The Trial of Joan of Arc. The trial takes place in a semi-darkened, wood-paneled room. Squares of light from unseen windows are on the floor in the foreground. Joan stands at the center of the canvas, wearing a man’s blue tunic and grey hose. She seems to be speaking, and her right arm is raised towards a bishop wearing a golden mitre and cope, who sits in the corner of the room at the upper left. Many worthies in fifteenth-century dress and monks in habits sit in chairs along the walls to the left and at the back. A group of men-at-arms wearing helmets and carrying halberds stand guard at the back on the right. A monk in a brown habit sits behind Joan, a look of concern on his face. Next to him is a table covered by a green cloth. Some men in dark-colored robes and hats sit behind the table and are consulting or writing notes. Colors are muted, with the exception of the gold leaf of the bishop’s dress, the blue of Joan’s tunic, and the green of the tablecloth. The blue of Joan’s tunic is very similar to that used for the Dauphin’s surcote and cloak in other paintings.

#national gallery of art #joan of arc #louis maurice boutet de monvel #these paintings are amazing #they're completely luminous #and the technique is astouding #they actually look a lot like digital art in some ways #these caps #don't do them justice

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