#legendarium blogging

[anghraine]

I'm feeling like supporting some women's wrongs! (And rights, but definitely also wrongs.)

#anghraine babbles #poll nonsense #thought of going more tournament style but i'm too lazy :P #carmilla #vittoria corombona #mary crawford #austen blogging #attolia irene #catra #she ra and the princesses of power #this is an attolia irene appreciation blog #tar ancalimë #legendarium blogging #lucrezia borgia #political shenanigans and codependent siblings #procne #the metamorphoses #miranda lawson #the adventures of space redacted #cersei lannister #asoiaf #kuvira #avatar: the legend of korra #clytemnestra #the oresteia #man it was hard to choose between mary and ly susan but i had to go with my eternal fave mary

[akita-tsuki]

Thranduil - The King of Wood and Stone

#tumblr #blog #like #tumblog #movies #web series #anime and manga #anime wallpaper #tolkien legendarium #jrr tolkien #thranduil #the hobbit #lotr fandom #lotr #legolas #aragorn #deerart

[queenlucythevaliant]

Briefly lingering in a beautiful place filled with holly trees along the road to doom

The holly grove in The Last Battle 🤝 the holly forest (remains of Eregion) in The Fellowship of the Ring

#i've connected them #(i didn't connect anything) #this is a half-formed thought at best #but i haven't posted about narnia much lately and this is at least in theory still a Narnia blog #so... #narnia #tolkien legendarium #pontifications and creations

[lovelylovebug]

Hey, this is an interactive blog for the Tolkien fandom.

You also find me on my fic blog @elficially-done-with-life and my art blog @a-happy-artist

I have come across some of these interactive blogs in this fandom already and I loved them, so I decided to do one of my own.

Rules

#interactive blog #tolkien legendarium #tolkien #silmarillion #silm fandom #silm

[evenstar]

I will not go on a rampage through the Rings of Power tag replying “HOW ABOUT YOU TAG YOUR HATE YOU ASTONISHINGLY LARGE IGNORAMOUS :)” to every toxic post. I will not. There is enough poison in the tag as it is.

That, however, does not preclude me from really, really wanting to.

Heca ar á puhta Valarauko. Sí lumba nán.

#you don't understand #I've been in this fandom since BEFORE the LotR movie trilogy was released #and I have never been this exhausted and disheartened before #(also note how this is not tagged) #(it's literally that easy kids! :D) #(hell I'm not even posting this in my Legendarium blog) #(if a dumbass like me can grasp these concepts I'm pretty sure anyone can)

[mrkida-art]

What are your headcanons regarding dwarves and their attitude towards treasure and gold?

Hello Anon! I do in fact have a lot of thoughts about this subject. I always go by the legendarium as something that is fallible (since Tolkien’s work is written from the POV of unreliable narrators), especially when it comes to the secretive dwarves who do not share their culture and secrets openly. This leaves a lot of room to recontextualize or even straight up change things (hence the “not canon compliant” disclaimer on my blog lol) and this is one of those cases. 

Anyways, here are some of my headcanons about dwarves and their treasure.

Dwarves are stereotyped as being greedy by other races, this is rooted in many stories circulating about dwarves going to extreme lengths to protect their treasure. This is especially true about the Durin’s Folk dwarves, who are said to have killed men for simply laying claim to what these dwarves felt was rightfully theirs. One of the more well known examples being Fram, the Lord of the Éothéod, who claimed the hoard of the dragon Scatha after slaying it.  This hoard contained treasure which Durin’s Folk claimed as theirs. Fram refused to give it to them, and it is said by many that he was murdered by the dwarves of Durin’s Folk as retribution. Among the race of men  it’s said that this story illustrates the greediness of dwarves.  Fram is said to have had rightfully earned this treasure as it was he who killed this dragon, and the dwarves acted in dishonor and tried to steal it from him.  

Much of this story does ring true for the dwarves, but their attitudes towards treasure is misinterpreted by the outsiders who tell these tales. Dwarves see treasure in two ways, there is treasure meant for trade and monetary gain, which they will guard as anyone would with their money. And then there is the most important type of treasure, artifacts made by their ancestors and loved ones.  The value of their artifacts is not determined by what materials have been used, but rather by WHO made them and who used them, as well as their age. Some of the most ancient and precious artifacts are made of crude stone and wood, not gold and silver. Their artifacts represent their history, heritage, and the story and souls of their ancestors.   To specific families their most important treasures or heirlooms may also be trinkets or craft made by loved ones who have since passed, it can also be tools or weapons that these dwarves used while still alive.  Dwarves  believe that these artifacts  can be used to communicate with their dead, both their ancient ancestors and those who recently passed, which naturally means that their protected treasure is of massive cultural importance. It’s also said that artifacts falling into the wrong hands may disturb the peace of the dead, which may contribute to them becoming restless spirits which is something no dwarf wants for their loved ones. 

The reason as to why Durin’s Folk may very well have killed Fram for what he did is because they are particularly protective of their artifacts. The treasure he took originally belonged to them which then had been stolen  by the dragon Scatha. Many of these artifacts were in fact of cultural or sentimental importance, which means it was something they sought to get back. It’s also good to note that Fram didn’t just claim artifacts from any dwarf clan, these were dwarves who had been exiled from their lands in Khazad-dûm. Big part of their cultural heritage had been lost when it fell which meant that they were even more desperate to protect what little they had left.   And they do not look kindly upon outsiders that steal from them, especially their most treasured objects. 

TLDR: Dwarvish treasure is sometimes artifacts that are extremely important in dwarvish culture. And clans such as Durin’s Folk who have lost so much are desperate to protect the little they have left of their cultural heritage.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. I have more headcanons about this particular subject but that would be too long of a post haha. 

#replies #anon ask #my headcanons #my fanlore #mr.kida headcanons #dwarrow headcanons #headcanons #dwarvish culture headcanon #long post #text post #durin's folk

[tolkiengenweek]

Hello and welcome to Tolkien Gen Week!

July 3-9, 2023

This is a week to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.” There is a great wealth of wonderful gen content in the Tolkien fandom, but those creations are not always the most visible because of the shipping-focused nature of fandom at large. This week is an effort to give them the appreciation they deserve.

Tolkien Gen Week began in 2018 and occurred again in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and we’re back for more from July 4-10, 2023!

Any content and creations are welcome as long as it is non-romantic and non-sexual! You can create edits, gifs, fanart, fanfic, fanmixes, and more! Please tag your posts with #tolkiengenweek AND @ mention this blog @tolkiengenweek so they can be easily found. If your submission turns into a long post, please put what you can beneath a “Keep reading” divider. You may also post your creations to our AO3 collection.

Below are some prompts for each day of the week. They are not mandatory, but they are here to inspire you. This post will lead to an explanation for each one.

DAY ONE: Family ● Mentorships ● Community

DAY TWO: Friendship ● Animals ● Group Dynamic

DAY THREE: Gray Spaces ● Enemies and Rivalries ● Fealty

DAY FOUR: Solo ● Work and Craft ● Language

DAY FIVE: Culture ● Diversity ● Traditions

DAY SIX: Environment ● Places ● Objects and Symbols

DAY SEVEN: Freeform

This event is being organized by @arofili. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to message this blog or my main.

For further clarification, check out our about, FAQ, code of conduct, and prompts pages! Happy creating!!

Art in the promo banner is by @welcometolotr.

#tolkiengenweek #oneringnet #silmarillion #silm #the silmarillion #lotr #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #the hobbit #tolkienedit #tolkien #tolkien fandom #mod post #2023 #welcometolotr

[arofili]

Tolkien Fandom Event Calendar

Recently I’ve received some asks about events/weeks in the Tolkien fandom, so I thought I’d compile a list of those that I know about. This is not exhaustive, and dates are subject to change by the organizers of these events!

Other blogs you can check out are @tolkieneventsblog and @tolkienfandomevents, though I’m not sure how active those are. The @silmarillionwritersguild Discord also has a channel dedicated to signal boosts for all sorts of Tolkien-related & general fandom happenings, which is another excellent way to keep up with fandom goings-on.

Want to run your own event? Here’s some of my tips!

If your event is not on here and you’d like it to be, let me know and I can add it :) Note: I will only add events that have announced dates!

~

JANUARY Screw Yule My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — work time Lord of the Rings Secret Santa @lotr-sesa — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge @thorinsspringforge — signups Second Age Week @secondageweek

FEBRUARY Hidden Paths My Slashy Valentine — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge — claims Maedhros and Maglor Week @maedhrosmaglorweek

MARCH Back to Middle-earth Month @spring-into-arda Thorin’s Spring Forge — work time Fëanorian Week Fun with Fanon Fest Round 1 @funwithfanon

APRIL Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang @tolkienrsb — signups Silm Remix @tolkienremix — signups & assignments Thorin’s Spring Forge — reveals  Aralas Week @aralas-week Barduil Month @bi-widower-dads All of Arda is Autistic @all-of-arda-is-autistic F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase I @spring-into-arda

MAY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — claims Silm Remix — reveals Aspec Arda Week @aspecardaweek Angbang Week @angbangweek Gondolin Week @gondolinweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase II

JUNE Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles @fall-for-tolkien — signups Tolkien Ekphrasis Week @tolkienekphrasisweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase III

JULY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles — claims Tolkien Gen Week @tolkiengenweek LotR Ladies Week @lotrladiessource Tolkien Appreciation Week @tolkienweek Tolkien Latin American & Caribbean Week @tolkienlatamandcaribbeanweek

AUGUST Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — deadlines Scribbles and Drabbles — art reveals Innumerable Stars Exchange @innumerable-stars — nominations & signups Tolkien of Colour Week @tolkienofcolourweek Silvergifting Week @silvergiftingweek Tolkien OC Week @tolkienocweek

SEPTEMBER Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Innumerable Stars Exchange — signups & assignments Sindar Week @sindarweek Dor Cúarthol Week @dorcuartholweek Finwëan Ladies Week @finweanladiesweek

OCTOBER Innumerable Stars Exchange — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Half-elven Week @halfelvenweek

NOVEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa @officialtolkiensecretsanta — signups & assignments Scribbles and Drabbles — fic reveals Nolofinwean Week @nolofinweanweek

DECEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa — advent calendar & reveals My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — signups & assignments Lord of the Rings Secret Santa — claims Khazad Week @khazadweek

MONTHLY EVENTS: These events have prompts/challenges occurring every month. Teitho Contest Tolkien Short Fanworks Silmarillion Writers’ Guild @silmarillionwritersguild

(this list was last updated 5/4/23)

LEGACY EVENTS: These events used to occur, but have not happened within the last year. Arda Needs More Pride @ardaneedsmorepride (bimonthly; last run 2020) Kiliel Week @kilielweek (timing variable; last run 2021) @oneringnet monthly events (last run 2021) Atani Week @ataniweek (January; last run 2021) Legendarium Ladies April @legendariumladiesapril (April; last run 2020) Gates of Summer Exchange @gatesofsummerexchange (May-June, last run 2022) Tolkien South Asian Week, run by @arwenindomiel (June; last run 2022) Arafinwëan Week @arafinweanweek (July; last run 2019) Fëanturi Week (August; last run 2019; no official blog and the creator has deactivated) Imladrim Week @imladrimweek (November; last run 2019) Doriath Week @doriathweek (November; last run 2020) Tolkien Family Week @tolkienfamilyweek (November; last run 2021)

#tolkien #tolkien fandom #the silm #the silmarillion #silm fandom #silmarillion #silm #lotr #lord of the rings #lotr fandom #the hobbit #hobbit fandom #tefain nin #tolkien fandom event calendar #tolkien fandom events #save

[sapphictolkien]

Your blog for all things Tolkien femslash! Come browse and find a new OTP or submit your own work to the blog.

The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, the Legendarium--it's all welcome here!

Want to see Arwen and Eowyn holding hands? Want to share your OC of Dis' wife? Want to read about Luthien and Thuringwethil addressing their differences in another way? This is the blog for you.

Check out the submission guidelines here or look here for the character tags and list of F/F creators.

Tracking the tag #sapphictolkien.

#the hobbit #the silmarillion #tolkien #lord of the rings #lotr #promo post #queer tolkien #yes I've finally made a promo for this blog

[anghraine]

By popular demand (aka two people asked lol), a secondary Women's Wrongs Poll for characters I considered for the first one, but ended up not choosing for various reasons:

#anghraine babbles #poll nonsense #ursula #lady macbeth #medea #lady susan vernon #austen blogging #azula #the wife of bath #electra #caterina sforza #maleficent #athena #lobelia sackville baggins #avatar: the last airbender #medieval blogging #the oresteia #political shenanigans and codependent siblings #legendarium blogging

[phoenixrisesoncemore]

Why Eru Didn’t Trip Gollum: Providence, Free Will, and Con-creation in The Lord of the Rings—Part 1 of 5

| PART 1 (this post) | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 |

Author’s Note: The following essay was written between Nov. of 2020 and June of 2021 and was itself an expansion on a short social media post that was that written in 2018. The version presented here has undergone further editing for length, but represents work from an earlier stage in my research and writing journey—I hope I have grown since then. Some ideas which first appear in this essay including the notions of “Con-creation,” “Story as Emergent Property of Eä,” and “The Infinite Variety of God” are all things I would like to develop into papers one day, but after so many years of this sitting in Google Drive, I simply want to get it out there. I’ll deal with the papers later. I am cross-posting this from my long-form blog (DM if you'd like the link) in 5 parts because it is very long. Works Cited will be included only in this post, part 1, so I don't have to repeat it.

Part 1: Introduction

Here’s a question: in the climactic moment of The Lord of the Rings, who was responsible for the Ring’s destruction? Was it Frodo? Gollum? Maybe Sam? Alternatively, was it Eru? Is there a sense in which we could say it was Sauron, or even the Ring, itself?

There’s a reading of the climax of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that takes a strong stance on the answer to the above questions. It’s a reading that has floated around fan spaces since at least the mid 2000s. Put simply it states that Gollum’s Ring-destroying fall into the Cracks of Doom as he “danced too close to the edge” was not directly caused by his careless dancing, but rather was the result of him being “pushed” or “tripped” by Eru, Tolkien’s Creator-God. The argument for this reading appears to be centered on the contents of a letter Tolkien addressed to Amy Ronald in July of 1956 (hereafter referred to per its designation in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien as Letter 192). In it Tolkien explains that the climax at the Cracks of Doom represents a time in the story where “the Other Power took over,” completing the task that Frodo was incapable of completing on his own (Tolkien, Letters 252). The “tripped” interpretation of this moment appears to assign to Tolkien’s statement in Letter 192 the meaning that Gollum was made to fall by a singular, direct, unilateral act of Eru—that is: divine intervention—a literal deus ex machina as the “finger of God” intruded into history. This reading of Letter 192 is prominent enough in fan consciousness that as of this writing, even the entry for “Eru Ilúvatar” on One Wiki to Rule Them All lists it alongside The Drowning of Numenor as one of four moments in the history of Middle-earth when Eru actively and miraculously intervened (“Involvement”), an association that is significant for reasons which will soon become clear.

This reading of the scene, and of the Letter used to argue for it, is highly selective and disregards both the context of said letter and numerous pieces of evidence that suggest contrary readings, both within the text of The Lord of the Rings and outside of it. It also requires mischaracterizing the very present and widely-recognized functioning of Providence in Eä by recasting it instead as miracle. Additionally, if true, it would work to undermine some of the most prominent themes in The Lord of the Rings, including those themes Tolkien, himself, identifies within his letters, damaging the work’s dramatic unity and rendering The Lord of the Rings unsatisfactory from a narrative perspective. Most important for my purposes, I believe that this very unsatisfactory-ness is evidence that this reading cannot be true without running afoul of one of the most important underlying aspects of the metaphysics of Tolkien’s Legendarium—the “story-nature” of Eä.

I will “unweave” this interpretation and then “reweave” the loosened threads of story into a different pattern, one I am calling “con-creation.” In my usage “con-creation” is the total continuous creative activity (by which I also mean choice-making about mundane things) of all creatures capable of choice, across all time—rather than the creative activity of a set number of said individuals greater than one (“co-creation”)—as a means of creating in concert with a Prime Creator who supports the total product of con-creation by supplying it with primary being. It could be likened metaphorically to the production of an improv-heavy play. This idea is so central to The Lord of the Rings in particular and to Tolkien’s Legendarium in total that it—like eucatastrophe—”rends the web of story” (Tolkien, Tolkien On Fairy-stories 76) and enters into the real world, encompassing the reader as well.

[Continue to PART 2: Catching the Snag]

———————

Works Cited

“Involvement.” Eru Ilúvatar, One Wiki to Rule Them All, lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Eru_Ilúvatar. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.

Blount, Douglas K. “Uberhobbits: Tolkien, Nietzsche, And The Will To Power.” The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All, edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson. Carus Publishing Company, 2003.

Caldecott, Stratford. “Over the Chasm of Fire: Christian Heroism in the Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien: A Celebration, edited by Joseph Pearce. London: Harper Collins, 1999.

Dubs, Kathleen, “Providence, Fate, and Chance: Boethian Philosophy in The Lord of the Rings.” Twentieth Century Literature, vol. 27, no. 1, 1981, pp. 34-42.

Hibbs, Thomas. “Providence and Dramatic Unity in The Lord of the Rings.” The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All, edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson. Carus Publishing Company, 2003.

Ivey, Christin. “The Presence of Divine Providence in the Absence of ‘God’: The role of Providence, Fate, and Free Will in Tolkien’s Mythology.” The Corinthian, vol. 9, no. 1, 2008, pp. 189-99.

Kocher, Paul. Master of Middle-earth. New York: Ballantine Books, 1978.

McIntosh, Jonathan. The Flame Imperishable: Tolkien, St. Thomas, and the Metaphysics of Faerie. Kindle ed., Angelico Press, 2018.

Meyer Sparks, Patricia. “Power and Meaning in The Lord of the Rings.” Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism, edited by Rose A. Zimbardo and Neil D. Isaacs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Purtill, Richard. J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion. Ignatius Press, 2003.

Sandwell, Ian. “Lord of the Rings almost had a much darker ending.” Digital Spy, 4 Mar. 2021, http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a31925985/lord-of-the-rings-ending-frodo-gollum/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2021.

Tolkien, J. R. R.. “The Hunt for the Ring.” Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien, Annotated ed., Kindle ed., Mariner Books, 2012.

—. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter, 1st ed., Kindle ed., Mariner Books, 2014.

—. The Lord of the Rings: One Volume. 50th Anniversary ed., Kindle ed., Mariner Books, 2012.

—. Morgoth’s Ring. Vol. 10 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.

—. “Osanwe-kenta.” The Nature of Middle-earth, edited by Carl F. Hostetter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.

—. The Peoples of Middle-earth. Vol. 12 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

—. Sauron Defeated. Vol. 9 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992.

—. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien, Reissue ed., Kindle ed., Mariner Books, 2012.

—. Tolkien on Fairy-Stories. Edited by Verlyn Flieger and Douglas A. Anderson. London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2014.

Wood, Ralph C.. “Conflict and Convergence on Fundamental Matters in C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” Renascence, vol. 55, no. 4, 2003, pp. 315-38.

#Why Eru Didn’t Trip Gollum #Tolkien #The Lord of the Rings #The Silmarillion #On Fairy-stories #eucatastrophe #providence #free will #miracle #Eru #Gollum #Frodo #Anthrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

[queenlucythevaliant]

Highlight of the family reunion: getting to overwhelm my second cousin with my knowledge of Tolkien music and poetry.

#i'm back from [state redacted] #not actually the highlight but definitely fun and ya know #relevant to this blog #so many people here are so much more knowledgeable than i am about Tolkien that it's easy to forget how much I actually know #tolkien legendarium #pontifications and creations

[absynthe--minded]

hey so this is kind of a PSA for white people criticizing RoP?

but uh.

the articles, blog posts, and Tweets you see talking about fascists and Nazis and other far-right people in the fandom are talking about a real thing that is well-documented and decades old.

They’re not invented or exaggerated. The fash have been here for longer than most of us have been alive, since well before the year 2000. One of the first fandom interactions I ever had was with an older adult who warned me while I was still in elementary school that there were a lot of Nazis who liked my new favorite series, and by that point Varg Vikernes was already in jail.

And before anyone says anything - yes! it’s true that Tolkien was anti-Nazi and more broadly antifascist! It’s true that the Legendarium isn’t an inherently fascist text! but when it comes to the presence of right-wing and fascist groups in the fandom, that doesn’t matter? they’re here now, they see a lot in the books that supports their worldview because Tolkien was an imperfect and racist author, and they’ve impacted basically everything around them. If you, as white fans, are not making active efforts to surround yourselves with explicitly pro-queer antiracist antifascist leftist perspectives, or efforts to learn the dogwhistles, or efforts to recognize and call out subtle and unconscious racism, you’re going to be affected by their presence. It doesn’t change the past to go “hey! this book that you like doesn’t like you back!” - they don’t care.

I’m saying something because I’ve seen a lot of people act like the majority of the criticism of RoP has been about actual flaws or problems in the show, or has been about personal distaste, or has been written by nonwhite fans or careful antiracist critics, and that’s really not true. The vast majority of “discourse” is racist in nature, especially on YouTube. It’s also not true that every single person concerned about racist backlash is using that as a shield to distract from the “real” problems - harassment of actors, and harassment of nonwhite fans, and the spread of fascist thought through the fandom, are all real problems. people who are concerned about that are right to be concerned about it. And okay, yeah, it might be true that Amazon will use the racism as an excuse not to address the flaws in the series, but the racism still exists, and is still something that those of us who aren’t white have to face and deal with.

I’m not saying to support the show or watch it! I have many problems with what it’s doing when it comes to addressing Tolkien’s own racism + the racism of previous adaptations + the stereotypes and problems it introduces on its own, and I think that actual good faith criticism is not only possible but necessary, because nothing is above that kind of analysis? but that good faith criticism... it just isn’t possible if everyone’s insisting the racism is only invented by people determined to lick Bezos’s boots, or is limited to a small group of idiots. This particular call is in fact coming from inside the house.

#rings of power #the rings of power #racism tw #nazis tw #please reblog this

[aspecardaweek]

Aspec Arda Week starts tomorrow, May 22!

Hello and welcome to Aspec Arda Week!

This is a week-long event to celebrate the interaction of the asexual and aromantic-spectrums and Tolkien’s Legendarium of Arda. Though these experiences are not explicit within Tolkien’s work, many fans across the a-spectrum see themselves in Arda, and we are here to appreciate any and all interpretation of characters, relationships, and events through an aspec lens.

Any content about the a-spectrum in Arda is welcome! You can create edits, gifs, fanart, fanfic, fanmixes, and more! This event will run from May 22-28, 2023! Please tag your posts with #aspecardaweek AND @ mention this blog @aspecardaweek so they can be easily found. If your submission turns into a long post, please put what you can beneath a “Keep reading” divider.

Below are some prompts for each day of the week. They are not mandatory, but they are here to inspire you. This page will lead to an explanation for each one. The first prompt is the “main” prompt, but we are also providing more open-ended secondary prompts.

DAY ONE: Asexuality || Discovery, Confusion, Education DAY TWO: Aromanticism || Acceptance, Loneliness, Pride DAY THREE: Across the A-Spectrum || Hope, Complexity, Diversity DAY FOUR: Worldbuilding || Community, Change, Family DAY FIVE: Relationships || Companionship, Intimacy, Queerplatonic DAY SIX: Intersectionality || Connection, Relief, Friendship DAY SEVEN: Freeform || Love, Vulnerability, Identity

This event is being organized by @arofili. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to message this blog or my main.

For further clarification, check out our about, FAQ, code of conduct, and prompts pages! Happy creating!!

#aspecardaweek #tolkienedit #oneringnet #silmarillion #silm #the silmarillion #lotr #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #the hobbit #hobbit #asexual #aromantic #mod post #2023 #promo post

[iamthekaijuking]

The reveal of primal malzeno as sunbreak’s final boss ended up postponing the malzeno vid, so UHC will be waiting till the last title update to continue working on it.

Instead we got a seltas vid, and while I didn’t have a part in this one since I’m mostly the phylogenetics and anatomy guy, @krmoaten-blog made art for the video so go give her a follow. And also I prompted an interesting conversation between my fellow poopenshitters about the pincers on seltas queen.

Seltas are obviously meant to be rhinoceros beetles since Capcom modeled the male’s anatomy as closely to Dynastinae as they could with 3DS graphics (and rhinoceros beetles are kinda big in Japan so it was only a matter of time till we got a monster of one), and they even gave him an aedeagus! The insect equivalent of a penis. The mantid-like claws aren’t really indicative of evolutionary relation since raptorial appendages are a pretty easy thing to evolve in arthropods.

The queens are pretty odd though and are almost larviform in anatomy. And while she also matches up with beetle anatomy pretty well, her pincers threw me for a loop since beetles don’t have abdomen pincers. At first I thought they were derived from parts of the vagina but after bugging @revretch about it it seems that there isn’t a part of the vagina that can be modified into pincers. So the theory I came up with and shared is that it’s a modified forked aedeagus.

My theory is that seltas queens don’t face too much pressure to retain normal reproductive systems since they’re making 100% of the decisions when it comes to reproduction, and eventually became intersex like moles but with weird aedeaguses. Eventually they evolved to actually put those aedeaguses to use by giving them joints to hold onto mates during reproduction and it just kinda went from there.

So tldr, there are no female seltas. Only males and hulking cannibalistic “queens”.

As far as my thoughts on them go I think they’re amazing and seltas is definitely the best beginner monster. I also love their designs and seltas queen is a giant arthropod done right, with her massive columnar legs that don’t end in points. Whenever I design giant arthropods I actually reference her.

Follow my poopenshitter friends who have tumblrs! @dappercritter, @lizard-legendarium, Krmoaten, @astralarchilocus, @glavenychus

#UHC #unnatural history channel #monhun #monsterhunter #monster hunter #monster hunter biology #speculative biology #speculative evolution #speculative zoology #speculative anatomy #krmoaten-blog #revretch #seltas #seltas queen #i honestly feel bad for the males #Youtube

[weirdchristmas]

Second, and MUCH more important, if you get hooked on the whole forgotten background of Christmas legends and lore and weirdness and darkness, you MUST follow @benito-cereno. I'm a snarky dabbler, but Benito is THE MAN for Christmas history.

In fact, he did a full lecture course on Christmas history for youtube during lockdown. He's also working on a comprehensive legendarium that will bring everything Christmas-related into one fascinating grimoire. But here are the videos you MUST watch:

He keeps a ton of his writings on another tumblr, too:

But his main blog is chock full of goodies if you go back through it:

#Christmas God #Christmas Hero #A good man is not hard to find #I forgot to mention Apocrypals #Youtube