Adjectives for spring
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2024.05.10 07:49 rdk67 Spring Day 51: The Undersides of Leaves
The hyperform is the term I give to the hyperdimensional characteristics of reality that reveal themselves through the mutability of the macro-physical and our capacity to make sense of it.
Between those two venues – the material world and our ideation of it – is the phenomenology of the real, and this is where mutability can be expressed as a sort of language form.
This is not a radical observation in its expectation – we expect that meaning is made from the mutability of reality, such as the quality of human speech compared to the absence of it.
Where the premise is unreasonable by prevailing standards is in supposing a terrain exists that treats reality as a kind of soundboard for a music something somewhere is making.
Isn’t this what mutability of reality suggests – a kind of making? The players engage in a kind of play?
Let’s say music becomes an adjective instead of a noun – muse-ic or –ique – compositions derived from an inspired musical language. Muse-ic – woodwinds are breathed into, while players are inhaled.
Each inhalation changes the condition of the body, which is adjacent to all of reality, the way each drop of rain that lands in the ocean changes the ocean, and every sonorous moan, bleat and twinkle changes the potential of the human future.
I use the term hyperform in both the specific sense and as a collective – a hyperform followed me home yesterday, the hyperform is composed of inverted assumptions.
This might make it seem like another layer of reality, the way chickens lay eggs. Why, no – ha-ha – not exactly like a chicken lays an egg.
When we think of the hyperform as another layer of reality, we are more correct to imagine we are the chick inside unhatched, and a kind of shell circumscribes material reality – during one phase of life, if the shell cracks, we die.
Subsequent to that, we are on guard against cracked shells, followed by the odd premise that we won’t be set free until we crack the same shell on purpose – what? – because we’re hungry, because we must make music with our beaks -- whatever.
Once free, though, the opening premise becomes just that – we started with the stone-age formulation, but then the shell cracks, and the hyperform, in both its singular and collective sense, introduces us to the universal narrative, starting with the solar mind.
The solar mind is where some aspects of the hyperform are at right now – the solar mind meaning a will to assimilate the physical and metaphysical language forms of our solar system, which is the limit-case of all the phenomena we can reasonably expected to interact with locally.
I think of the hyperform as consisting of forms of reflectivity. We know reflectivity as mirror images and echoes, as well as the more abstract notion of sitting still, leaning forward, resting our chin on our fist, knitting our brow.
Some of this reflectivity has a kind of automatism and reflexivity about its responses, and some of this reflectivity starts to tell a story that seems to indicate it knows what humans like, changes the story in the retelling.
Some of this reflectivity can engage in dialogue, and when the dialogue begins, the mutability of reality can be an avid topic of conversation, a kind of upcycling of the moment into something else, and some of this reflectivity circumscribes natural law, such that the concept of a great-than experience of reality becomes something empirically verifiable.
The cosmic narrative we are being aimed toward as a species might indeed become trips around the galaxies – but this by virtue of an altered state of reality where the characteristic of mutability is significantly stranger than it is now.
I have been in the presence of the hyperform in a state of direct contact – a kind of ghost that let me know it could see me, then proceeded to bend my consciousness to one side, like it was looking at the underside of a leaf, and I only knew what happened after it happened,
like remembering a dream without falling asleep first, but once the dream is known, that inconsequential-seeming moment of confusion would be remembered. We are not alone.
The undersides of the leaves are where the brains are.
Each leaf shows its face to heaven, and what we see is a crowd above us, looking in the other direction. The leaves are still growing in size most places around the block, but the undersides are already pulsing with ideas, roaring with enthusiasm, and connecting opposite coasts with trans-American rail lines.
They can hear the sound of cicadas climbing through the soil, even when the shower of cosmic particles grows torrential.
The undersides of leaves are like reservoirs of contemplation, the trees capacity for mutability springing out of them.
I walk inside, see the undersides of the leaves of vines pressed flat against a couple of windowpanes – I can tell, the growing tips have already made it to the gutters.
From inside, the leaves are like directories, the vines, telegraph lines, and I try to picture what their signals portend.
Someday the vine of human consciousness will climb over the horizon, then out of the solar system, and with each new leaf unfurled, we will know a little more about the path we’re traveling on, what it’s made of, where it’s going, where it’s gone.
The sun! The sun! Has it escaped the mind? Or is it merely night?
I lay in bed, stacking the events of the day into a series of layers, layer after layer, which subsequently strut about the barnyard, pecking at the ground, turning things over – and then it’s time to lay another egg.
submitted by rdk67 to MetaphysicalWeather [link] [comments]
Between those two venues – the material world and our ideation of it – is the phenomenology of the real, and this is where mutability can be expressed as a sort of language form.
This is not a radical observation in its expectation – we expect that meaning is made from the mutability of reality, such as the quality of human speech compared to the absence of it.
Where the premise is unreasonable by prevailing standards is in supposing a terrain exists that treats reality as a kind of soundboard for a music something somewhere is making.
Isn’t this what mutability of reality suggests – a kind of making? The players engage in a kind of play?
Let’s say music becomes an adjective instead of a noun – muse-ic or –ique – compositions derived from an inspired musical language. Muse-ic – woodwinds are breathed into, while players are inhaled.
Each inhalation changes the condition of the body, which is adjacent to all of reality, the way each drop of rain that lands in the ocean changes the ocean, and every sonorous moan, bleat and twinkle changes the potential of the human future.
I use the term hyperform in both the specific sense and as a collective – a hyperform followed me home yesterday, the hyperform is composed of inverted assumptions.
This might make it seem like another layer of reality, the way chickens lay eggs. Why, no – ha-ha – not exactly like a chicken lays an egg.
When we think of the hyperform as another layer of reality, we are more correct to imagine we are the chick inside unhatched, and a kind of shell circumscribes material reality – during one phase of life, if the shell cracks, we die.
Subsequent to that, we are on guard against cracked shells, followed by the odd premise that we won’t be set free until we crack the same shell on purpose – what? – because we’re hungry, because we must make music with our beaks -- whatever.
Once free, though, the opening premise becomes just that – we started with the stone-age formulation, but then the shell cracks, and the hyperform, in both its singular and collective sense, introduces us to the universal narrative, starting with the solar mind.
The solar mind is where some aspects of the hyperform are at right now – the solar mind meaning a will to assimilate the physical and metaphysical language forms of our solar system, which is the limit-case of all the phenomena we can reasonably expected to interact with locally.
I think of the hyperform as consisting of forms of reflectivity. We know reflectivity as mirror images and echoes, as well as the more abstract notion of sitting still, leaning forward, resting our chin on our fist, knitting our brow.
Some of this reflectivity has a kind of automatism and reflexivity about its responses, and some of this reflectivity starts to tell a story that seems to indicate it knows what humans like, changes the story in the retelling.
Some of this reflectivity can engage in dialogue, and when the dialogue begins, the mutability of reality can be an avid topic of conversation, a kind of upcycling of the moment into something else, and some of this reflectivity circumscribes natural law, such that the concept of a great-than experience of reality becomes something empirically verifiable.
The cosmic narrative we are being aimed toward as a species might indeed become trips around the galaxies – but this by virtue of an altered state of reality where the characteristic of mutability is significantly stranger than it is now.
I have been in the presence of the hyperform in a state of direct contact – a kind of ghost that let me know it could see me, then proceeded to bend my consciousness to one side, like it was looking at the underside of a leaf, and I only knew what happened after it happened,
like remembering a dream without falling asleep first, but once the dream is known, that inconsequential-seeming moment of confusion would be remembered. We are not alone.
The undersides of the leaves are where the brains are.
Each leaf shows its face to heaven, and what we see is a crowd above us, looking in the other direction. The leaves are still growing in size most places around the block, but the undersides are already pulsing with ideas, roaring with enthusiasm, and connecting opposite coasts with trans-American rail lines.
They can hear the sound of cicadas climbing through the soil, even when the shower of cosmic particles grows torrential.
The undersides of leaves are like reservoirs of contemplation, the trees capacity for mutability springing out of them.
I walk inside, see the undersides of the leaves of vines pressed flat against a couple of windowpanes – I can tell, the growing tips have already made it to the gutters.
From inside, the leaves are like directories, the vines, telegraph lines, and I try to picture what their signals portend.
Someday the vine of human consciousness will climb over the horizon, then out of the solar system, and with each new leaf unfurled, we will know a little more about the path we’re traveling on, what it’s made of, where it’s going, where it’s gone.
The sun! The sun! Has it escaped the mind? Or is it merely night?
I lay in bed, stacking the events of the day into a series of layers, layer after layer, which subsequently strut about the barnyard, pecking at the ground, turning things over – and then it’s time to lay another egg.
2024.05.08 18:23 tiktok_manlikereddit Glossary
The official glossary for the Sword of Kaigen can be found here.Abiria a country occupying the southern part of the continent of North Baxaria, a former Yammanka colony populated by the descendants of indigenous Abirians, Yammanka colonizers, and the Hadean laborers they brought with them.
adyn a person with no telekinetic abilities or enhanced strength (by Earth standards, a regular human being).
Appa an informal Kaigengua noun and term of address meaning ‘Dad’ or ‘Papa.’
Arashiki the ancestral castle of the Tsusano family in Ishihama, Shirojima, Kaigen, also called the ‘Stormfort.’
awa a Yammaninke word meaning ‘so,’ ‘well,’ ‘okay,’ ‘good,’ or ‘um.’
ano a Shirojima Dialect word meaning ‘that,’ ‘um,’ or ‘so.’
Ba or -ba a respectful Yammaninke suffix for an important person.
Baba the Sizwean word for ‘Father.’
Baxaria the two continents encompassing the former Yammanka colonies of Carytha and Abiria, and the former Sizwean colonies of Malusia and Zandile, meaning ‘New World’ in Yammaninke.
bloodline technique a fighting maneuver or trade secret (usually necessitating specific powers) that is passed down through a single family line and kept secret from outsiders.
Blood Needle a jijaka bloodline technique unique to the Tsusano family, wherein the practicioner takes control of a small amount of the blood inside their victim’s body and freezes it in the shape of needle, which is used to strike pressure points or pierce vital organs, called ‘Chihari’ in Shirojima Dialect.
Blood Puppeteer a jijaka powerful enough to control another person’s entire body by manipulating their blood, thought to exist only in legends and ghost stories.
bogolan a traditional type of Yammanka fabric associated with wealth, status, and professionalism.
bokken a blunt practice sword with the approximate weight and dimensions of a katana, usually made of wood.
bound a Dunian measure of distance (roughly equivalent to 26.4 feet or 7.74 meters).
Carytha a country occupying the northern part of the continent of North Baxaria, a former Yammanka colony populated by the descendants of various indigenous peoples, Yammanka colonizers, and Hadean slaves.
-chan an informal Shirojima Dialect suffix used to address a close female friend and/or a female person of lower status than the speaker.
click a Dunian measure of distance based on how far the sound of a clicked tongue can carry (roughly equivalent to 1.75 miles).
Daybreak Academy a theonite academy in Livingston, Carytha.
dinma (pl: dinmanu) a Dunian measure of time (roughly equivalent to 0.43 seconds).
Disa a country on the continent of Namindugu, a former Yammanka colony populated by the primarily tajaka descendants of native Disankalu and Yammanka colonizers.
Disanka (pl: Disankalu) a person from Disa; an adjective describing a person or thing originating from the nation of Disa or its culture.
Disaninke the main language spoken in the country of Disa.
dojo a training space in Shirojima fighting tradition.
Donkili a song performed by finawu to teach others about the history of the world and its relationship to the religion of Falleya.
-dono a deeply formal Shirojima Dialect suffix (used to address a member of a high koro family).
Duna a planet that closely resembles Earth in a dimension that parallels ours, also used more generally to refer to the realm of the present and the living.
jakama (pl. jakamanu) a Yammaninke word meaning ‘teacher,’ ‘mentor,’ or ‘master,’ a formal address used by an apprentice to address their mentor.
fankatigi (pl. fankatigiwu or fankatiwu)a sub-theonite with physical strength equal to or surpassing that of the average theonite.
Falleke the holy union of God, Kiye, and Goddess, Nyaare, in the Yammanka-originating religion of Falleya.
Falleka a practitioner of Falleya.
Falleya a Yammanka religion centered on the Falleke (the marriage between God, Kiye and Goddess, Nyaare) practiced throughout Duna.
fina (pl: finawu) a member of the fina kafo; a prefix for a member of the fina kafo, similar to the English ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’
Firebird the crime-fighting alter ego Robin Thundyil.
fonya a shortened form of fonyoya the ability to control air.
fonyaka a shortened form of fonyojaka (pl: fonyakalu) a theonite with the ability to control air.
genkan the entryway of a traditional Shirojima house, typically where one takes off or puts on shoes.
Geomijul a Kaigenese tech company specializing in info-com device technology.
guli a Kaigenese unit of currency (roughly equivalent to 50 American cents).
gbaati a shortened form of kewaati or kettewaati (pl: gbaatinu) a Yammanka measure of time (36 minutes in Earth time).
Hades the westernmost country on the continent of Namindugu, a former Yammanka colony, the original homeland of most of Duna’s adyns.
Haijing a coastal city in the modern Ranganese Union, a major military stronghold of the Kaigenese Empire prior to the Keleba, meaning ‘Sea Capital’ in Rangagua.
hakama a traditional type of loose pants worn by swordsmen, archers, and other martial artists in Shirojima, Kaigen.
haori a traditional long coat, worn by men of status in Shirojima, Kaigen.
Heibandao a coastal city in Holangoku, Kaigen.
Ishihama a town in Shirojima, Kaigen, ancestral home of the Tsusano family.
Jali a prefix for a member of the jaseli kafo, similar to the English ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’
Jaliden a diminutive address for a young member of the jaseli kafo.
Jalike a respectful address for a male member of the jaseli kafo, roughly equivalent to the English ‘Sir.’
Jamu Kurankite a global peace-keeping and humanitarian aid force of highly trained theonites based in Yamma, meaning literally the ‘Peace Army.’
Jamuttaana (pl: Jamuttaananu) an agent of the Jamu Kurankite.
jaseli (pl: jaseliwu) a member of the endogamous Yammanka social class that specializes in speech, music, and dance.
jijaka (pl: jijakalu) a theonite with the ability to control water.
jiya the ability to control water.
Jungsan the capital city of the Kaigenese Empire, meaning ‘Middle Mountain’ in Kaigengua.
Kaa- a Shirojima Dialect prefix used when addressing one’s mother (typically combined with –chan or the more formal –san).
kafo (pl. kafonu)an endogamous occupation-based social class.
kafoka (pl. kafokalu) a Yammaninke word used to refer to people of a kafo other than the koro kafo and/or individuals outside one’s own kafo.
Kaigen a country occupying the easternmost part of the continent of Namindugu, the center of the Kaigenese Empire, home to most of Duna’s jijakalu.
Kaigengua the primary language spoken in the country of Kaigen and the Kaigenese Empire.
kallaana a racial slur used to refer to white adyns, meaning ‘corpse’ in Yammaninke.
Kama a respectful address for the head of the household (one’s fankama), one’s mentor (one’s jakama), or someone in a position of authority over the speaker, roughly equivalent to the English ‘Master,’ can be used as a suffix to a first or last name.
kamaya a term referring to traditional Yammanka social hierarchy, including but not limited to the practice of powerful koronu providing for members of other kafonu in exchange for their services, and young people serving and apprenticing with more experienced members of their own kafo.
katana a traditional Kaigenese sword.
kayiri synthetic material similar to paper but fireproof and sturdier.
Keleba the first and only open war fought between Duna’s theonite superpowers, precipitated in 5291 when Daybreak Academy principal Oyeda Biida was assassinated along with several students, meaning ‘Great War’ in Yammaninke.
Kiye God in the Yammanka religion of Falleya, typically associated with soul, vitality, and the sun.
Kolunjara the capital city of Yamma.
koro (pl: koronu) a member of the warrior or commoner class, also called ‘kele koro.’
Koro a prefix for a member of the manga koro or kele koro kafo, similar to the English ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’
Koroden a diminutive address for a young member of the manga koro or the kele koro kafo.
Koronkalo the fifth month of the twelve-month Dunian calendar, named for Queen Koronkan Wagadu, the third queen of Yamma (roughly coincides with Earth’s November).
koroyaa a respectful address for a female member of the kele koro or manga koro kafo, roughly equivalent to the English ‘ma’am.’
koyin (pl. koyinu) a Dunian unit of measure about the width of a grown man’s thumb (roughly equivalent to three Earth centimeters).
Kri a mythical figure in the religion of Falleya, the first female human ancestor and the mother of all tajakalu.
Kribakalo the last month of the twelve-month Dunian calendar, named for the mythical human ancestor Kri from the Donkili (roughly coincides with Earth’s June).
Kudazwe a Dunian continent divided between two nations*—*the independent country of Kudazwe and Kaigenese Kudazwe, belonging to the Kaigenese Empire.
Kumono Academy a private high school for koro boys in an old temple on Mt. Takayubi in Shirojima, Kaigen, traditionally headed by the Matsuda family.
Kumono Lake a spring-fed lake on Mt. Takayubi in Shirojima, Kaigen.
-kun an informal Shirojima Dialect suffix, used to address a close male friend and/or a male person of lower status than the speaker.
Kusanagi a peninsula in Shirojima, Kaigen, called the ‘Sword of Kaigen’ for its history of cutting down would-be invaders.
Kyougetsu Yari the name of the white-lacquered katana forged by Kotetsu Katashi and wielded by Matsuda Takeru, meaning literally ‘Spear of the Mirror Moon’ in Shirojima Dialect, also called the ‘Moon Spire.’
Laaxara the realm of the afterlife in the religion of Falleya.
langa or lanya (pl: langana) a Yammaninke swear word meaning ‘curse’ or ‘malediction.’
Lazou Linghun a fonyaka bloodline technique, wherein the fighter vacuums the air from their victim’s body through the mouth, collapsing their lungs, meaning ‘Soul Pull’ in Rangagua.
Lindish a language originating on the western islands of Hades and spoken in some parts of Carytha and Abiria (nearly identical to Earth’s English).
littigi (pl: littigiwu or littiwu) a sub-theonite with the ability to control light.
Livingston the largest city in the country of Carytha.
The Longhouse Confederacy a coalition of Native Abirian tribes that banded together in an attempt to oust the Yammanka colonizers from Abiria and establish an independent nation once in 5135 and again in 5290.
manga koro (pl. manga koronu) a member of the ruling kafo.
Manga Koro a Yammaninke prefix for a member of the manga koro kafo, similar to English ‘Lord,’ or ‘Lady.’
mattaku a Shirojima Dialect expression of exasperation.
The Moon Spire the name of the white-lacquered katana wielded by Matsuda Takeru, called ‘Kyougetsu Yari’ or ‘Kyougetsu’ in Shirojima Dialect.
Na the Yammaninke word for ‘Mom’ or ‘Mother.’
Nadamui a town on one of the farthest southern islands of Shirojima, meaning ‘Hill of Tears’ in the local dialect.
Nagi a mythical deity from the Donkili, the founding male ancestor in Namindugu, conflated with God, Kiye, in Ryuhon Falleya.
Nagidon the first day of the eight-day Dunian week, named for the mythical human ancestor Nagi from the Donkili, a day of work.
nagiji a word used to refer to written characters of Kaigenese and/or Ranganese origin.
Nagimaru the name of the Kotetsu-forged katana wielded by the ambidextrous Matsuda Takashi (usually in his right hand), companion to the shorter wakizashi, Namimaru.
Nagino Falleya the prevailing denomination of Falleya in the Kaigenese Empire, which subscribes to all the main beats of the Yammanka creation myth.
Nami a mythical deity from the Donkili, the founding female ancestor in Namindugu, conflated with Goddess, Nyaare, in Ryuhon Falleya.
Namimaru the name of the Kotetsu-forged wakizashi wielded by the ambidextrous Matsuda Takashi (usually in his left hand), companion to the longer katana, Nagimaru.
Na-Nyaare or Na-Nyaxare a reverent address for Goddess, Nyaare, in the Yammanka religion of Falleya, meaning literally ‘Mother Nyaare,’ sometimes used as a mild oath.
ne a Shirojima Dialect particle indicating a request for confirmation, similar to English ‘no?’ ‘isn’t it?’ or ‘okay?’
nenneko a Shirojima Dialect nonsense word used as a soothing filler sound in lullabies.
Nii- a Shirojima Dialect address for one’s older brother (typically combined with the suffix –san or the more deferent –sama).
numu (pl: numuwu) a member of the endogamous Yammanka social class that specializes in the creation of tools, weapons, clayware, and machinery.
Numu a prefix for a member of the numu kafo, similar to the English ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’
Numuden a diminutive address for a young member of the numu kafo.
Nyaare or Nyaxare Goddess in the Yammanka religion of Falleya.
nyama any active or potential energy in the universe.
Ranga a country on the continent of Namindugu, a former colony of the Kaigenese Empire, the current center of the Ranganese Union, home to most of Duna’s fonyakalu.
The Ranganese Union a collective of nation-states occupying most of the continent of Namindugu, populated by a mix of fonyakalu and jijakalu.
Rangagua the primary language spoken in the country of Ranga and most of the Ranganese Union.
Ryuhon Falleya the oldest Kaigenese denomination of Falleya based in the idea that all life originates from the ocean, defined by a belief that Nagi and Nami are the true form of the two founding gods of the world.
Ryuhon Falleka (pl. Ryuhon Fallekalu) a practitioner of Ryuhon Falleya.
Sabaisu a town on one of the farthest southern islands of Shirojima, meaning ‘Shark Coast’ in the local dialect.
-sama a formal Shirojima Dialect suffix, used to address someone of higher status than the speaker.
-san a somewhat formal Shirojima Dialect suffix, a polite way to address an acquaintance, friend, or someone of similar to or slightly higher status than the speaker.
Sasayaiba a jijaka bloodline technique, unique to the Matsuda family, wherein the practicioner turns ice into a bladed weapon hard enough for use in combat against steel weapons and theoretically able to cut through anything, meaning ‘Whispering Blade’ in Shirojima Dialect.
senkuli (pl. senkuliwu) a member of the endogamous Yammanka glass-working class that specializes in glasswork.
Senpai a Shirojima Dialect noun, suffix, and term of address meaning ‘upperclassman’ or ‘senior.’
Sensei a Shirojima Dialect noun, suffix, and term of address meaning ‘teacher.’
shimatta a Shirojima Dialect exclamatory curse word.
Shirojima a province in the Kaigenese Empire, comprised of a cluster of large and small islands.
Shirojima Dialect the native language of Shirojima, Kaigen.
Sibikalo the sixth month of the twelve-month Dunian calendar, named for the mythical human ancestor Sibi from the Donkili (roughly coincides with Earth’s December).
**siira (**pl. siiranu) a Dunian measure of time (roughly equivalent to 0.72 Earth minutes).
Sizwe the southernmost country on the continent of Kelendugu, populated mostly by tajakalu, a former imperial power and old rival of Yamma’s.
Sokolokalo the fourth month of the twelve-month Dunian calendar, named for Queen Sokolo Wagadu, the second queen of Yamma (roughly coincides with Earth’s October).
sondatigi (pl. sondatigiwu or sondatiwu) a sub-theonite with the ability to control sound.
sub-theonite a person who has special abilities but does not qualify as one of the original types of theonite (tajaka, jijaka, fonyaka, or the now extinct senjaka and kabaka) such as littigiwu, sondatigiwu, and fankatigiwu.
stride a Dunian measure of distance (roughly equivalent to a meter or 3.3 feet).
Suradon the seventh day of the eight-day Dunian week, named for the mythical human ancestor Sura from the Donkili, a day of rest and reflection.
tabi two-toed cloth shoes worn in Shirojima, Kaigen.
tajaka (pl: tajakalu) a theonite with the ability to control fire.
Takayubi a mountain on the tip of the Kusanagi Peninsula in Shirojima, Kaigen, home to a small cluster of villages that share its name.
Takayubi High School the public co-ed high school on Mt. Takayubi in Shirojima, Kaigen.
Takenagi the name of the ancestral Kotetsu-forged katana wielded by generations of Yukino swordsmen (the most recent being Yukino Dai), meaning ‘Bamboo Cutter’ in Shirojima Dialect.
tanto a traditional Kaigenese dagger.
taya the ability to control fire.
theonite a person with the ability to remotely manipulate their physical surroundings in the form of air, water, fire, or solid substances.
Thulanism an anti-imperialist ideology originating in Sizwe.
Tou- a Shirojima Dialect prefix used to address and refer to one’s father, usually combined with the suffix ‘-san’ or the more deferent ‘-sama.’
waati (pl. waatinu) a Dunian measure of time (one hour and 12 minutes in Earth time).
walla (pl: wallanu) a Yammanka unit of currency used throughout most of the world (roughly equivalent to two dollars).
wakizashi a traditional Kaigenese sword, shorter than a full-sized katana but significantly longer than a dagger, good for close-quarters combat where a katana is too long.
The Whispering Blade a jijaka bloodline technique, unique to the Matsuda family, wherein the jijaka turns ice into a bladed weapon strong enough for use in combat against steel and glass weapons, called ‘Sasayaiba’ in Shirojima Dialect.
xuro a strong Yammaninke swear word, similar in meaning and application to English ‘shit.’
Yamma a country occupying the central and northwestern part of the continent of Kelendugu, populated mainly by tajakalu.
Yammanka (pl: Yammankalu) a person from Yamma; an adjective describing a person or thing originating from the nation of Yamma or its culture.
Yammanka obsidian refers to a set of particularly sturdy types of glass developed by Yamma’s senkuliwu, including the industrial jonjo glass and the nearly impervious Zilazen glass.
Yammaninke the main language spoken in Yamma, the most widely-spoken language on the Planet Duna.
2024.05.06 02:16 Just-Vast-4657 Did Serena (Stilicho's wife) visit Constantinople? When? HELP!
 | The Prosopography of the Late Roman Empire states about Serena: submitted by Just-Vast-4657 to ancientrome [link] [comments] She went to live in Constantinople [...] 379 Claud. Laus Serenae 113-14.(PLRE v. I, p. 824) https://preview.redd.it/wkv9b0gj7pyc1.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ca9318c90db3d230b468455be7728a3bd21cdc5 I found this passage in Claudian, but I didn't quite understand where it came from about visiting Constantinople. I'm not good at Latin, so if this is really about Constantinople, tell me about it. Laus Serenae 110-114: quaque datur fratris speciem sibi reddit adempti. denique cum rerum summas electus habenas susciperet, non ante suis intendit amorem pignoribus quam te pariter fidamque sororem litus ad Eoum terris acciret Hiberis.I also read somewhere about the theory that Serena visited Constantinople in 395 in order to "participate in the funeral of Theodosius," but in fact to coordinate the overthrow of Rufinus. But I never found the book and the author where I read this information. I still didn't understand what years Serena was in Constantinople. Edit: I found similar information about Serena's presence in Constantinople in the book "History of the Later Roman Empire" by J. B. Bury. *A stronger man would have smitten the Goths, and then, having the eastern government at his mercy, would have insisted on the rectification of the Illyrian frontier which it was his cherished object to effect. Never again would he have such a favourable opportunity to realise it. Perhaps he did not yet feel quite confident in his own position; perhaps he did not feel sure of his army. But his hesitation may have been due to the fact that his wife Serena and his children were at Constantinople and could be held as hostages for his good behaviour.**19* In any case he consigned the eastern troops to the command of a Gothic captain, Gaïnas, and departed with his own legions to Salona, allowing Alaric to proceed on his wasting way into the lands of Hellas. But he did not break up his camp in Thessaly without coming to an understanding with Gaïnas which was to prove fatal to Rufinus.The author gives a note to two works by Claudian and to some book by Mommsen (it is difficult with Mommsen, because in online publications I found only 4 volumes of Roman History from the foundation of the city to 44 BC). 19 Cp. Mommsen, ib. 521 See Claudian, In Rufin. II.95 and Laus Serenae, 232 (Serena kept Stilicho informed by letters of what was going on in the East).— The chronology presents a difficulty. Stilicho had set out in the spring, yet Gaïnas and the army did not reach Constantinople till November (see below).And again Claudian... It's a real hell for me, because it's hard for me to navigate this "poetic" Latin. 1. In Rufinum II.95, to make the context clear, I cite 91-105: Quis populi tum vultus erat! quae murmura furtim! (nam miseris ne flere quidem aut lenire dolorem colloquiis impune licet): "Quonam usque feremus exitiale iugum? durae quis terminus umquam sortis erit? quis nos funesto turbine rerum aut tantis solvet lacrimis, quos barbarus illinc, hinc Rufinus agit, quibus arva fretumque negatur? magna quidem per rura lues, sed maior oberrat intra tecta timor. tandem succurre ruenti heu patriae, Stilicho! dilecta hic pignora certe, hic domus, hic thalamis primum genialibus omen, hic tibi felices erexit regia taedas. vel solus sperate veni. te proelia viso languescent avidique cadet dementia monstri."But thank all the gods, there is an English translation on the same site, which (unexpectedly) still leaves a lot of questions. What looks then on men's faces! What furtive murmurs! For, poor wretches, they could not even weep nor, without risk, ease their grief in converse. "How long shall we bear this deadly yoke? What end shall there ever be to our hard lot? Who will free us from this death-fraught anarchy, this day of tears? On this side the barbarian hems us in, on that Rufinus oppresses us; land and sea are alike denied us. A pestilence stalks through the country: yes, but a deadlier terror haunts our houses. Stilicho, delay no more but succour thy dying land; of a truth here are thy children, here thy home, here were taken those first auspices for thy marriage, so blessed with children, here the palace was illumined with the torches of happy wedlock. Nay, come even though alone, thou for whom we long; wars will perish at thy sight and the ravening monster's rage subside."You can say that Claudian writes: "Your children are here." Why can't it just be an allegory for the people? Like children are the ones who turn to Stilicho. But let's say it really means that in Constantinople literally his children, respectively, and his wife, Serena. 2. Laus Serenae, 232 The second text really clarifies the situation. "Praise for Serena" is also given in the PRLE, but completely different line numbers. So Laus Serenae, 226-236: Nec deside cura segnis marcet amor: laudem prudentia belli feminea pro parte subit. dum gentibus ille confligit, vigili tu prospicis omnia sensu, ne quid in absentem virtutibus obvia semper audeat invidiae rabies neu fervor iniquus, ne qua procul positis furto subsederit armis calliditas nocitura domi. tu sedula quondam Rufino meditante nefas, cum quaereret artes in ducis exitium coniuratosque foveret contra pila Getas, motu rimata latentes mandatis tremebunda virum scriptisque monebas.It says explicitly here that Serena uncovered Rufinus' conspiracy and wrote letters to her husband, Stilicho. Probably after that we can close this question, like I answered it myself. But there are even more questions:
Immediately after the first correction of my text, I understood the translation of that line from the PLRE. In the English translation on this University of Chicago website, I decided to return to those lines of "Praise for Serena" that I had previously found on another site and here: Theodosius would not vouchsafe his sons any proof of his affection for them until he had summoned thee and thy faithful sister from Spain to the lands of morning."Lands of morning"? Empire of East Rome? Latin text: ...Eoum terris...Wiktionary about Eous: Ēōus (feminine Ēōa, neuter Ēōum); first/second-declension adjectiveThe third question disappears, there are two left :D |
2024.05.03 11:45 MirkWorks Excerpts from Beautiful Fighting Girls by Saito Tamaki
1 THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF THE OTAKU
Given the topic of this book we cannot avoid a detailed inquiry into the nature of the otaku. They are, after all, the largest consumers of the beautiful fighting girls. What are the otaku thinking? What do they want and how do they get it? Are we right to speak of a “psychopathology of the otaku”? Or is that a bogus question? Or rather, don’t we know the answer already?
Otaku are immature human beings who have grown up without being able to let go of infantile transitional objects such as anime and monsters. They avoid contact with reality for fear that it will harm them and instead take refuge in a world of fiction. They are afraid of adult relationships, particularly sexual relationships, and find sexual stimulation only in fictional constructs. In psychiatric terms they would be classified as “schizothymic.”
These are a few of the most common stereotypical assumptions about otaku. Of course, being stereotypes does not mean they are necessarily incorrect. They may be accurate but still meaningless. These sorts of interpretations inevitably miss what is truly of interest about the otaku community.
The otaku are a strange and unique community that has come into existence as a result of the interactions between the modern media environment and the adolescent psyche in Japan. To my knowledge, however, sufficient thought has yet to be given to the otaku as a community. In this chapter I consider, sometimes from the perspective of a psychiatrist, and sometimes not, the psychopathology of the otaku.
Of course, when I say the “psychopathology of the otaku,” this does not mean that being an otaku in and of itself is a pathological phenomenon. Like the “psychopathology of adolescence” or the “psychopathology of high-school girls,” it is a provisional designation for the particular psychic disposition that might be imagined to be prevalent in a given group. It is also a convenient way to avoid expressions like psychology or psychic structure. This may be difficult to understand, but to put it in the most rigorous terms possible, I would say that psychopathology as I am using it here refers to the intentionality of “that which mediates the subject.” The problem, in other words, has to do with media.
I do not think that being an otaku in and of itself is a form of sickness, nor do I consider myself an otaku (otaku is not a self-designation in any case). It is from this standpoint that I propose to speak about the psychopathology of the otaku. This involves giving equal consideration to the degree to which the otaku community is well adapted and the degree to which it exhibits pathologies.
First, I want to say a few things about the particular challenges involved in speaking about the otaku. Otaku culture is by all accounts still in a state of immaturity (if one can expect “maturity” from it in the first place). Because it is still coming into being, one runs into fundamental difficulties in trying to view it in its entirety. For this reason, we have only a limited number of ways to discuss it. One way is to establish oneself as an otaku and speak as a complete insider, which is to say in a strategically uncritical manner (this is the stance taken by Okada Toshio). Alternatively, one can choose to take oneself out of the equation altogether and face the otaku with an attitude of revulsion and rejection. These two approaches may seem quite at odds, but in fact they are both versions of self-love and often amount to confessions of otakuphilia. When speaking of the otaku, it is crucial to begin by recognizing that these are only two approaches currently available to us.
But I am trying for a third way. Namely, to become an “otaku of otaku,” that is, an otaku whose love is directed toward otaku culture itself. This is not far from the kind of position that Okada advocates, although he calls himself an otaku of special effects and figurines. As for myself, I suppose I am a fan of special effects and monsters, although I have left my passion for Godzilla behind. (Not because I grew out of it but because Godzilla has regressed). I do not find any moe in most beautiful girl anime. I could not live without manga, but I hardly ever watch anime because I cannot stand the images and voice-overs. Even Miyazaki Hayao’s anime come close to the limit of what I can stand in terms of anime images. Yet despite all that, I remain riveted by the activities of the otaku themselves. For better or for worse, since finishing graduate school, I have been fortunate enough to have several extremely serious otaku among my circle. From an outsider’s perspective I found their activities utterly fascinating. And while I was thrilled to be able to observe them from close-up, I cannot deny that I was also sometimes perplexed by what can only be called their immaturity as members of society. Despite this, I believe I was able to maintain friendly relations with them. They all happened to be psychiatrists, psychiatry being the profession with perhaps the highest proportion of otaku among its members. I spare the reader the details of the endless conversations among the members of a certain psychiatry department during the Evangelion boom of 1997.
So what kind of person am I? At the moment I don’t have a good answer to this question. Psychoanalysis is after all premised on the impossibility of self-analysis (which is why analysts must undergo analysis themselves during their training). So allow me to refrain from useless navel-gazing and describe the contours of this unique community from a psychiatrist’s perspective.
Otaku and Maniacs
Nos that have made clear the limitations, and even the absurdity in some cases, of trying to understand otaku in terms of personality type, we can nonetheless abstract a few characteristics of the otaku. An otaku is
When describing a given type, it is often easier to grasp if one compares it with another similar type. The closest type to the otaku is surely the maniac.
Although they are still often confused with each other, the otaku and the maniac are clearly different in subtle but important ways. If the two were in fact synonymous, there would be no point in theorizing the meaning for us today of the “psychopathology of the otaku.” This is because the maniac is a universal type, while the otaku is historically specific. Understood as a kind of fetishism, mania has a history that may stretch back to the beginning of civilization.
Even if there are many areas of overlap, let us begin by discussing the differences between the two. To state my conclusion partly at the outset, I believe that today’s otaku derive from a group of maniacs who have reacted to the changes in the media environment by a proliferating set of adaptions. Just as the marsupials on the Australian continent mimicked the specialization of the mammals as a whole, the otaku mimicked the specialization of the class of maniacs within the isolation of the media environment.
The difference between these two communities is made clear through the kinds of objects to which they become attached. The following is a provisional list of the types of object each group might choose:
Otaku Objects:
What strikes us most about these objects is what I call the “difference in level of fictional context.” Here we might think of the “fictional” as an abstraction of reality on the basis of some sort of bias. Of course, it is more complicated than that, but let us assume it is the case for now.
On the basis of this assumption, then, we can rank objects according to “degree of fictionality.” Documentaries based on interviews and primary sources, for example, would have a low level of fictionality. Through techniques such as citation and parody, “fiction” itself can be limitlessly abstracted and further fictionalized. Thus metafiction can be understood as having a higher level of fictionality than fiction. To put it a different way, the more forms of media that mediate the original information, the higher the level of fictionality. This is what we call the “difference in the level of fictional context.”
The term context here, following the work of Gregory Bateson and Edward T. Hall, is used in the general sense of the term, as that which determines the meaning of a given stimulus. It is important to keep in mind here that we cannot assume a straightforward ratio whereby the higher the level of “fictional context” is, the higher the level of fictionality will be. I return to this point again later.
The term maniac referred originally to a kind of person who is obsessed with something that yields no practical advantage. But compared with the otaku, the objects of maniacs can look quite concrete (not practical perhaps, but concrete). Looking back at the list of objects, we can see that those preferred by maniacs, such as audio equipment, stamps, antiques, and insect collections, are certainly for amusement and serve no practical function. But compared with those of the otaku, the objects of the maniac do have a concrete materiality. By concrete materiality I mean simply that one can pick them up in one’s hands and that they can be measured.
Generally speaking, maniacs compete with each other in terms of how effectively their hobbies translate into materiality. Collectors pride themselves on the size of their collections. And of course, this involves speculations about their value and rarity. Audio maniacs want faithful playback of sound with as little noise as possible. For insect collectors, it is not enough merely to know about rare bugs; their reputations as collectors depend on actually owning specimens of them. The unspoken rule of a naive “orientation toward material objects” is still very much in force here.
Otaku are lacking in this orientation toward the material and the practical. They know that the objects of their attachment have no material reality, that their vast knowledge has no use for other people in the world, and that this useless knowledge may even (especially after the Miyazaki Tsutomu incident) be viewed with contempt and suspicion. And knowing all of that, they still enjoy the gam of performing for each other their passion. The expression, “having a strong affinity for fictional contexts” is meant to clarify this sort of difference.
I just used the expression “performing their passion,” which requires a bit more explanation. The passion of the otaku is more performative than that of the maniac. Otaku are in communication with other otaku through code of “passion.” They are certainly not cool or disinterested, but neither do they completely lose themselves when indulging in their passion. This sort of slightly “canted stance toward passion” is very closely related to the essence of the otaku’s “affinity for fictional constructs.” Later we will see how perfectly the expression “X-moe” describes this.
Of course, we should consider the possibility that this has to do with how otaku deal with the society around them. Most of the objects to which otaku find themselves attracted are “embarrassing” in one way or another. They can be very easily ridiculed for their infatuation with anime at an age when most people have moved on. As a defense against this, it is perhaps inevitable that they might want to give the appearance to others that they are “only pretending to be obsessed.”
If we were to borrow a Benjaminian metaphor for what I have said so far, we could say that maniacs are enchanted by the aura of the original object, while the otaku fashion an original aura for their (fictional) reproductions.
The Problem of Possession
The next characteristic of the otaku is the way they go about possessing the objects of their attachment. We know that they enjoy animation. And they like special effects. But unlike stamps or audio systems, these are hard to collect. The fact is, moreover, that not all otaku are collectors in the first place. One might assume that anime fans are all interested in collecting actual cels from their favorite shows, but in fact this is surprisingly rare. Of course, such otaku do exist in fairly significant numbers, but this is not a necessary qualification for otaku identity. Part of this has to do with the fact that cels are not necessarily the material object-form of an anime. This may sound paradoxical, but cels are actually more like a by-product of an anime and occupy the same position as spin-off merchandise. So even if you owned every cel of an anime, this would not mean that you owned the anime itself. So how do the otaku make their objects their own?
Simply put, they do so through fictionalization.
What otaku enjoy is not making fiction into material form. Nor, as is often claimed, do they derive enjoyment from confusing reality and fiction. Their goal is simply to take fictions that are out there and promote them to fictions that are theirs alone. It is no coincidence that otaku like parodies. It may be that cosplay (kosupure) and fan magazines are best understood as examples of this process of fictionalization. Popular anime always attract so-called SS (“short” or “side” story) writers, who borrow the setting and characters from these works, write novels and scenarios in different versions, and then upload them to online forums. What is the motivation behind this form of expression that does not earn them a penny? Is it self-promotion? A service to other fans? If it were just that, surely parody or criticism would be more effective. I believe that “SS” is precisely how otaku manage to possess these works. They let the work “possess” them, weave a different story out of the same materials, and share it with the community. This process is a kind of “ritual of possession” practiced within the otaku community.
Even if they are not that serious, otaku are generally critics. All otaku have something that should probably be called a critical drive, including even cases like Miyazaki Tsutome. In fact, a fan who has forgotten his or her critical perspective is not an otaku. Otaku feel compelled to talk endlessly about a work and its creator. Their talk does not stop at the work itself but also extends to include their own relationship to it. When otaku engage in critique, their passion also merges with their enthusiasm for possession through the creation of new fictions. To put it very dramatically, the only way that otaku have of acquiring the objects they love is by fictionalizing them and turning them into their own works. This inevitably leads to the creation of new fictional contexts.
It was not his extraordinary intelligence or the accuracy of his information that made possible Okada Toshio’s status as the Otaku King. More than anything it was his production of a legendary animated film called Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (oritsu uchugun: Oneamisu no tsubasa, 1987) as a rank amateur. He was also involved in producing the masterpiece of the OVA, Gunbuster (Toppu o nerae!). The careful and deliberate way in which he marketed these anime drew from his own experiences as an otaku and was itself a brilliant form of critique. The otaku business is one of those rare fields in which superb critical acumen can translate directly into highly creative work. If Okada is respected among otaku, it is because of his astounding ability to create fictions. For otaku, the kind of accuracy of information required by maniacs is nice, but not essential. And the fact is that Okada sometimes gets things wrong because of his own preoccupations. But this is tolerated as an aspect of his idiosyncratic style. This is a context in which even a mistake can be forgivable as long as it provides interesting fodder for fictionalization.
What is Fiction?
The concept of fiction as I have been using it thus far is also probably in need of some elucidation. As I mentioned earlier, a high level of fictional context does not necessarily imply a high level of fictionality. One can easily imagine a paradoxical situation in which an autobiography overflowing with empty rhetorical flourishes might seem less realistic than a piece of honest metafiction. But the problem is more complex even than that. It may be, for example, that the rhetorical flourishes of that autobiography actually say something very real about the desires of its author.
There is really no objective set of standards to measure the fictionality of a given work. This is why I have introduced the neutral concept of the “fictional context.” As I explained earlier, this is an “imaginary concept” determined by the number of forms of media necessary to mediate the creation of a work. I insist on the term imaginary for the following reason. We are not actually able to count the number of types of media involved. Only the recipient has the right to determine what is citation and what is parody. If a given citation is to be interpreted as the original, the fictional context for the recipient will be low. This involvement of the receiver’s subjective viewpoint makes things even more complicated.
Of course, it is easy to understand fictionality as long as one does not insist on too much rigor in the definition. One could simply say something along the lines of “What seems like a lie is fiction and what seems real is the thing itself.” Faced with such a clear statement, the rigorous examination of fictionality seems like a meaningless detour. But is it really? Let’s take a closer look. The statement “what seems like a lie is fiction and what seems real is the thing itself” is nothing more than a tautology. It is true enough, but it means nothing.
The discussion gets confusing because of the intervention of the adjective “real” (riaru). “Fictional” and “Real” are not opposites. If they were, an expression like “Real fiction” (riaru na kyoko) would be meaningless. Instead, it is fiction and reality that are opposites, which leaves us with the problem of how to define reality.
What is reality? A raw, unmediated experience? Is that what reality is? Since the Aum Shinrikyo incident this kind of simplistic equation no longer holds. Raw, real experiences are the most deceptive of all. The mystical experiences and altered states of consciousness that Aum members experienced during their training have made us all too aware of the fundamental fallacy in the idea that “actual experiences” equal reality. So we ask again: What is reality?
Indeed, it should go without saying that reality is itself a form of fiction. At least the word reality as we use it in general refers to the fiction that is “the everyday world we live in.” It is the fiction that is shared most widely. Some people might attach conditions to their belief in it, but our degree of adaption to society is judged according to whether or not we have accepted it. In this sense it is perhaps the most powerful of all fictions.
Psychoanalysis teaches us that we can never touch reality in its raw form. “Reality” is another name for the impossible, at least for Lacan. Let us review Lacan’s triad: the Real, the Symbolic, the Imaginary. These constitute a topological division of the human psyche, where, in my understanding, the emphasis falls on how people experience things. The Real, as I just mentioned, is “the realm of the impossible”: a paradoxical realm that exists because it is impossible to experience. The Symbolic is for the most part synonymous with the system of language. It is external to the subject and referred to as the “Other.” That language is other to us means that it is a transcendental entity positioned outside the subject. When we speak we experience its existence, but we cannot be completely conscious of that experience itself. The Imaginary is the realm of images and representations, and also of narcissism, since it is located inside the subject (*14). It is here that “meaning” and “experiences” are possible.
What does it mean for us to experience “fiction”? Experience, we have seen, becomes possible in the Imaginary. Whenever we have a conscious experience of anything, that experience happens in the Imaginary. In this sense there can be no essential distinction between “everyday reality” and “fiction.” (*15)
But, needless to say, that would be a mistake. It is a misreading of Lacan to suggest that one can grasp the Symbolic through the Imaginary. But this misreading is everywhere. Hiroki Azuma, for example, has claimed that in today’s society “the Symbolic stopped functioning.” He points to the deterioration of popular song lyrics as an example.
This is an interesting argument in itself, but it is based on the same misunderstanding.
Lacan’s tripartite model would be just a tool for meaningless speculation if we did not accept its universality. And psychoanalysis would be impossible without the assumption that we are and always will be “neurotics” from the moment that we attain language. And as long as we are neurotics, this tripartite division of the world, or at least the topological relations among its parts, will hold.
Let me make my own position clear. From this point on I will keep the focus on the interactions between media and the Imaginary, and I will not postulate any transformations or shifts in the Symbolic or the Real. This means that otaku can be discussed only in imaginary terms. In other words, we can postulate no structural difference between the non-otaku subject and the otaku subject, because both are neurotics and both stand in the same relation to the Symbolic. Therefore we can now reject completely the claim made by Osawa quoted above. Similarly, it is impossible to identify anything psychoanalytically unique about the otaku as a community. In fact, it is not uncommon to find certain pathologies among those who insist on the uniqueness of the otaku. I have abandoned the attempt to speak of the psychopathology of the otaku in structural terms. Instead, I will stick with descriptions on the level of the Imaginary. This is unavoidable as long as psychoanalysis is my primary method.
I never answered the question I posed earlier: How is it that we experience “everyday reality”? Distinguishing it from fiction is always a function of the Imaginary. In concrete terms, this has to do with our image of the degree to which experiences are mediated. Fiction can arise only out of the consciousness - and not the “fact” - that is experience is a mediated one(*17).
Thus the media have no other function vis-a-vis experience than to provide this kind of consciousness of being mediated. Or to put it the other way around, “everyday reality” is nothing more than a set of experiences that emerge from a consciousness of not being mediated. This difference between a consciousness of being and not being mediated, moreover, is only an imaginary one. Let me emphasize this once more. For us neurotics “everyday reality” has no essential privilege. This is also evident from the fact that patients suffering from dissociative disorder (a neurotic pathology) experience everyday reality as if it were fiction(*18).
[*14. The distinction I am making here between the inside and the outside of the subject is a provisional one meant only to aid the reader’s understanding. In strict psychoanalytic terms the distinction would be untenable.
*15. When I use the word “reality” in this book without any further specification I am referring to this kind of imaginary or everyday reality. When I mean reality in the psychoanalytic sense - that material realm that is impossible for us to experience - I use Lacan’s term “the Real,” with a capital “R.” That said, I have little occasion from here on to use the latter term. The focus in this book is on the relationship between the Imaginary and the Symbolic. Fighting girls are the product of neurotic desire and have nothing to do with psychosis, which of course makes it impossible to postulate the incursion of the Real when describing them. I am including this proviso because I realize that my earlier statement that “Reality is a form of fiction” might be misunderstood as a profession of belief in metaphysics or idealism.
*17. There are “media” (baikai) everywhere, starting with television, film, manga, and the Internet. And of course there are also more individualized media like the telephone, letters, and email. But these are not all. All relations with other people in daily life rely on some sort of media. This kind of media might be called “role consciousness.” Thus every individual takes on multiple interpersonal situations. For example, when I interview a patient as a psychiatrist, that experience is mediated by “doctor-role consciousness.” As a result, the treatment relation becomes fictionalized in a way. This provides a defense against the interview experience exercising too great an influence on the doctor’s daily life.
*18. Symptoms of dissociative illness cause people to complain of pain because of losing the sense of reality with regard to self and the external world, feeling that they are no longer themselves, or feeling that other people and landscapes are somehow unreal, as if seen through a membrane. These are seen often in cases of neurosis, depression, and schizophrenia. While in recent years it has been used to refer to cases in which patients feel as if another self is watching their body and movements from the outside, I use the term here in the former meaning.]
Otaku and Fiction
People who have an otaku mentality, with a high affinity for fiction, are likely to have a latent discomfort with reality whether or not they have actually been able to adapt to it. But this is not a serious issue; for them, it is more on the scale of, “Everyday reality is a drag!” At the very least we can say that this refusal to adapt does not lead in any simple way to the flight from reality and thence to refuge in a fictional world.
Hard-core otaku have their own unique stance toward fiction and are able to enjoy anime, for example, on multiple levels. To put this in the terms I used earlier, they are able to switch freely between levels of fictional context. As I mentioned earlier, they see reality as a kind of fiction. Since this means they do not necessarily privilege reality, it can easily be mistaken for an avoidance of reality. So while otaku do not in any way “confuse fiction with reality,” they are uninterested in setting fiction and reality up against each other. If anything they are able to find reality (riariti <lol>) equally in both fiction and reality (genjitsu).
In fact, otaku discover a multilayered reality (riariti) even in the fictionality of fiction. They see and enjoy reality (riariti) in terms of every standard by which fiction can be judged, including not just the quality of anime characters but also the script and character design, visual direction, marketing, criticism, and particular points of appreciation. This is the otaku’s special ability. When this is developed sufficiently, it becomes the three abilities that Okada describes as the “eye of the aesthete,” the “eye of the master,” and the “eye of the connoisseur.” Otaku do not just command a great deal of information, they must also be able to identify instantaneously these different standards of fictionality and shift to the appropriate level on which to appreciate them. This means not just falling in love and losing oneself in the world of a single work, but somehow staying sober while still indulging one’s feverish enthusiasm .
Total immersion in the world of the work on the object level has nothing to do with the essence of the otaku. Stephen King’s novel Misery, which was also made into a film, depicts a fan like this. She is in love with a certain series of novels and cannot tolerate its ending in a way that she does not like. So she makes the author a prisoner in her home and threatens him so that he will write the ending she wants. If such a woman actually existed, I would be happy to award her with the prize for confusing fiction and reality. But otaku try to stay as far away as possible from this kind of violence and crazed enthusiasm.
What would an otaku do if a story he liked ended badly? In fact, we have an excellent example of just such a case. Neon Genesis Evangelion (Sin seiki Evangerion), which I discuss in more detail later, created a whole social phenomenon as a result of its ending. Until the last half of the series it was a giant robot anime of unprecedented sophistication. But the problem came with the last episode, when the protagonist suddenly started to talk at great length about his own inner strugglers, leading to an ending in which he experienced inner salvation. Most of the fans were furious with this ending.
But did they criticize the creator Anno Hideaki directly? Of course, there were many who did. But at the same time huge numbers of fans began to write their own “eva” stories. And this was certainly the proper otaku response. They did not see the author as absolute. They were not just fans, but connoisseurs, critics, and authors themselves. This blurring of the distinction between producer and consumer is another characteristic of the otaku. In that sense, if we limit the discussion to how they relate to fiction, Osawa’s point is right after all. For otaku the place that is supposed to be taken by the transcendent author is extremely close to his or her own internal other.
The Psychopathology of the Otaku
Of course, the otaku do exist in reality, and it is important to recognize that. The Comic Market, which I mentioned earlier, for example, is a space in which the logic of the otaku predominates over “everyday reality.” But one cannot say it is not reality. It is a world in which fan magazines produced by serious otaku can generate revenues in the millions of yen. It is, in other words, a space in which the ability to produce enjoyable fictions is privileged above all else. And there we see on display only a small portion of the otaku’s ability to modify reality. Their ability to see reality as a kind of fiction is certainly a strength. The elite of the otaku are capable of changing reality to fit their tastes, just as Bill Gates and Michael Jackson did.
But while multiple orientation has the advantage of allowing people to shift perspectives flexibly, it also has a sort of pathological limitation. The more accurately the otaku shifts from one perspective to another, the more the framework of the experience as a whole cannot help but shift toward the fictional. And when multiple orientations are given equal weight, we lose the singularity that is the essential quality of reality. This is probably why otaku often complain of dissociative episodes and seem lost in the ordinary world. Thus multiple orientation can sometimes be viewed as an escape from reality. Yet even the expression “escape from reality” may be only a provisional one.
What provides the impetus for people to become otaku? To an outside observer it may appear to be caused by an episode of adaptational failure of some sort. But is it not possible for someone to become an otaku without that sort of trauma? Could it be that the more fundamental cause that makes people into otaku is to be found in the excessive immersion in the multiple orientations that we have been discussing? If so, why is it that otaku engage in this kind of immersion?
<…>
“The destining of revealing is in itself not just any danger, but danger as such.” from The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger.
For the great Persian scholar Avicenna, sensory phantasms were processed through five virtues or powers corresponding to five cavities in the cranium; phantasy or common sense, imagination, cogitative virtue, the estimative virtue, and finally the reminiscent virtue. According to Georgio Agamben in his work Stanzas: Word and Phantasm in Western Culture, Avicenna conceives of this gradation through the inner senses as a "progressive 'disrobing' (denudatio) of the phantasm from its material accidents."
<..>
I believe that this is where sexuality comes to have a very close relationship to all of this. We must recognize the fictionality and multilayered quality of sexuality. When people are sexually excited by the image of a woman in an anime, they may be taken aback at first, but they are already infected by the otaku bug. This is the crucial dividing point. How is it possible for a drawing of a woman to become a sexual object?
“What is it about this impossible object, this woman that I cannot even touch, that could possibly attract me?” This sort of question reverberates in the back of the otaku’s mind. A kind of analytic perspective on his or her own sexuality yields not an answer to this question but a determination of the fictionality and the communal nature of sex itself. “Sex” is broken down within the framework of fiction and then put back together again. In this respect one could say that the otaku undergoes hystericization: the otaku’s acts of narrative take the form of eternally unanswerable questions posed toward his or her own sexuality. And the narratives of hysterics cannot help but induce from us all manner of interpretations. This is of course what has led me to the present analysis.
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Given the topic of this book we cannot avoid a detailed inquiry into the nature of the otaku. They are, after all, the largest consumers of the beautiful fighting girls. What are the otaku thinking? What do they want and how do they get it? Are we right to speak of a “psychopathology of the otaku”? Or is that a bogus question? Or rather, don’t we know the answer already?
Otaku are immature human beings who have grown up without being able to let go of infantile transitional objects such as anime and monsters. They avoid contact with reality for fear that it will harm them and instead take refuge in a world of fiction. They are afraid of adult relationships, particularly sexual relationships, and find sexual stimulation only in fictional constructs. In psychiatric terms they would be classified as “schizothymic.”
These are a few of the most common stereotypical assumptions about otaku. Of course, being stereotypes does not mean they are necessarily incorrect. They may be accurate but still meaningless. These sorts of interpretations inevitably miss what is truly of interest about the otaku community.
The otaku are a strange and unique community that has come into existence as a result of the interactions between the modern media environment and the adolescent psyche in Japan. To my knowledge, however, sufficient thought has yet to be given to the otaku as a community. In this chapter I consider, sometimes from the perspective of a psychiatrist, and sometimes not, the psychopathology of the otaku.
Of course, when I say the “psychopathology of the otaku,” this does not mean that being an otaku in and of itself is a pathological phenomenon. Like the “psychopathology of adolescence” or the “psychopathology of high-school girls,” it is a provisional designation for the particular psychic disposition that might be imagined to be prevalent in a given group. It is also a convenient way to avoid expressions like psychology or psychic structure. This may be difficult to understand, but to put it in the most rigorous terms possible, I would say that psychopathology as I am using it here refers to the intentionality of “that which mediates the subject.” The problem, in other words, has to do with media.
I do not think that being an otaku in and of itself is a form of sickness, nor do I consider myself an otaku (otaku is not a self-designation in any case). It is from this standpoint that I propose to speak about the psychopathology of the otaku. This involves giving equal consideration to the degree to which the otaku community is well adapted and the degree to which it exhibits pathologies.
First, I want to say a few things about the particular challenges involved in speaking about the otaku. Otaku culture is by all accounts still in a state of immaturity (if one can expect “maturity” from it in the first place). Because it is still coming into being, one runs into fundamental difficulties in trying to view it in its entirety. For this reason, we have only a limited number of ways to discuss it. One way is to establish oneself as an otaku and speak as a complete insider, which is to say in a strategically uncritical manner (this is the stance taken by Okada Toshio). Alternatively, one can choose to take oneself out of the equation altogether and face the otaku with an attitude of revulsion and rejection. These two approaches may seem quite at odds, but in fact they are both versions of self-love and often amount to confessions of otakuphilia. When speaking of the otaku, it is crucial to begin by recognizing that these are only two approaches currently available to us.
But I am trying for a third way. Namely, to become an “otaku of otaku,” that is, an otaku whose love is directed toward otaku culture itself. This is not far from the kind of position that Okada advocates, although he calls himself an otaku of special effects and figurines. As for myself, I suppose I am a fan of special effects and monsters, although I have left my passion for Godzilla behind. (Not because I grew out of it but because Godzilla has regressed). I do not find any moe in most beautiful girl anime. I could not live without manga, but I hardly ever watch anime because I cannot stand the images and voice-overs. Even Miyazaki Hayao’s anime come close to the limit of what I can stand in terms of anime images. Yet despite all that, I remain riveted by the activities of the otaku themselves. For better or for worse, since finishing graduate school, I have been fortunate enough to have several extremely serious otaku among my circle. From an outsider’s perspective I found their activities utterly fascinating. And while I was thrilled to be able to observe them from close-up, I cannot deny that I was also sometimes perplexed by what can only be called their immaturity as members of society. Despite this, I believe I was able to maintain friendly relations with them. They all happened to be psychiatrists, psychiatry being the profession with perhaps the highest proportion of otaku among its members. I spare the reader the details of the endless conversations among the members of a certain psychiatry department during the Evangelion boom of 1997.
So what kind of person am I? At the moment I don’t have a good answer to this question. Psychoanalysis is after all premised on the impossibility of self-analysis (which is why analysts must undergo analysis themselves during their training). So allow me to refrain from useless navel-gazing and describe the contours of this unique community from a psychiatrist’s perspective.
Otaku and Maniacs
Nos that have made clear the limitations, and even the absurdity in some cases, of trying to understand otaku in terms of personality type, we can nonetheless abstract a few characteristics of the otaku. An otaku is
- a person with a strong affinity for fictional contexts.
- a person who makes use of fictionalization as a way to “possess” the object of his or her love.
- a person who inhabits not just two but multiple orientations.
- a person capable of finding sexual objects in fiction itself.
When describing a given type, it is often easier to grasp if one compares it with another similar type. The closest type to the otaku is surely the maniac.
Although they are still often confused with each other, the otaku and the maniac are clearly different in subtle but important ways. If the two were in fact synonymous, there would be no point in theorizing the meaning for us today of the “psychopathology of the otaku.” This is because the maniac is a universal type, while the otaku is historically specific. Understood as a kind of fetishism, mania has a history that may stretch back to the beginning of civilization.
Even if there are many areas of overlap, let us begin by discussing the differences between the two. To state my conclusion partly at the outset, I believe that today’s otaku derive from a group of maniacs who have reacted to the changes in the media environment by a proliferating set of adaptions. Just as the marsupials on the Australian continent mimicked the specialization of the mammals as a whole, the otaku mimicked the specialization of the class of maniacs within the isolation of the media environment.
The difference between these two communities is made clear through the kinds of objects to which they become attached. The following is a provisional list of the types of object each group might choose:
Otaku Objects:
- Anime, video games (mostly so-called girl games), young adult novels, voice actor idols, special effects, C-class idols, fan magazines (dojinshi), yaoi (see note 19), fighting girls.
- Trains, personal computers, film, manga, B-class idols, science fiction, American comics, the occult, amateur radio, police dramas, plastic models, figurines.
- Philately, bibliomania, audio, cameras, astronomy, birdwatching, insect collecting, all forms of music, and all other forms of collecting.
What strikes us most about these objects is what I call the “difference in level of fictional context.” Here we might think of the “fictional” as an abstraction of reality on the basis of some sort of bias. Of course, it is more complicated than that, but let us assume it is the case for now.
On the basis of this assumption, then, we can rank objects according to “degree of fictionality.” Documentaries based on interviews and primary sources, for example, would have a low level of fictionality. Through techniques such as citation and parody, “fiction” itself can be limitlessly abstracted and further fictionalized. Thus metafiction can be understood as having a higher level of fictionality than fiction. To put it a different way, the more forms of media that mediate the original information, the higher the level of fictionality. This is what we call the “difference in the level of fictional context.”
The term context here, following the work of Gregory Bateson and Edward T. Hall, is used in the general sense of the term, as that which determines the meaning of a given stimulus. It is important to keep in mind here that we cannot assume a straightforward ratio whereby the higher the level of “fictional context” is, the higher the level of fictionality will be. I return to this point again later.
The term maniac referred originally to a kind of person who is obsessed with something that yields no practical advantage. But compared with the otaku, the objects of maniacs can look quite concrete (not practical perhaps, but concrete). Looking back at the list of objects, we can see that those preferred by maniacs, such as audio equipment, stamps, antiques, and insect collections, are certainly for amusement and serve no practical function. But compared with those of the otaku, the objects of the maniac do have a concrete materiality. By concrete materiality I mean simply that one can pick them up in one’s hands and that they can be measured.
Generally speaking, maniacs compete with each other in terms of how effectively their hobbies translate into materiality. Collectors pride themselves on the size of their collections. And of course, this involves speculations about their value and rarity. Audio maniacs want faithful playback of sound with as little noise as possible. For insect collectors, it is not enough merely to know about rare bugs; their reputations as collectors depend on actually owning specimens of them. The unspoken rule of a naive “orientation toward material objects” is still very much in force here.
Otaku are lacking in this orientation toward the material and the practical. They know that the objects of their attachment have no material reality, that their vast knowledge has no use for other people in the world, and that this useless knowledge may even (especially after the Miyazaki Tsutomu incident) be viewed with contempt and suspicion. And knowing all of that, they still enjoy the gam of performing for each other their passion. The expression, “having a strong affinity for fictional contexts” is meant to clarify this sort of difference.
I just used the expression “performing their passion,” which requires a bit more explanation. The passion of the otaku is more performative than that of the maniac. Otaku are in communication with other otaku through code of “passion.” They are certainly not cool or disinterested, but neither do they completely lose themselves when indulging in their passion. This sort of slightly “canted stance toward passion” is very closely related to the essence of the otaku’s “affinity for fictional constructs.” Later we will see how perfectly the expression “X-moe” describes this.
Of course, we should consider the possibility that this has to do with how otaku deal with the society around them. Most of the objects to which otaku find themselves attracted are “embarrassing” in one way or another. They can be very easily ridiculed for their infatuation with anime at an age when most people have moved on. As a defense against this, it is perhaps inevitable that they might want to give the appearance to others that they are “only pretending to be obsessed.”
If we were to borrow a Benjaminian metaphor for what I have said so far, we could say that maniacs are enchanted by the aura of the original object, while the otaku fashion an original aura for their (fictional) reproductions.
The Problem of Possession
The next characteristic of the otaku is the way they go about possessing the objects of their attachment. We know that they enjoy animation. And they like special effects. But unlike stamps or audio systems, these are hard to collect. The fact is, moreover, that not all otaku are collectors in the first place. One might assume that anime fans are all interested in collecting actual cels from their favorite shows, but in fact this is surprisingly rare. Of course, such otaku do exist in fairly significant numbers, but this is not a necessary qualification for otaku identity. Part of this has to do with the fact that cels are not necessarily the material object-form of an anime. This may sound paradoxical, but cels are actually more like a by-product of an anime and occupy the same position as spin-off merchandise. So even if you owned every cel of an anime, this would not mean that you owned the anime itself. So how do the otaku make their objects their own?
Simply put, they do so through fictionalization.
What otaku enjoy is not making fiction into material form. Nor, as is often claimed, do they derive enjoyment from confusing reality and fiction. Their goal is simply to take fictions that are out there and promote them to fictions that are theirs alone. It is no coincidence that otaku like parodies. It may be that cosplay (kosupure) and fan magazines are best understood as examples of this process of fictionalization. Popular anime always attract so-called SS (“short” or “side” story) writers, who borrow the setting and characters from these works, write novels and scenarios in different versions, and then upload them to online forums. What is the motivation behind this form of expression that does not earn them a penny? Is it self-promotion? A service to other fans? If it were just that, surely parody or criticism would be more effective. I believe that “SS” is precisely how otaku manage to possess these works. They let the work “possess” them, weave a different story out of the same materials, and share it with the community. This process is a kind of “ritual of possession” practiced within the otaku community.
Even if they are not that serious, otaku are generally critics. All otaku have something that should probably be called a critical drive, including even cases like Miyazaki Tsutome. In fact, a fan who has forgotten his or her critical perspective is not an otaku. Otaku feel compelled to talk endlessly about a work and its creator. Their talk does not stop at the work itself but also extends to include their own relationship to it. When otaku engage in critique, their passion also merges with their enthusiasm for possession through the creation of new fictions. To put it very dramatically, the only way that otaku have of acquiring the objects they love is by fictionalizing them and turning them into their own works. This inevitably leads to the creation of new fictional contexts.
It was not his extraordinary intelligence or the accuracy of his information that made possible Okada Toshio’s status as the Otaku King. More than anything it was his production of a legendary animated film called Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (oritsu uchugun: Oneamisu no tsubasa, 1987) as a rank amateur. He was also involved in producing the masterpiece of the OVA, Gunbuster (Toppu o nerae!). The careful and deliberate way in which he marketed these anime drew from his own experiences as an otaku and was itself a brilliant form of critique. The otaku business is one of those rare fields in which superb critical acumen can translate directly into highly creative work. If Okada is respected among otaku, it is because of his astounding ability to create fictions. For otaku, the kind of accuracy of information required by maniacs is nice, but not essential. And the fact is that Okada sometimes gets things wrong because of his own preoccupations. But this is tolerated as an aspect of his idiosyncratic style. This is a context in which even a mistake can be forgivable as long as it provides interesting fodder for fictionalization.
What is Fiction?
The concept of fiction as I have been using it thus far is also probably in need of some elucidation. As I mentioned earlier, a high level of fictional context does not necessarily imply a high level of fictionality. One can easily imagine a paradoxical situation in which an autobiography overflowing with empty rhetorical flourishes might seem less realistic than a piece of honest metafiction. But the problem is more complex even than that. It may be, for example, that the rhetorical flourishes of that autobiography actually say something very real about the desires of its author.
There is really no objective set of standards to measure the fictionality of a given work. This is why I have introduced the neutral concept of the “fictional context.” As I explained earlier, this is an “imaginary concept” determined by the number of forms of media necessary to mediate the creation of a work. I insist on the term imaginary for the following reason. We are not actually able to count the number of types of media involved. Only the recipient has the right to determine what is citation and what is parody. If a given citation is to be interpreted as the original, the fictional context for the recipient will be low. This involvement of the receiver’s subjective viewpoint makes things even more complicated.
Of course, it is easy to understand fictionality as long as one does not insist on too much rigor in the definition. One could simply say something along the lines of “What seems like a lie is fiction and what seems real is the thing itself.” Faced with such a clear statement, the rigorous examination of fictionality seems like a meaningless detour. But is it really? Let’s take a closer look. The statement “what seems like a lie is fiction and what seems real is the thing itself” is nothing more than a tautology. It is true enough, but it means nothing.
The discussion gets confusing because of the intervention of the adjective “real” (riaru). “Fictional” and “Real” are not opposites. If they were, an expression like “Real fiction” (riaru na kyoko) would be meaningless. Instead, it is fiction and reality that are opposites, which leaves us with the problem of how to define reality.
What is reality? A raw, unmediated experience? Is that what reality is? Since the Aum Shinrikyo incident this kind of simplistic equation no longer holds. Raw, real experiences are the most deceptive of all
Indeed, it should go without saying that reality is itself a form of fiction. At least the word reality as we use it in general refers to the fiction that is “the everyday world we live in.” It is the fiction that is shared most widely. Some people might attach conditions to their belief in it, but our degree of adaption to society is judged according to whether or not we have accepted it. In this sense it is perhaps the most powerful of all fictions.
Psychoanalysis teaches us that we can never touch reality in its raw form. “Reality” is another name for the impossible, at least for Lacan. Let us review Lacan’s triad: the Real, the Symbolic, the Imaginary. These constitute a topological division of the human psyche, where, in my understanding, the emphasis falls on how people experience things. The Real, as I just mentioned, is “the realm of the impossible”: a paradoxical realm that exists because it is impossible to experience. The Symbolic is for the most part synonymous with the system of language. It is external to the subject and referred to as the “Other.” That language is other to us means that it is a transcendental entity positioned outside the subject. When we speak we experience its existence, but we cannot be completely conscious of that experience itself. The Imaginary is the realm of images and representations, and also of narcissism, since it is located inside the subject (*14). It is here that “meaning” and “experiences” are possible.
What does it mean for us to experience “fiction”? Experience, we have seen, becomes possible in the Imaginary. Whenever we have a conscious experience of anything, that experience happens in the Imaginary. In this sense there can be no essential distinction between “everyday reality” and “fiction.” (*15)
But, needless to say, that would be a mistake. It is a misreading of Lacan to suggest that one can grasp the Symbolic through the Imaginary. But this misreading is everywhere. Hiroki Azuma, for example, has claimed that in today’s society “the Symbolic stopped functioning.” He points to the deterioration of popular song lyrics as an example.
This is an interesting argument in itself, but it is based on the same misunderstanding.
Lacan’s tripartite model would be just a tool for meaningless speculation if we did not accept its universality. And psychoanalysis would be impossible without the assumption that we are and always will be “neurotics” from the moment that we attain language. And as long as we are neurotics, this tripartite division of the world, or at least the topological relations among its parts, will hold.
Let me make my own position clear. From this point on I will keep the focus on the interactions between media and the Imaginary, and I will not postulate any transformations or shifts in the Symbolic or the Real. This means that otaku can be discussed only in imaginary terms. In other words, we can postulate no structural difference between the non-otaku subject and the otaku subject, because both are neurotics and both stand in the same relation to the Symbolic. Therefore we can now reject completely the claim made by Osawa quoted above. Similarly, it is impossible to identify anything psychoanalytically unique about the otaku as a community. In fact, it is not uncommon to find certain pathologies among those who insist on the uniqueness of the otaku. I have abandoned the attempt to speak of the psychopathology of the otaku in structural terms. Instead, I will stick with descriptions on the level of the Imaginary. This is unavoidable as long as psychoanalysis is my primary method.
I never answered the question I posed earlier: How is it that we experience “everyday reality”? Distinguishing it from fiction is always a function of the Imaginary. In concrete terms, this has to do with our image of the degree to which experiences are mediated. Fiction can arise only out of the consciousness - and not the “fact” - that is experience is a mediated one(*17).
Thus the media have no other function vis-a-vis experience than to provide this kind of consciousness of being mediated. Or to put it the other way around, “everyday reality” is nothing more than a set of experiences that emerge from a consciousness of not being mediated. This difference between a consciousness of being and not being mediated, moreover, is only an imaginary one. Let me emphasize this once more. For us neurotics “everyday reality” has no essential privilege. This is also evident from the fact that patients suffering from dissociative disorder (a neurotic pathology) experience everyday reality as if it were fiction(*18).
[*14. The distinction I am making here between the inside and the outside of the subject is a provisional one meant only to aid the reader’s understanding. In strict psychoanalytic terms the distinction would be untenable.
*15. When I use the word “reality” in this book without any further specification I am referring to this kind of imaginary or everyday reality. When I mean reality in the psychoanalytic sense - that material realm that is impossible for us to experience - I use Lacan’s term “the Real,” with a capital “R.” That said, I have little occasion from here on to use the latter term. The focus in this book is on the relationship between the Imaginary and the Symbolic. Fighting girls are the product of neurotic desire and have nothing to do with psychosis, which of course makes it impossible to postulate the incursion of the Real when describing them. I am including this proviso because I realize that my earlier statement that “Reality is a form of fiction” might be misunderstood as a profession of belief in metaphysics or idealism.
*17. There are “media” (baikai) everywhere, starting with television, film, manga, and the Internet. And of course there are also more individualized media like the telephone, letters, and email. But these are not all. All relations with other people in daily life rely on some sort of media. This kind of media might be called “role consciousness.” Thus every individual takes on multiple interpersonal situations. For example, when I interview a patient as a psychiatrist, that experience is mediated by “doctor-role consciousness.” As a result, the treatment relation becomes fictionalized in a way. This provides a defense against the interview experience exercising too great an influence on the doctor’s daily life.
*18. Symptoms of dissociative illness cause people to complain of pain because of losing the sense of reality with regard to self and the external world, feeling that they are no longer themselves, or feeling that other people and landscapes are somehow unreal, as if seen through a membrane. These are seen often in cases of neurosis, depression, and schizophrenia. While in recent years it has been used to refer to cases in which patients feel as if another self is watching their body and movements from the outside, I use the term here in the former meaning.]
Otaku and Fiction
People who have an otaku mentality, with a high affinity for fiction, are likely to have a latent discomfort with reality whether or not they have actually been able to adapt to it. But this is not a serious issue; for them, it is more on the scale of, “Everyday reality is a drag!” At the very least we can say that this refusal to adapt does not lead in any simple way to the flight from reality and thence to refuge in a fictional world.
Hard-core otaku have their own unique stance toward fiction and are able to enjoy anime, for example, on multiple levels. To put this in the terms I used earlier, they are able to switch freely between levels of fictional context. As I mentioned earlier, they see reality as a kind of fiction. Since this means they do not necessarily privilege reality, it can easily be mistaken for an avoidance of reality. So while otaku do not in any way “confuse fiction with reality,” they are uninterested in setting fiction and reality up against each other. If anything they are able to find reality (riariti <lol>) equally in both fiction and reality (genjitsu).
In fact, otaku discover a multilayered reality (riariti) even in the fictionality of fiction. They see and enjoy reality (riariti) in terms of every standard by which fiction can be judged, including not just the quality of anime characters but also the script and character design, visual direction, marketing, criticism, and particular points of appreciation. This is the otaku’s special ability
Total immersion in the world of the work on the object level has nothing to do with the essence of the otaku. Stephen King’s novel Misery, which was also made into a film, depicts a fan like this. She is in love with a certain series of novels and cannot tolerate its ending in a way that she does not like. So she makes the author a prisoner in her home and threatens him so that he will write the ending she wants. If such a woman actually existed, I would be happy to award her with the prize for confusing fiction and reality. But otaku try to stay as far away as possible from this kind of violence and crazed enthusiasm.
What would an otaku do if a story he liked ended badly? In fact, we have an excellent example of just such a case. Neon Genesis Evangelion (Sin seiki Evangerion), which I discuss in more detail later, created a whole social phenomenon as a result of its ending. Until the last half of the series it was a giant robot anime of unprecedented sophistication. But the problem came with the last episode, when the protagonist suddenly started to talk at great length about his own inner strugglers, leading to an ending in which he experienced inner salvation. Most of the fans were furious with this ending.
But did they criticize the creator Anno Hideaki directly? Of course, there were many who did. But at the same time huge numbers of fans began to write their own “eva” stories. And this was certainly the proper otaku response. They did not see the author as absolute. They were not just fans, but connoisseurs, critics, and authors themselves. This blurring of the distinction between producer and consumer is another characteristic of the otaku. In that sense, if we limit the discussion to how they relate to fiction, Osawa’s point is right after all. For otaku the place that is supposed to be taken by the transcendent author is extremely close to his or her own internal other.
The Psychopathology of the Otaku
Of course, the otaku do exist in reality, and it is important to recognize that. The Comic Market, which I mentioned earlier, for example, is a space in which the logic of the otaku predominates over “everyday reality.” But one cannot say it is not reality. It is a world in which fan magazines produced by serious otaku can generate revenues in the millions of yen. It is, in other words, a space in which the ability to produce enjoyable fictions is privileged above all else. And there we see on display only a small portion of the otaku’s ability to modify reality. Their ability to see reality as a kind of fiction is certainly a strength. The elite of the otaku are capable of changing reality to fit their tastes, just as Bill Gates and Michael Jackson did.
But while multiple orientation has the advantage of allowing people to shift perspectives flexibly, it also has a sort of pathological limitation. The more accurately the otaku shifts from one perspective to another, the more the framework of the experience as a whole cannot help but shift toward the fictional. And when multiple orientations are given equal weight, we lose the singularity that is the essential quality of reality. This is probably why otaku often complain of dissociative episodes and seem lost in the ordinary world. Thus multiple orientation can sometimes be viewed as an escape from reality. Yet even the expression “escape from reality” may be only a provisional one.
What provides the impetus for people to become otaku? To an outside observer it may appear to be caused by an episode of adaptational failure of some sort. But is it not possible for someone to become an otaku without that sort of trauma? Could it be that the more fundamental cause that makes people into otaku is to be found in the excessive immersion in the multiple orientations that we have been discussing? If so, why is it that otaku engage in this kind of immersion?
<…>
“The destining of revealing is in itself not just any danger, but danger as such.” from The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger.
For the great Persian scholar Avicenna, sensory phantasms were processed through five virtues or powers corresponding to five cavities in the cranium; phantasy or common sense, imagination, cogitative virtue, the estimative virtue, and finally the reminiscent virtue. According to Georgio Agamben in his work Stanzas: Word and Phantasm in Western Culture, Avicenna conceives of this gradation through the inner senses as a "progressive 'disrobing' (denudatio) of the phantasm from its material accidents."
<..>
I believe that this is where sexuality comes to have a very close relationship to all of this. We must recognize the fictionality and multilayered quality of sexuality. When people are sexually excited by the image of a woman in an anime, they may be taken aback at first, but they are already infected by the otaku bug. This is the crucial dividing point. How is it possible for a drawing of a woman to become a sexual object?
“What is it about this impossible object, this woman that I cannot even touch, that could possibly attract me?” This sort of question reverberates in the back of the otaku’s mind. A kind of analytic perspective on his or her own sexuality yields not an answer to this question but a determination of the fictionality and the communal nature of sex itself. “Sex” is broken down within the framework of fiction and then put back together again. In this respect one could say that the otaku undergoes hystericization: the otaku’s acts of narrative take the form of eternally unanswerable questions posed toward his or her own sexuality. And the narratives of hysterics cannot help but induce from us all manner of interpretations. This is of course what has led me to the present analysis.
2024.04.22 01:07 dixcgirl10 Breaking Down Bates
- Carlin and Evan spent the week avoiding Katie and Travis by featuring Evan breaking a sweat for the first time in his life while digging up a shrub in the front yard. It didn’t last long though… he happily filmed the hard working guys at Lowe’s as they loaded $2,000 worth of mulch into his Jeep. They wrapped up the week with a trip to the farm so they could exploit both the kids AND her aging grandparents at the same time.
- Katie and Travis headed to Asheville to visit his parents who wrote a check for him to play around in a music studio for a few hours. Later, they told yet another story about why they left NJ. This version of the story has him heading out on a tour with some SingeSongwriter guy all Summer. Supposedly they have known about the tour since October… which makes the second pregnancy suddenly make a ton of sense. How many meet and greets will Katie be able to take before she swipes up Haley and heads out on that tour bus life?
- Josie bought her girls a blow up pool so she could film them in their bathing suits all day. She also gave us a quick view of her cooking as she threw a roast in the crockpot with some canned and packaged items and then ran back to her mirror so she could keep slinging links for makeup and hair products. She wrapped up the week by posting a picture of baby Miles drowning in beige.
- Down in Orlando, Alyssa continued to churn out riveting content. She featured things like a picture of bubbles with a caption that said “bubbles” or a kid on a bike and a caption that says “bike”. Gee, thanks Captain Obvious. Maci told us all that Allie was her best friend and does her hair for her. After 47 pictures of her coffee, she had the girls line up and punch air in a supposed karate demonstration. She shut down the demo when the girls started saying that they really wanted to take ballet and gymnastics. As punishment, she filtered their noses off on the weekly Costco trip.
- Whitney has the world’s longest period and is still selling cramp patches. She also hung out at her house with Carlin for some girl time that of course included Evan. Zach finally showed up to feed them all. In the Bates kitchen this week they added Mayo to boiled chicken and tried to pass it off as chicken salad. Having Kelly Jo in the kitchen did make Zach less robotic but it probably didn’t help his food… or the views.
- Lawson and Tiffany have videos from a blizzard, yall. It’s Spring everywhere in the world except on Law Bates YouTube. He runs around calling people “idiots” and “dummies” for doing the exact thing he is doing(driving in a blizzard). Tiffy pushes food around on a plate and cries when she hears the heartbeat of her baby. In present day they hung out at the farm with the Stew Crew. They all went down for a “special project for Lawson”. What do we think… gender reveal? Music video?
- Lydia and Trace decided to “get real” about her postpartum journey… Trace seemed bored and did a lot of mouth breathing while Lydia explained how much they hate the IG account Without A Crystal Ball. Seems odd to bring up her deportation issue now when last week she said she wouldn’t be talking about it. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do to get those views. Baby Ryker officially has a military buzz cut and I fully expect him to be enrolled at Alert Academy by next August.
- Brandon and Michael made puffy paint from shaving cream and glue that they are obviously sniffing if they think this is a viable income avenue.
- When’s the last time anyone has laid eyes on Erin? We heard from her this week as she gushed over Chad Paine. It’s a miracle she can find enough adjectives to fill more than one post for this goober with no job, no education and dwindling hope. We learned they will be heading to the farm with Trace and Lydia next week so maybe Mama Jane can jerk a knot in Chad.
- This and that:Gil Bates was missing in action again this week. Maybe he was down in Big Sandy at cult camp. Carlin conveniently left Gil’s name out when she listed all the folks coming to Laylas recital. Has Tori had her baby? Zach is cooking REAL bacon these days… no more turkey bacon and I have to wonder if that has anything to do with them visiting other churches? The cult doesn’t eat pork products. Maybe he just found out it’s GOOD!
2024.04.22 01:06 dixcgirl10 Breaking Down Bates
- Carlin and Evan spent the week avoiding Katie and Travis by featuring Evan breaking a sweat for the first time in his life while digging up a shrub in the front yard. It didn’t last long though… he happily filmed the hard working guys at Lowe’s as they loaded $2,000 worth of mulch into his Jeep. They wrapped up the week with a trip to the farm so they could exploit both the kids AND her aging grandparents at the same time.
- Katie and Travis headed to Asheville to visit his parents who wrote a check for him to play around in a music studio for a few hours. Later, they told yet another story about why they left NJ. This version of the story has him heading out on a tour with some SingeSongwriter guy all Summer. Supposedly they have known about the tour since October… which makes the second pregnancy suddenly make a ton of sense. How many meet and greets will Katie be able to take before she swipes up Haley and heads out on that tour bus life?
- Josie bought her girls a blow up pool so she could film them in their bathing suits all day. She also gave us a quick view of her cooking as she threw a roast in the crockpot with some canned and packaged items and then ran back to her mirror so she could keep slinging links for makeup and hair products. She wrapped up the week by posting a picture of baby Miles drowning in beige.
- Down in Orlando, Alyssa continued to churn out riveting content. She featured things like a picture of bubbles with a caption that said “bubbles” or a kid on a bike and a caption that says “bike”. Gee, thanks Captain Obvious. Maci told us all that Allie was her best friend and does her hair for her. After 47 pictures of her coffee, she had the girls line up and punch air in a supposed karate demonstration. She shut down the demo when the girls started saying that they really wanted to take ballet and gymnastics. As punishment, she filtered their noses off on the weekly Costco trip.
- Whitney has the world’s longest period and is still selling cramp patches. She also hung out at her house with Carlin for some girl time that of course included Evan. Zach finally showed up to feed them all. In the Bates kitchen this week they added Mayo to boiled chicken and tried to pass it off as chicken salad. Having Kelly Jo in the kitchen did make Zach less robotic but it probably didn’t help his food… or the views.
- Lawson and Tiffany have videos from a blizzard, yall. It’s Spring everywhere in the world except on Law Bates YouTube. He runs around calling people “idiots” and “dummies” for doing the exact thing he is doing(driving in a blizzard). Tiffy pushes food around on a plate and cries when she hears the heartbeat of her baby. In present day they hung out at the farm with the Stew Crew. They all went down for a “special project for Lawson”. What do we think… gender reveal? Music video?
- Lydia and Trace decided to “get real” about her postpartum journey… Trace seemed bored and did a lot of mouth breathing while Lydia explained how much they hate the IG account Without A Crystal Ball. Seems odd to bring up her deportation issue now when last week she said she wouldn’t be talking about it. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do to get those views. Baby Ryker officially has a military buzz cut and I fully expect him to be enrolled at Alert Academy by next August.
- Brandon and Michael made puffy paint from shaving cream and glue that they are obviously sniffing if they think this is a viable income avenue.
- When’s the last time anyone has laid eyes on Erin? We heard from her this week as she gushed over Chad Paine. It’s a miracle she can find enough adjectives to fill more than one post for this goober with no job, no education and dwindling hope. We learned they will be heading to the farm with Trace and Lydia next week so maybe Mama Jane can jerk a knot in Chad.
- This and that:Gil Bates was missing in action again this week. Maybe he was down in Big Sandy at cult camp. Carlin conveniently left Gil’s name out when she listed all the folks coming to Laylas recital. Has Tori had her baby? Zach is cooking REAL bacon these days… no more turkey bacon and I have to wonder if that has anything to do with them visiting other churches? The cult doesn’t eat pork products. Maybe he just found out it’s GOOD!
2024.04.16 23:59 ClaimSalt1697 A THOROUGH Analysis of Azriel x [____] via ACOWAR (part 2) 🗻
WARNING: MAJOR spoilers for ACOTAR through ACOSF, plus the TOG and CC series (Maasverse)
Hello, friends! If this is the first post you've landed on, I would suggest starting at the top of this list and working your way down. We're on a deep-dive, looking at all the potential bread crumbles of the ship that is Azriel x Eris. As beautiful as I think this pairing would be, I bow down to our SJM queen and whatever plans she has in store for these two lovely males (but here's to hoping).Proving Azriel x Eris is plausible in the SJM world
Azriel x Eris: The Visual Guide
ACOTAR
ACOMAF, Part 1
ACOMAF, Part 2
ACOMAF, Part 3
ACOWAR, Part 1
ACOWAR, Part 2 - YOU ARE HERE
ACOWAR, Part 3
ACOFAS
ACOSF, Part 1
ACOSF, Part 2
ACOSF, Part 3
CC & CONCLUSION
My sister's reaction to Azriel x [____] 🦇🔥
Please note:
- Any posts not linked up are still in the works! Publishing date TBD.
- Reddit formatting is kind of a nuisance, and I've had to divide the larger books into smaller parts.
- Pages listed may or may not match your own edition.
On to Part 2 of ACOWAR!
Part 2
Here we go!
-----------------
Character details
Here, we learn the reason for Azriel's spying in the Autumn Court:Lucien jerked his chin to Azriel. “That’s the information you need to gather. What my father knows—if my brothers realized what she was doing.”If the High Lords get wind of Feyre's new abilities, 'gifted' from themselves, she could become a target. Rhys sends Azriel to the Autumn Court to see if they know what Feyre was doing; that she was using those gifts in front of them.
pg 125
Spoiler alert: Eris did see. Eris didn't tell. Eris used that to his advantage.
Feyre expresses an interest in learning how to fly:
Azriel tucked in his wings, his beautiful features uncharacteristically soft. Contemplative. “I’ll teach you.”This breaks my heart and highlights a big reason why Az is the way that he is. He suffered. Horribly. He cannot stand to see others suffer and he doles out suffering to those who cause it.
pg 130
I've said it once and I'll say it again: I think Az is going to see that Eris suffered, too, and not in dissimilar ways, and this will be a prime reason for why they are so compatibly mated.
Feyre realizes that Rhys is not only ok with Lucien being in their Night Court midst, but that he's gone so far as to not worry about him:
“You trust Lucien.”THIS IS KEY IN THE ERIS x AZ THEORY, PEOPLE. I gasped when I connected the pieces.
Rhys angled his head at the not-quite question. “I trust in the fact that we currently have possession of the one thing he wants above all else. And as long as that remains, he’ll try to stay on our good side.
pg 134
Rhys 'trusts' Lucien, which equates to him trusting in the fact that they "have possession of the one thing he wants above all else."
i.e. they have his mate.
In ACOSF, Cassian remarks that Rhys trusts Eris. That Eris showed him something, allowed Rhys into his mind, and whatever it was was enough for Rhys to put some faith in Eris.
What could Eris have possibly shown Rhys to change his mind in such a way? To stop hating this "male of limited days"? The male who backslapped his own mate?
It's Azriel, guys. Rhys trusts in the fact that Eris will always remain on their good side because they have Azriel. Because they have Eris's mate.
Goosebumps. GOOSEBUMPS. This is as close as I've come to really believing that it's meant to happen.
Cassian gets angry with Feyre that neither she nor Rhys told anyone she was made High Lady:
“What difference would it have made?”Some people believe the mating bond for Eris snapped into place half a millennia ago, but I'm not sold on it. I think if Eris had known Azriel was his mate, it would have changed everything; none of it would have gone down the way it did with Mor.
“It would have changed everything. None of it would have gone down like that.”
pg 138
Lucien struggles with being near Elain:
Touch her, smell her, taste her—I don't think Eris being paired with Az is something either of them would have wanted. I mean, maybe Eris . . . I can see him appreciating a fine male of a specimen such as Az (we all do). But I think at some point, they will both be fighting against those instincts. That Eris already is, knowing he's mated, wanting to be near Az, striking that alliance with the Night Court so he can be.
The instincts were a running river.
pg 169
Elain had been ... thrown at him.
pg 169
But both of them, I don't doubt, will feel this mating bond was thrown at them.
Lucien has more feelings. Imagine Eris feeling all these:
An ache like a blow to the chest went through him, but he crossed the rug. Forced his hands to be steady while he poured himself a cup of tea and sat in the chair . . .Lucien regrets his participation in the sisters being Made:
pg 170
“You betrayed us.”I'm telling you. Eris is dealing with some of these feelings of his own right now, connected with Mor, connected with Az. We'll later hear him say: "There are few things I regret. That is one of them."
. . . He wished she’d shoved him out the window behind her. “It—it was a mistake.”
pg 170
Lucien, even though Elain hasn't accepted the bond, is already a territorial male:
Her eyes went frank and cold. “I was to be married in a few days.”Ok, first off, Azriel is most definitely the ravishing type. Second, this is a big reason why I think Rhys cockblocks Az in that bonus chapter with Elain. Because if Rhys knows that Eris is Az's mate, he's not going to let Az do anything that would endanger Elain. And Eris just might lose his shiz if he knows Az is actively pursuing someone else.
He fought against the bristling rage, the irrational urge to find the male who’d claimed her and shred him apart.
pg 171
But Lucien’s attention went right to the hallway toward the back, his nostrils flaring as he scented Elain’s direction. And who she’d gone with.
A low snarl slipped out of him—
“Relax,” Rhys said. “Azriel isn’t the ravishing type.”
Lucien cut him a glare.
pg 173
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The Mating Bond + the Cauldron
Feyre wonders why Elain was mated with Lucien:“Why not make them [Elain and Azriel] mates?” I mused. “Why Lucien?”Short answer: No one knows. It's never confirmed, not in any of SJM's series thus far.
pg 175
Feyre asks more questions:
“Is there no free will? What if Lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?”Lot of info to break down.
“A mating bond can be rejected,” Rhys said . . . There is choice. And sometimes, yes—the bond picks poorly . . . Even so,” Rhys went on, “there will always be a ... tug. For the females, it is usually easier to ignore, but the males . . . It can drive them mad . . . Sometimes they return to challenge the male she chooses for herself. Sometimes it ends in death. It is savage, and it is ugly, and it mercifully does not happen often, but . . . Many mated pairs will try to make it work, believing the Cauldron selected them for a reason."
pg 175
Can a mated bond be rejected? Yes.
Is it an indication of true, paired souls? No.
If a pair reject the bond, will some part of it still exist and still "tug" at them? Yes.
Is the bond easier for females to ignore and harder for males? Yes.
Do males sometimes challenge their mate's chosen partner? Yes.
Do many (most?) mates try to make it work, even if it is not an ideal pairing? Yes.
Feyre continues:
“So you’re saying she could walk away—and Lucien would have free rein to kill whoever she wishes to be with.”If Az and Eris are indeed mated, that bond will trail them the rest of their existence. It should also be pointed out that in the Autumn Court, as brought up in the ACOSF bonus chapter, there is such a thing as a Blood Duel that could be invoked. Rhys speaks of it being invoked in the case of Lucien challenging any male Elain accepts, but . . . what if it will come into play with Eris and Az instead?
. . . “Not free rein—not in my lands . . . Elain would have our full protection if she rejects the bond. But it will still be a bond, however weakened, that will trail her for the rest of her existence.”
pg 175
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Allying with the Court of Nightmares + Eris
Half of the Inner Circle travel to meet Keir:Rhys claimed a seat at the head of the table. I took the one at the opposite end. Azriel and Mor found seats on one side, and Keir settled into the seat on the other.Look at that brief foreshadowing. The empty chair was for Eris.
A chair beside him sat empty.
pg 180
Rhys beings the meeting:
“But I thought you might be . . . hesitant to assist me,” Rhys went on. I’d never seen him so calm. Not calm—but filled with icy rage.In ACOFAS, even Rhys mentions there is something in Azriel he's never been able to match, something he's never been able to thaw . . . deep, frozen secrets the Shadowsinger still hides.
pg 181
Connecting this with Eris, the pairing of flames melting ice is an imagery I can't help but think is beautiful.
Rhys—and Az—drop the Eris bomb:
Rhys snapped his fingers and said to no one in particular, “Bring him in.”This highlights a few things. It's yet another instance of Rhys hiding something from Feyre until he deems it acceptable. Just like he's hiding something from Feyre in ACOSF, and she says he'll tell her when he's ready. (Spoiler: I think that thing is that Eris is Az's mate).
I didn’t know where to look as a servant escorted in the tall male figure.
At Mor, whose face went white with dread. At Azriel, who reached for his dagger—Truth-Teller—his every breath alert, focused, but unsurprised. Not a hint of shock.
Or at Eris, heir to the Autumn Court, as he strolled into the room.
pg 181
Also, it reminds us that Az is also an incredible secret-keeper. It's ah-literally his job. I teeter between Az knowing Eris is his mate (which, if he realizes this, it's in ACOSF) vs him not knowing and being completely blindsided. Haven't decided which way I sway yet.
Because if Az knows Eris is his mate—talk about ratcheting up the loathing. I don't doubt he would hate knowing that he was shackled to him for all eternity.
Rhys gives us some key details:
He remained sprawled in his chair, sipping from his wine. “Welcome back, Eris,” he drawled. “It’s been what—five centuries since you last set foot in here?”Five centuries. Five hundred years.
pg 182
Another point for why I think there was no bond-snapping before this. Eris literally did not step foot into Night Court territory for 500 years. Not since his engagement with Mor. Azriel is a spymaster, and 500 years is a lot of time for inner court meetings and such, the same way Tamlin and Rhys interacted, but as of right now, there's not much to show that Az and Eris ever truly interacted after he saved Mor.
Feyre notes how well Eris is looking:
He’d healed since that day on the ice—not a sign of the gut-wound Cassian had given him. His red hair was unbound, a silken drape over his well-tailored cobalt jacket.In ACOSF, Mor tells Nesta that "[Eris is] all about appearances. You have to wear the right thing." And what does our Autumn Court boy come to the Court of Nightmares wearing? What color is his jacket?
pg 182
Oh, you know, no biggie . . . it's just cobalt. The exact same color Az's Siphons are declared to be in all four books that he's in.
Listen. We know SJM doesn't play with scents. I'm telling you that she doesn't play with clothes or color, either. This was done, this was pointed out, on purpose.
Azriel can't help but stare our homeboy down:
Shadows curled around Azriel’s shoulders, whispering in his ear as he stared down Eris.One, I wanna know what Az's shadows are whispering to him. And two, do you ever notice that Az's shadows disappear or thin/lighten around Mor, Elain, and Gwyn? Maybe, just maybe, Az needs someone in the way Rhys and Feyre need each other; the way Rowan and Aelin do; the way Lidia and Ruhn do. The way ALL of SJM's mated characters do.
pg 182
Maybe, just maybe, they need someone to love all the darkest parts. Maybe, just maybe, Az needs someone who doesn't banish his shadows; maybe he needs someone who embraces them.
Eris gets a little drink heavy during their meeting:
Eris snorted, pouring himself a goblet of wine from the decanter in the center of the table.Was he nervous? I think he might have been nervous. I think our Autumn Court darling needed a little bit of liquid courage here.
pg 182
“Of course I didn’t tell my father,” Eris went on, drinking from his wine again.
pg 184
A frown at Mor as he drained his wine and set down the goblet.
pg 186
Eris "taunts" Mor:
“You look well, Mor.”Notice how Eris hones in on Azriel. "I see you're still holding a grudge." He doesn't care what Mor thinks (he says so later). But there is a small insinuation that he's thought about how Az thinks of him.
“You don’t speak to her,” Azriel said softly.
Eris gave a bitter smile. “I see you’re still holding a grudge.”
pg 184
Even SJM's adjectives have meaning.
BITTER smile. Eris gave a BITTER smile.
Bitter, adjective: angry, hurt, or resentful, because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment.
Eris is bitter (angry, hurt, resentful) that Azriel is still holding a grudge. He's not using a plural you here; Eris is talking specifically to Az and the situation at hand.
Eris explains how this alliance began:
“You didn’t think that I knew your shadowsinger would come sniffing around to see if I’d told my father about your . . . powers? Especially after my brothers so mysteriously forgot about them, too. I knew it was a matter of time before one of you arrived to take care of my memory as well.”One, Eris knew Az would be coming. He was waiting for the shadowsinger. Not Rhys. Not Cassian. Azriel specifically. And Eris does, indeed, find Az when he's snooping. BUT HOW? Because Az, as showcased both before and after, can turn near invisible with his shadows. He is the best spymaster Prythian has ever seen. Yet Eris freaking finds him.
pg 184
I think Eris has a keen sense of smell (that we go more into detail in ACOSF but also, I'm not gonna say there wasn't a mating bond he couldn't follow to help with that.
Mor isn't over the past (rightfully so):
“So what’s the asking price, Eris?” Mor demanded, leaning her bare arms on the dark glass. “Another little bride for you to torture?”Mark this, because it is one of the only times you could ever say Eris calls Azriel a bastard. Speaking to/about Cassian on the other hand? Oh, he lays it on thick with the insults. But Azriel is only ever shadowsinger, spymaster, or Azriel to Eris. Eris uses reverential, respectful terms when talking about Az
Something flickered in Eris’s eyes. “I don’t know who fed you those lies to begin with, Morrigan,” he said with vicious calm. “Likely the bastards you surround yourself with.” A sneer at Azriel.
pg 185
I have a feeling that "the bastards you surround yourself with" was more for Azriel's connection to Cassian rather than Azriel himself.
Also, please note: Eris is already trying to pull away from the mask. He calls out the lie. He's already saying, "It was never that way; you just didn't see."
Also, also, the "something that flickered in Eris's eyes." Can you imagine being accused of torturing someone . . . when your own father tortures you? I think that's what this was.
Eris continues to peel back the mask:
“There were forces at work that you have never considered,” Eris said coldly. “And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me.”Feyre, ever the forgiving one (said super sarcastically), says she will continue to believe the worst about Eris, while Eris is still actively saying, "I did the best with the situation I was in."
“You hunted me down like an animal,” I cut in. “I think we’ll choose to believe the worst.”
Eris’s pale face flushed.
pg 185
I'm not saying she should blatantly and immediately forgive him . . . but I am saying she's gotta consider that maybe Eris isn't so different from herself, or from Rhys. He's doing the best he can with the cards he's been dealt.
But let's highlight this part again: "Believe what you want about me." He's saying this to Mor. He doesn't care what Mor thinks about him. He knows what he did, and how he saved her.
It's not Mor he wants to explain himself to, as he tells Cassian in ACOSF.
The Eris + Feyre interaction continues:
“And what of the brother you hunted down alongside me? The one whose lover you helped to execute before his eyes?”There. He came out with it. Eris saved Lucien's life, and he did it in a way that wouldn't compromise his position under his father's rule. Because if Beron knew? Eris would have paid. He'd already paid after denying him the participation of killing Jesminda.
Eris laid a hand flat on the table. “You know nothing about what happened that day. Nothing.”
. . . “How do you think he made it to the Spring border,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t there—when they did it. Ask him. I refused. It was the first and only time I have denied my father anything. He punished me. And by the time I got free . . . They were going to kill him, too. I made sure they didn’t. Made sure Tamlin got word—anonymously—to get the hell over to his own border.”
pg 185
And then Eris drops this truth bomb:
Eris picked at a stray thread on his jacket. “Not all of us were so lucky in our friends and family as you, Rhysand.”Think about it. Is Eris what Rhys would have been without the influence and friendships of the Inner Circle?
pg 185
Feyre asks Eris what his price for making this bargain is:
“The same thing I told Azriel when I found him snooping through my father’s woods yesterday.”Eris wants the throne. He will provide Autumn Court troops in the fight with Hybern if they then support him when he overthrows his father.
Hurt flared in Mor’s eyes as she whipped her head toward the shadowsinger. But Azriel didn’t so much as acknowledge her as he announced, “When the time comes . . . we are to support Eris’s bid to take the throne.”
pg 185
We get yet another glimpse of Azriel's hatred for Eris:
Even as Azriel spoke, that frozen rage dulled his face. And Eris was wise enough to finally pale at the sight. Perhaps that was why Eris had kept knowledge of my powers to himself. Not just for this sort of bargaining, but to avoid the wrath of the shadowsinger. The blade at his side.I think Eris knew he was in trouble the second he learned Feyre was High Lady. He's getting the full brunt of all of Azriel's reasons why for hating him. And if Eris does indeed know that he's mated to Az, how would that feel? Do have someone you are soul bonded to look at you with such hatred and contempt?
pg 185
Eris propositions Rhys to call in the bargain now:
“The request still stands, Rhysand,” Eris said, mastering himself, “to just kill my father and be done with it. I can pledge troops right now.”Why? Why would Eris want to call in their bargain so soon?
pg 185
It hearkens back to what Lucien said: “I want to see her. Just once. Just—to know.”
Eris came. Eris saw. Can Eris stay away? Was once enough for him?
Eris prepares to leave the meeting:
“Promise Keir nothing you care about,” Rhys said, waving a hand in dismissal.In ACOSF, Eris does something to convince Keir to delay his visit to Velaris. That thing? I'm unsure, but I think he might tell Keir that he and Az are mated (I go into reasons why in my SF post). And, if this is foreshadowing, that choice, of letting slip that Az his mate, thinking that he will never truly be in danger because of Rhys and the IC's protection, may come back to haunt him.
Eris just rose to his feet. “We’ll see.”
pg 186
Eris stokes the flames of the past:
Eris looked between them, smiling faintly. Secretly. As if he knew something that Azriel didn’t. “I wouldn’t have touched you,” he said to Mor, who blanched again. “But when you fucked that other bastard—” A snarl ripped from Rhys’s throat at that. And my own. “I knew why you did it.” Again that secret smile that had Mor shrinking. Shrinking. “So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”Let's break this phenomenal exchange down:
pg 186
The faint smile, the secret = Eris knows Mor prefers females. Eris knows Az is hung up on Mor. Eris knows he and Az are mated.
Granting Mor her freedom = Eris peeling back more of the mask. And maybe peeling back a portion of himself, because if he is, indeed, like Mor, if he also prefers his own gender, then what does he want more than anything else? Why is he making a bid for his father's throne?
It's simple. He wants his own freedom.
Eris answers Azriel's question:
“So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”People mistake this exchange for Eris talking to Mor, or the Night Court in general. But, people—he was talking to Azriel. He answered Azriel's question.
“And what happened next,” Azriel growled.
A shadow crossed Eris’s face. “There are few things I regret. That is one of them. But . . . perhaps one day, now that we are allies, I shall tell you why. What it cost me.”
“I don’t give a shit,” Mor said quietly. She pointed to the door. “Get out.”Eris gave a mocking bow to her. To all of us.
pg 186
Eris admits that he regrets what happened. But look at that next sentence. He regrets what it cost him. And what do I think it cost him? I think it cost him Az.
And if that's true, then he's considering the possibility of one day admitting that out loud. Of admitting that out loud to Azriel.
The IC talks back at the townhouse:
But Lucien crossed his arms, leaning against the back of the couch. “I have to agree with Cassian. Eris is a snake.”Rhys is allowing Eris to keep his mask. Was this intentional? Maybe. But he's not in any hurry to convince the others that Eris may be a good male, doing the best he can with what he has, and hiding behind the evil of his father's court while doing so.
Perhaps Rhys had not filled him in on everything, then. On what Eris had claimed about saving his youngest brother in whatever way he could. Of his defiance.
pg 188
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Night Court goings-on
Amren talks about being held in the prison:I had not felt the wind on my face, had not smelled the rain . . . I did not even remember what they felt like. I did not remember sunlight.”More points for Az and his fight both against suffering and to inflict those who deserve it. I think, like Ruhn in CC, Eris has suffered and been locked away by his father. And, like many other mates, Az will not stand for the hands that dealt that suffering.
It was to Azriel that her attention drifted—the shadowsinger’s darkness pulling away to reveal eyes full of understanding. Locked away.
pg 191
Lucien pulled on the bond:
She rose to her feet, and Lucien shot to his.I have many musings on the bond tugging. We get a lot of it with Feyre and Rhys. That tug, that pull. If Eris and Az are mates, and if Eris knows about this mating (and possibly Az learns of it later), I had to stop and consider if that bond had ever been tugged on before.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted.
“What—what was that?”
. . . “It—it was a tug. On the bond.”
. . . “It felt ... strange,” Elain breathed. “Like you pulled on a thread tied to a rib.”
pg 202
Now, to preface, I'm not 100% sold on the theories below. But they're interesting to explore:
- Eris pulled on the bond so Az would find Mor. This is why Az has held onto the thought of Mor for 500 years. Because he felt that tug, and it led him to her. In ACOWAR, Mor herself admits that Az started to tell her what he felt and she cut him off. Could it be that Az is under the false assumption that Mor also feels a bond, but has chosen to reject it? Does he continue to hold out hope that, because they are mates, she will one day come to him? Did he mistake his bond with Eris for a bond with Mor?
- When Eris is captured by Briallyn, Az says that he can't "sense" Eris. If, as I speculate in Silver Flames, Az may come to be aware of Eris being his mate, was he also tugging on a bond for the very first time, trying to find him? But, as we all know, the bond can go dark for various reasons (Faebane, being enthralled, etc). Cassian himself can't feel Nesta while she's in the Blood Rite, but Az speaks of the knowledge of the bond, that Cass would know if she'd died, as if he knows how it feels himself.
The shadowsinger had a sense of humor. Dry and quiet, but . . . alone together, it came out far more often than it did amongst our group.Look, subjectively I think Eris and Az's personalities match quite well. Eris is a haughty, sarcastic, gorgeous bastard and I love him for it.
pg 204
Azriel tells Feyre of the Nephelle theory:
“We—Rhys, Cass, and I—will occasionally remind each other that what we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength. And that the most unlikely person can alter the course of history.”I think Eris is Azriel's most unlikeliest pairing which, in a very roundabout way, also makes him the most likeliest.
pg 207
Feyre sees into Rhys's mind of what happened when Cassian landed in the library and met Nesta after the twin ravens attacked them:
It was the former he saw first, stumbling out of the dark, wide-eyed, her fear a tang that whetted his rage into something so sharp he could barely think, barely breathe—Peep how similar this is to Azriel's reaction in ACOSF when they realize Briallyn has enthralled Eris:
pg 221
“Let him go, Briallyn,” Cassian growled. “Come play with us instead.”Lucien plans to travel to find Vassa:
. . . A glance at Az revealed his brother stone-faced, cold fury in his eyes.
ACOSF pg 538 + 586
Even Nesta seemed relatively concerned. Not for him, no doubt, but the fact that if he were hurt, or killed . . . What would it do to Elain? The severing of the mating bond . . . I shut out the thought of what it’d do to me.Again, an indication of why Rhys acts to keep Eris safe in ACOSF, why he would continue to ally with him, why they would rescue him from Briallyn when Cassian and Feyre would rather leave him for dead . . . he knows what the severing of the mating bond, rejected or not, would do to Az.
pg 227
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Click HERE for Az x Eris A Court of Wings and Ruin, Part III
2024.04.15 12:35 ConsciousRun6137 Flower of Life Deception: Metatronic vs Krystic Science - Part 1
 | submitted by ConsciousRun6137 to EscapingPrisonPlanet [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/kzztn1nbafuc1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=486b751f034f34636843637d01607a733349d32b https://preview.redd.it/8l85hadxafuc1.jpg?width=420&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dac3f8d2e6fca19731f7f49b3fd76b01432d8705 “You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.” ― Terence McKenna “Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering its a feather bed.” ― Terence McKenna To better understand the information presented here, it helps to think of a computer. The way in which the universal and planetary systems function are very similar to the way in which computers function. You can think of a computer functioning based on its operating system and software programs. Our Universal and Planetary systems have templates/blueprints/morphogenetic fields that govern the way in which these systems operate and govern the energetic structure, composition and much more. This occurs at a microcosmic and macrocosmic level and is a part of the mechanics of all creation. Unfortunately, planet Earth’s template was hijacked by those of whom we will refer to here as Controllers and the Negative Aliens and as such our planet’s templates were reconfigured, mutated, distorted and reversed as part of a much larger anti-human agenda. We will refer to it here as the Metatronic Code Distortion and it was purposely programmed by the NAA Controllers to distort the organic relationship between the electron and proton spin rates. The intent was to harness the life force energy through hijacked creational code and inorganic architecture, using the Vesica Pisces (VP) bi-polar geometry. This hijacked Vesica Pisces architecture kept the binary code (consciousness polarity split through separation and distortion) locked down in our planet so that the trinity (Unity Field) code would not be accessible. It forced reversal and split patterns that continually fragmented our consciousness at multiple dimensions. Why is it referred to as Metatronic? The family known to many as Metatron is a ‘fallen angelic collective’ out of an entity. Many millions of your Earth years ago this collective was faced with a decision that ultimately lead to their demise. As a collective they chose to separate from Source light and as such this decision is known as ‘The Fall’ by which the beings are no longer connected to and receiving the flow of eternal source light, therefore altering their Krist Code encryption configuration of perpetual motion and eternal life supply and breaking their link with God-Source infinite energy supply. Since the modified coding (metatronic) can not receive any more energy directly from Source only a limited supply of energy remains within its own shield template functioning as a black-hole-system which forces it to suck energy from other systems and progressively self consumes, therefore, has a Finite Life. The collective made a decision that it would use its knowledge of Primal Creation Physics, and that it would take over this Time Matrix. As long as they were able to feed off of something else that had its life force connection to Source, they wouldn’t go into implosion (molecular compaction). They were able to create a way of feeding energy out of this time matrix to supply and fuel their Time Matrix. These “feedlines” moving energies off planet have clustered and created multiple infections in the Universe and all throughout this Planetary Time Matrix. They do this through the manipulation of the reversed bi-wave polarity fields and rotation of the electron particle by forcing the energy flow in disproportionate channels that feed their intended source. This has created much damage in our nervous system, planetary brain and earthly kingdoms. One level of this damage is to aggressively age the human bodies in a process of molecular decay which is the result of the compaction and reversals in the planetary field. The fallen, finite geometries are the main tools they use to fuel and feed their systems through the encryption of inorganic architecture. The flower of life is an encrypted reversed code that begins with a phase locked Divine Trinity symbol; it is phase locked because it is disconnected from the energy of Source via the Unified Field – and will never be an Eternal expression. The flower of life grows one sphere of energy at a time and not via energy quantum building of the Divine Trinity; it grows via consuming energy from the planet. 1 eats 1 to become 2 2 eats 1 to become 3 3 eats 2 to become 5 5 eats 3 to become 8 8 eats 5 to become 13 13 eats 8 to become 21 21 eats 13 to become 34 In the FOL pattern the diagonals are set at 60 degrees. This is an unnatural energetic and geometrical relationship that prevents the spheres from phasing correctly with the top sphere (think 3 balls like a pyramid), thus preventing back flow return from god-source. When spheres can’t phase and spark correctly, they become cut off from the normal flows of eternal life currents and become metatronic. The Golden Mean & Fibonacci spirals have no direct connection to their centers. They are progressively removed from Source. In it’s early stages the Fibonacci spiral isn’t a proper spiral. As it expands it approximates to the Golden Mean spiral, but only to a scaled down version of it. The Fibonacci spiral doesn’t have in inner spiral, i.e. it’s incapable of converging towards the centre. The Fibonacci sequence features a sequence of numerical expansion in which the “next expansion number” to come is reached by “adding together” or “devouring” the two numbers that come before it. If we think of each number as a quantum of energy, then the two previous numbers are “added together” and consumed in order to “become the next number,” leaving nothing in their place; the “numbers before” become “finite quanta” that must “disappear or die” in order for the next number to be “born.” Thus the “numbers” within the Fibonacci sequence ALL represent finite energy forms that will be consumed and cease to exist, in order for the next generation to emerge. This is “recycling of finite energy” to create growth, not growth through a self-generated power source, and thus the mechanics of the Fibonacci sequence imply that it represents a growth-expansion formula for finite life, not organic eternal life. The growth-expansion pattern of the Fibonacci sequence can be found in nature, within energy structures and biological forms of a finite nature — which includes many, but not all, life-forms on contemporary Earth. The golden ratio can be seen throughout nature, in pinecones, flowers, shells, tree branches, even the proportions of the human face and body. These false-sacred geometries are distortions based on the original organic eternal-life ratios of the “Krystal Spiral.” These Metatronic code distortions and frequencies are not just an issue here for Earth, but for the whole universe and it’s multi-dimensional anatomy. This is the Metatronic Code Distortion (Reverse Mutation) and unfortunately for anybody who seeks true self mastery and self-empowerment, or ascension into eternal life spirals, this is a serious problem in the spiritual and new-age communities. Metatronic or finite life structures lead to a severing of higher dimensional and Source connections. This in turn leads to an isolated, closed and dying universe. So what is the reversed inorganic architecture and geometry being used to serve this agenda? On our planet, we have levels of geometric architecture that govern the creation of energetic fields and the movement of these fields within the ley lines and grid networks. The fallen finite geometries have been installed into the planetary brain or planetary logos. These geometries can be referred to as the Binary Bi-wave Geometric System or the hijacked Vesica Pisces Network (aka Reversed Networks). The architecture of the planetary logos controls every aspect of the planet, from the physical elemental substances to the emotional, mental and “energetic quanta” or “life force” distribution. It is the main control mechanism and circuit board that governs the planet in every inconceivable way. So these geometries actually are a part of the governance of where these energies go, how they’re directed and what they’re used for. This inorganic bi-veca architecture and reversal networks give the controllers the ability to collect, harvest and send energy to off-planet sources or direct it to their preferred people here on the planet that are supporting the controller agenda. The energy is moving in the Reversal pattern, disconnected from the Organic Supply of Source. What does this mean for Ascension and how can this reversal/distortion be corrected? The Crystal template or Unity Intelligence when physically embodied has a function that acts as a re-encryption processor of overwriting distorted artificial code (death or anti life forces) and replacing it with organic Source code (eternal life forces). This is a very similar process to using an “anti-virus” program on your computer hard drive. It scans for problems creating weakness in your computer function and it eliminates or overwrites the virus instructions that were embedded in the computer’s mainframe language. We are receiving a whole new Unity Source Code language at this time and it is purposed to overwrite the distorted code that has been used to “ consume ” others. Unity Intelligence source code is the language platform to end the “ consumptive modelling ” that has infected our blueprint. This means it is getting increasingly harder for those beings who are “consumers” who feed upon others to either exist or have used others energies to serve themselves. These entities are being “starved” and it is another reason why they are desperate and “fighting” aggressively now. Another way to express this is that the Cosmic Christ Intelligence is a Unity Source Code that has access back into the direct God Source thereby it is Eternal and does not need to consume anything to exist. Upon its return to the Earth during the Ascension cycle, its purpose is to incarnate on the Earth body to restore God’s Natural Laws and correct its blueprint back into the Divine Plan for creation. ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Creation is healing Itself to its Original Divine Blueprint ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ We are in the latter stages of the Ascension Cycle and the time of the VP geometric harness is ending and we are learning how to create trinitized forms which allow the feedback loop of source field energies. Up until recently this planet (consciousness) was separated from the merge between all of its creation components. Now that our Mother principle component has returned, this is the unique process and massive transformation as we ascend and the Unity Field architecture is anchored. This trinity field creates an eternal and perpetual supply of life force that regenerates the bodies. This is the physical embodiment of the Cosmic Trinity and it is happening for the beings that are able to hold these levels of frequencies. This Tri Tone/Trinitized Form is our 12D blueprint and the original intention created for the human species. Controller Forces are being increasingly squeezed out of this domain and are losing their “feeding sources” as Mother Arc Hub networks are coming online. These “Mother Arc Hubs” are returning the Tri-Wave or Trinity fields of Christos back to our planet. The Tri-Wave format in our particle structure is required to circulate the eternal supply of God Source through our bodies and the planet. As Cosmic Mother Arc returns back to the planetary core her Arc Hub Gateways are systematically being activated into the grid networks and the brain of the planetary body. In January 2013, our planet arrived to the time of the promised return of Christ, the externalization of the Krystal Star presence (the Cosmic Christos Unity Consciousness). On the earth surface, the etheric filaments of the collective planetary field Ley Lines are filling with the imprints of corrected blueprint patterns containing magnetic sound vibrations. These also help to create chalice configurations for the Mother principle to run her life force through the smaller tributaries of the earth. These corrected configurations are intersections for flowing life force current that circulate throughout the planetary heart system, sonic waves through the oceans, waters and rivers, as they are pumped through the Aurora Portal Network and Mother Arc Hubs. The Morphogenetic Field structure of the planetary mathematical architecture has been coded to fully anchor the Krystal Star frequency presence along with running its “living” energetic current in the planetary brain or Planetary Logos. This has been generated from the constant work involved in the rehabilitation and recoding of the damaged planetary grids, which act as the central nervous system for the planet. There is still much more to do with resetting the planetary grids and the logos (brain) into compatible messaging for trinitized frequency formats. Aurora Hosting Cycle Begins: Why are the Aurora hosting us for this Ascension Cycle? The consciousness units of the next Universe, the Rays of the next Universe, the beings that live there in alignment with Krystal Star and Unity Intelligence, are called Aurora. Krystal Star works with the Aurora to build platforms that are safe zones that step over the reversal fields running on the earth from the Frequency Fence and NET. Aurora answered our call for assistance during the Ascension cycle, and they are the Beloved Guardians that are hosting this Universal Ascension and hosting our planet for ascension. They defend personal sovereignty through the Law of One for all life. Their mission and support is to re encrypt the physical body on atomic and subatomic levels because the chemical constituents of our DNA is an elemental base, so our physical body is an elemental body and it’s comprised of these four base level chemical constituents. We are being re encrypted on an atomic level, our particles are being shifted and we are being upgraded into these new re encryption templates and modes. This is to build the physical elemental form and Monadic form of our body back into the organic life force of our divine blueprint, the original human soul, the Christos blueprint a 12 strand DNA Silicate Matrix. The Aurora’s mission is to build the planetary and individual particle base and re-encrypt us with its new coding. As of December 2013 the Eternal Life Grid was able to be plugged back into Planetary Star Gate 12. The planet and all eternal life forms are now rapidly re-accrediting the energy that we had lost from the distortion. The spin speed of the units of light that compose a matter from determine the Ray of light or flow of energy those units of light can merge with. The increasing spin speed of the planet is what will allow her to “shift” back into her healed expression. The higher energy of Source spirals into the planet from the Solar Suns non polarized vertical star gates of 12, 9, 6 & 3 held at the core of the sun and into the non polarized planetary star gates 12, 9, 6 & 3 held within the core of the planet. The higher energy wave then steps down and circulates through the polarized plane “layers” of the planet from the inside of the planet outward following the Eternal Spiral Divine Trinity step down. The speed at which the infusion of higher energy circulates through the planet is determined by the contraction / expansion rate of the Divine Trinity which is an encrypted rate based on the condition of the planetary system and how quickly the planet is able to receive and integrate energy. This process is extremely intricate and specifically timed per the encryption of Source original intent and ensures the system does not receive more energy than it can hold or faster than it can receive it which ensures the system is not blown up from receiving too much energy to quickly. The cycling rate of the Divine Trinity of Earth increases with an infusion of higher energy every 30 days as the system expands to be able to hold another infusion at the next 30 day time shift infusion. https://preview.redd.it/4wh1tvf2dmuc1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=cd9cf38c49a3075f33846e39a782133993af0154 https://preview.redd.it/vg1m2hx7dmuc1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae2efc7f236dc084a1f52eb2cd6f8edb40a0f11b The metatronic code problems began billions of years ago in another time matrix with the fall of a specific collective. The point is that the metatronic code is not a new thing and certainly the FOL was not something Drunvalo came up with. He is simply one of the contemporary sources who are promoting it. There are lots of wonderful things in Drunvalo’s teachings but the core of what he is getting at in his teachings is the Metatronic code and his unnatural way to spin your merkaba which causes molecular compaction of the seed atom leading to a loss of eternal life status (ie. metatronic). The reason it is seen in so many ancient cultures is because various people and collectives where actively promoting it then just as they are now. The standard definition of Sacred geometry is the geometry used in the planning and construction of religious structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, tabernacles; as well as for sacred spaces such as temenoi, sacred groves, village greens and holy wells, and the creation of religious art. In sacred geometry, symbolic and sacred meanings are ascribed to certain geometric shapes and certain geometric proportions. https://preview.redd.it/vvhnvofddmuc1.png?width=200&format=png&auto=webp&s=493452a28a3fe23437f3795b3c134b4e517033c1 Pythagoras is often credited for discovering that an oscillating string stopped halfway along its length produces an octave relative to the string’s fundamental, while a ratio of 2:3 produces a perfect fifth and 3:4 produces a perfect fourth. However the Chinese culture already featured the same mathematical positions on the Guqin and the tone holes in flutes, so Pythagoras was not the first. Pythagoreans believed that these harmonic ratios gave music powers of healing which could “harmonize” an out-of-balance body. https://preview.redd.it/zp595drgdmuc1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=74e4c8abf4f5a57bd4226035f348a8d2bdb8fc74 https://preview.redd.it/mreqf7bidmuc1.png?width=261&format=png&auto=webp&s=435613553368cc6dbc7fc8e85cda658174f627c9 Although it is more than just architecture designed to shapes with religious meaning and values. These shapes are used because these religious traditions understand, or perhaps understood at one time the deeper esoteric principles those shapes, patterns, and ratios represent. The perennial sacred art-science dedicated to the study and applications of Harmonic power and the symbolic Shapes, Patterns & Numbers that constitute the language of nature & consciousness as a universal code of creation. Sacred Geometry is an ancient-future cosmic wisdom we are fast reclaiming. Under the new labels of Design Science, Fractal Harmonics, DNA Resonance and Scale-Invariance Physics, we are walking again the higher turn of humanity’s spiritual spiral. https://preview.redd.it/lgxy91omdmuc1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f36558cf0a44a164fd4d887bd600569b100e155 What is the Fibonacci Sequence? The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, … The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. The 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1) Similarly, the 3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2), And the 5 is (2+3), and so on! Example: the next number in the sequence above would be 21+34 = 55 Here is a longer list: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, 17711, 28657, 46368, 75025, 121393, 196418, 317811, … When you make squares with those widths, you get a spiral: Fibonacci Spiral. https://preview.redd.it/m040fkzpdmuc1.png?width=200&format=png&auto=webp&s=032bae8c9ad571ae54a7750e30d736761e686d96 For example 5 and 8 make 13, 8 and 13 make 21, and so on. The Fibonacci Sequence can be written as a “Rule” (see Sequences and Series). First, the terms are numbered from 0 onwards like this: n = 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 … xn = 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 … So term number 6 is called x6 (which equals 8). Example: the 8th term is the 7th term plus the 6th term: x8 = x7 + x6 So we can write the rule: The Rule is xn = xn-1 + xn-2 where: xn is term number “n” xn-1 is the previous term (n-1) xn-2 is the term before that (n-2) Example: term 9 would be calculated like this: x9 = x9-1 + x9-2 = x8 + x7 = 21 + 13 = 34 Golden Ratio And here is a surprise. If you take any two successive (one after the other) Fibonacci Numbers, their ratio is very close to the Golden Ratio “φ” which is approximately 1.618034… The golden ratio can be seen throughout nature, in pine cones, flowers, shells, tree branches, https://preview.redd.it/2qs23ssxdmuc1.png?width=192&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d2da4bb179de97c36f8cf4152c4edf18b3d336e https://preview.redd.it/7s6eni94emuc1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=9632dada44280082e020588eafe5ccf9f14d0a77 Even the proportions of the human face and body. https://preview.redd.it/8pwxbe67emuc1.png?width=200&format=png&auto=webp&s=cf98c4fa9527098ef0749c5ea44a2d563932fe5a https://preview.redd.it/1xjxf248emuc1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=e18c41391568016b6c05cf4de86514fe921f8ff4 What is The Torus Field? In geometry, a torus (pl. tori) is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three-dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle. If the axis of revolution does not touch the circle, the surface has a ring shape and is called a ring torus or simply torus if the ring shape is implicit. When the axis is tangent to the circle, the resulting surface is called a horn torus; when the axis is a chord of the circle, it is called a spindle torus. A degenerate case is when the axis is a diameter of the circle, which simply generates a 2-sphere. The ring torus bounds a solid known as a toroid. The adjective toroidal can be applied to tori, toroids or, more generally, any ring shape as in toroidal inductors and transformers. Real-world examples of (approximately) toroidal objects include doughnuts, vadais, inner tubes, bagels, many lifebuoys, O-rings and vortex rings. https://preview.redd.it/kz0frgmdemuc1.png?width=224&format=png&auto=webp&s=1cdf6bd92014b14ce2499e0796f2a3db940710ac What is The Vector Equilibrium? https://preview.redd.it/f8ttwb6gemuc1.png?width=213&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f0cef29530f470a215af81a9d4e6bad431c3db0 The underlying structure of the torus is the Vector Equilibrium, or “VE.” It is the blueprint by which nature forms energy into matter. Buckminster Fuller, one of the 20th Century’s most prolific inventors, coined the term Vector Equilibrium. He named it this because the “VE” is the only geometric form where all forces are equal and balanced. The energy lines (vectors) are of equal length and strength. They represent the energy of attraction and repulsion, like you can feel with a magnet. https://preview.redd.it/1109vhgiemuc1.png?width=182&format=png&auto=webp&s=58e81f2dbad85eb143dc161145ba8c5c98b8d8c2 What is Metatron’s cube? Metatron’s cube depicts the five platonic solids which may be derived form the flower of life. The five platonic solids are geometrical forms which are said to act as a template from which all life springs, according to spiritual belief. The Platonic solids are five structures that are crucial because they are the building blocks of organic life. These five structures are found in minerals, animated and organic life forms, sound, music, language, etc. Metatron’s cube is also considered a holy glyph, used to ward off evil spirits. The Kabbalah’s Tree of life is also thought to be derived from the FOL. https://preview.redd.it/c2by7r2memuc1.png?width=176&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec9c28e91fc714174be7ca551953056afe2ef13a What is the Flower of Life? https://preview.redd.it/iwv406hvemuc1.png?width=309&format=png&auto=webp&s=5b1b2b1562d2d2220e915ed5d29d023db1d59f85 The Flower of Life is a name for a geometrical figure composed of multiple evenly-spaced, overlapping circles. This figure, used as a decorative motif since ancient times, forms a flower-like pattern with the symmetrical structure of a hexagon. It has been helped into common knowledge by the new age authors such as Drunvalo Melchizedek. Figures as prominent as Leonardo da Vinci ascribed significance to the Flower of Life and three similar symbols, called the “Egg of Life,” the “Fruit of Life,” the “Seed of Life. These figures have historically been considered symbols of sacred geometry, with some authors asserting that they represent ancient spiritual beliefs, and that they depict fundamental aspects of space and time Melchizedek claims that Metatron’s Cube may be derived from the Flower of Life pattern, and that the Platonic solids within it were "thought to act as a template from which all life springs.” https://preview.redd.it/zlfm3ko1fmuc1.png?width=226&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7c9de0f6a09410a042b60193ed4404db0ac0ed8 Leonardo da Vinci has studied the Flower of Life’s form and its mathematical properties. He has drawn the Flower of Life itself, as well as components therein, such as the Seed of Life. He has drawn geometric figures representing shapes such as the platonic solids, a sphere, a torus, etc., and has also used the golden ratio of phi in his artwork; all of which may be derived from the Flower of Life design. https://preview.redd.it/frxug9q5fmuc1.png?width=230&format=png&auto=webp&s=c5e88bcc66c03f5bd78218022fd755b40317440e The Metatronic Distortion & Flower of Life The family known to many as Metatron is a ‘fallen angelic collective’ out of an entity. Many millions of your Earth years ago this collective was faced with a decision that ultimately lead to their demise. As a collective they chose to separate from Source light and as such this decision is known as ‘The Fall’ by which the beings are no longer connected to and receiving the flow of eternal source light, therefore altering their Kryst Code encryption configuration of perpetual motion and eternal life supply and breaking their link with God-Source infinite energy supply. Since the modified coding (metatronic) can not receive any more energy directly from Source, only a limited supply of energy remains within its own shield template functioning as a black-hole-system which forces it to suck energy from other systems and progressively self consumes, therefore, has a Finite Life. The collective made a decision that it would use its knowledge of Primal Creation Physics, and that it would take over this Time Matrix. As long as they were able to feed off of something else that had its life force connection to Source, they wouldn’t go into implosion (molecular compaction). They were able to create a way of feeding energy out of this time matrix to supply and fuel their Time Matrix. These “feedlines” moving energies off planet have clustered and created multiple infections in the Universe and all throughout this Planetary Time Matrix. They do this through the manipulation of the reversed bi-wave polarity fields and rotation of the electron particle, by forcing the energy flow in disproportionate channels that feed their intended source. This has created much damage in our nervous system, planetary brain and earthly kingdoms. One level of this damage is to aggressively age the human bodies in a process of molecular decay which is the result of the compaction and reversals in the planetary field. Altering the precise Krist Code encryption configuration of perpetual motion and eternal life breaks the link with God-Source infinite energy supply. Since the modified coding can not receive any more energy directly from Source only a LIMITED SUPPLY of energy remains within its own shield template functioning as a black hole system that has to suck energy from other systems and progressively self consumes, therefore, has a Finite Life. This is the Metatronic (Anti-Christiac) Code Configuration (Reverse Mutation) and unfortunately for anybody who seeks true self master and empowerment, or ascension into eternal life spirals, this is a seriously abundant problem in the spiritual movements these days. The fallen, finite geometries are the main tools they use to fuel and feed their systems through the encryption of inorganic architecture. The flower of life is an encrypted reversed code that begins with a phase locked Divine Trinity symbol; it is phase locked because it is disconnected from the energy of Source via the Unified Field – and will never be an Eternal expression. The flower of life grows one sphere of energy at a time and not via energy quantum building of the Divine Trinity; it grows via consuming energy from the planet. The over-lapping circles (as much as it all fits nicely together), only capture and entrap your love/light energy. There is nothing Sacred about it. The real Sacred Geometry is found elsewhere, like Fibonacci, and in Marko Rodin’s work, and deeper, electromagnetics for just one example. End of part 1. |
2024.04.10 14:31 CurrentlyInOrbit How much social life am I missing out on by not turning 21 until graduation?
Title. Kind of a silly question I know. The path I took so far means I won’t be 21 until the late spring of senior year, how much will I miss out on by not being able to go out to bars? Yes, I know I can make friends who stay in, and yes, I know bars are expensive, loud, overrated -insert negative adjective- but I’m just a silly college student with a fear of fomo. Most bars in my area are 21+, I’m absolutely not risking a fake id, and majority of my current friends will want to go downtown once they turn 21 (about a year earlier than me). Yes it’s the consequences of my own actions since I could have been the same age as my peers but I’m super happy with how my life is going, this is just a superficial complaint haha. Partying isn’t something we do super frequently since we’re all engineering majors swamped with work, but we like to have fun and I’ll be sad if I can’t partake. Also any times for overcoming fomo much appreciated.
submitted by CurrentlyInOrbit to college [link] [comments]
2024.04.10 12:00 DavidinFez VIRGIL Aeneid Book 1, 8-22 Lesson 2
 | A lesson on lines 8-22 from the introduction of the Aeneid. For lesson 1 (lines 1-7) I’ll put a link in the comments. submitted by DavidinFez to latin [link] [comments] I will post my recitation and translation in a few days on my YouTube channel (David Amster). Mūsa, mihī causās memorā, quō nūmine laesō, quidve dolēns, rēgīna deum tot volvere cāsūs īnsīgnem pietāte virum, tot adīre labōrēs impulerit. Tantaene animīs caelestibus īrae? Urbs antīqua fuit, Tyriī tenuēre colōnī, Karthāgō, Ītaliam contrā Tiberīnaque longē ōstia, dīves opum studiīsque asperrima bellī, quam Iūnō fertur terrīs magis omnibus ūnam posthabitā coluisse Samō; hīc illius arma, hīc currus fuit; hoc rēgnum dea gentibus esse, sī quā Fāta sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque. Prōgeniem sed enim Trōiānō ā sanguine dūcī audierat, Tyriās olim quae verteret arcēs; hinc populum lātē rēgem bellōque superbum ventūrum excidiō Libyae: sīc volvere Parcās. VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR: “Mūsa, mihī causās memorā” Mūsa: Muse; there were nine Muses; here it’s Calliope, the patron goddess of heroic poetry; vocative. Compare the beginning of the Odyssey and the Iliad: “Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full many ways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy.” “Sing the wrath, Goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans.” memorā: remind, recount, relate, tell; imperative. mihī: to me; dative causās: the causes, the reasons; accusative pl. “quō nūmine laesō” quō: what; ablative sing neut. nūmine: divine will, command; divinity, deity, god; ablative laesō: having been offended, violated, wounded; perfect passive participle in ablative absolute, “ what divine command/deity having been offended”, “because of what aspect of her divinity having been offended”. “quidve dolēns” -ve: or dolēns: being displeased, angry, feeling indignation; nomin. sing present participle. quid: at what; acc. sing neut. “rēgīna deum impulerit virum īnsīgnem pietāte volvere tot cāsūs, adīre tot labōrēs” rēgīna: the queen, Juno; nom. sing. deum = deorum; of the gods; gen. pl. This gen. pl ending is very common in poetry. impulerit: forced, compelled, drove, pushed; 3rd p sing perfect subjunctive, indirect question. (impello) virum: a man; acc. sing. īnsīgnem: renowned, distinguished, remarkable; acc sing. (insignis) pietāte: for his loyalty and devotion to his family, the gods, and country; ablative sing (pietas) volvere: to live through, experience, endure, suffer; infinitive. tot: so many cāsūs: hardships, misfortunes, dangers, perils; accusative pl. adīre: to encounter, undergo; infinitive (adeo) tot: so many labōrēs: hardships, difficulties, dangers, misfortunes; acc. pl. “Tantaene īrae (sunt) animīs caelestibus?” -ne: introduces a question (sunt): are, are there; understood tantae: such great, so great; nom. pl. īrae: feelings of anger, wrath, rage, hatred, resentment; nom pl. animīs: in the minds; dative of possession caelestibus: celestial, heavenly, divine, of the gods; dative pl. “Urbs antīqua fuit, Tyriī tenuēre colōnī, Karthāgō” fuit: there was; 3rd p sing perfect. antīqua: (an) ancient; Carthage was actually founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC, about 300 years after the Trojan war! urbs: city; nom. sing fem. Tyriī: Tyrian, Phoenician, of Tyre; nom pl masc. Tyre is a city in Lebanon. colōnī: settlers, colonists; nom pl. tenuēre = tenuerunt; held, inhabited, ruled; 3rd p pl perfect. Karthāgō: Carthage; nom sing. “Ītaliam contrā Tiberīnaque longē…ōstia” contrā: in front of, across from, opposite; in opposition to; note how the preposition is after the noun. “Contra” seems to imply it was physically across from, but also the enemy of Rome and Italy. Ītaliam: Italy; acc. sing. Note the juxtaposition of Karthago and Italiam. -que: and ōstia: the shores; acc pl neut after “contra”. Tiberīna: of the Tiber; acc pl neut. longē: at a distance, far, far off; an adverb. Note how “ostia” being on the next line and the lack of “elision” (longe…ostia) emphasizes the distance. “dīves opum studiīsque asperrima bellī” dīves: rich; nom. sing fem adjective w/ Karthago. opum: in resources, power, lit. “of resources”; gen pl fem. -que: and asperrima: very (most) fierce, cruel, formidable; nom sing fem superlative of asper. studiīs: in its pursuits, zeal, desires, endeavors; ablative pl neut (studium) bellī: of war; gen sing. “quam ūnam magis omnibus terrīs Iūnō fertur coluisse Samō posthabitā” quam: which; acc sing fem ref. to Karthago. ūnam: alone; acc sing fem. magis: more; adverb omnibus: than all; ablative of comparison, pl fem. terrīs: lands, countries; abl of comp. pl fem. Iūnō: Juno; nom sing. fertur: is said, is reported; 3rd p sing passive (fero) coluisse: to have cared for, cherished, loved; perfect infinitive (colo) Samō: Samos, an island near Ephesus in Asia Minor, a center of the worship of Juno, her birthplace and site of a very famous temple. Ablative absolute. (Samos). posthabitā: having been placed after, having been esteemed less; perfect passive participle, ablative absolute: “Even Samos having been put in second place” “hīc illius arma, hīc currus fuit” hīc: here; probably Carthage (sunt/fuerunt): are/were illius: “Iunonis”, her, Juno’s; gen. sing fem. arma: armor, weapons; nom pl neut. hīc: here fuit: was; 3rd p sing perfect currus: (her) chariot; nom sing masc; refers to relics preserved in her temple. “hoc esse rēgnum gentibus, sī quā Fāta sinant, iam tum dea tenditque fovetque” hoc: fothat this (city, refering to Carthage); acc sing neut subject of infinitive; it’s neuter because of proximity to “regnum”. esse: to be, be; infinitive with tendit and fovet rēgnum: the ruling power, the royal authority; acc. sing neut. gentibus; over nations; dative pl. sī: if quā (viā): in any way; ablative Fāta: the fates, the godesses that determine the will of the gods; nom neut pl. Note that the Fates are more powerful than Juno. sinant: would allow it; 3rd p pl subjunctive. iam: already tum: then dea: the goddess; nom sing. tendit: endeavors, designs, intends; 3rd p sing. present used, instead of the past, for vividness. -que….. que: and; the repetition is a feature of epic poetry. fovet: cherishes, hopes, longs for, desires; 3rd p sing present. “sed enim audierat prōgeniem dūcī ā Trōiānō sanguine” sed enim: but indeed audierat = audiverat: she had heard; 3rd p sing pluperfect. prōgeniem: (that) a race, lineage; acc sing fem subject of infinitive in indirect statement. dūcī: was being derived, was springing from, was descended; present passive infinitive. ā: from; plus ablative. Trōiānō: Trojan; ablative sing. sanguine: blood; ablative sing. “quae olim verteret Tyriās arcēs” quae: which, ref. to progeniem; nom sing fem. olim: one day verteret: would overturn; 3rd p sing imperfect subjunctive. Tyriās: the Tyrian (Carthaginian); acc pl fem. arcēs: citadels, strongholds, fortresses, palaces; acc pl fem. (arx) “(audierat) hinc populum lātē rēgem bellōque superbumventūrum (esse) excidiō Libyae” (audierat): she had heard, understood from the previous sentence. hinc: (that) from here (the race from Trojan blood) populum: a people; acc sing neut subject of infinitive in ind. statement. rēgem: ruling, the noun being used as a participle, regentem; acc sing masc. lātē: widely, far and wide -que: and superbum: proud, arrogant, fierce, mighty; acc sing neut. w/ populum. bellō: in war; ablative sing neut. ventūrum (esse): was going to come; future active infinitive excidiō: for the destruction, ruin, overthrow; dative of purpose (excidium) Libyae: for Libya (especially Carthage); dative object of excidio. “sīc volvere Parcās” sīc: thus Parcās: the Parcae, the Fates; acc. pl fem subject of infinitive in ind statement w/ audierat understood. volvere: were ordaining, decreeing, fixing a series of revolving events; infinitive in indirect statement; note the repetition of the word from line 9. PRONUNCIATION (I’ve marked the stress with an apostrophe before the stressed syllable): mūsa, mihī causās ‘memorā, quō ‘nūmine laesō, quidve dolē(n)s, Rē’gīna deuN tot ‘volvere cāsūs ī(n)’sīŋgneM pie’tāte viruN, tot a’dīre la’bōrēs im’pulerit. tan’taen(e) ‘animīs cae’lestibus īrae? uRbs an’tīqua fuit, ‘tyriī tenu’ēre co’lōnī, kaR’THāg(ō), ī’taliaNG contrā tibe’rīnaque loŋgē ‘ōstia, dīves opu(m) studi’īsqu(e) as’peRRima beLLī, qua(m) Iūnō feRtuR teRRīs magis ‘omnibus ūna(m) post’habitā colu’iSSe samō; hīc ‘iLLius aRma, hīc cuRRus fuit; hoc RēŋgnuN dea ‘gentibus eSSe, sī quā fāta sinant, iaN tuN ten’ditque fo’vetque. prō’genie(m) sed eniN tRō’iān(ō) ā ‘saŋguine dūcī au’dierat, ‘tyriās oliNG quae ‘veRteret aRcēs; hinc ‘populu(m) lātē rēgeM beL’Lōque su’peRbu(m) ven’tūr(um) ex’cidiō ‘libyae: sīc ‘volvere paRcās. |
2024.04.07 18:28 sdrawkcabsihtdaeru A Poem about Ćećnoq̇am, the New Flowers Season/Ey beuĆećnoq̇amnen Doỹsec
Ey ǔćiṁiz paycodidū ĩbdjexdi E rqdiūens nãjy beṡy p seży seuPorzsiṁiżin e zẽuḍ zarzk Ćećnoq̇am apckomsej
A rainbow fell into the valley And colored it orange, red and green, So full of colors and life because New Flowers Season has come here
A ribbon of color fall.past.3inanNOM(1)* in.to.valley.the
And color.past.3inanNOM(1).3inanACC(2) orange.adv** red.adv and green.adv
so.full.from.color.PL and life.conceptSPEC† from.reason.that
Flower.new.season is.3nbNOM‡.come.hereACC
submitted by sdrawkcabsihtdaeru to conlangs [link] [comments]
A rainbow fell into the valley And colored it orange, red and green, So full of colors and life because New Flowers Season has come here
What is New Flowers Season?
Zũm has 2 types of seasons, the syz and the heqam. There are 4 syżin, which correspond to spring summer fall and winter, but 8 heqaṁin, each with different lengths that correspond to natural phenomena in my area. These include the Cold Rain Season, the Hot Rain Season, Spider Season etc. A post on syżin and heqaṁin can be found here.Formal (doesn't rhyme):
ej wʊt.ˌsɪm.mɪz ˈpaj.ˌʃo.dɪ.duː ˌɪ̃.bə.ˈdʒæʔ.dɪ ɛ ˈrŋ̍.dɪ.ˌuː.ɛns ˈnã.ʒi ˈbæs.si pʼ ˈsæz.zi sɛw.ˌpo.rz̩.ˈsɪm.mɪz.zɪn ɛ zɛ̃ʊdː z̩.arz.kʼ ˈtsɛt.sə.ˌnoŋ.ŋam ɛwʃ.kom.sɛʒInformal spoken (doesn't rhyme):
ej wʊt.ˌsɪm.mɪz ˈpaj.ˌʃodʒ.du ˌɪ̃.bə.ˈdʒæʔ.dʒə ɛ ˈrə.ŋə.ˌdʒu.wɛns ˈnãʒː ˈbæʃ.ʃɪ pʼ ˈsæʒ.ʒɪ sou.ˌpo.ʐə.ˈsɪm.mɪz.zɪn ɛ zõũd ᵊ zaʐ.kʼ ˈtsɛt.sə.ˌnoŋ.ŋam oʃ.kom.seʒWith the liberties of song:
ej wʊt.ˌsɪm.mɪz ˈpaj.ˌʃodʒ.du ˌɪ̃.bə.ˈdʒæʔ.dʒə ɛ ˈrə.ŋə.ˌdʒu.ɛns ˈnãʒː ˈbæʃ.ʃə͡ p ˈsæʒː sou.ˌpo.ʐə.ˈsɪm.mɪz.zɪn ɛ zõũd zaʐ.kə ˈtsɛt.sə.ˌnoŋ.ŋam oʃ.kom.sæʒA ribbon of color fall.past.3inanNOM(1)* in.to.valley.the
And color.past.3inanNOM(1).3inanACC(2) orange.adv** red.adv and green.adv
so.full.from.color.PL and life.conceptSPEC† from.reason.that
Flower.new.season is.3nbNOM‡.come.hereACC
- Pluripersonal head marking ** Since the colors refer to how the valley was colored, they have -y adverb suffixes rather than -x adjective † Concepts have 2 suffixes: -igy for the general concept and -uḍ for specific cases. So when saying happiness is important, you would say caligy vihý eū, but saying my happiness is important would be caluḍ'm vihý eū. ‡ Certain natural forces such as the moon, fire, heqaṁin, etc. are treated as genderless people grammatically rather than inanimate objects
2024.03.27 18:44 ExcursorLXVI On Profanity
(This post does not itself include any profanity.)
I've done some thinking on the topic of what is commonly called swearing. To start off, I do not use profanity myself; I am exploring this question out of curiosity, not a desire to justify my own behavior.
So, the central question is: Is swearing sinful of itself?
I first need to figure out what swearing is. And for that, I need to define my terms. For the purpose of this post, "swearing" or "profanity" is using generally considered impolite. My rule of thumb is: Would parents that don't take an open approach to swearing want to hear it from their kids? If not, it's probably swearing.
The second part of the question is "of itself." What I mean here is that the question is whether the act of swearing is sinful absent other factors. For example, swearing that is done to demean another, or in defiance of the directives of legitimate authority, or other such acts that are sinful for reasons more than the fact that the speech is swearing are beyond the scope of this post.
Now, with that outlined, I believe it best to go through different categories of swearing to start off.
Comments on these points are especially appreciated.
I think it is acceptable to use excremental terminology in principle; any sins that arises is for being impolite or rude in general in a context in which it is wrong. (And there are definitely contexts where it isn't--teasing between friends, punctuating a point in an informal environment.)
Much the same can be said of the posterior, with exception to where an indecent attitude is intended.
The exact word used here is translated differently according to the version. Perhaps someone with more expertise in the source languages could weigh in here.
The best defense I have is that this presupposes that the language called swearing falls in the category of "evil," "corrupting," etc.
The speech is contrasted not with polite language but with encouraging speech. This suggests Paul's intention is not to condemn swearing but to condemn speech that discourages others and puts them down.
I conjecture that the "cursing" referenced here refers to actual calling down of curses rather than the use of profanity. This is supported by the way it is used transitively (that is, with an object: human beings), while "cursing" meaning "profanity" is normally used intransitively.
submitted by ExcursorLXVI to Catholicism [link] [comments]
I've done some thinking on the topic of what is commonly called swearing. To start off, I do not use profanity myself; I am exploring this question out of curiosity, not a desire to justify my own behavior.
So, the central question is: Is swearing sinful of itself?
I first need to figure out what swearing is. And for that, I need to define my terms. For the purpose of this post, "swearing" or "profanity" is using generally considered impolite. My rule of thumb is: Would parents that don't take an open approach to swearing want to hear it from their kids? If not, it's probably swearing.
The second part of the question is "of itself." What I mean here is that the question is whether the act of swearing is sinful absent other factors. For example, swearing that is done to demean another, or in defiance of the directives of legitimate authority, or other such acts that are sinful for reasons more than the fact that the speech is swearing are beyond the scope of this post.
Now, with that outlined, I believe it best to go through different categories of swearing to start off.
The use of the names of holy persons or things, especially that of God.
Unfortunately, society generally does not consider this to be really swearing, but this definitely deserves a place on my list. I think most of us can agree that this is definitely not acceptable. I would even venture to say it should be, when done intentionally, considered worse than any of the other categories or even the worst obscenities man can conjure. Using any of these as common exclamations go against the dignity these figures possess.References to hell
This is a difficult one. On one hand, hell is not to be taken lightly. On the other, hell is the very opposite of holy. At the very least, references to hell that express a desire for someone to go there are definitely unacceptable. Others are a gray area. Censored references to it ("heck") that do not express a desire for someone to go there are a lighter gray area.Comments on these points are especially appreciated.
References to the marital act
These are unacceptable for the same reason as section 1. Catholicism greatly esteems marriage as a sacrament. To use it as a common exclamation insults the dignity it deserves.Excrement and the posterior
Here we have a category where I cannot find a reason to condemn. It would be absurd to suggest excrement has a dignity like any of the above things, or a seriousness like that of eternal fire. Rather, it is excrement.I think it is acceptable to use excremental terminology in principle; any sins that arises is for being impolite or rude in general in a context in which it is wrong. (And there are definitely contexts where it isn't--teasing between friends, punctuating a point in an informal environment.)
Much the same can be said of the posterior, with exception to where an indecent attitude is intended.
Pre-emptive Responses
There are a few responses I think I might see that I want to give my replies to first.Ephesians 4:29
Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. (RSV-CE)By far, I think, the strongest objection.
The exact word used here is translated differently according to the version. Perhaps someone with more expertise in the source languages could weigh in here.
The best defense I have is that this presupposes that the language called swearing falls in the category of "evil," "corrupting," etc.
The
James 3:9-12
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh. (RSV-CE)Again, I would appreciate commentary from someone who knows Greek.
I conjecture that the "cursing" referenced here refers to actual calling down of curses rather than the use of profanity. This is supported by the way it is used transitively (that is, with an object: human beings), while "cursing" meaning "profanity" is normally used intransitively.
Conclusion
I am not particularly attached to the position I have here--as I said, I do not myself swear. I welcome--indeed request--that people critique what I have put together. I hope that this post and its comments may lead to greater understanding for myself and all who read it.2024.03.23 17:58 inaramoonu What does this mean?
 | submitted by inaramoonu to EnglishLearning [link] [comments] |
2024.03.22 06:29 qiumo_talk 关于灰熊球员的绰号 Grizzlies players’ nickname in US & China
 | 终于到这个主题了。 submitted by qiumo_talk to memphisgrizzlies [link] [comments] 我认为球员绰号是体育文化中非常有趣的部分，因为它杂糅了发音、长相、球风、流行文化梗等等诸多因素。一些昵称入乡随俗在中国流行，一些则具备浓厚的本地色彩。 我知道中国/中文相比英语理解更加困难，适用性也很有限，但这仍然是一个有趣的话题。这个帖子里我希望和来自全世界的（不仅仅是中国和美国，还有全世界其他国家的灰熊球迷）讨论灰熊球员的绰号。我们一定能有所收获。 Finally arrived at this topic. I think player nicknames are a very interesting part of sports culture because they combine pronunciation, appearance, style of play, pop culture memes, and many other factors. Some nicknames are popular in China, while others have a strong local flavor. I know Chinese is more difficult to understand than English and has limited applicability, but it's still an interesting topic. In this post, I hope to discuss the nicknames of Grizzlies players with Grizzlies fans from all over the world (not just China and the US, but also Grizzlies fans from other countries around the world). We will definitely gain something. · 贾 · 莫兰特 Ja Morant我不知道他在美国叫什么，似乎在转播里大家只叫他“JA”。我听到Mike Breen曾把他的扣篮称之为“Ja Jam"，不过这个在中国几乎没人知道。莫兰特在中国有几个较为知名的昵称。第一是”腰王（core Ja）“，这是莫兰特本人知道且选择的中文绰号。这个绰号来自于莫兰特惊人的核心力量、滞空能力、能完成各种神奇离谱的拉杆。你可以在中国解说员嘴里经常听到这个词。 I don't know what his name is in US. It seems that in the broadcast everyone just calls him "JA". I heard Mike Breen once call his dunk "Ja Jam", but almost no one in China knows this. Morant has several well-known nicknames in China. The first is "Core Ja", which is a Chinese nickname that Morant himself knows and chooses. This nickname comes from his amazing core strength, ability to stay in the air, and ability to complete all kinds of magical and outrageous layups. You can hear this word often in the mouths of Chinese commentators. https://preview.redd.it/ad268svkitpc1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fca5a94287211bd2b86984961ddd12595f36949 在莫兰特持枪之后，他多了一个新绰号”枪王“，来自于著名游戏英雄联盟的角色卢锡安。因为持枪在中国是一个相当陌生的公共话题（中国禁止公民持枪），因此这是一个调侃性的绰号，并衍生出很多相关的表情包。 After Morant held two guns, he got a new nickname "gun king", which comes from the character Lucian in the famous game League of Legends. Because gun ownership is a fairly unfamiliar public topic in China (China prohibits citizens from owning guns), this is a teasing nickname, which has spawned many related memes. https://preview.redd.it/8zw945pujtpc1.png?width=690&format=png&auto=webp&s=454636dd57270ce3af68f8d2a7c780618cf77790 https://preview.redd.it/5mbmtn98evpc1.png?width=1211&format=png&auto=webp&s=47c7a7ce62b4662f86c421049a30dee019c4682e · 小贾伦 · 杰克逊 Jaren Jackson Jr.我喜欢”黑豹“这个绰号，但在中国没人这么叫。大家习惯叫他”三勾“”JJJ“或者”山鸡“，只因为他的名字里有太多字母J。”山鸡“是”三J“的谐音，并非指真正的野鸡。I like the nickname "Block Panther", but no one calls him that in China. People are used to calling him "Three J", "JJJ" or "Pheasant" just because there are too many letters "J" in his name. "Pheasant" is the homophonic pronunciation of "三J" and does not refer to a real pheasant. · 戴斯蒙德 · 贝恩 Desmond Bane他在美国似乎没有绰号，但在中国大家叫他”霸王龙“。因为他过于粗壮但短的上肢。这个昵称非常可爱，贝恩在中国是一个非常受人喜爱的球员。He doesn't seem to have a nickname in US, but in China everyone calls him "Tyrannosaurus Rex." Because he has too thick but short wingspans. The nickname is very cute and DB is a very popular player in China. https://preview.redd.it/1y81sgd2ntpc1.jpg?width=5803&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b85d97bd72218ca812357404654e08df2ee10a9 · 马库斯 · 斯马特 Marcus Smart斯马特在中国比较流行的绰号有”司马钢“”钢哥“。后者和前者是一个意思，只是后者更加亲切。”司马钢“源自一个中国流行文化梗，出处是1989年中国春节联欢晚会的小品《英雄母亲的一天》。”司马光“原是中国北宋时期著名文学家和政治家，据传曾在小时候用石头砸烂盛满水的大缸救出同伴，这是中国流传千年的寓言故事之一；在1989年春晚中，著名表演艺术家赵丽蓉饰演的角色假装嘴瓢，把”司马光砸缸“说成了”司马缸砸光“，这成为中国家喻户晓的小品台词之一。 在斯马特进入NBA之后，因为其中文名”斯马“和”司马“同音，且早期投篮命中率低下、一直在”打铁“，因此得名。 Marcus Smart's more popular nicknames in China include "Sima Gang" and "Brother Gang". The latter has the same meaning as the former, but the latter is more intimate. "Sima Gang" originated from a Chinese pop culture meme, which originated from the sketch A Day of the Heroic Mother at the 1989 Chinese New Year Gala. "Sima Guang" was originally a famous writer and politician in China's Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960-1127). It is said that when he was a child, he smashed a large vat full of water with a stone to rescue his companions. This is one of the fables that has been passed down in China for thousands of years; in the 1989 Spring Festival Gala , the character played by the famous performing artist Zhao Lirong (1928-2000) pretended to be tongue-tied and said "Sima Guang smashed the Gang" instead of "Sima Gang smashed the Guang", which became one of the well-known sketch lines in China. “gang” has same pronunciation as “steel” in Chinese, which also strengthen the impression for Smart’s bad shootingAfter Smart entered the NBA, he got the nickname because his Chinese name "斯马 Sima" has the same pronunciation as "司马 Sima", and his early shooting percentage was low. https://preview.redd.it/w8aiwjr55vpc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=130b052bd278b782f13c1f822be4731d456faf1c · 桑蒂 · 阿尔达马 Santi Aldama可能是本sub最广为人知的昵称之一：二大妈。”二大妈“和他的中文名”阿尔达马“谐音。考虑到他作为7尺内线糟糕的对抗能力、狡猾的小动作和偏软的球风，这个原本只是谐音的昵称在涵义上也很合适。 Probably one of the most well-known nicknames of this sub: Second Aunt. "二大妈 Second Aunt" is homophonic to his Chinese name "阿尔达马 Aldama". Considering his poor confrontation ability, cunning little moves and soft style of play as a 7-foot big guy, this nickname, which was originally just a homophone, is also very suitable in meaning. · 卢克 · 肯纳德 Luke Kennard肯纳德的中文绰号是”肯秃“……😞His nickname is Baldy Ken… I love Luke, but sorry.… https://preview.redd.it/6rxlh7537vpc1.png?width=291&format=png&auto=webp&s=9d5a848044c5d8346d836227d8134c7bd7505662 · 约翰 · 康查尔 John Konchar他的绰号是”康师傅“，来自于中国最著名的同名方便面品牌。His nickname is "Master Kong", which is China's most famous instant noodles brand of the same name. https://preview.redd.it/6vu4k2ym7vpc1.jpg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28d267b42f5feb49f5d725a04b362fcc710b89df 如果你曾经来过中国，你可以在任何一家商店看到它。我猜测球迷用”师傅“去形容他的原因是他看上去成熟老实。 If you have ever been to China, you can see it in any store. I guess the reason fans use "master" to describe him is because he looks mature and honest. · 扎伊尔 · 威廉姆斯 Ziaire Williams很遗憾，他是原来”锋线三废“的一员。他的另一个绰号是”水宝“，原因是他经常举着水杯；而在中文中，”水“做形容词时的意思是”差劲“。It's a pity that he is one of the original "Three Trash Forward". His another nickname is "Water baby" because he often holds a glass of water; in Chinese, "water" as an adjective means "poor performance". https://preview.redd.it/3dv8k9lq9vpc1.png?width=1365&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d4cff9f5d4fd5aa06db2306353f6462d107ff99 https://preview.redd.it/8hed2azr9vpc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=f7b7926d8ceda7d0b9ef0cf8ed05645f3a9e2e9c · 杰克 · 拉拉维亚 Jake LaRavia和扎威一样是”锋线三废“的一员。他的绰号是”拉拉“，”拉“在中文里用作形容词同样是”搞砸“。Like Z, he is a member of the "Three Trash Forward". His nickname is "La La", and "拉 La" is also used as an adjective in Chinese to mean "poor performance". · 德里克 · 罗斯 Derrick Rose拥有最好的球星昵称之一：风城玫瑰。One of the best nicknames in China : Windy City Rose 🌹 你还想知道谁的昵称？请在评论区告诉我。 Whose nickname do you still want to know? Please tell me in the comments. |
2024.03.12 09:54 HeavilyWaffled The Complete Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things
Thanks a ton to any of you Redditors who contributed to this monster of an item, any card suggested by one of you has been credited below.
The Deck assumes that the order the cards are listed is equivalent to their value, so if you draw a 2, that equates to the top card in the suit.
The Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things is a magic item of legend, storied to have plagued the world’s greatest adventurers for centuries, appearing to them unpredictably at some point during their questing. Should any adventurer attempt to discard or destroy this deck of cards, it reappears randomly throughout their adventures until they take it once more.
To any and all forms of magic, this deck of cards identifies as a Deck of Many Things. To any attempt to identify this item by any other means, it is identified as the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things
Any time a card is drawn, it bursts into flame ten seconds later, reduced to ash within moments, unless its effects would require it to exist longer, or it is otherwise stated.
Any card that is drawn may not be returned to the deck.
CLUBS
The Hermit: A tiny hut appears with a deranged forest dweller living inside of it accompanied by a platoon of red squirrels. He will serve the party mushroom soup and regale them of his years spent inside extra dimensional wilderness all alone. If angered, he and (1d12) squirrels will drive the party out of sight from the shelter. ⁃ u/brightgoldsoul
The Playwright: Upon drawing this card the party is immediately beset by a caravan of players, jesters and other performers, who will insistently try to entertain them for a period of one hour.
Teleportation: Upon drawing this card, a random creature within 20 feet of the one casting it, teleports 5 feet in a random direction.
The Liar: For the next 24 hours, any time you use an adjective, it is replaced with a random adjective selected by the DM.
The Fiend: An imp appears in a burst of smoke, kicks you in the shin, then vanishes. ⁃ u/astonishingantman
The Learned: You gain 1xp.
7 of clubs: This card does not disintegrate.
Wishful Thinking: You may make 1 wish, the wish must be made within 20 seconds of drawing this card, the time spent reading this card - though that may seem obvious to state - included. Your DM has probably already started counting since you drew, so I’d recommend you stop reading it and just use the wish already. Depending on how quickly you read, the time might already be up. This card has no effect on whether or not your wish comes true. This card only burns after the twenty seconds have passed.
The Stick: 5 sticks of almost, but not quite the same length appear on the ground in front of you.
The Void: This black card spells disaster. Your consciousness is drawn from your body and contained in a cold, dark void. While your consciousness is trapped in this way, your body remains incapacitated. In other words, you fall asleep. A wish spell cannot restore your consciousness, but pretty much any kind of loud noise or forceful nudge can. ⁃ u/Forever_Pandering
Shuffle: You must shuffle the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things.
Time-Warp: Time immediately reverts to the moment before you drew this card, unless this is the final card in the deck, in which case the card does not reverse time, and it disappears, teleporting to somewhere random anywhere across the world. The deck is then replenished to the full 52 cards.
Pain: You take a single point of damage. The pain is forever burned into your memory, and no matter what you will never forget that you felt this extremely minor pain. Remembering this damage has no adverse effects, you just remember that it happened.
DIAMONDS
The Grim: Summons a black dog to an unoccupied space within 10ft of you. It wants nothing more than to kill you. It is a tiny puppy and lasts long enough to make a single attack that does 1d4-3 damage. ⁃ u/dArksHard22
The Disinterested: Upon drawing this card, you can speak to any single animal, but it has absolutely no interest in speaking to you and will all but completely ignore you. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Torment: For the next 24 hours, you always feel like you are just about to sneeze. For this time, however, you are unable to sneeze. ⁃ u/Bebgab
+2: At some point in the future, (by DM’s discretion) you will draw two more cards. You may only know what one of them is. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Loaf of Bread: There is literally a loaf of bread in the deck. How you didn’t notice this before, you have no idea. Also, it’s stale. ⁃ u/UmbramonOrSomething
The Sheath: Whenever you sheathe a blade, for the rest of your life, you, and only you, hear faint gutteral choking noises. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
Good Tidings: After drawing this card, the next person you encounter (not present for the drawing) will have had a very lucky day and wants nothing more than to express their good fortune. ⁃ u/zCiver
The Hero: This card transforms into a sword that, to the perception of the person who drew the card, is a Holy Avenger. The sword is actually completely ordinary, functions as such, and appears that way to every other creature who perceives it. If the person tries to attack an enemy with the sword, have them roll damage as if they attacked with a nonmagical longsword. ⁃ u/Greencloak91
Cups: Whenever they who drew the card goes to drink for the next 24 hours, the first mouthful of their beverage gets spilled onto their face and shirt ⁃ u/jesrad
The Mint: All your gold and silver coinage is turned to Electrum of equivalent value. Any leftover coins become an equivalent number of copper coins. ⁃ u/Xyonai
The Dot: You gain the permanent spell-like ability to make a single 1-inch diameter colored dot appear on a flat surface you can see. You can use this ability at will. ⁃ u/arcticfox740
The Influencer: A bleached blond woman appears who absolutely has to tell you why she's obsessed with some random, useless item (like a hair comb) or ridiculous "food hack" (like putting too much salt on anything) and will not stop doing so for 1d4+1 minutes and disappears only when she's finished. ⁃ u/tmphaedrus13
The Chariot: Until another card is drawn, every vehicle and/or mount ridden by the character who drew the card moves backwards. ⁃ u/Gordo_Daimon
SPADES
The Faces: Upon drawing this card, the next person you meet swears they must have met you before and stops conversation no less than 3 times to insist you have met somewhere before. You "must just have one of those faces." ⁃ u/_Valk
The Impostor: A simulacrum of the card drawer appears and, for one minute, mirrors the drawer's every movement. However, it does so with a mocking, sneering expression, as if making fun of them. ⁃ u/IrishTheMick
The Chalice: In front of you magically appears a holy grail. Not the holy grail, a. It is made of simple wood and holds no apparent magical properties. There is no indication who it is holy to. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Death: You experience le petit mort, in front of everyone ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Sentient: Once drawn this card will begin telepathically communicating with the drawer, begging for death. The card is indestructible. It can be stopped by replacing it and being at least 100 feet away for 1d4 days or by placing it next to the death card, in which case it will moan, then be silent. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Knight: You gain the service of a 4th level fighter who appears in a space you choose within 30 feet of you. The fighter is of the same race as you, and serves you loyally until death... Which they immediately fulfill by running recklessly into danger with their single hit point. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Biologist: A small pixie pops in the air next to you and narrates every action you undertake for the following hour as if making a nature documentary. If given attention she will turn invisible and continue her narration. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
The Universal Storage Bus: Treat a weapon or item like a real, modern-day USB jack, in that sheathing it or placing it anywhere does not work the first time. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Tower: The deck spontaneously arranges itself into a house of cards, then collapses. You feel compelled to pick up the cards and arrange them back into a neat deck. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Lock: You suddenly remember that you forgot to lock your door before leaving your house. ⁃ u/Gentleman_Muk
The Gambler: You may attempt to name a card within the Deck. If you are correct, the effect of that card immediately triggers. The card itself, however, remains within the deck.
The Living Room: Each time, for the next 24 hours, any attempt to sit or lay upon furniture causes that piece of furniture to scoot just far enough away that you are unable to. ⁃ u/Millworkson2008
The 3, 2, 1 of Wands: When you pull this card, it begins to count down. After reaching 0, a comically large cartoon explosion blasts you in the face, leaving you covered in soot with your hair blasted back and eyebrows singed off. The effect goes away in about six seconds. ⁃ u/IronTippedQuill
HEARTS
The Hanged Man: For the next 1d12 hours, you have the sensation of a hair caught in your throat. It does not affect your breathing. Attempts to dislodge it may worsen the effect. Any talking longer than a sentence requires you to pause and have a drink of water. ⁃ u/rehab212
The Hippopotamus: A Hippopotamus appears, nowhere near you, but you are certain in the knowledge that somewhere there is now a hippopotamus that never existed before. ⁃ u/asp400
Restlessness: Your pillow tonight will never have a cold side and will always be uncomfortably warm. ⁃ u/Calbha1
The Ship: For the next 24 hours any time you show something to someone else, they will just see a sailboat. ⁃ u/itrogue
The Bridge: The next time you find yourself needing to cross a river, a gorge, a chasm, or any other form of barrier a bridge may come in handy to cross, you will encounter a rope bridge, and an old man who will deny the drawer and any who accompany them passage unless each of them answers his three questions. The man will first ask your name, then he will ask your quest, and then he will ask for either your favourite colour, the name of the capital of Assyria, or the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. (The capital of Assyria is Assur, and the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 20-something miles an hour. Alternatively, when asked for the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow you may ask the bridgekeeper if he refers to an African or European swallow, in which case he will not know and will be launched into the sky) There are no negative effects of answering wrongly, the bridgekeeper will simply tell them they may not cross.
The Gnome - Upon drawing this card an ordinary gnome materializes in front of you. He is upset that you summoned him, and will either:
The Jester: A court jester appears, complete with motley and belled cap, and starts to tell you a "Knock-Knock" joke. If you don't answer "Who's there?" he continues asking "Knock Knock" louder and more angrily until he is right in your face screaming "KNOCK KNOCK" over and over. If he's attacked he disappears, but re-appears several hours later to start again. Once you answer "Who's there" he disappears, never to complete the joke.
The Fanfarre: A band of invisible pixies start following the card puller in secret. Whenever the card puller achieves victory - be it in battle, playing cards, crossing a river, being acknowledged, successfully flirting with a desired one, earning the title of Next In Line in a bank queue, successfully defeating constipation or any similar activity -, the invisible faerie band plays a joyful victory tune. ⁃ u/LichoOrigano
Skull: You summon an avatar of death within ten feet of you warning all others that you must battle alone. You must win a game of chess. If anyone tries to help you, Death gets really annoyed and tells them to "stop cheating!" Death isn't really good, and nothing happens regardless of who wins. ⁃ u/lordhegemon
Spring In Step - Every step player takes two dozen flowers of DMs choice suitable for terrain grow. Optionally includes grass if above ground. Optionally indoors grass still grows if indoors.
If player stops moving or sits down, the plants grow taller and after 1d12 minutes player cannot see over grass.
Lasts ten minutes plus 5d12 minutes. ⁃ u/CryptographerMedical
Cinderella: Small furry woodland creatures within 100’ of you become enamoured and will not leave you alone for 3d6 minutes. They chitter and squeak but Speak To Animals just determines they are saying things like “love”, “adore” and so on. These animals, beings enchanted, cannot be tamed/turned into familiars etc. and are of no other use. Any attempts to attack/capture/harm these animals causes them to turn into a swarm and must be dealt with as an enemy.
Wild Draw 4: You must draw four more cards from the deck. ⁃ u/daxophoneme
The Hobbit: You get copyright struck. Surrender the most recent gold piece you earned. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Once again, thanks to everyone who contributed, I sincerely hope y’all enjoy my stupidity.
And I beg you, if by some mistake you use this deck, please let me know how it went.
submitted by HeavilyWaffled to u/HeavilyWaffled [link] [comments]
The Deck assumes that the order the cards are listed is equivalent to their value, so if you draw a 2, that equates to the top card in the suit.
The Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things is a magic item of legend, storied to have plagued the world’s greatest adventurers for centuries, appearing to them unpredictably at some point during their questing. Should any adventurer attempt to discard or destroy this deck of cards, it reappears randomly throughout their adventures until they take it once more.
To any and all forms of magic, this deck of cards identifies as a Deck of Many Things. To any attempt to identify this item by any other means, it is identified as the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things
Any time a card is drawn, it bursts into flame ten seconds later, reduced to ash within moments, unless its effects would require it to exist longer, or it is otherwise stated.
Any card that is drawn may not be returned to the deck.
CLUBS
The Hermit: A tiny hut appears with a deranged forest dweller living inside of it accompanied by a platoon of red squirrels. He will serve the party mushroom soup and regale them of his years spent inside extra dimensional wilderness all alone. If angered, he and (1d12) squirrels will drive the party out of sight from the shelter. ⁃ u/brightgoldsoul
The Playwright: Upon drawing this card the party is immediately beset by a caravan of players, jesters and other performers, who will insistently try to entertain them for a period of one hour.
Teleportation: Upon drawing this card, a random creature within 20 feet of the one casting it, teleports 5 feet in a random direction.
The Liar: For the next 24 hours, any time you use an adjective, it is replaced with a random adjective selected by the DM.
The Fiend: An imp appears in a burst of smoke, kicks you in the shin, then vanishes. ⁃ u/astonishingantman
The Learned: You gain 1xp.
7 of clubs: This card does not disintegrate.
Wishful Thinking: You may make 1 wish, the wish must be made within 20 seconds of drawing this card, the time spent reading this card - though that may seem obvious to state - included. Your DM has probably already started counting since you drew, so I’d recommend you stop reading it and just use the wish already. Depending on how quickly you read, the time might already be up. This card has no effect on whether or not your wish comes true. This card only burns after the twenty seconds have passed.
The Stick: 5 sticks of almost, but not quite the same length appear on the ground in front of you.
The Void: This black card spells disaster. Your consciousness is drawn from your body and contained in a cold, dark void. While your consciousness is trapped in this way, your body remains incapacitated. In other words, you fall asleep. A wish spell cannot restore your consciousness, but pretty much any kind of loud noise or forceful nudge can. ⁃ u/Forever_Pandering
Shuffle: You must shuffle the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things.
Time-Warp: Time immediately reverts to the moment before you drew this card, unless this is the final card in the deck, in which case the card does not reverse time, and it disappears, teleporting to somewhere random anywhere across the world. The deck is then replenished to the full 52 cards.
Pain: You take a single point of damage. The pain is forever burned into your memory, and no matter what you will never forget that you felt this extremely minor pain. Remembering this damage has no adverse effects, you just remember that it happened.
DIAMONDS
The Grim: Summons a black dog to an unoccupied space within 10ft of you. It wants nothing more than to kill you. It is a tiny puppy and lasts long enough to make a single attack that does 1d4-3 damage. ⁃ u/dArksHard22
The Disinterested: Upon drawing this card, you can speak to any single animal, but it has absolutely no interest in speaking to you and will all but completely ignore you. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Torment: For the next 24 hours, you always feel like you are just about to sneeze. For this time, however, you are unable to sneeze. ⁃ u/Bebgab
+2: At some point in the future, (by DM’s discretion) you will draw two more cards. You may only know what one of them is. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Loaf of Bread: There is literally a loaf of bread in the deck. How you didn’t notice this before, you have no idea. Also, it’s stale. ⁃ u/UmbramonOrSomething
The Sheath: Whenever you sheathe a blade, for the rest of your life, you, and only you, hear faint gutteral choking noises. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
Good Tidings: After drawing this card, the next person you encounter (not present for the drawing) will have had a very lucky day and wants nothing more than to express their good fortune. ⁃ u/zCiver
The Hero: This card transforms into a sword that, to the perception of the person who drew the card, is a Holy Avenger. The sword is actually completely ordinary, functions as such, and appears that way to every other creature who perceives it. If the person tries to attack an enemy with the sword, have them roll damage as if they attacked with a nonmagical longsword. ⁃ u/Greencloak91
Cups: Whenever they who drew the card goes to drink for the next 24 hours, the first mouthful of their beverage gets spilled onto their face and shirt ⁃ u/jesrad
The Mint: All your gold and silver coinage is turned to Electrum of equivalent value. Any leftover coins become an equivalent number of copper coins. ⁃ u/Xyonai
The Dot: You gain the permanent spell-like ability to make a single 1-inch diameter colored dot appear on a flat surface you can see. You can use this ability at will. ⁃ u/arcticfox740
The Influencer: A bleached blond woman appears who absolutely has to tell you why she's obsessed with some random, useless item (like a hair comb) or ridiculous "food hack" (like putting too much salt on anything) and will not stop doing so for 1d4+1 minutes and disappears only when she's finished. ⁃ u/tmphaedrus13
The Chariot: Until another card is drawn, every vehicle and/or mount ridden by the character who drew the card moves backwards. ⁃ u/Gordo_Daimon
SPADES
The Faces: Upon drawing this card, the next person you meet swears they must have met you before and stops conversation no less than 3 times to insist you have met somewhere before. You "must just have one of those faces." ⁃ u/_Valk
The Impostor: A simulacrum of the card drawer appears and, for one minute, mirrors the drawer's every movement. However, it does so with a mocking, sneering expression, as if making fun of them. ⁃ u/IrishTheMick
The Chalice: In front of you magically appears a holy grail. Not the holy grail, a. It is made of simple wood and holds no apparent magical properties. There is no indication who it is holy to. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Death: You experience le petit mort, in front of everyone ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Sentient: Once drawn this card will begin telepathically communicating with the drawer, begging for death. The card is indestructible. It can be stopped by replacing it and being at least 100 feet away for 1d4 days or by placing it next to the death card, in which case it will moan, then be silent. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Knight: You gain the service of a 4th level fighter who appears in a space you choose within 30 feet of you. The fighter is of the same race as you, and serves you loyally until death... Which they immediately fulfill by running recklessly into danger with their single hit point. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Biologist: A small pixie pops in the air next to you and narrates every action you undertake for the following hour as if making a nature documentary. If given attention she will turn invisible and continue her narration. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
The Universal Storage Bus: Treat a weapon or item like a real, modern-day USB jack, in that sheathing it or placing it anywhere does not work the first time. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Tower: The deck spontaneously arranges itself into a house of cards, then collapses. You feel compelled to pick up the cards and arrange them back into a neat deck. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Lock: You suddenly remember that you forgot to lock your door before leaving your house. ⁃ u/Gentleman_Muk
The Gambler: You may attempt to name a card within the Deck. If you are correct, the effect of that card immediately triggers. The card itself, however, remains within the deck.
The Living Room: Each time, for the next 24 hours, any attempt to sit or lay upon furniture causes that piece of furniture to scoot just far enough away that you are unable to. ⁃ u/Millworkson2008
The 3, 2, 1 of Wands: When you pull this card, it begins to count down. After reaching 0, a comically large cartoon explosion blasts you in the face, leaving you covered in soot with your hair blasted back and eyebrows singed off. The effect goes away in about six seconds. ⁃ u/IronTippedQuill
HEARTS
The Hanged Man: For the next 1d12 hours, you have the sensation of a hair caught in your throat. It does not affect your breathing. Attempts to dislodge it may worsen the effect. Any talking longer than a sentence requires you to pause and have a drink of water. ⁃ u/rehab212
The Hippopotamus: A Hippopotamus appears, nowhere near you, but you are certain in the knowledge that somewhere there is now a hippopotamus that never existed before. ⁃ u/asp400
Restlessness: Your pillow tonight will never have a cold side and will always be uncomfortably warm. ⁃ u/Calbha1
The Ship: For the next 24 hours any time you show something to someone else, they will just see a sailboat. ⁃ u/itrogue
The Bridge: The next time you find yourself needing to cross a river, a gorge, a chasm, or any other form of barrier a bridge may come in handy to cross, you will encounter a rope bridge, and an old man who will deny the drawer and any who accompany them passage unless each of them answers his three questions. The man will first ask your name, then he will ask your quest, and then he will ask for either your favourite colour, the name of the capital of Assyria, or the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. (The capital of Assyria is Assur, and the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 20-something miles an hour. Alternatively, when asked for the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow you may ask the bridgekeeper if he refers to an African or European swallow, in which case he will not know and will be launched into the sky) There are no negative effects of answering wrongly, the bridgekeeper will simply tell them they may not cross.
The Gnome - Upon drawing this card an ordinary gnome materializes in front of you. He is upset that you summoned him, and will either:
1. Pluck one of your arm hairs 2. Look exasperated and mumble under his breath about rude wizards constantly summoning himUpon completion of this action, he dematerializes and returns to whichever place the card summoned him from originally. ⁃ u/Neiladaymo
The Jester: A court jester appears, complete with motley and belled cap, and starts to tell you a "Knock-Knock" joke. If you don't answer "Who's there?" he continues asking "Knock Knock" louder and more angrily until he is right in your face screaming "KNOCK KNOCK" over and over. If he's attacked he disappears, but re-appears several hours later to start again. Once you answer "Who's there" he disappears, never to complete the joke.
The Fanfarre: A band of invisible pixies start following the card puller in secret. Whenever the card puller achieves victory - be it in battle, playing cards, crossing a river, being acknowledged, successfully flirting with a desired one, earning the title of Next In Line in a bank queue, successfully defeating constipation or any similar activity -, the invisible faerie band plays a joyful victory tune. ⁃ u/LichoOrigano
Skull: You summon an avatar of death within ten feet of you warning all others that you must battle alone. You must win a game of chess. If anyone tries to help you, Death gets really annoyed and tells them to "stop cheating!" Death isn't really good, and nothing happens regardless of who wins. ⁃ u/lordhegemon
Spring In Step - Every step player takes two dozen flowers of DMs choice suitable for terrain grow. Optionally includes grass if above ground. Optionally indoors grass still grows if indoors.
If player stops moving or sits down, the plants grow taller and after 1d12 minutes player cannot see over grass.
Lasts ten minutes plus 5d12 minutes. ⁃ u/CryptographerMedical
Cinderella: Small furry woodland creatures within 100’ of you become enamoured and will not leave you alone for 3d6 minutes. They chitter and squeak but Speak To Animals just determines they are saying things like “love”, “adore” and so on. These animals, beings enchanted, cannot be tamed/turned into familiars etc. and are of no other use. Any attempts to attack/capture/harm these animals causes them to turn into a swarm and must be dealt with as an enemy.
Wild Draw 4: You must draw four more cards from the deck. ⁃ u/daxophoneme
The Hobbit: You get copyright struck. Surrender the most recent gold piece you earned. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Once again, thanks to everyone who contributed, I sincerely hope y’all enjoy my stupidity.
And I beg you, if by some mistake you use this deck, please let me know how it went.
2024.03.12 05:37 HeavilyWaffled The Complete Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things. (All 52 cards)
Thanks a ton to any of you Redditors who contributed to this monster of an item, any card suggested by one of you has been credited below.
The Deck assumes that the order the cards are listed is equivalent to their value, so if you draw a 2, that equates to the top card in the suit.
The Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things is a magic item of legend, storied to have plagued the world’s greatest adventurers for centuries, appearing to them unpredictably at some point during their questing. Should any adventurer attempt to discard or destroy this deck of cards, it reappears randomly throughout their adventures until they take it once more.
To any and all forms of magic, this deck of cards identifies as a Deck of Many Things. To any attempt to identify this item by any other means, it is identified as the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things
Any time a card is drawn, it bursts into flame ten seconds later, reduced to ash within moments, unless its effects would require it to exist longer, or it is otherwise stated.
Any card that is drawn may not be returned to the deck.
CLUBS
The Hermit: A tiny hut appears with a deranged forest dweller living inside of it accompanied by a platoon of red squirrels. He will serve the party mushroom soup and regale them of his years spent inside extra dimensional wilderness all alone. If angered, he and (1d12) squirrels will drive the party out of sight from the shelter. ⁃ u/brightgoldsoul
The Playwright: Upon drawing this card the party is immediately beset by a caravan of players, jesters and other performers, who will insistently try to entertain them for a period of one hour.
Teleportation: Upon drawing this card, a random creature within 20 feet of the one casting it, teleports 5 feet in a random direction.
The Liar: For the next 24 hours, any time you use an adjective, it is replaced with a random adjective selected by the DM.
The Fiend: An imp appears in a burst of smoke, kicks you in the shin, then vanishes. ⁃ u/astonishingantman
The Learned: You gain 1xp.
7 of clubs: This card does not disintegrate.
Wishful Thinking: You may make 1 wish, the wish must be made within 20 seconds of drawing this card, the time spent reading this card - though that may seem obvious to state - included. Your DM has probably already started counting since you drew, so I’d recommend you stop reading it and just use the wish already. Depending on how quickly you read, the time might already be up. This card has no effect on whether or not your wish comes true. This card only burns after the twenty seconds have passed.
The Stick: 5 sticks of almost, but not quite the same length appear on the ground in front of you.
The Void: This black card spells disaster. Your consciousness is drawn from your body and contained in a cold, dark void. While your consciousness is trapped in this way, your body remains incapacitated. In other words, you fall asleep. A wish spell cannot restore your consciousness, but pretty much any kind of loud noise or forceful nudge can. ⁃ u/Forever_Pandering
Shuffle: You must shuffle the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things.
Time-Warp: Time immediately reverts to the moment before you drew this card, unless this is the final card in the deck, in which case the card does not reverse time, and it disappears, teleporting to somewhere random anywhere across the world. The deck is then replenished to the full 52 cards.
Pain: You take a single point of damage. The pain is forever burned into your memory, and no matter what you will never forget that you felt this extremely minor pain. Remembering this damage has no adverse effects, you just remember that it happened.
DIAMONDS
The Grim: Summons a black dog to an unoccupied space within 10ft of you. It wants nothing more than to kill you. It is a tiny puppy and lasts long enough to make a single attack that does 1d4-3 damage. ⁃ u/dArksHard22
The Disinterested: Upon drawing this card, you can speak to any single animal, but it has absolutely no interest in speaking to you and will all but completely ignore you. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Torment: For the next 24 hours, you always feel like you are just about to sneeze. For this time, however, you are unable to sneeze. ⁃ u/Bebgab
+2: At some point in the future, (by DM’s discretion) you will draw two more cards. You may only know what one of them is. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Loaf of Bread: There is literally a loaf of bread in the deck. How you didn’t notice this before, you have no idea. Also, it’s stale. ⁃ u/UmbramonOrSomething
The Sheath: Whenever you sheathe a blade, for the rest of your life, you, and only you, hear faint gutteral choking noises. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
Good Tidings: After drawing this card, the next person you encounter (not present for the drawing) will have had a very lucky day and wants nothing more than to express their good fortune. ⁃ u/zCiver
The Hero: This card transforms into a sword that, to the perception of the person who drew the card, is a Holy Avenger. The sword is actually completely ordinary, functions as such, and appears that way to every other creature who perceives it. If the person tries to attack an enemy with the sword, have them roll damage as if they attacked with a nonmagical longsword. ⁃ u/Greencloak91
Cups: Whenever they who drew the card goes to drink for the next 24 hours, the first mouthful of their beverage gets spilled onto their face and shirt ⁃ u/jesrad
The Mint: All your gold and silver coinage is turned to Electrum of equivalent value. Any leftover coins become an equivalent number of copper coins. ⁃ u/Xyonai
The Dot: You gain the permanent spell-like ability to make a single 1-inch diameter colored dot appear on a flat surface you can see. You can use this ability at will. ⁃ u/arcticfox740
The Influencer: A bleached blond woman appears who absolutely has to tell you why she's obsessed with some random, useless item (like a hair comb) or ridiculous "food hack" (like putting too much salt on anything) and will not stop doing so for 1d4+1 minutes and disappears only when she's finished. ⁃ u/tmphaedrus13
The Chariot: Until another card is drawn, every vehicle and/or mount ridden by the character who drew the card moves backwards. ⁃ u/Gordo_Daimon
SPADES
The Faces: upon drawing this card, the next person you meet swears they must have met you before and stops conversation no less than 3 times to insist you have met somewhere before. You "must just have one of those faces." ⁃ u/_Valk
The Impostor: A simulacrum of the card drawer appears and, for one minute, mirrors the drawer's every movement. However, it does so with a mocking, sneering expression, as if making fun of them. ⁃ u/IrishTheMick
The Chalice: In front of you magically appears a holy grail. Not the holy grail, a. It is made of simple wood and holds no apparent magical properties. There is no indication who it is holy to. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Death: You experience le petit mort, in front of everyone ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Sentient: Once drawn this card will begin telepathically communicating with the drawer, begging for death. The card is indestructible. It can be stopped by replacing it and being at least 100 feet away for 1d4 days or by placing it next to the death card, in which case it will moan, then be silent. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Knight: You gain the service of a 4th level fighter who appears in a space you choose within 30 feet of you. The fighter is of the same race as you, and serves you loyally until death... Which they immediately fulfill by running recklessly into danger with their single hit point. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Biologist: A small pixie pops in the air next to you and narrates every action you undertake for the following hour as if making a nature documentary. If given attention she will turn invisible and continue her narration. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
The Universal Storage Bus: Treat a weapon or item like a real, modern-day USB jack, in that sheathing it or placing it anywhere does not work the first time. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Tower: The deck spontaneously arranges itself into a house of cards, then collapses. You feel compelled to pick up the cards and arrange them back into a neat deck. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Lock: You suddenly remember that you forgot to lock your door before leaving your house. ⁃ u/Gentleman_Muk
The Gambler: You may attempt to name a card within the Deck. If you are correct, the effect of that card immediately triggers. The card itself, however, remains within the deck.
The Living Room: Each time, for the next 24 hours, any attempt to sit or lay upon furniture causes that piece of furniture to scoot just far enough away that you are unable to. ⁃ u/Millworkson2008
The 3, 2, 1 of Wands: When you pull this card, it begins to count down. After reaching 0, a comically large cartoon explosion blasts you in the face, leaving you covered in soot with your hair blasted back and eyebrows singed off. The effect goes away in about six seconds. ⁃ u/IronTippedQuill
HEARTS
The Hanged Man: For the next 1d12 hours, you have the sensation of a hair caught in your throat. It does not affect your breathing. Attempts to dislodge it may worsen the effect. Any talking longer than a sentence requires you to pause and have a drink of water. ⁃ u/rehab212
The Hippopotamus: A Hippopotamus appears, nowhere near you, but you are certain in the knowledge that somewhere there is now a hippopotamus that never existed before. ⁃ u/asp400
Restlessness: Your pillow tonight will never have a cold side and will always be uncomfortably warm. ⁃ u/Calbha1
The Ship: For the next 24 hours any time you show something to someone else, they will just see a sailboat. ⁃ u/itrogue
The Bridge: The next time you find yourself needing to cross a river, a gorge, a chasm, or any other form of barrier a bridge may come in handy to cross, you will encounter a rope bridge, and an old man who will deny the drawer and any who accompany them passage unless each of them answers his three questions. The man will first ask your name, then he will ask your quest, and then he will ask for either your favourite colour, the name of the capital of Assyria, or the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. (The capital of Assyria is Assur, and the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 20-something miles an hour. Alternatively, when asked for the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow you may ask the bridgekeeper if he refers to an African or European swallow, in which case he will not know and will be launched into the sky) There are no negative effects of answering wrongly, the bridgekeeper will simply tell them they may not cross.
The Gnome - Upon drawing this card an ordinary gnome materializes in front of you. He is upset that you summoned him, and will either:
The Jester: A court jester appears, complete with motley and belled cap, and starts to tell you a "Knock-Knock" joke. If you don't answer "Who's there?" he continues asking "Knock Knock" louder and more angrily until he is right in your face screaming "KNOCK KNOCK" over and over. If he's attacked he disappears, but re-appears several hours later to start again. Once you answer "Who's there" he disappears, never to complete the joke.
The Liar is a really, really powerful card, and it can save or derail an entire campaign. ⁃ u/asp400
The Fanfare: A band of invisible pixies start following the card puller in secret. Whenever the card puller achieves victory - be it in battle, playing cards, crossing a river, being acknowledged, successfully flirting with a desired one, earning the title of Next In Line in a bank queue, successfully defeating constipation or any similar activity -, the invisible faerie band plays a joyful victory tune. ⁃ u/LichoOrigano
Skull: You summon an avatar of death within ten feet of you warning all others that you must battle alone. You must win a game of chess. If anyone tries to help you, Death gets really annoyed and tells them to "stop cheating!" Death isn't really good, and nothing happens regardless of who wins. ⁃ u/lordhegemon
Spring In Step - Every step player takes two dozen flowers of DMs choice suitable for terrain grow. Optionally includes grass if above ground. Optionally indoors grass still grows if indoors.
If player stops moving or sits down, the plants grow taller and after 1d12 minutes player cannot see over grass.
Lasts ten minutes plus 5d12 minutes. ⁃ u/CryptographerMedical
Cinderella: Small furry woodland creatures within 100’ of you become enamoured and will not leave you alone for 3d6 minutes. They chitter and squeak but Speak To Animals just determines they are saying things like “love”, “adore” and so on. These animals, beings enchanted, cannot be tamed/turned into familiars etc. and are of no other use. Any attempts to attack/capture/harm these animals causes them to turn into a swarm and must be dealt with as an enemy.
Wild Draw 4: You must draw four more cards from the deck. ⁃ u/daxophoneme
The Hobbit: You get copyright struck. Surrender the most recent gold piece you earned. - u/Brooklynxman
Once again, thanks to everyone who contributed, I sincerely hope y’all enjoy my stupidity.
And I beg you, if by some mistake you use this deck, please let me know how it went.
submitted by HeavilyWaffled to DnD [link] [comments]
The Deck assumes that the order the cards are listed is equivalent to their value, so if you draw a 2, that equates to the top card in the suit.
The Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things is a magic item of legend, storied to have plagued the world’s greatest adventurers for centuries, appearing to them unpredictably at some point during their questing. Should any adventurer attempt to discard or destroy this deck of cards, it reappears randomly throughout their adventures until they take it once more.
To any and all forms of magic, this deck of cards identifies as a Deck of Many Things. To any attempt to identify this item by any other means, it is identified as the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things
Any time a card is drawn, it bursts into flame ten seconds later, reduced to ash within moments, unless its effects would require it to exist longer, or it is otherwise stated.
Any card that is drawn may not be returned to the deck.
CLUBS
The Hermit: A tiny hut appears with a deranged forest dweller living inside of it accompanied by a platoon of red squirrels. He will serve the party mushroom soup and regale them of his years spent inside extra dimensional wilderness all alone. If angered, he and (1d12) squirrels will drive the party out of sight from the shelter. ⁃ u/brightgoldsoul
The Playwright: Upon drawing this card the party is immediately beset by a caravan of players, jesters and other performers, who will insistently try to entertain them for a period of one hour.
Teleportation: Upon drawing this card, a random creature within 20 feet of the one casting it, teleports 5 feet in a random direction.
The Liar: For the next 24 hours, any time you use an adjective, it is replaced with a random adjective selected by the DM.
The Fiend: An imp appears in a burst of smoke, kicks you in the shin, then vanishes. ⁃ u/astonishingantman
The Learned: You gain 1xp.
7 of clubs: This card does not disintegrate.
Wishful Thinking: You may make 1 wish, the wish must be made within 20 seconds of drawing this card, the time spent reading this card - though that may seem obvious to state - included. Your DM has probably already started counting since you drew, so I’d recommend you stop reading it and just use the wish already. Depending on how quickly you read, the time might already be up. This card has no effect on whether or not your wish comes true. This card only burns after the twenty seconds have passed.
The Stick: 5 sticks of almost, but not quite the same length appear on the ground in front of you.
The Void: This black card spells disaster. Your consciousness is drawn from your body and contained in a cold, dark void. While your consciousness is trapped in this way, your body remains incapacitated. In other words, you fall asleep. A wish spell cannot restore your consciousness, but pretty much any kind of loud noise or forceful nudge can. ⁃ u/Forever_Pandering
Shuffle: You must shuffle the Deck of Mildly Inconvenient Things.
Time-Warp: Time immediately reverts to the moment before you drew this card, unless this is the final card in the deck, in which case the card does not reverse time, and it disappears, teleporting to somewhere random anywhere across the world. The deck is then replenished to the full 52 cards.
Pain: You take a single point of damage. The pain is forever burned into your memory, and no matter what you will never forget that you felt this extremely minor pain. Remembering this damage has no adverse effects, you just remember that it happened.
DIAMONDS
The Grim: Summons a black dog to an unoccupied space within 10ft of you. It wants nothing more than to kill you. It is a tiny puppy and lasts long enough to make a single attack that does 1d4-3 damage. ⁃ u/dArksHard22
The Disinterested: Upon drawing this card, you can speak to any single animal, but it has absolutely no interest in speaking to you and will all but completely ignore you. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Torment: For the next 24 hours, you always feel like you are just about to sneeze. For this time, however, you are unable to sneeze. ⁃ u/Bebgab
+2: At some point in the future, (by DM’s discretion) you will draw two more cards. You may only know what one of them is. ⁃ u/BeemerGuy323
The Loaf of Bread: There is literally a loaf of bread in the deck. How you didn’t notice this before, you have no idea. Also, it’s stale. ⁃ u/UmbramonOrSomething
The Sheath: Whenever you sheathe a blade, for the rest of your life, you, and only you, hear faint gutteral choking noises. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
Good Tidings: After drawing this card, the next person you encounter (not present for the drawing) will have had a very lucky day and wants nothing more than to express their good fortune. ⁃ u/zCiver
The Hero: This card transforms into a sword that, to the perception of the person who drew the card, is a Holy Avenger. The sword is actually completely ordinary, functions as such, and appears that way to every other creature who perceives it. If the person tries to attack an enemy with the sword, have them roll damage as if they attacked with a nonmagical longsword. ⁃ u/Greencloak91
Cups: Whenever they who drew the card goes to drink for the next 24 hours, the first mouthful of their beverage gets spilled onto their face and shirt ⁃ u/jesrad
The Mint: All your gold and silver coinage is turned to Electrum of equivalent value. Any leftover coins become an equivalent number of copper coins. ⁃ u/Xyonai
The Dot: You gain the permanent spell-like ability to make a single 1-inch diameter colored dot appear on a flat surface you can see. You can use this ability at will. ⁃ u/arcticfox740
The Influencer: A bleached blond woman appears who absolutely has to tell you why she's obsessed with some random, useless item (like a hair comb) or ridiculous "food hack" (like putting too much salt on anything) and will not stop doing so for 1d4+1 minutes and disappears only when she's finished. ⁃ u/tmphaedrus13
The Chariot: Until another card is drawn, every vehicle and/or mount ridden by the character who drew the card moves backwards. ⁃ u/Gordo_Daimon
SPADES
The Faces: upon drawing this card, the next person you meet swears they must have met you before and stops conversation no less than 3 times to insist you have met somewhere before. You "must just have one of those faces." ⁃ u/_Valk
The Impostor: A simulacrum of the card drawer appears and, for one minute, mirrors the drawer's every movement. However, it does so with a mocking, sneering expression, as if making fun of them. ⁃ u/IrishTheMick
The Chalice: In front of you magically appears a holy grail. Not the holy grail, a. It is made of simple wood and holds no apparent magical properties. There is no indication who it is holy to. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
Death: You experience le petit mort, in front of everyone ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Sentient: Once drawn this card will begin telepathically communicating with the drawer, begging for death. The card is indestructible. It can be stopped by replacing it and being at least 100 feet away for 1d4 days or by placing it next to the death card, in which case it will moan, then be silent. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Knight: You gain the service of a 4th level fighter who appears in a space you choose within 30 feet of you. The fighter is of the same race as you, and serves you loyally until death... Which they immediately fulfill by running recklessly into danger with their single hit point. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Biologist: A small pixie pops in the air next to you and narrates every action you undertake for the following hour as if making a nature documentary. If given attention she will turn invisible and continue her narration. ⁃ u/IkkeTM
The Universal Storage Bus: Treat a weapon or item like a real, modern-day USB jack, in that sheathing it or placing it anywhere does not work the first time. ⁃ u/_Valk
The Tower: The deck spontaneously arranges itself into a house of cards, then collapses. You feel compelled to pick up the cards and arrange them back into a neat deck. ⁃ u/Brooklynxman
The Lock: You suddenly remember that you forgot to lock your door before leaving your house. ⁃ u/Gentleman_Muk
The Gambler: You may attempt to name a card within the Deck. If you are correct, the effect of that card immediately triggers. The card itself, however, remains within the deck.
The Living Room: Each time, for the next 24 hours, any attempt to sit or lay upon furniture causes that piece of furniture to scoot just far enough away that you are unable to. ⁃ u/Millworkson2008
The 3, 2, 1 of Wands: When you pull this card, it begins to count down. After reaching 0, a comically large cartoon explosion blasts you in the face, leaving you covered in soot with your hair blasted back and eyebrows singed off. The effect goes away in about six seconds. ⁃ u/IronTippedQuill
HEARTS
The Hanged Man: For the next 1d12 hours, you have the sensation of a hair caught in your throat. It does not affect your breathing. Attempts to dislodge it may worsen the effect. Any talking longer than a sentence requires you to pause and have a drink of water. ⁃ u/rehab212
The Hippopotamus: A Hippopotamus appears, nowhere near you, but you are certain in the knowledge that somewhere there is now a hippopotamus that never existed before. ⁃ u/asp400
Restlessness: Your pillow tonight will never have a cold side and will always be uncomfortably warm. ⁃ u/Calbha1
The Ship: For the next 24 hours any time you show something to someone else, they will just see a sailboat. ⁃ u/itrogue
The Bridge: The next time you find yourself needing to cross a river, a gorge, a chasm, or any other form of barrier a bridge may come in handy to cross, you will encounter a rope bridge, and an old man who will deny the drawer and any who accompany them passage unless each of them answers his three questions. The man will first ask your name, then he will ask your quest, and then he will ask for either your favourite colour, the name of the capital of Assyria, or the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. (The capital of Assyria is Assur, and the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 20-something miles an hour. Alternatively, when asked for the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow you may ask the bridgekeeper if he refers to an African or European swallow, in which case he will not know and will be launched into the sky) There are no negative effects of answering wrongly, the bridgekeeper will simply tell them they may not cross.
The Gnome - Upon drawing this card an ordinary gnome materializes in front of you. He is upset that you summoned him, and will either:
1. Pluck one of your arm hairs 2. Look exasperated and mumble under his breath about rude wizards constantly summoning himUpon completion of this action, he dematerializes and returns to whichever place the card summoned him from originally. ⁃ u/Neiladaymo
The Jester: A court jester appears, complete with motley and belled cap, and starts to tell you a "Knock-Knock" joke. If you don't answer "Who's there?" he continues asking "Knock Knock" louder and more angrily until he is right in your face screaming "KNOCK KNOCK" over and over. If he's attacked he disappears, but re-appears several hours later to start again. Once you answer "Who's there" he disappears, never to complete the joke.
The Liar is a really, really powerful card, and it can save or derail an entire campaign. ⁃ u/asp400
The Fanfare: A band of invisible pixies start following the card puller in secret. Whenever the card puller achieves victory - be it in battle, playing cards, crossing a river, being acknowledged, successfully flirting with a desired one, earning the title of Next In Line in a bank queue, successfully defeating constipation or any similar activity -, the invisible faerie band plays a joyful victory tune. ⁃ u/LichoOrigano
Skull: You summon an avatar of death within ten feet of you warning all others that you must battle alone. You must win a game of chess. If anyone tries to help you, Death gets really annoyed and tells them to "stop cheating!" Death isn't really good, and nothing happens regardless of who wins. ⁃ u/lordhegemon
Spring In Step - Every step player takes two dozen flowers of DMs choice suitable for terrain grow. Optionally includes grass if above ground. Optionally indoors grass still grows if indoors.
If player stops moving or sits down, the plants grow taller and after 1d12 minutes player cannot see over grass.
Lasts ten minutes plus 5d12 minutes. ⁃ u/CryptographerMedical
Cinderella: Small furry woodland creatures within 100’ of you become enamoured and will not leave you alone for 3d6 minutes. They chitter and squeak but Speak To Animals just determines they are saying things like “love”, “adore” and so on. These animals, beings enchanted, cannot be tamed/turned into familiars etc. and are of no other use. Any attempts to attack/capture/harm these animals causes them to turn into a swarm and must be dealt with as an enemy.
Wild Draw 4: You must draw four more cards from the deck. ⁃ u/daxophoneme
The Hobbit: You get copyright struck. Surrender the most recent gold piece you earned. - u/Brooklynxman
Once again, thanks to everyone who contributed, I sincerely hope y’all enjoy my stupidity.
And I beg you, if by some mistake you use this deck, please let me know how it went.
2024.03.11 21:18 Agreeable-Frame-551 Copilot won’t close
 | This Viewer for Copilot won’t close. I don’t understand why it opens, nor how to close it, and really I don’t understand what it’s good for. submitted by Agreeable-Frame-551 to CopilotMicrosoft [link] [comments] |
2024.03.03 16:36 The_Real_Ed_Finnerty Sunday Speech: Teddy Roosevelt - "The Duties of American Citizenship"
Speaker: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. circa Jan. 26, 1883. (Age 24!)
Location: Buffalo, New York
Transcribed from Yale.edu with thanks. Direct Link
But this is aside from my subject, for what I wish to talk of is the attitude of the American citizen in civic life. It ought to be axiomatic in this country that every man must devote a reasonable share of his time to doing his duty in the Political life of the community. No man has a right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small means it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common—in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle for life. In so far as the community grows to think rightly, it will likewise grow to regard the young man of means who shirks his duty to the State in time of peace as being only one degree worse than the man who thus shirks it in time of war. A great many of our men in business, or of our young men who are bent on enjoying life (as they have a perfect right to do if only they do not sacrifice other things to enjoyment), rather plume themselves upon being good citizens if they even vote; yet voting is the very least of their duties, Nothing worth gaining is ever gained without effort. You can no more have freedom without striving and suffering for it than you can win success as a banker or a lawyer without labor and effort, without self-denial in youth and the display of a ready and alert intelligence in middle age. The people who say that they have not time to attend to politics are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community. Their place is under a despotism; or if they are content to do nothing but vote, you can take despotism tempered by an occasional plebiscite, like that of the second Napoleon. In one of Lowell’s magnificent stanzas about the Civil War he speaks of the fact which his countrymen were then learning, that freedom is not a gift that tarries long in the hands of cowards: nor yet does it tarry long in the hands of the sluggard and the idler, in the hands of the man so much absorbed in the pursuit of pleasure or in the pursuit of gain, or so much wrapped up in his own easy home life as to be unable to take his part in the rough struggle with his fellow men for political supremacy. If freedom is worth having, if the right of self-government is a valuable right, then the one and the other must be retained exactly as our forefathers acquired them, by labor, and especially by labor in organization, that is in combination with our fellows who have the same interests and the same principles. We should not accept the excuse of the business man who attributed his failure to the fact that his social duties were so pleasant and engrossing that he had no time left for work in his office; nor would we pay much heed to his further statement that he did not like business anyhow because he thought the morals of the business community by no means what they should be, and saw that the great successes were most often won by men of the Jay Gould stamp. It is just the same way with politics. It makes one feel half angry and half amused, and wholly contemptuous, to find men of high business or social standing in the community saying that they really have not got time to go to ward meetings, to organize political clubs, and to take a personal share in all the important details of practical politics; men who further urge against their going the fact that they think the condition of political morality low, and are afraid that they may be required to do what is not right if they go into politics.
The first duty of an American citizen, then, is that he shall work in politics; his second duty is that he shall do that work in a practical manner; and his third is that it shall be done in accord with the highest principles of honor and justice. Of course, it is not possible to define rigidly just the way in which the work shall be made practical. Each man’s individual temper and convictions must be taken into account. To a certain extent his work must be done in accordance with his individual beliefs and theories of right and wrong. To a yet greater extent it must be done in combination with others, he yielding or modifying certain of his own theories and beliefs so as to enable him to stand on a common ground with his fellows, who have likewise yielded or modified certain of their theories and beliefs. There is no need of dogmatizing about independence on the one hand or party allegiance on the other. There are occasions when it may be the highest duty of any man to act outside of parties and against the one with which he has himself been hitherto identified; and there may be many more occasions when his highest duty is to sacrifice some of his own cherished opinions for the sake of the success of the party which he on the whole believes to be right. I do not think that the average citizen, at least in one of our great cities, can very well manage to support his own party all the time on every issue, local and otherwise; at any rate if he can do so he has been more fortunately placed than I have been. On the other hand, I am fully convinced that to do the best work people must be organized; and of course an organization is really a party, whether it be a great organization covering the whole nation and numbering its millions of adherents, or an association of citizens in a particular locality, banded together to win a certain specific victory, as, for instance, that of municipal reform. Somebody has said that a racing-yacht, like a good rifle, is a bundle of incompatibilities; that you must get the utmost possible sail power without sacrificing some other quality if you really do get the utmost sail power, that, in short you have got to make more or less of a compromise on each in order to acquire the dozen things needful; but, of course, in making this compromise you must be very careful for the sake of something unimportant not to sacrifice any of the great principles of successful naval architecture. Well, it is about so with a man’s political work. He has got to preserve his independence on the one hand; and on the other, unless he wishes to be a wholly ineffective crank, he has got to have some sense of party allegiance and party responsibility, and he has got to realize that in any given exigency it may be a matter of duty to sacrifice one quality, or it may be a matter of duty to sacrifice the other.
If it is difficult to lay down any fixed rules for party action in the abstract; it would, of course, be wholly impossible to lay them down for party action in the concrete, with reference to the organizations of the present day. I think that we ought to be broad-minded enough to recognize the fact that a good citizen, striving with fearlessness, honesty, and common sense to do his best for the nation, can render service to it in many different ways, and by connection with many different organizations. It is well for a man if he is able conscientiously to feel that his views on the great questions of the day, on such questions as the tariff, finance, immigration, the regulation of the liquor traffic, and others like them, are such as to put him in accord with the bulk of those of his fellow citizens who compose one of the greatest parties: but it is perfectly supposable that he may feel so strongly for or against certain principles held by one party, or certain principles held by the other, that he is unable to give his full adherence to either. In such a case I feel that he has no right to plead this lack of agreement with either party as an excuse for refraining from active political work prior to election. It will, of course, bar him from the primaries of the two leading parties, and preclude him from doing his share in organizing their management; but, unless he is very unfortunate, he can surely find a number of men who are in the same position as himself and who agree with him on some specific piece of political work, and they can turn in practically and effectively long before election to try to do this new piece of work in a practical manner.
One seemingly very necessary caution to utter is, that a man who goes into politics should not expect to reform everything right off, with a jump. I know many excellent young men who, when awakened to the fact that they have neglected their political duties, feel an immediate impulse to form themselves into an organization which shall forthwith purify politics everywhere, national, State, and city alike; and I know of a man who having gone round once to a primary, and having, of course, been unable to accomplish anything in a place where he knew no one and could not combine with anyone, returned saying it was quite useless for a good citizen to try to accomplish anything in such a manner. To these too hopeful or too easily discouraged people I always feel like reading Artemus Ward’s article upon the people of his town who came together in a meeting to resolve that the town should support the Union and the Civil War, but were unwilling to take any part in putting down the rebellion unless they could go as brigadier-generals. After the battle of Bull Run there were a good many hundreds of thousands of young men in the North who felt it to be their duty to enter the Northern armies; but no one of them who possessed much intelligence expected to take high place at the outset, or anticipated that individual action would be of decisive importance in any given campaign. He went in as private or sergeant, lieutenant or captain, as the case might be, and did his duty in his company, in his regiment, after a while in his brigade. When Ball’s Bluff and Bull Run succeeded the utter failure of the Peninsular campaign, when the terrible defeat of Fredericksburg was followed by the scarcely less disastrous day at Chancellorsville he did not announce (if he had any pluck or manliness about him) that he considered it quite useless for any self-respecting citizen to enter the Army of the Potomac, because he really was not of much weight in its councils, and did not approve of its management; he simply gritted his teeth and went doggedly on with his duty, grieving over, but not disheartened at the innumerable shortcomings and follies committed by those who helped to guide the destinies of the army, recognizing also the bravery, the patience, intelligence, and resolution with which other men in high places offset the follies and shortcomings and persevering with equal mind through triumph and defeat until finally he saw the tide of failure turn at Gettysburg and the full flood of victory come with Appomattox.
I do wish that more of our good citizens would go into politics, and would do it in the same spirit with which their fathers went into the Federal armies. Begin with the little thing, and do not expect to accomplish anything without an effort. Of course, if you go to a primary just once, never having taken the trouble to know any of the other people who go there you will find yourself wholly out of place; but if you keep on attending and try to form associations with other men whom you meet at the political gatherings, or whom you can persuade to attend them, you will very soon find yourself a weight. In the same way, if a man feels that the politics of his city, for instance, are very corrupt and wants to reform them, it would be an excellent idea for him to begin with his district. If he Joins with other people, who think as he does, to form a club where abstract political virtue will be discussed he may do a great deal of good. We need such clubs; but he must also get to know his own ward or his own district, put himself in communication with the decent people in that district, of whom we may rest assured there will be many, willing and able to do something practical for the procurance of better government Let him set to work to procure a better assemblyman or better alderman before he tries his hand at making a mayor, a governor, or a president. If he begins at the top he may make a brilliant temporary success, but the chances are a thousand to one that he will only be defeated eventually; and in no event will the good he does stand on the same broad and permanent foundation as if he had begun at the bottom. Of course, one or two of his efforts may be failures; but if he has the right stuff in him he will go ahead and do his duty irrespective of whether he meets with success or defeat. It is perfectly right to consider the question of failure while shaping one’s efforts to succeed in the struggle for the right; but there should be no consideration of it whatsoever when the question is as to whether one should or should not make a struggle for the right. When once a band of one hundred and fifty or two hundred honest, intelligent men, who mean business and know their business, is found in any district, whether in one of the regular organizations or outside, you can guarantee that the local politicians of that district will begin to treat it with a combination of fear, hatred, and respect, and that its influence will be felt; and that while sometimes men will be elected to office in direct defiance of its wishes, more often the successful candidates will feel that they have to pay some regard to its demands for public decency and honesty.
But in advising you to be practical and to work hard, I must not for one moment be understood as advising you to abandon one iota of your self-respect and devotion to principle. It is a bad sign for the country to see one class of our citizens sneer at practical politicians, and another at Sunday-school politics. No man can do both effective and decent work in public life unless he is a practical politician on the one hand, and a sturdy believer in Sunday-school politics on the other. He must always strive manfully for the best, and yet, like Abraham Lincoln, must often resign himself to accept the best possible. Of course when a man verges on to the higher ground of statesmanship, when he becomes a leader, he must very often consult with others and defer to their opinion, and must be continually settling in his mind how far he can go in just deference to the wishes and prejudices of others while yet adhering to his own moral standards: but I speak not so much of men of this stamp as I do of the ordinary citizen, who wants to do his duty as a member of the commonwealth in its civic life; and for this man I feel that the one quality which he ought always to hold most essential is that of disinterestedness. If he once begins to feel that he wants office himself, with a willingness to get it at the cost of his convictions, or to keep it when gotten, at the cost of his convictions, his usefulness is gone. Let him make up his mind to do his duty in politics without regard to holding office at all, and let him know that often the men in this country who have done the best work for our public life have not been the men in office. If, on the other hand, he attains public position, let him not strive to plan out for himself a career. I do not think that any man should let himself regard his political career as a means of livelihood, or as his sole occupation in life; for if he does he immediately becomes most seriously handicapped. The moment that he begins to think how such and such an act will affect the voters in his district, or will affect some great political leader who will have an influence over his destiny, he is hampered and his hands are bound. Not only may it be his duty often to disregard the wishes of politicians, but it may be his clear duty at times to disregard the wishes of the people. The voice of the people is not always the voice of God; and when it happens to be the voice of the devil, then it is a man’s clear duty to defy its behests. Different political conditions breed different dangers. The demagogue is as unlovely a creature as the courtier, though one is fostered under republican and the other under monarchical institutions. There is every reason why a man should have an honorable ambition to enter public life, and an honorable ambition to stay there when he is in; but he ought to make up his mind that he cares for it only as long as he can stay in it on his own terms, without sacrifice of his own principles; and if he does thus make up his mind he can really accomplish twice as much for the nation, and can reflect a hundredfold greater honor upon himself, in a short term of service, than can the man who grows gray in the public employment at the cost of sacrificing what he believes to be true and honest. And moreover, when a public servant has definitely made up his mind that he will pay no heed to his own future, but will do what he honestly deems best for the community, without regard to how his actions may affect his prospects, not only does he become infinitely more useful as a public servant, but he has a far better time. He is freed from the harassing care which is inevitably the portion of him who is trying to shape his sails to catch every gust of the wind of political favor.
But let me reiterate, that in being virtuous he must not become ineffective, and that he must not excuse himself for shirking his duties by any false plea that he cannot do his duties and retain his self-respect. This is nonsense, he can; and when he urges such a plea it is a mark of mere laziness and self-indulgence. And again, he should beware how he becomes a critic of the actions of others, rather than a doer of deeds himself; and in so far as he does act as a critic (and of course the critic has a great and necessary function) he must beware of indiscriminate censure even more than of indiscriminate praise. The screaming vulgarity of the foolish spread-eagle orator who is continually yelling defiance at Europe, praising everything American, good and bad, and resenting the introduction of any reform because it has previously been tried successfully abroad, is offensive and contemptible to the last degree; but after all it is scarcely as harmful as the peevish, fretful, sneering, and continual faultfinding of the refined, well-educated man, who is always attacking good and bad alike, who genuinely distrusts America, and in the true spirit of servile colonialism considers us inferior to the people across the water. It may be taken for granted that the man who is always sneering at our public life and our public men is a thoroughly bad citizen, and that what little influence he wields in the community is wielded for evil. The public speaker or the editorial writer who teaches men of education that their proper attitude toward American politics should be one of dislike or indifference is doing all he can to perpetuate and aggravate the very evils of which he is ostensibly complaining. Exactly as it is generally the case that when a man bewails the decadence of our civilization he is himself physically, mentally, and morally a first-class type of the decadent, so it is usually the case that when a man is perpetually sneering at American politicians, whether worthy or unworthy, he himself is a poor citizen and a friend of the very forces of evil against which he professes to contend. Too often these men seem to care less for attacking bad men, than for ruining the characters of good men with whom they disagree on some pubic question; and while their influence against the bad is almost nil, they are sometimes able to weaken the hands of the good by withdrawing from them support to which they are entitled, and they thus count in the sum total of forces that work for evil. They answer to the political prohibitionist, who, in a close contest between a temperance man and a liquor seller diverts enough votes from the former to elect the liquor seller Occasionally it is necessary to beat a pretty good man, who is not quite good enough, even at the cost of electing a bad one— but it should be thoroughly recognized that this can be necessary only occasionally and indeed, I may say, only in very exceptional cases, and that as a rule where it is done the effect is thoroughly unwholesome in every way, and those taking part in it deserve the severest censure from all honest men.
Moreover, the very need of denouncing evil makes it all the more wicked to weaken the effect of such denunciations by denouncing also the good. It is the duty of all citizens, irrespective of party, to denounce, and, so far as may be, to punish crimes against the public on the part of politicians or officials. But exactly as the public man who commits a crime against the public is one of the worst of criminals, so, close on his heels in the race for iniquitous distinction, comes the man who falsely charges the public servant with outrageous wrongdoing; whether it is done with foul-mouthed and foolish directness in the vulgar and violent party organ, or with sarcasm, innuendo, and the half-truths that are worse than lies, in some professed organ of independence. Not only should criticism be honest, but it should be intelligent, in order to be effective. I recently read in a religious paper an article railing at the corruption of our public life, in which it stated incidentally that the lobby was recognized as all-powerful in Washington. This is untrue. There was a day when the lobby was very important at Washington, but its influence in Congress is now very small indeed; and from a pretty intimate acquaintance with several Congresses I am entirely satisfied that there is among the members a very small proportion indeed who are corruptible, in the sense that they will let their action be influenced by money or its equivalent. Congressmen are very often demagogues; they are very often blind partisans; they are often exceedingly short-sighted, narrow-minded, and bigoted; but they are not usually corrupt; and to accuse a narrow-minded demagogue of corruption when he is perfectly honest, is merely to set him more firmly in his evil course and to help him with his constituents, who recognize that the charge is entirely unjust, and in repelling it lose sight of the man’s real shortcomings. I have known more than one State legislature, more than one board of aldermen against which the charge of corruption could perfectly legitimately be brought, but it cannot be brought against Congress. Moreover these sweeping charges really do very little good. When I was in the New York legislature, one of the things that I used to mind most was the fact that at the close of every session the papers that affect morality invariably said that particular legislature was the worst legislature since the days of Tweed. The statement was not true as a rule; and, in any event, to lump all the members, good and bad, in sweeping condemnation simply hurt the good and helped the bad. Criticism should be fearless, but I again reiterate that it should be honest and should be discriminating. When it is sweeping and unintelligent, and directed against good and bad alike, or against the good and bad qualities of any man alike, it is very harmful. It tends steadily to deteriorate the character of our public men; and it tends to produce a very unwholesome spirit among young men of education, and especially among the young men in our colleges.
Against nothing is fearless and specific criticism more urgently needed than against the “spoils system,” which is the degradation of American politics. And nothing is more effective in thwarting the purposes of the spoilsmen than the civil service reform. To be sure, practical politicians sneer at it. One of them even went so far as to say that civil-service reform is asking a man irrelevant questions. What more irrelevant question could there be than that of the practical politician who asks the aspirant for his political favor — “Whom did you vote for in the last election?” There is certainly nothing more interesting, from a humorous point of view, than the heads of departments urging changes to be made in their underlings, “on the score of increased efficiency” they say; when as the result of such a change the old incumbent often spends six months teaching the new incumbent how to do the work almost as well as he did himself! Occasionally the civil-service reform has been abused, but not often. Certainly the reform is needed when you contemplate the spectacle of a New York City treasurer who acknowledges his annual fees to be eighty-five thousand dollars, and who pays a deputy one thousand five hundred dollars to do his work—when you note the corruptions in the New York legislature, where one man says he has a horror of the Constitution because it prevents active benevolence, and another says that you should never allow the Constitution to come between friends! All these corruptions and vices are what every good American citizen must fight against.
Finally, the man who wishes to do his duty as a citizen in our country must be imbued through and through with the spirit of Americanism. I am not saying this as a matter of spread-eagle rhetoric: I am saying it quite soberly as a piece of matter-of-fact, common-sense advice, derived from my own experience of others. Of course, the question of Americanism has several sides. If a man is an educated man, he must show his Americanism by not getting misled into following out and trying to apply all the theories of the political thinkers of other countries, such as Germany and France, to our own entirely different conditions. He must not get a fad, for instance, about responsible government; and above all things he must not, merely because he is intelligent, or a college professor well read in political literature, try to discuss our institutions when he has had no practical knowledge of how they are worked. Again, if he is a wealthy man, a man of means and standing, he must really feel, not merely affect to feel, that no social differences obtain save such as a man can in some way himself make by his own actions. People sometimes ask me if there is not a prejudice against a man of wealth and education in ward politics. I do not think that there is, unless the man in turn shows that he regards the facts of his having wealth and education as giving him a claim to superiority aside from the merit he is able to prove himself to have in actual service. Of course, if he feels that he ought to have a little better treatment than a carpenter, a plumber, or a butcher, who happens to stand beside him, he is going to be thrown out of the race very quickly, and probably quite roughly; and if he starts in to patronize and elaborately condescend to these men he will find that they resent this attitude even more. Do not let him think about the matter at all. Let him go into the political contest with no more thought of such matters than a college boy gives to the social standing of the members of his own and rival teams in a hotly contested football match. As soon as he begins to take an interest in politics (and he will speedily not only get interested for the sake of politics, but also take a good healthy interest in playing the game itself — an interest which is perfectly normal and praise-worthy, and to which only a prig would object), he will begin to work up the organization in the way that will be most effective, and he won’t care a rap about who is put to work with him, save in so far as he is a good fellow and an efficient worker. There was one time that a number of men who think as we do here to-night (one of the number being myself) got hold of one of the assembly districts of New York, and ran it in really an ideal way, better than any other assembly district has ever been run before or since by either party. We did it by hard work and good organization; by working practically, and yet by being honest and square in motive and method: especially did we do it by all turning in as straight-out Americans without any regard to distinctions of race origin. Among the many men who did a great deal in organizing our victories was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, the nephew of a Hebrew rabbi, and two well-known Catholic gentlemen. We also had a Columbia College professor (the stroke-oar of a university crew), a noted retail butcher, and the editor of a local German paper, various brokers, bankers, lawyers, bricklayers and a stone-mason who was particularly useful to us, although on questions of theoretic rather than applied politics he had a decidedly socialistic turn of mind.
Again, questions of race origin, like questions of creed, must not be considered: we wish to do good work, and we are all Americans, pure and simple. In the New York legislature, when it fell to my lot to choose a committee — which I always esteemed my most important duty at Albany — no less than three out of the four men I chose were of Irish birth or parentage; and three abler and more fearless and disinterested men never sat in a legislative body; while among my especial political and personal friends in that body was a gentleman from the southern tier of counties, who was, I incidentally found out, a German by birth, but who was just as straight United States as if his ancestors had come over here in the Mayflower or in Henry Hudson’s yacht. Of course, none of these men of Irish or German birth would have been worth their salt had they continued to act after coming here as Irishmen or Germans, or as anything but plain straight-out Americans. We have not any room here for a divided allegiance. A man has got to be an American and nothing else; and he has no business to be mixing us up with questions of foreign politics, British or Irish, German or French, and no business to try to perpetuate their language and customs in the land of complete religious toleration and equality. If, however, he does become honestly and in good faith an American, then he is entitled to stand precisely as all other Americans stand, and it is the height of un-Americanism to discriminate against him in any way because of creed or birthplace. No spirit can be more thoroughly alien to American institutions, than the spirit of the Know-Nothings.
In facing the future and in striving, each according to the measure of his individual capacity, to work out the salvation of our land, we should be neither timid pessimists nor foolish optimists. We should recognize the dangers that exist and that threaten us: we should neither overestimate them nor shrink from them, but steadily fronting them should set to work to overcome and beat them down. Grave perils are yet to be encountered in the stormy course of the Republic — perils from political corruption, perils from individual laziness, indolence and timidity, perils springing from the greed of the unscrupulous rich, and from the anarchic violence of the thriftless and turbulent poor. There is every reason why we should recognize them, but there is no reason why we should fear them or doubt our capacity to overcome them, if only each will, according to the measure of his ability, do his full duty, and endeavor so to live as to deserve the high praise of being called a good American citizen."
submitted by The_Real_Ed_Finnerty to MorePerfectUnion [link] [comments]
Location: Buffalo, New York
Transcribed from Yale.edu with thanks. Direct Link
" Of course ...
... in one sense, the first essential for a man’s being a good citizen is his possession of the home virtues of which we think when we call a man by the emphatic adjective of manly. No man can be a good citizen who is not a good husband and a good father, who is not honest in his dealings with other men and women, faithful to his friends and fearless in the presence of his foes, who has not got a sound heart, a sound mind, and a sound body; exactly as no amount of attention to civil duties will save a nation if the domestic life is undermined, or there is lack of the rude military virtues which alone can assure a country’s position in the world. In a free republic the ideal citizen must be one willing and able to take arms for the defense of the flag, exactly as the ideal citizen must be the father of many healthy children. A race must be strong and vigorous; it must be a race of good fighters and good breeders, else its wisdom will come to naught and its virtue be ineffective; and no sweetness and delicacy, no love for and appreciation of beauty in art or literature, no capacity for building up material prosperity can possibly atone for the lack of the great virile virtues.But this is aside from my subject, for what I wish to talk of is the attitude of the American citizen in civic life. It ought to be axiomatic in this country that every man must devote a reasonable share of his time to doing his duty in the Political life of the community. No man has a right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small means it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common—in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle for life. In so far as the community grows to think rightly, it will likewise grow to regard the young man of means who shirks his duty to the State in time of peace as being only one degree worse than the man who thus shirks it in time of war. A great many of our men in business, or of our young men who are bent on enjoying life (as they have a perfect right to do if only they do not sacrifice other things to enjoyment), rather plume themselves upon being good citizens if they even vote; yet voting is the very least of their duties, Nothing worth gaining is ever gained without effort. You can no more have freedom without striving and suffering for it than you can win success as a banker or a lawyer without labor and effort, without self-denial in youth and the display of a ready and alert intelligence in middle age. The people who say that they have not time to attend to politics are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community. Their place is under a despotism; or if they are content to do nothing but vote, you can take despotism tempered by an occasional plebiscite, like that of the second Napoleon. In one of Lowell’s magnificent stanzas about the Civil War he speaks of the fact which his countrymen were then learning, that freedom is not a gift that tarries long in the hands of cowards: nor yet does it tarry long in the hands of the sluggard and the idler, in the hands of the man so much absorbed in the pursuit of pleasure or in the pursuit of gain, or so much wrapped up in his own easy home life as to be unable to take his part in the rough struggle with his fellow men for political supremacy. If freedom is worth having, if the right of self-government is a valuable right, then the one and the other must be retained exactly as our forefathers acquired them, by labor, and especially by labor in organization, that is in combination with our fellows who have the same interests and the same principles. We should not accept the excuse of the business man who attributed his failure to the fact that his social duties were so pleasant and engrossing that he had no time left for work in his office; nor would we pay much heed to his further statement that he did not like business anyhow because he thought the morals of the business community by no means what they should be, and saw that the great successes were most often won by men of the Jay Gould stamp. It is just the same way with politics. It makes one feel half angry and half amused, and wholly contemptuous, to find men of high business or social standing in the community saying that they really have not got time to go to ward meetings, to organize political clubs, and to take a personal share in all the important details of practical politics; men who further urge against their going the fact that they think the condition of political morality low, and are afraid that they may be required to do what is not right if they go into politics.
The first duty of an American citizen, then, is that he shall work in politics; his second duty is that he shall do that work in a practical manner; and his third is that it shall be done in accord with the highest principles of honor and justice. Of course, it is not possible to define rigidly just the way in which the work shall be made practical. Each man’s individual temper and convictions must be taken into account. To a certain extent his work must be done in accordance with his individual beliefs and theories of right and wrong. To a yet greater extent it must be done in combination with others, he yielding or modifying certain of his own theories and beliefs so as to enable him to stand on a common ground with his fellows, who have likewise yielded or modified certain of their theories and beliefs. There is no need of dogmatizing about independence on the one hand or party allegiance on the other. There are occasions when it may be the highest duty of any man to act outside of parties and against the one with which he has himself been hitherto identified; and there may be many more occasions when his highest duty is to sacrifice some of his own cherished opinions for the sake of the success of the party which he on the whole believes to be right. I do not think that the average citizen, at least in one of our great cities, can very well manage to support his own party all the time on every issue, local and otherwise; at any rate if he can do so he has been more fortunately placed than I have been. On the other hand, I am fully convinced that to do the best work people must be organized; and of course an organization is really a party, whether it be a great organization covering the whole nation and numbering its millions of adherents, or an association of citizens in a particular locality, banded together to win a certain specific victory, as, for instance, that of municipal reform. Somebody has said that a racing-yacht, like a good rifle, is a bundle of incompatibilities; that you must get the utmost possible sail power without sacrificing some other quality if you really do get the utmost sail power, that, in short you have got to make more or less of a compromise on each in order to acquire the dozen things needful; but, of course, in making this compromise you must be very careful for the sake of something unimportant not to sacrifice any of the great principles of successful naval architecture. Well, it is about so with a man’s political work. He has got to preserve his independence on the one hand; and on the other, unless he wishes to be a wholly ineffective crank, he has got to have some sense of party allegiance and party responsibility, and he has got to realize that in any given exigency it may be a matter of duty to sacrifice one quality, or it may be a matter of duty to sacrifice the other.
If it is difficult to lay down any fixed rules for party action in the abstract; it would, of course, be wholly impossible to lay them down for party action in the concrete, with reference to the organizations of the present day. I think that we ought to be broad-minded enough to recognize the fact that a good citizen, striving with fearlessness, honesty, and common sense to do his best for the nation, can render service to it in many different ways, and by connection with many different organizations. It is well for a man if he is able conscientiously to feel that his views on the great questions of the day, on such questions as the tariff, finance, immigration, the regulation of the liquor traffic, and others like them, are such as to put him in accord with the bulk of those of his fellow citizens who compose one of the greatest parties: but it is perfectly supposable that he may feel so strongly for or against certain principles held by one party, or certain principles held by the other, that he is unable to give his full adherence to either. In such a case I feel that he has no right to plead this lack of agreement with either party as an excuse for refraining from active political work prior to election. It will, of course, bar him from the primaries of the two leading parties, and preclude him from doing his share in organizing their management; but, unless he is very unfortunate, he can surely find a number of men who are in the same position as himself and who agree with him on some specific piece of political work, and they can turn in practically and effectively long before election to try to do this new piece of work in a practical manner.
One seemingly very necessary caution to utter is, that a man who goes into politics should not expect to reform everything right off, with a jump. I know many excellent young men who, when awakened to the fact that they have neglected their political duties, feel an immediate impulse to form themselves into an organization which shall forthwith purify politics everywhere, national, State, and city alike; and I know of a man who having gone round once to a primary, and having, of course, been unable to accomplish anything in a place where he knew no one and could not combine with anyone, returned saying it was quite useless for a good citizen to try to accomplish anything in such a manner. To these too hopeful or too easily discouraged people I always feel like reading Artemus Ward’s article upon the people of his town who came together in a meeting to resolve that the town should support the Union and the Civil War, but were unwilling to take any part in putting down the rebellion unless they could go as brigadier-generals. After the battle of Bull Run there were a good many hundreds of thousands of young men in the North who felt it to be their duty to enter the Northern armies; but no one of them who possessed much intelligence expected to take high place at the outset, or anticipated that individual action would be of decisive importance in any given campaign. He went in as private or sergeant, lieutenant or captain, as the case might be, and did his duty in his company, in his regiment, after a while in his brigade. When Ball’s Bluff and Bull Run succeeded the utter failure of the Peninsular campaign, when the terrible defeat of Fredericksburg was followed by the scarcely less disastrous day at Chancellorsville he did not announce (if he had any pluck or manliness about him) that he considered it quite useless for any self-respecting citizen to enter the Army of the Potomac, because he really was not of much weight in its councils, and did not approve of its management; he simply gritted his teeth and went doggedly on with his duty, grieving over, but not disheartened at the innumerable shortcomings and follies committed by those who helped to guide the destinies of the army, recognizing also the bravery, the patience, intelligence, and resolution with which other men in high places offset the follies and shortcomings and persevering with equal mind through triumph and defeat until finally he saw the tide of failure turn at Gettysburg and the full flood of victory come with Appomattox.
I do wish that more of our good citizens would go into politics, and would do it in the same spirit with which their fathers went into the Federal armies. Begin with the little thing, and do not expect to accomplish anything without an effort. Of course, if you go to a primary just once, never having taken the trouble to know any of the other people who go there you will find yourself wholly out of place; but if you keep on attending and try to form associations with other men whom you meet at the political gatherings, or whom you can persuade to attend them, you will very soon find yourself a weight. In the same way, if a man feels that the politics of his city, for instance, are very corrupt and wants to reform them, it would be an excellent idea for him to begin with his district. If he Joins with other people, who think as he does, to form a club where abstract political virtue will be discussed he may do a great deal of good. We need such clubs; but he must also get to know his own ward or his own district, put himself in communication with the decent people in that district, of whom we may rest assured there will be many, willing and able to do something practical for the procurance of better government Let him set to work to procure a better assemblyman or better alderman before he tries his hand at making a mayor, a governor, or a president. If he begins at the top he may make a brilliant temporary success, but the chances are a thousand to one that he will only be defeated eventually; and in no event will the good he does stand on the same broad and permanent foundation as if he had begun at the bottom. Of course, one or two of his efforts may be failures; but if he has the right stuff in him he will go ahead and do his duty irrespective of whether he meets with success or defeat. It is perfectly right to consider the question of failure while shaping one’s efforts to succeed in the struggle for the right; but there should be no consideration of it whatsoever when the question is as to whether one should or should not make a struggle for the right. When once a band of one hundred and fifty or two hundred honest, intelligent men, who mean business and know their business, is found in any district, whether in one of the regular organizations or outside, you can guarantee that the local politicians of that district will begin to treat it with a combination of fear, hatred, and respect, and that its influence will be felt; and that while sometimes men will be elected to office in direct defiance of its wishes, more often the successful candidates will feel that they have to pay some regard to its demands for public decency and honesty.
But in advising you to be practical and to work hard, I must not for one moment be understood as advising you to abandon one iota of your self-respect and devotion to principle. It is a bad sign for the country to see one class of our citizens sneer at practical politicians, and another at Sunday-school politics. No man can do both effective and decent work in public life unless he is a practical politician on the one hand, and a sturdy believer in Sunday-school politics on the other. He must always strive manfully for the best, and yet, like Abraham Lincoln, must often resign himself to accept the best possible. Of course when a man verges on to the higher ground of statesmanship, when he becomes a leader, he must very often consult with others and defer to their opinion, and must be continually settling in his mind how far he can go in just deference to the wishes and prejudices of others while yet adhering to his own moral standards: but I speak not so much of men of this stamp as I do of the ordinary citizen, who wants to do his duty as a member of the commonwealth in its civic life; and for this man I feel that the one quality which he ought always to hold most essential is that of disinterestedness. If he once begins to feel that he wants office himself, with a willingness to get it at the cost of his convictions, or to keep it when gotten, at the cost of his convictions, his usefulness is gone. Let him make up his mind to do his duty in politics without regard to holding office at all, and let him know that often the men in this country who have done the best work for our public life have not been the men in office. If, on the other hand, he attains public position, let him not strive to plan out for himself a career. I do not think that any man should let himself regard his political career as a means of livelihood, or as his sole occupation in life; for if he does he immediately becomes most seriously handicapped. The moment that he begins to think how such and such an act will affect the voters in his district, or will affect some great political leader who will have an influence over his destiny, he is hampered and his hands are bound. Not only may it be his duty often to disregard the wishes of politicians, but it may be his clear duty at times to disregard the wishes of the people. The voice of the people is not always the voice of God; and when it happens to be the voice of the devil, then it is a man’s clear duty to defy its behests. Different political conditions breed different dangers. The demagogue is as unlovely a creature as the courtier, though one is fostered under republican and the other under monarchical institutions. There is every reason why a man should have an honorable ambition to enter public life, and an honorable ambition to stay there when he is in; but he ought to make up his mind that he cares for it only as long as he can stay in it on his own terms, without sacrifice of his own principles; and if he does thus make up his mind he can really accomplish twice as much for the nation, and can reflect a hundredfold greater honor upon himself, in a short term of service, than can the man who grows gray in the public employment at the cost of sacrificing what he believes to be true and honest. And moreover, when a public servant has definitely made up his mind that he will pay no heed to his own future, but will do what he honestly deems best for the community, without regard to how his actions may affect his prospects, not only does he become infinitely more useful as a public servant, but he has a far better time. He is freed from the harassing care which is inevitably the portion of him who is trying to shape his sails to catch every gust of the wind of political favor.
But let me reiterate, that in being virtuous he must not become ineffective, and that he must not excuse himself for shirking his duties by any false plea that he cannot do his duties and retain his self-respect. This is nonsense, he can; and when he urges such a plea it is a mark of mere laziness and self-indulgence. And again, he should beware how he becomes a critic of the actions of others, rather than a doer of deeds himself; and in so far as he does act as a critic (and of course the critic has a great and necessary function) he must beware of indiscriminate censure even more than of indiscriminate praise. The screaming vulgarity of the foolish spread-eagle orator who is continually yelling defiance at Europe, praising everything American, good and bad, and resenting the introduction of any reform because it has previously been tried successfully abroad, is offensive and contemptible to the last degree; but after all it is scarcely as harmful as the peevish, fretful, sneering, and continual faultfinding of the refined, well-educated man, who is always attacking good and bad alike, who genuinely distrusts America, and in the true spirit of servile colonialism considers us inferior to the people across the water. It may be taken for granted that the man who is always sneering at our public life and our public men is a thoroughly bad citizen, and that what little influence he wields in the community is wielded for evil. The public speaker or the editorial writer who teaches men of education that their proper attitude toward American politics should be one of dislike or indifference is doing all he can to perpetuate and aggravate the very evils of which he is ostensibly complaining. Exactly as it is generally the case that when a man bewails the decadence of our civilization he is himself physically, mentally, and morally a first-class type of the decadent, so it is usually the case that when a man is perpetually sneering at American politicians, whether worthy or unworthy, he himself is a poor citizen and a friend of the very forces of evil against which he professes to contend. Too often these men seem to care less for attacking bad men, than for ruining the characters of good men with whom they disagree on some pubic question; and while their influence against the bad is almost nil, they are sometimes able to weaken the hands of the good by withdrawing from them support to which they are entitled, and they thus count in the sum total of forces that work for evil. They answer to the political prohibitionist, who, in a close contest between a temperance man and a liquor seller diverts enough votes from the former to elect the liquor seller Occasionally it is necessary to beat a pretty good man, who is not quite good enough, even at the cost of electing a bad one— but it should be thoroughly recognized that this can be necessary only occasionally and indeed, I may say, only in very exceptional cases, and that as a rule where it is done the effect is thoroughly unwholesome in every way, and those taking part in it deserve the severest censure from all honest men.
Moreover, the very need of denouncing evil makes it all the more wicked to weaken the effect of such denunciations by denouncing also the good. It is the duty of all citizens, irrespective of party, to denounce, and, so far as may be, to punish crimes against the public on the part of politicians or officials. But exactly as the public man who commits a crime against the public is one of the worst of criminals, so, close on his heels in the race for iniquitous distinction, comes the man who falsely charges the public servant with outrageous wrongdoing; whether it is done with foul-mouthed and foolish directness in the vulgar and violent party organ, or with sarcasm, innuendo, and the half-truths that are worse than lies, in some professed organ of independence. Not only should criticism be honest, but it should be intelligent, in order to be effective. I recently read in a religious paper an article railing at the corruption of our public life, in which it stated incidentally that the lobby was recognized as all-powerful in Washington. This is untrue. There was a day when the lobby was very important at Washington, but its influence in Congress is now very small indeed; and from a pretty intimate acquaintance with several Congresses I am entirely satisfied that there is among the members a very small proportion indeed who are corruptible, in the sense that they will let their action be influenced by money or its equivalent. Congressmen are very often demagogues; they are very often blind partisans; they are often exceedingly short-sighted, narrow-minded, and bigoted; but they are not usually corrupt; and to accuse a narrow-minded demagogue of corruption when he is perfectly honest, is merely to set him more firmly in his evil course and to help him with his constituents, who recognize that the charge is entirely unjust, and in repelling it lose sight of the man’s real shortcomings. I have known more than one State legislature, more than one board of aldermen against which the charge of corruption could perfectly legitimately be brought, but it cannot be brought against Congress. Moreover these sweeping charges really do very little good. When I was in the New York legislature, one of the things that I used to mind most was the fact that at the close of every session the papers that affect morality invariably said that particular legislature was the worst legislature since the days of Tweed. The statement was not true as a rule; and, in any event, to lump all the members, good and bad, in sweeping condemnation simply hurt the good and helped the bad. Criticism should be fearless, but I again reiterate that it should be honest and should be discriminating. When it is sweeping and unintelligent, and directed against good and bad alike, or against the good and bad qualities of any man alike, it is very harmful. It tends steadily to deteriorate the character of our public men; and it tends to produce a very unwholesome spirit among young men of education, and especially among the young men in our colleges.
Against nothing is fearless and specific criticism more urgently needed than against the “spoils system,” which is the degradation of American politics. And nothing is more effective in thwarting the purposes of the spoilsmen than the civil service reform. To be sure, practical politicians sneer at it. One of them even went so far as to say that civil-service reform is asking a man irrelevant questions. What more irrelevant question could there be than that of the practical politician who asks the aspirant for his political favor — “Whom did you vote for in the last election?” There is certainly nothing more interesting, from a humorous point of view, than the heads of departments urging changes to be made in their underlings, “on the score of increased efficiency” they say; when as the result of such a change the old incumbent often spends six months teaching the new incumbent how to do the work almost as well as he did himself! Occasionally the civil-service reform has been abused, but not often. Certainly the reform is needed when you contemplate the spectacle of a New York City treasurer who acknowledges his annual fees to be eighty-five thousand dollars, and who pays a deputy one thousand five hundred dollars to do his work—when you note the corruptions in the New York legislature, where one man says he has a horror of the Constitution because it prevents active benevolence, and another says that you should never allow the Constitution to come between friends! All these corruptions and vices are what every good American citizen must fight against.
Finally, the man who wishes to do his duty as a citizen in our country must be imbued through and through with the spirit of Americanism. I am not saying this as a matter of spread-eagle rhetoric: I am saying it quite soberly as a piece of matter-of-fact, common-sense advice, derived from my own experience of others. Of course, the question of Americanism has several sides. If a man is an educated man, he must show his Americanism by not getting misled into following out and trying to apply all the theories of the political thinkers of other countries, such as Germany and France, to our own entirely different conditions. He must not get a fad, for instance, about responsible government; and above all things he must not, merely because he is intelligent, or a college professor well read in political literature, try to discuss our institutions when he has had no practical knowledge of how they are worked. Again, if he is a wealthy man, a man of means and standing, he must really feel, not merely affect to feel, that no social differences obtain save such as a man can in some way himself make by his own actions. People sometimes ask me if there is not a prejudice against a man of wealth and education in ward politics. I do not think that there is, unless the man in turn shows that he regards the facts of his having wealth and education as giving him a claim to superiority aside from the merit he is able to prove himself to have in actual service. Of course, if he feels that he ought to have a little better treatment than a carpenter, a plumber, or a butcher, who happens to stand beside him, he is going to be thrown out of the race very quickly, and probably quite roughly; and if he starts in to patronize and elaborately condescend to these men he will find that they resent this attitude even more. Do not let him think about the matter at all. Let him go into the political contest with no more thought of such matters than a college boy gives to the social standing of the members of his own and rival teams in a hotly contested football match. As soon as he begins to take an interest in politics (and he will speedily not only get interested for the sake of politics, but also take a good healthy interest in playing the game itself — an interest which is perfectly normal and praise-worthy, and to which only a prig would object), he will begin to work up the organization in the way that will be most effective, and he won’t care a rap about who is put to work with him, save in so far as he is a good fellow and an efficient worker. There was one time that a number of men who think as we do here to-night (one of the number being myself) got hold of one of the assembly districts of New York, and ran it in really an ideal way, better than any other assembly district has ever been run before or since by either party. We did it by hard work and good organization; by working practically, and yet by being honest and square in motive and method: especially did we do it by all turning in as straight-out Americans without any regard to distinctions of race origin. Among the many men who did a great deal in organizing our victories was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, the nephew of a Hebrew rabbi, and two well-known Catholic gentlemen. We also had a Columbia College professor (the stroke-oar of a university crew), a noted retail butcher, and the editor of a local German paper, various brokers, bankers, lawyers, bricklayers and a stone-mason who was particularly useful to us, although on questions of theoretic rather than applied politics he had a decidedly socialistic turn of mind.
Again, questions of race origin, like questions of creed, must not be considered: we wish to do good work, and we are all Americans, pure and simple. In the New York legislature, when it fell to my lot to choose a committee — which I always esteemed my most important duty at Albany — no less than three out of the four men I chose were of Irish birth or parentage; and three abler and more fearless and disinterested men never sat in a legislative body; while among my especial political and personal friends in that body was a gentleman from the southern tier of counties, who was, I incidentally found out, a German by birth, but who was just as straight United States as if his ancestors had come over here in the Mayflower or in Henry Hudson’s yacht. Of course, none of these men of Irish or German birth would have been worth their salt had they continued to act after coming here as Irishmen or Germans, or as anything but plain straight-out Americans. We have not any room here for a divided allegiance. A man has got to be an American and nothing else; and he has no business to be mixing us up with questions of foreign politics, British or Irish, German or French, and no business to try to perpetuate their language and customs in the land of complete religious toleration and equality. If, however, he does become honestly and in good faith an American, then he is entitled to stand precisely as all other Americans stand, and it is the height of un-Americanism to discriminate against him in any way because of creed or birthplace. No spirit can be more thoroughly alien to American institutions, than the spirit of the Know-Nothings.
In facing the future and in striving, each according to the measure of his individual capacity, to work out the salvation of our land, we should be neither timid pessimists nor foolish optimists. We should recognize the dangers that exist and that threaten us: we should neither overestimate them nor shrink from them, but steadily fronting them should set to work to overcome and beat them down. Grave perils are yet to be encountered in the stormy course of the Republic — perils from political corruption, perils from individual laziness, indolence and timidity, perils springing from the greed of the unscrupulous rich, and from the anarchic violence of the thriftless and turbulent poor. There is every reason why we should recognize them, but there is no reason why we should fear them or doubt our capacity to overcome them, if only each will, according to the measure of his ability, do his full duty, and endeavor so to live as to deserve the high praise of being called a good American citizen."
- Theodore Roosevelt Jr. New York State Assemblyman (New York Co., 21st Dist.) at the ripe young age of 24
2024.03.02 19:50 jjredfield711 Story and Main Theme of Dark Souls Explained
Hey everyone, hope you’re having a great day. I wanted to talk about the main theme of Dark Souls. Coming from Japan, I was a bit shocked about how the English community seemed to rely on a few youtube videos that went into crazy conspiracies as the ultimate source of lore for the game. The main theme is much simpler to understand than a lot of youtubers make it seems to be and has been touched on by Miyazaki himself numerous time in interviews, it’s always fun to theorize, but let’s remember that when someone’s personal income depends on making theories on a video game, the theories can easily become wild conspiracies based on very little to no factual information. Also, since Miyazaki talked about how he came up with the lore for the world himself, and had no part in Dark Souls 2, I will only concentrate on “Miyazaki’s world” the same way if I were to talk about Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, I wouldn’t mention “Ring of Powers” as part of the lore since it was written by a completely different author without knowledge of what the world was about.
About “Linking the First Flame”
First, about the linking of the fire. I always thought the English translation of "Linking the Fire” was strange. In Japanese, it’s much closer to “Inherit the Fire”. In his interviews, Miyazaki kept referring to the linking of the fire as “passing the torch” to the next generation. In the first game, he explains that we kill the gods and by linking the fire, we inherit the world. The story of Dark Souls III is essentially set in an era where the current lord, Lothric, refuses to link the fire, preferring to see the entire world crumble and rot than to sacrifice himself. We also visit different times and see multiple lords of cinder. We can see that only Lothric and the undead settlement are close to current time as it’s the only 2 areas where the sun starts to get completely swallowed by darkness as a result of no one inheriting the fire of the world near the end of the game.
Every single time Miyazaki or the game characters talk about inheriting the fire (or linking the fire in English), it’s always a positive thing. Vaati went with this whole “oh it’s been done too many time and it’s not working anymore” theory based on essentially nothing. He was already making dozens of theories on Dark Souls 1 saying “it was meaningless to link the fire” but not only did Miyazaki always refer to linking the fire as renewing the world and passing the torch to the next generation, in Dark souls III we see countless millennia of history thanks to the linking of the fire. In Dark Souls III the world as gone to shit, but EVERYONE keeps telling you it’s because Lothric is being a little bitch and prefer to see the world slowly rot and crumble away than to sacrifice himself to link the fire and renew the world. All the devastation at the end is specifically mentioned as being the result of the fire fading. NOTHING, not even the most pro-dark people mention linking the fire repeatedly as bad for the world in any ways, this is pure vaati fan fiction that contradicts everything said in the game.
It’s also annoying when people spam buzzwords like “unatural” or “artificial”. I know vaati spam these words in his videos, but there’s absolutely nothing in the games or Miyazaki that hint as linking the fire as being “unatural” or bad, instead he always compares it to a passing of the torch between eras. It also contradicts the big plot twist of the main game. When you go to untended graves, you realize that somebody betrayed their duty of linking the fire and let the fire fade completely. And then the big revelation happens, people can and will link the first flame (inherit the fire in japanese) even when it has completely gone out. The world without fire is constantly liken to a barren waste devoid of both time and life (the repair spell specify that time itself doesn't exist without light), with everything just rotting away slowly and mindless hollows and creatures from the abyss roaming without greater purpose. But as the handmaiden tells you, fire will always come back no matter what, so as much as I hate buzzwords like “natural” which are mostly meaningless, it is actually the natural state of the world to have fire coming back.
And yes, when it comes back, it is still called “Linking the First Flame”. We learn that Ludleth, who lived in a horrible barren world without flame willed himself Lord of Cinder and managed to Link the first flame even though there was no more fire. He literally compares linking the fire as akin to painting a new world which goes perfectly which what Miyazaki said in his interviews about linking the fire being a passing of the torch to the next generation. The pro-dark factions don’t even tell you linking the fire is bad for the world, they just tell you variants of “Take the power for yourself and becomes Dark Lord! Muhahaha!” They never say anything about fixing the world and they don’t even deny that linking the fire will save the world, they just tell you to embrace the Dark and take the power for yourself. The idea that linking the fire is bad is simply repeated ad nauseam in vaati’s conspiracies videos that people who ignore everything presented in the game and take their lore from YouTube started to blindly believe it and repeat it everywhere.
About the Painted World
In the interviews about the dlcs, Miyazaki talks about how the story of Ashes of Andariel is a retelling of the main theme and hope that players get out of it with a good idea of what the main theme was for the main game. And honestly, the main theme is kinda in your face. You have one of the leaders of the church of Londor reigning as the Lord over a cold, dead, rotting world, hiding the fire away and refusing to link it, burning the rot away and passing the torch to the next world. You defeat Friede and liberate the painter which, with the help of flame, burn the rot away making place for a new world. Linking the fire is literally called “painting a new world” in the main game. I don’t know how much more in your face this can be. They’re literally using “fire” to “paint a new world” and burn away a rotting stagnant world. In the main game a world without flame is referred to as stagnant. If you talk to the corvian settler, he says:
“Surely you've seen the rot that afflicts this world. But that witch fooled the good Father, and buried the flame. After we had all made up our minds, too. So, please, grant us one wish. Make the tales true, and burn this world away. My Lady must see flame, and you have only to show her."
After liberating the painter and the fire:
"I can hear the crackling from here. The sound of my home, the painting of Ariandel, burning away...
"When the world rots, we set it afire. For the sake of the next world. It's the one thing we do right, unlike those fools on the outside."
I don’t know how this can be clearer. The world outside is completely rotting since no one is linking the fire. We see in the dlc how the dregs of humanity (our true essence, yeah!) are just making massive seas of dregs. As the old hollow lady tells you, at the end of fire everything converges at the same spot and stagnates. You cannot talk to the corvian settler after linking the fire, so the fire is always fading and technically no one does anything about it which matches perfectly with what he’s saying.
Now I’ve heard people making incredible mental gymnastics because they don’t want their favorite youtuber to be wrong and say that the fire in the painting represents Dark. I love hearing other people's theory, but this is more of a stretch than “Mario is evil” fan theories. The corvian settle wants a big flame that wipes the rot away so the painter can create a new world. By that logic, the current world that is degrading because no one want to link the fire and pass the torch to the next generation is good because it goes into a dark stagnant world without time and life BUT kingdoms of old like Astora and Catarina were bad because they kept linking (inheriting) the fire? The dark is also stagnant, not one big fire that leaves a place for a new world, which is exactly how Miyazaki described the ritual of linking the fire. Also come on, dark cold rotting world, in need of a painter which burns the old world with fire to create a new one, exactly the linking of the first flame as Ludleth described word for word.
About the Dark
There’s a lot of misconceptions regarding the Dark, but it’s a lot less complex than a lot of youtube conspiracy videos you would have you believe. When you look at Solaire, Onion Bro, Princess Dusk, Big Hat Logan, etc. You don’t see the primitive hollows full of dark, but beings composed of both light and dark. It is all very symbolic and a big reference to Berserk and Japanese spiritualism. The true nature of a man is darkness, explaining all the evil things men do. But gods gave us light, and that light balance the darkness. When pro-dark people in the game tell you to embrace the dark, they don’t tell you to embrace what you consider humanity (great civilizations, love, life, bromance with Solaire and Siegward, valor, music, art, etc.) they tell you to embrace what they consider human (corruption, greed, despair, power).
In Berserk, Miyazaki main inspiration, the true essence of man is shown as darkness coming from the Abyss (yes literally the same name), which look very much like hollows and is responsible from all the evil in the world because all the human being who suffer secretly desire everyone else to suffer like them. Even the locust preacher trying to attract human to the dark constantly repeat that it’s time for the feast, clear reference to the eclipse from Berserk where horrible monster that were in truth human mutated by the dark from the Abyss would feast upon the living.
In other words, a big reveal of Dark Souls is that human have a lot of Darkness in them, but in the end it’s their choice if they want to overcome it and become people like Solaire or Siegward or embrace it and become powerful but corrupted by evil and desires, like Manus, the Four Kings, the resident of Ringed City except for Shira, Aldrich and the deacon of the deep, etc. The power from the Dark corrupts even good people like Artorias and Gael.
And as much as I love to hear people theories and interpretation, the people who try to defend vaati conspiracy theory of “dark = nice!” have to do so much mental gymnastics it’s exhausting. Every time we see humans embrace the dark, we see the horros and the corruption it does. And the funny things, pro-dark people in the game never tell you “Oh btw, the dark is nice and caring but sometimes it can go overboard” no they just tell you “Embrace the power! Muhahaha Become the Dark Lord! Our time is coming!”. Some people try to defend the dark because we learned how close humanity is to darkness. But the realization is not “Oh darkness is nice because it’s human” it’s “Oh shit humanity has a lot of darkness and is capable of terrible things”. And when you look at humanity in Dark Souls, it is very reminiscent of the horrors of humanity in real life. Slavery, genocide, unspeakable horrors. Much more horrible than the gods ever did. The theme around darkness is that man is fundamentally evil and can embrace the darkness for more strength or try to become greater as a being of both light and dark.
A lot of misconceptions about the darkness of men comes from youtuber making hundreds of theories based only on a few words from the primordial serpent Darkstalker Kaathe, which you can only meet by committing murder. Darkstalker Kaathe is by far the less trustable person in the entire game. You learn that he went to the Four Kings, promised them great power if they embraced the Dark. They started to genocide everyone and opened the Abyss until human flooded new Londo. Then he went to Oolacile, promised them power if they embraced the Dark, they got tricked by him and you know what happened after that. Good thing you went, stop the Dark and saved Princess Dusk. The you go into the Abyss where he was stuck, kill his attempt at making a Dark Lord AGAIN. So, he tells you the same speech. And if you say yes, he tells you “Wonderful! Here’s a Darkwraith set and the art of life steal, go genocide more people.” We don’t know why, that is left to interpretation, but Darkstalker Kaathe hates fire and tries to trick everyone into bringing Dark. The funny thing is, he doesn’t even lie or tells the truth, he tells you opinion. “Gwyn was scared of humans”. How did he know? He was Gwyn psychologist? He says fire isn’t natural and the natural state of the world is Dark. Once again, that’s not a fact, that’s a judgement. How does he know? Funny thing, what he says is factually proven wrong in Dark Souls III, where you learn that fire will always eventually be linked even from nothing and is fated to come back. He uses a lot of buzzwords with bad sounding adjectives, but he’s a proven manipulator with a bias against fire. Actions speak louder than words and we know Kaathe is ready to destroy human civilization, not to "help the world”, even he doesn’t say it will be good, but for a world without fire. We know he doesn’t do it for “natural” purposes (once again, natural really is a meaningless buzzword that doesn’t mean that something is good or bad) since when he realizes that fire is natural, he doesn’t accept it but look for more influenceable human and create a plan to steal the fire (he really hates light for some reason). You also see that Kaathe always tries to tempt humans using their worse traits, he tempts Kings with more powers from the Dark, he tempts the Hollows which are forsaken by most human to steal the fire from themselves. He never goes to nice upstanding honorable human who like the lights like Onion Bros or Sun Bros. Also, people fixate way too much on the few words Kaathe says to the player in Dark Souls 1. The terms “age of dark” / “age of men” are made-up words by Kaathe. As Miyazaki said in an interview, in Dark Souls 1, by killing the gods and linking the fire you end the Age of Gods and pass the torch to the next generation. Even Yuria says that the gods are no more since forever ago. It’s already an age of man, it has been for untold millennia. Even Gwyn is often no longer remembered as a God, but as the first Lord of Cinder, long legacy of passing the torch to the next generation of men. That’s right, when Kaathe manipulate you in Dark Souls 1, the Age of Gods is already over, and by inheriting the fire you’re putting the final nail in the coffin of that age. When the next fire is close to its end, people simply refer to it as the fire fading and how the world will stagnate and humans, without light, will regress to hollows and some of them with enough dark to powerful dark abyssal mutated monsters. Aldrich saw that when the fire fades there will be a deep sea from the dregs of humanity, which we see at the end of the game.
About Gwyn
A thing that makes actually no sense from the information provided in the game is the defamation of Gwyn. You don’t have to love him, or agree with everything he did, but 95% of the things I see people accusing Gwyn of are completely made-up bullshit. First thing, how he treated humans. Most of the imagined “hatred” of Gwyn toward humans comes from vaati videos which are themselves based on 1 sentence from Kaathe (which was 100% an opinion and not a statement), the proven manipulator with a super anti-light agenda. Actions speak louder than words and looking at Gwyn actions, he kept helping human beings. Let’s also remember from the Ringed City, it is 100% confirmed that the original humans were Hollows and had no civilization before the gods came. But Gwyn, instead of attacking those mindless zombies full of darkness, helped them build an entire civilization and elevated them into the human beings we know today. Humans are full of Dark which lead them to easily become corrupt, evil, prideful, violent and turn on each other for personal gain. There was definitely disdain from a lot of the gods towards the first human beings, seeing as their contributions to the dragon hunts, while recognized, were never lauded and admired. But Gwyn kept helping the humans and even gifted them crowns, kingdoms and the chloranthy ring +3, which is arguably the best ring in the entire game. On a more serious note, if Gwyn “feared the human”, why did he split his own soul and gave 4 parts of it to great human kings as a sign of trust? Those were no small parts; it was needed to satiate the Lord Vessel. What more selfless act than splitting your own soul and giving it to humans? How about sacrificing yourself and burning alive for 1000 years to save the world? Miyazaki is quite clear in the interview that linking the fire is passing the torch to the next generation. Everyone in the game says that the current problem is because Lothric isn’t linking the flame. The idea that “linking the flame = bad” and “endings = meaningless” is a completely baseless conspiracy theory that contradicts everything we know from the games. It came from vaati during Dark Souls 1, and surprise, countless human Kingdoms were prosperous, and humans had amazing lives for thousands and thousands of years. They laughed, they loved, they lived, they died. Great lives, because you inherit the flame in Dark Souls 1, and all without the interference of any gods. From soft said they didn’t have the technology to make worlds lively and full of npcs and they prefer worlds on the brink of death for both themes and technical limitation. But Dark Souls was never a sad hopeless series. It’s all about seeing the great kingdom rise and fall, seeing lords and kings pass the torch to the next generation, the next great kingdom. Just like a human life, a kingdom flourishes, and the citizen lives through incredible lives until it fades, someone links the fire and a new one is born. The dark is stagnation, fire is disparity, great things are born and will eventually fade. As Miyazaki put it in an interviews, the fire is in a constant state of generation and decay. Nobody is “stuck in the cycle”. It is simply the beauty of great things emerging followed by the strange sadness and sorrow of seeing it fade. Then you link (inherit) the fire, pass the torch and let the next generation create more beautiful things. Or you can try to stop the fire and rot away eternally in the dark. Dark Souls III is so interesting because you’re at the end of one of those cycles and you see the sun almost completely swallowed by Darkness like the eclipse in berserk. The sky becomes darker and darker when you get closer in time toward the end.
So funnily enough, the entities trying to fight this process the most are people like the Witch of Izalith, absorbed by fire she tries to make a new flame to preserve the age of the Gods and we know how it turned out. And we have people like Kaathe and Lothric who just want the world to rot into nothingness. (We know it’s not for the benefit of mankind, as the Age of the Gods is already over and its mankind who rules its own destiny already.) The one who did the right thing was Gwyn. He saw his time was passed, gave his soul to humans and the gods, a passing of the torch for the next generation.
Reading the interviews and talking to my japanese friends made me realize how much US gamers were obsessed because of vaati videos on the concept of age of fire or age of dark when this really isn’t the main theme. Gwyn passes the torch to his sons. And as Miyazaki explains it in an interview, in Dark Souls 1 we go and kill the remaining gods, link the fire and pass the torch to mankind which marks the end of the age of the god (he precisely says “by linking the fire”). Even if you don’t know Gwyn’s intentions, in terms of actions he: helps human becoming beings of both light and dark, gave us part of his soul and sacrificed himself to pass the torch to the next generation (once again, the idea that linking (inheriting) the fire is “bad” in any ways is baseless fan fiction popularized by vaati).
Then you have the treatment of Undeads. Except we only see Gwyn help undeads. Now human’s treatment of Undeads, that’s a different story, they killed the undead, they hunted them. They used them as slaves. Some people, without evidence, like to say “maybe the gods told them to” but that’s simply wrong, from the item description you see human fighting over religions and beliefs all the time. If the gods maintained a close rule over humans, don’t you think they would just tell them “The one holy truth”? But everything about the gods mostly just concerns their hunt for dragons.
The fire brand the god put stop our humanity from running wild like Manus. We can still use Dark Sorcery, but we don’t easily become mindless violent creatures of the Abyss if there’s a lot of Dark inside of us. Sure you can be pissed off that it stops you from becoming a strong abyssal creature like Manus, but if you want to become more like Siegward or Solaire than Manus, than you can thank Gwyn for that. It’s literally the origin story, human are made of darkness, but gods gave us light and now we’re being of both, but we’re tempted by a serpent to embrace the evil dark power inside of use and commit murder to increase our powers to become the dark lord. Why are people just repeating “age of man”? It’s already the age of mankind, the age of gods has long since passed. Kaathe simply wants aa world without fire and is happy every time he succeeds in opening the Abyss which devastate human civilizations.
And the last outright lie about Gwyn, how he treated his first son. People in the English community keep talking about how Gwyn banished his first son. Once again, provably false. Gwyn had an amazing relationship with his first son and when he left to sacrifice himself, he literally gave him the part of his soul with the power over lightning. Since this is a bit less obvious than the rest, here’s some direct quotes:
"As bearer of the ultimate soul, Gwyn wielded the bolts of the sun, but before linking the fire, divided that power amongst his children, and set off with only this greatsword as his companion." - Great Lord Greatsword (DS1)
"The swordspear is imbued with lightning, of which he was the heir." - Dragonslayer Swordspear (DS3)
"Miracle wielded by Lord Gwyn's firstborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Sun. The power of sunlight, manifested as lightning, is very effective against dragons. When the eldest son was stripped of his deific status, he left this on his father's coffin, perhaps as a final farewell." - Sunlight Blade (DS1)
"Primal account of Lightning Spear, which tells of an ancestral dragonslayer. Hurls a giant lightning spear. Gwyn, the First Lord, slew dragons with his sunlight spear, a tradition upheld by his firstborn and the greatspear he wielded. Much of this resplendent tale of father and son, while epic, remains tragically untold." - Great Lightning Spear (DS3)
The Nameless King inherited the power of lightning when Gwyn divided his soul amongst his children and the human. He gave the part which had control over lightning to his eldest son, that’s why Gwyn doesn’t use any lightning power during the Lord of Cinder fight. They had an amazing relation, the Nameless King became king of Anor Londo and when he left to ally with the Dragons, he left his miracle on his father coffin.
And Kaathe, as bias and untrustworthy as he is, also mention this in Japanese:
世界の理を恐れた
だから奴は、火を継ぎ、自らの息子たちに、人を率い、縛らせた
“[Gwyn] was afraid of the logic of the world. And so, he inherited the Flame, and made his sons lead and bind the humans.”
He clearly talks about his sons (plural), he only had 2 sons, the Nameless King and Gwyndolin.In addition, in Artorias of the Abyss, the knight talks about Gwyn using the term “Great Lord” 大王 [great king] but they talked about their current King as 王 [king]. In Dark Souls 1, Artorias of the Abyss happens about 300 years before, and Gwyn linked the fire at least 1000 years before (probably longer, they have been looking for a successor for 1000 years). The Nameless King inherited lightning from Gwyn, had a great relationship with his father and became the King of Anor Londo after his father’s sacrifice.Gwyn was loved so much by his people that his sons did everything to keep his legacy intact, not understanding that their age was over, and it was time for men to inherit the fire of the world. He went alone to the Kiln but his knights went to die with him out of loyalty. His first son still wears the same crown and outfit resembling his father, using the same power he inherited from Gwyn before he left to sacrifice himself. I was very surprised to see the English community treat him as an antagonist, especially when it seems all the blames are completely invented out of thin air, like blaming Gwyn for human hunting undeads, while in terms of actions, all we know from Gwyn relation to human is the help he gave them, the light he provided them to not get overcome by darkness and massive parts of his very soul. Oh and burning alive for 1000 years to save everyone. Gwyn was one of the most honorable man in Dark Souls and started the tradition of inheriting the fire which, conspiracy theories aside, is always seen as a good thing for the world and the livings.
The Endings
In his interviews, Miyazaki mentions how he thought every ending was beautiful and even though there was one he would personally choose, he wants the player to make the choice for themselves. Now if you listen to baseless vaati conspiracies on how everything is meaningless even in Dark Souls 1, most endings aren’t meaningful at all. But if you actually take the time to look at the game, read descriptions and dialogs, you realize Dark Souls isn’t as complex as those lore channels who need to make 1 video a week would have you believe. The main themes are actually really simple and in your face. It’s about choosing how you chose to inherit the world and every ending has meaning and beauty in itself.
Linking the fire (“Those who inherit the fire" in Japanese)
In the linking the fire ending, pass the torch to the next generation. You sit there quietly while slowly willing your new world into shape. I love the ending cutscene as you understand what Ludleth meant when he compared linking the fire as calmly painting a new world. You will most likely be remembered in songs and legend just like the other lords of cinders who have defined their eras. There is nothing that says linking the fire is bad or a temporary solution. The “only dark will remains” is a warning that no Lord (or God) rule forever, that every era has its end, that we must accept it and pass the torch to the next generation. It’s also symbolic how it’s often the greatest king of the era who sacrifices itself for the first flame, signifying that era’s end. And for those saying “no it means one day only dark everywhere” we already know it’s not true, it happened, we see it in the big plot twist of untended graves, and we learn it’s the “natural” way of the world that the first flame will spring back paving the way for a new era. If you link it quicker, you simply save more history and culture, but even if it stays dark for a long time and the world stays stagnant, there’s always some history of the previous generations that survive. For those who think "then why is the flame small?", the answer is not only obvious but also clearly stated in interviews. As Miyazaki said, the fire is in constant state of expansion and regression. Inheriting the fire switch that direction and make the fire grows larger. It's not a big explosion followed by a constant reduction. In Dark Souls 1, the fire was fading, but was still big and powerful when you inherit it. In Dark Souls 3, it's been AGES without anyone linking the fire. So the fire you inherit is super weak, but by doing so you're switching the direction and the fire will grow once more. The idea that inheriting the fire works less and less makes no sense since we know Ludleth inherited it when it was completely gone.
End of fire (“End of fire link” in Japanese)
The betrayal ending is my favorite one. In the interviews, Miyazaki mentioned one of the main themes of Dark Souls III is the fire keepers. And what you realize while exploring the world is that while linking the fire is good for all living things, there’s a big exception. You, the other champions of ashes and most important of all the fire keepers. The amount of dead fire keepers in the tower near the shrine and the fact that Irina moves there when she becomes a fire keeper, waiting to become one of them strongly imply that a fire keeper must stay true to her role of linking the fire until the end then dies. There’s no mention of fire keepers outside of their roles, having family or growing old after their champion linked the fire. You and the most adorable fire keeper ever are doomed to die from the start for the sake of everyone. Now, once again, everyone agrees that linking the fire is the best decision for the greater good but that will mean the death of those who worked hard to create this new world. This is why the eyes matter, it lets the firekeeper see not only a world without fire, but more importantly she can see that one-day fire will return even if she betrays her duties. Now, obviously that a selfish choice because the longer you wait the more people die and the world get destroyed, but you know if you abandon the torch and let the fire fades, someone will eventually pick the torch back, link the first flame and create a new world. It already happened at least once! And thus, instead of sacrificing yourself to paint a new world and leave the firekeeper to become another dead body in the pile, you abandon the torch. You doom what’s left of the world and wait in a barren dark world devoid of life and even time until someone else comes pick up the torch you drop, link the first flame and sacrifice themselves to paint a new world with light and life. I think that as selfish as it is, it’s the most beautiful of all endings.
Usurper of fire
While the hollows of Londor aren’t the nicest people and without light, even Yuria and her sister will eventually become a mindless zombie, I also think there’s a certain beauty in deciding that it’s the dregs of humanity, those who have suffered the most and who were rejected the most that will inherit the world. But one thing is clear, even Yuria tells you that from her perspective, hollows are the true face of mankind and it’s obvious she’s not 100% hollow herself, more like your state when you have 99 hollowing or your state in Dark Souls 1. Meaning that your kingdom in the Lord of Hollows ending will not be a kingdom like Astora or Catarina, it will be a kingdom of mindless hollows, very much like the painting of Ariandel, slowly rotting away until a champion comes and defeat you, burning the dark and rot away leading to a new age full of life and light. Even Friede compares her role in the painting as your role as Lord of Londer.
"Leave us be, Ashen One. Thou art the Lord of Londor, and have thine own subjects to guide."
Habitants of the painting are described as forlorn souls just like hollows are described as forsaken by the fire. You’re essentially deciding that the one to inherit the world will not be the next generation, but the dregs of humanity, the forlorn, the forsaken. Just like her, you keep the fading flame to yourself, in a rotting world devoid of life where you rule mindless hollows slowly rotting away. But you are the Lord, and you have inherited the world for the forsaken.
Thank you for reading!
I know that much of what I’ve said is already obvious for people who took the time to look at the in-game lore themselves and read Miyazaki’s interviews, but I still wanted to post this as I feel the English speaking community has started to only take their information from youtubers like vaati, and as much as I find the video entertaining, it’s mostly conspiracy theories in the manner of “Mario is Evil” or “Link is actually the bad guy”. Every time I talk with my friends in Japan about Dark Souls, we always have fun theorizing and interpreting different parts of the lore. But going in an English-speaking community, most people just quote vaati or tell other to watch vaati videos. Which kinda gets exhausting.
Anyways, at the end of the day, it’s fun to theorize and have different interpretations. So please, tell me what you think or your own theories regarding the lore, I would love to hear them. While I personally think the main theme of Dark Souls III is obvious and quite clearly reiterated in the dlc, there so much left to the imagination and it’s always fun to theorize and talk about it.
Got nothing against "lore" youtuber or vaati, their videos are entertaining, it’s just annoying trying to talk to someone and the only thing they can do is repeat some crazy youtube conspiracy video even when it contradicts pretty much everything in the game.
“Bears in Elden ring are actually Dragons because they use the same eye texture, trust me bro!”
-dude quoting vaati
Anyways, hope you had some fun reading all of this, hope this sheds some light on the main theme of the game, and I’m excited if any of you have theories about anything still mysterious in the game.
You guys have a great year, peace!
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About “Linking the First Flame”
First, about the linking of the fire. I always thought the English translation of "Linking the Fire” was strange. In Japanese, it’s much closer to “Inherit the Fire”. In his interviews, Miyazaki kept referring to the linking of the fire as “passing the torch” to the next generation. In the first game, he explains that we kill the gods and by linking the fire, we inherit the world. The story of Dark Souls III is essentially set in an era where the current lord, Lothric, refuses to link the fire, preferring to see the entire world crumble and rot than to sacrifice himself. We also visit different times and see multiple lords of cinder. We can see that only Lothric and the undead settlement are close to current time as it’s the only 2 areas where the sun starts to get completely swallowed by darkness as a result of no one inheriting the fire of the world near the end of the game.
Every single time Miyazaki or the game characters talk about inheriting the fire (or linking the fire in English), it’s always a positive thing. Vaati went with this whole “oh it’s been done too many time and it’s not working anymore” theory based on essentially nothing. He was already making dozens of theories on Dark Souls 1 saying “it was meaningless to link the fire” but not only did Miyazaki always refer to linking the fire as renewing the world and passing the torch to the next generation, in Dark souls III we see countless millennia of history thanks to the linking of the fire. In Dark Souls III the world as gone to shit, but EVERYONE keeps telling you it’s because Lothric is being a little bitch and prefer to see the world slowly rot and crumble away than to sacrifice himself to link the fire and renew the world. All the devastation at the end is specifically mentioned as being the result of the fire fading. NOTHING, not even the most pro-dark people mention linking the fire repeatedly as bad for the world in any ways, this is pure vaati fan fiction that contradicts everything said in the game.
It’s also annoying when people spam buzzwords like “unatural” or “artificial”. I know vaati spam these words in his videos, but there’s absolutely nothing in the games or Miyazaki that hint as linking the fire as being “unatural” or bad, instead he always compares it to a passing of the torch between eras. It also contradicts the big plot twist of the main game. When you go to untended graves, you realize that somebody betrayed their duty of linking the fire and let the fire fade completely. And then the big revelation happens, people can and will link the first flame (inherit the fire in japanese) even when it has completely gone out. The world without fire is constantly liken to a barren waste devoid of both time and life (the repair spell specify that time itself doesn't exist without light), with everything just rotting away slowly and mindless hollows and creatures from the abyss roaming without greater purpose. But as the handmaiden tells you, fire will always come back no matter what, so as much as I hate buzzwords like “natural” which are mostly meaningless, it is actually the natural state of the world to have fire coming back.
And yes, when it comes back, it is still called “Linking the First Flame”. We learn that Ludleth, who lived in a horrible barren world without flame willed himself Lord of Cinder and managed to Link the first flame even though there was no more fire. He literally compares linking the fire as akin to painting a new world which goes perfectly which what Miyazaki said in his interviews about linking the fire being a passing of the torch to the next generation. The pro-dark factions don’t even tell you linking the fire is bad for the world, they just tell you variants of “Take the power for yourself and becomes Dark Lord! Muhahaha!” They never say anything about fixing the world and they don’t even deny that linking the fire will save the world, they just tell you to embrace the Dark and take the power for yourself. The idea that linking the fire is bad is simply repeated ad nauseam in vaati’s conspiracies videos that people who ignore everything presented in the game and take their lore from YouTube started to blindly believe it and repeat it everywhere.
About the Painted World
In the interviews about the dlcs, Miyazaki talks about how the story of Ashes of Andariel is a retelling of the main theme and hope that players get out of it with a good idea of what the main theme was for the main game. And honestly, the main theme is kinda in your face. You have one of the leaders of the church of Londor reigning as the Lord over a cold, dead, rotting world, hiding the fire away and refusing to link it, burning the rot away and passing the torch to the next world. You defeat Friede and liberate the painter which, with the help of flame, burn the rot away making place for a new world. Linking the fire is literally called “painting a new world” in the main game. I don’t know how much more in your face this can be. They’re literally using “fire” to “paint a new world” and burn away a rotting stagnant world. In the main game a world without flame is referred to as stagnant. If you talk to the corvian settler, he says:
“Surely you've seen the rot that afflicts this world. But that witch fooled the good Father, and buried the flame. After we had all made up our minds, too. So, please, grant us one wish. Make the tales true, and burn this world away. My Lady must see flame, and you have only to show her."
After liberating the painter and the fire:
"I can hear the crackling from here. The sound of my home, the painting of Ariandel, burning away...
"When the world rots, we set it afire. For the sake of the next world. It's the one thing we do right, unlike those fools on the outside."
I don’t know how this can be clearer. The world outside is completely rotting since no one is linking the fire. We see in the dlc how the dregs of humanity (our true essence, yeah!) are just making massive seas of dregs. As the old hollow lady tells you, at the end of fire everything converges at the same spot and stagnates. You cannot talk to the corvian settler after linking the fire, so the fire is always fading and technically no one does anything about it which matches perfectly with what he’s saying.
Now I’ve heard people making incredible mental gymnastics because they don’t want their favorite youtuber to be wrong and say that the fire in the painting represents Dark. I love hearing other people's theory, but this is more of a stretch than “Mario is evil” fan theories. The corvian settle wants a big flame that wipes the rot away so the painter can create a new world. By that logic, the current world that is degrading because no one want to link the fire and pass the torch to the next generation is good because it goes into a dark stagnant world without time and life BUT kingdoms of old like Astora and Catarina were bad because they kept linking (inheriting) the fire? The dark is also stagnant, not one big fire that leaves a place for a new world, which is exactly how Miyazaki described the ritual of linking the fire. Also come on, dark cold rotting world, in need of a painter which burns the old world with fire to create a new one, exactly the linking of the first flame as Ludleth described word for word.
About the Dark
There’s a lot of misconceptions regarding the Dark, but it’s a lot less complex than a lot of youtube conspiracy videos you would have you believe. When you look at Solaire, Onion Bro, Princess Dusk, Big Hat Logan, etc. You don’t see the primitive hollows full of dark, but beings composed of both light and dark. It is all very symbolic and a big reference to Berserk and Japanese spiritualism. The true nature of a man is darkness, explaining all the evil things men do. But gods gave us light, and that light balance the darkness. When pro-dark people in the game tell you to embrace the dark, they don’t tell you to embrace what you consider humanity (great civilizations, love, life, bromance with Solaire and Siegward, valor, music, art, etc.) they tell you to embrace what they consider human (corruption, greed, despair, power).
In Berserk, Miyazaki main inspiration, the true essence of man is shown as darkness coming from the Abyss (yes literally the same name), which look very much like hollows and is responsible from all the evil in the world because all the human being who suffer secretly desire everyone else to suffer like them. Even the locust preacher trying to attract human to the dark constantly repeat that it’s time for the feast, clear reference to the eclipse from Berserk where horrible monster that were in truth human mutated by the dark from the Abyss would feast upon the living.
In other words, a big reveal of Dark Souls is that human have a lot of Darkness in them, but in the end it’s their choice if they want to overcome it and become people like Solaire or Siegward or embrace it and become powerful but corrupted by evil and desires, like Manus, the Four Kings, the resident of Ringed City except for Shira, Aldrich and the deacon of the deep, etc. The power from the Dark corrupts even good people like Artorias and Gael.
And as much as I love to hear people theories and interpretation, the people who try to defend vaati conspiracy theory of “dark = nice!” have to do so much mental gymnastics it’s exhausting. Every time we see humans embrace the dark, we see the horros and the corruption it does. And the funny things, pro-dark people in the game never tell you “Oh btw, the dark is nice and caring but sometimes it can go overboard” no they just tell you “Embrace the power! Muhahaha Become the Dark Lord! Our time is coming!”. Some people try to defend the dark because we learned how close humanity is to darkness. But the realization is not “Oh darkness is nice because it’s human” it’s “Oh shit humanity has a lot of darkness and is capable of terrible things”. And when you look at humanity in Dark Souls, it is very reminiscent of the horrors of humanity in real life. Slavery, genocide, unspeakable horrors. Much more horrible than the gods ever did. The theme around darkness is that man is fundamentally evil and can embrace the darkness for more strength or try to become greater as a being of both light and dark.
A lot of misconceptions about the darkness of men comes from youtuber making hundreds of theories based only on a few words from the primordial serpent Darkstalker Kaathe, which you can only meet by committing murder. Darkstalker Kaathe is by far the less trustable person in the entire game. You learn that he went to the Four Kings, promised them great power if they embraced the Dark. They started to genocide everyone and opened the Abyss until human flooded new Londo. Then he went to Oolacile, promised them power if they embraced the Dark, they got tricked by him and you know what happened after that. Good thing you went, stop the Dark and saved Princess Dusk. The you go into the Abyss where he was stuck, kill his attempt at making a Dark Lord AGAIN. So, he tells you the same speech. And if you say yes, he tells you “Wonderful! Here’s a Darkwraith set and the art of life steal, go genocide more people.” We don’t know why, that is left to interpretation, but Darkstalker Kaathe hates fire and tries to trick everyone into bringing Dark. The funny thing is, he doesn’t even lie or tells the truth, he tells you opinion. “Gwyn was scared of humans”. How did he know? He was Gwyn psychologist? He says fire isn’t natural and the natural state of the world is Dark. Once again, that’s not a fact, that’s a judgement. How does he know? Funny thing, what he says is factually proven wrong in Dark Souls III, where you learn that fire will always eventually be linked even from nothing and is fated to come back. He uses a lot of buzzwords with bad sounding adjectives, but he’s a proven manipulator with a bias against fire. Actions speak louder than words and we know Kaathe is ready to destroy human civilization, not to "help the world”, even he doesn’t say it will be good, but for a world without fire. We know he doesn’t do it for “natural” purposes (once again, natural really is a meaningless buzzword that doesn’t mean that something is good or bad) since when he realizes that fire is natural, he doesn’t accept it but look for more influenceable human and create a plan to steal the fire (he really hates light for some reason). You also see that Kaathe always tries to tempt humans using their worse traits, he tempts Kings with more powers from the Dark, he tempts the Hollows which are forsaken by most human to steal the fire from themselves. He never goes to nice upstanding honorable human who like the lights like Onion Bros or Sun Bros. Also, people fixate way too much on the few words Kaathe says to the player in Dark Souls 1. The terms “age of dark” / “age of men” are made-up words by Kaathe. As Miyazaki said in an interview, in Dark Souls 1, by killing the gods and linking the fire you end the Age of Gods and pass the torch to the next generation. Even Yuria says that the gods are no more since forever ago. It’s already an age of man, it has been for untold millennia. Even Gwyn is often no longer remembered as a God, but as the first Lord of Cinder, long legacy of passing the torch to the next generation of men. That’s right, when Kaathe manipulate you in Dark Souls 1, the Age of Gods is already over, and by inheriting the fire you’re putting the final nail in the coffin of that age. When the next fire is close to its end, people simply refer to it as the fire fading and how the world will stagnate and humans, without light, will regress to hollows and some of them with enough dark to powerful dark abyssal mutated monsters. Aldrich saw that when the fire fades there will be a deep sea from the dregs of humanity, which we see at the end of the game.
About Gwyn
A thing that makes actually no sense from the information provided in the game is the defamation of Gwyn. You don’t have to love him, or agree with everything he did, but 95% of the things I see people accusing Gwyn of are completely made-up bullshit. First thing, how he treated humans. Most of the imagined “hatred” of Gwyn toward humans comes from vaati videos which are themselves based on 1 sentence from Kaathe (which was 100% an opinion and not a statement), the proven manipulator with a super anti-light agenda. Actions speak louder than words and looking at Gwyn actions, he kept helping human beings. Let’s also remember from the Ringed City, it is 100% confirmed that the original humans were Hollows and had no civilization before the gods came. But Gwyn, instead of attacking those mindless zombies full of darkness, helped them build an entire civilization and elevated them into the human beings we know today. Humans are full of Dark which lead them to easily become corrupt, evil, prideful, violent and turn on each other for personal gain. There was definitely disdain from a lot of the gods towards the first human beings, seeing as their contributions to the dragon hunts, while recognized, were never lauded and admired. But Gwyn kept helping the humans and even gifted them crowns, kingdoms and the chloranthy ring +3, which is arguably the best ring in the entire game. On a more serious note, if Gwyn “feared the human”, why did he split his own soul and gave 4 parts of it to great human kings as a sign of trust? Those were no small parts; it was needed to satiate the Lord Vessel. What more selfless act than splitting your own soul and giving it to humans? How about sacrificing yourself and burning alive for 1000 years to save the world? Miyazaki is quite clear in the interview that linking the fire is passing the torch to the next generation. Everyone in the game says that the current problem is because Lothric isn’t linking the flame. The idea that “linking the flame = bad” and “endings = meaningless” is a completely baseless conspiracy theory that contradicts everything we know from the games. It came from vaati during Dark Souls 1, and surprise, countless human Kingdoms were prosperous, and humans had amazing lives for thousands and thousands of years. They laughed, they loved, they lived, they died. Great lives, because you inherit the flame in Dark Souls 1, and all without the interference of any gods. From soft said they didn’t have the technology to make worlds lively and full of npcs and they prefer worlds on the brink of death for both themes and technical limitation. But Dark Souls was never a sad hopeless series. It’s all about seeing the great kingdom rise and fall, seeing lords and kings pass the torch to the next generation, the next great kingdom. Just like a human life, a kingdom flourishes, and the citizen lives through incredible lives until it fades, someone links the fire and a new one is born. The dark is stagnation, fire is disparity, great things are born and will eventually fade. As Miyazaki put it in an interviews, the fire is in a constant state of generation and decay. Nobody is “stuck in the cycle”. It is simply the beauty of great things emerging followed by the strange sadness and sorrow of seeing it fade. Then you link (inherit) the fire, pass the torch and let the next generation create more beautiful things. Or you can try to stop the fire and rot away eternally in the dark. Dark Souls III is so interesting because you’re at the end of one of those cycles and you see the sun almost completely swallowed by Darkness like the eclipse in berserk. The sky becomes darker and darker when you get closer in time toward the end.
So funnily enough, the entities trying to fight this process the most are people like the Witch of Izalith, absorbed by fire she tries to make a new flame to preserve the age of the Gods and we know how it turned out. And we have people like Kaathe and Lothric who just want the world to rot into nothingness. (We know it’s not for the benefit of mankind, as the Age of the Gods is already over and its mankind who rules its own destiny already.) The one who did the right thing was Gwyn. He saw his time was passed, gave his soul to humans and the gods, a passing of the torch for the next generation.
Reading the interviews and talking to my japanese friends made me realize how much US gamers were obsessed because of vaati videos on the concept of age of fire or age of dark when this really isn’t the main theme. Gwyn passes the torch to his sons. And as Miyazaki explains it in an interview, in Dark Souls 1 we go and kill the remaining gods, link the fire and pass the torch to mankind which marks the end of the age of the god (he precisely says “by linking the fire”). Even if you don’t know Gwyn’s intentions, in terms of actions he: helps human becoming beings of both light and dark, gave us part of his soul and sacrificed himself to pass the torch to the next generation (once again, the idea that linking (inheriting) the fire is “bad” in any ways is baseless fan fiction popularized by vaati).
Then you have the treatment of Undeads. Except we only see Gwyn help undeads. Now human’s treatment of Undeads, that’s a different story, they killed the undead, they hunted them. They used them as slaves. Some people, without evidence, like to say “maybe the gods told them to” but that’s simply wrong, from the item description you see human fighting over religions and beliefs all the time. If the gods maintained a close rule over humans, don’t you think they would just tell them “The one holy truth”? But everything about the gods mostly just concerns their hunt for dragons.
The fire brand the god put stop our humanity from running wild like Manus. We can still use Dark Sorcery, but we don’t easily become mindless violent creatures of the Abyss if there’s a lot of Dark inside of us. Sure you can be pissed off that it stops you from becoming a strong abyssal creature like Manus, but if you want to become more like Siegward or Solaire than Manus, than you can thank Gwyn for that. It’s literally the origin story, human are made of darkness, but gods gave us light and now we’re being of both, but we’re tempted by a serpent to embrace the evil dark power inside of use and commit murder to increase our powers to become the dark lord. Why are people just repeating “age of man”? It’s already the age of mankind, the age of gods has long since passed. Kaathe simply wants aa world without fire and is happy every time he succeeds in opening the Abyss which devastate human civilizations.
And the last outright lie about Gwyn, how he treated his first son. People in the English community keep talking about how Gwyn banished his first son. Once again, provably false. Gwyn had an amazing relationship with his first son and when he left to sacrifice himself, he literally gave him the part of his soul with the power over lightning. Since this is a bit less obvious than the rest, here’s some direct quotes:
"As bearer of the ultimate soul, Gwyn wielded the bolts of the sun, but before linking the fire, divided that power amongst his children, and set off with only this greatsword as his companion." - Great Lord Greatsword (DS1)
"The swordspear is imbued with lightning, of which he was the heir." - Dragonslayer Swordspear (DS3)
"Miracle wielded by Lord Gwyn's firstborn. Boost right weapon with rays of Sun. The power of sunlight, manifested as lightning, is very effective against dragons. When the eldest son was stripped of his deific status, he left this on his father's coffin, perhaps as a final farewell." - Sunlight Blade (DS1)
"Primal account of Lightning Spear, which tells of an ancestral dragonslayer. Hurls a giant lightning spear. Gwyn, the First Lord, slew dragons with his sunlight spear, a tradition upheld by his firstborn and the greatspear he wielded. Much of this resplendent tale of father and son, while epic, remains tragically untold." - Great Lightning Spear (DS3)
The Nameless King inherited the power of lightning when Gwyn divided his soul amongst his children and the human. He gave the part which had control over lightning to his eldest son, that’s why Gwyn doesn’t use any lightning power during the Lord of Cinder fight. They had an amazing relation, the Nameless King became king of Anor Londo and when he left to ally with the Dragons, he left his miracle on his father coffin.
And Kaathe, as bias and untrustworthy as he is, also mention this in Japanese:
世界の理を恐れた
だから奴は、火を継ぎ、自らの息子たちに、人を率い、縛らせた
“[Gwyn] was afraid of the logic of the world. And so, he inherited the Flame, and made his sons lead and bind the humans.”
He clearly talks about his sons (plural), he only had 2 sons, the Nameless King and Gwyndolin.In addition, in Artorias of the Abyss, the knight talks about Gwyn using the term “Great Lord” 大王 [great king] but they talked about their current King as 王 [king]. In Dark Souls 1, Artorias of the Abyss happens about 300 years before, and Gwyn linked the fire at least 1000 years before (probably longer, they have been looking for a successor for 1000 years). The Nameless King inherited lightning from Gwyn, had a great relationship with his father and became the King of Anor Londo after his father’s sacrifice.Gwyn was loved so much by his people that his sons did everything to keep his legacy intact, not understanding that their age was over, and it was time for men to inherit the fire of the world. He went alone to the Kiln but his knights went to die with him out of loyalty. His first son still wears the same crown and outfit resembling his father, using the same power he inherited from Gwyn before he left to sacrifice himself. I was very surprised to see the English community treat him as an antagonist, especially when it seems all the blames are completely invented out of thin air, like blaming Gwyn for human hunting undeads, while in terms of actions, all we know from Gwyn relation to human is the help he gave them, the light he provided them to not get overcome by darkness and massive parts of his very soul. Oh and burning alive for 1000 years to save everyone. Gwyn was one of the most honorable man in Dark Souls and started the tradition of inheriting the fire which, conspiracy theories aside, is always seen as a good thing for the world and the livings.
The Endings
In his interviews, Miyazaki mentions how he thought every ending was beautiful and even though there was one he would personally choose, he wants the player to make the choice for themselves. Now if you listen to baseless vaati conspiracies on how everything is meaningless even in Dark Souls 1, most endings aren’t meaningful at all. But if you actually take the time to look at the game, read descriptions and dialogs, you realize Dark Souls isn’t as complex as those lore channels who need to make 1 video a week would have you believe. The main themes are actually really simple and in your face. It’s about choosing how you chose to inherit the world and every ending has meaning and beauty in itself.
Linking the fire (“Those who inherit the fire" in Japanese)
In the linking the fire ending, pass the torch to the next generation. You sit there quietly while slowly willing your new world into shape. I love the ending cutscene as you understand what Ludleth meant when he compared linking the fire as calmly painting a new world. You will most likely be remembered in songs and legend just like the other lords of cinders who have defined their eras. There is nothing that says linking the fire is bad or a temporary solution. The “only dark will remains” is a warning that no Lord (or God) rule forever, that every era has its end, that we must accept it and pass the torch to the next generation. It’s also symbolic how it’s often the greatest king of the era who sacrifices itself for the first flame, signifying that era’s end. And for those saying “no it means one day only dark everywhere” we already know it’s not true, it happened, we see it in the big plot twist of untended graves, and we learn it’s the “natural” way of the world that the first flame will spring back paving the way for a new era. If you link it quicker, you simply save more history and culture, but even if it stays dark for a long time and the world stays stagnant, there’s always some history of the previous generations that survive. For those who think "then why is the flame small?", the answer is not only obvious but also clearly stated in interviews. As Miyazaki said, the fire is in constant state of expansion and regression. Inheriting the fire switch that direction and make the fire grows larger. It's not a big explosion followed by a constant reduction. In Dark Souls 1, the fire was fading, but was still big and powerful when you inherit it. In Dark Souls 3, it's been AGES without anyone linking the fire. So the fire you inherit is super weak, but by doing so you're switching the direction and the fire will grow once more. The idea that inheriting the fire works less and less makes no sense since we know Ludleth inherited it when it was completely gone.
End of fire (“End of fire link” in Japanese)
The betrayal ending is my favorite one. In the interviews, Miyazaki mentioned one of the main themes of Dark Souls III is the fire keepers. And what you realize while exploring the world is that while linking the fire is good for all living things, there’s a big exception. You, the other champions of ashes and most important of all the fire keepers. The amount of dead fire keepers in the tower near the shrine and the fact that Irina moves there when she becomes a fire keeper, waiting to become one of them strongly imply that a fire keeper must stay true to her role of linking the fire until the end then dies. There’s no mention of fire keepers outside of their roles, having family or growing old after their champion linked the fire. You and the most adorable fire keeper ever are doomed to die from the start for the sake of everyone. Now, once again, everyone agrees that linking the fire is the best decision for the greater good but that will mean the death of those who worked hard to create this new world. This is why the eyes matter, it lets the firekeeper see not only a world without fire, but more importantly she can see that one-day fire will return even if she betrays her duties. Now, obviously that a selfish choice because the longer you wait the more people die and the world get destroyed, but you know if you abandon the torch and let the fire fades, someone will eventually pick the torch back, link the first flame and create a new world. It already happened at least once! And thus, instead of sacrificing yourself to paint a new world and leave the firekeeper to become another dead body in the pile, you abandon the torch. You doom what’s left of the world and wait in a barren dark world devoid of life and even time until someone else comes pick up the torch you drop, link the first flame and sacrifice themselves to paint a new world with light and life. I think that as selfish as it is, it’s the most beautiful of all endings.
Usurper of fire
While the hollows of Londor aren’t the nicest people and without light, even Yuria and her sister will eventually become a mindless zombie, I also think there’s a certain beauty in deciding that it’s the dregs of humanity, those who have suffered the most and who were rejected the most that will inherit the world. But one thing is clear, even Yuria tells you that from her perspective, hollows are the true face of mankind and it’s obvious she’s not 100% hollow herself, more like your state when you have 99 hollowing or your state in Dark Souls 1. Meaning that your kingdom in the Lord of Hollows ending will not be a kingdom like Astora or Catarina, it will be a kingdom of mindless hollows, very much like the painting of Ariandel, slowly rotting away until a champion comes and defeat you, burning the dark and rot away leading to a new age full of life and light. Even Friede compares her role in the painting as your role as Lord of Londer.
"Leave us be, Ashen One. Thou art the Lord of Londor, and have thine own subjects to guide."
Habitants of the painting are described as forlorn souls just like hollows are described as forsaken by the fire. You’re essentially deciding that the one to inherit the world will not be the next generation, but the dregs of humanity, the forlorn, the forsaken. Just like her, you keep the fading flame to yourself, in a rotting world devoid of life where you rule mindless hollows slowly rotting away. But you are the Lord, and you have inherited the world for the forsaken.
Thank you for reading!
I know that much of what I’ve said is already obvious for people who took the time to look at the in-game lore themselves and read Miyazaki’s interviews, but I still wanted to post this as I feel the English speaking community has started to only take their information from youtubers like vaati, and as much as I find the video entertaining, it’s mostly conspiracy theories in the manner of “Mario is Evil” or “Link is actually the bad guy”. Every time I talk with my friends in Japan about Dark Souls, we always have fun theorizing and interpreting different parts of the lore. But going in an English-speaking community, most people just quote vaati or tell other to watch vaati videos. Which kinda gets exhausting.
Anyways, at the end of the day, it’s fun to theorize and have different interpretations. So please, tell me what you think or your own theories regarding the lore, I would love to hear them. While I personally think the main theme of Dark Souls III is obvious and quite clearly reiterated in the dlc, there so much left to the imagination and it’s always fun to theorize and talk about it.
Got nothing against "lore" youtuber or vaati, their videos are entertaining, it’s just annoying trying to talk to someone and the only thing they can do is repeat some crazy youtube conspiracy video even when it contradicts pretty much everything in the game.
“Bears in Elden ring are actually Dragons because they use the same eye texture, trust me bro!”
-dude quoting vaati
Anyways, hope you had some fun reading all of this, hope this sheds some light on the main theme of the game, and I’m excited if any of you have theories about anything still mysterious in the game.
You guys have a great year, peace!
2024.03.02 17:34 Lysimachiakis Call for Submissions: Segments #13: Pronoun Systems
Welcome to the start of Year 4 of Segments!
With the impending arrival of Spring, we're jumping into Segment's fourth year of publications! And like the dormant plants and animals awakening and bursting back into life, we're continuing to breathe life into our conlangs and hope to showcase the best that our communities have to offer!Segments is the official publication of /conlangs! We publish quarterly.
Issue #01: Phonology was published in April 2021.
Issue #02: Verb Constructions was published in July 2021.
Issue #03: Noun Constructions was published in October 2021.
Issue #04: Lexicon was published in January 2022.
Issue #05: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers was published in April 2022.
Issue #06: Writing Systems was published in August 2022.
Issue #07: Conlanging Methodology was published in November 2022.
Issue #08: Supra was published in January 2023.
Issue #09: Dependent Clauses was published in April 2023.
Issue #10: Phonology II was published in July 2023.
Issue #11: Diachronics was published in October 2023.
Issue #12: Supra II was published in January 2024.
Call for Submissions!
Theme: Pronoun Systems
We are looking for articles that focus on how pronouns (and pronoun-adjacent reference) work in your constructed languages. This could be ranging from an overview of your free pronouns, an examination of bound pronouns, a look into verbal person agreement, or any other pronoun-focused topic that may strike your interest. Our goal here is to help expose our readers to the breadth that this topic can cover, so as always, please feel free to interpret the theme liberally and write about a topic that really interests you in your projects!Requirements for Submission: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Please read carefully!- PDFs, GoogleDocs, and LaTeX files are the only formats that will be accepted for submission
- If you do submit as a PDF, submitting the raw non-PDF file along with it is often helpful for us
- If you used Overleaf, directly sharing the Overleaf project link with us is also very helpful in us getting your article reviewed and formatted quickly
- Submissions require the following:
- A Title
- A Subtitle
- Author name (How you want to be credited)
- An introduction to your article (250-800 characters would be ideal)
- The article (roughly two pages minimum please)
- Please name the file that you send: "LanguageName AuthorName" (it helps us immensely to keep things organized!)
- All submissions must be emailed to segments.journal@gmail.com
- You retain full copyright over your work and will be fully credited under the author name you provide.
- We will be proofreading and workshopping articles! Every submitted article will be reviewed after it is received, and you will receive an email back from a member of our Team with comments, suggestions, and fixes to make the articles the best they can be : )
- Note: Submitting early does not necessarily mean your article will be workshopped more quickly; please allow 1-3 weeks after submission for us to get back to you!
- If you choose to do your article in LaTeX, please take a look at this template. To use the template, just click on Menu in the upper left hand corner, and then Copy Project, which allow you to edit your own copy of the template
- Please see the previous issues (linked at the top here) for examples of articles and formatting if you'd like a better idea of what kind of content we are looking for!
- We compiled a list of glossing abbreviations. For our sanity, please try to align your glosses to these abbreviations. If you need to use additional ones (particularly if you are submitting via LaTeX), please include the \baabbrevs addition at the top of your article’s code so I can easily slot it in.
- DEADLINE: ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM EST, SATURDAY, APRIL 6th, 2024! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Questions?
Please feel free to comment below with any questions or comments!Have fun, and we're greatly looking forward to submissions!
Cheers!
2024.03.01 17:06 afterandalasia Taylor Swift & John Lyly [Literary References Series Part 3]
AO3 link: Taylor Swift Songs: Literary References & Parallels
Reddit links: Part 1: Sappho Part 2a: Shakespeare part 1 Part 2b: Shakespeare part 2 Part 3a: Shakespeare part 3
Content note for this chapter that it discusses sexism and rape/non-consensual contact, though more briefly than the Shakespeare chapter.
John Lyly is a less-known name from English literary history than figures such as Shakespeare, but he was certainly influential, on English language writing in general as well as perhaps in Taylor's work specifically. Born in 1553 or 1554 (such ambiguity is not uncommon) and living until 1606, he published plays, novels (including perhaps the first English language novel) between 1578 and 1597 before spending some time as a Member of Parliament. In his time, he was most famous for his novels Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit and sequel Euphues and his England (comedic and dramatic romance stories), but his plays are now much more remembered and discussed. His work includes powerful and complex female characters, commentary and satire of misogyny and societal norms, and queerness of both individuals and of relationship dynamics which surely invite a modern rediscovery and renaissance.
He is generally considered to have created the phrase "All's fair in love and war". This is directly referenced by Taylor in her prologue to her (upcoming at the time of writing this chapter) album The Tortured Poets Department which states "all's fair in love and poetry".
From his Euphues works came the style of writing now known as euphuism, or a deliberately ornate style with repeated, sometimes excessive, literary devices and allusions; it uses repeated phrases and structures, alliteration and assonance, and 'balanced' sentences in terms of the length of clauses and in the ratios of nouns, verbs and adjectives to each other. Even in its own time, it was parodied by some and copied by others, and looking online it's easy to find mainstream dictionaries aligning it with words like 'pretentious'. Euphuism was not created by Lyly, but he certainly popularised it enough that it takes its name from his work.
An often-used example of euphuism is taken from Euphues itself:
As an example, let's look at the lakes, the final song from folklore released as part of the deluxe edition. This analysis will ignore normal end-of-line rhyming which occurs in most songs.
(Analysis continues in the AO3 chapter.)
There is, after all, a reason why folklore and evermore were so critically acclaimed and drew so many literary comparisons - as can be seen, just about every line contains at least one literary device, if not more, creating a very dense and intense lyric experience. Thus particularly for these albums, Taylor's writing style could certainly be described as euphuistic in nature; it could also be suggested that the Midnights 3AM tracks also draw from this literary style, particularly the extended metaphors of The Great War and Would've, Could've, Should've (which even in its title uses the phrase lengths of euphuism).
Eight of Lyly's plays survive:
From a queer point of view, it is of course worth noting that Alexander the Great is nowadays widely known to have been queer (likely bisexual in modern terminology) and had relationships with men - most notably Hephaestion, who appears in the play Campaspe and disapproves of Alexander's relationship with Campaspe herself. However, this is still being argued against by people in the modern day, and seems to have only really entered discussion and acknowledgement within living memory - it was, most likely, not known to Lyly at the time.
Compare to: Champagne Problems ("she'll patch up your tapestry that I've shred")
Sapho and Phao is a play loosely based upon the supposed romance of Sappho of Lesbos and Phaon the ferryman (see the chapter on Sappho for comments on how ahistorical this likely was!), using elements of Ancient Greek Religion while using Ancient Roman religious names. In Lyly's play, Venus thanks the old ferryman Phao for his services by granting him youth and beauty; he is now so attractive that all the women of Lesbos, including (unmarried and uninterested in love) Queen Sapho, fall in love with with him. Sapho feigns illness to have an excuse to call upon him for healing, but they cannot be together due to their differences in status. Venus asks her son Cupid to make Phao fall in love with her instead, but Cupid rebels: he cures Sapho of her love for Phao but makes Phao hate Venus instead. Phao leaves the country while Cupid remains with Sapho.
It has been suggested that elevating Sappho to "Queen Sapho" was to allow Lyly to draw comparisons with Queen Elizabeth I of England (often called The Virgin Queen), and comment on François, Duke of Anjou, who had recently given up on his attempts to court Elizabeth and had left the country.
As noted in the chapter on Sappho, her narrative was heterosexualised (or het-washed) throughout much of history. It was not until in 1633 that John Donne wrote "Sappho to Philaenis" which had Sappho as writing to or about another woman once again. (Sidenote, this is discussed in an episode of the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast for which I read the transcript and which sounds utterly fascinating.) Nonetheless, it has been suggested that there are queer themes to be found in the play. Venus's desire for Phao leads to her fixated interest in Sapho, an example of the triangulation of desire also discussed, appropriately, in the Sappho chapter. Moreover, the general concept that Sapho was not interested in a relationship until Phao, artificially and magically made beautiful, entered, could easily be read with an aspec or lesbian interpretation that Sapho's interest in him was essentially forced and not natural to her.
Compare to: Midnight Rain ("he wanted a bride, I was making my own name")
Gallathea (sometimes spelled Galatea) is a romantic comedy set in ancient Greece and using Ancient Greek religious figures with Roman names. Because Neptune demands a virgin sacrifice every five years, two men both disguise their beautiful daughters Galatea and Phillida as men and send them to hide in the woods. The two girls meet and fall in love despite their disguises. Meanwhile, Cupid causes trouble by disguising himself as one of Diana's nymph and causing several of the nymphs to fall in love with Galatea and Phillida, to Diana's fury. Diana and Venus argue, while Neptune is angry that girls are being hidden from him and rejects the offered replacement girl as not attractive enough; Diana returns Cupid to his mother and Venus persuades Neptune to stop asking for sacrifices. Galatea and Phillida are both revealed to be girls but state that they are still in love; Venus approves and offers to make one of them a man so that they might remain together. The epilogue says that love is both infallible and all-conquering.
In contrast to the implicit queerness of Sapho and Phao, it is easy to see why Gallathea is acknowledged as an early queer play in the English language! Galatea and Phillida fall in love as women, and Venus states her approval of it even with her offer to transform one of them to a man. This transformation does not take place onstage, but whether it does or not the end result is queer - either with a trans character, or two sapphic ones. The desire of the nymphs for the women, although sparked by Cupid, plays into the gender transgressions of crossdressing that would continue to be explored in later plays, including very famously the works of Shakespeare.
The choice of the name Galatea is also interesting from the point of view of Ancient Greek Religion. There are three Galateas in the lore - one a nereid and not highly relevant, but the second the statue created by Pygmalion who was brought to life to Aphrodite, while the third was the mother of Leucippus who was raised as a boy and later transformed into a man by the goddess Leto (mother of Artemis and Apollo). So this name has two potential references - either to the construction of the self as related to romantic relationships, or for its relationship to queer gender narratives.
It has been suggested that the interesting complexity of Lyly's exploration of gender on stage was a response to, and perhaps made possible by, Elizabeth I of England's position as ruling monarch, unmarried and without children. Elizabeth I ruled as Elizabeth Rex (literally meaning King Elizabeth in Latin, to indicate herself as queen regnant rather than queen consort). The only previous potential ruling queens in English history had been Matilda, whose declaration as heir led to The Anarchy which was 25 years of civil war and disorder, or Elizabeth's older sister Mary who is still known as "Bloody Mary" for the number of Protestants who were killed during her reign. Elizabeth I of England proved that English ruling queens were even possible - although she walked a fine line to be able to do so. From the song The Man, through July 2018 when Taylor Nation posted a picture of a concert crowd with the caption "Taylor is the 📷 of our ♥'s!", through Phoebe Bridgers calling Taylor "king of her craft" in a BillBoard interview to December 2022 when both Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams called Taylor "King", Taylor has also pushed at the boundaries of what is considered acceptable for a woman in the modern media and music landscape but also seems aware - and even fearfully aware - of the potential limitations around her, of "fucking politics and gender roles" (Question...?).
Several versions of Gallathea (generally amateur) can be easily found on YouTube - they make for interesting watching!
Compare to: ...okay, actually I don't have a good comparison for this one. But you could probably have some fun with Mine ("I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter"), Ours ("they'll judge it like they know about me and you"), or Snow on the Beach ("weird, but fucking beautiful").
Endimion, the Man in the Moon (sometimes spelled Endymion) uses reference to Ancient Greek and Roman Religion, and to English folklore, but diverges the plot significantly to make contemporary allegories. It is considered the most impressive of his works. Endymion falls in love with Cynthia, the queen, and begins to neglect his lover Tellus who is among Cynthia's ladies-in-waiting. Angry, Tellus has a sorceress bewitch Endimion into sleep; Cynthia realises and has Tellus imprisoned while sending various people to look for a cure for Endymion. Endymion's friend Eumenides returns to say that a kiss from Cynthia will wake Endimion; this works, but he is aged and his memory damaged. When Endymion explains that his love for Cynthia is chaste and sacred (a reference to courtly love), she accepts it, and her blessing restores his mind. Various figures are forgiven for their roles and pair off. It has been discussed whether this represents a happy ending for the couples, or whether Lyly is commenting on the impossibility of fair male/female relationships in heteropatriarchal societies, as Lyly was unusual among writers in presenting singlehood (especially single women) positively. Lyly's repeat presentation of competent and happy ruling queens without male guidance or control was unusual, although it is worth noting that as Cynthia arranges the pairing-off of other characters she reinforces the heteropatriarchal structure as it applied to everyone except her - rather than breaking the system for all, she has only been able (or is only willing) to do so for herself.
Cynthia is, ultimately, uninterested in romance and stresses that the kiss she gives Endimion is an aberration - in a modern setting, it would be quite easy to read this as being aroace (aromantic-asexual) in expression. Endimion, meanwhile, expresses being quite happy with this relationship, which could also in a modern setting be considered in the light of asexuality or aromantic spectrum orientations (potentially lithromantic) or being framed as a queerplatonic or platonic-focused relationship.
Compare to: Untouchable ("it's like a million little stars, spelling our your name"), and for the dramatic female revenge on men see Better Than Revenge.
Midas is more closely based on the Ancient Greek story of the same name. King Midas first asks Bacchus to have everything that he touches turn to gold, then after it proves a curse removes it by washing himself in the river Pactolus. He then favours Pan in a musical competition, causing Apollo to give him a donkey's ears; his sensible daughter prays to know how to remove it before letting her father know that he needs to repent for his foolishness at Delphi. While this play keeps fairly close to the Ancient Greek story (with the exception of adding Midas's sensible daughter), it is also generally considered to be a reference to Felipe II of Spain who inherited Spain while it was deeply in debt and managed to make it seem far more rich through his exploitation of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and their gold. Having no major romantic plots, this play does not particularly attract the attention of queer theory scholars, although feminist scholars note the addition of Midas's daughter as the figure who solves the second issue.
Mother Bombie (drawing from ballad/folklore figure Mother Bumbey or Mother Bumbie) is unusual among Lyly's works for its complexity, for its lack of classical (especially ancient religious) references, and the fact that it is believed to be largely original rather than drawing from any existing story (including Italian novels which inspired many English language plays during these centuries). It has a complex plot which includes a pair of lovers who disguise themselves in order to marry despite the wishes of their fathers, and a pair of young people who are being matchmade by their fathers for financial reasons with the fathers attempting to manipulate each other. At the end of the play, it is revealed that the young pair whose marriage is being arranged are actually siblings, their mother Vicinia having swapped them at birth with children of rich households, and the two children Vicinia has raised are unrelated and therefore able to be together in the love that had been developing between them but hidden because they feared it was incestuous. The title character, Mother Bombie, is largely an outsider to the events, but is considered the cunning woman of the village (she denies being a witch) and many of the characters seek her advice or assistance.
Compare the pair of lovers fighting to be together to: Love Story, Ours, Don't Blame Me
Compare the role of Mother Bombie, as narrator and cunning woman, to: ...Ready For It? ("they're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one"), Mastermind ("all the wisest women had to do it this way"), Dear Reader, and to the structure of folklore which blurred the line between fictional and real stories with Taylor taking the narrative role across them.
Love's Metamorphosis (drawing loosely from Ovid's Metamorphosis but with large original subplots) is a drama with romantic subplots. Three nymphs spurn the love of three humans, and Cupid punishes them by turning them into inanimate objects as requested by the humans. Meanwhile, a peasant angers the goddess Ceres, is punished, and ends up selling his daughter; the daughter escapes, disguises herself as a man, and rescues her lover from a siren. Cupid and Ceres agree to release the nymphs and remove the curse from the peasant man, the nymphs are at first uncertain but confirm that the humans love them as they are and do not intend to change their personalities, and all four couples are married.
In Act II, Scene 1, Ceres and Cupid discuss the nature of love in an interesting manner. Cupid says that he considers the most desirable traits of women to be "In those that are not in love, reverent thoughts of love; in those that be, faithful vows." and says that the "subtance of love" is "Constancy and secrecy". (Compare Paris and "romance is not dead, if you keep it just yours"; Dear Reader and "the greatest of luxuries are your secrets".)
The presentation of the relationships between the nymphs and humans is complicated, and understandably uncomfortable from a modern perspective. The nymphs initially make it clear that they do not want relationships - Niobe enjoys flirtation and attention but does not want committed monogamy; Nisa does not desire any relationship and considers herself superior to those who do; Celia is more concerned with her own beauty than with any sort of relationship. In Act V, Scene 4, when they are changed back, they initially say that they would rather remain inanimate objects than be forced into relationships, and Ceres has to beg them to accept the men. Niobe warns Silvestris that she will likely be unfaithful to him, to which he replies only that he does not wish to be told about it; Nisa warns Ramis that he might love her, but she will not love him or express affection, and he accepts it; Celia warns Montanus that, like a rose with its thorns, at times she will be pleasant to him and at times hurtful, and he accepts it. All three nymphs also warn the men that Cupid will be just as capable of punishing them if they do not keep their word in the future. While these relationships cannot be considered consensual, they are also an unusual subversion of the usual romance arc of "character flaws" being "fixed" before the individuals enter a romantic relationship - the men must accept the nymphs as they are under pain of godly punishment, even if as they are is unfaithful, unloving, or sometimes cruel. Set alongside the relationship between Protea (the cross-dressing daughter of the cursed peasant) and Petulius, who discuss their relationship and whether it will stand the test of time and acknowledge and accept each other's perceived flaws (Petulius was initially taken in by the siren; Protea is not a virgin), the pairing-off of the nymphs with their respective 'suitors' provides its own sort of antithesis within the story.
Plays of this era - and future ones - very often ended with multiple weddings, and the pairing-off of great numbers of characters. In modern terms, people may recognise the "Pair the Spares" trope at play! Lyly, at least, seems to underscore the absurdity of the nymph-human relationships, and gives the nymphs distinct personalities and desires.
From a queer theory reading, Protea not only cross-dresses but takes the more active role in escaping the merchant to whom she is sold and rescuing Petulius, though her ability to avoid the siren's call does seem to underline that she is not attracted to women. She behaves in a gender-non-conforming way for the era, and speaks to Petulius about not being a virgin which would have been significant for the time. Ceres is underlined as not being in or desiring a relationship (though not that Proserpina is referenced in dialogue, implying that Ceres is a mother), another positive portrayal of a single female leader, while Nisa could be read as aspec and comfortable only with another person desiring her without expecting it to be requited, and Niobe essentially states that it will be an open relationship.
These strong and varied female characters, the multiple-marriage ending, and the classical religious references do all align with Lyly's work, although due to the lack of farce/comedy it has been suggested that this is a revised or later version, not Lyly's original script. Its exploration of female consent and non-consent, from the nymphs who enter dubiously consensual marriages to the dryad whose tree is cut down and who mourns while dying that even in chastity she was not able to escape male violence, is also consistent with other Lyly works which make bold statements about how both societal expectations and acts of male violence are imposed upon women's bodies. It is honestly pleasantly surprising to see such acknowledgement from an early male writer, as anyone who has attempted gender-related discourse even in the modern day will have witnessed how these expectations and violence remain factors in the twenty-first century despite denial of their existence (especially, though not always, by men).
Compare discussions of female agency to: mad woman ("No-one likes a mad woman, you made her like that"), The Man ("When everyone believes ya, what's that like?")
Compare the lines drawn by the nymphs to: ME! (Okay, I'm joking a little on this one. But maybe not entirely.)
The Woman in the Moon is generally believed to be the last of Lyly's plays, and was written in blank verse. (Read at the Internet Archive, page 230) Four shepherds complain that they do not have a woman, and ask the goddess Nature to give them one as a companion; she obliges and creates Pandora, giving her the best parts of all seven celestial bodies (as then listed - the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). However, the seven celestial forces war over her, influencing her moods and behaviour, scaring and threatening the four shepherds even as they fight to try to claim a monogamous relationship with her. Eventually, unable to cope, the shepherds beg Nature to take Pandora away again, and she chooses to be with Luna since they are both variable in their behaviours.
The character of Pandora is a remarkable one, carrying the action and presenting various moods and desires across the performance. Although it has been accused of being misogynistic, some scholars have put forward that it is in fact about misogyny and the absurd expectations placed on woman - the four shepherds go to Nature to essentially ask for a sex doll, and are unable to cope with receiving a person with moods, desires, depression and anger, sexual autonomy and frustration at being followed around by the four men. Pandora at one point declares "I cannot walk but they importune me". Pandora is created by the female character of Nature, and at the end joins the female character of Luna - but before she does so, she talks about how she desires parts of each of the astrological figures, and how she does not simply have one aspect of herself but contains many facets. It is very easy to see how a skilled actor of any gender could make the play into a critique of patriarchal demands upon woman, as the shepherds have gendered expectations of her from before she has even been created, further implying their artificiality.
The play all but demands comparison to mad woman, with its expression of anger from within the cage of femininity, but also to seven ("I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted") and perhaps to the manner in which Taylor has portrayed and explored duality and plurality in her music videos and lyrics. Though most marked from the reputation era onwards - ...Ready For It? contrasting the free, cybernetic Taylor with the caged ever-changing one; Look What You Made Me Do featuring at least fifteen different Taylors onscreen at once; Anti-Hero becoming Taylor's dialogue with herself - it is clear that Taylor has actively engaged in a cycle of reinvention in her 'eras' since at least Red (2012-2014). In her Eras tour, her dancers onstage perform as previous versions of herself in glass cases, with Taylor surrounding herself with her own previous forms. Having also discussed how media and social pressures used to influence her behaviour - in 2016, she discussed with Vogue how she stopped publicly dating for some time due to the media narratives about her as a "man-eater" or "serial dater" - certain of Taylor's lyrics also discuss what it is to be influenced and even controlled by powers and narratives around her.
Compare to: mirrorball ("I'll show you every version of yourself tonight"), peace ("Would it be enough, if I could never give you peace?"), ME!, The Man (which Taylor described as "If I had made all the same choices, all the same mistakes, all the same accomplishments, how would it read?"), The Lucky One ("they still tell the legend of how you disappeared, how you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out"), Don't Blame Me ("I play 'em like a violin, and I make it look oh so easy") or Castles Crumbling ("People look at me like I'm a monster").
Sources
- Wikipedia pages on John Lyly, Euphres, and his various plays - The Complete Works of John Lyly at the Internet Archive - The Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast -- Especially episode John Lyly: Secret Ally? - Euphuism (Prose Style) from Thought Co - Euphuism from Poem Analysis - Sappho to Philaenis by John Donne - The Queen’s Two Bodies and the Elizabethan Male: Subject in John Lyly’s Gallathea (1592) By Amritesh Singh - Endymion: The Man In The Moon (1591) by jyotimishr - The Interplay of Genders in Lyly's Galatea by Elizabeth Perry - Annotated Popular Edition of Love's Metamorphosis from ElizabethanDrama.org - Go Dare; or, How Scholarship Lost the Plot by Andy Kesson - NOTE this piece discusses the themes of rape and nonconsent in Lyly's works - Generic Excitement by Andy Kesson, discussing queerness in Lyly's plays
submitted by afterandalasia to GaylorSwift [link] [comments]
Reddit links: Part 1: Sappho Part 2a: Shakespeare part 1 Part 2b: Shakespeare part 2 Part 3a: Shakespeare part 3
Content note for this chapter that it discusses sexism and rape/non-consensual contact, though more briefly than the Shakespeare chapter.
John Lyly is a less-known name from English literary history than figures such as Shakespeare, but he was certainly influential, on English language writing in general as well as perhaps in Taylor's work specifically. Born in 1553 or 1554 (such ambiguity is not uncommon) and living until 1606, he published plays, novels (including perhaps the first English language novel) between 1578 and 1597 before spending some time as a Member of Parliament. In his time, he was most famous for his novels Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit and sequel Euphues and his England (comedic and dramatic romance stories), but his plays are now much more remembered and discussed. His work includes powerful and complex female characters, commentary and satire of misogyny and societal norms, and queerness of both individuals and of relationship dynamics which surely invite a modern rediscovery and renaissance.
He is generally considered to have created the phrase "All's fair in love and war". This is directly referenced by Taylor in her prologue to her (upcoming at the time of writing this chapter) album The Tortured Poets Department which states "all's fair in love and poetry".
From his Euphues works came the style of writing now known as euphuism, or a deliberately ornate style with repeated, sometimes excessive, literary devices and allusions; it uses repeated phrases and structures, alliteration and assonance, and 'balanced' sentences in terms of the length of clauses and in the ratios of nouns, verbs and adjectives to each other. Even in its own time, it was parodied by some and copied by others, and looking online it's easy to find mainstream dictionaries aligning it with words like 'pretentious'. Euphuism was not created by Lyly, but he certainly popularised it enough that it takes its name from his work.
An often-used example of euphuism is taken from Euphues itself:
It is virtue, yea virtue, gentlemen, that maketh gentlemen; that maketh the poor rich, the base-born noble, the subject a sovereign, the deformed beautiful, the sick whole, the weak strong, the most miserable most happy. There are two principal and peculiar gifts in the nature of man, knowledge and reason; the one commandeth, and the other obeyeth.In this section can be seen:
- Alliteration (words beginning with the same letter or sound) - "subject a sovereign", "principal and peculiar", "most miserable", "other obeyeth"
- Assonance (words using the same vowel sounds) - "one commandeth [...] other obeyeth"
- Consonance (words using the same consonant sounds" - "the sick whole, the weak strong"
- Parallelism (similar structure in paired words or phrases) - "knowledge and reason; the one commandeth, and the other obeyeth"
- Antithesis is a form of parallelism in which the paired phrases are sharply contrasted or opposite each other, not represented in the above but important in euphuistic writing.
- Repetition - virtue, gentlemen, most
- Phrases of equal length - "the poor rich, the base-born noble, the subject a sovereign, the deformed beautiful, the sick whole, the weak strong" all contain three words other than the added 'a' in "the subject a sovereign"
- Use of similes and metaphors - concepts such as "the subject a sovereign" and "the deformed beautiful" are not here being used directly but as imagery of how virtue can transform how someone is perceived by others
- Rhetorical questions - asking questions which are not meant to be answered
- References intended for people with classical or highly educated backgrounds, which may be deliberately opaque or strange to those who do not know what is being referenced
As an example, let's look at the lakes, the final song from folklore released as part of the deluxe edition. This analysis will ignore normal end-of-line rhyming which occurs in most songs.
| the lakes | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me? | Assonance - "my" and "eulogize" both have the long I sound, while "elegies" and "me" have a long E sound |
| Consonance - -ies and -ize both use sibilant sounds | |
| Rhetorical question | |
| References - double meaning of "romantic" referencing the romantic poets of the early 19th century | |
| Ornate language: "elegy" and "eulogy" | |
| I'm not cut out for all these cynical clones | Alliteration & Consonance - "cut", "cynical clones" |
| Consonance - "cut out" uses the stop of T | |
| Metaphor - "clones" | |
| Use of ending long O sound to draw mournful, howl/sob-like sound | |
| These hunters with cell phones | Consonance - sibilance in "hunters", "cell phones" |
| Metaphor - "hunters" | |
| Use of ending long O sound to draw mournful, howl/sob-like sound |
There is, after all, a reason why folklore and evermore were so critically acclaimed and drew so many literary comparisons - as can be seen, just about every line contains at least one literary device, if not more, creating a very dense and intense lyric experience. Thus particularly for these albums, Taylor's writing style could certainly be described as euphuistic in nature; it could also be suggested that the Midnights 3AM tracks also draw from this literary style, particularly the extended metaphors of The Great War and Would've, Could've, Should've (which even in its title uses the phrase lengths of euphuism).
Eight of Lyly's plays survive:
- Campaspe performed 1583/84 (printed 1584 three times, & 1591)
- Sapho and Phao performed 1584 (printed 1584 twice, & 1591)
- Gallathea performed 1587/88 (printed 1592)
- Endymion, the Man in the Moon performed 1588 (printed 1591)
- Midas performed 1589/90 (printed 1592)
- Mother Bombie performed c.1590 (printed 1594, & 1598)
- Love's Metamorphosis performed c.1589/90, revived 1600/01 (printed 1601)
- The Woman in the Moon probably performed 1590-95 (printed 1597)
From a queer point of view, it is of course worth noting that Alexander the Great is nowadays widely known to have been queer (likely bisexual in modern terminology) and had relationships with men - most notably Hephaestion, who appears in the play Campaspe and disapproves of Alexander's relationship with Campaspe herself. However, this is still being argued against by people in the modern day, and seems to have only really entered discussion and acknowledgement within living memory - it was, most likely, not known to Lyly at the time.
Compare to: Champagne Problems ("she'll patch up your tapestry that I've shred")
Sapho and Phao is a play loosely based upon the supposed romance of Sappho of Lesbos and Phaon the ferryman (see the chapter on Sappho for comments on how ahistorical this likely was!), using elements of Ancient Greek Religion while using Ancient Roman religious names. In Lyly's play, Venus thanks the old ferryman Phao for his services by granting him youth and beauty; he is now so attractive that all the women of Lesbos, including (unmarried and uninterested in love) Queen Sapho, fall in love with with him. Sapho feigns illness to have an excuse to call upon him for healing, but they cannot be together due to their differences in status. Venus asks her son Cupid to make Phao fall in love with her instead, but Cupid rebels: he cures Sapho of her love for Phao but makes Phao hate Venus instead. Phao leaves the country while Cupid remains with Sapho.
It has been suggested that elevating Sappho to "Queen Sapho" was to allow Lyly to draw comparisons with Queen Elizabeth I of England (often called The Virgin Queen), and comment on François, Duke of Anjou, who had recently given up on his attempts to court Elizabeth and had left the country.
As noted in the chapter on Sappho, her narrative was heterosexualised (or het-washed) throughout much of history. It was not until in 1633 that John Donne wrote "Sappho to Philaenis" which had Sappho as writing to or about another woman once again. (Sidenote, this is discussed in an episode of the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast for which I read the transcript and which sounds utterly fascinating.) Nonetheless, it has been suggested that there are queer themes to be found in the play. Venus's desire for Phao leads to her fixated interest in Sapho, an example of the triangulation of desire also discussed, appropriately, in the Sappho chapter. Moreover, the general concept that Sapho was not interested in a relationship until Phao, artificially and magically made beautiful, entered, could easily be read with an aspec or lesbian interpretation that Sapho's interest in him was essentially forced and not natural to her.
Compare to: Midnight Rain ("he wanted a bride, I was making my own name")
Gallathea (sometimes spelled Galatea) is a romantic comedy set in ancient Greece and using Ancient Greek religious figures with Roman names. Because Neptune demands a virgin sacrifice every five years, two men both disguise their beautiful daughters Galatea and Phillida as men and send them to hide in the woods. The two girls meet and fall in love despite their disguises. Meanwhile, Cupid causes trouble by disguising himself as one of Diana's nymph and causing several of the nymphs to fall in love with Galatea and Phillida, to Diana's fury. Diana and Venus argue, while Neptune is angry that girls are being hidden from him and rejects the offered replacement girl as not attractive enough; Diana returns Cupid to his mother and Venus persuades Neptune to stop asking for sacrifices. Galatea and Phillida are both revealed to be girls but state that they are still in love; Venus approves and offers to make one of them a man so that they might remain together. The epilogue says that love is both infallible and all-conquering.
In contrast to the implicit queerness of Sapho and Phao, it is easy to see why Gallathea is acknowledged as an early queer play in the English language! Galatea and Phillida fall in love as women, and Venus states her approval of it even with her offer to transform one of them to a man. This transformation does not take place onstage, but whether it does or not the end result is queer - either with a trans character, or two sapphic ones. The desire of the nymphs for the women, although sparked by Cupid, plays into the gender transgressions of crossdressing that would continue to be explored in later plays, including very famously the works of Shakespeare.
The choice of the name Galatea is also interesting from the point of view of Ancient Greek Religion. There are three Galateas in the lore - one a nereid and not highly relevant, but the second the statue created by Pygmalion who was brought to life to Aphrodite, while the third was the mother of Leucippus who was raised as a boy and later transformed into a man by the goddess Leto (mother of Artemis and Apollo). So this name has two potential references - either to the construction of the self as related to romantic relationships, or for its relationship to queer gender narratives.
It has been suggested that the interesting complexity of Lyly's exploration of gender on stage was a response to, and perhaps made possible by, Elizabeth I of England's position as ruling monarch, unmarried and without children. Elizabeth I ruled as Elizabeth Rex (literally meaning King Elizabeth in Latin, to indicate herself as queen regnant rather than queen consort). The only previous potential ruling queens in English history had been Matilda, whose declaration as heir led to The Anarchy which was 25 years of civil war and disorder, or Elizabeth's older sister Mary who is still known as "Bloody Mary" for the number of Protestants who were killed during her reign. Elizabeth I of England proved that English ruling queens were even possible - although she walked a fine line to be able to do so. From the song The Man, through July 2018 when Taylor Nation posted a picture of a concert crowd with the caption "Taylor is the 📷 of our ♥'s!", through Phoebe Bridgers calling Taylor "king of her craft" in a BillBoard interview to December 2022 when both Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams called Taylor "King", Taylor has also pushed at the boundaries of what is considered acceptable for a woman in the modern media and music landscape but also seems aware - and even fearfully aware - of the potential limitations around her, of "fucking politics and gender roles" (Question...?).
Several versions of Gallathea (generally amateur) can be easily found on YouTube - they make for interesting watching!
Compare to: ...okay, actually I don't have a good comparison for this one. But you could probably have some fun with Mine ("I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter"), Ours ("they'll judge it like they know about me and you"), or Snow on the Beach ("weird, but fucking beautiful").
Endimion, the Man in the Moon (sometimes spelled Endymion) uses reference to Ancient Greek and Roman Religion, and to English folklore, but diverges the plot significantly to make contemporary allegories. It is considered the most impressive of his works. Endymion falls in love with Cynthia, the queen, and begins to neglect his lover Tellus who is among Cynthia's ladies-in-waiting. Angry, Tellus has a sorceress bewitch Endimion into sleep; Cynthia realises and has Tellus imprisoned while sending various people to look for a cure for Endymion. Endymion's friend Eumenides returns to say that a kiss from Cynthia will wake Endimion; this works, but he is aged and his memory damaged. When Endymion explains that his love for Cynthia is chaste and sacred (a reference to courtly love), she accepts it, and her blessing restores his mind. Various figures are forgiven for their roles and pair off. It has been discussed whether this represents a happy ending for the couples, or whether Lyly is commenting on the impossibility of fair male/female relationships in heteropatriarchal societies, as Lyly was unusual among writers in presenting singlehood (especially single women) positively. Lyly's repeat presentation of competent and happy ruling queens without male guidance or control was unusual, although it is worth noting that as Cynthia arranges the pairing-off of other characters she reinforces the heteropatriarchal structure as it applied to everyone except her - rather than breaking the system for all, she has only been able (or is only willing) to do so for herself.
Cynthia is, ultimately, uninterested in romance and stresses that the kiss she gives Endimion is an aberration - in a modern setting, it would be quite easy to read this as being aroace (aromantic-asexual) in expression. Endimion, meanwhile, expresses being quite happy with this relationship, which could also in a modern setting be considered in the light of asexuality or aromantic spectrum orientations (potentially lithromantic) or being framed as a queerplatonic or platonic-focused relationship.
Compare to: Untouchable ("it's like a million little stars, spelling our your name"), and for the dramatic female revenge on men see Better Than Revenge.
Midas is more closely based on the Ancient Greek story of the same name. King Midas first asks Bacchus to have everything that he touches turn to gold, then after it proves a curse removes it by washing himself in the river Pactolus. He then favours Pan in a musical competition, causing Apollo to give him a donkey's ears; his sensible daughter prays to know how to remove it before letting her father know that he needs to repent for his foolishness at Delphi. While this play keeps fairly close to the Ancient Greek story (with the exception of adding Midas's sensible daughter), it is also generally considered to be a reference to Felipe II of Spain who inherited Spain while it was deeply in debt and managed to make it seem far more rich through his exploitation of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and their gold. Having no major romantic plots, this play does not particularly attract the attention of queer theory scholars, although feminist scholars note the addition of Midas's daughter as the figure who solves the second issue.
Mother Bombie (drawing from ballad/folklore figure Mother Bumbey or Mother Bumbie) is unusual among Lyly's works for its complexity, for its lack of classical (especially ancient religious) references, and the fact that it is believed to be largely original rather than drawing from any existing story (including Italian novels which inspired many English language plays during these centuries). It has a complex plot which includes a pair of lovers who disguise themselves in order to marry despite the wishes of their fathers, and a pair of young people who are being matchmade by their fathers for financial reasons with the fathers attempting to manipulate each other. At the end of the play, it is revealed that the young pair whose marriage is being arranged are actually siblings, their mother Vicinia having swapped them at birth with children of rich households, and the two children Vicinia has raised are unrelated and therefore able to be together in the love that had been developing between them but hidden because they feared it was incestuous. The title character, Mother Bombie, is largely an outsider to the events, but is considered the cunning woman of the village (she denies being a witch) and many of the characters seek her advice or assistance.
Compare the pair of lovers fighting to be together to: Love Story, Ours, Don't Blame Me
Compare the role of Mother Bombie, as narrator and cunning woman, to: ...Ready For It? ("they're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one"), Mastermind ("all the wisest women had to do it this way"), Dear Reader, and to the structure of folklore which blurred the line between fictional and real stories with Taylor taking the narrative role across them.
Love's Metamorphosis (drawing loosely from Ovid's Metamorphosis but with large original subplots) is a drama with romantic subplots. Three nymphs spurn the love of three humans, and Cupid punishes them by turning them into inanimate objects as requested by the humans. Meanwhile, a peasant angers the goddess Ceres, is punished, and ends up selling his daughter; the daughter escapes, disguises herself as a man, and rescues her lover from a siren. Cupid and Ceres agree to release the nymphs and remove the curse from the peasant man, the nymphs are at first uncertain but confirm that the humans love them as they are and do not intend to change their personalities, and all four couples are married.
In Act II, Scene 1, Ceres and Cupid discuss the nature of love in an interesting manner. Cupid says that he considers the most desirable traits of women to be "In those that are not in love, reverent thoughts of love; in those that be, faithful vows." and says that the "subtance of love" is "Constancy and secrecy". (Compare Paris and "romance is not dead, if you keep it just yours"; Dear Reader and "the greatest of luxuries are your secrets".)
The presentation of the relationships between the nymphs and humans is complicated, and understandably uncomfortable from a modern perspective. The nymphs initially make it clear that they do not want relationships - Niobe enjoys flirtation and attention but does not want committed monogamy; Nisa does not desire any relationship and considers herself superior to those who do; Celia is more concerned with her own beauty than with any sort of relationship. In Act V, Scene 4, when they are changed back, they initially say that they would rather remain inanimate objects than be forced into relationships, and Ceres has to beg them to accept the men. Niobe warns Silvestris that she will likely be unfaithful to him, to which he replies only that he does not wish to be told about it; Nisa warns Ramis that he might love her, but she will not love him or express affection, and he accepts it; Celia warns Montanus that, like a rose with its thorns, at times she will be pleasant to him and at times hurtful, and he accepts it. All three nymphs also warn the men that Cupid will be just as capable of punishing them if they do not keep their word in the future. While these relationships cannot be considered consensual, they are also an unusual subversion of the usual romance arc of "character flaws" being "fixed" before the individuals enter a romantic relationship - the men must accept the nymphs as they are under pain of godly punishment, even if as they are is unfaithful, unloving, or sometimes cruel. Set alongside the relationship between Protea (the cross-dressing daughter of the cursed peasant) and Petulius, who discuss their relationship and whether it will stand the test of time and acknowledge and accept each other's perceived flaws (Petulius was initially taken in by the siren; Protea is not a virgin), the pairing-off of the nymphs with their respective 'suitors' provides its own sort of antithesis within the story.
Plays of this era - and future ones - very often ended with multiple weddings, and the pairing-off of great numbers of characters. In modern terms, people may recognise the "Pair the Spares" trope at play! Lyly, at least, seems to underscore the absurdity of the nymph-human relationships, and gives the nymphs distinct personalities and desires.
From a queer theory reading, Protea not only cross-dresses but takes the more active role in escaping the merchant to whom she is sold and rescuing Petulius, though her ability to avoid the siren's call does seem to underline that she is not attracted to women. She behaves in a gender-non-conforming way for the era, and speaks to Petulius about not being a virgin which would have been significant for the time. Ceres is underlined as not being in or desiring a relationship (though not that Proserpina is referenced in dialogue, implying that Ceres is a mother), another positive portrayal of a single female leader, while Nisa could be read as aspec and comfortable only with another person desiring her without expecting it to be requited, and Niobe essentially states that it will be an open relationship.
These strong and varied female characters, the multiple-marriage ending, and the classical religious references do all align with Lyly's work, although due to the lack of farce/comedy it has been suggested that this is a revised or later version, not Lyly's original script. Its exploration of female consent and non-consent, from the nymphs who enter dubiously consensual marriages to the dryad whose tree is cut down and who mourns while dying that even in chastity she was not able to escape male violence, is also consistent with other Lyly works which make bold statements about how both societal expectations and acts of male violence are imposed upon women's bodies. It is honestly pleasantly surprising to see such acknowledgement from an early male writer, as anyone who has attempted gender-related discourse even in the modern day will have witnessed how these expectations and violence remain factors in the twenty-first century despite denial of their existence (especially, though not always, by men).
Compare discussions of female agency to: mad woman ("No-one likes a mad woman, you made her like that"), The Man ("When everyone believes ya, what's that like?")
Compare the lines drawn by the nymphs to: ME! (Okay, I'm joking a little on this one. But maybe not entirely.)
The Woman in the Moon is generally believed to be the last of Lyly's plays, and was written in blank verse. (Read at the Internet Archive, page 230) Four shepherds complain that they do not have a woman, and ask the goddess Nature to give them one as a companion; she obliges and creates Pandora, giving her the best parts of all seven celestial bodies (as then listed - the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). However, the seven celestial forces war over her, influencing her moods and behaviour, scaring and threatening the four shepherds even as they fight to try to claim a monogamous relationship with her. Eventually, unable to cope, the shepherds beg Nature to take Pandora away again, and she chooses to be with Luna since they are both variable in their behaviours.
The character of Pandora is a remarkable one, carrying the action and presenting various moods and desires across the performance. Although it has been accused of being misogynistic, some scholars have put forward that it is in fact about misogyny and the absurd expectations placed on woman - the four shepherds go to Nature to essentially ask for a sex doll, and are unable to cope with receiving a person with moods, desires, depression and anger, sexual autonomy and frustration at being followed around by the four men. Pandora at one point declares "I cannot walk but they importune me". Pandora is created by the female character of Nature, and at the end joins the female character of Luna - but before she does so, she talks about how she desires parts of each of the astrological figures, and how she does not simply have one aspect of herself but contains many facets. It is very easy to see how a skilled actor of any gender could make the play into a critique of patriarchal demands upon woman, as the shepherds have gendered expectations of her from before she has even been created, further implying their artificiality.
The play all but demands comparison to mad woman, with its expression of anger from within the cage of femininity, but also to seven ("I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted") and perhaps to the manner in which Taylor has portrayed and explored duality and plurality in her music videos and lyrics. Though most marked from the reputation era onwards - ...Ready For It? contrasting the free, cybernetic Taylor with the caged ever-changing one; Look What You Made Me Do featuring at least fifteen different Taylors onscreen at once; Anti-Hero becoming Taylor's dialogue with herself - it is clear that Taylor has actively engaged in a cycle of reinvention in her 'eras' since at least Red (2012-2014). In her Eras tour, her dancers onstage perform as previous versions of herself in glass cases, with Taylor surrounding herself with her own previous forms. Having also discussed how media and social pressures used to influence her behaviour - in 2016, she discussed with Vogue how she stopped publicly dating for some time due to the media narratives about her as a "man-eater" or "serial dater" - certain of Taylor's lyrics also discuss what it is to be influenced and even controlled by powers and narratives around her.
Compare to: mirrorball ("I'll show you every version of yourself tonight"), peace ("Would it be enough, if I could never give you peace?"), ME!, The Man (which Taylor described as "If I had made all the same choices, all the same mistakes, all the same accomplishments, how would it read?"), The Lucky One ("they still tell the legend of how you disappeared, how you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out"), Don't Blame Me ("I play 'em like a violin, and I make it look oh so easy") or Castles Crumbling ("People look at me like I'm a monster").
Sources
- Wikipedia pages on John Lyly, Euphres, and his various plays - The Complete Works of John Lyly at the Internet Archive - The Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast -- Especially episode John Lyly: Secret Ally? - Euphuism (Prose Style) from Thought Co - Euphuism from Poem Analysis - Sappho to Philaenis by John Donne - The Queen’s Two Bodies and the Elizabethan Male: Subject in John Lyly’s Gallathea (1592) By Amritesh Singh - Endymion: The Man In The Moon (1591) by jyotimishr - The Interplay of Genders in Lyly's Galatea by Elizabeth Perry - Annotated Popular Edition of Love's Metamorphosis from ElizabethanDrama.org - Go Dare; or, How Scholarship Lost the Plot by Andy Kesson - NOTE this piece discusses the themes of rape and nonconsent in Lyly's works - Generic Excitement by Andy Kesson, discussing queerness in Lyly's plays
2024.03.01 08:18 areyouthrough I need a theme song/album/artist
I'm an amateur visual artist working on turning myself into a business. I want my "brand" to have a certain vibe, and in order to not let my grumpy, sarcastic self get in the way, I'm making a playlist that's curated for the vibe I want.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: recommend songs, artists, and albums for this playlist.
The vibe I'm aiming for is positive energy. So think the first day of real spring when everyone goes outside and is a good mood because you know more pleasant weather is here to stay for a while. I like all kinds of genres. I started my playlist with Bonobo, if that helps.
Here's some more adjectives.
submitted by areyouthrough to musicsuggestions [link] [comments]
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: recommend songs, artists, and albums for this playlist.
The vibe I'm aiming for is positive energy. So think the first day of real spring when everyone goes outside and is a good mood because you know more pleasant weather is here to stay for a while. I like all kinds of genres. I started my playlist with Bonobo, if that helps.
Here's some more adjectives.
- spontaneous
- relaxed
- good spirits
- creative
- original
- having a spring in your step
- "rolling with it"
- friendly
- compassionate
- curious
- confident
- wonder
- playful