Heroic Ramblings

stuff that fascinates and intrigues

[morbidmomma]

Just a doodle

[aletheyass]

i always laugh at playlists with titles like "songs that would kill a medieval peasant" not only because most times they suck but also because medieval people were out there in the square listening for hours to la chanson de roland where the title character roland blows the olifant to alert charlemagne so hard that his temples explode while he vomits blood and then dies and you really think phoebe bridgers would move them

[garthanos-blog]

Oh that is so spot on ... there were some extreme and larger than life stuff going on, and even more so if you back to "dark ages". Ok yes I am picturing the Otherworld king and his 6000 retainers dying to one cataclysmic strike by Llenlleawc weilding Arthur's Caledfwich.

[memories-of-ancients]

Bronze sword uncovered by archaeologists at a grave site near Nordlingen, Germany, circa 1000 BC

[garthanos-blog]

I am assuming that measurement is in centimeters... ?

[gawrkin]

Morgan le Fay casually making Satan her bitch. From a fan translation of Segurant, Knight of the Dragon, which I found on reddit here.

[gawrkin]

And no joke, Morgan is THAT powerful. She has been consistently presented as such:

Vita Merlini

Erec (Hartmann von Aule)

The above isn't even all powers she demonstrated throughout Mythos (including manipulating the weather, creating massive fortresses that are bigger on the inside complete with full armies, etc.). She is outright called a goddess:

Vulgate Cycle

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

So on top of being one of the most influential and far-reaching characters in Western Literature - the very archtype of "Dark Sorceress" and "Fairy Queen" - she's easily also one of its most powerful and iconic magic-user outside of demiurges like Odin or Vainamoinen.

[garthanos-blog]

Whenever I hear Morgan referenced in all her potence as the goddess figure it reminds me of the Morrigan and how their were at least one prominent Irish figure Llenlleawg amongst the original Knights of Arthur questing for the Goddesses Cauldron. The Welsh were also less shy about including powerful women even without their prowess even being purely magic (The warrior witches of Caer Lloyw). The Celtic heritage of Arthuriana is strong.

[liberalsarecool]

If any normal citizen does this to anyone it’s felony aggravated assault.

If a law enforcement officer did this, they would have to write up a report detailing the justification for pulling a weapon or any “use of force” against any defendant for any reason.

But lawless Trump/Bondi agents taunt innocent Americans with lethal force and extreme prejudice.

Release the files. Impeach the rapist. Indict the Cabinet.

[liberalsarecool]

This is pure fearmongering. This never happens.

No doctor is comparing patients’ citizenship before providing care. Johnson is weaponizing hate to score political points.

Mike Johnson is gaslighting his gullible base.

Immigrants come here to live in peace. As they have for centuries. The 'rable rouser' looking to do harm and inflame emotions is little Mike Johnson.

[kangamommynow]

PLUS, I’ll just point out that if we had Universal Healthcare, it would be a lot less likely that any woman would be at the ER for prenatal care.

[maamsplaining]

Just to double check - this is the party that's criminalized routine early miscarriage care in several states, forcing women to go septic in ER parking lots before they can receive care, right?

[garthanos-blog]

Yup the country is being run into the ground by hate mongering assholes.

[garthanos-blog]

Perhaps she is one of the Warrior Witches of Caer Lloyw donning a cloak of ravens. Why yes of course Malory wouldn't mention them at all. Or the Morrigan come to guide Llenlleawg the Irishman

[garthanos-blog]

They probably thought the lion was an upgrade... and I do get it but I am going with the Welsh.

[gawrkin]

I saw some recent Tumblr posts discussing the giantess version of Queen Guinevere from the Welsh Myths and I felt the need to make an important elaboration on the topic:

"Guinevere, daughter of the Giant Gogfran" is the most attested version of the Queen in Welsh Folklore.

Although the Welsh Triads present King Arthur as having multiple marriages to different women bearing the name "Gwenhwyfar", the Welsh seemed to have gravitated to the "Daughter of Gogfran the giant" as THE Guinevere of Legend as evidenced by a large number of references towards this figure in a number of sources:

(Source: Y Ffenestr/The Window, by Dafydd ap Gwilym)

(Source: Brut y Brenhinoedd (Cotton Cleopatra ver.))

(Source: The Giants of Wales, by Sion Dafydd Rhys)

(Source: Welsh "Gogfran Gawr" page on wikipedia.org)(LINK)

(Source: folk rhyme recorded by John Rhys, found in Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature, by Oliver Padel)

By comparison, the other versions of the Welsh Gwenhwyfar - "the Daughter of Gwythyr ap Greidawl" and "the Daughter of Cywryd Gwent" - suffer a sheer lack of attestations and mentions outside of the Triads.

So, for all intents and purposes, Giantess!Guinevere is virtually the "main" Guinevere and the "canon" Guinevere of Welsh Arthurian Legend.

[garthanos-blog]

If only she was also a Knight ... LOL

Could not help it saw and said Gwenhwyfar, Giant's Daughter to me.

[gawrkin]

The Superhuman Feats of the Knights of the Round Table (And it's not even all of their feats!)

Arthur: (The Overall Strongest)

Historia Brittonum

Culwch and Olwen

Historia Regum Britannia (Geoffrey nerfs Arthur)

Torec (From King Arthur in the Medieval Low Countries)

Le Morte D'Arthur (Arthur nerfed again)

Idylls of the King

Kay and Bedivere (Both from Pa Gur)

[...[

[...]

Kay (Note: this doesn't take into account his superpowers)

[...]

Bedivere

Lancelot (focusing mostly on Vulgate, as Lance has a TON of feats everywhere that it would take an entire post)

Vulgate Cycle - Lancelot in Val Sans Retour, killing Morgan's Dragons

Vulgate Cycle - Lancelot fighting for Bagdemagus

Vulgate Cycle - A knight's POV of Lancelot fighting for Bagdemagus

Vulgate Cycle - Lancelot as the Red Knight

Vulgate Cycle - Gawain's POV on Lancelot disguised as The Red Knight

Tavola Ritonda

Gawain (not accounting for his Solar-based strength)

[...]

De Ortuu Waluuanii

Diu Crone

Tristan (Another character with superpowers and magic, but we'll keep it short)

Tavola Ritonda Bonus: Tristan can JUMP really, really high while injured:

I

Le Morte D'Arthur

[garthanos-blog]

Lancelot seems one of the few allowed to take on some of the same awesome as from the Welsh tales.... a post just for him you say? Bring it on pretty please

[galusandmalus]

oh wow Guinevere cheats PRE lancelot? even in the welsh triads?? damn "The three tremendous slaughters of the Isle of Britain: The first, when Medrawd went to Galliwig, he did not leave in the court meat and drink to support a fly, but consumed and wasted it all; and he pulled Gwenhwyvar from her throne, and committed adultery with her" "And one was more faithless than those three: Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's wife, since she shamed a better man than any"

"he had news brought him that his nephew Modred, to whose care he had entrusted Britain, had by tyrannical and treasonable practices set the crown upon his own head; and that queen Guanhumara, in violation of her first marriage, had wickedly married him" -Geoffrey of Monmouth

and in Layamon’s Brut she just... fully betrays arthur for mordred and tries to kill him by collapsing a house on him with her bare hands? damn What the fuck

dude the fucking Lancelot shit is SANATIZING Guinevere BROOO

[garthanos-blog]

It does occur to me that the earlier her is given more autonomy over what she did... she made many more active choices and yes there were implications she chose to support Arthurs nephew she with a giants strength collapses the building. This is not the kidnap victim nor the (perhaps wrongfully) accused woman facing justice. The later stories deprive her of power including magical along with sanitizing her story.

[galusandmalus]

oh wow Guinevere cheats PRE lancelot? even in the welsh triads?? damn "The three tremendous slaughters of the Isle of Britain: The first, when Medrawd went to Galliwig, he did not leave in the court meat and drink to support a fly, but consumed and wasted it all; and he pulled Gwenhwyvar from her throne, and committed adultery with her" "And one was more faithless than those three: Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's wife, since she shamed a better man than any"

"he had news brought him that his nephew Modred, to whose care he had entrusted Britain, had by tyrannical and treasonable practices set the crown upon his own head; and that queen Guanhumara, in violation of her first marriage, had wickedly married him" -Geoffrey of Monmouth

and in Layamon’s Brut she just... fully betrays arthur for mordred and tries to kill him by collapsing a house on him with her bare hands? damn What the fuck

dude the fucking Lancelot shit is SANATIZING Guinevere BROOO

[garthanos-blog]

Sheesh and this collapsing of a house on someone starts to make sense in the context of being a Giant's Daughter.

[garthanos-blog]

When I first saw this I was not sure of what it made me think, but now it seems obvious. Garwlwyd who killed one Briton every day and twice on Saturday. Doesn't that name sound like a growl?

[gawrkin]

The kinds of enemies in Arthuriana...

Giant knight with huge sword and flamethrower dragon shield:

(Source: Perlesvaus)

Blood-sucking Blemmyae, armed with enchanted severed heads:

(Source: Daniel von dem Bluhenden Tal, by Der Stricker)

Werewolf warbands:

(Source: Pa gur yv y porthaur)

Ninjas Javelin-throwing Acrobats:

(Source: Jaufre)

Lake Monsters that use Poison Darts:

(Source: Peredur son of Efrawg)

Assorted Humanoid Monsters:

(Source: Diu Crone, by Heinrich von dem Turlin)

...and nevermind the numerous regulars of dragons, giants and fairies.

The Questing Beast is really just the tip of the iceberg. Arthurian Legend is very high fantasy when know where to look.

[garthanos-blog]

This is what I want more of... The Welsh Knights were of mythic proportions and that only really works when their adversaries are too (hundreds and hundreds of werewolves) indeed.

[popoponya]

[garthanos-blog]

There are two ways to get into Asgard... This is the one most do not know about.

[treefey]

So The Algorithm figured out that I love Arthuriana (couldn't be my being fully obsessed in this reread of Squires Tales) but it keeps serving me content of the "Arthur was bad, actually" and "ugh, Gawain is just arrogant" variety

Just goes to show how much our interpretation of the legends is shaped by the stories we interact with first

[garthanos-blog]

I am finding the contrasts between early Welsh and the later versions fascinating myself. I kind of resent not having read of Sir Cei and Bedwyr before Sir Kay and Bedivere...

[helenvaughans]

[ralfmaximus]

It's gonna take decades to rebuild what those arrogant DOGE children broke. I honestly want them prosecuted for sabotage.

[garthanos-blog]

Oh definitely this.