#i am aware not everything on here is historically accurate
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Baby, I’m Jealous
Sebastian Sallow x Ravenclaw!GN!Reader
Synopsis: You get asked out by a guy from Ravenclaw and a certain brunette is not happy at all
Not Proofread
All Characters aged up to 18.
Word Count: 1056
Warnings: Jealousy, not historically accurate, Sebastian is aware of readers feelings, no use of y/n, use of an oc love rival, rushed pacing, making out, probably bad writing.
Author’s Note: Omg im so sorry for not posting. Ive been rlly stressed and dealing with #issues lately so im so very sorry. Please enjoy this little sebastian sallow fic (p.s. I might make this into an actual fleshed out fic if y’all enjoy this!)
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Well, this was certainly an unusual day.
You sat down at the Slytherin table to eat with Ominis and Sebastian like usual, talking about various gossip going around lately, and discussing what shenanigans you might get up to later.
“No Sebastian, I am not sneaking into Scribner’s desk to find her weird demented romance books.” Said Ominis sternly.
“But Ominis! It’s for the greater good!” Pleaded Sebastian as you giggled at the two of their antics.
You had started hanging out with them after Sebastian showed you the Undercroft. 2 years back, even after all you went through, you stuck by each other. After these 2 years, it was no surprise you were in love with Sebastian. Even from the beginning you thought he was gorgeous, and Sebastian wouldn’t have it any other way.
You see, Sebastian had been aware of your little crush since the day he showed you the undercroft. He saw the blush on your face as he taught you confringo. He thought you looked great when you were flustered. It’s why for the past few weeks he’s been teasing you, whispering softly in your ear, fleeting touches, and sometimes you could’ve sworn you caught him staring at you. (Not that he would admit that anyways)
You desperately hoped he would ask you out, but as the days went by that hope dwindled. You couldn’t really blame him though, especially because he was trying so hard to look for a cure for his Sister, Anne.
You silently resigned yourself to a quiet, single life forever. Or at least, until you got over Sebastian. (Which might as well be forever)
Which is what leads us to this very strange, peculiar day. As Sebastian continued to plead with Ominis to go steal Scribner’s weird romance books, they failed to notice Dmitri Lockhart, another 7th year in Ravenclaw.
You met him on your first day, he was kind, if not a little cocky, and mostly everyone liked him. Apparently, he was the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team’s beater. You thought he was fairly handsome, with his toned body, fluffy blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. However you didn’t think he held a candle to Sebastian in terms of looks.
He sauntered over to the Slytherin Table, sliding in next to you.
“Hey there, [name].” He greeted.
“Hey Dmitri.” You greeted back. Sebastian clenched his jaw, his eyes lingering on how Dmitri’s arm was touching yours.
“So listen, I was thinking that maybe we could-well maybe we could go to Hogsmeade sometime this weekend?” He asked, stuttering a little bit. You were impressed by his straightforwardness but you wanted to refuse. As sweet as the boy was, you would rather hang out with Sebastian.
Which speaking of, was seething with jealousy. How dare Dmitri think he can just saunter over here and ask you out, especially because that’s what Sebastian was planning to do.
Sebastian looked at you, the faint blush on your cheeks made you look ravishing. What he wouldn’t give to kiss you there and then. But then this guy had to come over and make everything difficult. Sebastian knew that in the end it was your decision, so he just had to sit there and take it.
You smiled softly at Dmitri, and let him down gently. “I’m sorry Dmitri, but I’m afraid I already have feelings for someone else.” You said, glancing at Sebastian.
Dmitri nodded. “That can’t be helped then, sorry [name] see you later.” He said, getting up and walking back to the Ravenclaw table.
Sebastian smirked smugly. Of course you chose him over Dmitri, you were smart after all. He looked at you with dark eyes, like at any moment he would gobble you up.
“Excuse us Ominis, me and [name] need to go have a private discussion.” said Sebastian, leaving the table and gesturing for you to come with him.
Ominis sighed, hoping that whatever you guys were going to do, you would at least save some space for Jesus.
Sebastian dragged you out of the great hall and into a small corridor nearby.
“Where are we going?” You asked, excited. Sebastian looked at you with hungry eyes.
“[Name], I’m in love with you.” You turned red. This was not what you were expecting. You had no time to process before he hit you with a blunt question. “May I kiss you?” He asked frantically, his eyes fleeting from your lips to your eyes.
You were even more shocked, your brain short circuiting but still managing a small nod.
Sebastian wasted no time. Hungrily, he dove for a taste of your lips. He was like a starved man, having a meal for the first time in a month. He couldn’t get enough. He ravished you, not letting you come up for air for what felt like hours. His hands had wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him.
He needed you closer to him. You drove him crazy, everything about you. From your lips, to your eyes, to the perfect shape of your body, everything. Everything about you was perfect for him.
When you finally looked at eachother, out of breath from the kissing, you were an utter mess. Dazed, and in a state of bliss you had no idea if this was real or the best dream you’ve ever had.
“I love you.” said Sebastian softly, “I always have.”
Realizing this was all real, and not some strange dream, you replied. “I love you too, I always will.”
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Author: I know this is cringy, but I have been craving just a cringy little fic lately. It’s also nice to ease me back into writing after a short break.
#hogwarts legacy#literature#sebastian sallow#sebastian sallow x mc#sebastian sallow x reader#oc#fanfic
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I loved your Toxic jealous Gojo.
I was wondering if I could request how their first Valentine would be like.
Or
Gojo x chubby reader. Reader feels insecure about her weight as she sees beautiful, skinnier women who would be a better fit for Gojo getting too close to Gojo. Both were shopping for clothes for their Valentine’s date or something.
Darling, flattery will get you everywhere around here 💙 but I've been working on something really special as a sequal to Sooner or Later, and I'm going to hold off on sharing it for just a little bit longer ;) thank you for enjoying it though!
Now, as for that Chubby!Reader x Gojo prompt you got there, I think youre onto something!
Now Presenting....
Starring Satoru Gojo X Chubby!Reader
Historically speaking, You had never been a big fan of clothes shopping. It made you hyper aware of your body in ways that made you want to crawl out of your skin. But, this time was different. This time, you were with your boyfriend, shopping for a new outfit for your first Valentine's day together. And with him hyping you up in quite literally everything you wore and-and here's the important part- actually meaning it, the experience wasn’t that bad.
At least, it hadn’t been. That was until you found yourselves at your favorite store. Your favorite store that just so happened to be fucking packed that day. Gojo must have sensed your sudden unease, as he hooked his arm in yours and gave you a gentle but encouraging smile. “I got a good feeling about this one, I think we’re gonna find the perfect fit!” He smiled, always the optimist. You couldn’t help but smile back.
“I think you might be right.” You smiled as you walked in with him. Almost instantly a drop dead gorgeous sales assistant came over, maneuvering her skinny waist through the crowd.
“Hi!” she chirped, batting her long lashes at Satoru. Fuck. you thought, Here we go again. “My name's Clarissa, can I help you today?” she purred, standing closer to your boyfriend than she needed to. He took a step back.
“No thank you,” He smiled politely, holding you closer, “I’m just here shopping with my Girlfriend.” You’d always be thankful for Gojo’s awareness. You smiled at her and waved. Clarissa looked at you like you had four heads and a tail. Or, more accurately, a few extra pounds and a handsome boyfriend.
“Well, if you need anything, and I mean anything at all, let me know!” She smiled. You felt violent, but walked away, boyfriend in arm, before you could act on any of it.
“Well that was ridiculous.” Gojo muttered, “Who flirts with someone who's clearly spoken for?”
“No clue.” You muttered, knowing exactly who would. The kinda person that thought that they were hotter than the significant other. The kind of person confident in their ability to break up the relationship.
“Um, Hi!” You heard an unfamiliar voice call out. You and Gojo looked over to see another patron trying to get his attention. MotherFUCKER you thought. This girl would look more at home on a runway than in a department store.
“Um, hi?” Gojo asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.
“I was just wondering, are you doing anything for valentines day? Cause,”
“He’s doing me.” You said coldly, trying to figure out where these bitches got off flirting with your boyfriend in front of you. She looked more than shocked at your words, and not for the vulgarity of them.
“You’re dating her? Really?” The girl scoffed in disbelief.
“I am.” Gojo said firmly, “And you can talk to her about it, instead of acting like she doesn’t exist.”
“I don’t want to talk to her anyway, Love,” You said, using the pet name with authority, “Rude assholes are rarely good conversationalists.”
“Oh, I’m the rude one” The woman scoffed, “Listen to yourself!” she said, because of course she did. You couldn’t win. If you were quiet and kept to yourself, you must not have loved him enough to fight for him. If you spoke up and got rightfully upset, then you were treated like a mad cow in more ways than one.
“Come on Darling, let’s not waste anymore time here.” Gojo muttered, pulling you away from the situation. “People sure are bold today, huh?” He sighed to you as the two of you looked through a dress rack.
“I think it’s because valentine's day is in like, two days.” You said, “People are getting desperate.”
“Maybe, bu-hey!” Gojo cut himself off, his eyes lighting up as he pulled a gorgeous red dress off the rack. “What about this one? It would look stunning on you!” It looked tight. You suddenly became aware of your body again.
“Oh, I don’t know ‘Toru..” you muttered.
“Will you try it on?” He asked, “Really, I think this dress is perfect.” He smiled. You looked into his dazzling blue eyes, and sighed. You knew you were going to give into him. He was like a puppy, excited to go for a car ride. How could you say no?
“Of course Satoru.” You smiled, taking the dress from him and making your way to the dressing rooms. You were reluctant to leave him alone while you went in, but you trusted your boyfriend. You slipped into the new dress and felt..well, conflicted. The dress was dazzling! Its hem ended at the perfect length to make your legs look long, the neckline made your chest look phenomenal and it hugged your curves in all the right places.
But that was part of the problem, wasn’t it? It hugged your thighs, your hips, your stomach. You hadn’t been so hyper aware of your body in a long time. But, seeing all of those beautiful girls, all thinner than you, fawning over your boyfriend, well…it would make anyone feel insecure. You suddenly felt like any of them could take him from you. Like you didn’t deserve him. Like he deserved better, prettier than you.
You tried to push those thoughts out of your mind as you left the dressing room. That didn’t last long though. You saw Gojo waiting for you, staring off into space as no less than 3 absolutely drop dead gorgeous women talked at him. It didn’t phase him. He could literally have any woman he wanted in the whole world. So why were you forcing him to stay with you? Why keep him locked down when he could do so much better?
It was then Gojo finally looked to the dressing rooms and saw you. His eyes lit up like a christmas tree and a smile that could melt even the coldest heart broke across his face. He broke away from the gaggle of now confused girls and rushed to get his hands on you, placing his hands on your hips. “I knew that dress was going to look amazing on you, but fuck y/n I didn’t know it was going to look that good on you! I’m hardly going to be able to keep my hands off of you.” He teased softly, giving you a quick kiss.
It was then that it hit you, like a bag of bricks slamming against your head. He didn’t look bored because he was just that used to beautiful women talking to him, or because he could have whoever he wanted. He looked bored because none of those women were you. Because he fully could have any woman he wanted, and he wanted you. And suddenly, your heart melted.
“Well that's the plan, isn’t it?” you giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck. For just a moment, your body issues were pushed back to the back burner, replaced by your love for the sorcerer before you.
“Hell yea it is,” He chuckled, stealing another kiss. “So this is the dress then?” He asked. You smiled proudly as you nodded.
“I think it is.”
#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#Satoru Gojo#Gojo x reader#gojo x chubby reader#body insecurity tw#Gojo fluff#gojo x reader fluff
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I typed this whole thing up but they re-blocked me after they posted another rant on another one of my posts so;
That is absolutely not everything you said, and you know it.
You did start it with Avi, whether you believe it counts or not. You posted several multi-paragraph posts mentioning him directly by name. Even if you don't tag someone, they can still see it in their name tag if they search their name through tumblr's search function. Yes, even if you block them. Yes, even if they've blocked you. I can say that for certain because there are people in my name tag right now who I know for sure I have blocked and I also can still see when they talk about me if they put my username in their post.
He found your posts about him through this, not by circumventing your block but because he can see when you type out his username in your posts. So there is no "he went around my block to see it" because he wasn't even aware there was beef between you until after he found your posts about him- he's stated a few times that he used to be mutuals with you and didn't even realize you'd blocked him until recently. You did start it. And he was, understandably, upset about it, and posted about it on his blog.
Additionally, some of the things you've said regarding him- and Israeli Jews in general- are pretty antisemitic. It is not antisemitic to call out the atrocities and genocide that Israel is performing on Palestine- something Avi himself has said over and over again. However, there are people who are using antisemitic language or using the conflict as an excuse to be antisemitic, and that is where his problem is. Just as he also posted calling for justice for those affected by anti-arab and Islamophobic violence stemming from conflict.
And it's not like that's not true, that people are being antisemitic and using this conflict as an excuse, or even that people are being antisemitic to him and using this conflict as an excuse. He's gotten plenty of harassment coming from people straightup lying about him to justify it, and has posted it on his blog for others to see, so it's not like he's making it up. He also has posted about what he's doing within his local community, mourning with those who have lost loved ones, and how to provide aid to those trapped in Gaza. He's posted critiquing both the Israeli and the US government.
What more exactly do you want from him here? And why does he have to be A Good Jew in order to have his complaint of antisemitism be heard? Because you've decided he's white, when historically even "white" European Jews were not considered white by antisemitic governments? Didn't we just have a black celebrity get in trouble for saying exactly that? Because you've decided he's white, when more accurately he's multi-ethnic regarding one side of his family being entirely comprised of non-white Jews and the other side still not Ashkenazi, which he's publicly posted about? Because you've decided he's white, when whiteness and Judaism has always been a fraught conversation?
Certainly you understand that equating a population to the very same people that want to exterminate them and have tried before with relative success is always going to be an incendiary topic, and that the people you accuse of doing this are going to be upset when they see it?
I'm not lying for anyone, and besides my white Jewish bestie is a woman. I'm not his trained monkey though, since that seems to be the implication. I just think your behavior is poor and I think you do a lot of inflammatory blogging, which is why I didn't often reblog from you in the first place.
I am, though, sort of wondering why you are so focused on this one specific Jewish guy who has stated over and over again that he wants peace in the region and he wants the innocents living there to stop being killed. Is it because he said he doesn't want the Jewish people who want peace currently living there to be expelled? A lot of Palestinians don't want that either. And I think it's weird to be harassing a Jewish guy who has repeatedly said he wants peace, just because he wants peace in a way you personally find unsatisfying.
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so idk i felt like i could reach out to u for this, but like i was seeing one of ur posts about rukmini and i saw that apparently she did sati when shri krishna died, and I googled it and I found out in various places that yes, but idk that just made me really upset, like I understand the emotions but the concept itself makes me upset and i just couldn't believe that swayam devi rukmini and other wives actually did that u know, and if their lives were meant to be exemplary or teach us then what does it teach the Hindu people about sati u know and forcing it? like whenever smth like this that idk if i agree with or understand happens then I always try to trust that shri krishna intended it for a reason but here I really don't see the reason:( like surely it would have been stronger if rukmini were a pillar of comfort in the aftermath of shri krishnas death, or idk really even in srimad bhagavatam I was reading some lines about the raas lila and I just felt like, you know it showed the gopiyas and their love but on krishnas part I didnt feel like he was taking their love as seriously u know, or he seemed a little apathetic, idkkk I may be very quick to jump to conclusions about these things, and i shouldn't! but it's also why because shri krishna in my mind would also be deeply moved by these displays of love and also by the actions or happenings surrounding the people that love him, or people in general. which goes on I wanted to ask - what do you view shri krishna as? a historical figure, a mythological figure, an allegory for God/Brahman/Paramatma, someone who is emotional, someone who is perfect and does everything with a smile on his face?
and I just wish there were more stories of the divine feminine and all the female devis and their incarnations yknow? how do you feel about that? I'm sure they exist and must be lost somewhere, or I am not looking in the right place because I know things like the devi bhagavatam exist, but idk u must feel the divide between male and female gods, or is it that my perception is dependent on what I've come across growing up, or my perception of hindu society today?
for me, shri krishna was someone who existed in history, but he exists with such a fluidity that anyone who wishes to create a story of him that THEY find touching automatically becomes valid, because he is Bhagavan and so he changes with how his devotees perceive him or find love in him. which is why idk about radharani's 'existence' but I also feel her presence and I just intuitively *feel* that it doesn't matter if it is accurate or not, her identity as the divine counterpart and lover of shri krishna is so valid and touching yk
but I think my understanding of shri krishna can be very confusing to me sometimes because I am philosophical so I always question and critically look at things, so I question things like "if he is bhagavan, would he actually be like this, would he be like that" etc. I know I'm a seeker and my path must be jnana yoga and it's difficult but it's the way i find my way to bhakti. I'm a bhakt and emotionally attached now because i understand that I can never understand everything, and I naturally gravitate to being attached to shri krishna anyway despite all my questions, and I'm trying to embrace that.
sorry, I am aware I might seem arrogant or conceited questioning shri krishna bhagavan himself who is so huge and massive and I am sososoososooo tiny compared to him, as well as lakshmi devi and everyone else...there's no way I can understand everything, or even a small part of it.
it is just my own relationship with krishna i guess. or my own relationship with what I consider right and wrong.
please feel free to share your thoughts and views if you like 🙏🙏
sorry for the spam omg😭😭😭radhe radhe sakhi I appreciate you for listening so much!!!💙💙💙💙
Hey sakhi, first of all I'm glad you felt like reaching out to someone :') come heree yaar *hugs you tight and kisses your forehead and then hugs you again*
Now for the explanation - first things first I want you to know that whatever may have ensued in that yug was first of all majorly determined by patriarchy (yes, even when it came to krishna) and secondly, as a result, all of the texts were mostly manipulated to show the control of men over women. Now please keep that in mind as I continue..
Now that we have the power dynamics of gender out of our way let's get right into it: the sheer love between Krishna and his gopiyan and wives that no egoistic/materialistic mortal consumed by power and arrogance would ever be able to grasp in their entire life. It's the same reason why most people attack Radha for being worshipped with Krishna even though she was "just a lover" in their eyes. Now coming to back to it, in the simplest words, nothing existed for the wives of Krishna after he died. Their souls passed away with him - they had died anyway, it was just a matter of letting go of their bodies at this point after purging themselves through the purifying fire once and for all. Coz yes, to be very precise and blunt, all of their purposes had come to an end for this lifetime after Krishna passed away. Their purpose as Lakshmi's incarnations was to be Krishna's consort in his journey of dharma. This is something that can't be understood by most people because they start by directly comparing themselves to them. First of all, no you can't. Nobody in this yug (Kalyug) can have that sort of selfless, maddening devotion for anyone who isn't God (Kanha) Himself. So please don't equate yourself to them. It would just be wrong and simply... unjust? Also, again - it was a patriarchy so that was the picture painted for us too in the end. You wanna know something though? Radha was the only consort of Krishna who passed away before him. When she left her mortal body, she called out to Krishna to play his bansi for the last time in this lifetime for her as she peacefully passed away in his lap, listening to it and smiling. Krishna lost absolutely all hope after that. He broke down, broke his bansi in half and never played it for anyone ever again in his whole life after Radha passed on. His half soul had gone and taken along his dearest love with him. After that he just existed to complete his dharma, his purpose. His body otherwise had died. That was a kind of Sati for him, in his own heartbreakingly haunting way but nobody ever tells you that.
Coming to the portrayal, it's what the characters are moulded and shown to us that view our lens but really it should be debated when it comes to Gods because we are supposed to worship and follow their ideals. There are definitely a lot of divine goddesses in our religion. In fact, hinduism is the only religion that worships Goddess primarily as the eternal Shakti from which all beings are born (in most other religions there are just demi goddesses and gray/antihero goddesses). For example: greek mythology. That's probably again coz of the prevalant patriarchy. When Lilith (Adam's first wife) revolted against Adam for unequal power play, what did they do? Very conveniently painted her as the demoness queen aka the villain. Then ofc the stories that followed of her eating babies because she was jealous of Eve (the perfect submissive wife). Honestly how much should we even believe and how much discard? Next is Greek Mythology where the queen Goddess is Hera who is portrayed as a very angry Goddess and villainised almost every time, just because she stands up to her husband who sleeps with many others and doesn't care. She poisons other women in jealousy. What are these stories even trying to show? That what the man doing is alright and when it's a woman then it's "women are only women's enemies and they all just want to attack their poor husbands?" *cue men laughing together and mocking their wives*
It's a very gray area to touch upon and I don't wanna hurt sentiments but it's what it is. Coming back to Hindu - see, Krishna was a very tricky (and a trickster ;) part to portray. He was supposed to be mischievous but he was also supposed to be morally correct. Why else do we adore him sm? Because he resonates with us in this yug - he's cool and nice, a bsf, a father, a guide, a babygirl all in one. But look at his pov also na? That's a very difficult image to maintain, to be able to be loved and respected by all generations equally even with such a fluid identity. And since it's such a fluid identity, it was even easier to be tampered with by the brahmins who gave us the knowledge firsthand that was passed down by him. But just imagine - if even after all the (possible) manipulation of his character he still gives us the vibes of a genuine bestie, how loving would he actually be??? Like begaad kar bhi kuch nahi bigaad paaya jiska koi toh phir hum kya hi maaya hi uss kanhaiya ke saamne?
Btw another thing I wanted to point out, something that in turn is very personal to me, is my relationship with lord Ram. Can I just say that I had a sort of raging, blind hatred towards him? Ok, attack me as much as you like but let me first complete my case. Ofc as soon as I got to know that he left Sita ji because of a mere dhobi's accusation, I was furious beyond control. What was the point of even saving her if you had to do this??? What gives you the right of being called the perfect man (maryada purshottam) if you do this to the wife who devoted her entire life to you literally without any questions? How are you the best man in society when you don't even know the difference between right and wrong and get so easily swayed by other's influence and forget everything else? I was very much triggered and was one of those who saw it on the surface level and rebelled against it. Then something happened in my life which completely changed my perception. Tmi but let's just say I was Sita here (haha, so unironic) and I loved someone (let's call them Ram). We were perfect. Too perfect actually. And maybe it was something that things too beautiful are meant to end just as ravishingly because they left me. Not because of any other reason other than circumstance. It was also scarily similar to what happened to Ram when he actually left Sita. When it happened to me I grovelled and cursed and cried and cried. But despite everything, I could never blame this person. Because it wasn't their fault. They loved me when they left me but they had to do it. With a shock, I realized how much it was resonating now. I took it as a sign and this time I rampaged articles and articles on Ram Sita's relationship and finally found it out: Ram was distraught. He begged at Sita's feet that he doesn't want to leave. "No, my love. Not when I've finally been reunited with you after all this time." But Sita knew bettee. She quietly left the palace when he was sleeping at night and made her way into her beloved forest where she knew nobody would find her. It was for everyone's good. And Sita had made peace with it. They loved each other all the same. He never married again btw and something more which they don't tell you: Ram sculpted Sita's statue in his palace right next to his throne: a silent but crystal clear reminder to his people about who their rightful, true queen was and nobody could do anything about it. They were wrong, Siyaram weren't. But the tragic circumstances were unavoidable. Another legend that justifies it all is the curse of Asura Guru Shukracharya on Vishnu that he would be separated from Lakshmi in every birth (sitaram, radhakrishna).
To conclude though, I got my answer and I thanked Ram/Krishna/universe for it.
For those who attack and then those who justify sati of these women by merely looking at the surface level: tell them the tale of Sita who didn't need a man to tell her what her worth was. She didn't care whether she was in the palace or lost in the forest, though she always preferred the latter and was fortunate enough to live most of her life in it. She didn't budge when Raavan kidnapped her, didn't budge when a dhobi accused her of being impure, didn't budge when she went through everything because she knew she was right and because she was strong. To hell with those who didn't get that, she was her only validation, her only solace. Don't get the wrong idea that you can throw whatever struggle you want on a woman but be inspired that inspite of it all, she emerged victorious in her own eyes every time and then again and finally as a Goddess that everyone fell on their feet, crying and begging for forgiveness for ever doubting her.
Tell them the tale of Shakti, her beautiful roop Kaushiki who when spotted by the lake taking a bath mesmerized demons. The asura kings Shumbh Nishumbh laughed and said that such beauty could only be in their possession so they issued orders for her to marry either of them. Kaushiki simply smiled and said "I'll happily marry you. But only if you can defeat me in a battle. I'll only be of a man whose strength is equal to mine." The asura kings laughed louder "Such arrogance for the puny stature of a woman?"
The next thing they knew was duelling with Kaushiki and being killed.
Before the death blow a light emanated and that's when they realized who they had challenged. "Take me home, Mother." they were grateful to be slain by the hands of the ever kind goddess who merely smiled and granted their wish as their souls flew out their bodies.
Tell them the tale of Shakti and how only one Navratri used to celebrated (Ashwina Navratri) but then Ram was in Lanka and he had to rescue his wife. He couldn't find a way because his enemy was being protected by Shiv ji's blessings. The only one who could help him was the Goddess. But he couldn't wait for the next Navratri he didn't have time so he started a fast and worshipped Her for nine days (it later came to be known as Chaitra Navratri) She blessed him with strength and on the tenth day they celebrate Vijay Vijaydashami (Dussehra) when Ram was finally able to conquer evil.
p.s: please don't call yourself conceited and arrogant, dear sakhi. If you were then you would've just attacked his idealogy without the need to understand it. But you're questioning and that means you want to understand it. When we love someone we want to know their actions and why they did what they did which would eventually bring us closer to them. When we question, we learn. And we want to learn about things and people we love, right? :)
Well, Kanha we love like that and he would've never wanted his image to be as a dictator. Rather he'd be so happy and proud that you want to understand and get closer to him <3
I'm grateful to Kanha with all my heart that he picked me as a medium for such a beautiful sakhi soul as you 🙏✨️
#desiblr#desi aesthetic#desi#desi tag#desi culture#desi dark academia#desi girl#desi stuff#desi academia#just desi things#radhakrishna#krishna#krishnablr#gopiblr#siyaram#ram#shivashakti#mata#durga#hindublr#hindu mythology#indian culture#indian mythology#indian gods#hindu gods#hinduism
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The whole. Copy trying to surpass the original. I think this has generally been like. The point. Of fgo. People ignore that even favs like Musashi and Moriarty come out here straight up like “I am playing a character who was never alive or real” like. All of the servants are knock offs. I can’t name a single one which feels like it’s meant to be accurate rather than a reinterpretation using chunni anime tropes as the basis. I do think it can be frustrating if you were looking forward to the execution of a historical figure you think was done poorly and I don’t think this applies to more general mistakes they make w race for example, this excuse doesn’t excuse bad writing or design choices when they’re relevant. but I notice far more often criticism more often falls along the lines of expecting accuracy and not understanding the base tropes and conventions the series has worked form since the beginning.
“why did they make her a Woman” like, the moment a woman version of a historical figure shows up, before she’s had a chance to really Do anything. And people quickly forget that like, it’s been this way all along. King Arthur did not have a laser sword. Medusa did not dress like she was going to s night club. at best, the character will follow the outline of the story, but not only are they fakes, they are intensely self aware fakes who often feel a degree of shame over their past deeds, and attempt Not to play to the stereotype of their character (often just resulting in new stereotypes and misconceptions) and I think this is often really interesting and unsold, and tbh if fate was historically accurate on the grounds of, more realistic costumes, heroic figures who aren’t as self aware and trying to avert their fates but more just. There, to teach you the story. That would be fine but it would be distinct from the series I already love w its need to append mechs, lasers, big boobs and animal ears onto everything,
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Thorfinn: is his outfit historically accurate?
Your resident Old Norse nerd is here to dissect Thorfinn’s (CBS Ghosts) outfit. Is it historically accurate?
What we know about him is this: he is a viking from Norway; he died around 1007 (7 years after the Battle of Svolder); ...and that’s about it really.
I’ll be using viking and Old Norse interchangeably throughout this post just to make the language a little less repetitive, although I should note that not everyone in Old Norse society were vikings.
Everything is under the keep reading line, because there’s... a lot of words. Probably too many.
So what is he wearing?
This!
So what did vikings wear? Not this.
For a start, we have no evidence that vikings wore arm guards/vambraces that looked like this--- instead, they may have worn splint armour.
They also did not wear their hair like that. The Vikings TV show was wrong! Shocker! The “Ragnar haircut” is an entirely modern-day hairstyle that people like to associate with vikings. As far as we know, vikings did not have elaborate hairstyles. Instead, they either had their hair long, or short. They may have tied their hair up to keep it out of the way in their daily lives, or worn caps or cloaks, but we have no evidence of this type of haircut. They also likely would not have worn little braids in their hair or beards like Thorfinn does. The beard is on point except for that though.
Vikings also did not tend to wear plain uncut and untreated animal fur like this. As I said, they would have worn capes or cloaks, and oftentimes those were lined with animal fur! But the animal fur would not have been worn alone. However, I am willing to forgive this, since he was left to fend for himself alone in the wilderness, he might have skinned an animal to get it, who knows?
I’m not sure what outer garment Thorfinn is wearing here. Something leather possibly? In any case, they would not have worn this either, not even as armour (they mostly wore chainmail armour or splint armour), and they certainly would not have worn those weird strap thingies? They wore tunics, usually made of wool, and those tunics would have been a lot less skin-tight than Thorfinn’s outer garment. The under garment seems faily accurate though?
The belt and stuff hanging from it seem fairly believable, so I’ll leave them alone for now. The only thing I would say is that Old Norse tunics were very long, so you would expect to see it going down near to his knees, but we don’t see it go further than his belt at all.
The trousers, while are at least loose, are certainly not loose enough. Not to mention there’s no leg wraps--- all vikings would have worn tight leg wraps going up to just below their knees, which would have made the poofiness of their trousers stand out even more!
And lastly... the shoes. Oh god the shoes. Vikings wore turnshoes and that was it, really. They did not wear boots, and if they did, they would not have been that long. The only evidence of boots in Old Norse society that I’m aware of is child-sized. Sorry lads, I know boots are cool.
As for colours, everything here is so drab. And I know, it’s everywhere, this idea that vikings wore natural or dark colours, but it’s so boring to see! Old Norse society was so colourful (depending on class of course)! All of his clothes (bar the shoes and belt I believe) would have been dyed depending on whether he had the money to do such a thing, and I’m of two minds about that--- he was a viking, so naturally of a higher standing than most, but clearly he wasn’t respected by his peers, so maybe he was an odd one out.
Again, depending on his status, he may have worn ringlets, bracelets, and armlets, usually made out of silver. But I’m less concerned about those. I do, however, wish he wore gloves.
Well that’s all from me for now! Hope you enjoyed and sorry for the longass post, I just really love Old Norse society and I Had To Do This. If I missed anything or got anything wrong, feel free to correct me! Just be nice about it :’)
#cat rambles#cat rambles about cbs ghosts#cbs ghosts#cbs ghosts thorfinn#thorfinn#old norse#old norse society#vikings#I am a little scared to post this with those last tags ngl
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Just a little something.
As always, click here for more!
Out of everything I’ve seen on this app, this is definitely the one that made me smile the most.
This is a post made by the creator @zablife .
Honestly, I didn’t ever expect to see a warning for an ethnic slur in Tumblr writing, and I’d like to express why I’m so grateful for it.
I’d like to make it clear this warning is different from a trigger warning. A trigger warning is often used when it contains something that can be said before sharing potentially disturbing content. These can include: blood, self-harm, eating disorders, flashing lights etc.
This is simply a curtesy warning, and I’ll tell you why many Roma will be grateful for it.
Often when reading a good piece, you truly become indulged in it. You feel the characters emotions and somewhat embody the character, relating it to something you wish you could’ve been. When reading this content, you find yourself in a trance, reading the words with an imagine in your head.
As a Romany woman, when left in this trance of “oh my gosh what happens next”, so see what is next is the character you see as yourself being called a gypsy, does become somewhat disturbing and puts you off an amazing piece.
Having been called that word growing up, along with much worse, the only way to describe it is a, “well that’s that then”, moment.
Having this warning isn’t a necessity.
However, it is something that we are grateful for, being aware it is used before we read and knowing it will be in there.
Sometimes you want to escape that life, escaping the negatives of what you are. So you read, you watch edits and you enter a brand new world. Sometimes, you just don’t want to see the word. Having this warning prevents that.
An example of this, is the TV show, “call the midwife”, on Netflix. It’s a great historical watch for anyone who is interested, however in the first 8 minutes of the first episode where they regard to Cadburys ‘Romany Creams’ as ‘Gypsy Creams’. It catches you completely off guard. (In now way am I bashing this programme as I definitely recommend watch it!)
Another is the new watch, “Wednesday”, where the term ‘gypsy moth’ was used when the accurate name is a ‘spongy moth’. It definitely catches you off guard. (Again, Wednesday is definitely an amazing watch and the actors in that are AMAZING, but what else can you expect from Tim Burton).
I don’t know if this warning is something writers want to use, and it is something completely your choice, in no way do I want to make writers feel pressured into putting something in their writing they simply don’t want to, however, I wanted to post this amazing creator and make it known the small things they are doing that improve experiences for the Roma on this app.
This may be something people just haven’t thought of doing, which is understandable because if I wasn’t Roma and no Roma had spoken about this before, I’d not understand why either.
However, the more you know I guess! :)
#peaky blinders#peakyblindershelp#thomas shelby#arthur shelby#finn shelby#polly gray#polly grey#john shelby#izabesworld peakyblinders#izabesworld
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Bridgerton & Deliberate Historical Inaccuracies
Bridgerton is not historically accurate. We know this. We don't care. I think it's fine. And who cares, really, if they fudge a thing or two? It's a fantasy. There's no need for it to be accurate about fashions, society, race, language, etc.
But the biggest category I, a Regency scholar, notice the historical inaccuracies in is not about annyyyy of the above.
It's about repression.
Specifically, ignoring very real repression or choosing to reframe it (race and a woman's place being examples) and adding in repression and ignorance that is easier for the audience to swallow. The kind of repression that makes us roll our eyes OR be scandalized ... not the sad, cruel, evil kind that actually happened.
My two biggest examples?
The ignorance about sex.
WOMEN OF THIS ERA WERE NOT IGNORANT ABOUT SEX TO THIS DEGREE.
This is because, like today, Regency women talked amongst themselves ... and because it wasn't that taboo of a subject. (You're thinking of the Victorian era with the "that was taboo" stance, and even then, everything kinky just went underground and therefore got more alluring. The Victorians were freaks.)
Have you read Jane Austen? Or like, any Gothic fiction? Or like ... books? Have you read books!?
If nothing else, there would be a series of discussions in an upper class household with daughters as they became teenagers in a "and that's why men are pigs and you should wait until marriage and then only think of Scotland" kind of discussion.
But even if there was a very sheltered (usually very religious or something like that) young woman in the Regency era who had not learned of sex, that is not the Bridgerton girls. I mean, they have THREE older brothers who are all RAKES.
In season 1, literally what does Daphne think "rake" means? Like, he ... goes and gardens? "Ah, yes, my brother Anthony, GARDENING with that OPERA SINGER how horrible." Like, in the setup the show sets up, SHE CANNOT BE THAT NAIVE.
Now, this one I do not think is purely the decision of the directors. It's a common (inaccurate, annoying) trope in historical erotica because for some reason, historical erotica writers have a kink about being all innocent and deflowered by a hunky rogue who you can't resist because you just CANNOT and it's his fault not yours you are innocent you're just a baby. (Y'all coming off purity culture or something? How's the therapy coming?)
2. The period thing.
Women in the Regency era did not just bleed all over their sheets/clothes/etc. Especially not upper class Regency women with means.
They had menstrual products. Granted, made out of cloth, and granted, probably not as effective, but they had systems set up.
And further, they probably were more aware of their cycles than we are today because it was a valued thing to have a period. Because it meant you were (probably, somewhat inaccurately) fertile and could bear children for your husband. So, sexist as that reason is, this idea that women a: didn't know much about their periods and b: didn't manage them in a sustainable way is hogwash.
Further, the fact that these chicks HAD PERIODS means they know why they're bleeding, right? 10/10 they do. I am not taking criticism here.
3. The corsets
*sigh*
We've all heard the corset drama.
And that's fine. I don't care. But I can't help but feel like the reason they WERE using inappropriately-sized, uncomfortable corsets that were more modern or Victorian in style is BECAUSE they wanted the actresses to get uncomfortable (or even injure themselves) and complain and get the media riled up about it.
Because if they had just used period-accurate stays (or even period-accurate corsetry), they wouldn't have ever had this conversation in the first place.
I am somewhat confused, though, because every chick on Bridgerton that I've seen get undressed was not wearing a corset or stays, but that's a conversation for another day.
Just ... I feel like Bridgerton chose its inaccuracies very carefully to craft a specific type of society, and that's fine. Again, it's a fantasy. Really, if you care, you're giving this far too much energy (and I already have given it far too much energy lol). But ... it just is something to be aware of.
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Creative writing was just an excuse to write about my oc’s again:
Thea Hedley
December 29th, 2069
Start of journal prescribed by therapist Joan. I have only had time to sit down now, but only now do I have anything to write about. Currently in my hotel room at the Elmwood in Eritroit.
Arrived in Eritroit 6 days ago. The day after I arrived, I went to the Presidential residence to speak with the man who hired me as well as my client. I was aware before I left that I would be representing my younger sister. I have not seen her in 8 years, and though I try not to dwell on the reason for this, I believe our estrangement and the event that precipitated it will not make this easy. I am trying to remember why I’m here. A successful case in another country, as well as the handsome sum that I am being paid, will be nothing but good. The paid vacation is a nice bonus as well.
When I first saw Ophi, I was not surprised at her state. She had recently experienced a traumatic loss and had returned to her comforting vices for a month, and only for the crime she is accused of and I am representing her for has she returned to sobriety. Still, it has not been long, and the loss of sleep and mental torture were obvious in her eyes. Her expression betrayed her derision for me, confirming my prediction. Everything else about her was a surprise of sorts, or a re-learning, as is more accurate. She did not look how I had occasionally pictured her in my mind.
She had always had brown hair, but somewhere within those 8 years, I had imagined it to be more red than it was. The only hint at ginger came when the sun fell over her. Her hair had been cut above her shoulders, chunky layers indicating it was an amateur job. She was larger, too. She had quickly grown taller than me in her teen years, and since I last saw her at sixteen, she had put on muscle and fat; certainly not my ‘little’ sister anymore. It was strange to see her as a grown woman like myself. She did not wear glasses as I or our parents did, and her gray eyes were all too sharp without them. I was only able to say hello to her before she turned and walked away into her host’s halls.
I returned to my hotel.
January 2nd, 2070
I’ve decided there is no use in writing about my work, my interviews and research in this journal. I already do that all day. If I’m not being paid to write about the case, I won’t. That said, Joan said to write about my thoughts, my feelings--which are all about the case. It’s not effective to get emotionally involved in any case, but this one has gotten emotionally involved in me. How could it not be? It’s straining my family life. While mom used to call every few days to talk, now she calls every day, occasionally twice. Even though she never asks, I know she’s trying to get a gauge on her estranged daughter. I’m bound not to discuss, which she knows, but the constant talking about everything but her is draining. Dad does ask. I told him I cannot disclose anything, but he just asked how she was. He doesn’t call, but I could read the pleading in his texts. I told him she was still Ophi. This is not soothing.
January 3rd.
If I am not going to write about work, I may as well write about Eritroit. When we lived in Miskonsi, we only visited Eritroit once or twice, as it is not exactly a city to take your kids too. I’m glad to return as an adult, to appreciate the architecture and subdued austerity of the capital. It is not metropolitan, not tall, but the feeling of walking through it is like walking into collective memory. It retains the historical flourishes popular throughout the whole country, of intricate stonework and brass. More than other cities here, the preservation of historic buildings seems to be a central project, as the only construction I see is refurbishings, and no cranes pierce into the sky. I find the whole thing nostalgic. I never lived in the era in which these buildings first grew up, but I lived my first few decades in a different city dotted by them. Of all the things I am confronting during this trip, I am pleased that fondness from my childhood has returned to me, hidden away in turn of the 19th century flourishes and eternal gray stone.
January 5th.
During this travel and work, I had not considered the new decade we have just entered. While I have moved forward in time, I am in the same place I was in a decade before: struggling against my younger sister for success. Then again, things have changed. Now, I drive the struggle. The storm that raged within her since she became conscious of her world has petered out. She is overcast now, lacking passion, with a strange contendness. That’s what everything is. Strange. She has a strange mood, strange new friends, a strange case. It is all so strange I wonder if it is truly hers or if I am the one who is abnormal. I have returned to her life, as she has returned to mine, and I must admit I do not know her anymore.
On the topic of her mood, I cannot find reason for it. She watched her partner fall into a terrible coma, relapsed, was fired from her job, is being charged for a crime, and yet she is happy. Unattached to any responsibility, she drifts, content with her lot, little as it is. Her only sorrow seems to come from my presence, but still, it is not red-hot and boiling, but cold and distant. She treats me like her lawyer, which--I am her lawyer. I should not be upset that she is letting me do my job. Did I expect her to treat me as her sister? Do I want her to?
I am beginning to think I never knew her at all.
January 6th.
Today was the initial hearing. It was short. No one was put on the stand. There were only a few people in the room in all. The prosecution was a woman lacking any afflection in her voice, so neutral as to be grating. I resolved not to let her speak for too long if I could. The judge, of course, and bailiff, and the defense. Ophelia, her adoptive father, and I. The one thing that did happen was a correction of the record. The case is now Ophelia Mil vs., not Hedley. Better for me, of course, not to have it obviously known that I represented my family. Simply more accurate as well. The defendant is not Ophelia Hedley as I knew her. Ophelia Hedley was, in all intents and purposes, deceased. The woman I now defend is not my family, not my sister, and not guilty. I must believe this if I am to continue.
January 7th.
What does Joan want me to write about if not my work? I am in the middle of a trial, I need to process information and update my strategy. How is writing about how it makes me feel any different than writing about it itself? Am I to describe my stress, my sleeplessness, my daily dread walking into that courtroom, without writing the reasons for them? If I am not to write about work, I can only write about breakfast and dinner. Both are taken in my hotel. Frigidness creeps into my bones even though I spend all my hours indoors, here or in court. See, there I go again, writing about work. I am nothing if not a lawyer, I cannot leave my life off of this page.
January 8th. 9th.
I could not sleep. I am aching all over. I know what the prosecution is going to end with. So far, they’ve been doing a poor job, and seemingly on purpose. I know Ophelia, I know that if I were on the other team, she would be ripped apart 5 minutes after being put on the stand. They’ve been soft-balling her, and all my other witnesses. They’ve let them get away with surface-deep answers, letting her get built up into a poor little thing. I know this, because I’ve done it. I’ve been the one asking the soft questions, not for as long as they’ve been, but I know that their next move is a huge swing. And given this wind up, this one will be a home run. Ugh, I’m doing sports metaphors, I need to sleep--but I can’t. I know what I need to do. I need to beat them to it, I need to take the bat from their hands and swing myself, control my own damage. If I don’t, we lose. We still might. But this can’t come from anyone but me.
We’re in recess. I did it. I hit the hornet’s nest that is my, her, history. I’ve been removed from the case. I’ve never been removed from a case before. They’re bringing in a new lawyer to replace me. I’ll be put on the stand, probed and exhibited for all eyes to see, on record torching my reputation, betraying my family, pushed and pulled until I break. If I am nothing but a lawyer, what will I be after this? Nothing. Nothing.
January 11th.
We lost. I suppose there is no “we”, now that I’ve been dismissed from the defense team. Ophelia wasn’t ever facing jail time or an extensive fee, but any loss is a loss. She’ll be on parole, required to complete 850 hours of community service and a full sobriety program. She appeared relieved, maybe for the mild punishment, maybe just happy to be done with the whole debacle, done with me. I forced myself to be there. I wanted nothing more than to wither away in my bed, stewing in my nothing-ness and pretend that none of this was ever my fault.
January 13th.
I was trying to wallow in my sadness this afternoon, with yet another room service order and rerun of a reality show. At least their lives are entertaining in their chaos. I was doing a pretty good job at it too, ignoring calls and remaining in the clothes I slept in. That was, until I made the mistake of picking up my phone to add another layer of passive media consumption onto my numbness. As I did so, an unknown number called me. I was about to swipe it away, but the location of the caller gave me pause. It was a number from home, the city I grew up in, the life I fled as soon as I had the excuse to. I blinked. Might as well.
I didn’t say anything upon accepting the call. The line was dead for a few seconds, and I pretended my disappointment was anything but, assuming it was just a spam call. Then, I hear the caller clear their voice. “Thea.” I closed my eyes. In the weeks I’ve been here, I’ve only heard my surname. “Come downstairs.”
“Why.” I couldn’t find the strength in me to make it a question.
“To say goodbye.”
I knew the irony of it. I had re-read my entries in here, I knew that exactly how I described Ophelia when I first saw her was how she was seeing me as I walked toward her in the lobby. She looked down at me, now that I was just in my socked feet, not clicking heels. She looked different, if not better. She had masked her anger well, dispassionate expression just as painful. I stopped before her, pushing my glasses up my nose. Neither of us said anything. She exhaled, turning toward the empty lounge. I followed. She chose her seat on a couch, and I sat in a chair to her right. ‘To say goodbye’. It occurred to me, as it must have to her, that we had never said goodbye to one another. Our last words were tearful screams, just as the ones we had always flinched away from our mother. Now, I could see our father in her. Relenting, giving in to what was always going to happen. I tried to ask her what I should tell our parents, but she held her hand up, and I fell silent. Now I was the pathetic little girl, asking my sister for the right answer, to tell me it was going to be okay. She spoke instead.
“I am sorry,” The words were slow, like she was analyzing each to make sure they had not run violently out of her. “That I ever thought you could have saved me. Protected me, defended me. It was never you and I against mom and dad, it was never me against the rest of you. It was her against the world, and if we were not extensions of her, we were nothing.” And I saw something in her gray eyes that I had never recognized before. I was never shaken before when I witnessed fury, anger, fear. But now, cold rattled down my spine as I beheld pity. “We didn’t deserve that. And I’m sorry I took it out on you.” She sat back in her seat, making me realize belatedly we had been leaning toward one another. Her shoulders dropped and she took a few even breaths.
“What do you want?” I asked. She shrugged.
“From you? Nothing. We aren’t sisters, no one ever let us try to be.” I sat back too, feeling the air go out of me. She looked down at her hands for a moment, rubbing them together. “I’ll try to get you your job back. I think everyone’s a little too scared of me to suggest it themselves.” She laughed with that last sentence, and a different life flashed before my eyes. One where I was used to her laughing, where I knew her well enough to make her laugh, where the world was kind enough to let us know each other. She stood, and I did a second later. She didn’t reach out to me, just inclined her head and smiled softly. “Goodbye, Thea. And Good luck.” This time, she walked out the door, leaving me standing alone, silent tears streaming down my face. I thought I had lost here years ago. But she had just been hiding in my heart, where I never cared to tread, and now she had walked right out, leaving me gaping open and alone.
The woman handed the journal to Dr. Joan, wiping her hands after the Doctor took the book. Dr. Joan did not look at the book, only at the woman. The woman cleared her throat.
“I did it.” She folded her hands together elegantly on her lap, her smooth blue skirt creasing ever so slightly as she rested her hands on her lap. “Happy?”
“Are you happy?” Dr. Joan had said that very thing to a hundred clients before, relishing in it just as much each time. The woman blinked. Taking a moment to sweep her ginger hair behind her ear.
“Should I be?” Always the lawyer, everything she said was a question. “Do I deserve to be?”
“Does anyone?” The Woman turned her face toward the window, the sun shining down on her face. “Many people are, if they deserve it or not. So,”
“Are you happy?”
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essentially, tldr’ing, this whole thing is me spiraling down one wikihole to another, then trying to check my sources to be sure they're correct, finding out most of them weren't, and proceeding to slip down into even more rabbit holes. this post is literally only half of what ive found. but it took me so long to summarize even a bit of it and it was starting to become a college thesis paper. so i gave up on most of what i was originally going to post and this is the end result! is it a bad idea to be posting this? maybe. am i doing it anyway because ive spent way too much fucking time on this for it not to be shared? yes. yes i am.
.
continuing on from this post, it is officially time for nerding out and posting about information literally nobody asked for!
to save time for anyone who’s curious about the past post, this is everything in it regarding to this subject:
(in regards to the word ‘bel’)
- in Babylonian Mythology Bel is the the god of heaven and earth
- Babylonia, ancient cultural region occupying southeastern Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (modern southern Iraq from around Baghdad to the Persian Gulf). the name “Babylon” is derived from the Akkadian word babilu meaning “gate of god,” it is an evident counterfeit of God’s eternal city. The opposition to the rule of God by world powers or the exile of God’s people from the land of blessing is conveyed properly through the metaphor of Babylon.
- the words origin is the Akkadian form of Baal
- Akkadian is an extinct East Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia from the third millennium BC. native to Assyria and Babylon.
now, while falling into one rabbit hole after the other, i realized that this information is not exactly accurate. so im going to try and lay this out in the least confusing way possible. this is going to be long so bear with me here
Babylonia:
Ancient Babylonia left behind some wonderful artifacts. The Babylonians used the innovations of the Sumerians, added to them, and built an empire that gave the world, among other things, codified laws, a tower that soared above the earth, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. and one of their more impressive and major achievements was the establishment of the world's first written code of law, the Code of Hammurabi.
so there is a lot of history surrounding Babylonia and its reign and state over time. if i really got into it I’d just be basically copy-pasting ten Wikipedia pages. and honestly, that’s pretty useless because you could just read them yourself. that not really the point of this post anyways (watch me now delete half of what I've already written for this).
but i will give a short summary of what I've found:
each source says something else entirely. especially regarding the years. most of the events and the order that they've unfolded are pretty similar, so if you do decide to read up on the place - ignore the time stamps completely.
i do need to make you all aware of the fact that the Babylonian number system uses base 60 instead of 10, and that the base 60 number system is named sexagesimal. Also apparently the system has no zero. i found that entertaining.
so skipping over all the history of the place (shame on me), Geographically, the empire of Babylonia occupied the middle and southern part of Mesopotamia. Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, it stretched from the present-day city of Baghdad south to the Persian Gulf.
Babylonian religion:
Babylonians were polytheistic and worshiped a large pantheon of gods and goddesses. Some of the gods were state deities, like Marduk, the chief patron god of Babylon, who dwelled in a towering temple. Others were personal gods that families worshiped at humble home shrines
the Babylonian Chronicles:
The Babylonian Chronicles are a series of tablets recording major events in Babylonian history. They are thus one of the first steps in the development of ancient historiography (the study of how historical recording and interpretations of the same events shift with time as a result of many different factors, basically, the study of historical writing). The Babylonian Chronicles were written in Babylonian cuneiform (logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East) by Babylonian astronomers ("Chaldaeans").
from what i could find, the chronicles (at least most of them) are currently at the British Museum.
Assyria:
I'm sot going to go into this empire as much. Because it’s really as important as Babylonia is but mostly because I've been doing this all day and im starting to get annoyed at the inconsistency of my findings.
Assyria was located in the northern part of Mesopotamia, which corresponds to most parts of modern-day Iraq as well as parts of Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey.
The Assyrians are the indigenous people of northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and eastern Syria. Today there are over 5 million Assyrians worldwide and they speak the Aramaic language, also known as Syriac. These peoples are also referred to as the Chaldeans, Aramaeans, and Syriacs. Modern Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian empires, one of the earliest civilizations emerging in the Middle East, and have a history spanning over 6770 years
the mass migration started in 1975 after the Algerian treaty between Iran and Iraq that enabled Saddam Hussein to destroy many Assyrian and Kurdish villages in the north. Many were executed; hundreds of thousands were forced to leave their lands and resettled in southern Iraq.
Today, Assyrians are one of the most widely scattered indigenous peoples. In Iraq, their fundamental human rights were, and continue to be neglected.
this is a paragraph from an article about todays Assyrians that i found:
the extremely oppressive ideology of Ba'athist regimes in Iraq and Syria denies the very existence of Assyrians as a distinct ethnic group; it tolerates us solely as a Christian subset. In reality, our Christian religion is divided into the Apostolic and Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Free Assyrian Orthodox Church of Anitoch, Chaldean Catholic Church, and the Protestant Church. Our history is falsified and misused to suit pan-Arabic ideology. We are forbidden to teach our own history or to promote and develop our cultural identity in any way. Particularly, under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, Iraq punishes Assyrian national activity with persecution and death. Many Assyrian patriots are either imprisoned or have been murdered. This reign of terror has been well-documented by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and from personal accounts by most of us who left countries, such as Iraq, in search of refuge and civilized order in Europe, Australia, and America.
i myself haven't done a lot of research into this topic so im not going to pretend that i do. this post is supposed to be a lighthearted “jesus christ i’ve fallen into so many rabbit holes by just trying to figure out a name for my Beetlejuice fanfic”. though now that i find myself on this specific slide, i once again am hit with how history is actually a thing and these things that happened thousands of years ago are still affecting so many people today.
i’m going to leave this in here because this is something important that needs to be talked about, i had no idea about this before today and i doubt many other people do either. so please, if you’re reading this and from what you know this information is false, dm me privately and let me know without causing a scene.
OK BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED LIGHT HEARTED TOPICS
Akkadian:
Akkadian is an extinct East Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia from the third millennium BC until its gradual replacement by Akkadian-influenced Old Aramaic among Mesopotamians by the 8th century BC. It is the earliest documented Semitic language. it was written in a cuneiform script. As the Akkad dynasty proliferated, Akkadian replaced Sumerian, the world’s oldest-known written language, as the spoken tongue of southern Mesopotamia. Simultaneously, Akkadian splintered off into Babylonian and Assyrian dialects, with Babylonian becoming the lingua franca of the Middle East around the ninth century B.C.
so what does the word bel actually mean?
in mythology Bêl (/ˈbeɪl/; from Akkadian: bēlu) is a title signifying "lord" or "master" applied to various gods in the Mesopotamian religion of Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia.
Bel was especially used for the Babylonian god Marduk. basically, bel was a title meaning lord, so like how the Christians call their god “the lord”, if someone back then only said the word bel, it could be understood that they were referring to the lord of the gods.
there is though an actual god named Bel. He was the chief-god (the supreme deity) of Palmyra, Syria in pre-Hellenistic times, being worshipped alongside the gods Aglibol (the moon god) and Yarhibol (god of nature maybe?). they weren't the only gods in the pantheon, the three just almost always showed up together. The Temple of Bel in Palmrya, Syria was dedicated to this god, it has since been destroyed by ISIS
why is bel defined as the god of the earth in Babylonian and Assyrian mythology if they're different religions?
from what i understand, Assyria and Babylonia can be thought of like siblings. always fighting to be the best and one up each other. Assyria and Babylonia were both created out of the ashes of the Akkadian empire. so im guessing that’s why they’re also almost always put together in regards to their gods. The ancient Assyrians and Babylonians did believe in mostly the same gods, had a similar culture and customs, and even spoke the same languages
yet while the Babylonians believed in a Supreme God, the Assyrians based their religion around the concept of animism, the attribution of a life force to inanimate objects. Assyrians formed a military dynasty whereas Babylonians became merchants and agriculturalists and the supreme ruler in Assyria was an autocratic king while in Babylonia, priesthood was the highest authority.
anyways, please don't come for me if any of this is wrong, feel free too add to it if you want to. my work here is finally complete
#its shitpost hour but instead of shitposts its nerdpost#i spent actual fucking hours on this#and yet i cant spend ten minutes on something i actually have to do#babylonia#babylon#assyria#assyrians#history#A.B.L Foundation
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january 2023 mediapost
everything i watched, read, and listened to this month
watched
the lego movie (2014)
first watch of the new year! from what i've seen, most media being catered to children is just stupid, so it's always such a pleasant surprise to see something that's actually good. like something i wouldn't mind my children watching, if i had any. not that stupid movies are bad, but you know.
pineapple express (2008)
this movie was not at all what i was expecting. i put this on just to have something to zone out to. overall, it served its purpose and had some really funny moments.
drunk history (2013)
i watched the first two episodes of this, thinking maybe i'd learn something i didn't know before, or maybe at least have a laugh, but i think this show might be too dumb for me to get into. i think the concept is great, but i wish it were more like.. historically accurate stories told in a funny way, rather than like 'woah that guy is really hammered.' i doubt i'll continue to watch this.
you people (2023)
absolutely plastered watching this one and i could still tell it was the worst movie i've seen in awhile.
read
as i lay dying by william faulkner (1930)
first read of the new year! i really enjoy faulkner's writing and the concept of this story was so awesome, but for some reason it took me forever to get through this book. some parts of it i had to reread too many times for my liking. i will have to check out some more stuff by him in the future.
indignation by philip roth (2008)
i am usually turned off by the young angsty main character trope (i really hated the new me by halle butler for this reason), but for whatever reason i really loved it this time. i think his anger at the world was more funny and relatable than pretentious and annoying. a story about how ironic life can be, how confusing social rules can be, and the way the universe favors some of the stupidest people, told through the eyes of someone who freaks out about these things in the same way that i do. it was really great.
lizard by banana yoshimoto (1993)
(a collection of short stories)
- newlywed: i don't really care for stories about men fantasizing about some hot cool mysterious woman who comes and rescues them from their wives that they hate like stfu lol.
- title story: i enjoyed the female character more than anything, and the concept of her being burdened with her magic healing powers as a result of her past. she was really cool but i wish the story were told from her perspective.
- helix: this story was really sweet and i love the concept of people in love being able to read each other's minds.
- dreaming of kimchee: wasn't a fan of this one either. i just can't get into stories about people who seem to completely lack self-awareness lol.
- blood and water: this one was kind of beautiful. a story about changing as a person / finding your place in the world, finding love and fulfillment, being accepted.
this collection explores timing and healing and fate as they relate to spirituality and the supernatural. can't explain it but this book is so 90s lol. this is the second book i've read by this author and i just love her style and how real and relatable her stories are. i feel like she has something for everyone.
listened to
the glow, pt. 2 by the microphones (2001) (relisten)
first album of the new year! one of my few no-skip albums. it has such a wintery feel to me, but maybe that's just because it's a little depressing lol. enjoyed it on a long drive. hard for me to choose my favorites but here i go.
favorites: i want wind to blow, the moon, (something) - 1, the gleam, pt. 2, map, you'll be in the air, i felt your shape
planet her by doja cat (2021)
i'd heard most of the songs from this album before, but never gave it a straight-through listen until now. a lot of really good songs with only a few i had to skip. doja just kinda rules imo.
favorites: get into it (yuh), need to know, love to dream, been like this, ain't shit
sos by sza (2022)
a pretty even mix of good songs, bad songs, and in-between. i gotta say ghost in the machine might be the worst song i’ve heard in awhile. phoebe bridgers' voice does not belong on here, it just totally threw me off. this album was decent, but definitely didn't come close to ctrl for me.
favorites: low, notice me, smoking on my ex pack, nobody gets me, special, shirt
like..? by ice spice (2023)
i love ice spice and this album was decent. i can't wait to see what else she does, she's such a genius.
favorites: all of them??
memoryland by cfcf (2021) (relisten)
listened to this while working on applications. good ambience for me. i love electronic music and this is one of my favorite albums of that genre.
favorites: life is perfecto, suburbilude, night/day/work/home, gravure idol, self service 1999
nightlife by yuragi (2016) (relisten)
a short one. listened for working ambience.
favorites: soon, night is young
for granted by yaeji (2023) (single)
this is sooo so good and i can't wait for the album. love this artist.
everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? by the cranberries (1993)
not going to say anything that hasn't already been said. it’s so dreamy and sad and perfect. i just love this album and this group.
favorites: dreams, sunday, linger, i will always, put me down
heaven or las vegas by cocteau twins (1990)
listened to this in preparation for goth prom. another group that i just love and i hadn't yet listened to this from start to finish. apparently was heavily front-loaded for me. i’m looking forward to listening to more of their albums.
favorites: cherry-colored funk, pitch the baby, iceblink luck, heaven or las vegas
tomorrow is nearly yesterday and everyday is stupid by crywank (2015)
as individual songs i really liked them, and the titles are amusing. this is the type of music i listen to a lot. but listening to this start to finish as an album.. it kinda got boring and repetitive after a bit.
favorites: memento mori, song for a guilty sadist, if i were you i'd be throwing up, notches, only everyone can judge me, deep down i'm american werewolf
visions by grimes (2012)
closed out my january with this one by my favorite artist of all time. listened to celebrate its 11th anniversary!!
favorites: genesis, oblivion, be a body, symphonia ix (my wait is u), nightmusic, skin, know the way
︻╦╤─ ҉ -¨ * ♫‧₊˚*♡ * ☆ ♪*” ♡.
my media consumption has been kind of lacking this month due to working ft, applying to grad schools, life stuff, etc. hopefully february will be packed full of even more great stuff. thanks for reading!
02/04/23
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6 of 9
I love 2013’s Holiday Card image for many reasons… I love the nostalgia, the magic and research that went into creating it. As a history buff and someone fascinated by WW2 specifically, I love the historical context and connections. Mostly I love the card because this was the first time (but not the last) my holiday card was also connected to a film project I created. In this case, my Holiday Short film, Everything Twas (which can be seen here: https://youtu.be/UiGGmQoygZg or by clicking the link in my profile)
The card built upon the film, but important to me, you didn’t have to see Everything Twas to understand and enjoy the card. The card also didn’t really give any context to the film itself. They were connected but not dependent on each other. Inspired by one another!
Production-wise, the card was a much simpler affair shooting. We tacked it onto the day of shooting I did for Everything Twas. Hair and Makeup was done by my dear friend LN and Katie would once again help with costuming.
The real work took place in post and that was once again handled by the super talented Gavin Rolph. We had many conversations, as I am a detail guy, and someone that wants to create something unique and original. There were “versions” but once we found our footing we were off and running and really worked to finalize the feel and vibe overall. I had done a fair amount of research (for Everything Twas and then specifically for the card) so I knew that what I was asking for was historically accurate. Gavin did an amazing job delivering that. For example, the color palette kept within the palettes used for the late 30’s and early 40’s. Also, the style of hand painting posters was reproduced here, if you look closely at my hand and wrist for example, the color “bleeds” intentionally.
Inside the card no images appeared but on the right side in red text “SEE MY HOLIDAY FILM, EVERYTHING TWAS: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/GETPAULHOWARD DO IT FOR YOUR COUNTRY! A cheeky way to promote the film. On the right side, in black text, “AND EVEN THOUGH THIS CHRISTMAS TIME MAY FIND US TWO APART, I’LL STILL BE WISHING YOU THE BEST, OLD PAL, WITH ALL MY HEART! A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS! PAUL”
On the back, another American Flag with the credits of the project and below, a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt; “The times are so serious that even children should be made to understand that there are vital differences in people’s beliefs which lead to differences in behavior.” A fitting quote for then, and now as an unjust and unprovoked war continues in Ukraine.
I do want to address one piece of controversy that came from this card, and I’m not kidding when I say “controversy”, a few strangers who saw the image online lost their minds over the fact that the flag is hung incorrectly in the background. I think that specifically bothered them because of all the military connections and maybe even the connections to World War 2 specifically. Speaking of, they are correct, the flag is “hung” incorrectly, and a fact I was aware of. The stars should be on the left side of the frame, but we made a creative decision based on many factors, but put simply, it looked visually better this way. It is after all INSPIRED by history and not an actual historical document or item. I guess you can’t please everyone, even when it comes to Christmas Cards! 2014’s holiday card would take that “inspired by” to a whole other level…
#ww2#world war 2#nostalgia#christmas#christmas past#merry christmas#holiday card#christmas card#everything twas#christmas movie#holiday film
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Tipping the Velvet by @amymel86
Sansa flushed, not quite sure what Margaery had meant by that. Her attention was then taken by two gentlemen making their way through the crowd towards the punch bowl... “Who is that?” she almost whispered, feeling her satin gloved hand come up to lightly touch her collarbone.
“Some lucky fellow piqued your interest, darling?” Margaery smirked, taking back the offered glasses and peering through them. “The Targaryens?” She lowered the opera glasses and raised one perfect brow as she turned to face Sansa. “Good breeding, old name, if we set a contract with the eldest, Aegon, you’ll be rather comfortable. Unfortunately, I’ve no knowledge of the man himself or his appetites in the bedroom, so I’m unable to guide you there, my dear.”
“Which one is the eldest?” Sansa asked, her eyes trained on the dark-haired Targaryen.
“The one with the dashing silver hair.”
“Oh.”
Sansa felt Margaery’s eyes on her again. “You favour the spare over the heir? As a woman of business, I should advise you against it and turn you towards a more lucrative arrangement... but as a woman of pleasure, I say there’s nothing wrong with a bit of fun.”
A Jon/Sansa Victorian Era Au in which gentleman Jon gets dragged into a fancy social function and somehow manages to walk out as courtesan Sansa’s newest benefactor.
#jon x sansa#jonsa#actuallyjonsa#jonsaedit#jonxsansaff#amymel86#god i am so rusty... but still i hope you like it!#also...#i am aware not everything on here is historically accurate#but let it NEVER be said i put accuracy over aesthetic#jon snow#sansa stark#gotedit#got au#victorian au#historical au#alys fic recs#alys edits#ae: jon x sansa#ae: asoiaf#ae: hbo got
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So I just saw a post that was basically saying, “I don’t care if you use the pan label but you need to understand that bi has always been inclusive of everyone” and, idk, correct me if I’m wrong (because I really don’t actually know for sure), but isn’t that kinda… not true? Like, yeah, nowadays most bi folks feel that way and consider bi to include everyone and anyone, but isn’t there a fair bit of transphobia and exclusionism in bi history? Which is why other micro labels were being created in the first place? I know (or I think, anyway?) labels like pan were also created because some felt bi was too limiting, but I always thought it’s because bi was actually limiting back in the day?
I’m fully aware that I could be wrong and that’s just a misconception I need to shake. But the way this post was worded just kinda rubbed me the wrong way because it felt very condescending, and I don’t know if I should actually trust what it’s saying because, again, as far as I understand, there was a time when the bi label didn’t include everyone. That’s not to say people who used it didn’t feel that way personally, but as a label, that’s not what it was initially meant to mean. Like… idk, am I just completely wrong with that, or is this just another instance of people ignoring history to prove this point that “bi has always meant this” and, more subtly and quietly, “therefore pan is invalid” ??
(Sorry if this is a recycled or obvious question, but I don’t trust much of the sources on google either tbh lol and I usually find the descriptions of histories too confusing on sites like Wikipedia. But I do trust your answers and sources, and I know I can kinda count on you to explain everything, straight up, in a way that I can actually understand.)
I don’t like saying pansexual (and other mspec labels) were “created” because of bisexual not being inclusive or transphobia in bi spaces. It’s much more accurate to say pansexual gained prominence as one of the ways people responded to transphobia and the growing awareness of nonbinary identities (shifting the bi narrative was another way people did this, because yes, there was a time when bi was generally defined and discussed in bi spaces in binary ways).
Pansexual (and other mspec labels) existed before that, though. That’s why I specifically say gained popularity or ground or prominence, instead of created. The further back you look, the more they’re kind of just seldom used alternatives mspec labels. But due to this adoption of pansexual, it became its own thing instead of staying a seldom used alternative mspec label.
I have a post of sources on this, which you can find here. Another post on this topic from someone else, which I added onto to say that two different things can be true at the same time because the community is not one singular space and experience; saying some people/spaces were binary is not saying they all were, and neither cancels out the other. This post can be found here.
Bi activist Shiri Eisner discussed this on Twitter recently:
98% of the time, when reading a bi text written before 2010 or so, one would have to deal with overwhelming binarism and casual cissexism. Can we find support for trans and nonbinary people in the margins? Absolutely. However, it is in the margins. Has the bi community historically more supportive of trans people than other cis communities? Absolutely. But the bar is highly a high one. For example, the famous “don’t even assume there are only two genders” from the Bisexual Manifesto is directly preceded by the phrase “both genders”.
Nonbinary definitions of bisexuality started solidifying only in the 2010s, largely as a response to the criticism forwarded by pansexual communities. In fact, pansexuality came into prominence *because* some people were alienated by bisexuality’s binary definitions. The reason why today the most agreed upon definitions of bisexuality are nonbinary is the advent of pansexuality. It challenged bi communities to think about binarism and casual cissexism, and to do better. Without it, the binary definitions would have likely stayed the same.
The 2010s argument that bisexuality isn’t inherently binary has morphed into the myth that bisexuality was never anything else. We need to acknowledge our full history, as it took place in reality, without inventing indulgent myths whose only propose is to rid ourselves of an imagined “taint”. Lying isn’t helping our case, it only makes us less reliable.
The recent claim that bisexual has always meant all, or that it was never defined or discussed in binary ways by the bi community/movement is not true, and when it’s almost always pushed by people who are saying it in response to the mere existence of pansexuality, it’s very clear why they’re saying it. The unspoken “and therefor pan isn’t valid/necessary” is quite loud.
Like Eisner said, people went from correcting the idea that bisexual is inherently binary/transphobic, to claiming that the bi movement/community never defined or spoke about bisexual in binary ways. Meanwhile, every single book on bisexuality written by bisexual people that I’ve read has been binary in some capacity. That’s not to say there weren’t any nonbinary discussions or contributors, just that for the most part, the books were binary. Eisner even names some of the books in her Twitter thread.
So yeah, these people have just been overcorrecting to the point of rewriting history, which tells people that their lived experiences never happened and erases the work the community has done. They’re trying to advocate for and defend bisexuality, but because they have little knowledge on the community’s history, they’re honestly just doing the opposite.
#asks#anonymous#pan antagonism#bi antagonism#reference#bisexual#pansexual#trans antagonism#non binary antagonism#just to be clear here: this is not an attack on bi or to put bi down or paint it as having an entirely binary history#this is just one experience. another is that bi spaces were the most/only accepting space for trans and nonbinary people. both can be true.#long post
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Is the popular headcanon that Nicky was illiterate, stupid and barbaric fitting in the stereotypes about Southern Europeans / Mediterraneans ? I’m guessing it’s from the American part of the fandom that’s choosing to not respectfully write Nicky since he is white while being virulent towards anybody that doesn’t perfected and accurately write Joe because he is MENA.
Hello!
Mind you, I am neither a psychologist, a sociologist nor a historian, so of course be aware these are my own views on the whole drama.
But to answer your question, yes, I personally think so. It definitely comes from the American side, but I have seen Northern Europeans do that too, often just parroting the same type of discourse that Anglos whip out every other day.
There is an abysmal ignorance of Medieval history – even more so when it concerns countries that are not England: there is this common misconception that Europe in the Middle Ages was this cultural backwater full of semi-barbaric people that stems unfortunately not only from trying to (correctly) reframe colonialist approaches to the historiographies of non-European populations (that is, showing the Golden Age of Islamic culture, for instance, as opposed to what were indeed less culturally advanced neighbours), but also from distortions operated by European themselves from the Renaissance onwards, culminating in the 18th century Enlightenment philosophes categorising the Middle Ages as the Dark Ages.
Now this approach has been time and time again proven to be a made-up myth. I will not go into detail to disprove each and every single one misconception about the Medieval era because entire books have been written, but just to give you an example: there was no such a thing as a ius primae noctis/droit du seigneur; people were aware that the Earth was not flat (emperors, kings, saints, etc, they were depicted holding a globe in their hands); people were taking care of their hygiene, either through the Roman baths, or natural springs, or private tubs that the wealthier strata of the population (and especially the aristocracy) owned. The Church was not super happy about them not because it wanted people to remain dirty, but because often these baths were for both men and women, and it was not that in favour of them showing off their bodies to one another. Which, you know, we also don’t do now unless you go to nudist spas. It was only during the Black Death in the 14th century that baths were slowly abandoned because they became a place of contagion, and they went into disuse (or better, they changed purpose and became something like bordellos). And, lastly, there was certainly a big chunk of the population that was illiterate, but certainly it was not the clergy, which was THE erudite class of the time. It was in monasteries and abbeys that knowledge was passed and preserved (as well as lost unfortunately often, such as the case for the largest part of classical literature).
So what does this mean? According to canon, Nicolò was an ex priest who fought in the First Crusade. This arguably means that at the very least he was a cadet son of a minor noble family (or a wealthy merchant one) who was part of the clergy. As such, historically he could have been neither illiterate nor a dirty garbage cat in his daily life.
Let’s then talk geography. Southern Europe (and France) was far, far more advanced than the North at the time and Italy remained the cultural powerhouse of the continent until the mid-17th century. Al Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian States, the Byzantine Empire (which called itself simply Roman Empire, whose population defined itself as Roman and cultural heirs of the Latin and Greek civilisations): these places have nothing to do with popular depictions of Medieval Europe that you mainly see from the Anglos. Like @lucyclairedelune rightfully pointed out: not everyone was England during the plague.
Also the Middle Ages lasted one thousand years. As a historical age, it’s way longer than anything we had after that. So of course habits varied, there was a clear collapse right after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, but then things develop, you know?
Anyway, back to the point in question. Everything I whipped up is not arcane knowledge: it’s simply having studied history at school and spending a few hours reading scientific articles on the internet which are not “random post written by random Anglo on Tumblr who can hardly find Genoa on a map”.
Nicolò stems from that culture. The most advanced area in Europe, possibly a high social class, certainly educated, from Genoa, THE maritime superpower of the age (with…Venice). It makes absolutely no sense that he would not be able to speak anything past Ligurian: certainly Latin (the ecclesiastical one), maybe the koine Greek spoken in Constantinople, or Sabir, or even the several Arabic languages from the Med basin stretching from al Andalus to the Levant. Because Genoa was a port, and people travel, bring languages with them, use languages to barter.
And now I am back to your question. Does this obstinacy in writing him as an illiterate beast (basically) feed into stereotypes of Mediterranean people (either from the northern or the southern shore)? It does.
It is a typically Anglo-Germanic perspective that of describing Southern (Catholic) Europeans are hot-headed, illiterate bumpinks mindlessly driven by blind anger, lusts and passions, as opposed to the rational, law-abiding smart Northern Protestants. You see it on media. I see it in my own personal life, as a Southern Italian living in Northern Europe for 10 years.
Does it sound familiar? Yes, it’s the same harmful stereotype of Yusuf as the Angry Brown Man. But done to Nicolò as the Angry Italian Man (not to mention the fact that, depending on the time of day and the daily agenda of the Anglo SJW Tumblrite, Italians can be considered either white or non-white).
Now, the times where Nicolò is shown as feral are basically when he is fighting (either in a bloody war or against Merrick’s men) or when Yusuf is in danger. Because, guess what, the man he loves is being hurt. What a fucking surprise.
Nicolò is simply being reduced to a one dimensional stereotype of the dirty dumb angry Italian, and people are simply doing this because they do not seem to accept the fact that both he and Yusuf are two wonderfully complex, flawed, fully-fledged multidimensional characters.
So I am mainly concentrating on Nicolò here because as an Italian I feel more entitled to speak about the way I see the Anglo fandom treating him and using stereotypes on him that have been consistently applied to us by the Protestant Northerners. I keep adding the religious aspect because, although I am an atheist who got debaptised from the Catholic Church, a big part of the historical treatment towards Southern has to do with religion and the contempt towards Catholic rituals and traditions (considered, once again, a sign of cultural backwardness by the enlightened North).
I do not want to impose my view of Yusuf because there are wonderful Tumblr users from MENA countries who have already written wonderful metas of the way Yusuf is being depicted by non-MENA people (in particular Americans), especially (again) @lucyclairedelune and @nizarnizarblr.
However, I just want to underline that, by only ever writing Yusuf as essentially a monodimensional character without a single flaw, this takes away Yusuf’s canon multidimensionality, the right he has to feel both positive but also negative feelings (he was hurt and angry at Booker’s betrayal, allegedly his best friend, AND HE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE – and I say this as a Booker fan as well).
I have not been the first to say these things, it is nothing revolutionary, and it exactly complements what the MENA tumblr users in the TOG fandom have also been trying to say. Both of us as own voices people who finally have the chance to have two characters that are fully formed and honest representations of our own cultures, without stereotypes or Anglogermanic distortions.
And the frustration mounting among all of us comes from the fact that the Anglos are, once again, not listening to us, even telling us we are wrong about our own cultures (see what has happened to Lucy and Nazir).
What is even more frustrating is that everything in this cursed fandom – unless it was in the film or comics – is just a bloody headcanon. But these people are imposing their HCs as if it were the Word of God, and attacking others – including own voices MENA and Italians – for daring to think otherwise.
I honestly don’t expect this post will make any difference because this is just a small reflection of what Americans do in real life on grander scale, which is thinking they are the centre of the world and ignoring that the rest of the world even exists regardless of their own opinions on it.
But still, sorry for the length, hope I answered your question.
#i am also expecting to receive lots of shit for this but can't say i care#the old guard#tog discourse#nicolo di genova#the old guard meta
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[please blacklist spoiler tags: #loki tv series spoilers, #loki series spoilers, #loki spoilers]
I know I have missed a lot of people’s takes and reactions, there’s just - there’s so many. So I’m sorry if I’m inadvertantly repeating anyone or whatnot when I proceed to make my own posts.
Cut for length and spoilers.
Which is a segue into - I feel legitimately concerned, based on how many people are reading the TVA as being the moral authority and/or being on Loki’s side, and Mobius Dick’s interrogation being therapeutic for Loki (and how gross that is), along with an emphasis on ooc-ness for Loki and just overall cracks and fractures in the (what I thought was a) more or less solid episode -
I feel legitimately concerned that I may have wildly misinterpreted, like, everything, up to and including Loki’s characterization. And it’s actually kind of hilarious bc like -
Me: All opinions and interpretations are valid! No worries! Also I’m open-minded! Also I have no issue admitting I’m wrong!
Also me: *feels physically ill at the idea that my interpretation is so very wrong*
I’m not even lying, guys, my stomach is in knots. And I guess it’s because, like - I thought that it was pretty straightforward that the TVA are the antagonists here?? That Mobius isn’t Loki’s friend - he’s Loki’s interrogator and handler bc he needs Loki for his own purposes. That the “single sacred timeline” is not only nonsensical but also kinda fucked up (as Loki rightfully points out).
Like I’m watching these scenes and it doesn’t even occur to me to take the TVA’s word as the correct one here. Why would I? I’m taking Loki’s word as the correct one - Loki, the one who’s calling out everything that is stupid and ridiculous about the concept of the Timekeepers and the TVA, the one who is being scape-goated and is aware of it.
To touch on the ooc-ness of Loki - I mean, the first half of the episode was cringey and ooc, yeah; Loki was too over-the-top and the “comedic” tone didn’t quite land (I’m honestly wondering if Tom’s just not good at comedy? I mean, Betrayal was a genuinely funny play (and heartwrenching) but besides that, I can’t think of anything really comedic that he’s done.) but I’m willing to overlook that because when we got into the second half of the episode, he began to feel much more like the Loki I love.
Historically, Loki has consistently been the one to see the truth for what it really is and either saying or doing something about it. He actively tries to delay Thor’s coronation because he recognizes, when no one else does, that Thor is not ready to be king. He knows that Odin isn’t as righteous and wise as he pretends to be (and, in fact, he knows that Odin is guilty of more than Loki could ever be, and he calls that out too). He sees SHIELD as the farce it is (and possibly knows Hydra has infiltrated it; I headcanon that he knew but just didn’t care bc why would he?), and he sees Earth and the humans in a much more accurate light than Thor could hope to. You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers; the humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. Etc. Here, it’s the clowns are playing their parts to perfection (that’s the only quote I can remember right now).
And I mean, yeah, the narrative has never acknowledged that Loki is right about everything. It’s a huge source of frustration for me bc the narrative continues to be so black-and-white about heroes and villains and, being villain-coded, Loki doesn’t get to be validated no matter how right he is.
But I don’t think that’s the case here. I think, as the protagonist, his word holds a bit more weight. It should, at least, and I personally didn’t see anything that made me think that we shouldn’t consider Loki the authoritative voice in all of this. Loki, not the TVA.
Mobius’s interrogation? Was very clearly cruel and fucked up, to me. The sham of a fake ass trial that Loki had to endure, with the implication being that no one who stands trial is actually getting a fair trial bc the TVA has no intention of judging anyone not guilty? Fucked up, with horrifying implications. The process of deleting people from existence being literally as detached and soulless as a trip to the DMV (complete with tickets!)? Very disturbing. Like, none of these things are the traits that I would look at and say, hmm, yeah, these guys seem legit and totally correct about everything, too bad for Loki.
And Loki’s reactions to Mobius - his frustration, his defiance, and his eventual emotional breakdown (which we only saw when Loki was completely alone) all felt accurate to me. Again, there were a lot of over the top aspects of Tom’s performance here but I think what makes me more willing to overlook them is that, in general, we’re getting a more animated Loki than we’ve gotten to see him before, in a way that feels true to him as opposed to whatever was going on with him in Ragnarok.
He’s not in the middle of a mental breakdown/identity crisis. He’s not being mind-controlled anymore (or influenced). He’s not being villain-coded while Thor is propped up as the hero and the ideal which, to me, means that we are actually getting to see Loki’s personality when all of that is taken away and the only thing he’s got left is himself. It’s a really shitty situation and I hate that he’s in it, but after the initial exaggerated reactions, his response to it worked for me.
So - yeah. And now I’m like, biting my nails and my stomach is in knots bc I thought I knew Loki and I had a comfortable idea of Loki, and I thought I was more or less decent at interpreting things - but, so, clearly there were things happening and being picked up on that just whooshed right over my head bc it never occurred to me to be on the lookout for them in the first place. Does that make sense? I don’t even know what I’m saying.
Just - I am really, really doubting my own perception of what this series is attempting to do with Loki and it does not feel good at all. So I guess ultimately I am not capable of putting my money where my mouth is and treating all interpretations as valid, when it comes to myself. (I didn’t realize I was that far up my own ass so as to speak confidently about validity while telling myself that my idea is pretty correct.) Soo there we are.
Idk if I even want to post this but it’s time for me to clock out now so, for better or for worse, *hits post button*
#sorry this is rambly and i need to make it clear i am in no way#taking issue with anyone else's takes or opinions or feelings#i am more or less just saying that i'm doubting *my* takes and opinions and feelings#and i don't like how it feels#that's all#please don't @ me#loki tv series spoilers#loki series spoilers#loki spoilers#loki series meta
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