#shaman-empress

[sunfishsiestalah]

the ancients: no you can't do that

the shaman-empress: don't worry, i have a permit

#and she's real for that #we don't talk about marium here #the latest story arc got me acting up #can't wait for issue 44 at the end of this month #my art #monstress #monstress comic #the shaman-empress #shaman-empress #stupid memes #im begging y'all to read monstress #it's so good

[hazardousbiproduct]

#why isnt every single person on here obsessed with the shaman-empress and the eldritch god she had imprisoned in her body #this is SO up my alley its embarrassing #what if you were in love and she is your beloved and also your prison and you betray her so bad you block out the memory #but her death did not free you #and instead you are passed down her bloodline for thousands of years #anyway this is true of many im just reading monstress rn

[lesbianalanwake]

okay, but everyone in the Dusk Court like “why doesn’t the Old God eat the fox child.... why does it have conversations with her.... that’s insane, what is going on” and spinning all these theories about it, and the answer is that she’s nice to him and he loves her

#monstress #and she has a bit of shaman-empress blood of course #*posts

[quornesha]

Great Horned Owl Prophecy And Symbolism| https://www.powerfulmystic8.com/sacred-spirit-shaman-blog/2022/12/26/great-horned-owl-prophecy-and-symbolism #mysticism #shaman #hoodoo #healing #obeah #oya #shamanism #quornesha #greathornedowl #owls #toxicpeople #prophetess #priestess #highpriestess #empress #reiki #egytpianhealing #psychic #intuitive https://www.instagram.com/p/CmpTakyu1Sl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysticism #shaman #hoodoo #healing #obeah #oya #shamanism #quornesha #greathornedowl #owls #toxicpeople #prophetess #priestess #highpriestess #empress #reiki #egytpianhealing #psychic #intuitive

[beehunni62]

Married Mongolian Women’s Hairstyle in the Yuan Dynasty

Mongolians have a long history of shaving and cutting their hair in specific styles to signal socioeconomic, marital, and ethnic status that spans thousands of years. The cutting and shaving of the hair was also regarded as an important symbol of change and transition. No Mongolian tradition exemplifies this better than the first haircut a child receives called Daah Urgeeh, khüükhdiin üs avakh (cutting the child’s hair), or örövlög ürgeekh (clipping the child’s crest) (Mongulai, 2018)

The custom is practiced for boys when they are at age 3 or 5, and for girls at age 2 or 4. This is due to the Mongols’ traditional belief in odd numbers as arga (method) [also known as action, ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ, арга] and even numbers as bilig (wisdom) [ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭ, билиг].

Mongulai, 2018.

The Mongolian concept of arga bilig (see above) represents the belief that opposite forces, in this case action [external] and wisdom [internal], need to co-exist in stability to achieve harmony. Although one may be tempted to call it the Mongolian version of Yin-Yang, arga bilig is a separate concept altogether with roots found not in Chinese philosophy nor Daoism, but Eurasian shamanism.

However, Mongolian men were not the only ones who shaved their hair. Mongolian women did as well.

Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer, William of Rubruck [Willem van Ruysbroeck] (1220-1293) was among the earliest Westerners to make detailed records about the Mongol Empire, its court, and people. In one of his accounts he states the following:

But on the day following her marriage, (a woman) shaves the front half of her head, and puts on a tunic as wide as a nun's gown, but everyway larger and longer, open before, and tied on the right side. […] Furthermore, they have a head-dress which they call bocca [boqtaq/gugu hat] made of bark, or such other light material as they can find, and it is big and as much as two hands can span around, and is a cubit and more high, and square like the capital of a column. This bocca they cover with costly silk stuff, and it is hollow inside, and on top of the capital, or the square on it, they put a tuft of quills or light canes also a cubit or more in length. And this tuft they ornament at the top with peacock feathers, and round the edge (of the top) with feathers from the mallard's tail, and also with precious stones. The wealthy ladies wear such an ornament on their heads, and fasten it down tightly with an amess [J: a fur hood], for which there is an opening in the top for that purpose, and inside they stuff their hair, gathering it together on the back of the tops of their heads in a kind of knot, and putting it in the bocca, which they afterwards tie down tightly under the chin.

Ruysbroeck, 1900

TLDR: Mongolian women shaved the front half of their head and covered it with a boqta, the tall Mongolian headdress worn by noblewomen throughout the Mongol empire. Rubruck observed this hairstyle in noblewomen (boqta was reserved only for noblewomen). It’s not clear whether all women, regardless of status, shaved the front of their heads after marriage and whether it was limited to certain ethnic groups.

When I learned about that piece of information, I was simply going to leave it at that but, what actually motivated me to write this post is to show what I believe to be evidence of what Rubruck described. By sheer coincidence, I came across these Yuan Dynasty empress paintings:

Portrait of Empress Dowager Taji Khatun [ᠲᠠᠵᠢ ᠬᠠᠲᠤᠨ, Тажи x��тан], also known as Empress Zhaoxian Yuansheng [昭獻元聖皇后] (1262 - 1322) from album of Portraits of Empresses. Artist Unknown. Ink and color on silk, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368). National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan [image source].

Portrait of Unnamed Imperial Consort from album Portraits of Empresses. Artist Unknown. Ink and color on silk. Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368). National Palace Mueum in Taiper, Taiwan [image source].

Portrait of unnamed wife of Gegeen Khan [ᠭᠡᠭᠡᠨ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ, Гэгээн хаан], also known as Shidibala [ᠰᠢᠳᠡᠪᠠᠯᠠ, 碩德八剌] and Emperor Yingzong of Yuan [英宗皇帝] (1302-1323) from album Portraits of Empresses. Artist Unknown. Ink and color on silk. Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), early 14th century. National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan [image source].

To me, it’s evident that the hair of those women is shaved at the front. The transparent gauze strip allows us to clearly see their hairstyle. The other Yuan empress portraits have the front part of the head covered, making it impossible to discern which hairstyle they had. I wonder if the transparent gauze was a personal style choice or if it was part of the tradition such that, after shaving the hair, the women had to show that they were now married by showcasing the shaved part.

As shaving or cutting the hair was a practice linked by nomads with transitioning or changing from one state to another (going from being single to married, for example), it would not be a surprise if the women regrew it.

References:

Mongulai. (2018, April 19). Tradition of cutting the hair of the child for the first time.

Ruysbroeck, W. V. & Giovanni, D. P. D. C., Rockhill, W. W., ed. (1900) The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world, 1253-55, as narrated by himself, with two accounts of the earlier journey of John of Pian de Carpine. Hakluyt Society London. Retrieved from the University of Washington’s Silk Road texts.

#mongolia #mongolian #yuan dynasty #mongolian history #chinese history #china #boqta #mongolian traditions #history #gegeen khan #empress dowager taji #mongol empire #William of Rubruck #historical fashion #arga bilig #central asia #central asian culture #mongolian culture #asia

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #18 – Montress Volume 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

I have been reading one volume of this comic a month, in part as a way to force myself to take it a bit slowly and appreciate the issues and volumes as distinct arcs and works in their own right instead of archive binging, and in part because a volume of comic books being more than ~20% of my reading goal for the year feels like cheating. This has accomplished both of those goals splendidly, but it is making it increasingly hard to come up with different ways of talking about the basic premise of the story. So I’m just not going to.

The plot picks up fairly directly where the last plot dropped off – with Maika having escaped the last maratime city-state she’d found refuge in (now wanted fugitive) and settling into the next one. To secure safety for herself and her little crew of misfits (eldritch god-monster her mom bore and raised her to be a host for, adorable fox-child she treats like shit, terrible cat who betrays everyone, improbably hot noble magic assassin whose technically supposed to be murdering her), she’s conscripted by the royal engineer to assist in repairing the ancient magical shield which protected the city during the last war – which, due to her heritage and the aforementioned eldritch god, she might be the only one capable of safely accessing. That (literally) blows up in everyone’s face just about immediately, and the remainder of the arc is spent scrambling to deal.

Dramatically the volume works very well as a self-contained narrative, though a decade of marvel movies have left me kind of incapable of taking a big climax involving an apocalyptic glowing hole in the sky that seriously. Beyond that though, this is definitely a Lore volume, digging deep into the history of the Shaman Empress, her relationship with Zinn, and what the other Montrum are or want. It also, if my memory is right, marks the point where Zinn finishes transitioning from this terrible quasi-unknowable parasite ruining Maika’s life and turning her into a walking atrocity to just, like, Some Guy. They’re a little shit with an improbably amount of flattering amnesia and also murder a bunch of people but like, they’re a character now. They banter with Maika constantly, and also keep fucking up and being wrong about things. Deeply endearing tbh.

This also marks the point where The Doctor and Maika’s paternal family more broadly starts being a lot more plot-relavent which, going to be honest, I’m kind of dreading. Can’t remember any real details but my memories of the whole upcoming arc basically boil down to ‘at least Maika got that badass clockwork prosthetic out of it’.

Kippa and Ren are basically irrelevant to the actual plot this time, which is totally fine because I love them both dearly and would have happily read an entire issue of them going shopping and having a nice day in the market. Kippa, besides being adorable, does actually get some pretty meaty scenes providing the view from the gutter here though – Maika gets scooped up by a scheming vizier engineer as soon as she walks into town, and also hates people, but Kippa is absolutely the sort of person to go wandering through a sprawling refugee camp doing whatever she can to help. Which is both good worldbuilding and characterization and provides some desperately needed grounding to keep the whole story from vanishing entirely into mythic freudian psychodrama.

Speaking of preferring the social and political storytelling – I’m not sure they ever actually matter, but I do love the two bit characters who occasionally get scenes of their desperate heroic spycraft and diplomacy as they try everything they can to prevent another war breaking out. Their little bit in this volume also does a great job illuminating what a broken mess the politics of the Federation is – given the incredibly vague 1930s-East-Asia analogy underlying the story’s geopolitics, I like that the genocidal power about to plunge the world into war is riven with internal contradictions and five minutes away from a coup with the army and navy barely able to stand in the same room without gunfights breaking out).

Anyway yeah, it’s still Monstress. Still good! I probably sound like a broken record saying it at this point, but the character design remains just sublime, even for very thoroughly secondary characters. Speaking of, my favourite one has now shown up!

#book review #comic #monstress #sff #Marjorie Liu #Sana Takeda

[morally-grey-girlbosses]

Bracket is up! Matchups are in text form under the cut. Reminder that all of these matchups were chosen randomly, and that this bracket will be run in a double elimination style, so a character failing out in round one does NOT prevent them from proceeding into the tournament.

Ursula Boulton (Merge Mansion) vs. Betty Grof (Adventure Time)

Evelyn Wang (Everything Everywhere All At Once) vs. The Coin / Boss (Blaseball)

Morgan Le Fay (Fate) vs. Edelgard Von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

IMOGEN (Stellar Firma) vs. Amalexia (Elder Scrolls)

Maeby Funke (Arrested Development) vs. Manon Blackbeak (Throne of Glass)

Taylor Hebert / Skitter (Worm) vs. GLaDOS / Caroline (Portal)

Cleo DeNile (Monster High) vs. Nico Robin (One Piece)

Helen Richardson / The Distortion (The Magnus Archives) vs. Calanthe (The Witcher)

Irving Braxiatel (Thieves & Tardises) vs. Nefera DeNile (Monster High)

Alina Starkov (Shadow & Bone) vs. Lady Barbrey Dustin (A Song Of Ice & Fire)

Eclipsa Butterfly (Star vs. the Forces of Evil) vs. Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body)

Moira O’Deorain (Overwatch) vs. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribbean)

Iron Maiden Jeanne (Shaman King) vs. Artemis (Greek Myth)

Tomie Kawakami (Tomie) vs. Dame Obsidian (Murdle)

Rachel (Animorphs) vs. Juri Han (Street Fighter)

Shego (Kim Possible) vs. Asajj Ventress (Star Wars)

Tabitha Scarlet (Scarlet Hollow) vs. Morte Asherah (Sands of Destruction)

Theresa (Fable) vs. Morgana Pendragon/Le Fey (BBC Merlin)

Nailgun Sue (IRL) vs. The Witch (Into the Woods)

Chara / The Fallen Human (Undertale) vs. Nimona (Nimona)

Klaasje Amandou (Disco Elysium) vs. Margot “gottiewrites” Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise)

Prince Ianthe Naberius the First, the Lyctor Prince, the Saint of Awe, previously known as Ianthe Tridentarius, the Princess of Ida, heir to the House of the Third, Mouth of the Emperor, the Procession, House of the Shining Dead (The Locked Tomb) vs. Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Series)

Anna Croft (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint) vs. Sailor Galaxia (Sailor Moon)

Ms. Pauling (Team Fortress 2) vs. Lady Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil)

Charlie Magne/Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel) vs. Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Willie Jack (Reservation Dogs) vs. Gretchen Klein (The Wilds)

Rachel (Tower of God) vs. Galadriel (Lord of the Rings)

Charlie (Don’t Starve) vs. Pomegranate Cookie (Cookie Run)

Rose Quartz / Pink Diamond (Steven Universe) vs. Filo (Shield Hero)

Tokiko Shigure (Ai: The Somnium Files) vs. Sandy (TokiDoki Cactus Friends)

Shion Sonozaki (Higurashi When They Cry) vs. Banica Conchita (Evillious Chronicles)

Mima (Touhou) vs. Yūko Ichihara (xxxHolic)

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary) vs. Laerynn Coramar-Seelie (Critical Role)

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Granny Weatherwax (Discworld)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights) vs. Susie Haltmann (Kirby: Planet Robobot)

Lae’Zel (Baldur’s Gate 3) vs. Starlight Glimmer (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show) vs. Angela (Library of Ruina)

Miranda Vanderbilt (Monster Prom) vs. Jinx (Arcane / League of Legends)

Rose Thorburn Jr. (Pact) vs. Eva (Umineko When They Cry)

Empress Phillipa Georgiou (Star Trek) vs. Shiv Roy (Succession)

Paige Duplass (The Silt Verses) vs. Akua Sahelian (A Practical Guide to Evil)

Poison Ivy (DCEU) vs. Nickel (IDW Transformers)

Joyce Messier (Disco Elysium) vs. Reagan Ridley (Inside Job)

Kalina (Fantasy High) vs. MegaGirl (Starship)

Sloane Parker (Eidolon Playtest) vs. Power (Chainsaw Man)

Marcille Donato (Dungeon Meshi) vs. Raiden Ei / Beelzebul (Genshin)

Patty Bladell (Insatiable) vs. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley (House MD)

Tanya von Degurechaff (The Saga of Tanya the Evil) vs. Fang Runin (The Poppy War)

Nomi Malone (Showgirls) vs. Han Sooyoung (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint)

Wu Zetian (The Iron Widow) vs. Lariska (Bionicle)

Teresa Agnes (Maze Runner) vs. Emma Perkins (Hatchetfield Series)

Lucrecia Mux / Maligula (Psychonauts) vs. Nadja of Antipaxos (What We Do In The Shadows)

Akako Koizumi (Magic Kaito) vs. Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa)

Blackberry (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs. Malva (Pokemon)

Vermouth (Detective Conan) vs. Kumoko / Shiraori (So I’m a Spider So What)

Eleanor (Do Revenge) vs. Bryony Halbech (Red Valley)

Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion) vs. Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

Leliana (Dragon Age) vs. Archbishop Rhea/Seiros (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Grimora (Inscryption) vs. Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Audrey Redheart (Wandersong) vs. Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magic)

Fujiko Mine (Lupin III) vs. O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill)

Anne (WOE.BEGONE) vs. Gwendolyn Poole (Marvel Comics)

Lappland Saluzzo (Arknights) vs. Avrana Kern (Children of Time)

Harley Quinn (DCEU) vs. Cassandra Jones (Rise of the TMNT)

Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs. Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalte / La Signora (Genshin Impact)

Revan (Star Wars) vs Rue Kuroha / Princess Kraehe (Princess Tutu)

Eve (The Bible) vs. Prospera Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury)

May Angelica Jones Goodwin (It Takes Two) vs. Elle Williams (The Last of Us)

Marina (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas) vs. Naksu / Mudeok (Alchemy of Souls)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) vs. Sucre (OFF)

SHODAN (System Shock) vs. Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alana Bloom (NBC Hannibal) vs. Halea Haumea (Phantomarine)

Delirium of the Endless (The Sandman) vs. Arcee (IDW Transformers)

Morganthe (Wizard 101) vs. Wu Zetian (History)

Jude Duarte (Folk of the Air) vs. Miranda Pryce (Wolf 359)

Perihelion/ART (The Murderbot Diaries) vs. Kanamori Sayaka (Keep your Hands off Eizouken!)

Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum (Adventure Time) vs. Anais Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Croix Meridies (Little Witch Academia) vs. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Harrowhark Nonagesmius (The Locked Tomb) vs. Big Mama (Rise of the TMNT)

Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) vs. White Gladys the Orca (IRL)

Doctor Carmilla (Doctor Carmilla & the Mechanisms) vs. The Handler (Umbrella Academy)

Catra (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Liliana Vess (Magic: The Gathering)

Jasnah Kholin (Stormlight Archive) vs. Liraz (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)

Lilith Clawthorne (TOH) vs. Medea (Greek Myth)

Odin (The Bifrost Incident) vs. Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo)

Mordred (Fate) vs. Nana Daiba (Revue Starlight)

Beatrice (Umineko When They Cry) vs. Hester Shaw (Mortal Engines)

Balalaika (Black Lagoon) vs. Any Female Praying Mantis (IRL)

Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) vs. W (Arknights)

Angelica Pickles (Rugrats/All Grown Up) vs. Eleanor Guthry (Black Sails)

Asha Rahiro (Kubera One Last God) vs. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The Administrator (Team Fortress 2) vs. Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate 3)

Noi (Dorohedro) vs. Leopardstar (Warrior Cats)

Sue Miley (Your Turn to Die) vs. Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill)

Juliette Cai (These Violent Delights) vs. Rat God (Mad Rat Dead)

Petra Solano (Jane the Virgin) vs. Kycilia Zabi (Mobile Suit Gundam)

Franziska Von Karma (Ace Attorney) vs. Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Anne Boleyn (History) vs. Cinder Fall (RWBY)

Kokomi Teruhashi (Disastrous life of Saiki K) vs. Major Margaret Houlihan (M*A*S*H)

Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) vs. Enyo (Granblue Fantasy)

Claudia (Interview with the Vampire) vs. Essun/Syenite/Damaya (Broken Earth Trilogy)

Lady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke) vs. Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne)

Entrapta (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Ilsa Faust (Mission: Impossible)

Princess Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs. Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney)

Samantha Groves / Root (Person of Interest) vs. Charlotte “Lottie” Matthews (Yellowjackets)

Shanoa (Castlevania) vs. Sally Reed (Barry)

Evil Lynn (He-Man) vs. Makima (Chainsaw Man)

Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls) vs. Raphaella La Coginzi (Doctor Carmilla & The Mechanisms)

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House) vs. Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)

Toriel Dreemurr (Undertale) vs. Monaco (Hetalia: Axis Powers)

Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Carribbean) vs. Vala Mal Doran (Stargate)

Wanda Maximoff (MCU) vs. Adelina Amouteru (Young Elites)

Mapleshade (Warrior Cats) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives) vs. Hornet (Hollow Knight)

Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) vs. PearlescentMoon (Double Life SMP)

Lady Bone Demon (Lego Monkie Kid) vs. Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson Series)

Jung Sun Ah (Devil Judge) vs. Muu Kusonoski (Milgram)

Romanadvoratrelundar (Doctor Who) vs. Electra (Starlight Express)

Rouge the Bat (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape)

Wen Qing (The Untamed) vs. Yubel (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Ponyo (Ponyo) vs. Renata Glasc (League of Legends)

Aubrey (OMORI) vs. Menou (The Executioner and Her Way of Life)

Olivia Octavius (Into the Spiderverse) vs. Anna Limon (Mabel)

HG Wells (Warehouse 13) vs. The Shapeshifter (Odd Squad)

Miles “Tails” Prowler (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Isabella (Promised Neverland)

Riley Grace Davis / Bonesaw (Worm) vs. The Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Misty Quigley (Yellowjackets) vs. Nami (One Piece)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Lucretia (The Adventure Zone: Balance)

#poll #tournament poll

[my-sweet-nemesis69]

Started the Dragon Republic. Pray that I survive this.

Also some random theories that I want to come back to after I finish the book

Nezha is alive

Nezha is related to the empress. Or some sort of hidden shaman.

Kitay will try to kill Rin?

#the dragon republic #the poppy war #the burning god #rf kuang #fang runin #nezha

[stirringwinds]

Had a random thought seeing that beautiful NZ art but would there be any changes in the mentor-protege relationship with Japan and China if it was Nyo Japan? Or maybe the reverse?

hey, anon, interesting question! but i have to admit the nature of sino-japanese history is such that this is one dynamic where i am most comfortable exploring it if they are both men—or, both women. the reason being that while there were periods where china and japan co-existed somewhat peacefully, that mentor-protégé relationship nonetheless also exists against a backdrop of asymmetrical power dynamics between both nations. during some eras, it was china as the unquestionably more powerful empire—and as we all know, after the meiji era—it was japan. as a sea/east asian woman, that most recent history has a lot of weight concerning gendered violence too. so while i wouldn't say that it's something that absolutely can't be done, it's a relationship that i personally find works best if it's explored with yao and kiku both being men—or women.

further, in the confucianist sphere of influence—there are gendered implications. it's been restrictive towards women in east asian societies due to how it's been interpreted to hold up a strict separation of gender roles as ideal, with women being restricted from many spheres of public life or ideals of "widowed chastity" (that widowed women should not remarry). now, this does not mean that chinese (or japanese) women had zero opportunities to break that mould—sino-japanese history is long, and attitudes waxed and waned. the tang dynasty is one era noted for more liberal attitudes and women in public life (including wu zetian rising to power as the only female emperor in chinese history). and of course, the ballad of hua mulan exists—even if mulan is a legend, it shows how female chinese warriors aren't unthinkable; there's the real life ming dynasty general qin liangyu. japan too, while being influenced by china and marked by public life being dominated by men, also has its own distinct history and culture of japanese women who wielded political power, whether from the shaman-queen himiko or kasuga no tsubone, who was a very important power broker during the tokugawa shogunate. women in samurai families also had certain expectations and did fight in battle. nonetheless, compared to other cultures that were more egalitarian, gender has real implications on the power dynamics in the sino-japanese context, which would have to be layered atop framing the irl power dynamic of chinese or japanese imperialism.

so, to answer your question a little—but with a nyo!china and nyo!japan duo—i think there would still be the mix of rivalry and the mentor-protégé dynamic, but with a greater emphasis on having to exercise and wield power in more subtle and creative ways, compared to how men are unquestionably accepted in ancient chinese and japanese political and public life. for example, many chinese empresses wielded power as regents or otherwise being close advisors to their sons. so, imo a greater proportion of nyo!japan and nyo!china's confrontations would be diplomatic skullduggery than yao and kiku's straight-out, battlefield clash. nonetheless, this wasn't absolute—as per the examples i've mentioned of chinese and japanese women in military life. further, humans in unequal societies are not incapable of revering the divine feminine. where i think things might result in interesting differences for canon re: japan is that nyo!japan would be far more associated with the sun goddess Amaterasu, compared to Kiku, who imo, would be associated with either a male deity like Susanoo or Ninigi-no-Mikoto (Amaterasu's grandson and the supposed ancestor of the emperor jimmu). in the case of China, probably the mother goddess Nüwa, who in Chinese cosmology, is the one who created humanity from clay—which i think works very nicely with how chinese civilisation was born from the fertile silt of the yellow river. so I can definitely see a shared experience where their clearly immortal nature opens up more space, freedom and reverence than what human women get.

#hetalia #hws china #hws japan #hetalia headcanons

[highpriestess13]

Love Reading 💋

911 is your confirmation for this reading. There’s communication coming in but from someone from your past, you could’ve manifested this person back or this is what they’re doing, make sure you guys are protecting your energy and doing protection work/ spells because I feel like this person is pulling on your energy. You or them could be wanting to compromise and work things out but honestly I see someone moving forward and moving on with their life, and allowing themselves to open up to new possibilities, changes and people. Could be dealing with a fire sign or could be hearing a lot of sirens… that’s your confirmation. There may have been some exchanging of words that may have caused this separation. Some of you are going to be meeting an Earth sign but I’m also hearing “fire” or this person has fire or earth in their chart. I see a lot of deception too and third party energy, 919 is significant someone could be a Virgo and I’m hearing Cancer. You’re coming up as the Queen of Pentacles. You’re very resourceful, humble, nurturing and when you invest into people you really do invest in them but this person could’ve token advantage of that but that’s okay, continue working and focusing on yourself and your own needs at this time. This person could’ve been very cold hearted and disconnected emotionally, or this person wasn’t emotionally fulfilling you in some way. The words they say can cut really deep, they may have their guard up or they did in the past. When you wanted to pour into this person’s cup they rejected it, this person could be experiencing a tower or heart break at this time. What they’ve done and said to you, they’re going through it with someone else. This person is in pain, they’re hearting… you could be feeling their energy too. You’ve filled too many of their cups now it’s time to fill your own. For some, they could’ve used you for “passion” and may have thought that that’s all you need to be “fulfilled” and this caused you to walk away from them. This person may have felt like you were the one who got away. They could also be sleeping with someone else and their karma is going to hit, they may even be with someone else already but whoever they’re with now, is going to betray them in some way. This person is going to try to make their way back to you, they could also be watching you too, if this person was flighty in the past ain't nothing change and its not going to change, they're going to want to work/ collaborate with you but i feel like you need to meditate on it first because will be expecting you to take a blind leap of faith… yet again. There's a King of Pentacles coming towards you that's going to want to give you all that you deserve, they see and know your worth and they’re VERY stable, could also be wealthy too. I see pregnancy in the near future or just you being with them is going to really put you in this 9 of pentacles & Empress energy. Could be a Taurus or Aries, could be a cusp or they have these placements… this person is your true twin flame 933 and 33 is your confirmation, there may also be an age gap too! The person from your past could’ve been a false flame or a karmic. Not going to lie..: this King of pentacles is FIIINE!! Lmao very strong features and pretty built or they keep themselves in good shape. They could be into herbs or herbalism… this person is just into natural things could also be a shaman or you are. This is something that’s divine but also powerful too! You may be a little confused on whether or not you should date this person but I think you should give it a try but do take your time, this person doesn’t like to rush things anyway. Your inner child is really going to shine with this person, you’re also going to find out that the both of you are similar in so many ways… talk about mirroring each other lol

**DONATION READINGS ARE OPEN! MESSAGE ME FOR MORE DETAILS!***

#fypシ #tarotcommunity #tarot cards #tarot reading #tarot #fypage #tumblr fyp #divination #tarot reader #abundance #trendingnow #tarot witch #free tarot #tarot spread #daily tarot #tarot deck #tarot spreads #tarot of the day #oracle #witches of tumblr #oracle cards #pick a pile #pick a deck #gemini placements #pick a card reading #pick a picture #pick a photo #pick a card #tarot tumblr #tarotblr

[biebuli]

The Chameleon in Chinese Culture

The Chameleon actually resonates with Chinese people.

Firstly, China has a very famous empress named 武则天（Wu Zetian）The chameleon appearance is very similar to this empress in Chinese TV dramas. (Interested parties can search for it.)

Wu zetian in the history image

Secondly, the patterns on her body. Her patterns are derived from Chinese bronzes. Bronzes are the representatives of Chinese culture and technology in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, with a special social status, and are the products of a strict hierarchical system. Chinese bronzes first appeared around 5000 BC and spanned a history of about 3,000 years. The first empress and the earliest dynasties, these two ideas have a strong impact on Chinese people. But her clothing is in a male style rather than female.

I'm not sure if it's intentional by the production team or if they've researched to that extent. This might be related to another thought of mine, that as a woman, she still identified with the male perspective.

Thirdly, her patterns are similar to "taotie patterns"饕餮纹.

Taotie饕餮 is a mythical creature in China. Also is a fierce and voracious beast, one of the four evil creatures. It symbolizes greed and is often used to describe gluttonous or greedy individuals.

However, the taotie patterns are slightly different. They feature a frontal animal head with symmetrically arranged pairs of horns, brows, ears, as well as a nose, mouth, and jaw. Some have elongated trunks, limbs, claws, and tails on both sides. The taotie features horns resembling those of a water buffalo, a nose reminiscent of a tiger's, and feathers akin to those of a bird. The layout typically follows a symmetrical arrangement along the central axis of the nose bridge, forming a beast-like visage with large eyes, a nose, and paired horns, often lacking a lower lip. So, The Chameleon's transformation into such a figure is consistent with the setting.

taotie pattern

Scholars believe that taotie patterns help shamans communicate between heaven, earth, and humans, serving as assistants to the shamans. Some scholars also argue that these mythical beasts are the natural gods or ancestral gods worshipped by clans, tasked by the gods to bring rain and ensure bountiful harvests. Others advocate that these mythical creatures are the gods themselves, and taotie patterns represent the faces of the gods. Regardless of which interpretation, it actually implies that The Chameleon is designed to be someone who uses spells, summons spirits from the spirit world, which is all reasonable.

The significance of being the first empress, the representation of the first dynasty, the fierce mythical beast, and the pattern symbolizing communication with the gods are all profound. It's unfortunate that in such a story.

Even though Kung Fu Panda 4's plot may not have been satisfactory, I still really like the character of the Chameleon.

#kfp #kfp4 #the chameleon

[deusvervewrites]

Something on Himiko's name.

Future Toga: Legally, Himiko's name is written 卑弥呼, roughly translating as "The one who humbly invites forever" but also the name in Chinese records of a legendary shaman-queen of Japan (possibly identified with the Empress Jingu recorded in the Kiki). She however always writes it as 被 () 身子, "She who wears somebody", and plans to go through and change the name legally the moment she can do so, partly because she likes the other kanji better and partly because she's nowhere near as arrogant to call herself like a legendary queen sorceress that may have or have not invaded Korea for kicks.

Manager Toga: Himiko's name is written 卑弥呼 like the ancient queen. She's embarrassed by it, but it takes a while with her relationship with Izuku to actually start considering changing it when she can.

Uncle Cat: Himiko's name was originally written 卑弥呼 like the ancient queen. After Sansa took her in it was changed to the more common 日美子, "Beautiful sun child".

Changeling AU: When the Changeling finds out about Toga Himiko she has to re-read the name a few times, because she can't believe someone would actually name their daughter 卑弥呼 like the legendary shaman queen. She discovers that yes, the poor girl was indeed named 卑弥呼, and concludes her parents were assholes just for that.

Interesting

#asks #future toga au #manager toga au #uncle cat au #changeling au

[ryusunmoon365]

20 Historical KDramas That Will Take You on an Echanting Journey

Briefly introduce the popularity and appeal of Korean dramas (Kdramas) worldwide.Highlight the enduring fascination with historical Kdramas, which transport viewers to different eras and cultures.Mention the intention to present a curated list of 20 historical Kdramas that have captivated audiences with their compelling storylines, stunning visuals, and exceptional performance

"Moon Embracing the Sun" (2012)Set in the Joseon era, this drama tells the story of a crown prince and a shaman who were childhood sweethearts, separated by political conspiracies.Discuss the intense romance, intricate plot twists, and stellar performances that earned it critical acclaim and a massive fan following

2."Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" (2016)Delve into the time-traveling adventures of a modern-day woman who finds herself transported back to the Goryeo dynasty.Explore the heart-wrenching love triangle and the political intrigues that make this drama a rollercoaster ride of emotions..

3." Empress Ki" (2013-2014 Highlight the epic tale of a Goryeo-born woman who rises to become the powerful Empress Ki of the Yuan dynasty. Discuss the breathtaking cinematography, strong character development, and the historical accuracy that make this drama a must-watch.

4."The Moon That Embraces the Sun" (2012)Present the story of a crown prince who falls in love with a shaman, leading to a forbidden romance amidst palace politics.

5."Love in the Moonlight" (2016)Explore the blossoming romance between a crown prince and a cross-dressing eunuch during the Joseon era.Discuss the refreshing take on gender roles, the endearing chemistry between the leads, and the delightful humor that make this drama a fan favorite.

6." Jewel in the Palace" (2003)Highlight the inspiring story of a young woman who becomes a royal physician during the Joseon era.Discuss the meticulous attention to historical details, the strong female protagonist, and the cultural significance of this drama

7." Mr. Sunshine" (2018) Set in the late 19th century, this drama follows the journey of a Korean-born U.S. Marine officer who returns to his homeland.Discuss the grand scale production, the complex characters, and the exploration of Korea's turbulent history

8."The Princess' Man" (2011) Present the tragic love story between the daughter of a powerful nobleman and the son of her father's sworn enemy during the Joseon era. Discuss the intense performances, the political intrigue, and the poignant portrayal of love amidst a backdrop of her father's sworn enemy during the Joseon era.

9."Queen In Hyun's Man" (2012)Explore the time-travel romance between a 17th-century scholar and an aspiring actress from the present day. Discuss the charming chemistry between the leads, the clever blend of historical

"10.Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" (2016-2017)Present the story of an elite group of young men who become the legendary Hwarang warriors during the Silla dynasty.

11."Dong Yi" (2010)Explore the life of a commoner who rises to become a concubine and eventually the mother of a king during the Joseon era.Discuss the meticulous attention to historical accuracy, the strong female lead, and the emotional depth of this drama.

12."Sungkyunkwan Scandal" (2010)Present the tale of a girl who disguises herself as a boy to enter a prestigious all-male academy during the Joseon era.

13."The Great Queen Seondeok" (2009)Highlight the historical epic that tells the story of Queen Seondeok, the first female ruler of the Silla dynasty.Discuss the grand scale production, the strong female characters, and the exploration of power struggles and political maneuvering.

14." "The Princess' Man" (2011)Present the tale of star-crossed lovers from rival noble families during the Joseon era.Discuss the intense performances, the political conspiracies, and the tragic romance that captivated viewer

15."Iljimae" (2008)Explore the adventures of a masked vigilante who fights for justice during the Joseon era.Discuss the swashbuckling action, the charismatic lead, and the exploration of themes such as identity and social inequality.

16.""The Painter of the Wind" (2008)Present the story of a talented female painter who disguises herself as a man to pursue her passion during the Joseon era.

17." The Princess' Man" (2011)Explore the forbidden love story between a princess and a nobleman during the Joseon era.Discuss the breathtaking visuals, the political intrigue, and the heart-wrenching romance that made this drama a fan favorite

18." Arang and the Magistrate" (2012)Present the supernatural romance between a ghost and a magistrate during the Joseon era.Discuss the unique blend of fantasy and historical elements, the captivating performances, and the suspenseful plot twists.

19. "The Rebel" (2017)Highlight the story of a former prince who becomes a bandit leader during the Joseon era, fighting against corruption and tyranny.Discuss the action-packed sequences, the exploration of social justice, and the charismatic performances that make this drama a thrilling watch.

20. "Six Flying Dragons" (2015-2016)Explore the epic historical drama that chronicles the rise of six influential figures during the early Joseon era.Discuss the intricate storytelling, the stellar ensemble cast, and the exploration of power, ambition, and loyalty.

Conclusion

Recap the 20 historical Kdramas that have been presented, showcasing their diverse settings, captivating storylines, and exceptional performances.Encourage readers to embark on an enchanting journey through these dramas and experience the rich history and culture of Korea in a unique and entertaining way.

#historical kdramas #kdramasource #kdramanetwork #korean drama #south korea #kdrama recommendations

[quornesha]

American Crow Prophecy And Symbolism| https://www.powerfulmystic8.com/sacred-spirit-shaman-blog/2023/3/10/american-crow-prophecy-and-symbolism #prophetess #priestess #shaman #shamanism #mystic #mysticism #tarot #chariot #empress #remoteviewing #psychic #blackownedbusiness #womanownedbusiness #shamanicpractitioner #drumming #americancrow #crow (at Colorado County, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpnl24Aulb5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#prophetess #priestess #shaman #shamanism #mystic #mysticism #tarot #chariot #empress #remoteviewing #psychic #blackownedbusiness #womanownedbusiness #shamanicpractitioner #drumming #americancrow #crow

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Group E Round 1

[image ID: the first image is of Zinn, a creature made of a mass of dark tendrils and many eyes. the second image is of Victor Spooky, a noir detective wearing a red and purple fedora and purple trench coat, that dissolves into red and purple smoke around him. end ID]

Zinn

(Note: The author mostly uses it/its pronouns to refer to Zinn but have used 'he' and 'they' a couple times.) Zinn is a creature called a Monstrum who is a type of alien from a world made out of light. Due to unknown circumstances their universe was breeched by enemies who devoured their peaceful existence. In turn, the Monstrum were exiled and stripped of their forms. Somehow, Zinn ended up in a Steampunk adjacent world and came to be lovers with a powerful human women called the Shaman Empress. Their relationship, while described as tender, may have been one sided. Zinn loved her dearly, only referring to her as "The Beloved' but it is implied that she used it for her own deeds/gaining knowledge and power. Monstrum drain energy from anything they touch so they are incompatible with the mortal realm. Zinn inhabits the Shaman Empress's bloodline and is passed down through generations to minimize(?) damages. Eventually Zinn gets passed down to the main character who. in simple terms, as not to get sidetracked, is a Girlboss, capital G. She is a descendant of the Shaman Empress, technically making them blood family. Which is kind of hillarious. Imagine this tentacle creature being like "Hello. Yes I am your great-grandfather. Let us kill and consume flesh". They pick up a rag tack bunch of other characters( not limited to a necromancer cat, a psychic kitsune child, a brooding guy with crow wings, gay furry tiger pirates) and they are so found family… image link Zinn, despite not being too well-versed in human culture cares for them all the same. It has so many funny interactions with the cast, particularly the Kitsune girl, Kippa (as it does not understand her cheerful and positive attitude). Examples: -https://64.media.tumblr.com/ab33f45b9506033cdec6a6a2a9d55655/baa027673994792a-2d/s1280x1920/fb57ea6a550181e49d588a60473f050fac30300d.pnj -https://64.media.tumblr.com/41f0c01fa1e8c4e9e7dda5bcb589f24d/38ba370cd51ca323-59/s1280x1920/c96e0a11d0c0ab8b92b14cbebccd276c0e2c3c8a.jpg -https://64.media.tumblr.com/4cc511e4b365359842c0a9825dc416d5/e4f6cb4faa1aa13d-8e/s1280x1920/9f0ca9abdb590fdaca5c7a93e230a79bfe32fd2d.jpg -https://64.media.tumblr.com/c32edb01ada4ebf159bbb70b5a00c36c/3bca30f2ba708ae4-c3/s1280x1920/6f04c20b2fe1e47c0898b513e71772f99581ea13.jpg Zinn also has that tragic sibling swag, accidentally killing its sibling. It has so much trauma, but for a space-alien-god is very withdrawn and weary of the world. Although it tends to act cryptic and not reveal too much. It seems like it used to be elitist but with time has come to appreciate the mortal world although it would never admit it outloud. ANYWAY. VOTE FOR THIS PATHETIC HORROR OF GUY. Monsterfuckers and monsterfriends assemble! (and go read Monstress! There are many queer characters and the lead is sapphic! also cool monsters, cool worldbuilding, and real world cultural references) TLDR: Its an eldritch god who misses its dead wife :( / There is something very wrong with them (affectionate)

Detective Victor Spooky

Spooky's game still only has a demo, so there isn't much for me to say at the moment, but he's still a very interesting character. At some point in his life, he died of unknown causes leading him to become a ghost. Despite that, he still continues his detective work, though in the game he gets a supernatural case. He's acts serious, but without his clothing, his appearance is actually just a typical simple ghost design. He talks like your typical, charismatic, noir protagonist, but the fact that he's a ghost paired with the worldbuilding and concept makes him pretty unique.

#obscurecharactershowdown #group e round 1 #obscure poll #zinn monstress #monstress #detective victor spooky #victor spooky #deep night detective #tumblr is the least functional website on the internet

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #7 – Montress Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

I am very slowly re-reading this series as what’s likely to be the vast majority of my comic consumption for the year. The deliberately slower pace is almost certainly a good decision, as it means this time around I’m actually appreciating the individual issues and volumes as, like, coherent works in and of themselves rather than just plunging through the entire backlog in one burst.

This volume picks up after some indeterminate timeskip following the first one, opening with Maika Halfwolf, Kippa and Ren arrive in the (aspirationally) neutral port city of Thyria, trashing Maika’s mother’s apartments for clues on what she was researching when she died – and thus, hopefully, clues of Maika’s past and the whole eldritch symbiotic living in her soul that sometimes bursts out to eat people thing. The clues lead them to a cursed island where her mother travelled before she was born to question the god imprisoned within, where both she and Zinn (the aforementioned symbiote) are confronted with thoroughly unwelcome revelations about their pasts. Also so, so many people die.

With the basic conceits of the setting and plot established in the first volume, this one is free to delve deeper in intricacies – the backstories and relationships various characters have to the world, and to a lesser extent the Deep Lore and metaphysics underlying the world (though that is still far less prominent than I recall it getting later). We learn what Zinn’s place in the society of the Monstrum was, and how they came to be trapped and embodied in the mortal world; we likewise learn quite a lot about Maika’s (terrible, horrible, very bad no good) family and childhood, and to a much lesser extent even a bit about what Master Ren got up to before the plot started. We also learn about several historical murders and genocides, and get out first real look at the Shaman Empress, one of the two historical incredibly powerful sorceresses who shaped the history of the world who I kept getting confused in my head when I read this series the first time.

Buried in all the lore we do get a really amazingly realized journey to a creepy cursed island that is revealed to be the overgrown bones of a dead god on which another has been imprisoned for attempted geno- and mass filicide. Nothing about it breaking any new ground in the genre of creepy cursed jungle islands, but it was an exceptionally well-executed example of the form.

But plot and lore aside this really is a character dynamics book – or, well, dynamic singular. Maika’s mom really fucked her up, basically. Not that it’s a good series for healthy parenting generally but discovering you only exist before your mom fucked a guy from a specific bloodline so she could have and use you as a moldable vessel for eldritch rituals has got to be up there, right?

In particular, quite a lot of care and effort is spent on this has fucked Maika up. Basically her entire relationship with Kippa this volume could be cut out as a case study in cycles of abuse and how Maika both deeply resents and knows she was hurt by how her mother raised her but also literally doesn’t have any other model for how to take care of a kid than ‘teach her to swim by throwing her overboard and fishing her back out if it looks like she’s actually going to drown’ repeated ad nauseam. (It’s really very telling that Maika gets far more emotional warmth and physical affection from her godfather – self-described ‘murderous pirate’ – than she ever does from her mother).

It’s far less salient than it will become later, but throughout the volume there’s also very much a secondary theme of what it means to leave with guilt. Or not even guilt so much as culpability – discovering that pre-amnesia you murdered your sibling because they opposed, coming to terms with the fact that your existence is essentially vampiric and your continued life requires the murder of others, a whole mess of dealing with betraying either relationships or principles when the two come in conflict. Not really doing anything with it yet, but the subject’s definitely getting raised.

Anyway, everything I said about the art in my review of volume one still stands – easily the most beautiful comic series I’ve ever read. And if I remember right next volume is when my all-time favorite character gets introduced, so looking forward to it!

#book review #monstress #comic #sff #lesbian space atrocities