#gaiseric

[foolchai]

And I was green, greener than the hill Where flowers grow and the sun shone still Now I'm darker than the deepest sea Just hand me down, give me a place to be

And I was strong, strong in the sun I thought I'd see when day was done Now I'm weaker than the palest blue Oh,

so weak in this need for you

-Nick Drake

[oaksentinel]

Gaiseric illustration I made for Berserk Zine last year

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Karl Bryullov (Russian, 1799-1852) Genseric's invasion of Rome, ca.1833-36 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Genseric was king of the Vandals and Alans (Germanic tribes) from 428 to 477 AD. He conquered a large part of Roman Africa and in 455 sacked Rome. He played a key role in the decline of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century. Genseric succeeded his brother Gunderic at a time when the Vandals were settled in Baetica (modern Andalusia, Spain).

[ladygriffith]

Historical parallels between Roman Empire and Berserk

Casca was originally a Roman Man:

Publius Servilius Casca

Publius Servilius Casca Longus (died c. 42 BC) was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. He and several other senators conspired to kill him, a plan which they carried out on 15 March 44 BC. Afterward, Casca fought with the liberators during the Liberators' civil war. He is believed to have died at the Battle of Phillipi either by suicide or by Octavian's forces.

Despite his being initially a childhood friend of Caesar, Casca and his brother Titedius joined in the assassination. Casca struck the first blow, attacking Caesar from behind and hitting his bare shoulders, after Tillius Cimber had distracted the dictator by grabbing his toga. Caesar replied "Casca, you villain, what are you doing?" and tussled with him for several seconds. Casca simultaneously shouted to his brother in Greek, "Brother, help me!" The other assassins then joined in.

Casca joined Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, the leaders of the assassins, during the Liberators' civil war against the Second Triumvirate, Caesar's former supporters.

Casca is commemorated on a coin along with Brutus, in which a bearded figure is depicted next to his name. However, this appears to be the god Neptune rather than a portrait of Casca.

Neptune is the Roman god of freshwater and the sea in Roman religion. He is the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon.

Guts: "Anytime she stands next to water, nothing good ever comes of it ..."

Calpurnia was either the third or fourth wife of Julius Caesar, and the one to whom he was married at the time of his assassination. According to contemporary sources, she was a good and faithful wife, in spite of her husband's infidelity; and, forewarned of the attempt on his life, she endeavored in vain to prevent his murder. Her contemporaries describe Calpurnia as a humble, often shy woman. The night before his assassination, Calpurnia dreamed that Caesar had been wounded, and lay dying in her arms. 

Gaiseric (c. 389 – 25 January 477), also known as Geiseric or Genseric was king of the Vandals and Alans from 428 to 477. He ruled over a kingdom and played a key role in the decline of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century.

(Sack of Rome in 455) Gaiseric's invasion was a devastating blow to the empire itself, so much so that historian Michael Grant claims, "Gaiseric contributed more to the collapse of the western Roman Empire than any other single man."

Before Gaiseric marched upon Rome, Pope Leo I implored him not to destroy the ancient city or murder its inhabitants.

Gaiseric agreed and the gates of Rome were thrown open to him and his men. Once inside the city, the invaders plundered it thoroughly, including the Jupiter Capitolinus temple "Gaiseric contributed more to the collapse of the western Roman Empire than any other single man."

Marcus Junius Brutus was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. He also was close to Caesar. Brutus eventually came to oppose Caesar and sided with Pompey against Caesar's forces during the ensuing civil war (49–45 BC). Pompey was defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48, after which Brutus surrendered to Caesar, who granted him amnesty.

With Caesar's increasingly monarchical and autocratic behaviour after the civil war, several senators who later called themselves liberatores (liberators), plotted to assassinate him.

Popular unrest forced Brutus and his brother-in-law, fellow assassin Gaius Cassius Longinus, to leave Rome. After a complex political realignment, Octavian – Caesar's adopted son – made himself consul and, with his colleague, passed a law retroactively making Brutus and the other conspirators murderers. This led to a second civil war, in which Mark Antony and Octavian fought the liberatores led by Brutus and Cassius. The Caesarians decisively defeated the outnumbered armies of Brutus and Cassius at the two battles at Philippi in October 42. After the defeat Brutus took his own life.

His name has been condemned for betrayal of Caesar, his friend and benefactor.

Et tu, Brute?

[kvitravvn]

Berserk

art by shimhaq

[epraim1992]

Headless Horseman

After the Great Roar of the Astral World one notable astral creature that appeared was a headless horseman. I think he is a portmanteau of the Green Knight due to his knightly armor and the dullhan a demonic fairy both headless riders.

I think he might be the one to kill Locus. In Arthurian literature the Green Knight is a tester of knights. Locus told Rickert about the divine right of kings and we see a sword in the stone a nod to Excalibur.

Locus is a knight of renown who probably broke the code of chivalry since he became an Apostle. He also carries a lance similar to the headless horseman which to me indicates a future match.

I think the headless horseman's armor was built by Hanarr. He has already built knightly armor. I also think that the headless horseman might be how Skull Knight met Hanarr.

Guts drew a connection between Hanarr and Godot which makes me think he used to live in the mountains near Godot's home.

We know elves lived in the area and what's more Skull Knight knew where it was.

I think Skull Knight was the one who beheaded the headless horseman and in the fight experienced first hand Hanarr's craftsmanship so sought him out. Skull Knight if he is indeed Gaiseric has always carried shield. His first one being an aegis which in Greek mythology was affixed with the head of a gorgon.

So far we haven't seen Skull Knight with a shield when he donned the Berserker Armor but I believe he did. I think his shield was affixed with the head of the headless horseman.

Everyone notes the similarities between Guts and Skull Knight. Guts has three woman in love with. We know Flora shared a similar relationship with Skull Knight that Schierke and Guts have. Flora had the Berserker Armor in her possession maybe they will be a third woman similar to Farnese in possession of his old shield.

[bscully]

Void 1000 yrs ago be like:

The funny thing is this is actually what happened:

What if Ganishka STILL is deep inside of the Astral world... just like Void is currently being a god hand member?

What if they both had similar goals (defy god, or a “god-emperor” like gaiseric) and caused a huge rift between physical and astral realms to obtain power? What if ganishka is gonna be used by the godhand to topple actual gods deep within the astral world, such as the four lords? His corpse is actually being taken advantage of in a way, posing a safe haven for the citizens of falconia. Ganishka gained power inside the abyss, reincarnated twice through illicit sorcery. What if Void did something very similar 1000 years ago...?

[mugiwara-shuenobi]