untitled?

Born October 2000 (♏︎ Scorpio ♏︎) 🇻🇳 Proud Vietnamese 🇻🇳 History + Mythology Lover Multishipper Wannabe Author (He/Him) | (Cisgender) | (Homosexual, Maaaybe Aromantic?) !!! My reblogs can often be suggestive/NSFW !!!

[l1viane]

[howling-wizard2]

obscene obscene obscene

colored version (telegram)

[bismuthfool]

what if. phm. but Grace is LITERALLY an angel

of course he has a simple human form. people don't even know that he's an angel

Rocky is terrified and has no idea what an angel is

[yamayuandadu]

It’s very funny when people refer to Ugaritic deities as “Canaanite” because, when you look at even just the most basic info, none of it lines up:

Putting everything else aside, the inhabitants of Ugarit did not refer to themselves as “Canaanites” and “Canaan” as a geographic unit was very obviously a foreign land in their eyes (source)

Yarikh was one of the most popular gods in Ugarit, the sum of Phoenician attestations is a single theophoric name from Carthage. Nikkal outright isn’t attested outside Ugarit unless the source is Hurrian.

Shapash is firmly female and one of the principial deities in Ugarit, the importance of solar deities further south was minor, their gender is not consistent, and the name is typically spelled with a m, not a p

Dagan is not attested on the coast outside Ugarit in any time period, and even in Ugarit he is largely present because of the immense influence of Tuttul in upper Mesopotamia as a religious center

Hurrian deities whose number in the Ugaritic pantheon is literally in the dozens (including virtually all of the big shots other than, I think, Nabarbi) are not attested further south than Amurru which is, also, not Canaan (nothing outside the area roughly from Byblos to Gaza is); their presence is, however, a hallmark of the bronze age religion of northern Syria and part of northern Iraq, roughly from Aleppo to Kirkuk

Pidray is attested ONCE outside Ugarit and the source is Aramaic, late, and otherwise largely focused on Mesopotamian deities

Kotharat are not attested further south than Ugarit on the coast but were commonly worshiped in inland Syria and also originate there

None of the Phoenician “big names” - Baalat Gebal, Melqart, Eshmun, Tanit - are attested in Ugarit despite as many as 240 individual deities appearing in known Ugaritic texts

outside Ugarit Yam is only attested in Emar and in an Egyptian literary text and the only similar sea god in the Ancient Near East was, wait for it…… Hurrian

Ugaritic Ashtart is associated with Mari in the Ugaritic texts which is close the Syria-Iraq border, not to the coast; the only reason why she’s often lumped together with later Phoenician Astarte, whose character isn’t really similar, is because all goddesses with cognate names are interchangeable to some. Imagine if the same thing was done with male European deities. Zeus and Tyr MUST be discussed together because their names are cognate!

Multiple Ugaritic deities seem to go back to the late third/early second mil BCE tradition of inland Syria - Kubaba, Adamma, Ishara, Ashtabi, Saggar; save for Saggar who has some disputed theophoric name presence none appear further south on the coast

Ugarit did not exist in a vacuum - indeed, considering most of the above it very obviously part of a greater whole - but that greater whole was the continnum of religions of northern Syria, not the largely imaginary “Canaanite” religion which exists in scholarship largely for Bible scholars to deride as inferior. There are many sites with large text corpora which can be compared to Ugarit - from Alalkh, through Ebla, Emar, Tuttul, Terqa all the way to Mari - but none of them have much to do with “Canaan” and especially Canaan as popculture and the Bible understand it. Coincidentally, what the actual Canaan in geographical sense did have a plenty of was Egyptian influence, but that doesn’t fit neatly into the weird language = religion = ethnicity dogma many history hobbyists and even some professionals seem to love, which I presume is also why Hurrian gods at Ugarit are an obscure bit of trivia even though Teshub is in the top 5 of most common gods in theophoric names and multiple rituals mix local and Hurrian deities (some outright seem to belong to two pantheons - Nikkal, Anat, Dadmish, Milku, Resheph, Takitu, Ishara and Ashtabi all show up in texts in both languages…)

[hipersexual]

[coolguymcdudebro]

one must imagine Jason Todd happy

[mlc1957]

[muscledaddyjock]

Daddy’s Boys

[realbulgeblog]

Follow in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realbulgeblog/  

[wumiings]

“airplane created the pidw world from nothing” “airplane is an unwitting prophet recording his visions” airplane is altering a pre-existing world death note style; reality has to keep readjusting itself so that whatever new bullshit aphrodisiac plant he invents has ‘always’ been there. it didn’t use to be like this.

[thrcbbisms]

[shamebats]

"divine feminine" "divine masculine"

wrong. Divine.

[anthonysperkins]

fitcamguy via Instagram

[littlesparklight]

Obviously, modern engagement with Greek myth isn't going to be very/at all tuned in to ancient Greek cultural ideas or mores, etc. And it doesn't necessarily have to be, either! But, when it comes to desire/love and Aphrodite and Eros' influence, sometimes it seems to me it probably be a good thing if there was more awareness about it.

Not because it's straightforward and/or simple, but given how mired the community is in various ships (divine and mortal, plus divine with mortal) it would probably be helpful.

Since the basic rule is all (absolutely all, no exceptions) desire/love/attraction/what have you, originate from and is sparked in others by Aphrodite and Eros. There is not a single couple (consensual or not) where the spark doesn't come because of/from/by Aphrodite and/or Eros. This is how it is in myth, and this is how it was viewed to be in real life. And as we know, Aphrodite (and Eros) and her power are irresistible.

On the other hand, that "irresistible" has caveats. Not just in the form of Artemis, Hestia and Athena, as the fifth Homeric Hymn tells us, but in the form of that while the desire in itself might be impossible to avoid feeling once struck with it, you can choose to fight it. To (try to) not act upon it. The version of Euripides' Hippolytus that has survived down to us has Phaedra fight the desire Aphrodite has struck her with; as the play starts she's already been resisting for quite a while. (She goes to her death without once giving in.)

Both mortals and gods are thus responsible for their own actions under desire, even if/regardless of as that desire might "veil their wits" and they act in ways they wouldn't if they weren't desiring. (But isn't that how love always works?) Zeus in the fifth Homeric Hymn turns Aphrodite's power on herself, because she's "made him" lie with mortal women. Being that Aphrodite('s power) is "irresistible", do we suddenly decide Zeus isn't responsible for any of his escapades? Yes? No? Why not? Any given mortal punished by Aphrodite striking them with desire is no different from Zeus - by how the Ancient Greek mythical cosmos works, they're all equally helpless, equally responsible.

And if all desire is from Aphrodite and Eros, can we ever know if any given character who is "actively" struck by desire would not have felt it anyway?

[theoihalioistuff]

It should be known that the myth is prone to dog-like phantoms; it even turned Hekabe into a dog, and it also fashions Hekate as having the head of a dog. And Kallimachos in his Commentaries says that Artemis was once a guest of Ephesos, the son of Kaystros, and that when she was driven out by his wife, she first transformed her into a dog; and later, out of pity, restored her into a human. She, however, felt such shame over what had happened that she hanged herself. The goddess then placed her own raiment on her and named her Hecate. (Kallimachos fr. 461 = Eust. ad Od. 12. 85)

"That Hecate was drawn into the role of dying maiden makes sense. When she arrived in Greece with the same interests in women’s transitions as Artemis, the sensibilities of the Greek mythic imagination would have demanded that this situation be tidied up, for however much cult might tolerate a number of divinities sharing the same functions, myth strove to articulate the differences between them, and to impose some clearly defined, recognizable relationship—sister and brother, parent and child, lover and beloved, victimizer and victim. The result was often more than just a matter of tidying up, of course. The less important divinity frequently acquired both a symbolic value in myth, where he or she served as a prototype for others who would interact with the divinity, and a “heroic” role in cult, where he or she was worshipped alongside the stronger divinity." — Johnston, S. I. (1999). Restless dead: encounters between the living and the dead in ancient Greece. p. 245.

[dragon-of-the-soutn]

One thing I find fascinating is that there are like no good outcomes from the Trial of Seven, it’s a mess any way you slice it.

However a scenario where Dunk dies instead of Baelor is like the worst of them all. Especially if he lives long enough to win and swear himself to Baelor and then dies in Baelors arms.

Like yes he is some no name Hedge Knight and his death absolutely shouldn’t matter but because it’s Dunk the ripple effects are insane.

Egg is never forgiving his family or himself. This is Aerions fault, Aerion has killed his brother/father for doing the right thing and there is no world where that vengeance and hate doesn’t ruin Egg. There is no quiet moment with Maekar as he drops the knife there’s only a grieving child screaming at his father to let go of him so he can rid the world of a monster wearing human skin. He’s never forgiving his father either for helping to get Ser Duncan killed and there is just nothing Maekar can do to bridge that gap with his son. There is rot in his house and now there is no kind Hedge Knight to guide Egg on his future path. I can easily imagine Egg running away to be a Hedge Knight in this scenario as he tries to carry on Ser Duncan’s legacy as best he can.

Baelor is alive but has to live with the knowledge that his family killed the last honourable knight in Westeros. In the same way Baelor haunts Dunks narrative Dunk is forever haunting Baelor. Every time he has to make a ‘dishonourable’ choice as King or is considering a knight before him he can feel Ser Duncan’s gaze in the back of his neck. Cannot look at Aerion ever again. Idk just Baelor judging every knight he meets against the imaginary Ser Duncan the Tall he has on a pedestal in his mind and they (and he) just never living up to those standards. Will not shut the fuck up about the good knight he knew for less than 48 hours. The good man who was for a moment his man.

Targaryen PR? On the floor. The Targaryens don’t care for justice or honour, didn’t you hear about how they killed Ser Duncan the Tall? The man larger and stronger than an elm tree who saved those maidens from the wicked Prince Aerion Brightflame? Yes Breakspear fought for him but we all know he did it so that he could just appear like he cared about justice. It was a rotten thing they did to him and he was right in his reply. Sing the one about the brave knight and the wicked red dragon again won’t you bard? It always goes over well.

Lyonel Baratheon now has a legitimate grievance against the Targaryens 30 years early. Genuinely acting like he’s Ser Duncan’s widow the way he’s grieving and railing against the royal family. They killed his Knight! Somehow gets Dunks shield and has it hanging up in the throne room of Storms End and pointedly brings it with him whenever he gets dragged to court. Baelor sees the shield once and it genuinely nearly kills him. The rest of the time Lyonels there they basically have a grieving widow off (Dunks been dead for a good decade).

Raymun Fosserway (Dunks actual widow) is beyond justified in his hatred of the Targaryens, always said there was something wrong with that family and he was damned right! Green Apple Fosserways grow up knowing that the royals can’t be trusted.

Idk like the fact that if Dunk won and then died in the trial of Seven there should be no ramifications. But because it’s Dunk his death probably brings down House Targaryen a good few decades earlier rather than saving it.

[roh-reads]

Most say that two men were killed in the first pass at the Trial of Seven. This is wrong for Ser Duncan also took his mortal wound here when Prince Aerion’s lance punctured his side. It just took his body much longer to realize.

The spirit of the Warrior himself held Ser Duncan tight and bid him to stand, and win!

An Egg who never speaks to his father or eldest brothers again unless forced. His sisters the only ones who know when Egg basically disappears into Westeros to just be a hedge knight the day after getting his spurs. Can’t get away with shaving his head this time though, dyes it as close to Dunk's as he can remember

[genericpuff]

Jesus puff. You really outdid yourself with that ep.

What was your process coming up with the fates design?

A lot of that is owed to Banshriek, actually!! He really took the lead on a lot of the design work for this episode, I shared the script with him nearly a year ago and since then he's been picking away at the character designs, storyboarding, and layouts in between currently updating episodes. We're both pretty happy it's finally here!

When it came to the character designs, we started off with a general baseline that was closer to the original LO fates. I really liked the 80's synthwave vibes of Rachel's designs, but like many of our more 'original' designs in LR, we wanted to push it further.

And that's where Banshriek's designing talents and love for sci-fi really helped us along.

This is often how our process goes when it comes to our original designs, I throw Banshriek a sketch or starting concept and he goes wild 😆

Here are the original mock-up concepts for Lachesis and Clotho! We kept the "film tape" hair for Lachesis' final design, and Clotho retained her childish demeanor through her personality / writing even if her final design was drastically different. I'm really happy with what Banshriek contributed and what we ultimately settled on, it really set them apart as wholly unique beings within the world of LR.

And of course, for that final iconic shot of Persephone embracing her future role as the Dread Queen, we had to go all out for it ;) We actually went through several sketches of this scene before remembering "wait, what about that Neon Genesis Evangelion fanart I did years ago" LMAO and it wound up doing the trick! (the original illustration is def the overall vibe I wanna go for with Persephone's future transformation so I'm glad we wound up pulling from that)

There's other concept work for this episode I'd love to share with you all, I'm just waiting on Banshriek to put together the assets :> He doesn't do much social media these days so it's kinda all up to me to share the goods LOL So stay tuned for those! <3

[genericpuff]

Considering the Fates' environment resembles that of a 'brain' and its neural pathways, I like to think she is the entire space and her body is just a flesh puppet that's plugged into the system so she can speak / act through it >:)))

We actually had some fun conceptualizing an idea like that back in the earliest drafts of this episode, I'd have to find those sketches again but I had the idea to have her voice (and her 'spoilers') crackling and glitching from the many computers and television sets that are nearby. It's not a completely axed concept, just one that had to be pocketed this time around. I'm hoping to revisit it in the future :> (it's definitely not gonna be the last time we see these three)

[genericpuff]

More character design stuff! Specifically Banshriek's character sheets for the Fates :) There isn't much Lachesis here but that's because, in his words, Lachesis wound up being a bit more on the fly haha (we both tend to do that a lot lol)

[genericpuff]

another fun fact: this panel of Clotho was actually foreshadowed in a "squint or you'll miss it" panel waaaay back in Episode 76! (I wasn't exaggerating when I said this episode has been in development for a while LOL)

of course it's smushed down into the background of a heavily compressed image but if we ENHANCE-

could you imagine working for the fates, jesus christ you'd never get any sleep 💀😆

[bcowlick]

The Absortion(Swallowing) of Metis and why it was an act of Devotion (From Zeus' standpoint)

CW: Discussion of Cannibalism and its usage as a metaphor for obssesion and/or love. Discussion of Toxic Relashionships.

Gosh, i wanted to write this post for a while but i always got cold feet on it because of the themes it touches. But you know what? This is my blog so whatever. Besides, no one that's into greek mythology is a normal person so maybe some of the readers of this will see the vision.

Anyways, lets get to the point.

1. The Cronus vs Zeus debate

Something i see a lot is that people say that Zeus eating Metis is a direct reflect on how similar he is to his father. That he was even more cruel than Cronus, for eating his pregnant wife. But i don't quite think so...

I'll show you two descriptions of the same events:

While the Dionysiaca shows quite a morbid description, the Theogony gives us a simple "He put her away inside his own belly". This is of importance

Greeks believed the stomach was the source of thought (but correct me on it if im wrong, im taking my info from the Theoi.Project page) so "To put her away in his belly" could also mean "Put her inside his mind" in a direct way. Remember that there are versions of the myth of Zeus and Metis that don't explain how this happened (like above) it just says it happened. Some versions try to explain it as Metis shapeshifting into either water or a fly so Zeus could swallow her whole in 1 gulp.

Meanwhile, Cronus description of this act uses a word, "banqueted". Almost as if he enjoyed this merciless act. Even says "Cannibal wise" meaning it had to be horrific, he didn't swallowed whole, he teared tissue, he probably even crunched bones. Ate them as if they were a piece of meat.

(Saturn(Cronus) Eating his son - Francisco de Goya)

What does this mean? Gentleness

Where Cronus was ruthless, gulping down his sons in a morbid way, Zeus was gentle with Metis.

If it was the same mistake, if they are so similar, why wouldn't Zeus just do the same as Cronus? Eat her whole, crunch at her bones, drink her blood. The outcome would have been the same.

He didn't. He tricked her into becoming smaller, so that she wouldn't suffer. So that it would be quick. Was it out of love for Metis? Was it so Zeus would feel better about himself? Take your pick. But he was gentle with her, swallowing her, putting her inside his mind as carefully as he could.

"He still ate her!! And while pregnant!! That is barbaric!!"

Well, i like to believe it was also so Metis wouldn't suffer like Rhea...

5 times Rhea gave birth, 5 times Cronus swallowed the children before they could even open their eyes.

"Unceasing grief seized Rhea" Zeus knew just how much his mother had suffered at the hands of a man who keept stealing the chance to be a mother from her.

He couldn't do that to Metis. He could have just as easily ate Athena at birth, and keep Metis, even if she would hate him afterwards. Truly repeat history and make of Metis a second Rhea.

He didn't.

So he took a way less barbaric path than Cronus. And they acted with different intentions, with different hearts on it.

Still wrong in his actions, Zeus still did a horrific thing. Yet, in his mind, he wanted to be as gentle as he could be. He didn't want Metis to experience pain, he didn't want an unborn Athena to be born only to die on the spot. The love was there, mixed with the paranoia. But the love was there.

2. Why did Zeus did it?

It is obvious, isn't it? The prophecy.

Metis was going to bare a child meant to overthrown him. He couldn't have that, he wouldn't have yet another conflict. And you'd say that he was such a coward for it

But remember, it is most likely Zeus had just came out of Titanomachy by this. He just spent 10 years of war against his own father. He was not eager to go into another familial conflict so quickly. Heck, he couldn't even know if his son would or would not be a good king at the very least.

He is god of Order. And Order he must mantain, even if it pains him. He would not go to war again, and not against his own blood.

Yet, if it was the boy that worried him, why not just.... Divorce? The prophecy was clear as day, the first child would be a girl, a safe girl. He could have her, then go separate ways with Metis.

He has done this before. He stopped chasing for Thetys when it was prophetizied that she would bear children greater than his parents. He could have done the same with Metis.

Yet he didn't. This man could not just let go of Metis, he couldn't bear the thought of letting her drift away. Wheter it was her smarts, her cunning, and he felt like he needed her to be a good king, or that he just loved her to the point of borderline obssesion; whatever intention he had,

He. Would. Not. Let. Go.

So at this point, its no even about fear of Athena being born. He just can't let this wise, amazing woman to run away from him. Who else is going to help him rule? He NEEDS her. Without her, who is he?

They won Titanomachy, because Metis was there to counsel him. And Zeus trusted that as his wife, Metis would keep on helping him, that they would be an amazing ruling team. Zeus had the charisma of a leader, and Metis was the brains needed to rule a kingdom.

Divorce, sure. And then Metis goes away, and Zeus would never find another woman as wise, cunning, and smart as her to help him rule. Divorce her, and his first love will wither away, leaving nothing but painful memories of what could have been without that pesky prophecy.

And so, in his desperation, he makes this plan.

And he literally has a epiphet born from it:

"Metieta" was an Epiphet used to refer to the wise counsell of Zeus. An important characteristic for a king.

But it also refers to what he did to Metis. Now inmortalized as one of his traits. This was his objective. They truly are now bonded for life, never to be separated.

And in some versions of the myth, Metis doesn't seem to mind. At least not enough to try and escape.

3. The Life of Metis inside Zeus.

Gosh are writers obssesed with the idea that Metis is misserable inside of Zeus' thoughts (And while that's a depressive idea that i love to explore too) there's this one text of Hesiod that makes me wonder if that's the case....

This text gives the implication that Metis had the chance to also run away during Athena's birth. That it was her chance as well to be set free.

But she stayed hidden within Zeus' vitals. She decided to not take the chance. And im starting to think the obssesion is going both ways for this two gods.

Im not saying that Metis is not upset about it, that she wouldn't want to be free. But if she does, its a given that she and Zeus won't be able to stay together. It would be the end of it. She would have to go away, for Zeus wouldn't find another way to keep her.

It's complex for her.

"He did this to me!! But he did out of love... He ate me just like that!! But he did it gently... He did the same as his father!! But did he now? He has placed me among his dreams, he has put me in a high regard, he has build this place for me inside his conciousness because it was the safest bet for us..."

She doesn't know anymore what to feel about this. Its messy, so so messy.

Because most writers explore the idea of Metis suffering in a kind of wasteland that Zeus' thoughts must be, but i don't see anyone thinking of the opposite.

And what if Zeus placed her among his dreams? What if he put her in his imaginations. Crafted a whole, wonderful world inside his mind just for her, so she would be as comfy as possible inside of him. I don't think its impossible, we already stablished Zeus was gentle before, why won't he be now?

Another missconception is that most people think this was the dead of Metis, but yet it wasn't. She's still alive

She's in there, and she knows of everything that's happening, and she is still giving Zeus counsel everytime he needs it. She can be bitter about it, yet she still helps him. In a way, you can say that any myth that involves Zeus' taking a choice wether in a jugdement or something, Metis IS THERE.

It even speaks volumes when you take in consideration that there is a version of the Myth where METIS HERSELF gives the prophecy to Zeus. Like, you would think the goddess of wisdom would rather keep that one to herself. She didn't

Why? Why would you tell yourself like that, woman? Maybe in a effort to see if you and Zeus can solve this dilemma? Who knows?

Either way, to put it in a silly way, Metis lives rent free in Zeus' brain. And she doesn't seem to have plans of leaving anytime soon (even if it seems she would be capable of). She only forced open Zeus' head so that Athena could be born.

By the way, wasn't Athena one of the "feared child of the prophecy"

If so.... Why the heck is she the favorite?

4. Athena

The feared child, the one that promtped Zeus into eating Metis. Yet she gains the tittle of the favorite daughter?

Let's review. Athena has done a lot of things, some of which would even make you question why is she the favorite daughter.

Her involvemnt in the Troyan war AGAISNT the troyans even thought Troy was one of Zeus' favorite cities. In some versions she is part of the mutiny against Zeus too.

But guess who's the only one that gets away with a slap on the wrist, while Hera gets hanged and Poseidon and Apollo banished to troy?

Who gets to use the lighting bolt? With who does Zeus shares the aegis? For who does Zeus releases Odysseus?

Athena and Zeus relashionship really is; "Daddy, i want a new barbie dream house!" "Anything for my smart-cookie!!"

Why tho? I like to think that it is because Athena is what Zeus' has left of Metis, in a physical way. She is the embodiment of Zeus' first love, the produce of it. And she has her eyes, and she and Metis share the same symbols, and there is so much of Metis in Athena that it sometimes pains Zeus.

Of course, that last bit is headcannon but still, what other reason would there be to love so deeply one of the childs who could bring your ruin?

5. Summary

Cannibalism can be used in many ways as a storytelling device.

Most use them to represent a toxic relationship, abuse, and assault. But it can also be used to represent obssesion, devotion, love and a wish to be one with another.

Don't believe me? If you are familiar with Christianity, you know christians have this one ritual where they eat a piece of bread and wine, meant to represent the body of Christ? That they do it as an act of devotion, and to remember Jesus sacrifice to humanity and yadda yadda.

It bases on the idea that once you digest something, part of it will be forever with you, united for eternity.

There's a clear distinction between Cronus, that cannibalize his sons in a horrific way, not to gain anything from it but the morbid satisfaction of keeping his crown.

And Zeus, who did so gently, and made sure that Metis could still speak to him from within. And when Athena was born, he didn't even got mad about it, but embraced her as his favorite.

I think, this myth and the relashionship between Zeus and Metis has lots of potentials for retellings. It has so many angles you can choose from, after all!

With this, i rest my case. Srry if i scared you with this one tho jsksjs