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nwdsc · 2 years

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(Tradisyon | Wesliから)

Tradisyon by Wesli

WESLI EXPLORES THE ROOTS OF HIS AFRO-HAITIAN CULTURE ON TRADISYON Tradisyon is the first of a two-part project that retells the story of Haiti’s past and imagines its future. “You have to know where you’re from to know where you’re going,” says Wesli, the acclaimed Montreal-based winner of the prestigious 2019 JUNO Award. Overflowing with 19 songs, Tradisyon explores traditional chants from the voodoo religion, explosive carnival rara rhythms and lilting, folksy twoubadou songs. To prepare for his ambitious new musical project, Tradisyon, the uniquely talented Haitian-Canadian songwriter, guitarist and producer Wesli (Wesley Louissaint) had to return to his roots. He embarked on a multi-year musical pilgrimage to explore often hidden facets of Haitian traditions. Wesli traveled across his homeland, visiting lakous, gathering places and community groups for practitioners of Haiti’s voodoo religion, to learn songs in African languages brought to Haiti hundreds of years ago. He honed his skills at a wide range of local musical instruments, from powerful interlocking rara horns to intricate drums in all shapes and sizes, not to mention folk instruments such as the Haitian banjo. And he reconnected with the profound spirituality and rich life philosophy of Afro-Haitian beliefs, which represent the inspiration and motivation, indeed the very soul, of Haitian culture. The result of this ambitious research is Tradisyon, the sixth album of Wesli’s celebrated career, and the first of a two-part set that retells the story of Haiti’s past and imagines its future. The encyclopedic first album features 19 songs, original compositions and treasures from the expansive Haitian music repertoire. By drawing on these traditions, Africa inevitably emerges -- through the rara, petro, nago, congo and yanvalou rhythms, and the lyrics sung both in Creole and the African languages of Yoruba, Ewe and Fon. They are all accompanied by local instruments such as the bamboo, the kata, the segon, the boula, the manman and the banjo, an originally African instrument that had been adopted by European colonizers. Of Haitian origin and Montreal adoption––but above all a citizen of the world––Wesli is one of those rare artists capable of exploring different sounds while keeping his identity and his roots firmly anchored in his traditions. Ever since the release of his first album Kouraj in 2009, Wesli’s creativity has been unstoppable, leading to the acclaimed album Liberté dans le noir in 2011, the star-studded ImmiGrand and the more traditional Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle in 2015 and an expanded version of ImmiGrand in 2017. Only a year later, the prolific artist released Rapadou Kréyol, an exploration of African rhythms and instruments Wesli believes Haitian musical culture has neglected as it is increasingly drawn towards the commercial music encouraged by globalization. In 2019, the astonishing album was awarded the prestigious JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. The Tradisyon project, named after the Haitian and African diasporic traditions it honors, is a continuation and deepening of the goals of Rapadou Kreyôl. This previous album “was something that I wanted to do for the Creole culture” Wesli explains, “but I did so much research into the culture, I felt like one album wasn’t enough.” After years spent visiting various Haitian villages, learning lyrics in new languages, and recording the album’s percussion tracks in Haiti to capture a truly authentic, island sound, Wesli returned to Montreal to finish putting the epic albums together. When asked about the immense scope of the project, Wesli reflects, “I wanted to write a story, but a story that I didn’t create, because the story has been there for hundreds of years. I’m talking about the traditions, the core elements of a great culture: the Haitian culture.” In Tradisyon and the upcoming Tradisyon, Pt. 2, Wesli accomplishes the incredible feat of weaving this magical musical story through complex and ambitious arrangements. Wesli has himself been a character in the epic story of Haitian culture. Born in 1980 to a financially challenged family of seven children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli built his first guitar at the age of eight by stringing an old oil can with nylon fishing line. His musical adventure began at a young age when he sang alongside his mother in the gospel choir of the local church. His father, Henri Louissaint, was a well-known banjo and percussion player of twoubadou, a popular Haitian folk music style. Inspired by his parents, Wesli began playing the guitar as his primary instrument along with banjo and a wide range of traditional percussion. Growing up in household that struggled to make ends meet, Wesli was often told that he had to be seven times better than anyone else to make it out of poverty. After experiencing the joyful, passionate music played around him as a child, both by his parents and his broader community, he dreamed of becoming a professional musician. He likes to say, “music chose me to share its spirit.” His own spirit was challenged at a young age, when his family fled to a Cuban refugee camp during the violence that erupted after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état. Just 11 years old at the time, this difficult experience taught him “resilience, reconciliation and forgiveness” in the face of conflict. “No matter what,” Wesli says, “you can rebuild yourself and give yourself a positive direction, and make yourself into a new person that is useful to the society that you are living in.” This desire to serve his society has driven Wesli throughout his life, encouraging him to create change and bring Haitian culture to new audiences through the power of his music. At the age of 21, the musical prodigy won a scholarship contest sponsored by the Canadian government which allowed him to study arrangement and percussion in Montreal. Since then, Wesli has made Montreal his home, a process of integrating his home culture with an unfamiliar world which he describes as difficult but transformational: “I always like to say that I have two hearts. I have one heart in Haiti and I have one in heart Montreal, and that makes me who I am now.” Wesli put both of his hearts into the making of Tradisyon. The album starts with the thrilling call of the koné, a metal trumpet used in carnival parades. The opening song “Peyizan Yo” is a rallying cry for the farmers of Haiti who form the core of the island’s economy. Inspired by arrangements of voodoo music from the 1990s, the song asks people not to steal land from the farmers, who provide the nation with its sustenance. That is followed by “Fè Yo Wè Kongo Banda,” a traditional song used in the beginning of Lakou Congo ceremonies to call the spirits to gather. Sung by a Samba, preachers of the Afro-Haitian cultural tradition, the song often begins a Capella before the entire community lifts their voices and pounds their drums in celebration. A number of the songs on Tradisyon pay tribute to legends of Haiti’s musical past. “Samba” is an homage to Azor Rasin Mapou, one of the most influential artists in voodoo culture, while the rara composition “Wawa sé rèl O” celebrates the efforts of roots musician Wawa Rasin Kanga to pull the shroud of secrecy from Afro-Haitian traditions. “Konté M Rakonté M” sings the praises of Éric Charles, one of the founders of the band Haiti Twoubadou, which in the 1990s revived the twoudabou folk music style. Tradisyon features a number of banjo-led twoubadou tracks, notably “Kay Koulé Trouba” in which Wesli describes a leaking house––a metaphor for his interpretation of the fragile condition of Haiti’s cultural values in the present day. “Makonay” is a call for unity, singing of the circle created by the coming together of people from all the provinces of Haiti who each bring their own values to create a diverse, unified culture. “Trouba Ewa” aims to elevate the twoubadou musical style by bringing together a modern lover’s story with the traditional sounds of Haitian folk music, creating a unique, captivating arrangement dedicated to present-day Haiti. The upbeat reggae-influenced song "Le Soleil Descend” was the first single of the album and its colorful video launched the Tradisyon project in June 2021. Featuring Quebec singer-songwriter Paul Cargnello. the two artists sing about uniting under the sun. As Wesli says, “The sun breaks down all cultural, social and political borders and barriers. Under this sun we are all one people because it is this same light that inspires us and illuminates our paths.” Congolese drummer Kizaba joins Wesli in “Peze Café”, which blends the igbo rhythm with the classic folk song about a child sent to buy coffee for his family before being wrongfully arrested on his way home. Sung in Haiti during the dictatorship of François Duvalier to protest military brutality, this age-old song and the parable it tells gathers new meaning and power each time it is performed. In Wesli’s rendition, his striking vocals take center stage, backed by his stripped-down guitar accompaniment and Kizaba’s expert cajón playing. Overflowing with these and other highlights, Tradisyon honors and reveals Haiti’s rich musical history. The upcoming follow up, Tradisyon, Pt. 2, explores the new directions for the island’s music, blending traditional genres with electronic music, Afrobeat, soul, funk, hip-hop and more to create a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound. Always thinking about the future and the legacy he leaves, Wesli’s aim with Tradisyon Pt. 2 is to give young Haitian musicians a “formula to merge ancient and new sounds. We are coming from somewhere, now we are somewhere else. You have to know where you’re from to know where you’re going. Tradisyon is where we’re coming from, and Tradisyon, Pt. 2 is where we’re going.” クレジット2022年10月21日リリース

#2210 #WM #***

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waspandr · 3 years

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@seistark continued from here (x)

❝ SOI FON. ❞ it was a surprise but he should have figured people would go to visit him ever since his last bad flare up. he hadn’t been able to attend the past three captain’s meetings. hadn’t shown himself in over two months. safe for shunsui and his lieutenants, no one had heard of how he was doing.

❝ it’s good to see you. ❞ he said, a soft smile on his face at last. ❝ well, i felt better. ❞

She'd ignore that perk of surprise in his voice, having been quite astonished herself that she felt the need to check on him. Sliding the door open more, she stepped past the threshold, toting that bag of goods just high enough in the air to catch his attention.

"It's good to see you're still alive. The 13th's radio silence has stirred up some worry in other Divisions,"

#seistark #not like *she* was worried though #not at all

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ladyhallen · 4 years

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Stormbringer part 3

part 1| part 2| part 3

The pacifier could not be removed.

The newly made Arcobaleno had found that out the hard way.

Oh, it would allow itself to be removed from their holders necks, but once another person would touch the pacifiers, the person would die.

The poor shmuck they had tested this on was still in the basement while they debated how to get rid of the body.

So when Harry asked to study the pacifiers, the unanimous decision was a “No”. Not because they had all suddenly gained a conscience, but they knew that if anything happened to this woman, it would be the mountain-top reprise, except Fon wouldn’t stop until there was nothing left. The mountain still had a bit of a peak. They would just be dead.

“Why not?” she asked with gentle concern. How a stone cold killer like Fon got her attached to him was a mystery for the ages. “You are clearly cursed. I am well versed in breaking them. You should let me look at it.”

They exchanged glances. No one wanted to be the one to tell the poor civilian about the body in the basement.

“It can’t be removed,” Verde said flatly, biting the bullet. There was a hard glint in his eyes. “What do you mean a curse? There’s no science that can explain curses.”

She looked astonished. “My dear,” she said. “You, all of you, who were previously grown people, are now toddlers. Base that on science. There’s no modern anything that you can synthesize that can do this. Ergo, if you remove the impossible, whatever remains….” She trails off, leaving them to continue it in their heads.

“There are Flames of Dying Will,” Viper piped up, apparently deciding that if they were gonna break Omerta to a civilian, they might as well do it with Fon asleep and unable to kill them. “There’s no magic.”

Harry rolled her eyes, unsheathed a stick she was carrying, and pointed it at one of the charms she was tinkering with absentmindedly.

“Reducio,” she said, jabbing sharply at the charm.

To their astonishment, it shrank.

“There,” she pronounced triumphantly.

When Fon woke up, the very air of the house had changed.

It was…lighter.

“Did you sleep well?” Harry asked and Fon felt his stomach clench at her smile. He hadn’t seen it in a while, that sincere smile.

“Yes,” he said. “Where is everyone?”

“Burying somebody,” she answered without hesitation. “I think. They said they needed to dig a grave and to empty the basement. Have you been storing dead bodies? That’s terribly unsanitary without proper embalming...”

It must be about their poor test subject then. Fon huffed a laugh and jumped to her waiting arms.

“Reborn made it into a thought process, getting rid of it,” Fon explained while he directed her to the kitchen. “Apparently, getting rid of dead bodies is supposed to be an art.”

Fon was still annoyed about that. He didn’t often have to think of body disposal. Storm flames made it easy and he always had a clean up crew he could call. Reborn called him lazy. Fon wanted to Dragon punch him to the next life.

As he expected, the ridiculousness of it made her laugh.

She let him down when they arrived in the kitchen. It was empty, save for Skull polishing his helmet, one already too big for him. The stuntman studiously ignored them.

“Hey Fon,” she said, sitting down. He had to look up to meet her eyes, but it wasn’t as big of a height difference. It almost made him feel normal. “Say…I asked everyone and they agreed that I could study the pacifier so I can try and break your curse.”

Fon’s breath stuttered. “What?”

She didn’t lie, Harry never did. Patiently, she explained. “You already know about my charms. I never told you about my magic.”

As she explained further, Fon realized why the house air around the house was lighter.

It was hope.

It gets broken, the live happily ever after NOT.

I still haven’t fulfilled the MUTUAL PINING TO ITS FULLEST, DAMMIT.

#fanfiction #fon #harry potter post #mutual pining #romance #khr #hpxkhr #genderbend #fanfiction: stormbringer #hp #harry potter #hpxfon #arcobaleno

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gunnerpalace · 7 years

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Let's Talk About Orihime

This is a bit long, so I’m putting it under a cut:

But first, because this requires some setup, let's talk about Mace Windu. Now, someone a lot more famous than me has already had this discussion, if a bit crudely:

youtube

So, in short, Jackson was cast not because he was good for the part, but because his name would bring in extra dollars and an audience that might not have come otherwise.

Anyway, keep in mind the quoted section.

Now let’s talk about Bella Swan. This is by no means the most exhaustive breakdown of her character, but it will suffice.

Throughout the series, Bella is only defined by her relationship with Edward. That is what sets her apart from the other characters. She has no special traits or defining hobbies or characteristics. She could just as easily be replaced with a secondary character and the only difference would be the name.

[...]

This is a product of the bad writing evident throughout the series. Meyer never shows, she just tells. She tells the reader Bella is smart, though, over the series, a veritable mountain of evidence stacks up against this fact.

[...]

Bella's main problem, however, is not her lack of depth, Twilight is a poorly written romance novel after all, you cannot expect too much, the main problem is Bella's essentially anti-feminist characterisation.

Keep this in mind too.

Last, but not least, let’s talk about healers in JRPGs, specifically, Final Fantasy. Now, when people think of White Mages, they think of something like this. And of course this image of healers as chaste, pure, pretty maidens is quite the trope, and begat its own offspring.

This became so rote that eons (almost 20 years) ago, PSM had an article on trying to change up the tropes in JRPGs to keep them fresh. I can’t find the article, but here was their concept art. (The female lead was a black mage, not a healer, and the healer was actually pretty into violence.)

The pinnacle of this trend was, of course, Aeris:

Now, everybody thinks of Aeris as a pure princess because of FFVII: Advent Children, and the associated following Kirk Drift. But Aeris was street-smart and loved to crack innuendo, so this is largely a mass-misremembering of her actual personality in FFVII. (The definitive screenshot LP of FFVII makes the case for this handily.)

Still, you get the idea: healers are pure, pretty princesses.

Speaking of pure, pretty princesses:

(Gee, you wonder if that color-scheme is a coincidence?)

So here’s the thing: Orihime is bait. She didn’t start off that way, but that’s what she became very quickly, certainly by the end of the SS arc.

She is a very shoujo character in a shounen. Who do you suppose that she is designed to attract? The answer, of course, is women, specifically teenage girls who can identify with her. (This is analogous to Mace Windu being introduced to expand market capture.) She serves an auxiliary role through her design, as IH has lately seen fit to constantly crow about: her huge chest also makes her fan service for male readers. (This is like Mace Windu being the “only” Jedi who can balance between light side and dark side and the only one with a purple lightsaber.)

Not only is she perfectly designed to appeal to a non-traditional demographic in addition to shoring up a traditional one, she’s designed to do so through insidious means. Put simply, much like Bella Swan, she was largely designed to be, or became, a tabula rasa. She is a blank slate. What few personality quirks she had to begin with were eliminated to focus her existence entirely upon pursuing Ichigo. We’re told that she’s smart, just like Bella, we’re told that she has an interesting interiority, we’re told this, we’re told that... All of that is systematically eliminated for the sake of her pursuit of Ichigo. She exists for no other purpose. She is the girl seeking to get the guy.

And much like Bella Swan, she is successful in that appeal, because by being so thoroughly bland, and sympathetic in a rudimentary way (that is to say, relatable, because she is aimed at an age-group when people are figuring out how to pursue relationships), she is the perfect template onto which to project one’s desires. She exists for the reader to use as a self-insert.

Unlike Bella Swan, she does have one special trait: she’s the healer. Orihime is practically an archetypal example of the pure maiden/princess archetype of a healer. And of course, her powers are routinely hyped up as something truly astonishing (the, to paraphrase, “transgressing into God’s domain” quote that gets bandied about) even as they are simultaneously dismissed. (Hachi doesn’t regard her powers as special, Kisuke considers her powers dispensable, Aizen ultimately had no use for her except bait, etc.)

Orihime isn’t powerful. For all of her vaunted ability to reject events, she is neutralized by differentials in reiatsu, just like Soi Fon is by Aizen. Against a more powerful opponent, she’s ineffective. Further, she lacks a killer instinct, and was only able to muster it once. (This being in the defense of Tatsuki; some will argue she was ready to hurt Moe if he had been the one to injure Uryuu, but close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and global thermonuclear war.)

What she is, is fast. Soul Society’s healers are able to reproduce her results or better with time, but she can do the same very quickly. This makes her convenient, particularly to the plot. She is an expedient deus ex machina for enabling our heroes to do what they do, and this gives her an air of necessity to their adventure. She seems very important as a result! But we must remember that this is a story with an author, not a record of events, and that stories can be incredibly contrived.

Hanatarou couldn’t fix the degree of injuries she could, or fix them as quickly, but he could largely fulfill the same role—and in fact did during the Soul Society arc. She could be swapped out for another healer, like Unohana, and very little would change except the necessary pacing of events. She exists to speed up the plot.

In other words, Orihime is the perfect synthesis of the three examples I lead off this essay with: she is a cynical readership-expanding token character, she is rather featureless and designed to facilitate audience self-insertion, and she is a Mary Sue with an overstated importance to the plot that conceals her weaknesses. (With the last point: I don’t refer to Aeris in actuality, but more the idea of her that was built up by the extended universe ex post facto.)

She basically became a plot and marketing device.

And the hilarious thing is, she worked perfectly. Her popularity poll numbers were acceptable enough, but it’s the zealotry and rancor of her supposed fans that really tells the tale:

There is the continued focus on her physical form, particularly her breasts; this reduction of her to her character design is a gleeful admission that such was her function in appealing to men.

There is the lack of concern toward her ending showing the final destruction of her early dreams and personality: this reduction of her to her relationship with Ichigo is a gleeful admission that such was her function in appealing to women.

There is the constant defense that she “deserved” Ichigo’s affection because her chaste love was so pure and selfless: this is a gleeful admission that she achieved her objective of standing in for the speaker’s own estimate of their self-worth and value.

Orihime is ultimately utilized as a surrogate for happiness by those who identified with her. She “won,” therefore they “won.” She “deserves” Ichigo, just like they “deserve” their own figurative Ichigo (that is to say, “love”). They extol her “importance” because it means they are “important.”

Not everyone who likes Orihime identified with her to this extent, of course. But I think it’s rather obvious that the diehard core of IH—that is to say, the faction that is presently occupied with making fools of themselves in the ask boxes of IRs—did.

And this is, of course, exactly why this faction of IH is so aggrieved. Orihime does not really exist as a character to them (just as Ichigo doesn’t; but Ichigo at least has a character), she exists only within the matrix of IH, because that is her purpose. When IR, or the fandom in general, rejects IH, they view it as a rejection of themselves. It’s a repudiation of the commitment they made, and of their core being, and thus they lash out. When they demand recognition for their ship, what they are really demanding is recognition of themselves. They are trying to compel respect and love.

The tragedy and irony of this is of course self-evident, but nonetheless noteworthy, for they are in effect being told the one thing they cannot actually cope with:

Santen Kesshun: I Reject!

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 7 years

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“There was a seance in town a few nights since. As I was making for it, in company with the reporter of an evening paper, he said he had seen a gambler named Gus Graham shot down in a town in Illinois years ago, by a mob, and as he was probably the only person in San Francisco who knew of the circumstance, he thought he would "give the spirits Graham to chaw on awhile." [N.B. - This young creature is a Democrat, and speaks with the native strength and inelegance of his tribe.] In the course of the show he wrote his old pal's name on a slip of paper and folded it up tightly and put it in a hat which was passed around, and which already had about five hundred similar documents in it. The pile was dumped on the table and the medium began to take them up one by one and lay them aside, asking: "Is this spirit present? - or this? - or this?" About one in fifty would rap, and the person who sent up the name would rise in his place and question the defunct. At last a spirit seized the medium's hand and wrote "Gus Graham " backwards. Then the medium went skirmishing through the papers for the corresponding name. And that old sport knew his card by the back! When the medium came to it, after picking up fifty others, he rapped! A committeeman unfolded the paper and it was the right one. I sent for it and got it. It was all right. However, I suppose all those Democrats are on sociable terms with the devil. The young man got up and asked:

"Did you die in '51? - '52? - 53? - '54? -"

Ghost - "Rap, rap, rap."

"Did you die of cholera? - diarrhea? - dysentery? - dog bite? - small-pox? - violent death?

"Rap, rap, rap."

"Were you hanged? - drowned? - stabbed? - shot? "

"Rap, rap, rap."

"Did you die in Mississippi? - Kentucky? - New York? - Sandwich Islands? - Texas? - Illinois? - "

"Rap, rap, rap."

"In Adams county? - Madison? - Randolph? -

"Rap, rap, rap."

It was no use trying to catch the departed gambler. He knew his hand and played it like a Major.

About this time a couple of Germans stepped forward, an elderly man and a spry young fellow, cocked and primed for a sensation. They wrote some names. Then young Ohlendorff said something which sounded like -

"Ist ein geist hieraus?" [Bursts of laughter from the audience.]

Three raps - signifying that there was a geist hieraus.

"Vollen sie schreihen?" [More laughter.]

Three raps.

"Finzig stollen, linsowfterowlickterhairowfterfrowleinerwhackfolderol?"

Incredible as it may seem, the spirit cheerfully answered Yes to that astonishing proposition.

The audience grew more and more boisterously mirthful with every fresh question, and they were informed that the performance could not go on in the midst of so much levity. They became quiet.

The German ghost didn't appear to know anything at all - couldn't answer the simplest questions. Young Ohlendorff finally stated some numbers, and tried to get at the time of the spirit's death; it appeared to be considerably mixed as to whether it died in 1811 or 1812, which was reasonable enough, as it had been so long ago. At last it wrote "12."

Tableau! Young Ohlendorff sprang to his feet in a state of consuming excitement. He exclaimed:

"Laties und shentlemen! I wride de name fon a man vot lifs! Speerit-rabbing dells me he ties in yahr eighte-n hoondert und dwelf, but he yoos as live und helty as - "

The Medium - "Sit down, sir!"

Ohlendorff - "But I vant to "

Medium - "You are not here to make speeches, sir - sit down!" [Mr. O. had squared himself for an oration.]

Mr. O. - "But de speerit cheat! - dere is no such speer it " [All this time applause and laughter by turns from the audience.]

Medium - "Take your seat, sir, and I will explain this matter."

And she explained. And in that explanation she let off a blast which was so terrific that I half expected to see young Ohlendorff shot up through the roof. She said he had come up there with fraud and deceit and cheating in his heart, and a kindred spirit had come from the land of shadows to commune with him! She was terribly bitter. She said in substance, though not in words, that perdition was full of just such fellows as Ohlendorff, and they were ready on the slightest pretext to rush in and assume anybody's name, and rap, and write, and lie, and swindle with a perfect looseness whenever they could rope in a living affinity like poor Ohlendorff to communicate with! [Great applause and laughter.]

Ohlendorff stood his ground with good pluck, and was going to open his batteries again, when a storm of cries arose all over the house, "Get down! Go on! Clear out! Speak on - we'll hear you! Climb down from that platform! Stay where you are! Vamose! Stick to your post - say your say!"

The medium rose up and said if Ohlendorff remained, she would not. She recognized no one's right to come there and insult her by practicing a deception upon her and attempting to bring ridicule upon so solemn a thing as her religious belief.

The audience then became quiet, and the subjugated Ohlendorff retired from the platform.

The other German raised a spirit, questioned it at some length in his own language, and said the answers were correct. The medium claims to be entirely unacquainted with the German language.

Just then a gentleman called me to the edge of the platform and asked me if I were a Spiritualist. I said I was not. He asked me if I were prejudiced. I said not more than any other unbeliever; but I could not believe in a thing which I could not understand, and I had not seen anything yet that I could by any possibility cipher out. He said, then, that he didn't think I was the cause of the diffidence shown by the spirits, but he knew there was an antagonistic influence around that table somewhere; he had noticed it from the first; there was a painful negative current passing to his sensitive organization from that direction constantly. I told him I guessed it was that other fellow; and I said, Blame a man who was all the time shedding these infernal negative currents! This appeared to satisfy the mind of the inquiring fanatic, and he sat down.

I had a very dear friend, who, I had heard, had gone to the spirit land, or perdition, or some of those places, and I desired to know something concerning him. There was something so awful, though, about talking with living, sinful lips to the ghostly dead, that I could hardly bring myself to rise and speak. But at last I got tremblingly up and said with low and reverent voice:

"Is the spirit of John Smith present?" [You never can depend on these Smiths; you call for one and the whole tribe will come clattering out of hell to answer you.]

"Whack! whack! whack! whack!"

Bless me! I believe all the dead and damned John Smiths between San Francisco and perdition boarded that poor little table at once! I was considerably set back - stunned, I may say. The audience urged me to go on, however, and I said:

"What did you die of?"

The Smiths answered to every disease and casualty that man can die of.

"Where did you die?"

They answered Yes to every locality I could name while n geography held out.

"Are you happy where you are?"

There was a vigorous and unanimous "No!" from the late Smiths.

"Is it warm there?"

An educated Smith seized the medium's hand and wrote:

"It's no name for it."

"Did you leave any Smiths in that place when you came away?"

"Dead loads of them."

I fancied I heard the shadowy Smiths chuckle at this feeble joke - the rare joke that there could be live loads of Smiths where all are dead.

"How many Smiths are present?"

"Eighteen millions - the procession now reaches from here to the other side of China."

"Then there are many Smiths in the kingdom of the lost?"

"The Prince Apollyon calls all newcomers Smith on general principles; and continues to do so until he is corrected, if he chances to be mistaken "

"What do lost spirits call their dread abode?"

"They call it the Smithsonian Institute."

I got hold of the right Smith at last - the particular Smith I was after - my dear, lost, lamented friend - and learned that he died a violent death. I feared as much. He said his wife talked him to death. Poor wretch!

By and by up started another Smith. A gentleman in the audience said that that was his Smith. So he questioned him, and this Smith said he too died by violence; he had been a teacher; not a school-teacher, but (after some hesitation) a teacher of religion; he had been a good deal tangled in his religious belief, and was a sort of a cross between a Universalist and a Unitarian; has got straightened out and changed his opinions since he left here; said he was perfectly happy. We proceeded to question this talkative and frolicsome old parson. Among spirits, I judge he is the gayest of the gay. He said he had no tangible body; a bullet could pass through him and never make a hole; rain could pass through him as through vapor and not discommode him in the least (wherefore I suppose he don't know enough to come in when it rains - or don't care enough;) says heaven and hell are simply mental conditions - spirits in the former have happy and contented minds, and those in the latter are torn by remorse of conscience; says as far as he is concerned, he is all right - he is happy; would not say whether he was a very good or a very bad man on earth (the shrewd old water-proof nonentity! - I asked the question so that I might average my own chances for his luck in the other world, but he saw my drift;) says he has an occupation there - puts in his time teaching and being taught; says there are spheres - grades of excellence - he is making pretty good progress - has been promoted a sphere or so since his matriculation; (I said mentally, "Go slow, old man, go slow - you have got all eternity before you" - and he replied not;) he don't know how many spheres there are (but I suppose there must be millions, because if a man goes galloping through them at the rate this old Universalist is doing, he will get through an infinitude of them by the time he has been there as long as old Sesostris and those ancient mummies; and there is no estimating how high he will get in even the infancy of eternity - I am afraid the old man is scouring along rather too fast for the style of his surroundings, and the length of time he has got on his hands); says spirits cannot feel heat or cold (which militates somewhat against all my notions of orthodox damnation - fire and brimstone); says spirits commune with each other by thought - they have no language; says the distinctions of sex are preserved there - and so forth and so on.

The old parson wrote and talked for an hour, and showed by his quick, shrewd, intelligent replies, that he had not been sitting up nights in the other world for nothing; he had been prying into everything worth knowing, and finding out even thing he possibly could - as he said himself - when he did not understand a thing he hunted up a spirit who could explain it; consequently he is pretty thoroughly posted; and for his accommodating conduct and his uniform courtesy to me, I sincerely hope he will continue to progress at his present velocity until he lands on the very roof of the highest sphere of all, and thus achieves perfection.” - Mark Twain, “The Spiritual Seance.” Originally appeared as “AMONG THE SPIRITUALISTS” in Territorial Enterprise, January, 1866. Revised for inclusion in the THE CELEBRATED JUMPING FROG OF CALAVERAS COUNTY AND OTHER SKETCHES (1867).

#mark twain #the spiritual seance #seance #spiritualism #19th century america

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katiemcloughlin-blog1 · 4 years

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“Who says I can’t play with that toy?”

This blog post will begin to explore the modern society whereby gender role ideologies are diminished, and anyone can be what they want to be, therefore the opposite of traditional gender roles and stereotypes. This relates to the topic of childhood development as more and more people in the UK and various other places around the world are raising their children to be gender neutral or teaching them that are no specific gender roles. ‘Research in Western and non-Western societies showed that education is a major mechanism by which women and, to lesser extent, men have come to favor gender equality.’ (Fons, 2007: Online). This meaning that in both Western and Non-Western societies high education levels relate to a better understanding of gender equality for both boys and girls.

A study was carried out by Robert Blum called ‘The Global Early Adolescent Study’ (Blum, 2018: Online). Whereby over 4 years, 450 children and 15 countries he found that a large majority had the same ideologies of gender. He identifies that, ‘even in sites where parents acknowledged the vulnerability of their sons, they focus on protecting their daughters.’ (Boseley, 2017: Online) this relating to childhood development by the fact that daughters are told not to go out after a certain time but on the contrary sons are told to roam the streets and venture out to broaden their knowledge of the risks and harms of society. Blum argues in his research that this perception of gender is doing more harm than good stating that, ‘gender-based restrictions rationalised as “protecting” girls actually made them more vulnerable by emphasising subservience and implicitly sanctioning even physical abuse as punishment for violating norms.’ (Boseley, 2017: Online). Indicating that we may be putting girls and boys in more danger by labelling them with these gendered stereotypes, including, dropping out of school or early pregnancy or even resulting to violent behaviours as a way of rebelling against society.

Bringing it forward again YouTube videos have been created to send a message as to how children believe gender to be in todays society. New York Magazine posted a video in 2018 called ‘Boys and Girls on Stereotypes’ (New York Magazine, 2018: Online). Showing a variety of different age and sex children stating what they think a boy and girl is and how they may differ. This source supports this side of the argument as children are now growing up in a world that isn’t just boy = blue and girl = pink, there is more diversity than that. This is proven by this statistic. ‘According to official statistics, the proportion of the UK population who define as non-binary when given a choice between male, female and another option is 0.4%, which is 1 in 250 people (Titman, 2014). Given that the population of the UK is estimated 67 million people, 1 in 250 people defining themselves as non-binary is astonishing given that we no longer live in a “straightjacket” gendered community and people can express themselves through their personality rather than their gender.

Bringing it back to young people’s perception on gender, educational sources have been published that are not too confusing or complicated for young people to understand the importance of gender expression. The use of fun colours and talking toys has been seen to make a difference on children’s behaviour, if something is bright and simplistic the more chance the child will engage with it. This has been illustrated by a YouTube video created by Queer Kid Stuff called ‘NO MORE GENDER ROLES!! - QUEER KID STUFF #29’ (Queer Kid Stuff, 2018: Online). This source was particularly interesting to watch because in the mind of a child this would be engaging for them even if they aren’t consciously taking in the information presented in it. But as a teacher or parent who is showing the child the video they understand that they ae sending an important message that may influence their decisions in later childhood or even as late as adulthood.

Following on from the point made about bright and simplistic colours and speech it heavily relates to films, in particular Disney films. The film ‘Brave’ (2012) highlighted to all aged children the importance of empowerment. This film was a massive stepping stone for the way girls acted in society. A memorable scene in this film showed the main character who was a girl go against traditional female stereotypes, stating “I am Merida, and I will be shooting for my own hand” (Disney UK, 2012: 1:18). Although it may have not been consciously known to make a huge difference on children, it really did make a difference. The amount of young girls dressing up and acting like the main character provides enough evidence to indicate a change in traditional ideologies of girls being “vulnerable and weak”. This wasn’t the only film that subverted tradition, past examples include, ‘Mulan’ (1998), ‘Moana’ (2016) and ‘Legally Blonde’ (2001) to name a few that have impacted children today.

Overall today’s society is changing for the better and children are now becoming aware of empowerment and equality within gender. The use of educational YouTube videos, films and television and published academic research are becoming more and more apparent in today’s society, therefore building young people’s behaviours and beliefs to make an equal community for more children to grow up into.

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whittlebaggett8 · 5 years

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China’s Next Phase of Militarization in the South China Sea

China’s astonishing growth into the South China Sea’s 1.35 million square miles and its subsequent militarization of the location about the past quite a few decades has cultivated a intricate stability atmosphere. The first period of that developing complexity was predicated on geopolitical fascination and growth, notably in the course of U.S. President Barack Obama’s next time period in business.

While it has been argued that regional tensions may continue to be secure simply because China has ceased its land acquisition endeavors to the south, the complex regional security environment may possibly enter into a new stage of heightened pressure and complexity for the duration of 2019. This future period could arise as a result of China’s devoted press to consolidate its gains in the South China Sea (SCS) by the use of military and political powers in tandem with sharp threats as a final result of armed service patrols and a quantum leap in the deployment of surveillance aircraft, guided-missile destroyers, and a bank of armed forces products.

In spite of a momentary lull in including to its treasure trove of SCS capabilities, China’s actions in the SCS exemplifies the intention of achieving regional dominance. Even so, Beijing has nonetheless to realize the amount of handle it seeks about the strategically essential waterway. In a area in which five other events – Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan – have created territorial claims, China’s placement remains underneath strain and its territorial assets less than continued danger.

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Certainly, Beijing’s outcry around what it sees as provocative U.S. incursions, which China has dealt with as naked army aggression, serves as a solid sign that China’s belongings in the SCS and the country’s passions in the region continue to be vulnerable. So prolonged as external threats persist, acquisition and buildup can be anticipated to go ahead.

With China’s first island-setting up marketing campaign almost 10 many years outdated, the next phase of China’s SCS expansion is the consolidation and military fortification of its territorial belongings – garrisoning the quite a few little islets at the time considered uninhabitable, such as the strategic Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao), lying just 140 miles west of the large Philippine island of Luzon and at this time beneath development. The institution of army bases has culminated in the generation of China’s “strategic triangle.” Even with the building of aircraft bases, detection devices, and weapon shipping systems, the impact of China’s methodical efforts in the SCS have failed to generate appreciable alter in the status quo of power relations.

Around the past many decades, China has expanded existing reefs and atolls by thousands of acres, but its military existence and preparedness continue to fall shorter of a level suitable for professing handle over the complete SCS. The method is probable to be a considerably lengthier 1 than envisioned. Islet acquisition and progress has not mitigated existing territorial statements by other states sharing the sea, nor are people statements – supported by distant partners and allies – probably to disappear in the in the vicinity of or distant future.

A blend of a few aspects exponentially raises the potential for even further militarization in the SCS: China’s previous growth and continuing consolidation, which clash with persistent claims by states located adjacent to the SCS Washington’s declaration that the liberty of navigation (FON) principle of customary global regulation should be preserved and Beijing’s departure from previous promises not to further create its SCS belongings.

Civilian and rescue functions have been the principal justification for the ongoing design of navy installations and the placement of weapons and weapon systems, which include innovative fight plane, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-ship (ballistic) missiles, and jamming engineering, in spite of President Xi Jinping’s assure that China’s territorial belongings would not be militarized. Beijing has indicated that upcoming United Nation’s (UN) peacekeeping missions involving the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would necessitate added bases. These methods are essential to strengthening China’s anti-accessibility/place-denial (A2/Advert) potential.

In mild of China’s incapability to match all aspects of U.S. armed service ability – at least in qualitative phrases, while numerically-talking, China possesses incredible navy toughness – in the short term, a armed service presence over and above China’s rapid borders is a logical and required rung if China hopes to project its power to a amount that goes outside of parity in the SCS. China’s military expense carries on to boost and the country, while struggling with a cluster of opposition off its eastern shores, has only a one front on which to aim. These kinds of incidents as the arrest of Huawei’s chief monetary officers, Meng Wanzhou and China’s persistent trade dispute with the United States have created sizeable focus, giving helpful foliage for Chinese actions in the SCS. As a outcome, China’s passions in the SCS have become fairly peripheral in the media.

Distracting problems also give China valuable time to set up a stronger armed service presence on its existing holdings in the SCS relatively than looking for to develop and go after further reclamation assignments. China has turned to other solutions for rolling out its declare to the south in the latest earlier, with Brunei deepening its economic reliance on China by way of economic and buying and selling arrangements. At the wave of a political wand, China not only secured a piece of its individual interests, but individuals of Brunei as perfectly, whilst attaining a substantially-desired ally in the SCS location that can both continue being silent or sway in a direction that fits Beijing’s strategic interests.

The Philippines has cozied up to China just after remaining properly seduced by the guarantee of China’s Belt and Road. The grandiose improvement approach is as a great deal a political instrument as it is an financial initiative and just one with which Beijing can raise its political affect over the coverage trajectories of SCS states in the context of SCS promises and territory.

Vietnam, having said that, stays comparably defiant and stalwart in its approach to the SCS, with a history of challenging China and systematic endeavours to turn the SCS into a “lake” of its individual. Vietnam’s endeavours to proscribe Chinese ventures in the SCS, notably the development of even further synthetic islands, an inflow of warships, and the opportunity establishment of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ), show the limitations of Beijing’s pleasant tension on other folks to quietly take out their flags from disputed places.

China has shown that other avenues exist for inching its way ahead in the SCS and growing its de facto management. Dragging out official talks and buying off its neighbors are just two possible ways. Four yrs after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, Moscow has and continues to utilize related practices to tighten its hold on and more and more fortify the Black Sea peninsula. Similarly, the strategy that China will maintain its existence on many characteristics in the SCS and maximize its military services presence in a clearly show of handle simply cannot quickly be gainsaid, particularly as the culmination of China’s initiatives to date have significantly augmented China’s military existence in the SCS and substantially upgraded Beijing’s peacetime and wartime place.

Dr. Scott N. Romaniuk is a Postdoctoral Investigate Fellow in Stability Scientific tests at the China Institute, College of Alberta. His research focuses on China’s world-wide safety and armed forces roles, China’s political, financial, and (cyber)security policies as well as the rise of safety architectures in Asia, robotic systems in international protection, and technological know-how and the long term of warfare.

Tobias Burgers is a doctoral applicant at the Otto-Suhr-Institute (Free University of Berlin) where by he researches the increase and use of cyber and robotic programs in stability relations, and the upcoming of navy conflict.

The post China’s Next Phase of Militarization in the South China Sea appeared first on Defence Online.

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#China artificial island-building #China artificial islands South China Sea #China South China Sea mi

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hallsp · 7 years

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Myths

Nations are forged in the fires of history but they remain molten, recast with each generation in the imperfect furnace of memory and imagination.

The controversial French philologist Ernest Renan was right when he once remarked that: “In order for a nation to exist, it had to remember certain things, and also forget certain things.”

The remembering of history often involves simplification, whereas I’d rather reflect its true complexity, with the result that the “agreed-upon facts,” to borrow a phrase from Gore Vidal, regularly need re-examination.

The most critical event in Irish history, without doubt, was the Norman conquest of Ireland in 1169. This was the beginning of English rule in Ireland, which would continue, in one form or another, down to the present day.

The 12th century “Anglo-Norman” conquest of Ireland was, in point of fact, largely Franco-Hibernian in nature. It consisted in an alliance of the Angevin King Henry II (Court Manteau) and the exiled King of Leinster, Dermot MacMurrough.

Henry II was born in France, spoke Norman French, married Eleanor of Acquitane, and spent fully two-thirds of his reign on the continent. The French Normans, in the person of William the Conquerer, had invaded Britain just a century earlier, defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Dermot MacMurrough allied himself with Henry II because he wanted to regain the Kingdom of Leinster, which had been taken from him by Rory O’Connor, the last High King of Ireland.

Jonathan Swift jokingly said that Henry had arrived in Ireland “half by force, half by consent.” The Irish History Reader, published by the Christian Brothers in 1905, puts it succinctly: “Ireland was once an independent nation. She lost her independence not so much through the power of her enemies, as by the folly of her sons.”

Interestingly, one of the first references to Ireland in the historical record, courtesy of Tacitus, the Roman historian, mentions a very similar scenario, in which an unnamed Irish chief, possibly Túathal Techtmar, exiled in the first century, sought refuge with General Agricola, who also thought of invading the Land of Winter.

The Normans were not the only invading power in the British Isles. Scots (Scoti in Latin) was the term used by Roman Britons in referring to the marauding Irish Gaels. In the 6th century, Dál Riata, a Gaelic kingdom in Northern Ireland and Scotland, became so powerful that Gaelic became the language of Northern Britain, hence the provenance of Scottish Gaelic and the etymology of Scotland itself. So, the Normans might have brought English (which is half Norman French anyway) to Ireland, but the Irish brought Gaelic to Scotland. And while we may not speak much Gaelic anymore, at least it’s survived. The Scots (in Scotland) can’t say the same about poor old Pictish. One other example: in 1111, Domnall Ua Briain, the great-grandson of Brian Boru, famous High King of Ireland, became King of the Isles (Hebrides, isles of the Firth of Clyde, and the Isle of Man) by sheer force of arms.

Indeed, the Normans weren’t the only ones boldly interfering in the affairs of a neighbouring kingdom. In 1051, prior to the Norman conquest of England itself, Harold Godwinson sought refuge in Ireland, with Diarmait mac Maíl-na-mBó in Leinster. Harold’s sons, Godwine and Edmund, fled here in 1066, and attempted to retake Britain from their base in Ireland, with fleets supplied by Diarmait, in 1068 and 1069. The colonial history of these islands might have been reversed in the event of their success.

The Vikings were not the only raiders and plunderers on the island of Ireland. According to the Annals, for example, Clonmacnoise was much more often attacked by the native Irish than by the Vikings. Indeed, even the monasteries themselves went to war with one another. Clonmacnoise went to war with Birr in 760, and with Durrow in 764. In 817, during a battle between the monasteries of Taghmon and Ferns, four hundred were slain.

The Battle of Clontarf, in 1014, is often imagined as the last stand of the Gaelic High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, against the marauding foreigner, the Norse King of Dublin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard. In actual fact, Sigtrygg was born in Ireland; he was also married to Brian Boru’s daughter. Brian himself was supported by Vikings from Limerick; and Sigtrygg was supported by Máel Mórda, King of Leinster, and Sigtrygg’s uncle!

The island of Ireland was not politically united until after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, notwithstanding the exceptional High Kingships of Brian Boru and Rory O’Connor. There never existed a unified political entity called Ireland until about the 16th century, with the Tudor Conquest, the establishment of the Kingdom of Ireland, and the legal process of Surrender and Regrant; even then it took centuries of consolidation. Clearly there was a common heritage amongst the inhabitants of our little island prior to this, in terms of language and customs, but the country was made up of rival kingdoms, each vying for power and glory, just like everywhere else on God’s green Earth.

The omnipresent Catholic Church actually gave its imprematur to the Norman invasion of Ireland, as Henry II was granted the Lordship of Ireland by Pope Adrian IV, the first (and last) English Bishop of Rome. Laudabiliter, the papal bull granting this privilege, is extremely controversial, with many claiming it as a forgery. It matters not. The “Donation of Adrian” was subsequently recognised in many official writings. For example, in 1318, Domhnall O’Neill, along with other Irish kings, appealed to Pope John XXII in an attempt to overthrow Laudabiliter, a copy of which they enclosed. The Pope simply wrote to King Edward II of England urging him to redress some of the grievances of the Irish.

The Irish Rebellion of 1641, a result of anger at plantation and subjugation, gave rise to the Irish Catholic Confederation, which pledged its allegiance to the Royalists in the English Civil War. This is what brought Cromwell to Ireland, and though he was brutal (vicious, really) in his campaign, he was not the first military leader to massacre innocents, and exacerbate famine in Ireland. Robert the Bruce, and his brother Edward, who was proclaimed High King of Ireland in 1315, invaded the North and engaged in total war with the Anglo-Irish, slaughtering all of the inhabitants of Dundalk, for example.

Maurice Fitzgerald, who led one of the Cambro-Norman families which accompanied Strongbow in his invasion of Ireland, founded a famous dynasty in Kildare. The Fitzgeralds, like many of the Old English, eventually became “more Irish than the Irish themselves,” Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis. In fact, two descendants, separated by more than two-hundred years, would lead the Irish in rebellion against the crown: “Silken” Thomas Fitzgerald, in 1534, and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, in 1798. Such are the vagaries of history.

I like to remind Nationalists and Unionists alike that, during the 1680s, Pope Alexander VIII supported William of Orange, the Protestant usurper, in his battle for the English Crown, against the legitimate (though Catholic) King James II. The Orange Order, which refuses Catholic members, should make an honourary exception for the Pope. The Catholic Church, not for the first time in history, placed its own interests to the fore, as a member of the Grand Alliance, the League of Augsburg. The Battle of the Boyne in 1690 more or less decided the outcome of this conflict in favour of William.

This “Glorious Revolution,” so-called, is often celebrated as a victory for the liberal co-regency of William and Mary, over the authoritarian regime of James II. Edmund Burke thought of it as a final settlement and as freedom in full fruition. James was indeed an advocate for absolutist monarchy and a believer in the Divine Right of Kings.

However, it was James who made the declaration of indulgence, otherwise known as liberty of conscience, in 1687, a first step towards the freedom of religion. Indeed, the Patriot Parliament, which met in Dublin for the first and only time in 1689, granted full freedom of worship and civic and political equality for Roman Catholics and Dissenters. And yet, the indulgence also reaffirmed the king as absolute, so these pronouncements depended on the will of the monarch. (They were also made with a view to reinforcing support for his reign amongst Catholics and Dissenters.)

The founding members of the United Irishmen, the fons et origo of Irish republicanism, were all Protestant. This was an astonishing development. In the wake of the American and French revolutions, the Protestant planters, who had been brought to Ireland to pacify the country and bring it under English control, were now making common cause with the Gaelic and Old English Catholics to throw off the yoke of external domination. Wolfe Tone would state his aims boldly:

To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the connection with England, the never failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country – these were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissentions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman, in the place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter – these were my means.

In the aftermath of the 1798 rebellion, Catholics supported the Act of Union, because they believed that Catholic emancipation would be more easily achieved through Westminster than through College Green.

Daniel O’Connell, a native speaker of Irish, was utilitarian enough to “witness without a sigh the gradual disuse” of the language. Rather surprisingly, it was not the Duke of Wellington who said that being born in a stable — Ireland — does not make one a horse, it was the Liberator, speaking about the Duke, at trial in 1843.

O’Connell desired Catholic emancipation, of course, and the re-establishment of the Irish Parliament, but he wasn’t a separatist. In fact, he actually coined, or at the very least popularised, the term “West Brit,” then understood in a wholly positive sense. Here he is speaking in the House of Commons in 1832:

The people of Ireland are ready to become a portion of the Empire, provided they be made so in reality and not in name alone; they are ready to become a kind of West Britons if made so in benefits and in justice; but if not, we are Irishmen again.

O’Connell, who witnessed the beginning of la terreur in France, believed in peaceful agitation for change, “moral force” nationalism, and wholeheartedly rejected violence. “Let our agitation be peaceful,” he said, “legal, and constitutional.”

The principle of my political life…is that all ameliorations and improvements in political institutions can be obtained by persevering in a perfectly peaceable and legal course, and cannot be obtained by forcible means, or if they could be got by forcible means, such means create more evils than they cure, and leave the country worse than they found it.

In his non-violence he would be an example to Gandhi and to Martin Luther King, but not to the rebels of 1916. Strangely, though, you can find Robert Emmet’s blunderbuss in O’Connell’s home in Derrynane.

Two UK prime ministers were born and raised on the island of Ireland, part of the Protestant ascendancy: William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelbourne (1782-1783) and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1828-1830). These men also share the distinction of being the only two prime ministers who were also army generals. Wellington is not well-remembered in Ireland, because he was a staunch unionist and opposed to parliamentary reform (the reason Lord Byron called him Villainton), but he was Prime Minister during the passage of the 1829 Catholic Relief Act, and it would not have passed without his forthright support. The Wellington Testimonial in the Phoenix Park celebrates, somewhat amusingly, his encouragement of religious and civil liberty.

Irish soldiers fought with the British Army in almost every battle in the Empire’s history, including a large contingent in the Napoleonic wars alongside Wellington and, of course, in the Great War. At least 200,000 Irish soldiers fought in the First World War, all of them volunteers. Conscription for Ireland was eventually passed in 1918, but never enforced. The history of the British Empire is also our history, whether we like it or not. In fact, many of the troops who battled with the rebels in 1916 were fellow Irishmen, particularly from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

Ireland being an integral part of the Empire meant, for example, that the bugle used to sound the Charge of the Light Brigade at the famous Battle of Balaclava in 1854 was made in Dublin, at McNeill’s on Capel Street, and sounded by a Dubliner, Billy Brittain. It meant too that Winston Churchill’s “first coherent memory” is of cavalry on parade in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, when his grandfather, the Duke of Marlborough, was Viceroy. (Speaking of historical myths: it’s actually Lord Kitchener, as Secretary of War, and not Churchill, who bears most responsibility for the disaster which was the campaign in Gallipoli. He was the chief advocate for a naval attack in the first place and for a subsequent landing of ground troops.)

The Ulster unionists, latter-day proponents of democracy, law, and order, would do well to remember that it was their forebears who first introduced the gun into Irish politics in the 20th century, with the Larne gun-running in 1914. These were German guns for the Ulster Volunteer Force, who were determined to oppose Home Rule, the democratic will of the majority, by any means necessary.

The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), the majority nationalist party at Westminster, was opposed to partition, but acquiesced in the creation of Northern Ireland as a stop-gap in securing Home Rule for Ireland, which was delayed until after the First World War. John Morley, previously Chief Secretary for Ireland, wrote to Asquith in 1914 very wisely telling him that his special plan for Ulster “would not work,” because “there is a strong Catholic minority, and the effect would be to reproduce in Ulster, with a reversal of the political conditions, the very antagonisms that you now hope to relieve.” The creation of “a Protestant Government for a Protestant people” in Northern Ireland would lead directly to the so-called Troubles, in which Catholics were thwarted in their pursuit of basic civil rights.

The 1916 Rising was organised while Home Rule was on the statute books. The best defense of this action was probably given by Roger Casement, the campaigning British consul who had exposed the human rights abuses in the Congo and Peru, at his trial in 1916 before he was hanged for treason:

If small nationalities were to be the pawns in this game of embattled giants [the Great War], I saw no reason why Ireland should shed her blood in any cause but her own, and if that be treason beyond the seas I am not ashamed to avow it or to answer for it here with my life.

Tom Clarke, the mastermind of the Rising, had been arrested in London in 1883, found in possession of large quantities of nitroglycerin, intent on bombing London Bridge, the busiest part of the city.

Arthur Griffith, the founder of Sinn Féin, had suggested the formation of a dual monarchy, in emulation of Hungary’s settlement with Austria, essentially a return to the constitution of 1782, prior to the union of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and he had opposed all physical force nationalism in favour of passive resistance and abstentionism.

Patrick Pearse talked in the language of race theory, and welcomed the spilling of blood in the world war: “the old heart of the earth needed to be warmed with the red wine of the battlefields.” One might dismiss this as representative of the militarism of the age, but there were many who completely disagreed. James Connolly condemned this sentiment as belonging to that of a “blithering idiot.” Indeed, Pearse was “half-cracked,” according to Yeats, and a man “made dangerous by the Vertigo of Self Sacrifice.”

It must also be remembered, though, that John Redmond also called for a blood sacrifice, in encouraging the Irish Volunteers to join the war effort on the continent: “No people can be said to have rightly proved their nationhood and their power to maintain it until they have demonstrated their military prowess.”

Independence finally came in 1922, with the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the formation of the Free State. The Dáil ratified the Treaty, and the 1922 general election was a de facto referendum resulting in a clear majority in favour of the Treaty. The anti-Treaty republicans rejected this result, and brought the country to civil war. This anti-democratic element of republicanism is discussed not nearly enough.

Was the Treaty a worthy intermediate, a legitimate stepping stone to full independence? or was it a simple betrayal of the Republic? If you believe it was for the Irish people to decide, the Treaty was their choice. If, however, you believe that the Republic itself takes precedence over the voice of the people, then the fight would go on. Margaret Pearse rubbished the Treaty because she was haunted by the “ghosts of her sons.” In the end, the Republic was declared in 1949, not through force of arms, but through legislation.

In retrospect, the old unionist concern that Home Rule meant Rome Rule wasn’t entirely unfounded. Our constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, which was written in 1937, defined the state as explicitly secular, and, remarkably, provided recognition to the “Jewish congregations,” then under increasing attack in Europe. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church had inordinate influence on social policy. This would drive a wedge into the midst of the nation, to paraphrase W. B. Yeats. A 1925 prohibition on divorce prompted Yeats, then a senator in Seanad Éireann, to give an impressive speech.

I think it is tragic that within three years of this country gaining its independence we should be discussing a measure which a minority of this nation considers to be grossly oppressive.

Ironically, in the office of the ultra-Catholic Patrick Pearse at St. Enda’s in Rathfarnham sits a bust of the poet John Milton. It was Milton who had written so powerfully in favour of divorce in the 17th century, and Yeats invokes his name in support of the rights of the Protestant people.

The prohibition went ahead anyway, having a predictable effect on progressive society: in 1951, for example, the state rejected the donation of a painting from Louis le Brocquy, Ireland’s foremost artist. A Family was a pessimistic depiction which he painted while going through a public divorce in the UK.

Yeats predicted that the ban would eventually be removed. “There is no use quarreling with icebergs in warm water,” he said. “I have no doubt whatever that, when the iceberg melts [Ireland] will become an exceedingly tolerant country.” The iceberg finally melted in 1995, when divorce was legalised, by the smallest of margins, through popular referendum.

In the 1950s, in the wake of the failure of the “controversial” Mother and Child Scheme, which witnessed overt interference from the Catholic Church in the affairs of a supposedly secular state, and following the resignation of the courageous Dr. Noel Browne, then Minister of Health, Taoiseach John A. Costello was bold enough to state:

I am an Irishman second, I am Catholic first, and I accept without qualification in all respects the teaching of the hierarchy and the church to which I belong.

Is it really any wonder that Catholics were viewed with suspicion by protestants in the UK and elsewhere? Indeed, Martin Luther King Sr., a Baptist pastor and the father of the great civil rights leader, could not bring himself to support John F. Kennedy in the presidential race of 1960 solely because he was a Catholic. Kennedy eventually settled this matter once and for all in a brilliant speech to an antagonistic audience, all members of the Protestant Greater Houston Ministerial Association. He said, in essence, the complete opposite to John A. Costello.

In the 1960s, the provisional IRA gained a foothold providing protection to the Catholic community in the North who were agitating for basic civil rights. They abandoned their moral high-ground, though, by exploding bombs and killing civilians. In 1885, the Fenians had simultaneously bombed the Tower of London and the House of Commons; in 1974, the provisional IRA did the exact same thing. Again echoing history, their goal of a united republic was never achieved. The old IRA had fought for a Republic but settled for a Free State, the provisional IRA fought for a Republic but settled for a Power Sharing Executive.

The Irish History Reader, reflecting on the divisions of the past, encourages its students to “avoid dissension, and shun all that might tend to create disunion.” I would suggest the opposite, we are a diverse nation of contradictions. There’s room for all points of view. We should give oxygen to all traces of disagreement, welcome any tentative hints of polarisation. After all, friction creates heat and heat produces light.

#myths

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targonian-a-blog · 7 years

Text

REQUIEM.

because literally no one asked below the cut, i have written out a transcript of the requiem’s lyrics, a rough translation by yours truly (one that is probably a bit inaccurate), and a brief summary of how each part fits in with the exile arc of taric’s life.

1 . REQUIEM.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. Exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet. Requiem aeternam dona ets, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.

(grant them eternal rest, my lord may perpetual light shine on them. you, my god, are praised in Sion and unto thee, the vow shall be performed in Jerusalem. heed my call, and all flesh shall come to thee. have mercy on us, christ, have mercy on us have mercy upon us.)

this could represent taric’s realization that he let his allies die, and that he hopes their slaughter does not turn them away from their promised peaceful afterlife. not only that, but taric is coming to terms with the fact that this is most likely all his fault. he just wants them to be at peace.

2 . DIES IRAE

Dies irae, dies illa Solvet saeclum in favilla, Teste David cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus Quando judex est venturus Cuncta stricte discussurus.

(day of wrath, that day the earth will disolve into ashes, as David and the Sibyl bear witness. what tremor shall be made when the judge ventures forth to examine all.)

recalling the events of the day taric’s life as he knew it ended is rather difficult, though i feel as though this is a pretty good general description. note the part where the world dissolves / turns to ash.

3 . TUBA MIRUM

Tuba mirum spargens sonum Per sepulcra regionum Coget omnes ante thronum. Mors slopebit et natora Cum resurget creatura Judicanti responsura.Liber scriptus proferetur In quo totum continetur, Unde mundus judicetur. Judex ergo cum sedebit Quidquid latet apparebit, Nil inultum remanebit. Quid sum miser tunc dicturus, Quem patronum togaturus, Cum vix justus sit securus?

(a trumpet, spreading marvelous sound through the graves of all lands, will drive mankind before the throne. death and nature shall be astonished when all creation rises again to answer to the Judge. a book, written in, will be brought forth in which is contained everything that is, out of which the world shall be judged. when therefore the Judge takes His seat whatever is hidden will reveal itself. nothing will remain unavenged. what then shall I say, wretch that I am, what advocate entreat to speak for me, when even the righteous may hardly be secure?)

taric’s exile. demacian justice. i don’t feel like i need to say more.

4 . REX TREMENDAE

Rex tremendae majestatis, Qui salvandos salvas gratis, Salve me, fons pietatis.

(mighty king, your majesty he who saves the redeemed save me, o save me, your greatness.)

as taric’s world fell apart around him and he set out for targon, he did all that he could do - he prayed that he would return to his former glory, and avenge his allies.

5 . RECORDARE

Recordare, Jesu pie, Quod sum causa tuae viae, Ne me perdas ilia die. Quaerens me sedisti lassus, Redemisti crucem passus, Tamus labor non sit cassus. Juste judex ultionis Donum fac remissionis Ante diem rationis. lngemisco tamquam reus, Culpa rubet vultus meus, Supplicanti parce, Deus. Qui Mariam absolvisti Et latronem exaudisti, Mihi quoque spem dedisti. Preces meae non sum dignae, Sed tu bonus fac benigne, Ne perenni cremet igne. Inter oves locurn praesta, Et ab haedis me sequestra, Statuens in parle dextra.

(remember, blessed one, that i am the cause of your path, do not forsake me on that day. seeking me wearily, you took your place, you redeemed me, suffering death on the cross. do not let your sacrifice be in vain. just and avenging judge, grant redemption before the day of reckoning. i utter the cry of a repentant man. guilt reddens my face. spare me with your mercy, oh god. you who has redeemed all others and called out to the lowly, you have given me hope. my prayers are not worthy, but your mercy and goodness decree that i will not burn in everlasting fire. place me among your sheep and separate me from the goats, setting me on your right hand.)

i see this as a sort of internal conversation between taric and the protector, during the time that he was being imbued with its powers. taric begs for forgiveness, and repents for his actions that lead to the death of many innocent men. the protector - the force that taric has been praying to - has begun to set him upon the path of redemption and salvation.

6 . CONFUTATIS

Confutatis maledictis Flammis acribus addictis, Voca me cum benedictis. Oro supplex et acclinis, Cor contritum quasi cinis, Gere curam mei finis.

(when the guilty have been purged and given over to the flames, call me with the blessed. i pray in supplication on my knees, my heart heavy with guilt, safeguard my fate.)

taric sees what the world will come to without his intervention; one where the void has taken over, and slaughtered the people of the land. seeing this, he vows to fulfill his duty as the protector, even if he is not entirely sure of what his duties are. the protector’s powers have brought a dead man back to the brink, yet they can take away that gift just as easily; when his duty is done, taric will succumb to the fate that the gods have put off. when the void’s corruption has been purged, he shall be called to the mountain to die; his fate has been sealed.

7 . LACRYMOSA

Lacrimosa dies ilia Qua resurget ex favilla Judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus, Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem.

(my tears mourn the day when they rose from the dust, adjudicating mankind. spare them, god, oh merciful ruler, grant them rest.)

similar to passage 2, this could be a description of the day the void slaughtered his men. once again, he is seeking redemption for his actions, and a peaceful rest for the deceased. this continues on through several parts.

8 . DOMINE JESU

Domine, Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omniurn fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni, et de prof undo lacu: libera cas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum, sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam, quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.

(lord jesus christ, merciful king, protect the souls of the deceased from the infernal flames and ravines of hell. remove them from the jaws of the lion. do not let them succumb to the darkness, or be corrupted by the void. let st. Michael lead them into the light that you had once promised to your spawn.)

see above passages.

9 . HOSTIAS

Hostias et preces, tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus: tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte Iransire ad vitam, quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.

(they offer their sacrifice to you, of both prayer and praise. receive it for those souls who we commemorate today. Allow them, my lord, to cross from death into the life which you had once promised to man and his seed.)

see above passages.

10 . SANCTUS

Sanctus. Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth! Pleni suni coeli et terra gloria tua. Osanna in excelsis.

(holy, holy, holy, my lord, god of sabaoth. heaven and earth are full of your light. hosanna in the highest.)

for this verse and the next, i feel as though taric would be coming to terms with his newfound goals and aspirations; he can redeem this world, and protect others from the cruel grasp of fate - he can bring forth light into the void’s corruption.

11 . BENEDICTUS

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Osanna in excelsis.

(blessed are the harbingers of his word hosanna in the highest.)

see above passage.

12 . AGNUS DEI

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis mis in aeternum, quia pius es. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis, cum sanetis tuis in aeternum, quia plus es.

(lamb of god, who banishes the shadows, grant them rest. lamb of god, who banishes the sinners, grant them everlasting rest and eternal light, alongside your saints forever, as you are merciful. grant them eternal peace alongside your saints and your mercy, forever.)

for one last time, taric wishes for his allies’ safe passage into the afterlife. perhaps, at this point, the savior he is talking about is himself; he now has the power and the motivation to truly avenge the fallen.

#OOC ~an aspect still needs help now and again #i had a lot of fun writing this tbh #there's a lot more jesus in this song than i originally thought lmao #i just.............................................. clenches fist #i love taric so much and i can barely find the right words to describe his emotions and feelings on the whole thing but im>?>???? ?? ?#sure as hell gonna try

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