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aotopmha · 28 days

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I'm around level 82 Endwalker MSQ and I know that some really hate the Garlean section of the story, but I really like it.

Above all I really like the nuance in it all.

Firstly, I think they spell out the intentions of the expedition really well – the goal is to help the regular people who are suffering, but not excuse the system they live under.

Secondly, they spell out the really important detail that a bunch of the characters do not support the Ilsebard contingent.

As an example, not all of your job mentors might show up, as was my case with the RDM mentor because of his history with Garlemald, adding important nuance in terms of varying perspectives regards to helping Garlemald.

Reading some takes you'd think everyone agrees that Garlemald is all okay and cool now, but this is not the nuance/subtext I see in the text itself myself.

This was also not the sole objective of the expedition. The towers needed to go for the world to not end.

So it isn't just randomly barging in there to self-righteously "help" another nation. Everyone needed to be on the same page at least somewhat to survive.

Thirdly, I think they gave Gaius and his group enough nuance back in ARR (and Regula in HW) and we had enough decent and more complex good/less villainous Garlean characters across the game (Cid, Nero, Lucia, Maxima) for me to not feel like asking to see them as people was rushed or too late.

The key to me is that even the Garleans who were villains had defined, substantial perspectives and sometimes had non-villainous aspects to them.

The humanity itself was always there.

Fourthly, I see people say it is a thematic mess, but I don't see any of that, either.

The entire zone is full of nuanced perspectives on how fascism can hurt people and not once are we told to push everything the empire did under the rug – if nothing else the horrors of the system are only emphasised.

I agree with the system itself being the central enemy, which to me has been the entire thematic point of Garlemald from the start.

Licinia and her sister, the ceruleum workers from other provinces, Jullus and Quintus all represent very important aspects of how the empire's principles and its own self-made "faith" affected the people of Garlemald and to see it reduced to "oh some of them are just sad now", I think really misses the point considering the foundation of some of their stories.

Genuinely believing you're right, making nationalism almost a core of your identity and being distrusting of your enemy due to far-reaching propaganda are very real struggles under systems like this.

Finally, I've seen people say we are done with Garlemald now and it's so rushed because of this and I'm just not sure about that because to me that has never been the identity of this game.

It's really rare something is dropped and never brought up again, so I always disagree with almost any claims like this.

This is why I think Sky Pirates and Four Lords will also eventually have larger significance.

(And so will the 6.x series.)

I still feel the framing is very much "there is a long way to go here."

Doma and Ala Mhigo both had restoration arcs in various content and are still in progress, really, as the 6.0 role quests, literal "restoration" content and also patch content itself (4.1-4.3, 5.4-5.5 in particular for Ala Mhigo and Doma) attest.

I think we will still see more of the aftermath of Garlemald's collapse in the yet occupied provinces as I still think we will have to open up the huge cloud in the middle of the map in some form, I even think there still would be room for a Garlemald expansion, it just wouldn't be "as" urgent anymore and mixed with other stuff because the empire is an husk now.

As much as Bozja might seem like it was dropped suddenly because of the field notes, I do not think it is like this story to not address important aspects like this until we are unquestionably, completely done.

I know there are some reveals in the role quests and material in 6.x quests that people are also iffy about, but to me most of that seems pretty okay, too.

Garlemald has to reestablish proper trade connections, they have to fight the remainder of their old guard and they can never be complete victims. They also need an entirely new governmental system.

It's the old guard that holds them back, but also crumbles when threatened.

So I think where we are now narratively, we still need more time with Garlemald and I think we are not quite done with them yet and if there is something I personally would dislike from here on out, it *would* be getting no follow-up at all.

I think we need to actually visit Dalmasca, Corvos and Nagxia in some form and put a final end to all of those regimes.

Now, do I think more could've been done here?

Absolutely. As I said, we have whole occupied provinces we have still not seen and a whole massive cloud right in the middle of the map still uncovered.

(And I think revisiting Ala Mhigo's and Doma's struggles against specifically Garlemald in some form also needs to happen.)

So as much as I really liked the zone, it is still clear to me there might have been more done there (in fact it was confirmed because we know about a potential Garlemald expansion).

So I actually do share a criticism I see around, I just think what we got still turned out to be really good and really important nuance to go into regarding Garlemald.

Something about asking to somewhat empathise with an enemy faction just destroys any nuanced discussion on the internet, be it the heroes doing something bad (for good or bad reasons) or villains doing something good (despite having really awful views otherwise).

You see an enemy faction just even dip toes into nuance and the story automatically must be excusing them.

You see the heroes not be completely, unconditionally respectful and thoughtful and the story must be disrespectful itself.

It's such a boring way to discuss art (which is also made by people, who are flawed like anyone else) in my eyes.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Final Fantasy 14 #FFXIV #FF14 #FF #Final Fantasy #Endwalker

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the-ninja-legacy-whip · 10 months

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how did you come up with the ideas for the guardians and the devourer/genesis both representing an uroboros and their connection to lloyd

I dunno if this is really all that coherent cuz I don't entirely remember the order of my process, just the general trains of thought I was on at some points in time. And boy are they a ride regardless!

I do know that the Ouroboros thing was definitely last, and definitely the best part <3

Buckle up, this one's good, I promise!

As may not be common knowledge, the upcoming Book 3 (based on Season 2) was originally the one and only story I was planning to write for the 10th Anniversary. But as we've well seen by now, there was so much worldbuilding and lore rewriting and character work that had to be built up first, hence two entire stories that had to come before it.

And of course, in the meantime, a lot of stuff got worked around and changed and added. There wasn't even an "Elemental Compass" until after I started work on Chapter 1 for Book 2, when it occurred to me that I needed a concise foundation for how these freaking elements work, especially if I was gonna jack things up when it came to Lloyd and how to factor in the Golden Power (and, y'know, toss in a Master of Surprise).

But, what was at the heart of everything from the very beginning was the idea that the Core Four's Animal Symbols had much more significance than what the show demonstrated, and that they followed a very specific order: Zane and the Wolf represented North and Winter, Jay and the Octopus represented East and Fall, Kai and the Lion represented South and Summer, and Cole and the Gorilla represented West and Spring (hence why I made such a big deal about their birthdays in the beginning times; it's not as important now, just a fun fact snksnksn).

And the first inspiration for that came from this:

The arrangements of symbols within the Temple of Light (called the 'Temple of Life' in Legacyverse) was the one and only time the Animal Symbols were ever significantly acknowledged, and while many things about it bugged me (Jay and Cole visibly going to the wrong symbols, the fact that it wasn't the opposites lined up with each other, etc.) it was still the coolest thing to my young mind and I really wish they could've done more with the concept. But then it never got mentioned again!

So, that's basically how the "Base Compass" got started, before it was even called that.

Then I got to thinking "Well, those symbols would have had come from somewhere", and I played around with the idea of those beasts actually being out in the world or realms somewhere. The only issue was slotting them somewhere in the story proper that would make sense and wouldn't be overly intrusive.

...combine this with the issue of the dragons: having them around would make the movie!mechs be pointless, and then if they were just going to leave, fuse together, and die anyway then what would be the point of having them around at all? So I reworked the role of the dragons for s9 if we ever get there and replaced them with the Guardians instead -> still powerful otherwordly beasts that help from time to time, but not to the point that they're a quick-fix for everything.

And then when I started legitimately developing the Compass as a whole, I got the idea that, while the FSM possessed the Essences of Creation and Destruction (unified as one in the for of Neutralization, the Golden Essence), he wouldn't have had an element to his name, and that these creatures could have been the ones to tech him how to harness the Core Elements (and then into the Golden Weapons). They became his friends, and he held them in such high regard that the symbols are one way he showed his gratitude towards them, especially after convincing them to help protect his realm after the Overlord first manifested. Putting them at the four extremes of the world is how I got the idea to divide the island into Provinces as well (matched up literally like a compass).

Now, onto Lloyd.

His Guardian was initially just going to be the Dragon, big whoop, and the Dragon (Genesis, though I was calling them Epsilon back then) was just going to be related to all things Green Element, end of story close the book one and done, nothing complicated. But then the Book of Elemental Powers releases, and do you know what they had as the symbol for the Green Element?

...A SNAKE?!!?!?!? (whiiiiiiiiich is actually on the back of Lloyd's Elemental Robe prior to him becoming the Ultimate Spinijtzu Master in the show. I didn't even spot it for years, but, y'know)

Anyway, so, do you know what they then had for the Golden Power????

Oh, there's the dragon.

But it gets BETTER

Before Lloyd even taps into any kind of power at all, do you know what his very first symbol was?

Another Snake? No, even better...an Ouroboros

And when we look up the base definition of an Ouroboros?

"A circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail as an emblem of wholeness or infinity"

Key words here being: SNAKE OR DRAGON

Leading to my conclusion of, as I had Pythor so nicely phrase it:

"…but the Ouroboros is the insignia of a serpent devouring its own tail. The symbol exists as a representation that endings are beginnings and beginnings are endings. For some, it’s a symbol of hope, proving the determination that persists within all life. But it could also be a hopeless symbol, as it represents no escape from the cycle either… A new loop is always created, just as one is always destroyed in the same breath. It is life and death, both at once, at the same time…it's infinite, and yet, what makes it infinite also sabotages its own existence…"

(Infinity, you say? Something...infinite? Like....something that cannot be created or destroyed? Something unparalleled? Something...like energy???)

But also–

"The symbol for the Green Element is an Ouroboros, no matter how you look at it. And that's the kicker, isn't it: an Ouroboros is just a serpent…and a serpent can be a snake or a dragon."

Pythor stares at his crude scribble of the compass with a frown.

"…or for our purposes, perhaps it could be both. Two sides…of a single coin. Two sides of a single element."

Thusly, in conclusion— Lloyd's overall symbol, and overall Guardian, is an Ouroboros. When divided into the two aspects of his Element, a green snake represents the Green Element, and a gold dragon represents the Golden Essence. Of course, his Guardians would exist to parallel these concepts.

Conveniently, there was a Golden Dragon within the Temple of Light that Lloyd's actions led to the release of.

(it's moreso a metaphorical release but roll with me here)

Also conveniently, there was a Green Snake that Lloyd's actions led to the release of.

So, it wasn't really too hard to pinpoint how to work Lloyd's Guardian(s) into the picture, ahahaha.

They represent the two side of Life Itself—the side that Creates, the side that Destroys, and when put together, it Neutralizes...

“To create is to destroy; to destroy is to create. To do both, is to be human.”

But everything just fit so insanely well: the Ouroboros symbol itself, the snake/dragon/serpent thing, endings being new beginnings, the whole philosophy of the Green Element matching that of symbolism of an Ouroboros, the fact that all these things were just sitting there in plain sight, unnoticed by the untrained eye?!?! Do you now see why I am obsessed with the untapped potential of this green-gold child?!

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!?

Aaaaaaaand tying it aaaall back into Movie!verse -> small spoilers, but I've mentioned already, Lloyd's Element is an element of connection. His strength is derived from being surrounded by others, by being surrounded by life, and supported by others connections with him. It's why he requires a connection with the Core Four to unlock his True Potential (whatever that may mean <3).

"Green is the color of life. It flows through all living things... connecting them all. The way I connect the ninjas."

AND THE WAY YOU CONNECT THE ELEMENTS, KID.

#ninjago #the lego ninjago movie #tlnm #lloyd garmadon #legacyverse #the ninja legacy whip #legacy spoilers #info tag #long post #elemental compendium

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asnowfern · 1 year

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The Writing's On The Wall - Chapter 1

Summary: She's a demon, he's a hunter. Their fates intertwined after a chance encounter. Can Nesta and Cassian overcome all odds to be together? Ancient Chinese wuxia AU setting/Inspired by the Legend of the White Snake.

A/N: Written for Day Four of @nestaarcheronweek 2023: Lover I am unbelievably nervous and excited for this fic. Wuxia/Xianxia shows were such a big part of my childhood, I really want to do it justice. That being said, I did change a lot of details as this is first and foremost, an ACOTAR fic. Please do not come after me saying that this is not traditional wuxia or wildly differs from the Legend of White Snake. It was intentional.

Now that's out of the way, enjoy! Read on AO3

Chapter One: 有缘 (it’s fate)

The trees swayed in the cool breeze, rustling its leaves. The lake glistened in the background as the fresh scent of rain permeated the air. The night turned still as Nesta approached her targeted building. The temple stood tall against the serene backdrop of the trees and hills of Hangzhou province. The temple was large and opulent.

Nesta adjusted her black scarf to cover her face and made her way to the temple swiftly, smoothly leaping from one rooftop to the next. True to her form, her movements were fluid and silent.

Coming here was a risk. Tomas Mandray was a famed hunter and collector. Despite his identification as a monk, the man was ruthless to any demons and spirits, regardless of any actual malicious inclinations. Nesta's thoughts flashed back to Gwyn's pained face and attacked form. Sweet Gwyn who never hurt anyone, just like Clare never did. They may be the demons but it was without a shadow of doubt to Nesta that humans were the monsters. She felt the familiar cold rage burnt through her veins, hardening her resolve.

Nesta had spent most of the day surveying the building. She knew the monk spent most of his day in a room at the corner of the left wing, likely his study. That would be her best bet for the orb. She crouched low on the rooftop and reached out her senses to identify any heat sources within the room. On the next beat, she was in the room.

The room was dizzying with qi relics. Nesta cursed inwardly and focused her senses once more, identifying the highest concentration of qi in the room. Hidden and tucked away behind a landscape portrait was her prize - the orb containing two hundred years of qi, stolen from the hermit of xihu , the West Lake. Nesta grabbed it and instantly felt the zap course through her arm.

Shit.

She bolted but had barely made it to the courtyard when she heard the arrogant taunt that chilled her to the core, "You dare steal from me, demon?"

Nesta whirled around, her sword unsheathed in her hand as she faced Mandray. The monk gave her a cold appraising look, his sharp features, while blessed with an attractive aristocratic quality, sported a cruel smirk.

"Return what you stole and I might just let you leave here alive." he crooned.

Nesta nearly scoffed, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Well, I didn’t say that you were leaving here unscathed," he said dismissively.

With that, he struck with his staff. Nesta parried the attack with her sword, gritting her teeth at the harsh impact of the blow. She crouched slightly to tilt her sword away and twisted her body to give the next swing of her sword a greater momentum. A move which was quickly blocked by the man.

He gave her no time to consider her next attack and launched a series of quick strikes, leaving Nesta no option but to move into the defensive, blocking every jab and swing of his staff. Then she spotted an opening and took it, imbuing her blade with added qi, she lowered her stance and slashed the man's side.

Mandray hissed in pain and his face twisted into rage. He clutched his injured side and lept back a few steps. Nesta turned to flee the compound but was instantly immobilised with a blinding pain. She bit back a cry as she let her sword fall into the ground, leaning her weight into the weapon to avoid falling over. A low rumble of chants reached her ears as she took in the hexagonal golden light caging her in.

Nesta heaved a breath and looked up to glare at her opponent, spitting out a taunt, “Couldn’t handle me by yourself?”

“You knowingly snuck into a temple to steal from us. We have every right to defend ourselves.” Mandray shot back, his hand still clutched tightly against his injured side. “Give up, demon.”

Nesta did not reply, her eyes swept around the golden barrier to search for any vulnerable point. Her jaw tightened as the chants grew louder and the pain intensified, setting her nerves alight.

“Give up, demon.” he repeated, “There is no getting out of the structure. You are just prolonging your suffering. Return the relic and I will deliver you a swift and painless death.”

Her mind zeroed in on his words. Structure. If the trap was a structure, it had to have foundations. She just had to find it and break it. Find it find it find it.

Her senses surged out, ignoring the man’s taunts and the chants. The edges of her mouth turned up into the barest of a smirk when she located it. She dug into her core and fortified her body, lighting her body in silver flames. With the next exhale, she shot a ball of flames into the ground to her right. She seized the opportunity the moment the barrier wavered, expanding the flames surrounding her outward, shattering the barrier.

Mandray’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Throwing him one last look of derision, Nesta gathered her dwindling qi and transformed into her snake form, vanishing from the courtyard and into the night.

Nesta transformed back the moment she escaped deep into the neighbouring forest. She collapsed against the tree, yanking down the black scarf covering her face and breathed deeply. Before she fully realised it, darkness swallowed her consciousness.

The memories spun mercilessly.

“Nesta, Nesta! Look at what Chen gave me!” Clare cried out excitedly, shoving a delicate hair pin in Nesta’s face.

“I think I might actually be falling in love,” Clare confessed softly, “Isn't it just silly to think? A demon and human could be in love?"

“He proposed, Nesta!” she swooned, her delicate face glowing in happiness, “Can you believe it? I’m getting married.”

“Run, Nesta.” she begged, her voice weak from her injuries.

Nesta tightened her grip around her childhood friend’s body, panting from the effort of running with the extra weight, “I’m not leaving you behind.”

She fell to the ground when an arrow struck her in the back, dropping Clare on the ground. Nesta grit her teeth as she moved to cradle her friend once more.

“Stop, Nesta.” Clare quietly commanded as a dusting of pink light surrounded her body, “It’s too late for me but it’s not for you. You have to run.”

Nesta shook her head vigorously and said fiercely, “Don’t you dare give up on me.”

Clare smiled sadly as the dusting glowed brighter and her body faded, “You must live for the both of us, Nesta.”

Nesta’s eyes snapped open, her chest heaving from the dream. Her eyes started to fall shut when the crackling of a fire caught her attention. She shot her body up and took in her surroundings. She was no longer in the forest but an abandoned hut. Her attention narrowed on the man tending to the fire. Her hand slowly moved towards her side towards her sword which was no longer attached to her waist.

“Looking for this?” The male asked, waving a sheathed sword. Her sword, she realised belatedly.

“Return it to me.” she demanded, her voice scratchy from disuse.

The stranger gave her an infuriating smile, “So you can attack me? I don’t think so. Besides, you are in no shape to fight me.”

Nesta narrowed her gaze, properly taking in the man before her. He was relatively young and sported a muscular physique. His ruggedly handsome face had a thin scar cutting across his right eyebrow. His dark complexion and shorter hair length revealed his western mountain origin. Reflections of the fire swayed lazily in his hazel eyes.

Warrior. No, hunter. Her mind cautioned as she registered the numerous weapons on him.

“Relax, I mean you no harm.” he quickly assured her, cautiously handing over her sword, “Your qi levels are dangerously low and you are suffering from internal injuries. Don’t fight me.”

“You know what I am then,” she surmised, her eyes darting around to locate the exit.

“A demon,” he agreed.

“So why haven’t you killed me?” she demanded, continuing when he raised a questioning brow, “You’re a hunter. Isn’t that what you do?”

“I hunt malicious demons.” he answered easily as the infuriating smile returned. “You don’t seem very malicious to me.”

Nesta threw him a scornful glare and sneered, “Spare me the act. You humans don’t care.”

“I know,” he cut in, “that you’re in possession of a powerful orb. Probably stolen from Tomas Mandray, who had been bragging about it for weeks. Yet, you made no effort to absorb it, even in your injured state. In other words, you did not steal it from one of the most powerful hunters in jianghu for selfish gain. Like I said, not malicious.”

The image of Clare fading into pink dust flashed behind her eyes. She gripped her sword tightly, “I applaud your efforts in not killing me then. I’ll be taking my leave.”

She stood up, swaying slightly. The man reached forward to support her but stopped himself at her hard glare.

“You’re in no position to travel.” he implored quietly, “There is a healing quarry lake about an hour away. We can leave at dawn. Just rest, please. I will not harm you.”

"I'm fine." Nesta insisted, soldiering forward through the haze of weightlessness. She was halfway out of the building when it occurred to her that he seemed to be coming with.

She whipped around to ask, "Why are you following me?"

"You are in no shape to travel or defend yourself if anyone attacks. If you're not resting, I'm coming with you." he shot back, evidently annoyed by her stubbornness.

"Nobody is asking you to." she argued.

"You don't have to," he answered. Even in the moonlight, his eyes shone with honesty.

Nesta bit back a retort. There was no getting rid of the guy. She replied with a resigned sigh, "I don't have time to rest all night. Now, where is that quarry?"

Nesta almost punched him for the shit eating grin he flashed her.

"My name is Cassian, by the way." he introduced himself a couple of minutes into their journey.

He kept a step ahead of her. Close enough, she realised, to defend her when needed but stayed in her line of sight so that she knew that he would not sneak an attack on her. An effort that she appreciated.

"Nesta" she begrudgingly returned.

They walked in silence. Cassian would constantly check the stars and point them in a specific direction. Nesta felt her strength waning with every step, her skin misted with sweat from the effort of walking.

The next time Cassian paused to navigate them, he passed her a canteen and said, "Let's take a short rest."

Nesta took the canteen and drank from it, catching the sigh of relief before it could escape her throat. She let her eyes fall shut for a few moments as she drank the water.

"Let's go" she snapped the moment she opened her eyes and slapped the canteen against his chest, stalking forward. If Cassian made a quip (which she was almost certain he did), it went unheard and ignored.

The sky was still dark when they reached the quarry. The water glistened against the backdrop of the rough surface of the quarry, reflecting the moon on its surface. Nesta knelt slightly to dip her hand under the water, sighing at the instant ease which flowed into her. She stood up, surprised to see Cassian making camp at the site.

"What are you doing?" she blurted out.

"Settling in. There's still a while to go until sunrise." he answered easily, as if it explained everything. "I'm not leaving you defenceless in your meditative state."

"Why?" she asked, finally giving into curiousity, "I'm a demon. Probably the last creature, a human, much less a hunter, would protect."

"I'd do it for anyone," he replied quietly, his expression was serious but sincere, "I'll never hurt you Nesta. You're safe with me."

Nesta found herself wanting to believe him. There was something in his eyes, something that made her think as she walked into the water that there was more to this, something that she was missing. She held onto the thought as the ground vanished beneath her, surmerging her fully. Nesta transformed, the process dragged in her injured state. Her limbs gradually combined and extended into its long length, curling as she settled at the bottom.

Nesta felt his gaze on her, its heat reaching her through the water. She ignored it, focusing her attention on absorbing the restorative energy of her surroundings. She meditated until the sun was high in the sky and her strength returned.

She redirected the flow of qi in her body, gathering them from the far lengths of her long body back to her core, transforming back into her humanoid form. As the top of her head breaches the surface, she pooled the energy around her hands, ready at any given notice to throw out her silver flames.

Their eyes clashed, molten silver against burning hazel. Nesta held her breath. Would seeing her in her other form reveal the hunter as nothing more than the killer that he certainly is?

Maintaining the fiery energy around her hands, she drew upon enough qi to apply the glamour, ivory scales giving way to alabaster skin. A large warm hand covered her cheek at the point where scales met skin.

"Don't," he said roughly, "You don't have to cover it up with me."

Cassian's stare turned hungry, "It's beautiful."

Her brain screamed at her to remove his hand, to slap it away angrily, but Nesta could only stare into his eyes, transfixed with the flakes of gold dancing around his pupils and fixate on the warmth radiating from his hand to her face. Her heart pounded in her ears as she felt the heat spreading across her cheeks.

From a distance, a hawk screeched. The moment snapped like a taut rope and Nesta almost flinched from the impact, the blazing qi fizzled out pathetically in her hands. She stepped back immediately.

"I've recovered enough to return," she informed curtly. Her expression softened slightly for a moment, "Thank you for helping me."

Cassian smiled, slow and devastating. Nesta felt her heart stutter as he replied, "Come to the house at the southern tip of the West Lake. You will always have a friend there."

Nesta nodded and took off, Clare's voice haunting her journey back.

Isn't it just silly to think? A demon and human could be in love.

It was not silly. It was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Translation Notes: xihu/西湖 - The West Lake located in Hangzhou, China. qi/气 - Vital energy that flows through all bodies. jianghu/江湖 - The setting often used in wuxia stories. Think "The Valley" in Kungfu Panda.

A/N: I'm still relatively new to this and this would be my first multi-chapter fic that I don't have pre-written so do let me know if you would want to be added into a taglist!

#nessian #nesta x cassian #NestaWeek2023 #Legend of White Snake AU #xianxia AU #acotar fic #nessian fic #acotar

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claudia1829things · 4 months

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"INTO THE WEST" (2005) - "Jacob Wheeler and the Awareness of Self"

"INTO THE WEST" (2005) – "JACOB WHEELER AND THE AWARENESS OF SELF"

Many people would usually consider the topic of Self Awareness when discussing New Age religions or Eastern mysticism. Characters from a Western television miniseries seems like the last thing anyone would think of when discussing the meaning of Self. Yet, a major character led me to consider this very topic, while re-watching Steven Spielberg’s 2005 miniseries about two families – Lakota and western Virginia - called "INTO THE WEST".

"Self" has been described as the essential self or the core of an individual. A person who has learned to live one’s life with a strong sense of Self is considered as someone who has achieved or come close to a level of self-actualization - namely, achieving personal growth through accepting the true core of oneself. If there is one character in "INTO THE WEST" who seemed to personify self-actualization, it was Thunder Heart Woman (Tonazin Carmelo and later Sheila Tousey), the Lakota woman who had married into the Wheeler family. I am not saying that Thunder Heart Woman was a person with no insecurities, personal demons or anything of the sort. But of all the major characters, she seemed to be more in tune of what and more importantly, who she was.

In the miniseries’ second episode titled, "Manifest Destiny", Thunder Heart Woman had seemed impervious to the Wheeler family's attitude toward her, during her immediate family’s short stay with her in-laws in Virginia. Even when faced with the disapproval of a German minister and fellow wagon immigrant called Preacher Hobbes (Derek de Lint), she remained impervious to his bigotry. At least according to her husband’s narrative. But this essay is not about Thunder Heart Woman. It is about one of the men in her life – the one love in her life, who managed to catch my attention. Namely one Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle and later John Terry).

The third of four brothers from a Virginia wheelwright family, Jacob Wheeler seemed very similar to his Lakota wife – the type of person that seemed to know his own mind. The miniseries’ first episode, ”Wheel to the Stars” revealed that Jacob’s Virginia family seemed to view him as a non-conformist . . . or oddball. He, in turn, regarded his hometown of Wheelerton, Virginia; his family and its profession with mild contempt. In short, this young Virginian was a fish out of water in 1825 America and he knew it. This would explain Jacob’s longing to see the world beyond his hometown and the eastern United States. He did not hesitate to express his enthusiasm for the West. After meeting mountain man James Fletcher (Will Patton), he immediately set out to achieve his desire to leave Wheelerton.

Possessing a talent for persuasion, Jacob managed to convince two of his brothers – Nathan (Alan Tudyk) and Jethro (Skeet Ulrich) – into joining his trek to the West. Jethro turned back at the last minute and Nathan ended up accompanying him. After Jacob and Nathan parted ways in St. Louis, the former caught up with Fletcher and famed mountain man, Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin) and convinced the latter to allow him to accompany Smith’s expedition to California. I could probably list a number of examples of Jacob’s talent for persuasion, along with his exuberant and non-conformist nature. What I had failed to mention was that he possessed a strong and stubborn will to achieve what he desired. A perfect example of this was his determination to return to California after he, Smith and their fellow mountain men had been kicked out of the province by Mexican authorities. Not only did Jacob manage to achieve this goal, he did so at a great price. And yet . . . one of the interesting aspects of the Jacob Wheeler character is that despite possessing a strong will and extroverted nature, he also had certain vulnerable characteristics and insecurities. Especially insecurities. In both ”Wheel to the Stars” and ”Manifest Destiny”, Jacob’s relationships with his Wheelerton family and Thunder Heart Woman revealed just how insecure he could be.

Jacob seemed to have a rather peculiar relationship with his Virginia family. Despite regarding them with contempt for their provincial attitudes, he had also allowed their attitudes to bring out his own insecurities. His grandfather Abraham (Ken Pogue), his father Enoch (Serge Houde) and his three brothers – Nathan, Ezra (Joshua Kalef) and Jethro – either derided or teased him about his lack of interest in the family’s wheelwright business. And all of them viewed Jacob as a daydreamer with no sense of family duty or any common sense. The Wheelers have never hesitated to express their low opinion of Jacob’s desire to experience life beyond Wheelerton. I cannot help but wonder if the Wheelers’ contempt toward Jacob’s non-conformist ways had bred a sense of insecurity within him. Or if this insecurity was one of the reasons behind his desire to escape Wheelerton for the west.

It is possible that I may have stumbled across one result from Jacob’s less-than-ideal relationship with his Virginia family. I do not know if anyone else had noticed, but it seemed to me that whenever any of the other Wheelers teased, ranted or expressed contempt toward Jacob or his views on the West, he rarely bothered to defend himself. Jacob did not defend himself whenever his brothers mocked him at the dinner table.; when Jethro made the "tail tucked between your legs" comment, following Jacob’s return to Wheelerton in "Manifest Destiny"; and when Enoch accused him of luring both Nathan and later, Jacob to the West. Instead of defending himself, Jacob merely remained silent in an effort to ignore the hurtful comments.

However, there have also been moments when he did defend himself. Jacob made a snarky comment about his grandfather Abraham’s penchant for rambling on about his past as Revolutionary War veteran and the family’s business. And the elderly man reacted in such a vitriolic manner that I found myself wondering if Jacob had ended up with a new hole in his backside. When Nathan raged against him for helping an escaped slave named Ben Franklin (Sean Blakemore) in Tennessee, Jacob insisted they had done the right thing considering that Ben had earlier released Nathan after holding him hostage with a knife. And when Nathan lost his temper over Jacob’s refusal to follow him to Texas, the younger brother merely insisted upon continuing his intention to join Jedidiah Smith’s expedition.

One could only wonder why Jacob had rarely bothered to defend himself against his family’s scorn. Did he share Thunder Heart Woman’s talent for imperviously ignoring the scorn and prejudices of others? I rather doubt it. Whereas Thunder Heart Woman had seemed unconcerned by others, Jacob’s face tends to express his pain or embarrassment caused by his family’s attitudes. I suspect that deep down, Jacob longed for not only his family’s respect, but their acceptance of his true self. But unlike many people, he was not willing to change his nature for the Wheelers or anyone else’s acceptance.

Why did Jacob decide to return to Wheelerton with his pregnant wife and daughter after eleven years in the West? In his narration, Jacob claimed that he wanted Thunder Heart Woman and his daughter Margaret Light Shines (Elizabeth Sage, later Irene Bedard) to meet his Virginia family. Perhaps he was telling the truth. Yet, a part of me found that hard to believe. The moment Jacob began to enjoy his Lakota in-laws’ hospitality, he felt certain that his own family extend the same kind of warmth to his wife. And yet . . . he had insisted upon returning to Virginia. Why? Had Jethro hinted the truth in his "tail tuckered between his legs" comment – that Jacob encountered nothing but failure in the West and returned back to Virginia for a livelihood? Or was it something deeper? Perhaps a last chance for Jacob to seek final acceptance from his family? Who knows.

Whatever Jacob had sought in 1836 Virginia, he did not find it. His father Enoch revealed that the family’s wheelwright business had suffered a setback, due to the economic depression that struck the United States in the mid and late 1830s. And the Wheelers seemed no more closer in accepting Jacob for himself or his Western family. His cousin, Naomi Wheeler (Keri Russell) viewed Indians as non-human. His brother Ezra regarded Thunder Heart Woman as a mere "squaw". Naomi’s sister, Rachel (Jessica Capshaw), viewed young Margaret’s hand as a piece of dung. And Enoch seemed to act as if his new daughter-in-law and grandchildren did not exist. No wonder Jacob ended up complaining about the Wheelers’ treatment of his Lakota family.

Eventually, Jacob decided to take his wife and children and return to the West permanently – preferably Californa. It seemed the Wheelers’ continuing disregard toward them – along with news of his idol Jedediah Smith’s death – led to this decision. He almost seemed cold and distant toward his parents and Ezra. But he did not count on Jethro and his three female cousins’ decision to accompany him to California. Apparently, not all of the Wheelers viewed him as an oddball for his preference for the West. Jacob seemed heartened by Jethro’s decision to join him. And although Naomi, Rachel and Leah’s (Emily Holmes) decision to join the trek West took him by surprise, Jacob readily accepted their company. In the following narration, he came to this conclusion:

"I hope that I would prove equal to the responsibility I had undertaken."

I found this comment rather odd. Jethro and the three cousins had been determined to follow Jacob and Thunder Heart Woman on the trek to California, regardless of anything the couple would have done or said. Even Jethro had later pointed this out.

The next three years (1837-1840) must have been the best Jacob had ever experienced with any of the Virginia Wheelers. The three cousins – Naomi, Rachel and Leah – finally began to view Thunder Heart Woman as a member of the family and cherished her and Jacob’s three children (Abraham had been born in Wheelerton in 1836 and Jacob Jr. was born in Missouri sometime in late 1840). Jacob’s close relationship with Jethro seemed like a far cry from the conflicts with Nathan that marred his trip to the west back in the 1820s. One would begin to think that Jacob no longer suffered from any insecurity by this point. And yet . . . they only remained buried inside him, waiting for the right moment to manifest.

In the end, it took the wagon train journey to California (dubbed "the Wagon Train of Doom" by me) featured in "Manifest Destiny" for Jacob’s insecurities to get the best of him. Upon their arrival in Independence, Missouri in the fall of 1840, the Wheeler family remained there during the winter before joining a California-bound wagon train led by one Stephen Hoxie (Beau Bridges) in the spring of 1841. Surprisingly, only Thunder Heart Woman seemed reluctant to leave Missouri. I suspect she had enough of being constantly on the move for the past several years. But the rest of the Wheelers, especially Jacob, seemed determined to head for California.

Once the Hoxie wagon company began their westward trek, everything seemed to be faring well. The weather seemed beautiful. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits – including the black family from Illinois named Jones that managed to join the wagon train without any opposition. Both Naomi and Rachel attracted the romantic attention of the train’s two scouts – 'Skate' Guthrie and James ‘Jim’ Ebbets (Ryan Robbins and Christopher Heyerdahl). This contentment finally ended when Thunder Heart Woman spotted wolves feeding off the corpse of a buffalo and when the train later crossed what I believe was the Big Blue River. The incident proved to be the first of two disagreements between the couple. Thunder Heart Woman viewed the wolves as a sign that the wagon train would come to a bad end. She insisted that the Wheeler family return to Missouri. Jacob dismissed her worries as superstition on her part. But the expression on his face clearly indicated his doubts on the wisdom of the trip.

Then the first disaster struck. One of the emigrants, a German-born minister named Preacher Hobbes (Derek de Lint), lost control of his wagon during the crossing. Distracted by the Hobbes family’s situation, Jethro nearly lost control of his wagon. Leah fell out of the wagon and drowned in the river’s fast flowing water. Although Hobbes received an angry response for his carelessness from Captain Hoxie, the Wheeler women’s anger seemed to be directed at Jacob for leading them to this western trek. The expression of guilt seemed very palpable on Jacob’s face, as Naomi demanded that he take the family back to Missouri. Leah’s death proved to be just the beginning.

The further west the wagon train traveled, more disasters followed. The emigrants were forced to deal with a severe thunderstorm and a cattle stampede that left the only son of a black emigrant named Absalom Jones (Neville Edwards) dead. Not long after the storm and the stampede, both Naomi and Rachel married two of the wagon train’s scouts, Skate and Jim. But that brief period of happiness failed to last when the wagon train attempted to travel through a pass. While traversing a pass, a wagon broke free, knocked Rachel down and ran over her leg, causing a severe compound fracture. The leg eventually became infected. Hobbes, the closest thing to a doctor available, tried to amputate Rachel's leg; but his efforts turned out to be clumsy and Rachel died before he could finish. Although no family member angrily demanded that return to Missouri, the expression on Jacob’s face obviously conveyed his feelings of guilt.

The final blow to Jacob’s disastrous return to the west occurred when Mrs. Jones died from cholera. Since the Wheelers’ wagons had been traveling with the Jones’ wagon at the back of the train, they had been exposed to the disease. Hoxie and the scouts forced the Wheelers and the remaining members of the Jones family (Mr. Jones and Sally Jones) to remain behind under quarantine while the main body of the wagon train carries on. Only Naomi was able to continue with the train, since she had been with her new husband. Jethro became afflicted with symptoms of cholera but recovered. Both Jacob and Thunder Heart Woman drifted into a serious quarrel, when he suggested that she take their children and attempt to find her Lakota family. Needless to say, Thunder Heart Woman took the suggestion badly and reminded Jacob that he should have listened to her warnings about the journey.

No new outbreaks occurred after Jacob ordered that all drinking water be boiled. The Wheelers and the Jones rushed to catch up with the wagon train, but discovered that it had been attacked by Cheyenne warriors. All of the emigrants had been wiped out, aside from Naomi, who first became a captive and later, a wife of a Cheyenne chief Prairie Fire (Jay Tavare). The Wheelers and the Jones families were also attacked by Cheyenne warriors. They managed to repulse the attack, but Jacob ended up seriously wounded by an arrow in his chest. The surviving emigrants tried to move on with a wounded Jacob, but the juts and bumps of the trail made it impossible for him to endure the pain. Instead, he insisted that Thunder Heart Woman, Jethro, Mr. Jones and the children continue west to California without him, since he would only prevent them from crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains before winter. They left him behind with great reluctance.

Thanks to a fortuitous encounter with one of his brothers-in-law, Running Fox (Zahn McClarnon), Jacob survived his wound before continuing west. The period he spent east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains allowed him to wallow in loneliness and grief over the separation from his family. But he remained determined to find them. And it took him another four to five years before he finally did. Becoming a member of John Charles Frémont’s California Volunteer Militia during the Mexican-American War allowed Jacob to scour the region for signs or news of his remaining family. Five years passed before he finally came upon the ranch that Jethro and Thunder Heart Woman had settled. Jacob also discovered that in the intervening years, his brother and wife had considered him dead, began a relationship and had a child – a little girl named Cornflower. Devastated by this turn of events, Jacob decided not to reveal himself to his family. At least not openly. Instead, he left the wooden medicine wheel necklace that Thunder Heart Woman had given him when they first met to his youngest child, Jacob High Cloud. Another five years passed before Jacob finally reconciled with his family, due to the efforts of his daughter, Margaret Light Shines.

Ever since I first saw "INTO THE WEST" and especially the above mentioned scene from "Manifest Destiny", I have found myself wondering about Jacob’s actions. I understood why he decided not to intrude upon the family that Jethro and Thunder Heart Woman had formed upon their arrival in California. But why did he leave the medicine wheel necklace to young Jacob? Surely, he knew that his family would be aware that he was alive . . . and knew about their situation? Looking back on his action, it struck me as a very passive-aggressive on his part. He lacked the courage to face Jethro and Thunder Heart Woman. And yet, he seemed determined to thwart the happiness they had created . . . as if he was punishing them for continuing their lives without him. Or perhaps Jacob felt a great deal of envy toward Jethro because the latter turned out to be the one who successfully led the family to California, and not him.

Perhaps Jacob had always a passively-aggressive personality from the beginning. His relationship with his Virginia family struck me as being marked by a great deal of passive-aggressive behavior from the start. Jacob seemed determined to be his own man, whether in his enthusiasm for the West, his decision to leave Wheeler or join Jedediah Smith’s expedition over following his brother Nathan to Texas. And yet . . . he never defended himself in the face of their criticism. Instead, he resorted to resentful silence. Why did he constantly fail to defend himself? Was he merely trying to keep the peace? Or did some small part of him fear that his family may have been right about him? It seemed strange than many fans and critics of "INTO THE WEST" seemed to adore Jacob for his seemingly self-assurance and outgoing personality. At the same time, they derided Jethro for being an insecure loser in their eyes. I got the feeling that they were so busy either scorning Jethro or adulating Jacob that they failed to detect the latter’s personal insecurities and darker traits. And Jacob certainly had them by the bucketful.

Did Jacob ever overcome his insecurities? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I wonder if many are aware of this, but it usually takes an individual to overcome his or her faults during an entire lifetime. A good number of people never succeed in overcoming all of their faults. And since "INTO THE WEST" focused more on his and Thunder Heart Woman’s children in the last three episodes, audiences never discovered if he had overcome all of his faults and insecurities. Jacob certainly seemed more at peace in his old age than he did during his first forty years. Perhaps those years of solitude near the Sierra Mountains foothills helped him finally achieve some inner peace.

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language-tournament · 21 days

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Haitian Creole wins!

Yoruba

Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_language

Excerpt: Yoruba (US: /ˈjɔːrəbə/, UK: /ˈjɒrʊbə/; Yor. Èdè Yorùbá, IPA: [jōrùbá]; Ajami: عِدعِ يوْرُبا) is a language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in Southwestern and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speakers is roughly 45 million, plus about 2 million second-language speakers. As a pluricentric language, it is primarily spoken in a dialectal area spanning Nigeria, Benin, and Togo with smaller migrated communities in Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Yoruba vocabulary is also used in the Afro-Brazilian religion known as Candomblé, in the Caribbean religion of Santería in the form of the liturgical Lucumí language and in various Afro-American religions of North America. Most modern practitioners of these religions in the Americas do not actually speak or understand the Yoruba language, rather they use Yoruba words and phrases for songs that for them are incomprehensible.

Basque

Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_language

Excerpt: Basque (/ˈbæsk, ˈbɑːsk/; euskara [eus̺ˈkaɾa]) is the last surviving Paleo-European language spoken in Europe, predating the arrival of speakers of the Indo-European languages that dominate the continent today. Basque is spoken by the Basques and other residents of the Basque Country, a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. Basque is classified as a language isolate, with no relationship to any other language having been established. The Basques are indigenous to and primarily inhabit the Basque Country. The Basque language is spoken by 28.4% (751,500) of Basques in all territories. Of these, 93.2% (700,300) are in the Spanish area of the Basque Country and the remaining 6.8% (51,200) are in the French portion. Native speakers live in a contiguous area that includes parts of four Spanish provinces and the three "ancient provinces" in France. Gipuzkoa, most of Biscay, a few municipalities on the northern border of Álava and the northern area of Navarre formed the core of the remaining Basque-speaking area before measures were introduced in the 1980s to strengthen Basque fluency

#linguistics #polls #tumblr polls #languages #random polls #yoruba #basque

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blueiskewl · 9 months

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A 294 A.D 10-Aurei Gold Medallion of Roman Emperor Diocletian

A unique gold 10-aurei medallion of Roman emperor Diocletian sold for $2.3 million in Classical Numismatic Group’s Jan. 10 and 11 auction.

The medallion measures 38 millimeters across and weighs 53.65 grams, or about the same diameter as an American Eagle silver bullion coin, but nearly twice as heavy.

According to CNG, “This magnificent medallion of Diocletian ranks among the largest denomination Roman Imperial gold medallions in existence and is a masterpiece of late classical portraiture. A gold multiple of this size and artistry, termed a denio in numismatic circles, represented vast wealth at the time of issue and must have been created for a special occasion.”

Gaius Valerius Diocletianus instituted many reforms, including in 294 the implementation of a new system of coinage. The year 294 also marked the 10th anniversary (decennalia) of Diocletian’s reign and the enlargement of the ruling class.

As part of the coinage change, to accommodate the flood of new coinage, new mints opened, including one at Aquileia, where this medallion was struck.

It is graded Choice About Uncirculated by Numismatic Guaranty Co., which assigned it a 5/5 for strike and surface.

“Here, then, is the historical context for the striking of this impressive denio, no doubt intended as a handout to a military officer of high rank,”.

At least four other 10-aurei medallions of Diocletian alone are recorded, all in museum collections. This includes two other examples of the same type and similar weight, but struck at the Alexandria mint.

This was the only denio offered at public auction since 1922, according to the firm.

Diocletian (242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed "Jovius", was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia. Diocles rose through the ranks of the military early in his career, eventually becoming a cavalry commander for the army of Emperor Carus. After the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian on a campaign in Persia, Diocles was proclaimed emperor by the troops, taking the name Diocletianus. The title was also claimed by Carus's surviving son, Carinus, but Diocletian defeated him in the Battle of the Margus.

Weakened by illness, Diocletian left the imperial office on 1 May 305, becoming the first Roman emperor to abdicate the position voluntarily. He lived out his retirement in his palace on the Dalmatian coast, tending to his vegetable gardens. His palace eventually became the core of the modern-day city of Split in Croatia.

#Roman Emperor Diocletian #A 294 A.D 10-Aurei Gold Medallion of Roman Emperor Diocletian #treasure #gold #roman gold medallion #roman gold jewelry #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #roman history #roman empire #roman emperor #roman art

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usafphantom2 · 3 months

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IMAGES: F-35 fighters land for the first time in Thailand

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/03/2024 - 23:27in Milit

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) released images of the first time U.S. F-35 fighters landed in Thailand, where U.S. Air Force fifth-generation stealth fighters will participate in joint exercise Cope Tiger 2024.

Eight F-35A Lightning II aircraft were deployed from Eielson Air Base, Alaska, for the exercise that takes place on March 18 and 19, with the first four landing on March 7 at Korat Air Base, where RTAF Wing 1 is located.

Four more USAF jets are expected to arrive by the weekend at the Wing 1 base in Nakhon Ratchasima province, in preparation for joint training with the Royal Thai and Singapore Air Force. Under the Cope Tiger 2024 training code, the commander of Wing 1 welcomed the USAF F-35s.

The first landing of F-35 jets in Thailand coincides with the largest air exercise in the region, called Cope Tiger 2024. The F-35 previously participated in the Cobra Gold exercise, but took off and landed from an aircraft carrier on the coast.

The Cope Tiger 2024 air exercise will not only be conducted by RTAF jets in Wing 1, but also by Wing 23 in Udon Thani, with the participation of helicopters from the Thai Air Force of Wing 2 in Lopburi.

The air exercise between the three nations is attended by the Boeing F-15SG Eagle fighters and the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon jets of the Singapore Air Force, as well as the General Dynamics F-16A/B and F-16ADF Fighting Falcon jets of the Wing 1 Thai Air Force, T-50TH light attack aircraft from Wing 4 and Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet from Wing 23.

Tags: Military AviationCope TigerF-35 Lightning IIRTAF - Royal Thai Air Force/Royal Thai Air ForceUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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purple-iris · 3 months

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The core four provinces being siblings - art from 2022

#art #aph québec #aph quebec #aph ontario #aph new brunswick #aph nova scotia #OC #aph oc #aph provinces #marie tremblay #mark williams #Acer Leblanc #Agnes macdonald #hetalia #Hetalia oc

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mariacallous · 10 months

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On July 31, 2022, a U.S. drone strike killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri at a Taliban guest house in Kabul. A year later, al Qaeda has still not announced Zawahiri’s successor.

This has made it difficult for the core group to stake a claim to the leadership of the global jihadi movement or even to remain an important player regionally or internationally. Indeed, al Qaeda, the broader set of affiliate groups it claims to lead, and the jihadi movement as a whole have all suffered repeated blows in recent years—reducing the threat to the United States and its allies.

For an organization that once struck fear into the hearts and minds of millions of Americans after Sept. 11, 2001, and sparked a so-called global war on terror that dramatically reoriented U.S. foreign policy for two decades, al Qaeda’s almost complete disappearance from both the daily news headlines and the broader foreign-policy conversation in Washington these days is remarkable.

A quick look at the number of deadly jihadi attacks in the United States since 9/11 suggests the organization’s decline in both capabilities and ideological influence. According to data from the New America Foundation, jihadis have killed 107 Americans on U.S. soil since 9/11, compared with the 130 killed by right-wing terrorists. The last significant jihadi attack was four years ago, when a Saudi Air Force trainee working with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the group’s Yemen branch, killed three sailors at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in 2019. Pensacola was the only post-9/11 attack on U.S. soil that a jihadi group abroad coordinated; the others involved jihadis who were inspired by al Qaeda or its onetime affiliate turned competitor, the Islamic State, but who had little or no contact with the groups themselves.

The core organization that Zawahiri led has not directed an attack on the United States since 9/11, and after a spate of bloody attacks in Europe, has not conducted one there since the London attacks of 2005—almost 20 years ago. In Europe, affiliates such as AQAP have had more success, such as that group’s 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, but their operations have also decreased in recent years. The Islamic State has conducted more attacks than al Qaeda affiliates, including devastating shootings and suicide bombings in Paris and Brussels in 2015 and 2016 respectively, but a pattern of decline in Europe is clear.

Once-strong affiliates such as AQAP, as well as al Qaeda-linked groups in the Philippines, Syria, and other countries, have suffered numerous leadership losses, internal divisions, and other debilitating problems, making it harder for them to conduct external attacks. Measuring overall support is difficult, but foreign fighters no longer flock to places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, where the Islamic State and al Qaeda were once ascendant and are now far weaker. To be clear, the picture is not all bad for jihadis—in Africa, new jihadi organizations are emerging, and strong groups such as al-Shabab in Somalia are flourishing—but decline is evident in most of the rest of the world.

Part of this weakness is due to the civil war that erupted in 2013 within the jihadi movement between al Qaeda and its upstart offshoot, the Islamic State. In many Muslim countries, most notably Afghanistan, parts of the Sahel, and Syria, al Qaeda and its allies directly waged war against the rival Islamic State organization and its so-called “provinces.” Today in Afghanistan, allies of al Qaeda—the Taliban—are in a bloody fight with the Islamic State’s proxy. In addition to the tangible impact the death toll has had on the capabilities of all involved, this infighting also discredited both movements: Few starry-eyed, would-be holy warriors are eager to sign up to kill other holy warriors.

The movement has also fragmented and localized. Most of the affiliate groups— from Mali to Nigeria to Afghanistan—now focus almost exclusively on the local civil war or insurgency that they are fighting in. You still do not want to be a Western missionary or tourist who stumbles across their path, but this shift in focus reduces the chance of an international terrorist attack. Some jihadi groups, such as those in West Africa, probably could launch a terrorist strike on the West if they put in the effort—they are just focused elsewhere. Their brutality is directed toward their own countries and at their neighbors, with thousands of people—many of them Muslims themselves—dying from terrorist attacks and civil wars involving jihadi groups.

The enduring counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda and its affiliates, as well as the Islamic State and other parts of the movement, has also taken its toll. U.S. drone strikes have relentlessly decimated the ranks of the senior al Qaeda core, affiliate leaders, and other jihadi figures, even when they try to hide in remote parts of Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Today, the core al Qaeda organization has “far fewer” than 200 fighters, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The anti-Islamic State campaign, too, has proved highly effective. At the height of its so-called caliphate in 2014 and 2015, the group ruled over millions of people and controlled territory in Iraq and Syria the size of Great Britain. But by 2019, the U.S.-led coalition drove the caliphate underground. The group still launches attacks in Iraq and Syria and has thousands of fighters there, but like many al Qaeda affiliates, it appears focused on the civil war it is fighting, not international terrorism.

U.S. training and aid extended to foreign militaries and security forces has made them more capable of and more willing to target local jihadi groups, while an ongoing global intelligence campaign disrupts jihadi cells around the world. Because of this constant manhunt, it is dangerous for jihadi leaders to communicate, making it hard for them to direct affiliate groups and operatives, further decentralizing the movement. As the groups weaken, they have a harder time overcoming more rigorous airport screening and travel controls, while more aggressive FBI efforts make it more likely that plots in the United States will be discovered.

With variations, this broad counterterrorism campaign began under U.S. President George W. Bush after 9/11 and continued in the Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and now Joe Biden administrations, suggesting that it has considerable staying power regardless of which party is in the White House.

It may also explain part of why al Qaeda has not named a new leader. Some senior al Qaeda operatives are hiding in Iran, including Saif al-Adel, whom some say is al Qaeda’s de facto leader. Tehran does not cooperate with U.S. intelligence, and Iran is a no-go zone for the U.S. military, as a strike there would be seen as an act of war. That makes it hard to target operatives there. (Though Israel managed to kill a senior al Qaeda figure in Iran.)

However, the Iranian government also places restrictions on al Qaeda figures in the country, as Tehran hardly needs another reason for the United States and its allies to punish it. In addition, in the highly sectarian world of jihadi politics, al Qaeda’s quiet alliance with Iran is a source of criticism from the Islamic State and other jihadis. Having your de facto leader be a prisoner, or at least muzzled, in a country that many jihadis consider to be worse than the United States is hardly a way to win new followers.

Obama, Trump, and Biden all sought to reduce the U.S. military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan, with the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan being the most dramatic example. Such a shift has reduced the number of nearby U.S. targets and simply made the United States less important to the region (often at the expense of U.S. influence and regional stability), making it hard to push locally focused groups to see the United States as their main enemy. In addition, the civil wars in Mali, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere do not have the emotive power for many Muslims that Iraq did after 2003 or Syria after 2011, reducing the number of foreigners who volunteer to fight in the jihadi ranks.

Afghanistan remains an important question mark. The Taliban appear to value international legitimacy, but their hosting of Zawahiri and general refusal to distance themselves from al Qaeda raise questions about whether the group will allow their territory to again be used to stage international terrorist attacks. Although the United States was able to kill Zawahiri in Afghanistan, the lack of an on-the-ground presence makes it hard to gather intelligence, conduct strikes, and otherwise maintain pressure on groups in the region.

Zawahiri’s death compounded many problems for the jihadi movement. There is no obvious successor, as most members of the founding generation are dead or, like Adel, isolated from the rest of the movement. With no clear leader, it is hard for the core organization to direct its affiliates or even to encourage unaffiliated jihadis to attack the United States: These loose cannons will find inspiration elsewhere or nowhere at all.

Perhaps most importantly, time does not appear to be on al Qaeda’s side. The terrorist world is highly competitive, and as al Qaeda dawdles, new causes and groups arise to compete for money and recruits, while the U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign continues to thin its ranks.

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lamentingocean · 5 months

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>Sword Demon X Martial Art Prodigy Reader<

Warning: a bit of NSFW, violence, a bring up of sky and yeri, vent, fighting, and bit of an emotional impact, making out, philosophy shit and wisdom.

(Earn my rotmd degree into being the most diabolical simp, so I'm gonna add a bit of mongrang pervertness mueheh, but this is the final vote. BTW let me know what you guys want next◇)

____________________________________________

The sword demon,the man known to clean his blade to murdering multiple men that choose to be an enemy to him, his glare is indefinite and silently cunning to those that oppose and double cross his existence just by being a powerful martial arts capable of slicing the heads of even the martial arts prodigies. stunning but cold as an Arctic breeze. his sword is furthermore patternized as an art painting. the paint has its finest darkest colors to make a masterpiece enough to shoke even the professional painters of anicent china. and it's made into a canvas not only to be a haven full of strong emotional impact upon the demon's life but as a man with a deep dark pool of black water that is protracted as his soul. That painting is put into a room with nothing but a black ocean wall art just to take its theme into action into what he's really like.

cunningly mysterious, awfully powerful to sent warning signs to even the mad demon's flesh and bones, and strong enough to train a pervert like mongrang to be a highly beautiful man with a reputation of giving away peices of his charisma to women but also a formidable foe. he is such a man that even a person with a superhuman analytical ability can't get through. He's deep enough to find no meaning in life and just take time to bring it, meaning just to train and fight for what is right. His vibrant sorrows is what gets him a balance to earn his name. the sword demon.

a dangerous martial artist and part of the group of the four demons of this murim world.

Pervert Demon

Mad Demon

Sword Demon

And Poison Demon

you were born into a province. rich and wealthy into a heritage that will soon expand and continue under your own hands, eating with a gold fork and a gold spoon along with flakes of gold on your food to lather your own human system into the fabric of gold with your clothes even laced in gold. But it's a problem in this family. they are verbally abusive to their future successors and tried their worst in giving out that abuse to their own children as mental damage influence. they trained you before you can even stand on your own two feet as an infant. teaching you techniques and having to make you redo them over and over until it's perfected to their own satisfaction. It was torture, but practice makes perfect for the praise.

you receive praise, wealth, kindness, and a first time your parents could ever show love to their own children to cut off their own abusive attitude. but your mental state was bleeding from their kindness. but it was fake. The blade of their abuse slit your soul over and over until you are on the verge of tears every time you try to go out in public to be praising for your incredible swordsmanship, weapon proficiency, and reflexes. It sickened you to the core to be this strong but so weak to stand against people who choose to be parents just for the praise.

It's like reaching the aspect of dispair without showing a single emotion. they are the embodiment of dispair even though they are your parents. doesn't feeling like this break you into pieces and make you cry out in pain? No. your mental state is like armor. the more broken it is. the more it can block a hit so profound. it hurts, doesn't it? keeping it in hurts. keeping every strong emotion in your soul just to make people happy hurts.

It fucking hurts to be like this. to suffer under the pressure of your own family, be a controllable puppet to your parents, and fortunately kept into a lifestyle when vulgar words are supposedly normal. no. As a martial art prodigy that can take down 5 skilled fighters in one match is going to be strong for everyone. it's like keeping a bottle of water, and it's unopened just to grab every molecule of mineral and then those minerals are your true emotion. and then by each mineral collected. It becomes filled.

you looked at the legend of the sword demon, trying to know who he was. But you definitely knew who he was when you met him as a 10 year old. only to master the plum blossom technique to impress your parents until you saw him in the side of your eye. right in the wilderness when it's a big space in the wood to go all out into mastering that extravagantly gorgeous technique. glad they made a book about his greatness just enough that you can know him like the back of your hand. someone busted in and dropped a plate full of asian pastries.

It was the butler. and your hand reached a small piece of neatly carved paper. it's written in a female cursive. "Hello, Y/N! This is sky, and I wrote this to inform you that your parents issued an order to go travel across china and find more martial artists able to train you in your next path in life. so I recommend that you pack your bags and head out as soon as possible♡ your mother is a impatient women so she would expect your presence to be gone from here by the time she comes back from her association with the light faction Good luck and have fun with your travels♡

-SkyTsui" your hand flicked the note into the ground. suddenly angry at the news of traveling the world of anicent china just because your parents don't want to train you anymore. what a bunch of wealthy/ lazy fuck ups. but you did as you said as the controlled puppet that you are and packed up a lot of your stuff. even your sword at the bottom of your bed just in case to use for emergencies of factions, clans, or even mercenaries trying to raid the rich from their power and then kill them when the time is right. The weapon's name is called " Yuejue shu" Records of the Precious Swords. sturdy and sharp enough to break a kitchen knife. This can be used for self-defense, even if there are many rarities in the weapons in this world. Pack it up too.

And then boom, you are ready to go travel. Dropping down to the ceiling to mark your departure to leave this place for a while. it's a place that screams this: no matter if you're an emotional person who loves to express themselves in any way or a silent person that's going to keep it to themselves. it's a land full of judgemental/evil human beings that are always going to judge you for who you are. it's humanity. It's reality. people are continually miserable in trying to hurt other people to liven up their own insecurities. Even if you are a friend or you're being used, then you can't escape that. I find no meaning to life other than having a purpose to build within yourself so you can make meaning. we are evil. and if God is all powerful, then why didn't he eradicate the evil upon earth faster than he should. it's because he loves us. as evil. he loves us so much that even a mark upon humanity is going to drive us to the brink of dispair even when he isn't there to help us fix this fucked up world.

It's like letting your own creation die off and decay because of the aspect of humanity fucking up your own creation down into nothing but a capitalistic, dystopian, reality-faking, money hungry, government and supreme court controlled world. you reached down at your sword after that rush of thoughts for the future as in this is the world of anicent china. your wind gushed behind you as you flew like a bird because of your footwork. looking at all the ancient palaces. soon to be abandoned in the next 700 years.

(bro I wasn't able to finish this in time since I'm so damn busy with my online books outside of Tumblr, high school graduate, and college applications/ scholarships, so i can't finish this in time. It might be a part 2 but not right now.)

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sophiebernadotte · 5 months

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This article examines how the annexation of Austrian (East) Galicia emerged as a distinct political—and ultimately military—mission in St. Petersburg before the First World War. The Russian nationalist project to recover the “lost lands of Rus΄ became an extension of the domestic agenda formulated by Peter Stolypin to promote Russian political and cultural hegemony in the western provinces of the empire. The campaign to liberate Subjugated Rus΄ and defeat “Ukrainian separatism” in Galicia led St. Petersburg to become ever more deeply engaged in the complex borderland politics of the Habsburg empire in the years before the war. By 1914, the idea of Subjugated Rus΄ and “four million persecuted Russians” came to inform the whole of St. Petersburg's understanding of its relations with Vienna and created an expectation that war with Austria-Hungary was inevitable.

#to read later #history student #world war i #russian empire #nationalism #house of habsburg

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the-ninja-legacy-whip · 2 years

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So, finally, we’ve finally got some semblance of a map for Legacyverse Ninjago. It takes inspiration from like, every map iteration I could possibly find (the obvious iconic dragon-shaped one, the one from Shadow of Ronin, the Ninjago Movie’s map, etc.) buuut everything’s been shuffled a bit to fit my own purposes >:3 (the left side is a base map, the right side is how each Province compares to the others)

Take everything you know about Ninjago’s locations...and throw ‘em in a fire! (Also buckle up cuz it’s a long one)

General Info:

So after Time Began and the island of Ninjago was split in half, only the Light Island persisted, and with more unknown, unbalanced forces out there that not even the FSM could fend against all at once, the FSM called upon the help of the friends who taught him the Four Core Elements to help him watch over all corners of Ninjago, along with sending out members of the Elemental Alliance to watch over things. Each of those “corners” was divided off into a Province, with some of those Provinces being more populated, while others were much harder to inhabit due to the terrain. But, over time, people began to grow and adapt, and in this fine 21st Century, there’s a variety of people living all over the island!

Due to the variating wide-spread nature of Elemental Descendants, some places have specific cultures surrounding the Elements. This plays into the spoken languages as well. New-Form Ninjagon is the universal language in all regions (which is a blend between the symbols of Old-Form Ninjargon yet spoken similarly to English), but individual places have their own secondary languages as well. Any areas that aren’t explicitly labeled are either unexplored, uninhabited, disputed over which Province it fully belongs to and thus have no claimed name, or too uninteresting to qualify as a full landmark.

Northern Province-

Overview: The Northern Province encompasses the uppermost parts of Ninjago, consisting of mainly cold, snowy climates that range from dense forests to frigid fjords to frozen peaks. At the very crown of Ninjago in the Northern Ocean sits the Ice Fortress, where the North’s Guardian Eirlys once kept the Shuriken of Ice under tight wraps. Not a lot of people live in these parts, not going much farther than Birchwood and the outer Glacier Barrens, but if avoiding civilization is your goal, then this is your place to go!

Guardian: Eirlys (The White Wolf) Common Elemental Descendants: Nature, Smoke, Sound, Mind, (Ice) Secondary Languages: Mongolian, Welsh, Dutch, Scottish Gaelic, Yupik

Birchwood Forest

Glacier Barrens

Hypnobrai Tomb

Frozen Wastelands

Ice Fortress

Shintaro (Shares with West Province)

Wailing Alps

Blind Man’s Eye

Western Province-

Overview: The Western Province consists of the mountainous and rugged regions to the island’s west. While harboring much less dangerous areas than the other Provinces (save for the Desert of Doom), and is the second-most populated Province, the harsh and unpredictable terrain still makes it difficult to settle outside of the region’s main cities. In the westernmost point sits the Caves of Despair, where Ruamoko primarily keeps to himself while guarding the Scythe of Quakes, until he is needed elsewhere.

Guardian: Ruamoko (Gorilla of the Quake) Common Elemental Descendants: Nature, Shadow, Metal, Gravity, (Earth) Secondary Languages: Somalian, Russian, Indonesian, Turkish, Hindi

Western Range

Caves of Despair

West Haven

Mountain of a Million Steps / Constrictai Tomb

Jamanakai Village

Wildwood

Blackwood Forest

Metalonia

Shintaro Mines / Heart of the Mountain

Desert of Doom

Echo Canyon

Glimwillow Woods

Holy City of Domu

Eastern Province-

Overview: Primarily consisting of either scorching desert or places constantly pestered by storms, the Eastern Province doesn’t have much in a way of population, but the space is used for several significant locations, such as an amusement park, a junk yard, a prison, and a external power station for Ninjago City. Within the Thunder Belt on the far east edge of the region sits the ruins of an ancient floating city, from within Tawhiri watches over the area with a...temperamental fist.

Guardian: Tawhiri (Octopus of the Tempest) Common Elemental Descendants: Nature, Mind, Sound, Speed, Light, Gravity, (Lightning) Secondary Languages: Arabic, Irish Gaelic, Latin, German,

Haunted Hill / Temple of Airjitzu

Sea of Sand

Mega Monster Amusement Park

Anacondrai Tomb

City of Ouroboros

Scrap N’ Junk Yard

Kyptarium Prison

Thunder Belt

Floating Ruins / Lightning Temple

Crashcourse / Scattered Canyon

Stiix

Dyer Island

Wind Farms Power Station

Southern Province-

Overview: More populated than the East and North but not quite as much as the West and Central, the Southern Province is mostly home to lands that are extremely fertile and rich with resources, due to being almost completely surrounded by water. But there’s also its share of places that could kill a man just by visiting them (such as Torchfire Mountain, the Toxic Bogs, or even the remains of Hono Mizu City). From a small, volcanic island just off the coast of Central’s Ninjago City, there sits not just a Shark Army Base, but also a Fire Temple, and within that temple the Golden Lion Vulcanell once kept the Sword of Fire safely guarded in his possession. Guardian: Vulcanell (The Golden Lion) Common Elemental Descendants: Smoke, Shadow, Poison, Light, Amber, (Fire) Secondary Languages: Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, Bengali, Thai

Ignacia

Coastal Village

Forest of Tranquility

Cemetery of Souls / Fangpyre Tomb

Volcanic Island / Fire Temple / Shark Army Base

Spirit Coves

Toxic Bogs/ Venomari Tomb

Torchfire Mountain Range

Hono Mizu (Northern Half)

Rainbow Valley / Village in the Valley

Central Province-

Overview: Due to housing the island’s capital and despite containing some of the deadliest areas of Ninjago, Central Province houses the majority of Ninjago’s population within Ninjago City alone. Traveling far beyond Central can be exceedingly difficult, as it requires going through either the west’s mountains, the east’s desert, the north’s canyons and cold, or the southern bays (unless you have a flying ship or magically whipped up mech). Not only do people not often travel in or out, but neither does information, meaning that even though some outer places have knowledge of the Elemental Compass (such as Metalonia, Stiix, Hono Mizu, etc), nearly everyone within Central does not...despite the ironic fact that a majority of the Elemental Masters live within the city. Central Province currently does not have a Guardian, and Master Wu has been doing his best to watch over it in the previous Guardians’ stead.

Guardian: Dragon Genesis / Great Devourer (Order of the Ouroboros) Common Elemental Descendants: Surprise, Nature, Smoke, Shadow, Form Secondary Languages: Old-Form Ninjargon, English, French, Portugese

Mountain of Impossible Height / Monastery of Spinjitzu

Ninjago City

Darkley's Boarding School

Hiroshi’s Labyrinth

Primeval’s Eye

Fortress of Fortitude

Vermillion Swamps

Corridor of Elders

Aquatic Archipelago-

Overview: At the very bottom of Ninjago sits the Aquatic Archipelago, the last remaining trace of the once only landmass within the Realm of the Endless Sea. This region doesn’t seem to have a Guardian, but ancient texts from Before Time Began indicate that the FSM left the archipelago to its own devices as a sign of respect for the beings that already lived there, along with the winged-leviathan that formerly ruled the realm...although that beast’s name has since faded with time. Housing the Golden Peaks from which the rest of Ninjago was born form, and the strip of islands housing the protectors/keepers/worshippers of a very ancient, supposedly sleeping sea serpent, those who do still live here are either descendants of those who worshipped Wind and Water, or those who braved through the seas and/or the Toxic Bogs of the south to found the Vagabond Plains (which is where Jesse’s grandmother is from).

Guardian: Wojira (Sleeper of the Deep) Common Elemental Descendants: Water, Amber (Wind) Secondary Languages: Spanish, Greek, Korean, Tagalog, Swahili

Tartarus Trench + Temple of the Sea

Hono Mizu (Southern Half)

Chen’s Island

Storm Belt

Boiling Sea

Merlopia

Golden Peaks

Vagabond Plains

(Tiger Widow Island + The Keeper’s Island are also in this region, but are not on this map due to...not being on any maps normally haha)

I do have plans to do layouts for Ninjago City and the Dark Island eventually, but shh...I need a nap now...

#ninjago #the lego ninjago movie #tlnm #the ninja legacy whip #legacyverse #locations #info tag #content tag #works of mine #art of mine #art tag #and now you see why this took so long #*flops dramatically*#elemental compendium

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a-god-in-ruins-rises · 2 years

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Which part of Canada would you invade/annex first?

i mean, strategically speaking, the first targets would be the maritimes and british columbia, knocking out their biggest ports on the atlantic and pacific, respectively, denying the british a chance to reinforce, and then we just roll on through quebec and ontario. at that point the war is basically over. we've seized their capital, their economic/industrial core, their population core, gained uncontested access to the great lakes (logistically critical for any prolonged occupation), and insulated our own territory. canada's military is like 100,000 personnel. america's is over two million. canada has like 80 tanks. we have over 6,000. canada has 0 aircraft carriers. we have 11. canada has like 100 fighter jets. america has over 3,000.

i'm just saying. it would be a walk in the park. and unlike in the past it would be virtually impossible for the uk to stop us. they simply don't have the navy they used to. it isn't 1812 anymore.

youtube

"Some future day shall crown us, The masters of the main, Our fleet shall speak in thunder To England, France, and Spain; And the nations over the ocean spread Shall tremble and obey The sons, the sons, the sons, the sons Of brave America."

this hymn was prophecy btw (the poets have their mysterious ways of divining the mind of god)

anyway i'm getting carried away.

personally i would first want to annex british columbia (fifty four forty or fight) and alberta (because that's where my gf lives and i have to go bride-kidnap her). also they seem to have the most natural beauty of all the provinces.

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eccentric-nucleus · 1 year

Text

anyway so i have had to do so much art history research for this tmnt fic b/c 1. the main character is an artist and i have to plausibly narrate about the artistic process and 2. there's a bunch of art history stuff about historical art techniques too

i mean there's a limit to how much research for accuracy i'm willing to do so i'm sure a lot of the details are wrong but w/e it's fine

some of the things i've turned up in this process:

'selected poems from kokin wakashu', with commentary.

from wikipedia:

The Kokin Wakashū (古今和歌集, "Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times"), commonly abbreviated as Kokinshū (古今集), is an early anthology of the waka form of Japanese poetry, dating from the Heian period. An imperial anthology, it was conceived by Emperor Uda (r. 887–897) and published by order of his son Emperor Daigo (r. 897–930) in about 905. Its finished form dates to c. 920, though according to several historical accounts the last poem was added to the collection in 914.

The compilers of the anthology were four court poets, led by Ki no Tsurayuki and also including Ki no Tomonori (who died before its completion), Ōshikōchi no Mitsune, and Mibu no Tadamine.

[...]

The idea of including old as well as new poems was another important innovation, one which was widely adopted in later works, both in prose and verse. The poems of the Kokinshū were ordered temporally; the love poems, for instance, though written by many different poets across large spans of time, are ordered in such a way that the reader may understand them to depict the progression and fluctuations of a courtly love-affair. This association of one poem to the next marks this anthology as the ancestor of the renga and haikai traditions.

some of the commentary i particularly enjoyed:

よみ人しらず題しらず梅花たちよるばかりありしより人のとがむるかにぞしみぬる

ume no hana tachiyoru bakari arishi yori hito no togamuru ka ni zo shiminuru

Anonymous

Topic unknown

I lingered only a moment beneath the apricot blossoms And now I am blamed for my scented sleeves

In the context of its presumed source, the personal collection of Fujiwara no Kanesuke (d. 933), this is a love poem sent to a woman facetiously complaining that incense, redolent of apricot (or plum) blossoms, burnt to scent her robes, has infused his own, and that their relationship has thus been discovered by members of his household. That his complaint is facetious is attested by the evidence that he sent this poem to the woman (who knows better) by way of stating his intention not to be dissuaded. The editors of Kokinshu signal their intentions to reread this as a poem on "plum blossoms," not love, by placing it as an anonymous poem obliquely praising the seductive depth of the scent of the blossoms, in support of the poet's claim to have lingered only briefly.

and also

題しらずほのぼのと明石の浦の朝霧に島がくれ行く舟をしぞ思ふこのうたは、ある人のいはく、柿本人麿が哥也

honobono to akashi no ura no asagiri ni shimagakure yuku fune wo shi zo omou

Anonymous

Topic unknown

Into the mist, glowing with dawn across the Bay of Akashi a boat carries my thoughts into hiding islands beyond

Some say that this poem was composed by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro.

Passage into Akashi Bay meant crossing the official gateway at Settsu from the Inner to the Outer Provinces, and the implied topic is border-crossing. This is one of the most often quoted and allegorically glossed poems of Kokinshu, and became one of a core of poems treated as having profoundly esoteric meanings within the "Secret Teachings of Kokinshu." Its reputation was enhanced, certainly, by the attribution to Hitomaro, venerated as one of the deities of the Way of Poetry. One Nijo School commentary suggests that the poem, generally taken as an allegory of the death of Prince Takechi, was deliberately placed by the editors in the book of travel rather than in that of mourning to free it from taboos attaching to poems of mourning.

just like, oh yeah the thing with history and with art is that they're enormously context-heavy; all of these poems were written in a certain artistic tradition, and the editors who rearranged and placed them in dialog with each other are synthesizing new interpretations of them. or just making categorization jokes.

the other thing i saw and really liked is this series of ukiyo-e prints called 'Tokaido 53 stations'. (as wikipedia says: a series of ukiyo-e woodcut prints created by Utagawa Hiroshige after his first travel along the Tōkaidō in 1832)

so the tokaido was one five 'great roads', the most important one (it linked edo and kyoto, so, yeah pretty important) and the artist traveled on it as part of some kind of ceremonial horse-gift delegation from the shogun to the emperor. that's a situation with whole other context that i don't know. anyway there were stations on the roar, you know, official inns and the like, and he ended up making a print for each station. (there's some debate over whether he actually saw each station since some of the prints are inaccurate or derivative of other illustrations & who can say to what degree that's just taking artistic liberty. one of the prints depicts a wintertime scene with snow and it's like, wait it doesn't actually snow at that location. maybe he just wanted to depict all four seasons and picked that station.)

i really liked the one of hakone and that got me to start looking where i could get a print of the thing. you can obviously go to like, art.com or walmart, or w/e and they're like oooh look you can get a premium giclée print of this!! a giclée print is just like a fancy inkjet printer, which i guess makes a certain amount of sense for prints of paintings, but these are woodblock prints. they're literally designed to be mass-produced! there's not really an 'original' of any of these, unless you consider 'first printing with original woodblocks' to be the 'originals', and all further printings to be 'reproductions'

so i went looking for anybody who was actually doing woodblock prints of these things in the modern day. that lead me to UNSODO: "UNSODO is the only publishing company in Japan that publishes woodblock prints." i don't know if that's really true or accurate but it's on their website.

they do have a bunch of HIROSHIGE prints on their store (which you might note is not an e-store; you have to email them your order information and they'll get back to you) they're ~13000 yen which is a vast difference from the $50 prints you can get at art.com but uhh these would be actual replications of the method of production, not just a laserjet given a big png of the print. you can also buy them via kyoto handcraft center for a like 90% markup for the convenience of a automated e-store, which seems like not a great deal imo.

anyway all of that definitely had me thinking about art and artistic production and replication and the ways art is both immortal and ephemeral. something something walter benjamin the work of art in its age of technological reproducability.

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