The Sea! Alas! I have not yet beheld it. But deep in the hearts of all my kindred lies the sea-longing, which it is perilous to stir. Alas! for the gulls. No peace shall I have again under beech or under elm
A casual blog for fun. I can’t believe I’m back on Tumblr after all these years. This place is still the best for fandom content. Cool and ever changing like water, you never touch the same river twice.
...Well- done is relative. There's definitely parts that aren't as finished as others. But I need to call it done and move on with life lest I explode.
This is NOT the full file. I mean it now more than ever: please look at the full version here.
This started as a little sketch and snowballed into attempting to recreate the look of a cathedral stained glass window as faithfully as possible. The file is so beefy the biggest boundary to finishing it was the fact that fresco kept crashing. It might lag your browser a bit, be warned, but... please?
Some of my favorite detail shots:
I wanted to make a matching one for Sisyphus and P-3 but after the ordeal that this one put me through I genuinely don't know if I have it in me :')
And now, about 1500 words of explanation for every detail below the cut
The WIP saga for those curious
"Why?" Wanted to see if I could
On Stained Glass Art
I did my best to replicate the religious purpose of stained glass windows through medieval Christian history, that being to convey Biblical stories visually to illiterate churchgoers. I also attempted to replicate historical & stylistic techniques, with mixed results- the main difference being a wider range of hues, and the detail limitations of my canvas (an insane thing to say about a 5000x7000 pixel canvas but this is not a medium for the sane)- and frankly, the limitations of my patience, because unlike medieval artists I am not being patronized by the Catholic church. Most of my digital stained glass replica art up to this point has been using purely the glass textures, but this sort of stained glass window was often intricately painted.
Unnecessarily Long-Winded Explanation Of The Whole Window
Okay I need you to understand that I am not pulling the rest of this post out of my ass, shout-out to Signs and Symbols in Christian Art by George Ferguson.
One of the difficulties with this whole concept was that, due to the medium itself, I'm trying to represent Minos's story from the perspective of the Church/Council, who condemned his actions and would've wanted this to be seen as a cautionary tale about defying heaven. (This is difficult because I think he's cool and awesome.) This is why the story stops with his corpse, and doesn't (explicitly) include his prime soul.
It's difficult to make it visually/aesthetically clear that his actions are meant to be condemned and his death was justified. I probably could've framed it differently, drawn him in a way that makes him look more sinister rather than in a way that would feel very reverent if the story stopped at panel 3, but I honestly like the ambiguity of this version. The story is interpreted very differently depending on whether you have empathy for the husks, or believe it's a perversion of justice, an act of defiance against God, to see them happy and thriving. Minos looks like a hero. He looks like someone to be revered, respected. And from one perspective, that's the cautionary aspect.
That being said- I was kind of interpreting this as a piece whose creation was ordered either by Heaven or by those sinners who were still believers, but ultimately made by the residents of Hell? I dunno man. So while the ultimate story is the same, there are some subtle aspects that don't entirely align with the Council's agenda:
Husks in the bottom windows: I don't actually have a direct source for this, but from what I've seen after looking at a lot of references, this sort of context-less alcove was usually used for saints, angels, etc- generic Good imagery that could be used without requiring much context. Replacing that imagery with husks: make of that what you will.
Caged dove: Birds in general can be used as a symbol for the soul. The cage is made of the roots of the tree of life for a very deep reason, that being because it's badass. The most 'overt' reference to his prime soul.
The raven, moon, sun and phoenix: There's a sort of double-meaning between viewing them in isolation vs as a whole. Individually, I think they kind of align with the story of Heaven: the raven, a symbol of death, referencing God's disappearance between panels 1&2; the moon followed by the sun referencing Heaven getting their shit together afterward, night becoming day; phoenix carrying along the same theme of being reborn from the ashes of God's disappearance, or whatever. In tandem though, they're symbols for the Magnum Opus in alchemy. I wasn't really sure about including these because I didn't want it to be a hollow gesture purely for the sake of aesthetics or "haha look at me I watched the dev stream" but I think there's enough here that while I may be reaching, I am grasping something. The parallel isn't 1:1, but I think there's enough of a common theme in Minos and Sisyphus's stories of transformation, transcendence, a sort of immortality of the soul (until u kill them lol)
The rest of it, from the top-down and then left-to-right:
Heart: tree of life.
Goats: Goats are a symbol in Christianity for sin in general, lust specifically. The fig branches they're eating are also symbols of lust (sometimes portrayed in place of apples as the unspecified forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, with fig leaves being what Adam and Eve cover themselves with afterward). Broken chain + decapitated because just a goat wasn't heavy-handed enough.
Snakes: Apart from the obvious 'Minos has snakes', ouroboros is a general symbol for eternity, cycles of creation/destruction, another alchemy connection. The skulls are there because I needed something to be there and skulls are cool.
Panel 1
Heart-shaped window: decorated with thorns, which represent grief, tribulation, and sin, and are also on Minos's face
Top of panel: shows Heaven while God's still kicking. Everything is in order, Heaven is keeping an eye on things. (I kind of had to balance game accuracy with stylization, but the fact that we haven't seen too many individual angels made me lean toward more traditional portrayals of them here.)
Minos wears a purple robe, a color associated with royalty (as well as sadness and penitence), and holds the scales of justice because he's still doing a good job as Judge of Hell at this point. The throne is just there symbolically to emphasize his position as a king / authority figure. The sky in the background has a bunch of souls floating around because that's what happens in Dante's Inferno and I think the artistic depictions of it are cool. Frankly it looks kind of fun. It's gotta be fun to be in the vortex for at least like the first 5 minutes right?
Foreground has sinners confessing their sins to him and then facing punishment (in a more metaphorical/stereotypical depiction of hell)
Panel 2
Heart-shaped window: decorated with olive branches, a symbol for peace as the Lust Renaissance begins.
Top of panel: Heaven in turmoil after the disappearance of God. The sky has gone dark, angels are distracted and facing away from Minos.
Minos in a green robe, symbolizing charity, regrowth, the triumph of life over death. He kneels among the people of Lust, less a supreme authority/judge and more a benevolent ruler and guide. Husks building Lust's city and helping rescue other sinners from Wrath in the foreground.
Panel 3
Heart-shaped window: figs = lust again
Top of panel: This one I'm still not 100% certain on because the Hell/eye connection is still kind of shaky in its specifics. I do feel fairly confident in that eye motif symbolizing Hell; this specific depiction of it was taken almost directly from the stained glass pieces in 1-4. The angels looked away but Hell sure didn't! This and Minos's corpse are the only proper, intact eyes in the whole piece, mostly in keeping with the rest of the game because I still have no solid idea what (if anything) the lack of eyes in Hell means thematically.
Minos stands among the finished city of Lust at the height of its renaissance, assuming the role of benevolent ruler and protector. The yellow robe is a symbol of treachery/betrayal (Judas is often portrayed in a yellow robe). He holds part of the city in his hands; I've seen this a few times in stained glass with religious authority figures holding a miniature churches. The heart is just... yeah he's giving life to the city or whatever, also it looks cool.
Foreground has husks living their best lives, they have clothes now because it's cold. One holding an olive branch (symbol of peace), the other writing, and of course the lesbian skeletons. You cannot tell that the skeletons are lesbians, but I'm telling you the skeletons are lesbians. The snakes are down here rather than on his arms as a sort of extension of himself protecting the citizens. In the greenery around them are poppies, which apart from their associations with WW1 and sleep/death, can also symbolize luxury, fertility and extravagance.
his toes are wet but try not to think about it
Panel 4
Heart-shaped window: Lilies are associated strongly with the archangel Gabriel.
Top of panel: Angels get their shit back together, notice what's happening in Lust and descend on it like angry wasps
This one's probably mostly self-explanatory, Minos being killed by Gabriel while attempting to reason with him. Only thing is Minos' black robe, representing death/mourning, and the fact that he's holding (or rather dropping) an olive branch.
Panel 5
Heart-shaped window: anemone flowers are associated with death/mourning.
Top of panel: The Council formally established and watching over Hell.
Also fairly self-explanatory. Minos' corpse destroying the city. The fiery color scheme and blood running through the streets and all that is kind of over-the-top compared to what we see in-game, but I needed some way to give each panel its own distinct color scheme.
I’m so happy I’ve finally received @runawaymarbles commissioned ficprint of @determamfidd incredible lotr story, Sansûkh, in its entirety!! This is all 50 chapters divided into 3 books, as well as some extras like the Meet a Dwarrowdam series.
These books are stunning, professional and hefty, I couldn’t be happier to with their look and feel. Time to reread Sansûkh!
@runawaymarbles was a dear that delightfully created the look of these, inside and out. We nerded out over khuzdul and tengwar, and didn’t flinch when I asked to add the epilogue to book 3, even though it made The Forging of Hope like 25% longer and thicker then planned (see how long the epilogue is below)
Edit: @runawaymarbles has put these up on a drive so that you can print your own copies through lulu.express. These versions are made for the linen wrap hardcover! Enjoy Sansûkh fandom this is for you. 😘
Edit: I’ve made a walkthrough video to explain how to order from lulu
The friendly @galadrielspeaks asked if I can show how to order the Sansûkh books from Lulu Xpress, so here's a walkthrough video!
The "Foil
Of course, the legends say that no other son had ever loved their father as much as him—Him being Fëanor Fëanárò Curufinwë, first of his name.
The legends don’t ask or dare even think of the person who loved their mother the most. Mother is dead, gone or not important enough to be named.
Maybe it was Elwing.
Elwing who would tell Eärendil about her mother’s strength, and whisper over her sons’s cradles her stories (It’s interesting that the white tree of Númenor was named Nimloth, yes it fits, but wouldn’t the royals prefer something in Quenya?).
Elwing with her spotty, half-edain memory who spent hours memorizing the lisp of her mother’s words and the feeling of her callused hands.
Who knows the truth though? The legends certainly do not care.
disco elysium being free on epic games today is evil as fuck. i beg of you guys just pirate it, the amount of claims on the free game will still tell the assholes who stole the game from the devs that Oh We're Still Relevant :). just pirate it. my christmas gift to you! pirate disco elysium
GO GET THE GAME! Even if you don't want to play it. Just have it so you can play it later. It's SO GOOD.
It's not piracy in the the usual sense. Key members of the development team put it out for free when they were forced out of their own company after the game saw such extreme success.
The company offering it for free now is a direct slap in the face to the people who actually made it.
No, you should definitely keep calling it a kill switch. It helps describe my feelings on the matter.
I would also accept ai throttle. Not because I want to use levels of activity between fully on and fully off, but because I want to throttle the ai with my bare hands.
Eukaryote (good-kernels) as opposed to prokaryotes(before-kernels). We are the Domain of Fortunate Cellular Nuclei.
Animalia (of the anima.) we are in the Kingdom of the Breathing, or the Air-Souled.
Of the Phylum (tribe or clan) Chordata (having a string). We are the Clan of the String, referencing the spinal cord.
Class Mammalia, of course. the division of the titties.
Order Primate, which is a bit stuck-up, but I suppose the people doing the naming get to pick. Primate is of course primary, or First/Highest. Interestingly, this is in the sense of it being a job; a primate is a bishop of Christianity. This is reflected in the medieval Scala Naturae, where “primate” is an office held by the “natural” or divinely appointed top being in each tier of existence. Seraphim are the primate angels; humans are the primate people; lions are the primate animals; oak trees are the primate plants; and diamonds are the primate minerals. Translating the intent here, we are the Order of Ordained Authority, which we share with other natural bosses such as lemurs.
Depending how you want to do this, we are also suborder Haplorhini, the dry-nosed. This is separated from wet-nosed apes.
After this we land in the repetition of Homina-homina-homina-homina where there are several classes that drill down ever further, all of them rooted in “hominid.” Everyone knows homo is “man, human” but the root of why it’s “man” is because it is first “earth”. Human means “earthling”, and is rooted in “not-divine.” We are the family, subfamily, tribe and genus of earthlings.
By the time you get to species we are very lonely indeed, with only one species in our genus. This is actually a terrifically lonely place, and in this we are “sapiens.” This doesn’t mean just “wise” but “being wise,” which is more of a duty than a descriptor.
When you put it in context: Domain of Fortunate Nuclei, Kingdom of the Air-Souled, Clan of the String, Class of Milky Boobs, Order of the Bosses, Family of Earthlings, Tribe of Earthlings, People of Earth, Earthlings, Thinking Earthlings.
The point of taxonomy does seem to be making oneself a box that excludes all others in order to feel properly lonely and alone in it; one’s place in the world defined until one is alone. however, zooming out a bit, it does make for some stirring company.
In the educated opinion of me, a slightly wine-drunk semi-professional seabird specialist with a Tolkien hyperfixation, procrastinating from a work presentation I should be preparing let's gooooo.
Too many people think of Elwing in the form of a random bird thing, when there are so many interesting species!
First, the source text (emphasis by me):
"... they told that Elros and Elrond were taken captive, but Elwing with the Silmaril upon her breast had cast herself into the sea. Thus Maedhros and Maglor gained not the jewel; but it was not lost. For Ulmo bore up Elwing out of the waves, and he gave her the likeness of a great white bird, and upon her breast there shone as a star the Silmaril, as she flew over the water to seek Ëarendil her beloved. On a time of night Ëarendil at the helm of his ship saw her come towards him, as a white cloud exceeding swift beneath the moon, as a star over the sea moving in strange course, a pale flame on wings of storm. And it is sung that she fell from the air upon the timbers of Vingilot, in a swoon, nigh unto death for the urgency of her speed, and Ëarendil took her to his bosom; but in the morning with marvelling eyes he beheld his wife in her own form beside him with her hair upon his face, and she slept."
"On those journeys Elwing did not go, for she might not endure the cold and the pathless voids, and she loved rather the earth and the sweet winds that blow on sea and hill. Therefore there was built for her a white tower northward upon the borders of the Sundering Seas; and thither at times all the sea-birds of the earth repaired. And it is said that Elwing learned the tongues of birds, who herself had once worn their shape; and they taught her the craft of flight, and her wings were of white and silver-grey. And at times, when Ëarendil returning drew near again to Arda, she would fly to meet him, even as she had flown long ago, when she was rescued from the sea. Then the far-sighted among the Elves that dwelt in the Lonely Isle would see her like a white bird, shining, rose-stained in the sunset, as she soared in joy to greet the coming of Vingilot to haven."
The Silmarillion CHAPTER 24 OF THE VOYAGE OF EARENDIL AND THE WAR OF WRATH
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Right out of the gate, a swan is a popular choice for Elwing. Makes sense, they are beautiful, regal birds with a graceful baring on the water. There is a strong association between mute swans and England, they are indeed an old world bird and as part of Tolkien's worldview as oak trees. They are also vicious and brave defenders of their young. A tough bird, symbol of the Teleri Elwing's elven clan. However, not the best for Elwing. They are not sea birds, and while powerful fliers, do not fly particularly high or far. Mute swans are heavy, needing a lengthy run on the water to take off with a clacking of their wings. Not the ideal shape to fly across the ocean undetected to find your mariner husband, or meet said husband in the morning sky when he comes back from being a star.
Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus)
No, not a Great White Pelican, but a Dalmatian Pelican. More silvery than its pale African cousin, the Dalmatian Pelican has the advantage of being present in more Mediterranean climes, which might be representative of what Sirion was like (thank you @outofangband). Pretty much the largest freshwater bird, this choice for Elwing suffers the same problem as the mute swan. Not a sea bird, doesn't really do long-distance flights. Though I could imagine this large silvery-grey bird being mistaken for a cloud in the night, and you KNOW that the Silmaril is tucked nice and safe in that big pouch!
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)
Now that's a sea bird! Another popular choice for Elwing, this graceful soaring beauty is essentially the biggest flying bird in the world by wingspan, with a sweeping 11 feet/3.5 meters. The older they are, the whiter they become, with only bit of dark plumage on the wing tips and tail. The wandering albatross is the textbook example of a great white bird. Albatross adore storms, and can use strong (storm) wings to carry them over vast distances very quickly. They nest on steep hills, because they need the sweet winds to give them lift to take off. All in all, like the others above, large enough to carry a Silmaril without affecting flight capabilities. Though I really can't imagine Ëarendil cradling an albatross to his bosom, long wings flopping down on both sides of him. (Elros and Elrond are definitely albatross chicks muppets, as per @swanmaids' point).
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
A gull! Yes, of course, but which gull? There are 54 gull species, and so many of them are herring gulls. But for Elwing? Ulmo would transform her into a Black-legged Kittiwake. A graceful, almost dove-like gull, Kittiwakes are bright white with wings topped in silver-grey. They fly like they are playing in the wind, and spend most of their lives at sea. Gorgeous sea bird. Ëarendil would hug. Am I biased because I love them? Maybe.
Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea)
You want a more white and daintier gull? I was going to write about the Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) but if we are going with a rare Arctic species, there are many good things about the Ross's Gull. I mean look at it! White and silver-grey with a rosy blush like it is continuously bathed in sunset, a black collar like Elwing is still wearing the memory of the Nauglamír. Plus every time I have seen an ivory gull in the wild it was slightly blood-stained (they feed off polar bear kills) which has very unfortunate implications in Elwing's case really...
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
Terns are gorgeous sea birds with impressive flight capacity, and pack an absolutely ridiculous amount of fight and spite in 100 g. I have a scar on the top of my head from a tern chasing me off a beach where it was nesting. That beak sure pinches. Roseate Tern are particularly pretty, and if you subscribed to raven-haired Elwing, that cap is an excellent match. The adults also gain a pink sunset stain on their underparts, so you get that poetic match again. Terns would absolutely yell at Manwë, and probably have.
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Now if you think Elwing was pale-haired and blue-eyed, a Northern Gannet would be more for you. Northern Gannets are sea birds of great size, swift and fearless. They quite literally launch themselves into the sea. They are powerful enough fliers to evoke thoughts of storm-wings and clouds under moon. Gannets also follow boats, which works nicely with the imagery of bird-Elwing meeting Vingilot.
White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus)
Look at this beautiful thing, is she not fitting of a daughter of Dior, of Lúthien's line? I hope I see one for real one day. These long-tailed sea birds are excellent, graceful in flight, easy to see at a distance due to their tail. More active in the morning and in the evening, more to catch the morning and evening star. White-tailed Tropicbirds also come in a spectacular 'golden' variety. Absolutely fitting for someone named Star-Spray.
Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea)
When I first read the Silmarillion years ago, and I read "... as a white cloud exceeding swift beneath the moon, as a star over the sea moving in strange course, a pale flame on wings of storm" I immediately imagined a glowing white creature that I eventually witness in real life: the gloriously beautiful snow petrel. And while Elwing might not endure the cold and pathless void like a snow petrel would around Antarctica, I think she would revel in the shining feathers, the swift, fleet wings, and, as a feature of being a petrel, the tube nose that would allow her to smell and find Ëarendil anywhere at sea or in the sky. They soar with such joy. Perfect hold-to-your-bosom sized. Snow petrels are one of my favourite sea birds, and you should know more about them!
Like how they have the most hilarious defence mechanism:
I think I always pictured a Storm Gull (Larus canus) (what are they called in Englis? Just seagull?). Probably because they where the bright white sea birds I'd mostly seen when I read the book. They are everywhere in my country, because there's always a sea nearby.
Common Gull would be the name of this beauty, but the saying is "common gulls are not common" as they are greatly overshadowed by other gull species. In Canada (and I believe other places) they also are also called Mew Gulls. I like its French name, which translates to Ashy Gull.
terrified of unwittingly enjoying the shadows in the cave. the song you didn't know was a cover. the movie you didn't realize was a parody. the game you never knew was a bootleg port. and then even after you find out, there's something in you that still likes the shadow better than the real thing
do you know "THE GIANT LIST OF SHERLOCK HOLMES ADAPTATIONS"?
(Docs)
The list brings together all adaptations available to watch, BUT many adaptations from languages other than English are very difficult to find and many do not have subtitles, even the English adaptations don't have subtitles for non-English speakers, this also includes radio shows, it doesn't have a script that can be translated into different languages.
I'm very thankfull for everybody who helps build the list, from the bottom of my heart <3
So I come to ask, on behalf of many fans around the world, that those who can collaborate and help doing subtitles for the various adaptations, it would be very much appreciated
The list and the drive (with almost every adaptation) are also a way to to preserve the visual and physical media, the entire sherlock holmes history of adaptations. Many movies, radio and tv shows are lost midia, some of the bbc ones were deleted and lost forever. We do not profit anything by doing it, other than the enjoyment
turnnoffyourmind
dailybridgerton
romaincrisis
gummygunk
vaporwave
kianamaiart
jbbartram-illu
