Discover Top Posts Tagged with #visigoths

OBSCURUM, 64 pgs historical comic! The decades following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, with their tapestries of vicious personalities and wars, could be mistaken for fantasy saga, but it’s history Available for free, in full, on itch: illuminatedcomics.itch.io/obscurum-vol-1 Will be published in parts on my website over the course of the next few weeks: illuminatedcomics.github.io/OBSCURUM/ My latest endevour, if anyone is interested in reading it!

#my comics #comics #history #ostrogoths #visigoths #roman empire #indie comics

An open letter to the Goth community (and the Visigoths).

There seems to be some confusion regarding the hierarchy. When we say "Goth," do we mean the Germanic tribes who sacked the Roman Empire? Or do we mean the people who own way too much velvet and listen to The Cure?

I’ve looked into the history, and I have bad news for both groups. You are fighting for second place.

The undisputed Queen of Goth was crowned in the 19th century: Mary Shelley.

The Visigoths might have destroyed a civilization, but Mary Shelley lived a life so fundamentally "metal" that it makes modern alternative fashion look like a costume. She didn't just adopt the aesthetic; she invented the genre, lived the horror, and set a standard for "dark romance" that the rest of us are just pretending to understand.

She is the moment. We are just living in her shadow

#mary shelley #goth #history #dark academia #romantasy #frankenstein #visigoths #literature #funny #video skit

goth gf

#Goth gf #my art #wlw #wlw art #visigoths

Mariano Barbasán Lagueruela (Spanish,1864-1924) Battle of Guadalete, Spain (711-712 AD), 1882

Major battle fought in 711 between the Visigoths under their king, Roderic, and the invading forces of the Umayyad Caliphate, composed mainly of Berbers and some Arabs.

Have any hot takes??

Thank you! Now that I have the floor—

(These are potential hot takes. I'm not certain that they are.

You are always welcome to air your outcry /lh)*

Rafal is (probably) much more passive and much less proactive than we think. If not for the exceptions in some of his actions/his ambition, I would envision him as an actual passive character.

^Caveat: only when it comes to "lesser" things or issues—essentially, anything outside the scope of his tunnel vision, and for the sake of this point, we are disregarding his plans and paranoia.

I sincerely think he is the type of person not to bother with something (of the mundane, specifically) until it truly bothers him or drives him over the edge.

(This comes down to interpretation, so again, I don't mind if anyone disagrees and I'd love to hear other viewpoints. Also, consider that I'm working with limited canon information. If you'd like me to respond, just send the replies in the form of asks or DMs, not comments though since I don't have the ability to reply to comments at the moment.)

Examples:

Plausible but not confirmed in canon: While he sits for his torture viewing for mulitple days. (This moment is so easy to cite and I view it as "iconic" as the red suit in Fall under the chandelier.)

If his body still functioned like a mortal's, it's not impossible that his legs could go numb. I suspect that he wouldn't move until absolutely necessary, unless that section of Rise is brief enough intentionally to shut us out from pov details(?). The discomfort would likely have to bother him or completely disturb the experience of binge-viewing to force him to get up, and because he's immortal/nearly invulnerable, he can play off the problem as minor and temporary.

Non-canon/no evidence(?) but potential (especially if he were turnt mortal):

Putting off hunger, if he is able to experience it. If he were immortal before, I imagine there would be an adjustment period—a time that could even be detrimental to his health, if it takes a long time and his way of living were already extreme. Even if he were always mortal, I think he would be the sort of person to insist he's not weak, or bound to arbitrary limitations of the body because he's not ignorant of them, he just fancies himself above them if they are standing in the way of anything else more "important."

(Case-in-point(?): He never quit in Fall while all that time, he had a limp and was magically weakening for almost the entire time, and I suspect the Storian was behind draining/"reclaiming" some of his sorcery.)

If he were mortal (this example would require a Modern AU, I suppose):

If he were too hot or cold, I don't think he would get up to adjust the thermostat. The discomfort would have to be intense, severe, or literally intolerable enough to the point where he were incapacitated from doing work or anything else under such conditions, to propel him into motion. And, otherwise, he just wouldn't move. Like, I think this illustrates why he is characterized as apathetic. And with pov characterization, he definitely strikes me as the "immovable object" of the pair or the "object at rest stays at rest" as opposed to Rhian, ever the opposite.

Towards those like the Nevers, I think the logical conclusion would be that aside from his sadism, he probably wants to ensure they are just as "worthy" or as hyper-functional and "tough" as he is (and he probably views this as a quality that should exceed Ever or "normal" standards, no exceptions).

Materially:

We see Evil's new floor as dirty and covered in ash. This was probably strategic and part of Evil's design.

However, I think that if we were referencing Rafal's own living quarters, he could generally find cleaning surfaces, such as the floor or tables, unnecessary, or even a task which would be an inefficient use of time if it had to be done regularly. I don't even think there would be any health consequences of living somewhere dusty or without sunlight as an immortal (if, say, he never bothered to open curtains or let in fresh air—in QFG, Sophie describes the tower as a "musty old cell" iirc). So, why bother at all? To appease Rhian who values cleanliness more? No? Perhaps, it could be when conditions finally start obstructing him, when finally, there is something not just wrong, but wrong enough to be dealt with as he likely doesn't want to spare energy until he's driven to the brink of instability or to a poor man's level of desperation or "deprivation." Or perhaps, the dust or dirt could reach a point where the space has actually become unlivable (unworkable). Only then, when he's bothered, would he deep clean everything (probably thoroughly, to put off the next time he must clean as far as possible into the future). And, for a smattering of days, the place would be spotless until it goes to Hell again.

(And wouldn't it be funny if, characterization-wise, the "fossil" of an old man never even spent a cent on feather dusters? I just think it would add some pathetic quality to what later books mock "Rafal" for, even if it isn't him, because the original version was still old.)

At this point, I can imagine all of this is beginning to sound like some form of executive dysfunction. You might think: this is ridiculous—why put off something supposed to be easy, simple tasks even?

Yet, in Rafal's case, I would argue, that, as an immortal, he would still be functional, and that "normal" standards wouldn't/shouldn't need to be applied to him, and that "business as usual" for him is unimaginable suffering to most life forms and that he just mentally blocks or locks out human "needs."

(Also: see "habituation" in psychology. For a harmless example: if you hang pictures in your house, after just a few days/weeks(?), you probably pay zero attention to them, right? This may not apply to everyone or everything, but they become "mindless," and fade into part of the backdrop, unless, of course, you stop and look at them intentionally. Worse even, Rafal doesn't often strike me as an art person—there's nothing wrong with that on its own, but we don't know if he enjoys much of life at all or if he ever looks past the pure utility of things as he's not overly concerned with aesthetics. In a non-critical way, he's almost like a bare-minimum, single-faceted character in every sense, except for what does matter to him.)

We even see this play out on an emotional (neglect?) level in canon, as far as I'm speculating. Remember how he often used to concede to Rhian over minor arguments, in order to keep the peace and not thrust their bond under fire?

Then, at the start of Rise, he disappears after his argument with Rhian, and probably responded in the way he did due to a blindspot he left unaccounted for and couldn't handle. Like, "enough is enough" most likely.

If, as a general rule, he doesn't move until severely negatively affected, then I could only imagine he felt some feeling trending towards an extreme or a breaking-point we never saw, probably left unseen as a scene intentionally if my theory is correct, that could have driven him away from the School, because, in most cases, what reason would he have to be preventative, if he can cure, resolve, or rectify anything after the fact while still having infinite time to do so? Time limits probably would not motivate him.

In addition, I could also perceive him as one of those people who mentally keeps score, more in terms of deeds, like being paid back exactly for a favor he's done for another person or "I did that. Therefore, I should get this in return."

Instead of the "sword," I could see him studying the scale. He would live by and die by the scale. "It's only fair."

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This point about potential gains is more obvious and probably less of a hot take but still related to the physical and emotional minimalism I just described above.

I think under non-desperate circumstances, unlike in the prequels, anything/anyone new Rafal would accept into his life would need to compete with the old.

He would constantly ask himself, perhaps not consciously: is this better than what I had before? How does this match up? What can this person/thing bring me that working and being alone can't? Is this person's company and presence better than being alone? Can it even compete?

This is why I once referenced the phrase "No Vacancy" in relation to him.

⸻

"Roman Empire"

In instances of "mind over matter," "brain vs. brawn," or "head and heart" I tend to place Rafal in the head category easily because of his Machiavellian tendencies and his reliance on sorcery as force over just physical force.

And yet, if the dichotomy were split between Athens and Sparta, I would absolutely see him as Sparta. (And he's not sexist! Bare minimum again with taking people indiscriminately to torture! Headline could blare: "Villain Hates Everyone" /j). He's even someone who could be described as austere or whose interior design could, hypothetically, be spartan (adj.).

⸻

*Always remember: you don't need to agree with me (since I suspect this one may be the most controversial?).

It is impossible for any version of Rafal to be Goth.

Rafal is not Goth and likely could never be in a Modern AU, if he's to be depicted in character. (Ngl, the dark wave music genre seems to capture his vibe well though.)

First off, given what he wears—yes, he does have edgy taste at times, but some of what he wears also veers towards or errs on the side of classic, tailored, or just formal—even if we frequently see some "iterations" of him don monochromatic black. That much is obvious, but he's not greatly exaggerated or tacky with what he does. While his School probably has gothic and Goth motifs, he himself is more subtle and less performative in terms of looks, and (I could speculate) keeps his appearance more austere so he will be taken seriously as an authority figure.

He's not "function over fashion." He's "fashion with a function (for a purpose)."

(Dare I say he dresses like a "normie," if I'm borrowing from Tim Burton. Yeah. No anarchy, just nothing but a fraud in dark clothing.)

I learnt a while ago that Goth is not only a style of dress but that it is a subculture with its own ideology. I think the traditional type of Goth overlaps with punk, or it seems common for the two to intersect. And honestly, I'm not exactly sure where the line in the sand is drawn. (Anyone, correct me if I get anything wrong!)

Vulcan, I would call totalitarian, perhaps. But he is THE Goth in terms of purely fashion alone. Most standard-issue Nevers seem vaguely Goth to me as well, but that's besides the point and Vulcan is anything but generic as he actually has a character with the rather vampiric sensibilities and all else. The same can't be said of many background student characters, who tend to have one memorable, physical trait each(?). The only issue, which I think is the main point of what disqualifies Vulcan as adhering to the label Goth is that he is authority, not anti-authority or "stick-it-to-the-man" in any way. Plus, he's also tacky. I mean, a face tattoo? (Don't mind my more subjective opinions.)

I wouldn't even consider Hort a Goth because he doesn't seem to embody the spirit of the ideology and I don't think he's that liberal, even in-world(?).

TLEA "Rafal" is another matter entirely. He can be dark and poetic. He's essentially the Lord Byron of the Woods, and yet, I still wouldn't consider him Goth either. The snag? He's on the side of authority again. Albeit, I do associate him with gothic cathedrals, if in a dark, ornate, or even dilapidated way, so he does swing gothic at best.

(And—he could well be a Visigoth if he were old enough. /j)

Then, there's Hester and Anadil. They certainly seem Goth to me. We even have proof as at least since TLEA that they were/are rebellious and willing to move people to revolution or for a social cause. They are more democratic than the rest of the so-called Goths and COVEN is yet another indication that they are willing to question those in power.

In conclusion...

1. Hester and Anadil are Actually Goth. (Good for them? Probably Evil.)

2. Rafal Is Not and is clearly the despotic dictator embodying the establishment Goths would want overthrown and ousted. (I'll concede that he is very individualist, but himself in body is where the confines of that belief end. His motives will always involve seeking power, holding onto it, and being its sole owner.)

I know there was some confusion regarding what historically were goths/visigoths based on a previous meme I had posted.

I’d like to take this time to clear that up for you, historically speaking:

I will take no further questions at this time.

#history #funny history #history jokes #meme history #history memes #military history #meme #goth #visigoths