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himbo-aficionado · 10 months

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I just think its interesting how at the very end of the story, we see Merlin walking past Avalon, the place where he sent off Arthur all those centuries ago. There are many different ways the scene could've went on to display his everlasting loyalty. It easily could've been a scene where maybe Merlin was with his wife and a kid who was named after Arthur, or he became a historian/scholar who kept the Arthurian legends alive after everything he went through or maybe even a physicist trying to build a time machine, find a loop in time to go back and fix the past.

But no.

We see him all alone, old and unequivocally miserable. No longer meddling with fate nor trying anything at all. Lost in a world beyond time that no man should live past or would even be able to comprehend. We see that he never moved on from Arthur, having somewhat a glimmer of hope deep within him. Nobody speaks about how insanely difficult it must have been to have hope especially when you have no end to your own life. As mortals, we can't even bear grief for a short period of time. Yet, Merlin lived the cursed life of an immortal, a life where he will only keep losing everyone he's ever loved. A life full of grief.

In the modern world shown, nobody even believes in magic or practises it and yet he...still believes that someday Arthur will return to him. In the past, he reiterates that he just wants Arthur to see that everything he does is for him. He tells Hunith that Arthur only likes him because he doesn't know him. We see he acknowledges that Arthur is doing acts of service because he likes him yet Merlin couldn't be satiated because he still wasn't his true self to Arthur. To be seen and known for who you truly are is to be loved, that is all he ever wanted from Arthur, even from the very beginning of their relationship.

"You never once sought any credit"

"Its not why I do it"

During the magic reveal, he said "I use it for you, Arthur. Only for you.", still desperately wanting it to be known that his entire life was devoted to Arthur. There was no talk about legalising magic and whatnot between them either after that. He only kept repeating that he was born to serve Arthur. We see in real time just how much he meant when he said "There will never be another like you, Arthur." Evidently, he meant that Arthur is the Once and Future King but it also plays out for Merlin, because there never was anyone like Arthur in his life after that. To the point where he could find no purpose upon losing Arthur.

And yes he keeps saying that its his destiny to be Arthur's servant, that he grew up and learned the meaning of duty but is that really all it is? Towards the end, it was apparent that Merlin's objective was no longer for magic to be accepted in Camelot (as much as he wanted it). Ever since he found out about Arthur's Bane, it was all about keeping him alive. Even when the great dragon told him that there is nothing he could do anymore, Merlin could not accept to lose Arthur. "I can't lose him, he's my friend." It didn't matter that magic isn't legal yet in Camelot. He could not give two fucks about it anymore or else we would've seen magic in the future scene. One can assume that he completely stopped trying to find a solution. Or even lost the will to live.

What I'm trying to say is that, the final scene really is more than just an epilogue to show his loyalty, immortality and despair. If you think about it for a moment, it shows that somewhere along all the fights, snide remarks, banter, and what he and Arthur think isn't exactly a friendship, - they're stupid, don't mind that - he was in love with Arthur. And Arthur loved him in return even in the face of death as the truth came crumbling down. Its not as simple as 'falling in love' because, I don't think Merlin woke up one day and realised that he was inconveniently in love with the idiot arrogant prince who was tied to him by fate.

Their love was inevitable but it definitely stopped becoming destiny and duty a long time ago, it became a choice. "I'm happy to be your servant till the day I die". Merlin was, and I quote "putting up" with Arthur not because it was his life sentence to do so; it was because he wanted to. The worst thing of all is: Merlin chose to do it for the rest of his life.

#didn't mean to ramble like that my bad #i was thinking #i will not do it again #merthur brainrot is real #warn ur friends #walk with me #today i will wear my white button down #merthur #bbcmerlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #bbc merthur

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cbk1000 · 3 months

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So what exactly is it about Merlin and Arthur that make them so ship-worthy, sparking million-word fanfics? Why does it remain one of the most popular fandoms? Why do you never seem to tire of them as a writer? (Not that I am complaining or anything. I just find the loyalty fascinating considering how much new stuff is coming out every day).

Bradley and Colin and their chemistry together as performers certainly is an important aspect of the popularity of that specific ship, but I think the endurance of the Merlin fandom as a whole is due primarily to two main things, which are: that tragic ending, and the unrealised potential of the show.

The primary consensus amongst Merlin fans if you ask them about a piece of media they're still obsessing over, twelve years after it ended, is, "BBC Merlin is terrible; it's so good." The premise and characters are interesting. There are some absolute banger lines. There are bits and pieces of it that are good. But as a whole, it's a muddled piece of trash (I still love you, BBC Merlin, don't worry). Uther is a tyrant who has committed literal genocide, and they make the main villain a woman who is a part of the oppressed class of people that he's indiscriminately murdering. Women in general get to be one of two things: love interest, or moustache-twirling villain. Arthur grows as a person only for the writing to immediately walk back that growth, usually for a cheap joke. The major narrative arcs, the most familiar, identifiable aspects of Arthurian legend in the cultural consciousness (Lancelot, the love triangle, the fall of Morgana, Mordred's betrayal, etc.) are either barely present (see: Lancelot's two seconds of screentime) or completely devoid of believable character motivation (see: Mordred suddenly turning on Arthur because he executes a woman who committed terrorism who it turns out was someone Mordred knew as a kid and completely forgot about till the moment he saw her in her jail cell).

When something is, in some ways, quite good, and in a lot of other ways, hot garbage, it leaves a wide-open sandbox for fans to play in. I think if the show were much more well-written, and consistently so, the fandom would have died out years ago. But instead, we never saw the Golden Age of Camelot. We never saw Albion united. We never saw Merlin and Arthur reunited. We were left, at the end, with one main character dead, and the other centuries later still waiting for a person the show literally describes as his other half to come back to him. People haven't moved on because they spent five seasons watching a silly, stupid family show to see its main character fail at what he was literally prophesied to achieve and hold his best friend while he died. We don't even know for sure in the end that Arthur came back to him. We see Merlin alone, in modern day, at the lake, still waiting for him, with no indication that Arthur is rising again. And for people watching the show as it aired, the BBC delivered this nut punch on Christmas Eve.

I think it's about what the show didn't do, and the space that creates for fans to come in and do it themselves, over and over again.

Also, personally, I'm trying to self-soothe.

#bbc merlin #nobody asked for an answer this long #but here it is

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happysadyoyo · 6 months

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Oh! Oh! Can you do the human diguise? Just anything really.

But if you want ideas I'm thinking maybe...

Sun wants to read some books but he himself doesn't know where to even start because outside of a few picture books for abolute toddlers DCA never even held a one in their hands!

maybe about knitting? or general survival tricks? or maybe just some novels?

So Sun asks librarian for recomendations but in his excitment he goes thourght books far faster that should be humaly possible and then he catches himself and is seriously afraid but

the librarian just worry the books they recomend must be not what Sun needed because this guy CLEARLY doesn't read them at all.

Ahh you've unlocked a core memory of mine. I might've gone off the rails and put a little too much of me into y/n but here we are.

As always, Human Disguise AU belongs to @pillowspace. She just lets me play in her sandbox.

"You haven't even used your library card yet?" You're almost offended for the library honestly. A building full of worlds and your new friend hasn't even touched them.

"It's been a bit hard to find the time, buuut I want to!" Sun's quick to reassure you when you frown (pout really) at him. "I do, I promise. Maybe you can give me some recommendations on where to start?"

The magic words. Every job has that One Task that makes it worth it. When you had been a cashier it'd been your uncanny ability to pack bags perfectly. As a janitor, it was leaving a floor sparkling clean after a night pushing the waxer. And here?

Here it was finding the perfect book for someone to read.

"Okay let me think," you say, grabbing a cart of returns to push. "I don't know if you're more of a nonfiction or fiction reader. I need some clues."

Sun's chuckle is just a little on the shy side. Cute. "I'm not entirely sure I know either. Sorry." At your exaggerated sigh, you catch a glimpse of his gloved hands raising in mock surrender. "I really will enjoy whatever you decide!"

"Okay well, you've given me a challenge. Let's find a few things and see what you like the most." You shove the cart a little too hard around the corner, catching a misplaced stool. The cart jerks and Sun grabs it before you can tip it over and lose all your books. "Oh sorry! Are you okay?" This is what you get for being too excited.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Are you?" Sun rests his hand on you for just a moment, jerking away just as if he's been burned. It hurts, just a little, but he just seems to be adverse to touch. So you bite your tongue and deal.

"I'm fine. You're my hero, saving the cart," you say, watching Sun's face. He turns away, and you can only guess he's being shy. "Anyway, I have an idea for your first book."

"Oh?" He trails after you as you abandon your cart, far too excited. You duck into the crafts section, finding the colorful spine of a well worn book. "Knitting?"

"You're always so bundled up. I think you'll enjoy making your own mittens and things. Oh and! Arthurian legends. That'll be a good litmus test for what sort of stories you like."

Sun takes the knitting book and follows you as you go from shelf to shelf, creating a precarious pile in his arms. Your cart has been lost to the stacks, and you find yourself babbling about the different people you've helped find books for over the years.

"You love books," Sun says as you make it back it back to the reference desk to check him out.

"I do," you agree, smiling to yourself. "I read a lot as a kid. It was like... I don't know. Having friends? It sounds silly, I know."

"I don't think so." Sun brushes against your hand again on a cover decorated with embossed ivy and a golden sword. You freeze, and his hand lingers, close enough you can feel the tickle of his glove's fuzzy thread. "I think it's wonderful you were able to find friends in these stories. I can't wait to meet them myself."

You sort of stumble through the rest of the conversation, face hot. Usually it's easy enough to laugh off your own excitement sharing books, but with Sun responding so earnestly...

It's nearly dark out when you finally get off, yawning and stretching. You had to relocate your cart and spent the rest of the day putting things away and trying not to seek out your friend as he read. You'd noticed the one book, the Arthurian one, already back in the return bin.

Sun is waiting for you at the door, as he has been doing the past week and change. "I take it King Arthur wasn't up to your taste?" You ask by way of greeting.

"What? Oh, no! I loved it. The knights are so gallant. But it's so melancholic as well, reading their adventures. I feel bad for Lady Morgan the most."

"You do?" Sun is a reassuring presence in the evening light. "But you've already returned it."

"Oh, um." There's a heavy pause. "I think I just got so invested in the story I forgot to put it down."

You knew fast readers, and that seemed nearly plausible. Nearly. You still give a doubtful squint at him. But maybe you're being too judgemental. "I'll see if I can't find any happier stories with Morgan in them. She used to be a healer, you know. In the early stories."

"Really? Tell me about them."

You're more than happy to, tracing the memories of the old stories in the air as you speak. You nearly miss your road, stumbling to a stop when you hit an unfamiliar crack in the sidewalk. And it's there you say goodnight, leaving Sun to go home himself with thoughts of gallant knights and magic swords to keep himself occupied until you saw him again.

#human disguise au #dca #fnaf daycare au #fnaf daycare attendant #eh this ksnt my best work

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jsbluelove · 9 months

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So, what did I know about Arthur and Merlin?

Not much. Just that these two names are always said along, knew something about Arthurian legends, and that's just about it. And I knew that these two are often shipped and when some people say, 'they were good friends ' others would go like, 'sure'.

I didn't even know there was a series called Merlin, until I saw someone say in the comments of a YouTube video on Red, White and Royal Blue trailer that Henry and Alex giving of Arthur and Merlin vibes.

So, I asked again, 'How come they know so much from one or two movies or few stories that might have been about Arthur and Merlin?', and then I also wondered maybe there is/was a show - which led me to discover Merlin(2008).

And I thought, 'oh what a great way to spend my Saturday!' Might be an old show but maybe I will enjoy'

And by Monday night, I'm watching 5x13, except for the last part, because I won't...I won't cry..I don't want to cry. I felt so alone because I was so late to the series, overwhelmed, a little offended because I was genuinely thinking that the magic will do the deed, and bring back Arthur.

By Tuesday, I have already read at least two fanfics, watched 10+ edits, but I still won't watch any video of that last scene. I don't want to accept.

But there's a silver lining: I'm not really alone, I see people creating fanfic even in 2023. Look, I just wanted to have a fun Saturday, but by today, I feel like I should go jobless and read through all the content around Arthur and Merlin.

My thoughts on Arthur and Merlin being gay

This is something I heard people saying even before I knew the show existed. I thought they came from the tales of the legend itself.

I also watched a video where the cast and the showrunners talked about the characters' sexuality. But what I think is, Arthur and Merlin don't necessarily have to be gay, and yet can definitely be romantic.

The kind of person Merlin is, and the kind of person Arthur was, they bonded so well for a reason. They tease each other, they enjoy each other's jokes - Arthur did, they worry about each other, they have each other's back, they have adventures together, they need each other, and most of all, beyond need, they want to be around and with each other.

And the kind of person they are, why would I not think that what they feel about each other is beyond their sexual preferences? It's so much more than that. Arthur doesn't have to be gay to want to spend all his life with Merlin, live with only him forever and wanting no one else(considering he didn't have any royal responsibilities), and vice versa. I believe if Arthur would love Merlin even if Arthur was straight, gay, bisexual, or anything else. Because his love for Merlin goes beyond anything else.

The show focuses more on Merlin's dedication, love and loyalty for Arthur

Merlin's love for Arthur is what we see most - because he has been told in the beginning that he is destined to serve and help him. So what did he do? He devoted his whole time and attention to Arthur - the bond with Arthur only followed after that.

But I want to focus on Arthur here.

I see Arthur's side more - because despite so many to love and bond as friends, he found his bond with Merlin. So much so that even when outing with a princess he should impress - he stuck to trying to annoy Merlin. Outing with his wife - he is nonchalantly talking about Merlin. He definitely pictures being away and alone, but alone doesn't mean not Merlin.

Merlin is adored by many - he is just that lovable. He has a great mother, friends find it easy to like him, and he finds it easy to talk and connect with most people. That's his character - cheerful and cheeky.

But Arthur had this particular nature that only comes out while he was with Merlin. I'd like to call it instant cheerfulness. Merlin was special to him.

Arthur, I believe, always knew how much Merlin meant to him, how much Merlin cared about him, and he also knew that it is mutual.

Arthur was really hurt to know that there's a great part of Merlin, his magic, which was kept from him. It truly hurt me too.

I don't know if I'll ever watch that last scene or if I'll ever cry. Maybe someday I'll get over it and finally watch it.. or maybe I'll just bite the bullet and watch it and cry..

#merlin 2008 #arthur and merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #merlin #red white and royal blue #merlin and arthur

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marukrawler · 6 months

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Yeah there would need to be some reshuffling. I think many suggested Barry as Pyros as it would need minimal design alterations. Though it feels... a little boring ... you know. Ace can work as Aquos if we add Lancelot theme (lol) to his bakugan evolutions. We can even play with arthurian themes. Yes, it makes Mira his Arthur and we can pull so much from this. It doesn't matter that the original may not have been that deep. Doesn't matter.

it would mean no Marucho but! I think him having screentime in Gundalions was a right call because his Ren dynamics were good. So he is still represented. Mira must stay subterra for gus parallel purposes (and salt mines). Speaking of Gus, gus as bastard theory is good so maybe it would have worked as canon.

continuation of this ask and this ask.

couldn't help myself so i drew my version of pyrus!baron and aquos!ace ashjdjsksk

some notes:

pyrus for baron works surprisingly well with his energetic attitude and canon catchphrase 「激熱!」 gekiatsu! → "let's fire this up!"

added some tails to his headband. i was gonna replace the lightning bolt with flames but i can't draw flames so 😭pyrus symbol it is rip

his overall fit is pretty nice so i didn't want to change anything. although i didn't draw the rest of him, i can imagine swapping his pants and boots for dan's since dan won't be in the resistance in this au lol

ace was lucky enough to get some of shun's gender ambiguous swag. the gloves and exposed shoulders are an obvious reference to shun's resistance fit. kept the big sleeves bc that's ace's thing™️but he will have to fight hatsune miku for the trademark tho.

the rings in his hair are actually a reference to elyon from w.i.t.c.h. for no other reason other than i thought it'd look cool. but it also works because marucho's resistance outfit has a lot of circles on it.

could be nice if there was some lady of the lake stuff sprinkled into ace's ability cards especially after percival evolves into knight percival but alas, i know nothing about the legend of king arthur so im leaving this up to you guys lmao.

and yeah, i totally agree with you. marucho is really not needed for the first half of nv so i don't mind swapping him out for runo or alice. mira of course should stay because she started the resistance and she needs to be the driving force behind the whole bakugan liberation movement. the spectra/gus and mira/ace parallels would be even more pronounced with ace acting as mira's lancelot 🫣

as for the gus theory asjhdjksask i don't mind if it's there in a possible s2 rewrite or not. i feel like that kinda plot twist would need a reason to be there so i'll think about what it could mean for gus' character arc to be zenoheld's bastard child because it would change a lot.

#bakugan #this ask was sooooo overdue sorry it took so long ajsdhajskasjl

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mask131 · 5 months

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Ségurant, the Knight of the Dragon (1/4)

In order to do my posts about Ségurant, I will basically blatantly plagiarize the documentary I recently saw - especially since it will be removed at the end of next January. If you don't remember from my previous post, it is an Arte documentary that you can watch in French here. There's also a German version somewhere.

The documentary is organized very simply, by a superposition of research-exploration-explanation segments with semi-animated retellings of extracts of the lost roman.

0: The origin of it all

The documentary is led by and focused on the man behind the rediscovery of Ségurant, the Knight of the Dragon – Emanuele Arioli, presented simply as a researcher in the medieval domain, expert of the Arthurian romances, and deeply passionate by the Arthurian legend and chivalry. If you want to be more precise, a quick glimpse at his Wikipedia pages reveals that he is actually a Franco-Italian an archivist-paleographer, a doctor in medieval studies, and a master of conferences in the domain of medieval language and medieval literature.

It all began when Arioli was visiting the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, at Paris. There he checked a yet unstudied 15th century manuscript of “Les prophéties de Merlin”. Everybody knows Monmouth’s Prophetiae Merlini, but it is not this one – rather it is one of those many “Merlin’s Prophecies” that were written throughout the Middle-Ages, collecting various “political prophecies” interwoven with stories taken out of the legends of king Arthur and the Round Table. And while consulting this specific 15th century “Prophéties de Merlin”, Arioli stumbled upon a beautiful enluminure (I think English folks say “illumination”) of a knight facing a dragon. Interested, he read the story that went with it… And discovered the tale of Ségurant, a knight he had never heard about during the entirety of his studies.

Here we have the first fragment of Ségurant’s story: “Ségurant le Brun” (Ségurant the Brown, as in Brown-haired, you could call him Ségurant the Dark-haired, Ségurant the Brunet), a “most excellent and brave knight”, sent a servant to Camelot, court of king Arthur, and in front of the king the servant said – “A knight from a foreign land sends me there, and asks you to go in three days onto the plain of Winchester, with your knights of the Round Table, to joust. You will see there the greatest marvel you ever saw.”

Checking the rest of the manuscript, Arioli found several other episodes detailing Ségurant’s adventures, all beginning with illuminations of a knight facing a dragon. And this was the beginning of Arioli’s quest to reconstruct a roman that had been forgotten and ignored by everybody – a quest that took him ten years (and in the documentary he doesn’t hide that he ended up feeling himself a lot within Ségurant’s character who is also locked in an impossible quest).

I: Birth of king, birth of myth

The first quarter of the documentary or so is focused on Arioli’s first step in his quest for Ségurant: Great-Britain of course! However, slight spoiler alert, Arioli didn’t find anything there – and so the documentary spends a bit more time speaking about king Arthur than Ségurant, though it does fill in with various other extracts of Ségurant’s story.

Arioli’s first step was of course the National Library of Wales, where the most ancient resources about king Arthur are kept, and where old Celtic languages and traditions are still very much alive, or at least perfectly preserved. The documentary has Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan presenting the audience with the oldest record of the name Arthur in Welsh literature – if not in European literature as a whole. The “Y Gododdin”, where one of the characters described is explicitly compared to Arthur in negative, “even though he was not Arthur”. The Y Gododdin is extremely hard to date, though it is very likely it was written in the 7th century – and all in all, it proves that Arthur was known of Welsh folks at the time, probably throughout oral poems sung by bards, and already existed as a “good warrior” or “ideal leader” figure.

From there, we jump to a brief history lesson. Great-Britain used to be the province of the Roman Empire known as Britannia – and when the Romans left, it became the land of the Britons (in French we call them “Bretons” which is quite ironic because “Breton” is also the name of the inhabitants of the Britany region of France – Bretagne. This is why Great-Britain is called Great-Britain, the Britany of France was the “Little-Britain”, and this is also why the Britain-myth of Arthur spreads itself across both England and France – but anyway). However, ever since the 5th century, Great-Britain had fallen into social and political instability, as two Germanic tribes had invaded the lands: the Angles and the Saxons. In the year 600, the Angles and the Saxons were occupying two-thirds of Great-Britain, while the Britons had been pushed towards the most hostile lands – Cornwall, Wales and Scotland. This era was a harsh, cruel and dark world, something that the Y Gododdin perfectly translates – and thus it makes sense that the figure of Arthur would appear in such situation, as the mythical hero of the Briton resistance against the Anglo-Saxons.

However we had to wait until a Latin work of the 12th century for Arthur’s fate to finally be tied to the history of the kings of England: Geoffrey of Monmouth, a Welsh bishop, wrote for the king of England of the time the “Historia Regum Britanniae”, “History of the Kings of Britain”, in which we find the first complete biography of Arthur as a king – twenty pages or so about “the most noble king of the Britons”. Geoffrey’s record was a mix of real and imagination, weaving together fictional tales with historical resources – it seems Geoffrey tried to make Arthur “more real” by including him into the actual History with a big H, and it is thanks to him that we have the legend of Arthur as we know it today ; even though his Arthur was a “proto-Arthur”, without any knight or Round Table. The tale begins in Cornwall, at Tintagel, where Arthur was conceived: one night, Uther Pendragon, with the help of Merlin, took the shape of the Duke of Cornwall to enter in his castle and sleep with his wife Igraine. This was how Arthur was born.

The documentary then has some presentations of the archeological work on Tintagel – filled with enigmatic and mysterious ruins. The current archeological research, and a scientific project in 2018, allowed for the discovery of proof that the area was occupied as early as 410, and then all the way to the 9th and 10th century, maybe even the years 1000. There are many elements indicating that Tintagel was inhabited during the post-Roman times when Arthur was supposed to have lived: post-Roman glass, and various fragments of pottery coming from Greece or Turkey and other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea – overall the area clearly was heavily influenced by Mediterranean commerce and cultures. Couple that with the fact that we have the ruins of more than a hundred buildings built solidly with the stone of the island – that is to say more buildings than what London used to have during the same era – and with the fact that there are scribe-performed inscriptions for various families and third parties (meaning people were important or rich enough to buy a scribe to write things for them)… All of this proves that Tintagel was important, wealthy and connected, and so while it does not prove Arthur did exist, it proves that a royal court might have existed at Tintagel – and that Geoffrey of Monmouth probably selected Tintagel as the place of birth of Arthur because he precisely knew of how ancient and famous the area was, through a long oral tradition.

2: After birth, death

The next area visited by the documentary is Glastonbury. “On a Somerset hill formerly surrounded by swamps and bogs”, medieval tradition used to localize the fabulous island of Avalon – where Arthur, mortally wounded by his son Mordred, was taken by fairies. Healed there, he ever since rests under the hill, and will, the story says, return in the future to save the Britons when they need it the most… More interestingly fifty years after Monmouth’s writings, the actual grave of king Arthur was supposedly discovered in the cemetery of the abbey of Glastonbury, and can still be visited today. It is said that in 1191, the monks of the abbey were digging a large pit in their cemetery, 12 feet deep, when they find a rough wooden coffin with a great lead cross on which were written “Here lies king Arthur, on the island of Avalon”. Now, you might wonder, why were monks digging a pit in their cemetery? Sounds suspicious… Well it is said that Henry II was the one who told the monks that, if they dug in their cemetery, they might find “something interesting”… Why would Henry II order a research for the grave of king Arthur? Very simple – a political move. Henry II was a Plantagenet king, aka part of a Norman bloodline, from Normandy, and the House of Plantagenet had gained control of their territory through wars. The Plantagenet was a dynasty that won large chunks of territory through battles (or through marriage – Henri II married Aliénor d’Aquitaine in 1152, which allowed him to extend his empire so that it ended up covering not just all of Great-Britain but also three quarters of France). But as a result, the Plantagenet House had to actually “justify” themselves, prove their legitimacy – prove that they were not just ruling because they were conquerers that had beaten or seduced everybody. They needed to tie themselves to Briton traditions, to link themselves to the legends of Britain – and the “discovery” of king Arthur’s tomb was part of this political plan. And it was a huge success – Glastonbury became famous, and so did king Arthur, who went from a mere Briton war-chief that maybe existed, to a true legend and symbol of English royalty.

However, so far, there are no traces of Ségurant in the Welsh tradition, and here we get our second extract of Ségurant’s roman, which actually seems to be the beginning of his adventures.

Ségurant comes from a fictional island (or at least going by a fictional name): l’île Non-Sachante. There Ségurant le Brun was knighted on the day of the Pentecost by his own grandfather. There was great merriment and great joy, and after the party, Ségurant openly declared he wanted to see the court of king Arthur and all the great wonders in it that everybody kept talking about. He claimed he would go to Winchester – and thus it leads to the invitation mentioned above. Yep, he decided that the best way to go see king Arthur’s court and his wonders was to basically challenge the king and his knights…

3: No place at the Round Table

Of course, the next step of the documentary is Winchester, former capital of Saxon England. Some traditions claim that it was at Winchester that Camelot was located, king Arthur’s castle and the capital of his Royaume de Logres, Kingdom of Logres. Logres itself being actually clearly the dream of a land rebuilt and given back to the Britons, once all the Germanic invaders are kicked out.

The documentary goes to Winchester Castle, built by William the Conqueror, and takes a look at the famous “Round Table” kept within its Great Hall – a table on which are written the name of 24 Arthurian knights, with a painting of king Arthur at the center… Above the rose of the Tudors. Because, that’s the thing everybody knows – while the Round Table itself was built in the 13th century and presented as an “Arthurian relic”, it was repainted in the shape it is today during the 16th century, by Henry the Eight (you know, the wife-killer), who used it as yet another political tool to impose and legitimize the rule of the Tudor line – and he wasn’t subtle about it, since he had Arthur’s face painted to look like his… On this table you find the names of many of the famous Arthurian knights: Galahad, Lancelot of the Lake, Gawain, Perceval, Lionel, Mordred, Tristan, the Knight with the Ill-Fitting Coat… They were organized according to a hierarchy (despite the very principle of the table being there was no hierarchy): at the top are the most famous and well-known knights, with their own stories and quests, such as Galahad, Lancelot of Gawain. At the bottom are the less famous ones: Lucan, Palamedes, Lamorak, Bors de Ganis…

And Ségurant is, of course, absent. Which can be baffling when you consider what the story about Ségurant actually says…

NEW EXTRACT! We are on the field of Winchester. All the tents are prepared for the greatest tournament Logres ever knew. The tent of Ségurant is very easy to spot, because there is a precious stone at the top, that shines day and knight, constantly emitting light as if it was a flaming torch. In front of king Arthur, all the bravest and most courageous knights of the Round Table appear and joust between them: Lancelot and Gawain are explicitly named. Suddenly, Ségurant appears and defies them all in combat! One by one, the knights of the Round Table battle with Ségurant – but all their spears break themselves onto his shield, and in the end, no knight wants to defy him, realizing they could not possibly defeat him. And in the audience, a rumor start spreading… “For sure, it will be him, the knight who will find the Holy Grail!”

So we have a knight who managed to defeat all the knights of the Round Table, in front of king Arthur, and yet nobody talks about him? But as the documentary reminds the audience – the Winchester Round Table only contains knights that the British tradition is familiar with. There many Arthurian knights with their own story and quests, such as Erec or Yvain the Knight of the Lion, who are absent from it… Because they are part of the French tradition, and thus less popular if not frankly ignored by England (a specific mention goes to Erec who was only translated very recently into English apparently, and for centuries and centuries stayed unknown in the English-speaking world).

Anyway – the conclusion of this first part of the documentary is simple. Ségurant is not from Great-Britain, he is not British nor Welsh, and so his origins lie somewhere else.

ADDENDUM

In the first part of this documentary, they stay quite vague and allusive about the story of Ségurant (because the documentary is obviously about the quest and research behind the reconstruction of the roman, not about what the roman contains in every little details). So to flesh out a bit the various extracts above I will use some information from the very summary Wikipedia page about this recently rediscovered knight (I didn’t had the time to get my hands on the book yet).

In the version that is the “main” one reconstructed by Arioli and that is the basis for the documentary’s retelling, soon before being knighted, Ségurant had proved his worth by performing a successful “lion hunt” onto the Ile Non-Sachante. Said island is actually said to have originally been a wild and deserted island onto which his grand-father, Galehaut le Brun, and his grand-father’s brother, Hector le Brun, had arrived after a shipwreck – they had taken the sea to flee an usurper on the throne of Logres named Vertiger (it seems to be a variation of Vortigern?). Galehaut le Brun had a son, Hector le Jeune (Hector the Young), Ségurant’s father. However, unlike the documentary which presents Ségurant as immediately wishing to see Camelot and defy its knights as soon as he is knighted, the Wikipedia page explains there is apparently a missing episode between the two events: in the roman, Ségurant originally leave the Ile Non-Sachante to defeat his uncle (also named Galehaut, like his grandfather) on the mainland. After beating his uncle at jousting, rumors of his various feats and exploits reached Camelot, and it was king Arthur himself who decided to organize a tournament in Ségurant’s honor at Winchester, so that the Knights of the Round Table could admire Ségurant’s exploits.

The fact that the documentary presents a version of the story when the Knights of the Round Table are already in search for the Holy Grail when Ségurant arrives at Winchester is quite interesting because according to the Wikipedia article, Ségurant’s name is mentioned in a separate text (a late 15th century armorial) as one of the knights of the Round Table who was present “when they took the vow of undergoing the quest of the Holy Grail, on Pentecost Day”. The same armorial then goes on to add more elements about Ségurant’s character. Here, instead of being the son of “Hector the Young”, he is son of “Hector le Brun” (so the whole family is “Brown” then), and this title is explained by the color of his hair, which is actually of a brown so dark it is almost black. Ségurant is described here as a very tall man, “almost a giant”, and to answer this enormous height, he has an incredible and powerful strength, coupled with a great appetite making him eat like ten people. But he is actually a peaceful, gentle soul, as well as a lone wolf not very social. He also is said to have a beautiful face, and to be “well-proportioned” in body. A final element of this armorial, which is the most interesting when compared to the main story given by the documentary (where the dragon comes afterward) – in this armorial, Ségurant is actually said to have killed a dragon BEFORE being knighted, a “hideous and terrible” dragon, and this is why his coast of arms depict a black dragon with a green tongue over a gold background.

Again, this all comes from an armorial kept at the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal – which has a small biography and drawing of Ségurant over one page (used to illustrate the French Wikipedia article). It is apparently not in the “roman” that Arioli reconstructed – especially since in the comic book adaptation, and the children-illustrated-novel adaptations, not only is Ségurant depicted as of regular size, but he is also BLOND out of all things…

As for the name of the island Ségurant comes from, “l’île Non-Sachante”, it is quite a strange name that means “The Island Not-Knowing”, “The Unknowing island”, “The island that does not know”. This is quite interesting because, on one side it seems to evoke how this is an island not known by regular folks – this wild, uncharted, unmapped island on which Ségurant’s family ended up, and from which this mysterious all-powerful knight comes from (and you’ll see that the fact nobody knows Ségurant’s island is very important). But there is also the fact that the adjective “Sachante” is clearly at the female form, to match the female word “île”, “island”, meaning it is the island that does not “know”. And given it is supposed to be this wild place without civilization, it seems to evoke how the island doesn’t know of the rest of the world, or doesn’t know of humanity. (Again I am not sure, I haven’t got the book yet, I am just making basic theories and hypothetic reading based on the info I found)

#ségurant #segurant #the knight of the dragon #le chevalier au dragon #arthurian myth #arthuriana #arthurian literature #arthurian legend #king arthur #arthurian romance

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radioactive-earthshine · 3 months

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How?

I spent re-reading this arc watching very, very closely to determine how and WHEN Iris suddenly became a reliable source for future information because I could not recall any specific moment (like her finding her future book and reading it) to pinpoint this.

When she and Bart first show up, she's pretty firm about not actually knowing much and the 30th century's records are pretty bad - we know more about the Viking era today than they do about year 1995 due to the immense amounts of wars and cataclysms that separate the centuries. All the heroes are like the Arthurian Legend, they have names and approximations and even locations, but not many good details of WHAT because they are more legends at that time. There are some details that did survive but it's very spotty.

The Flash (1987) #95

If Bart knows all about Wally's career, then it would make sense that he too is a reliable source of information and yet... he really does not know anything because if he did he would know about the events to follow.

Also, as a point of reference the incident Bart is talking about has already happened.

So Iris is convinced at the this time her future knowledge is not reliable, she doesn't know anything about anyone and then, suddenly, inexplicably, for no reason at all...

The Flash (1987) #101

... she knows everyone's histories.

She knows about Thad, a victim himself, who will terrorize Bart and lead to this death. She knows about Carol, a 15 year old girl, who will be terrorized in the future with Bart's mother, she knows about how Max will be consumed by the Speed Force, leaving Bart to have to uproot everything to live with Jay and Joan, she knows literally everything which would be fine except...

.... If she already knew everything then why did she not know that Bart wasn't dead in the first place in the future? Why did she come in to Wally's life and lead him to think he had to raise Bart if she knew he would need to be raised by Max all along?

Her reasons for isolating herself is to prevent the future from changing but at this point in time, right here, right now, it has already been changed because of Zero Hour so there is no reason at all to have this be a plot point. The future she and Bart left has been changed. It is a plot hole even Geoff Johns remarked on which made Jenni's existence in the PZH Legion team questionable (he attempted to fix it but meh it didn't work either).

At the end of the day this is likely just comic writing getting extremely capricious and even Mark Waid was not immune to sudden erroneous retcons and just winging it in order to make something make sense. He likely just wanted Bart to be raised by Max, and knew that people would question WHY Bart was living with Max if Iris was right there so he had to remove her somehow that wasn't just up and killing her. Which would have made more sense but is also a dick move and we don't need more dead women.

Unless it explains sometime later in this comic how she suddenly knows this just comes out of nowhere and doesn't work.

#this drives me nuts!!!!#orla read flash #orla reads impulse #this is an utter mess

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hanzajesthanza · 1 year

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book depository is closing april 26th, 2023

book depository, an online book retailer, is sadly closing next week. i wanted to make a post for my fellow american fans of the witcher, for whom this business closure limits our access to polish publications.

book depository was where i personally bought the polish editions of the witcher books, because no other retailer that would ship to the US that i could find carried them. probably because of this, they have also been the known resource to buy the books linked in the sidebar of r/wiedzmin.

disclaimer that this post isn't to sell anything or judge people for buying or not buying, it’s up to one’s personal preference whether they purchase the physical copy of a book or not. i just wanted to let everyone know that if you were already planning to buy the witcher books or related titles (especially the polish editions), this could be a last opportunity to purchase with this specific retailer.

there are also other releases available, such as the fonopolis audiodramas on CD, which all seem to all be 43% off right now:

and there are also titles that have not yet been officially translated into english, sapkowski-related and witcher-related, which might interest you:

malady and other short stories: short stories by sapkowski, including witcher-related stories "road of no return" and "something ends, something begins"

the world of king arthur: essay by sapkowski about arthurian legend

claws and fangs: short stories not by sapkowski, 'official fanfiction' set in the witcher world

witcher, phenomenal history: a comprehensive look at the cultural phenomenon of the witcher, from short stories and saga, to comics, to games, to the musical, to other adaptations

and, if you don't care about polish releases, perhaps the recently-released english hardcovers by orion may interest you, since they all, save for the last wish, seem to be 25 to 30% off right now:

you're still able to place orders up until 7 PM EST on april 25. their FAQ about their closure can be found here.

#thank you @nohtora for letting me / us know 😭😭#the witcher books #the witcher #andrzej sapkowski

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oddessea · 9 months

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Like pretty much everyone else, I'm rewatching Good Omens season 2, this time with my family. And, like everyone else, I'm noticing a hell of a lot of things that I didn't really catch the first time around.

This isn't really speculation, just more 'times I noticed Chekhov cocking his gun that didn't end up firing this season, so probably will next season'.

(I've only been taking notes for episodes 3 and 4, but we're watching more soon, so this isn't exactly comprehensive)

For starters, there's a lot of resurrection references throughout this season. I've only been paying attention the last couple of episodes because it felt like something that would have more payoff than it did. But you've got the Resurrectionist Pub named after Dalrymple, Aziraphale talking about resurrecting Morag, Jim's vision about people returning from the grave, the Nazis becoming zombies, and even the Ladies of Camelot from episode 4. Alright, I admit that one's a stretch, but Arthurian legend revolves heavily around the resurrection of a certain English king. It just felt really heavy on the references to not be building to something in the next season.

Secondly, the world, particularly in the modern scenes, seems to be a lot more storybook-esque than it was in season 1. Like how we can see the sea monster when Aziraphale's driving to Edinburgh, or the fog rolling backwards on the way back. Or, hell, Aziraphale and Crowley's attempts at matchmaking Nina and Maggie that felt like something out of fanfiction and classic novels. It could have just been something to make the story feel more fun, but it was really jarring to spot the sea monster, so it felt like either a red herring or a Clue. And, obviously we've all been talking about the Jane Austen references, which were pretty blatant, so it felt like maybe it went beyond just that.

I also didn't love the mention that the Nazis were just roaming around as undead zombies. Maybe they decomposed or maybe it's a bullet in Chekhov's gun. I didn't expect to see them after season 1, maybe they come back for season 3 as well.

The last thing I noticed was the recurring absence of demons in hell, especially in the last two episodes. Hell felt empty this season, but in season 1 we saw how crowded the halls were. Shax's speech before storming the bookshop vs. Dagon's speech before Armageddon are prime examples, in my mind.

Obviously, I've got no idea if this is wildly out of left field, and I don't really have theories for any of it. But I saw someone say that we're in an era of stories we can trust, that we're going to get a happy ending and a satisfactory one. I'm holding out hope for that, but I'm also seeing the beginnings of a season three that's might make season two even more fun to watch once we know the ending.

I'll update if I notice anything else, but this is more for my own recollection than anything.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #go2 spoilers #gos2 spoilers

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overlyimmersed · 7 months

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Ok, who wants to talk more about the Arthur/Christianity thing...

Boy I sure have a lot to say today... Anyway.

So, I'm watching mythology vids, or rather they're on the background while I draw, and that's just making me think a lot. And right now I've stumbled into a reason why this Christianity thing might actually be important.

See, we don't have a solid timeline. We know, obviously, that Seven Deadly Sins takes place in the ballpark of Arthurian myth. Duh. But when is that exactly? Well, Arthurian legend is set in

"The medieval era, often called The Middle Ages or the Dark Ages, began around 476 A.D. following a great loss of power throughout Europe by the Roman Emperor. The Middle Ages span roughly 1,000 years, ending between 1400 and 1450."

Now I have this quoted in my personal notes, but it was one of the earliest things I looked up, and at the time I never intended to be this academic about any of this, so I don't have citation. The rest of this note, which was written by me for my own reference goes as follows

Boiling down the above for ease of math and concept SDS/4KoA takes place during the medieval era(AKA the middle ages or the dark ages) which span from around 500 CE(A.D). to 1500 CE. In my paracosm I most often say that there's 500 years till modern day, which is fine if SDS takes place at the late end of that scale. but it's more like 1500 if it's near the beginning, to know for sure we'll have to see how 4KoA ends.

So roughly that. Why does that have anything to do with Christianity. Well... Cuz

The history of Christianity in Scotland goes back to Saint Ninian in 400 CE. He is said to have led a mission to Scotland which resulted in many conversions. In the 5th Century another influential figure, Saint Columba, arrived on the Scottish island of Iona where he established a monastic community. This worked to spread the Christian gospel in both Scotland and Northern England. -bbc.co.uk

That one is cited.

So yeah? Depending on exactly where we place 7ds on the timeline, Arthur could be basically bringing Christianity. Which... kinda lines up with what he's doing and kinda... bodes not great for where the story is going o.O

#seven deadly sins #nanatsu no taizai #four knights of the apocalypse #7ds #nnt #4kota #7ds arthur #nnt arthur #4kota arthur #7ds discussion #nnt discussion #7ds analysis #nnt analysis #christianity

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martuzzio · 1 year

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your fic has me literally sketching knights and armor ?? i’ve never really been interested in medieval times or arthurian legends or anything (always been more of a cowboy person (which isn’t too far off now that i’m thinking about it)) but holy gosh am i entranced by knights now. the fic is so immersive and the characterizations are SO good (price as the king? soap as the captain? gaz as the crown prince? absolutely top tier). love love love it all and am so excited to see where the fic will go!

MUAAHAHHAHAAA, MY MASTER PLAN TO MAKE PEOPLE DRAW ARMOR IS WORKING!!! >:D

Thank you for all of the complements on the fic! You're so right about the characterizations working so well - like when I was first thinking of this au, I was like yeah so Price is obviously king, and Gaz is obviously the crown prince, so on and so forth :D

But also, you're so right. Knights, cowboys, space aliens... they're all the same thing to me. They're all the best. Superior to all of the other stuff (what stuff, you ask? Don't know don't care. Let me play in my corner with my dolls)

#asks and answers

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llamagirl28 · 1 year

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Hi, I have to be honest, my knowledge about the Arthurian legend is almost nothing, I've barely seen the Disney movie, I didn't know who Mordred was so I had to look him up 😅

But I was interested in your story so I wanted to read it, and I did like 2 days ago lol

And I have some questions...

From what I have seen —and my little knowledge— Merlin is usually represented as a good old man, but your story presents him as someone more suspicious, what kind of Merlin are you going to show? If not too much spoiler.

I also wanted to know if you could recommend me books and stuff to learn more about this whole world of Camelot. What should I read?

And what sources do you use as a reference for your story? Series and movies or original sources?

That's all i thing xd

Ah! And I love the story ^^ even if I'm not familiarize with the legend, and i think that speak well of it!

All my love to you~

First off thank you so much! 💕 Secondly, don't worry about not knowing anything about the Arthurian Legends - one should be able to enjoy the game without any knowledge of them. Honestly, it's inspired by the myths but the game has become very much its own thing, to the point that the world of Boc is not inspired by Britain in geography, but continental Europe - with Camelot's landscape being based on Austria, lol So yeah, the world, the characters - they're my own interpretation and you can enjoy that on its own.

As for my sources - the internet! Lots of browsing articles and sites about Arthurian myths. Also, not Arthuriana, but my love of dragons must be attributed to How to train your dragon! (It's a cute series of movies, if you wanna watch them.)

I initially got into Arthuriana thanks to the choicescript game Guenevere, which is amazing 💕 (Note: it's supposed to be a series of books, and the first one is completed while the second is about half-done. The author hasn't had the time to work so much on the game but they've kept players updated with the fact that they still love it and intend to continue it at some point.) You can also find them on tumblr at @/jeantownsend

Not a book nor game but when coming up with the concept of BoC I kept playing the song Mordred's Lullaby by Heather Dale. It's really good. Plus, she's got more Arthurian themed songs, if that's up your alley!

A bit random but I really enjoyed Kaz Rowe's video on queerness in The Green Knight, even if I haven't read the poem or watched the A24 movie. Also on YouTube, some vids summarizing the myths: here and here.

If you do want to read more, here's a compiled list I found of some Arthurian titles, older and newer: link

Regarding Merlin, you're right that I'm going for a more suspicious interpretation. I haven't been shy about saying he's an ambitious, cutthroat individual who's done unsavory things, but it'd be a spoiler to get into more!

#the bastard of camelot #Merlin

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cbk1000 · 8 months

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Fandom Creator's Self-Rec Game!

Choose five favourites from your own creations (and tell me why, if you like!), then pass on to at least five other people. I'd love to hear what you're proudest of.

Tagged by @the-pen-pot and actually I think @anonymintea also tagged me a while back? I vaguely remember seeing that in my activity and kind of recoiling at the idea of trying to rec my own stuff. lmfao But I have time to sit down and do it now and I am being so brave. I am just going to rec Merlin fics for this post, since that's what I've been working on and thinking about for the last four years or so, and those fics are the ones that are fresh in my mind. (Honourable mention goes to my Originals series, though, because I spent so much time on that sumabitch.)

All right, five favourites...know that this is excruciating for me and feels very cringe, because I am not normal. lmao

And Down the River's Dim Expanse (Merthur, 13k)

In which Arthur is a water spirit who tries to drown Merlin. Merlin is not impressed.

(This one feels like it kind of just disappeared into the morass of words I've vomited up on the topic of BBC Merlin. I don't think it's got nearly as much attention as any of my other fics, but I'm fond of it because I love fairytales and folklore and specifically anything to do with any kind of creature that lives in the water and especially if said creature tries to drown people. I'd love to do something like this again and have several ideas for fairytales to adopt (i.e. twist completely out of shape).

The Book of Merthur (Merthur, 600k+)

'It was awkward business to ignore a man sitting the length of one knee from you, especially when he had such voluminous ears, and though Arthur made a valiant attempt at it, he had soon to abandon this in favour of grousing at Merlin for a myriad of grievous transgressions, the most pressing of which was his manner of sitting far too close, as if they were mates. This shortcoming was to become a theme when they laid down after passing round a hard cheese and some bread, Merlin in Arthur’s cloak, and Arthur in nothing at all, because his was the greater constitution; and whilst Arthur was working himself into the choicest bit of ground, with the least stones, Merlin suddenly rolled over, mummified within the cloak Arthur’s thoughtfulness had provided, and put his nose into Arthur’s neck.'

The 'yes homo' we all deserved, righting the heterosexual wrongs of canon.

(My thus far 646,363-word essay on the issues I have with canon. I'm eight chapters from the end and already feeling that post-huge-project depression even though I have several ideas for what I want to do next. I really love writing historical fiction and have incorporated that into fics before, but this fic has shown me that I really really love writing fantasy heavily inspired by history: it's the same amount of research, with the added bonus that I can do whatever the hell I want. Also, as mentioned in my first rec, I really love fairytales and folklore, and this gives me the chance to incorporate them in a way that straight up historical fiction doesn't allow. Basically, this fic has allowed me to shove my boner for Arthurian legend and medieval history down people's throats at the same time. Ain't free gay fanfiction where I can do what I like great?)

Fools by Heavenly Compulsion (Merthur, ?k)

In which Arthur is gay and besotted, Merlin is bisexual and oblivious, and they have to get their shit together through WhatsApp.

(I have no idea how many words this technically is, because it's comprised entirely of screenshots of fake social media posts. I've read a few social media fics and enjoyed them and got a whole bug up my ass wanting to try it. I thought it would be an interesting challenge because it would take away so many things that a writer can usually rely on to tell a story, and for me specifically it would completely cut me off from any kind of descriptive writing. So basically I cut off all my limbs except like one arm and decided to see how I got on with that. And it HAS been really interesting to try and shape a narrative through texts and Instagram and twitter posts and still try and convey emotions and distinct personalities with such limitations on what I can actually show. It's also a lot of fun putting the posts together, although you can definitely fall down a deep rabbit hole of trying to pick just the right photo.)

Whereat the Two Sword on the Field of Death a Deathless Love (Merthur, 131k)

In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. But not quite in the way you think. 'The Once and Future King'/Merlin mashup; now with 50% more gay.

(This was the first Merlin fic I ever wrote, and an homage to one of my favourite books. It was also me trying to get the show rewrite monkey off my back and distinctly failing at that, since I went on to write one that is over 600,000 words and still not complete. It's also proof that I am 100% capable of rewriting the show in under 150k, I just chose to inflict over 600,000 words on anyone insane enough to sit down and read a 600k gay porn version of BBC Merlin.)

And Time and the World Are Ever in Flight (Merthur, 39k)

In which Arthur returns to the 21st century, learns about Google, and finally realises his dream of running away to a farm with Merlin.

(Listen, the finale damaged me, I'm still damaged, and I tried to undo it with nearly 40k of tea and baby sheep. A.K.A. the one where Arthur returns and they run a sheep farm in Ireland together and finally figure out they're gay for each other and neither of them is alone ever again.)

Tagging @aemelia (you will have to rec all of yours lmao) @kirythestitchwitch @thetourguidebarbie and anyone else who wants to do this and has multiple fics.

#fic #writing #the-pen-pot #anonymintea #thetourguidebarbie #kirythestitchwitch #aemelia

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