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an-aura-about-you · 5 years

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*bunny hops in* Hi-hi! This bun knows you have some OCs and is curious about them, would you answer some questions about them? For your adult OCs, how did they decide on their careers? (Or how did they end up doing what they do if it wasn't much of a choice?) They're not sure if you have younger OCs, do you? 🐰💛

That’s a good question, especially when it comes to some of the villains. And I can’t even remember if I’ve got anything up concerning all of my OCs, so that’s what this might turn into. (All of my Princess Tutu OCs, that is. I’m not sure we’ve got the time for the others.) And editing to remove the read more because for whatever reason it doesn’t want to work on my blog when I have that. Sorry about the long post!

First, let’s start with OCs that aren’t really OCs. That is, they’re characters that can actually be found in Princess Tutu or very clearly based on other works.

Lohengrin: The Knight in the StoryFound in: various works, most notably Consumed, Ship of Theseus, and Take Me To Church

Lohengrin, most of the time, is Prince Siegfried’s loyal knight. Most of the time because he’s occasionally not so loyal (Consumed) and occasionally he’s not a knight anymore (Ship of Theseus, Take Me To Church). His origins taken from Arthurian legend, particularly the Wagner opera named after him, he is the son of another knight in the kingdom and followed in his father’s footsteps.

In stories where he dies, his past is always the same: he is sent to a neighboring kingdom that is falling under the Raven’s influence to serve as the champion to the duke’s daughter, as she has been wrongly accused of murdering her younger brother. A verbal taboo is placed on her so that she can’t ask Lohengrin who he is, because his identity is so tied with his duty that once it’s revealed he must return to his fight with the Raven. (In the opera, it’s because Lohengrin’s powers come from the Holy Grail, which is Too Holy for the profane.) In spite of this, they fall in love and even marry. But, inevitably, she does ask. And when he leaves, she dies of grief. He is helped through his period of mourning by Siegfried and eventually Princess Tutu. In moving on, Lohengrin falls in love with Tutu but believes it cannot truly be requited. In truth, it doesn’t matter because Siegfried and Tutu are the two he loves most in the world.

In stories where he is alive, he remembers the tragedies as though he lived them, and perhaps he did. But if he’s around, he’s the happily married duke of the neighboring kingdom, his wife not dying and her taboo being taken away now that the Raven is no more.

Elsa: Lohengrin’s Lady LoveFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Consumed and Ship of Theseus

Elsa is Lohengrin’s wife, the daughter of a duke from a neighboring kingdom. It’s clear from the way Princess Tutu is set up that her story is meant to serve as foreshadowing for Tutu’s fate. Both of them have verbal taboos concerning the ones they love, and both of them cease to exist once breaking them. In the opera, if Elsa is able to keep her taboo for a year, then she will no longer be bound by it and she and Lohengrin can live happily ever after. (But it’s an opera, so of course that doesn’t happen.)

In stories where she is alive, she is the happy duchess of the neighboring kingdom.

Elsa is also the original owner of Lohengrin’s horse, Pfeifferkuchen.

Gottfried: Elsa’s BrotherFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Ship of Theseus

Gottfried is Elsa’s younger brother and Lohengrin’s brother-in-law. It is revealed that a witch in the Raven’s employ had turned him into a swan and accused Elsa of killing him. He’s relatively young, only just now reaching marrying age in Ship of Theseus.

In stories where Lohengrin and Elsa die, Gottfried is given Lohengrin’s sword.

Ortrud: The Raven’s WitchFound in: Consumed

I’m not sure if her name is ever mentioned, but she is filling both the roles of the Pagan priestess in the opera with the same name as well as Kraehe. Not much is known about Ortrud, such as what motivates her to frame Elsa for murder or even why she works for the Raven in the first place. Some of this might be handwaved as, “Drosselmeyer Did It.”

Parsifal: The Original KnightFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Variations and works related to it, Consumed, and Take Me To Church

Parsifal, also known as Percival, is Lohengrin’s father. According to Arthurian legend, he saw a group of knights riding past when he was a boy and thought to impress them with his marksmanship by shooting a swan out of the sky. But when he presented the swan to them, the knights asked why he would kill an innocent creature. It was on this day that he decided that he would grow up to become an honest and just knight. In Arthurian legend, he becomes one of the Knights of the Round Table and his family is charged with the task of watching over the Holy Grail.

In Variations, he’s the knight to discover what had become of Prince Siegfried and his entourage in their fight against the Raven.

In Take Me To Church, he’s the knight that trains Rue in swordsmanship.

Bears an uncanny resemblance to Fakir’s father.

Blanchefleur (story): Parsifal’s WifeFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Variations and Consumed

Blanchefleur is Parsifal’s wife and Lohengrin’s mother. Much like her husband, she is kind and gentle, opening her home to those who need it.

In Variations, she’s the one who suggests Fakir and Duck seek advice from the Auspex.

Bears an uncanny resemblance to Fakir’s mother.

Erina: She Eats AntsFound in: Variations and works related to it, whatever she wants to be in

So yeah, why WAS Anteaterina in only one episode of the series? That seemed super weird for a show like Princess Tutu where characters keep popping up or coming back. Is it because she was an anteater? Is that why? But ambition like hers simply can’t be ignored.

And when Rue left to live with Siegfried in the world of the story, it wasn’t. Erina earned a spot in the advanced class. She and Fakir would be dance partners for the rest of Fakir’s ballet career in Variations and remain friends afterward. After leaving Goldkrone Academy, she gets a job with the Eleki Troupe to see if it’s to her liking and will eventually look into teaching ballet herself.

In Variations, she ends up meeting Autor, and in works taking place in that universe they not only become friends but pursue a romantic relationship. As a result, she ends up learning about storyspinners from Autor and her role in carrying one of Mytho’s heartshards from Duck.

And now for characters that are pure 100% Aura original!

The Auspex: Messenger of the BirdsFound in: Variations

The Auspex is not the person’s name but their job. In Siegfried’s kingdom, they divine messages from the birds in their aviary. The Auspex is chosen for the job by the birds themselves. There will come a time when the Auspex must leave, as being around the birds for so long means eventually developing an allergy to them. At that point, the next Auspex will be chosen.

The Auspex in Variations bears an uncanny resemblance to Autor.

Cygnus: Infant PrinceFound in: works concerning Siegfried’s family, implied to be in Take Me To Church

Cygnus is Siegfried and Rue’s young son, usually written in as a baby or toddler at his oldest. He’s here to be an adorable little baby.

Logos: Famous FatherFound in: works concerning Autor’s family tree

Logos is a descendant of Drosselmeyer and Autor’s father. Loving music his whole life, he is a graduate of Goldkrone Academy and a somewhat famous opera singer. (His range is whatever he wants it to be.) He has the capabilities of a storyspinner, but he restricts that use to a sort of glamour to amplify the emotions in his singing. That’s as far as he will personally tread into the realm of warping reality.

Lore: Pianist ExtraordinaireFound in: works concerning Autor’s family tree

Lore is Logos’s wife and Autor’s mother. She likewise went to Goldkrone Academy where she found her passion in piano. She doesn’t mind the spotlight, but she doesn’t seek it out the way Logos does. Instead, she is a professional piano tutor and taught Autor everything he knew before he began going to school. (Now that I think about it, she is probably qualified to teach at Goldkrone. Lore being an adjunct professor would be fun to write!) She is one of the few people that’s aware of storyspinners without being one herself.

Waren: Doomed UncleFound in: Speak of the Devil

Waren is a descendant of Drosselmeyer and Logos’s uncle. When Logos was a boy, he accidentally witnessed Waren being possessed by something while the man was trying to induce a storyspinning trance. Waren never fully recovered from this, and Logos’s father ended up in charge of his estate. Logos would go on to inherit the property.

Heinrich: Local JewelerFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Heinrich is Erina’s father. His talent lies in crafting, his heart in art, and both come into play in his work at the jewelry store. He might seem a bit muted in his emotions, but he unquestionably adores his family and enjoys spoiling them.

Blanchefleur (Goldkrone): Marvelous MotherFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Blanchefleur is Heinrich’s wife and Erina’s mother. Exuding confidence and personality, she’s a natural at selling jewelry in her husband’s shop. But more often than not, she’s attending to other family business like keeping the household or running errands for her mother. She and Lore used to date during their schooldays, but it hasn’t been revealed what Blanchefleur studied there. It’s clear from her conversation with Autor that she’s familiar with opera, though.

Penelope: Blanchefleur’s MotherFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Penelope is Blanchefleur’s mother and Erina’s grandmother. Not much is known about her except that she recently left East Germany to live with her daughter’s family and that she is an accomplished cellist.

Sattine: Or is that Rattine?Found in: works concerning Anteaterina

Sattine/Rattine was Anteaterina’s school roommate. As her name implies, she is an anthropomorphic rat during the events of the story. They used to be friends with a rather cruel streak, but Erina developing real feelings for Autor put an end to their friendship. Sattine is something of a gourmand and seeks out fine foods.

Penn: Ordinary Average GuyFound in: works concerning Autor

After a particular conversation with Erina in his family library, Autor is inspired to study law as a way to use his words and stories to change the world without being a storyspinner. Penn is one of Autor’s law school classmates as well as his roommate there. It’s possible he might not know what he’s going to do with what he’s learning just yet, as is often the case with college students. What makes him unique is how ordinary he actually is. His roommate is downright peculiar, not just coming from a town famous for a fairy tale author but actually being descended from that same author, the son of a relatively known opera singer, and dating a ballerina from a relatively known dance troupe. Penn finds Goldkrone interesting but is kind of glad that it’s a place to visit rather than being something tied to him.

Laurel: Darling DaughterFound in: works concerning Autor and Anteaterina

Laurel is Autor and Erina’s daughter through fostering her before officially adopting her. Both of them found out about Laurel through their own lines of work individually, Autor as a social worker and Erina through teaching ballet. Laurel is bright and talented, dedicated to dance. She was at first overwhelmed to have so much family after having none at all, especially since she’s the first grandchild for both Autor’s parents and Erina’s parents to dote on. But having grown up and mellowed out a bit, Autor and Erina are able to help Laurel find the space she needs so she can fit into their lives.

Laurel’s name is also how she first caught Autor’s eye, as Laurel is an English form of his mother’s name, Lore.

#sapphiredragonprincess #long post

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cerastes · 7 years

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Knights of the Round Table Official Tier List

God Tier:

Sir Ywain the Bastard: BFFs with a lion who may or may not have been able to talk. Very strong and ambitious without giving in to greed. Lost his sanity for a bit but sheer willpower brought it back, and mopped 0 seconds about it, went straight back to decimating ass in the name of justice and to save many numerous dames (honestly, if there was a dame in danger, this guy and his lion pal popped up immediately). Batman if his motif was the lion and also if Albert was a lion. Notable Feat: One of his adventures had him disenchant a cursed maiden who had been turned into a dragon by kissing her three times. That’s right, folks, Sir Ywain smooched dragon girls for reals and you’ll never achieve the heights of his glory.

Sir Percival the Grail Knight: Exceedingly powerful yet never once lorded his immense strength over anyone, and in fact, his impossibly humble nature actually had him act in ways to make others around him seem cooler, even though he was extremely capable. Clad in only a silk dress, Percival once threw a fully armored and armed knight over a castle wall, and this other time, clad in only shitty tin “armor” he made from pots, dddddestroyed an Evil Knight Of Certain Renown and stole his armor. The armor of pots happened because a merchant pulled a fast one over him (he traded his extremely expensive silk and gold-weave dress for a cart of junk), and then defended the man that fucked him over when the town was about to lynch him. Notable Feat: Defeated Sir Lancelot of the Lake (yes, that Lancelot) in fair and single combat, and kept disarming him instead of injuring him. Even then, he kept claiming “oh no, he won, I was just lucky, I am pretty sure he had the advantage” so as to not sully the hero’s name. Oh, yeah, and, you know, he fucking achieved the Holy Grail.

Sir Gawain: Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun, You Are A Master of Karate, And Friendship For Everyone. Good man, very strong, was kind of a dumbass, but that adds to the charm. He’s the kind muscleman that spots for your scrawny ass in the gym your first time and tells you how to do the exercises properly. Most likely to become a good friend in the long term. Notable Feat: His whole fucking life, man. The code of chivalry didn’t actually apply to peasantry, as in, knights were not required to protect peasants at all, yet Gawain was known as the Defender of the Poor. What a fucking stud.

Galahad Tier:

Sir Galahad of Twilight: Galahad gets his own tier because he’s like some sort of Mary Sue that came outta nowhere in late transcriptions of Arthurian Mythos and sort of just was the best at everything ever in any context, which is funny because his father, Sir Lancelot, was more or less the same but actually likable (as in, Lancelot was not part of the original Old Welsh scriptures, and was basically really cool but also had a lot of flaws to his badassery, whereas Galahad is kinda just perfect). However, his divine protection does not allow me to put him at the bottom, for forces that dwarf my comprehension keep moving him up here. Notable Feat: Being a self-insert OC that got accepted in the canon.

Chivalrous Tier:

Sir Lancelot of the Lake: Goku, but lecherous. Notable Feat: Goku, but lecherous.

Sir Bedivere of the Perfect Sinews: The world’s first slot machine. Went on a ridiculous numbers of adventures in the early game, some of them even with Arthur’s dog, Cavall, and despite having only one arm, m dude was basically a Dynasty Warriors character. Openly practiced witchcraft, which almost got him hanged a couple of times, if it hadn’t been for Arthur’s interference and testimonies to his legitimately good character. Notable Feat: With Cavall the Dog, went on an adventure to kill an Evil Magical Boar and steal its comb, before hitting the boar so hard it fell right into the ocean and drowned, because Bedivere Don’t Fuck Around.

Sir Bors the Younger: Never on schedule, but always on time. Sir Bors wasn’t a superhuman like some of his peers, but his strong point was his virtue and how hard he adhered to the Code of Chivalry, which is more that can be said for a lot of knights, even in higher tiers. A hot young maiden once told him “FUCK WITH ME OR I WILL KILL MYSELF” but he refuse because he wouldn’t break his Vow of Celibacy. The girl, of course, turned out to be a DEMON that tried to trick him. Then, another time, his brother, Sir Lionel, was getting whipped by a notched whip by an assailant while a young girl was being kidnapped by a rogue knight. Notable Feat: He chose to save the young girl over his brother. His brother was Kinda Pissed, so he came back to murder Bors for abandoning him, and Bors didn’t defend himself, saying “yeah I understand why you are angry, honestly”. God himself saves Bors by striking down Lionel with a pillar of fire. Bors then went to be one of the three knights to achieve the Holy Grail (the other two being Percival and Galahad)

Sir Tristan (Or “Tristram” for you historians): Not only was Mister Sadman a capable fighter, Tristan also played instruments and sang, and he was said have a very beautiful voice. The beauty behind Tristan is that he went through multiple trials and tribulations that tested his worth as a person and as a Knight truly (as in, someone who pursues the path of chivalry) rather than his martial might. Notable Feat: Accidentally consumes a love potion with Iseult, who was on her way to marry someone, and he still held onto his reigns as a knight without betraying either chivalry or her love too much.

Manure Tier:

King Arthur: cuck. Notable Feat: His knights all went on way more exciting adventures than him and his peak is when he gets shanked by his illegitimate son and shanks him back and then spends like fourteen hours bitching at Bedivere for him to go drop his sword in a lake.

#fakevaruna #not all of them cause they a lot

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Cursed Season 2: What to Expect

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This Cursed feature contains spoilers for both the Netflix series and the illustrated novel of the same name. Read our spoiler-free review of the series here.

Netflix’s Cursed puts a feminist spin on the legend of King Arthur by centering its origins around a woman – Nimue, the future Lady of the Lake. Its first season contained a little bit of everything, from romance and action to politics and magic, with a finale that featured several big character revelations and ended on a major cliffhanger. While Netflix has yet to announce a season 2 renewal for the show, it certainly feels as though Cursed has plenty of stories left to tell. After all, no one’s even referred to Nimue as the Lady of the Lake yet!

Save for a few – admittedly, very intriguing – tidbits, the bulk of Netflix’s Cursed is fairly faithful to the novel upon which it is based. Therefore, we don’t have much to go on by way of a roadmap for what the second season could look like. (That, naturally, may change in the weeks and months ahead, since it seems like a pretty safe bet that the book series will continue, regardless of whether there’s a second season of the show.) But there are a few hints to be mined from the ending of the book, and from the bones of Arthurian legend itself, that might provide us some clues.

Here are our best educated guesses for what we can expect to see in Cursed Season 2.

Nimue Survives

There’s not much fun in the idea of a second season without our leading lady, is there?

Cursed Season 2 will have to sort out precisely what’s happened to Nimue, last seen plummeting toward what may well be her death – or potential eternal supernatural imprisonment – after being shot full of arrows. This is a fantasy series, though, so no one should be really surprised when she inevitably survives. The show is very careful to never show us a body, after all, and leaves us with a final image of Nimue drifting through blood-tinged water. It’s really the how of it all that will be the question.

How Katherine Langford Shakes Up Arthurian Legend in Netflix’s Cursed

By Lacy Baugher

But we have a pretty good idea of what that will probably look like, too. The Cursed TV series ends a few moments before the novel upon which it is based does. The book not only confirms Nimue survives her fall but several other key factors as well, including what appears to be her assumption of the Lady of the Lake mantle. While in the water, Nimue can still sense the Sword of Power and vows to protect it until “a true king rises to claim it.” But instead of transforming into some sort of otherworldly being, an injured Nimue eventually washes up on the shores of the Minotaur Mountains, where she’s surrounded and taken off by a mob of the lepers that serve King Rugen. Whether he will help her or try to use her against Merlin is anyone’s guess at this point.

Merlin’s Magic Tips the Scales

Wild with grief after Nimue’s apparent death, Merlin regains the Sword of Power, reclaims his magic, and murders a bunch of Red Paladins. What’s next for the famous wizard? Probably not helping the Viking king that engineered his daughter’s murder.

Merlin originally allied with Cumber, promising him the sword in the hopes of both keeping Nimue alive and unseating King Uther. Cumber’s betrayal – joining forces with the Red Paladins and ambushing the escaping Fey – means Merlin’s now an enemy, and the only real question is whether he’ll use his newly returned magical abilities to just kill Cumber, or if he’ll decide that Uther should keep his crown as well. Whatever happens, Merlin seems set to claim his place as the real power behind the throne. And that could ultimately prove a boon to Arthur down the road.

We’ll Get to Know The Weeping Monk

The shocking revelation that the murderous Weeping Monk is Lancelot came in the first season’s final moments, leaving audiences little time to process this information. In the world of the original legends, Lancelot is kind of a big deal. He’s most widely remembered for his affair with Guinevere – which brings about the downfall of Camelot – but he’s also the greatest knight of the Round Table and a model of Christian chivalry. (The contradictions are what make it all so fun.)

One has to assume that any Cursed Season 2 would need to focus fairly heavily on turning this character – who spent most of his screen time brooding and executing complex fighting maneuvers – into an actual three-dimensional person. If the intention is that this Lancelot, who murdered a countless number of his Fey brothers and sisters, will one day become Arthur’s most trusted champion and a hero all can admire? Well. He’s certainly got a long way to go.

A Love Triangle – or Possibly Quartet? – on the Horizon

Things will probably get real messy on the relationship front pretty quickly in Season 2. While Arthur and Nimue’s love story feels like it’s barely gotten started, their connection is sweet, romantic, and seems to make them both better people. Arthur, at any rate, has certainly learned to be a leader by watching his girlfriend do it first. Yet, his last-minute meeting with a Viking woman known as the Red Spear means potentially more than a bit of trouble in paradise.

Because the Red Spear’s name is Guinevere. Yes, Cursed reimagines the most famous (and controversial) female character in Arthurian legend as a battle-hardened warrior who wants a crown for herself. Let me count the ways that I am here for this. Because although Guinevere is well known as a major player in this legend, her character is another that’s often not fleshed out terribly fully. Despite the fact that her decisions eventually bring down a kingdom, we’re given precious little idea why she makes them. So there’s something intensely appealing in an opportunity to see her get some real agency within her own story, as Nimue has.

Netflix’s Cursed Reinvents the Traditional Once and Future King

By Lacy Baugher

Because much like Nimue, Guinevere also has a destiny, and it involves a future as Arthur’s wife and Lancelot’s mistress. Given that she spent approximately five minutes fighting alongside the former and hasn’t met the latter yet, we’re clearly a ways away from that future. But speculating about how that might come to pass – and how Nimue will react upon meeting Arthur’s new lady friend – is definitely entertaining. Largely because it feels as though Cursed could go in any direction with this group, even as they’re all fighting toward the same ends.

Could We Meet the Actual Green Knight?

Putting a stake in the ground now – there’s no way that Gawain is actually dead. Sure, we did see a body this time – sort of –but in a world that’s brimming with magic? Anything’s possible.

One of the most intriguing fusions in Cursed is the decision to merge the character of Gawain, one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table, and the Green Knight, a man sent to test and challenge Gawain’s chivalry, who also happens to be literally green. (And can also withstand being beheaded.) But it seems quite likely that Gawain’s himself may become a true version of the Green Knight in Cursed, resurrected by the magic of the Fey greenery in Season 2.

There’s Probably More to the Leper King

Out of all the predictions in this list, this one feels the most outlandish. But throughout Cursed it’s difficult not to draw parallels between Ruben, king of the lepers, and the Fisher King of Holy Grail legend. In the Grail story, the Fisher King – sometimes referred to as the Maimed King or the Wounded King – is the last surviving member of the bloodline charged with guarding the famous chalice. He’s always grievously injured in some way, and usually unable to stand. Sometimes the lands of his kingdom are as blighted as his body. Various knights journey to his castle to try and heal him, but everyone fails, except for Percival (and in later versions, Galahad.)

Leper King Ruben isn’t nearly as incapacitated as the Fisher King of legend, but he is physically suffering, and he keeps a horde of ancient, magical, and/or singularly valuable items in his castle vault. Don’t be surprised if one of them turns out to be a particularly powerful cup.

The post Cursed Season 2: What to Expect appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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an-aura-about-you · 7 years

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Aura decides to write an essay about Lohengrin before going to work only to fail and finish it in the morning

Because that’s basically what this thing is. For @ampharos98 because she woke this up. (Not that she had to try hard. Mention anything faintly resembling “knight” and I’m on this kick.)

Table of Contents: Just use Ctrl+F and pop one of these in to skip to what you want

First things first, Arthurian Legend is a quantum clusterfuck.

So when I say Percival was a Knight of the Holy Grail, I mean that in a couple of ways.

With that set up, let’s move on to the actual opera Lohengrin.

So here’s the bulletpoints on how I know/why I think Lohengrin was specifically chosen for Princess Tutu’s narrative

First things first, Arthurian Legend is a quantum clusterfuck. The sooner you accept this, the better. There’s just something about a story about a divinely determined king and his knights going out on adventures and having romances and shit that just gets everybody up in a dander, and before you know it everybody wants a piece of Arthur. This is common in other pieces of fiction (such as The Dark is Rising) and even with real people (thanks in part to the Broadway musical the JFK years have retroactively been referred to as Camelot). But all of that is just a modern extension of the Arthurian Legend clusterfuck, which was basically every country going, “How can we work this Arthur shit in for us?”

As a result, Lohengrin is only one tiny cul-de-sac on this map. In order to connect him to the greater map of Arthurian Legend, we first have to look at his father Percival. As far as characters that exist go, Percival is really damn solid. Sure, sometimes he’s called Parsifal or Parzival, but he’s pretty much always there. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s a Knight of the Round Table as well as one of the Knights of the Holy Grail.

Tiny bit of explanation here so we’re all on the same page: the Holy Grail is a relic in universes that have Christianity. It’s the wine cup Jesus used during the Last Supper, establishing the Eucharist. It’s important to tell you guys that the Holy in Holy Grail is not just for show. This thing has divine radiance attached to it. You know those stories of Moses talking to God and having to wear a veil when he returns because otherwise he’d get mistaken for God? I’m talking like that.

So when I say Percival was a Knight of the Holy Grail, I mean that in a couple of ways. For one, he was one of the knights questing for the Holy Grail. In fact, he was a member of the party who found it.

Yes. They found the Holy Grail.

At least, in some parts of Arthurian Legend, I think, but more on that wobbliness in a moment.

But Percival is also a Knight of the Holy Grail in that basically his whole family was chosen to take care of it once they found it. Percival is actually referred to as the grail king in the opera Lohengrin, which is sort of but probably not entirely true, at least not all the time. Basically this is saying Percival is the Fisher King, but not always. Like I said, wobbliness.

Speaking of wobbliness, we’ve got Percival’s family. Cool! Who’s in it? His sister Dindrane the grail maiden and sometimes Lohengrin.

Sometimes.

See, in some versions of the legend, Percival is a chaste knight like Galahad. And if he’s chaste his entire life, well, Lohengrin doesn’t exist in that version. It doesn’t help that a lot of versions don’t nail down a love interest for Percival.

If that’s the case, who’s Lohengrin’s mother? *shrugs* I’unno, but my best guess is a woman named Blanchefleur. She’s the only love interest I’ve seen suggested for Percival in some niche book on Wikipedia for what’s already a pretty niche segment of the legend. The name also shows up in Tristan and Iseult, so there’s some family for Lohengrin. Except I’m pretty sure if Blanchefleur’s the same Blanchefleur then both of them can’t exist at the same time in the same legend. Like I said, quantum clusterfuck.

But enough quantum talk, time for Germanic Arthurian Legend! Lohengrin DEFINITELY exists here, mainly in the opera of the same name. Percival also has an opera, also by Wagner, but I haven’t actually seen that one. I do know there’s an event in Percival’s childhood that ties into an association that will follow Lohengrin into his opera.

As a child, Percival was handy with a bow. When some knights came riding by, he decided to show off for them and shoot a swan out of the sky. But when he presented the dead swan to them, they asked, “Why did you kill an innocent creature? What did the swan do to you?” This both lifts swans up to significant in this little slice of Arthurian legend as well as teaches Percival a lesson in justice for the innocent.

With that set up, let’s move on to the actual opera Lohengrin. I have seen this and, while it’s quite good, it’s also a test of endurance at 4-something hours. Along with that, and this is just me, I have difficulty remaining invested in some pieces of media if the story ends up being thin, as opera and ballet often are. Having said that, be aware that I’m about to spoil the hell outta Lohengrin in its entirety.

The opera Lohengrin begins in Brabant, a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire, where Heinrich der Vogler, considered by some to be the first king of modern Germany, has been called upon to settle a case of murder. The lady Elsa has been accused by the knight Telramund of killing her brother Gottfried. This is a big fat lie and Elsa pretty much just wants to mourn her brother in peace, but now she gotta come out and do this. Telramund challenges her and they await for a champion to stand up for her. It’s here that Elsa tells the court that she dreamt of her champion, a knight in shining armor (yes this is where the phrase comes from and yes Lohengrin IS the original knight in shining armor and no the armor isn’t shining because it’s extraordinarily clean but rather it’s shining with holy brilliance) who will arrive on the river in a boat drawn by a swan. And, just as the horns sound for the final time to cue her champion, he arrives just as Elsa described.

So this guy’s obviously Lohengrin because he’s clearly the most important character that isn’t Elsa, but that’s for the audience to know and everyone else to find out never because Lohengrin tells Elsa that he’ll fight on her behalf if she vows never to ask him his name or where he came from. (So what does everybody call him then if they don’t know his name? The Knight of the Swan.) Also he asks her to marry him if he wins and tells her he loves her when she agrees, but that’s how operas work so let’s roll with it. Lohengrin gets outta the boat, the swan goes ‘later!’ and takes off, and it’s time to get stabby with Telramund.

Both sides go off to pray like ‘make sure the just one wins’ because both of them think they’re the just one and guess what? Lohengrin wins. Like not even a contest it’s so brutal. And they lift Lohengrin and Elsa up on their shoulders like it’s the end of a sports movie and go off to make wedding preparations while Telramund stews in his wrongness. Right after this, he goes off to talk with his wife Ortrud and this is where the opera’s shit starts hitting the fan.

See, Telramund was just minding his business about Elsa and her family before until Ortrud told him she saw Elsa murder Gottfried. And Telramund, being a stand up kinda guy, decided he trusts his wife and will defend what she’s gotta say. Only guess what Ortrud is a pagan priestess and the real antagonist of this piece because this is in that envelope of time when Pagan Is Bad. So she hears about this Lohengrin business and decides to talk to Elsa about it in the guise of Concerned Friend and be all, “Hey, this guy doesn’t want you to ask about him and you’re gonna marry him? Girl that is all kinds of fishy.” And to be fair Ortrud has a point but Lohengrin has reasons for what he’s doing okay?

So long opera short, Ortrud succeeds in convincing Elsa that this is fishy and Elsa asks Lohengrin his name and where he comes from. On their wedding night. Immediately after the song that would eventually get turned into Here Comes The Bride. (Fun fact: Nothing that happens after that song is happy.) And right when Elsa asked, Telramund and a bunch of dudes try to attack them and Lohengrin kills them all and goes, “I’ll tell you in the morning okay babe?”

The next morning Lohengrin keeps his word, assembling everyone in court so he can reveal himself to all. He tells them his name, that he came from the castle where the Holy Grail is kept, and the reason why he couldn’t tell them all of this before is because his power and duty are tied to the Grail and, once revealed, he must return to them. And right on cue, the swan comes back with the boat to take him back to work.

But wait! M. Ortrud Shyamalan has one last twist for us: Gottfried’s not dead and she turned him into a swan and he was the same swan that pulled the boat both times! And Lohengrin doesn’t even go, “Aw man, that was my ride.” He just goes to the riverbank and says a prayer and pours the water over the swan’s head and boom, human Gottfried. His work done, if that’s what it really was, Lohengrin leaves his sword to Elsa so she can take care of it until Gottfried’s old enough to use it, some doves show up to pull the boat so he can go home, and Elsa’s so distraught that she straight up dies. The End.

So here’s the bulletpoints on how I know/why I think Lohengrin was specifically chosen for Princess Tutu’s narrative:

Fakir asks for Lohengrin’s sword using the knight’s name

Fakir’s first musical motif is the same as Lohengrin’s motif in the opera

It’s a very German opera for a story set in Germany and taking a lot of German cues

Of all the knights to pick, Prince Siegfried’s knight being the Knight of the Swan is very fitting for the setup of anatidae versus corvidae (that is ducks and swans versus ravens and crows; and now that I’ve said that, why haven’t I seen more of the Warring Families angle brought up?)

Though both knights are prominent, it is ultimately the women in their stories (Elsa and Ortrud/Duck and Rue) that are more important

Elsa and Tutu are both given a verbal taboo that they can’t express certain words to the ones they love and the punishment of breaking this taboo for both of them is basically cessation of existence

Both works have a bird that becomes human when making contact with water, the only difference being one having always been human and the other originally being a bird

Siegfried and Rue basically ride in the sky version of Lohengrin’s boat in the last episode of the series

And that’s what I’ve got. In conclusion, Princess Tutu knows their Germanic Arthurian legend and what to do with it to get me to spend hours of my life fangirling after some obscure-ish knight that’s got like one opera that he doesn’t even do that much in. Thank you and good night.

#Princess Tutu: I might need my notes for this...

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