Less literary sideblog of @taliesin-the-bored where I let my Pre-Raphaelite hair down to post random Arthurian polls, movie observations, and whatever else I feel like.
It's (almost) that time of year again, and well I'm doing things a little different this year so I figure I'd give the prompt list a little early! Arthurian August is a yearly art/writing/gif making/whatever other creative things challenge during the month of August centered on the Arthurian Legends. In the past I've had a prompt a week for the month of August, but this year I'm trying a bingo card format, pictured below:
The idea is you can check as many applicable boxes as you want for each creation you make, so if you make one or two things you can still get a bingo, granted you include all five prompts between those creations. Of course if you only want to check one box per creation that's fine too. The goal is to kinda open this up so people who don't have much time can still complete something. (More rules and prompt explanations under the cut)
Rules:
The challenge officially runs from August 1st to the 31st, put things in the tag #arthuriana august and/or @caer-gai and I'll reblog it!
You can create in any medium you want! (Please no AI)
NSFW and gore are allowed, just tag appropriately! I will use discretion while reblogging
I will be checking the tag and reblogging between August 1st and August 31st 2026! Feel free to post before or after that time frame if you need to, but I might not see it if you don't tag me
MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF THE WHOLE CHALLENGE: have fun! Don't push yourself too hard this is a silly and fun thing! Take the time you need, just tag me when you're done. I run these because I like seeing what you make <3
As always send me asks/notes/DMs/page boys with any and all questions! I'm happy to help=)
Prompt Explanations/Ideas-
Inspired By A German Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a German Text (ie Diu Crône, Lanzelet, Daniel von dem Blühenden Tal).
Featuring An Obscure Character: Create something that centers on a character you consider to be obscure. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Comedic: Create something with a comedic tone, in the comedy genere, or having to do with the more comedic elelments of arthuriana.
wlw: Create something involving a romantic or sexual pairing that falls under the 'women loving women' umbrella.
Inspired By An English Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from an English Text (ie Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle).
LGBTQ+: Create something with a character(s), theme(s), or story that falls under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. (gay, bi, pan, trans, intersex, ace/aro, nonbinary, ect)
Fanwork or Inspired By Med Lit: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by a medieval text.
Family: Create something that has to do with family and family dynamics.
Fanwork or Inspired By Other Media: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by some other arthuriana media, like tv shows, games, comics, songs, etc.
Based on an Obscure Text: Create something that centers on a text you consider to be obscure. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Tragic: Create something with a tragic tone, in the tragedy genere, or having to do with the more tragic elelments of arthuriana.
Inspired By A Text In Another Language: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a text originally written in a language other than the four listed on this card (for example texts from the Dutch, Icelandic, Yiddish, Italian, or Latin traditions would count).
Woman POV/MC : Create something where a woman is the main/focus character or from a woman's point of view.
Friendship: Create something that has to do with friendship.
Happy: Create something with a happy tone or having to do with the more happy/light hearted elelments of arthuriana.
Featuring An Obscure (Non-Romantic Pairing): Create something that focuses on a pairing (or larger) combination of characters who are not often discussed/seen together in modern works. One or more characters can be popular themselves, its the combination that's obscure in this case. Additionally this must be a non-romantic relationship, there's a different square for that one. Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Fanwork or Inspired By A Retelling: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by a modern retelling.
Romance: Create something focused on or having to do with romance or romantic feelings.
Fanwork or Inspired By A Movie: Create something that is a fanwork of or inspired by an arthurian movie.
In A New Medium: Create something in a medium that you don't usually use. (ie if you usually write, draw something, or make a webweave.)
Inspired By A Welsh Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a Welsh Text (ie Peredur, The Mabinogoin).
Legacy: Create something that has to do with the theme of legacy, either within the arthuriana or the legacy of the arthurian legend.
Angsty: Create something with a angsty tone or having to do with the more angsty elements of arthuriana.
Featuring An Obscure Ship: Create something that centers on a romantic/sexual relationship between two or more characters that aren't frequently paired together. As with the non-romantic pairing, this is about the relationship being obscure not necessarily the characters in it. The fandom kids call this a "rarepair". Obviously obscurity is subjective so I leave that mostly to your own judgement.
Inspired By A French Text: Create something inspired by/containing a character, storyline ect from a French Text (ie Chretien de Troyes's Romances, The Vulgate Cycle, Le Bel Inconnu).
Once again, please let me know if you have any questions! Have fun and I hope to see y'all in August!!
The best chuckle I got today was from Thomas Dolby's comment here about having queer kids: "The eldest is trans, the middle one is a lesbian, and the youngest is a drummer."
It’s hard to believe that “The Golden Age of Wireless,” the debut album by musician Thomas Dolby was released more than 40 years ago. Regard
Happy Towel Day! As the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy says, "[a] towel is just about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry." So make sure to always have your towel with you!
Who would win in a duel: Gwineu Goddwf Hir or Cath Palug?
Gwineu Goddwf Hir
Cath Palug
Voting ended onApr 8, 2025
Gwineu Goddwf Hir: one of the Three Spirited Horses of the Isle of Britain, a category which also includes Gringolet/Ceincaled; the horse ridden by Sir Kay/Cai ("Triads of the Horses")
Cath Palug: the legendary giant aquatic cat who killed nine score warriors according to "Pa Gur"; said to have been fought and usually slain by Cai, Arthur, Ogier the Dane, and others in various sources in various languages
Could Cai's calamitous colt kill the callously clawed colossal cat Cai killed, that is the question.
A fanart fanfic fan creations challenge for the month of April! This is going to be a bit different from other challenges so make sure to read the instructions!
(I'll type them out below the cut <3)
So that's a lot of prompts! Good news is you don't need to do all of them (in fact i would encourage you not to do all of them unless you really want to).
This event is organized into four weeks (plus two free spaces) where each day has a prompt that goes with the theme! Instead of trying to do every single prompt, try doing at least one per week, or just doing all the ones that you like!
While each prompt corresponds to a day, feel free to post whenever, just say what day and prompt you're doing.
Additional rules:
Tag me (@caer-gai) and tag with April Arthurian Showers so everyone can see it!
Gore and nfsw is allowed, but please tag appropriately! I will use discretion when reblogging posts
No AI may be used in this challenge
Any fan media is welcome and encouraged! Fics and art may be more common in challenges, edits, gif sets, memes, web weaves ect are all also awesome!!
While I won't start reblogging posts until April 1st, feel free to post early, or late for that matter. Posting early or late will NOT effect wether your post is reblogged, just make sure to tag!
I concocted this whole thing in the space of two hours, so if anything is confusing or unclear at all please please send me an ask, comment, or dm!!
Pellispawn/Wales Siblings: Aglovale, Tor, Drian, Lamorak, Alyne, Dindraine, Percival, Ferirefiz and anyone else I forgot. Pellinore needs to be stopped.
Balin & Balan
Week 2 (Apr 8-14) is Women week! That sounds kinda lame but we are rolling with it!
8. Morgan & Guinevere OR Morgan/Guinevere
9. Lady (or Ladies) of the Lake
10. Mothers!
11. Orkney Girls (daughters of Morgause and Lot, wives of Orkney boys, or daughters of Orkney boys)
12. Sapphic/Lesbians/wlw
13. Guinevere, non-romantic/platonic
14. Olwen and/or Enid
Week Three (Apr 15-21) is Blorbo Week!
15. Gareth of Orkney
16. Hector de Maris
17. Kay the Sencheal
18. Madoc son of Uther
19. Aglovale of Wales
20. Andrivette of Northumberland
21. Morgan le Fay
Week Four (Apr 22-28) is Miscellaneous Week! This week's prompts are a mix of stories and concepts/"other tags"
At the core of this challenge is a list of things I really like and/or want to see more of, so for these last two days I want you to make something based on the things YOU really like or want to see more of! And, if you want, you can give a little explanation about what it is and why you like it
Myrddin - OG Merlin, he's not actually associated with Arthuriana - and the Welsh myth stuff - until much later. He's one of those who was an irl lad but got incorporated into the mythos at a later date. He was a bard gifted with the power of prophecy (as all bards were thought to be in Celtic society) and was said to have gone mad after the Battle of Arfderydd in which his king and bestie Gwenddoleu died and then he fled into the woods. This gave him the epithet 'Wyllt' or Wild cuz obviously if ur living in the woods then u ain't gonna exactly be living ur best life.
Olwen - She of the white track. MY WIFE. The woman who Culhwch does nothing for on his quest but still gets. She's the daughter of the giant Ysbaddadden Pencawr and little white trefoils sprout wherever she walks. She's great.
Culhwch - cousin/nephew to Arthur (I always get confused. He's the one who causes Glewlwyd no amount of pain after he arrives at Arthur's court after the knife is in the meat and the mead has been poured. Why? FOR A QUEST! He wants to marry Olwen, the daughter of Ysbaddaden Pencawr and needs his cousin's help to do it. He doesn't do much on his quest but he gets points for participation, I guess? Long story short he does marry Olwen though which is nice. Bet she was thrilled.
Peredur: the big lad shall we say, the one you're all the most likeliest to know. The undertaker of the Grail Quest before Galahad, thinks knights are angels, besties with Owain and Gwalchmai, @nekomaidmordred 's fave lad.
Who do you think is Welsh mythology/Arthuriana's most sexy man, lady, God, or dubious entity?
I honestly would not be shocked if this was someone's overzealous idea of a joke. That level of earnest enthusiasm for Culhwch does not make sense to me. If it's genuine...well, good for him, I guess.
I guess Culhwch's ability to recite that giant list of names could constitute a form of rizz? Like how one of my friends became a school legend after reciting 1000 digits of π at a pep rally?
All the same, there's recitation rizz and then there's all-it-takes-is-hearing-her-name-to-become-obsessed-with-her Olwen.
obsessed with the amount of dudes in arthuriana who have unlocked asexual reproduction since the medlit authors decided that they don't have wives or paramours
