#she’s not only an incredible historian but also an incredible writer

[h-f-k]

Finally got out of my reading slump and went back to reading SPQR and ughhh, Mary Beard i love you

#she’s not only an incredible historian but also an incredible writer #she explains everything so well

[ceciliatllis]

I saw someone on here mention how Alys and Elizabeth Woodville do not have any striking parallels and just felt the need to write about how they do in fact have quite a few different similarities. I've always been a huge enthusiast when it comes to The Wars of the Roses and find that period of history incredibly compelling (not to mention GRRM himself has acknowledged how it inspires ASOIAF and his work as a writer which is clearly evident in some of the characters he's created) so I felt compelled to write about this and share my own thoughts.

Both Alys and Elizabeth were polarizing women accused of being devious and using witchcraft/sorcery to "bewitch" a powerful royal who was exceedingly above them in rank; Elizabeth was reviled by the court as she was not an advantageous match for Edward IV politically at all and she and her family’s rise in status caused envy among many. She was older than him, already had children of her own, and was a widow; all of these aspects made her a scandalous woman which the court looked down upon with great disdain and scrutiny. Even now, historians continue to debate whether she actually loved Edward IV and returned his affection or if her primary goal was centered around using him to advance her rank and that of her family. Similarly, the maesters in F&B (as well as numerous people within the fanbase) create a villanious and cartoonish sort of figure when describing Alys as she is perceived as an unsuitable and unlikely match for Aemond - an unusual servant who has had several stillbirths and sees visions is a clear departure from the chaste, agreeable maiden they expected him to fall for. In addition, Elizabeth and Edward were said to have been married in secret whereas Alys and Aemond were ALSO rumored to be married secretly before his death according to Alys (she is referred to as his widow by other characters in F&B so it seems this was an accepted consensus among people and not something she invented). Another detail that stands out and further binds them together is that Elizabeth's father's title was Baron Rivers. Perhaps all of these links are simply coincidental (although I highly doubt that since this is GRRM) but it would be disingenuous to insinuate they do not exist whatsoever because one does not wish to see them.

While opinions vary greatly when it comes to Alys's motivations and true feelings (just as historians disagree about Elizabeth's personality and her relationship with Edward IV), I think it's fascinating to see how the negative reactions to controversial/mysterious women oftentimes mimic how female historical figures were unfairly judged and lazily reduced to common, reductive labels still recycled in the media today (such as forcing them into restrictive boxes where they're either a calculating seductress or helpless damsel). Many people seem to believe that strong-minded female characters can only be written as emotionless caricatures who use their charms (such as their sexuality) to get ahead for their own ambitions and while that trope is commonly seen in film/television and used as a storyline, I believe these ambitious and cunning women can be shown to have agency of their own while still being vulnerable, lonely, and open to love/companionship. That does not make them less empowering or intelligent by any stretch of the imagination; it makes them human. Women can contain a myriad of different traits and motives while still being interesting. That's how I hope the writers will approach Alys and it's also what I believe to be the more intriguing route to go when it comes to well-rounded, complex storytelling.

#alys rivers #alysmond #fire and blood #house of the dragon #history #re: thoughts #re: fire and blood #re: books #re: house of the dragon #re: shows #can’t believe people on here are actually saying there aren’t similarities lol #it’s all there #then again these are the same people who want her to be a seductive witch and actually think it’s empowering and original

[veliseraptor]

July/August/September Reading Recap

look, it's been a wild time. that's all I'm going to say about it. but now back on the reading recap train and I'm just going to do all of these three months in one go because otherwise I really never will catch up (also read not very much for me in all of these months, individually)

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Worker's Rights by Molly Smith & Juno Mac. I read a lot of books over the last few months that I was kind of "meh" about, but this wasn't one of them. An incredibly nuanced, in-depth and very persuasive analysis of the history and present of sex worker labor rights - neither skewing too far into "sex work is liberatory" nor (obviously) the opposite. The authors consistently approached the subject positing (accurately) that sex work is first and foremost work, and should be approached as such in terms of the goals and needs of rights for sex workers. I already bought into the overall premise of this book, but it still remained compelling and educational for me to read, and I'm going to be recommending it to a lot of people who may be generally liberally-minded but have doubts or hesitations about decriminalization as a strategy that ultimately serves the best interests not just of sex workers but of society at large.

Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder. This was a brutal book to read and I'm glad I read it. I like Timothy Snyder as a historian generally (I've read two of his other books before this one), and I learned a great deal here in particular about Stalin's policies, both in Ukraine and during the war. Some of the ground treaded in this book was familiar to a certain extent from Black Earth, but dug into more and in more depth, particularly prior to World War II itself (i.e. the Holodomor and other associated policies in the Soviet Union). I found the closing parts of the book about the politics of forgetting particularly compelling. Not a casual recommendation but a recommendation nonetheless if you're interested in history and up for the rough ride.

Witch King by Martha Wells. I was...not disappointed by this book, exactly, but a little underwhelmed. I wanted to like it much more than I did. Oddly, while I'm completely in favor of self-contained stories that close in one book, and I definitely liked Kai as a character quite a bit, the whole thing felt sort of rushed, particularly at the end. Everything was tied up a little too neatly, too quickly, for my taste, and in general some of the worldbuilding felt underdeveloped rather than (as I think was probably the intent) intentionally left underexplored in text. All in all, I had high hopes for this one that weren't quite met.

Where the Jews Aren't: The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region by Masha Gessen. I love Masha Gessen as a historian and writer and this was a short but intriguing book about an episode of history I knew next to nothing about - namely exactly what the title says on the tin. I'd recommend to anyone who has even a little interest in Jewish history in the Soviet Union in particular, though this one didn't blow me away quite as much as The Future Is History did (but that's a high bar).

From Below by Darcy Coates. Darcy Coates is rapidly becoming a favorite horror writer despite the fact that this is only the second book of hers that I've read. She does scary really, really well and this is some top notch ocean horror. Definitely a book that propelled me through all the way to the end and left me with some truly appalling (affectionate) mental images. Good shit, thanks for the rec @bereft-of-frogs (I believe).

Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener. The conceit of not naming, just describing the tech companies under consideration in this memoir got a little tired after a while; this was an interesting book but probably would've been more compelling when it came out, before most of what it's exploring was common knowledge. But maybe that's partly because I'm just not really a memoir gal.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling. Another good horror novel, though I found the ending personally a little bit meh. But I'm really picky about my horror endings, so don't hold that against it. Caving horror is up there with ocean horror as far as subgenres I'm into, and this one did a great job with it. A good blend of visceral horror and psychological horror, though the descriptions of the caving suit were honestly possibly the worst part of it for me.

The Queen's Price by Anne Bishop. As usual the pleasure of reading Anne Bishop is about revisiting my old faves - it's like re-encountering old friends, which was what led me back to rereading the original series. I also did appreciate the rehabilitation of Saetien in this book, who took a beating in the last one that didn't feel altogether fair. I do not, however, know that I can forgive what it did to Wilhelmina Benedict my beloved, whose relationship to Jaenelle was and is very important to me. I don't accept this slander and am choosing to ignore it.

Imagined Life: A Speculative Scientific Journey Among the Exoplanets in Search of Intellgient Aliens, Ice Creatures, and Supergravity Animals by James Trefil & Michael Summers. It was fine and that's honestly about all I have to say about it. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

Hex Wives by Ben Blacker. A fun little detour into a graphic novel about witches-brainwashed-into-suburban-wives that wasn't, ultimately, very good, though I did enjoy the lesbian immortal witches and the revenge fantasy of it all.

Monstress: vols. 1-4 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. I forgot how fucking good this series is. Reading it all together in trade form, rather than separated out month by month and issue by issue, only makes that even clearer. The way that Marjorie Liu explores monstrosity and outsiderness, the mingled brutality and tenderness of it all...Marjorie Liu is one of my favorite comics writers for a reason and you can feel her passion for this story.

The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. I regret to inform everyone that I still love this series and I probably will not be over it any time soon. I don't know. Sometimes a series that may objectively be not very good just digs into you as an impressionable teenager and then lives inside you in a very particular way forever, and I guess that's what happened here. The second book remains my favorite for the way it's focused on the coven and Lucivar (and their relationships with Jaenelle), which remains my favorite part of this series. I can't in good conscience necessarily recommend it. But I do love the damn thing.

Heaven Official's Blessing: vol. 7 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Book 5 isn't my favorite section of TGCF, and this part of Book 5 is probably one of the sections I'm least interested in, with the exception of "deal with it yourself" which never fails to knock me out of the fucking park. It is just very important to me. But still, this book remains beloved of me and it's a treat to read regardless (for the fourth time, or whatever it is).

Qiang Jin Jiu by Tang Jiuqing. I keep describing this one as a classical military/political epic with a sprinkling of danmei and I think that's accurate. And that's what I love about it. Dizzyingly complex sometimes, with a large cast of characters and more conspiracies among them than you can shake a stick at, this is a delightful work of historical fiction with bonus gay protagonists, and I actually kind of love that the romance spends a lot of time taking back seat to the political drama. Also side f/f ship and Qi Zhuyin is amazing. Shen Zechuan is so unhinged but in a way it takes you a minute to notice and I love it.

The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler by David Kertzer. This book was deeply infuriating, but in the way it was meant to be, in that it's all about the painful inaction of Pope Pius XII during World War II, and not just that but actively collaborating with both fascist governments in an effort to protect the church. I didn't find it very compellingly written - kind of a drag, if I'm honest - but boy did it make me very mad. The dedication to saving Christian/converted Jews while completely ignoring and doing nothing about the wider persecution was particularly choice.

Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop. Reread; not as good as the main trilogy, in my opinion, though has some fun stuff with Lucivar in particular. Probably suffers for me in that Surreal has never been my favorite, though she doesn't annoy me as much as she used to.

Thousand Autumns: vol. 2 by Meng Xi Shi. My main concern when it comes to this book so far is that it keeps promising me bad-wrong sex and I don't think it's going to give me bad-wrong sex. Or at least bad-wrong kissing, or something. The relationship between Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi is, at this point, a delightful trainwreck, though the larger plot of this book as a whole hasn't really grabbed me. I'm enjoying the read but it's not thus far a book I'd come back and reread later.

Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. More personal story than the science that I was hoping for; it was still interesting, but in my opinion felt a little overwritten in places and definitely suffered in my estimation just for being not quite the right genre for what I was looking for. It was interesting, though, and still delved into some neat stuff along the way; I just didn't need it filtered so much through "one-guy's-journey" as it felt like it was. In general it's a delicate balance for me with books like this (about a writer digging into a subject); if the writer is too present then I start to get impatient, which is probably missing the point.

I'm trying to make October a month of spooky ready (or at least related-to-spooky reading) though we'll see if that continues or if I get distracted.

Reading The Earth Is Weeping might count as horror, anyway, in that it is almost certain to be very upsetting. Also on my shelf from the library are The Language of the Night by Ursula K. Le Guin and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (whose Electra I read and didn't hate, even liked a little bit). I'm sitting on The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson and The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling as two horror novels that have been on my shelves for a bit. We'll see what happens.

#reading recaps #sometimes i read things #long post for ts #finally got around to doing this yeesh

[neonlitlesbians]

do you have a masterpost or some key posts that help explain the setting/worldbuilding or context for your ocs? or intro posts to learn about them?

oh shit oh shit oh shittttt ok i really need to organize a little better around here BUT i have a little bit i can offer right now! (ive been meaning to make intro posts for my ocs, thank you for the reminder—i will try to get on that soon!)

(LOTS under the cut you have no idea how much i have to say!! thank you SO much for this ask)

The World

Alana and her friends live in a huge, dying cyberpunk city.

Ten years ago, the algorithm governing the city decided that infinite capitalistic growth was no longer sustainable, and went into power saving mode. Those who hid, survived; the vast majority of the city's inhabitants were given a choice between dying and going into stasis. It's not like they could just leave—The Old Internet is chewed up and defunct, existing only in archives; the remains of GPS satellites have long since crashed to earth; and it's not like an old map would be much good, since a city in what was once barren Nevada is now... on the coast.

Understandably, the ones surviving today are still traumatized, as well as lost and more than a little bored.

(The city's name hasn't been established yet—i might just call it The City but i'm not sure yet.)

Characters

Each of these characters is diligently tagged on my blog, so you can search through all of my art that features them!

Alana/The Watcher (she/her) – One of the most capable fighters in town. Angry and quiet, but deeply caring. Died and was brought back to life by Ethlyn, now running on both red and black blood. Literature nerd and occasional writer. Zinnia's lover, Ethlyn's best friend, and Hostility's dueling partner.

Electra (any) – An outsider with a close relationship with Alana. Can suck the charge out of electronics, store it, and release it. One of the two people who can evenly duel Alana (Hostility being the other). Protective and confident.

Zinnia (she/her) – A workaholic journalist who was nearly killed attempting to cover a public massacre. Saved by Alana and given a new body by Ethlyn, she now does basically the same stuff as before, but tails Alana and keeps track of her reputation. Quiet and serious, tending to come off as rather cold. Alana's lover.

Ethlyn Calloway (she/her) – A genius engineer, especially in the field of cybernetics, and kind of a horndog. Made most of her friends' augments and then some. Extremely hyperactive, chronically short of sleep, and prone to mood swings. The cast's leading historian on the old, defunct Internet. Bell's girlfriend and Alana's savior.

Bell Anderson (he/she) – An incredibly skilled medical doctor and surgeon. Helps Ethlyn with installing cybernetics, and was critical to Alana and Zinnia's survival. Also a highly capable chef (a good thing, too—Ethlyn would survive on nuggies alone without him). Amiable, generous, and open. Ethlyn's lover and caretaker, but gets along well with just about anyone.

Hostility (she/her) – A capable engineer and swordsmith. Made all of her own augments, as well as Nico's and some of Darcy's. Makes and maintains Alana's weaponry as well as many others'. Built an entire car out of scraps from the junkyard that she melted down and reforged. Wise and laid-back. Crowe's girlfriend, Alana's friend, and one of Rat's closer friends.

Rat Manchu (she/it) – An informant. The "word on the street." Shrewd, greasy, and much smarter than she looks. Kind of an asshole and hard to get along with, but ultimately means well. (Usually.) Also has a car (but Nico usually takes the keys before she can do anything stupid). Gay and in love with Nico and Darcy.

Nico Lombard (they/them) – A former cop and current encrypted-data-vault-slash-blank-slate. Jailbroken thanks to Hostility and Darcy, and now lives with Darcy and Rat. Still figuring themself out. Gay and in love with Darcy and Rat.

Darcy Relayer (shx/hxr) – A 1337 H4XX0R with some of the juiciest databases on the network at hxr (many) fingertips. A little bit insane. Just as hyperactive as Ethlyn, but more data-driven. Prone to using goofy slang terms from bygone eras. Gay and in love with Rat and Nico.

Crowe Stormwell (she/they) – A dancer and prostitute at the Z-Axis bar. Ethlyn's favorite test subject to try new types and models of cybernetics on. Whimsical and a horndog. Hostility's girlfriend.

Aly (any) – [WIP] The bartender at the Z-Axis. The cast's only fully fledged android.. Crowe's roommate.

The Guitarist (she/her) – A traveler from abroad who plays at the Z-Axis, though sometimes you can hear her music on the wind at the edge of town. Blind and mute, relying mainly on her guitar to communicate. Doesn't really have any strong ties to anyone, past or present. Mysterious, but easy to get along with.

Lizzy (xe/xer) – A reclusive tailor, printer, and artist responsible for a lot of the group's clothing, especially the quality stuff like Alana's outfits and Bell's lab coat. Capable of restoring physical media like books, as well as giving tattoos.

The Keeper (she/her) – The sole occupant of the lighthouse at the edge of town. A little cagey, but ventures into town now and again. Farms her own food, and trades with the rest of the cast on occasion.

#masterpost #tbh #++ #ask #my writing #long post #looooooooooooong post #z axis lore

[hlficlibrary]

do you know some stories that are really well written (like the words used, the sentences, the thoughts of the characters) :)

Thanks

Hi, anon! You're very welcome! So what's "well written" is kind of a subjective thing, but here are ones that are in my own opinion...(and also, I could have picked any fic by these writers...they're all incredible)

No One Like You by myownspark / @myownsparknow

Dear Niall,

I was glad to have the chance to talk with you again at the AHA conference. Your idea that the Musee D’Orsay Tomlinson painting is in fact not a self-portrait is an intriguing one, and I may have discovered something that will have a bearing on that theory.

Some background: as you may remember, I’ve been researching for a book I’m writing about Harry Styles. I’ve been in communication with Styles’ last living descendant, who is in possession of a trunk that her family believed to have belonged to Styles himself. It held some personal items she presumes to be his, including two unmounted paintings and a small collection of letters.

Upon spending the last few days in Provins studying these items, I believe there to be a connection between Tomlinson and Styles, and I would very much like your opinion.

Are you up for a trip to France?

Sincerely, Liam Payne

Where Liam and Niall are art historians discovering the truth about two nineteenth century painters on opposite sides of an artistic divide.

Black with Autumn Rain by whimsicule

“Thank you,” Geoff says, taking a sip of his tea. “What did you tell him?”

Louis has a sip as well, lets the tea burn down his throat too quickly, too hot, and he feels it all the way down to his stomach. “The truth. Essentially,” he replies after a moment, licking his lips, relishing the slightly bitter taste of the brew that’s never quite strong enough for Louis’ liking. At least it’s not decaf. “That my dog scented it. That I didn’t touch the body. That I came here first thing.”

Geoff nods pensively. “Did he believe you?”

“Probably not. There’s only so many people who can drown on dry land before it gets fishy.”

or: Harry is a journalist, Louis has lots of secrets and the moors aren't exactly the ideal place to rekindle a lost romance.

Alien Roadtrip! by @helloamhere

For the first time in his life, Louis doesn’t know where he’s going. Harry doesn’t mind.

OR: roadtrip with desert feelings, too much snack food, and empty motels. Harry is definitely absolutely not an alien. That would be ridiculous.

#ask #anon #ficrec #minificrecs #wellwritten #helloamhere #myownspark #whimsicule

[oknowkiss]

fic post: in between two tall mountains

PAIRING: DRARRY (past Harry/Ginny & Harry/Pansy, background Ron/Pansy, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Harry/Ron) RATING: E (semi-public masturbation, general fucking) WORDCOUNT: 8.2K

READ ON AO3 HERE!

TAGS: Magic Historian Draco pines amongst the pines, Magically powerful bisexual DILF Harry Potter, the mind-rending HORROR of kissing your crush, Drarry in a campervan on the Oregon coast, Shipwrecks & Treasure Hunting, Climbing a mountain only to have big feelings at the top, Falling in Love in your 30s, despite all evidence to the contrary it’s a happy fic I promise 

SUMMARY: In the shadow of a mountain on the Oregon coast, there may or may not lie a shipwreck, on which there may or may not be a magical relic, lost hundreds of years ago. Harry's been tasked with finding it, and Draco is there to take notes, and they're stuck in a campervan pretending to be married, and it's all going to be just fine. That's what Draco's gotten rather good at telling himself, anyway.

happy birthday @sweet-s0rr0w​ !!!  i’m so glad life has worked in such a way that has allowed us -- despite a distance so grand that you’re probably having a nice post-dinner vino while i’m sitting here having my morning tea -- to be friends. 

you are a gem that shines through everything, and it would be my honor to spend the rest of my life screaming at you on discord, convincing you that you’re a fucking genius (seriously y’all, wait until you see what sweets has coming up next. it’s taken over my mind). 

not only are you an incredible writer (THE dron masterpiece she wrote with @tackytigerfic​, for example. and who could forget nor all that glisters!! but also seriously just read everything here) but you’re a brilliant reccer as well. your collaborative sex and romance lists, and drarry around the world in particular, are such perfect resources for this fandom -- and a testament to how blessed we all are by the collective talent on display here, gawd -- so i knew i had to send the boys in a little trip in your honor. 

and thank you a million times over to @sorrybutblog for really spitshining this into something pretty for our dear sweets, who deserves all the baubles. you are a genius and so patient with me and my runaway commas and asides.

happy happy happy birthday sweets, and here’s to many more!

#my fic #my fic posts #harry potter #draco malfoy #harry x draco #draco x harry #drarry #drarry fanfic #drarry fanfiction #drarry fic #harry/draco

[holodexmachina]

Listen. I wrote a thing.

Part of me still can't believe I've done this, but, okay, here we go: I wrote some Star Trek fanfic! And while posting fanfic is a pretty banal activity in tumblrland, it was kind of A Whole Thing for me. I’ve never written fanfic before! I haven’t even written fiction of any sort since, good lord, my sophomore creative writing class, which was *checks watch* twenty years ago. And it’s been way too long since I wrote anything just for fun. So it’s been kind of a wild practice, and now it’s out there, and I want to tell you about it.

The fic is called “A Woman of Your Century,” and it is a rewrite of the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Space Seed,” but imagines Khan as a woman. [You don’t need to have seen the episode to get the story, but here’s a quick synopsis: the Enterprise encounters a ship full of sleeping humans and wakes one—Khan Noonien-Singh, played by Ricardo Montalban. The crew soon realizes that Khan is an “augment”—one of a group of genetically engineered superhuman despots who took over Earth in the 1990s, causing the disastrous Eugenics Wars. Khan tries to take over the Enterprise so that he can conquer the galaxy. Khan nearly kills Kirk; fist fights ensue; Khan loses, and Kirk ditches the augments on an abandoned planet (thus setting the scene for Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan twenty years later).] 

“Space Seed” is my favorite Trek episode, hands down. Khan is a pretty interesting villain—ruthless, narcissistic, ambitious—and the augment storyline has always been incredibly compelling to me, especially as it gets picked up and developed further in several other series. That said, the episode isn’t without its flaws; like many TOS episodes, the premise didn’t need to be thought through any more than was required of its 50 minutes, and later attempts to explain the augments’ history tended to introduce more questions and canonical conflicts. And then there’s the squick-inducing relationship between Khan and the ship’s historian, Marla McGivers—a relationship that provides plot devices, but has a deeply fucked dynamic. I mean, he negs her over her hair, and she decides, yeah, I’d engineer a mutiny for this man. You can tell the writers really respected women. 

Then a friend said: could you imagine how this story would have gone if Khan had been a woman?

Oh. Oh—

Yes. Yes, I can imagine that. 

I started thinking about what would change if Khan were a woman. How would the crew of the Enterprise react to such a powerful female villain? How would it unfuck Marla’s interactions (or not)? What kind of rivalry would develop between Kirk and Khan? TOS doesn’t skip female villainy, but does tend to keep it squarely in the realm of “seductress acting on behalf of a male.” The limitations of midcentury masculinity make it hard to imagine Kirk seeing a woman as a true threat—as a mind on par with his own (let alone far beyond it). 

Thinking through the gender-bent implications also led me to considering the story from Khan’s point of view. It’s a tricky balance—Khan is a genocidal sociopath with the blood of millions on his hands. Let’s not defend that, maybe! At the same time, there’s a reason the best villains are humanized: we need to be able to see ourselves in the monstrous, and the monstrous in ourselves. Cartoon evil is boring and unrealistic. But finding ways to create sympathy for a villain—without condoning them!—is very interesting. 

Rewriting “Space Seed” let me not only explore material I adored, not only fill in minor plot holes, not only build out augment backstory—it also let me highlight the current of sexism and misogyny that has always been part of Trek, and blow it up real good. Marla’s treatment in the original—and the crew’s reverence for Khan’s aggression—both speak volumes about gender attitudes in the 1960s (and, uh, beyond). But swapping genders—Khan for Khana and Marla for Marlow—forces (I hope) a reexamination of character, of narrative, of values. Which is what science fiction is for, after all.

Also: it was just fucking fun to do. Which makes me wonder if I should…write more fic? (I’m open to ideas! What should I try next?) Either way: thanks, friends, and happy reading!

#star trek #fandom #fanfic #ao3 link #space seed #star trek tos #captain kirk #khan noonien singh #gender #rewrite #am i doing this right? #please be nice #writing is hard

[deardiary-history]

Meet the Diarists

On an ordinary day, I plan to post 3 entries, one from each writer. However, on days when one or two of them didn't write at all, there will be nothing to post for them that day.

Mary (last name unknown) finished high school in 1934, and so was probably around 18 at the beginning of that year, meaning she would have been born around 1916. I know that she was American and lived somewhere with snow in the winter, but that is all. Most of her journal covers her college years. She wrote from 1934-1936. Though she wrote nearly every day for the first 2 years, she trailed off towards the beginning of September 1936. She was Catholic with several friends and studying to be a teacher.

Phyllis O'Rourke was approximately 13 at the beginning of 1940, so would have been born about 1926. She lived in New York state and wrote from 1940-1946, although some years trail off halfway through and she skipped 1942 altogether. Other than the missing year, I will skip any day she didn't write, so she will be more inconsistent than the others. She was also Catholic with one sister close to her age and another old enough to work and live on her own. She talks about her family, friends, school, several boys later on, and general life things.

Frances Sheffield was married with an adult son and at least one young grandson by 1962, so I estimate she was born between 1910-1920. I got incredibly lucky with her journals--she wrote every single day from 1962-1971 and then from 1977-1978. It's mostly mundane life, housework and letters and visits, but I find that's the beauty of history--Not the exciting rare times but just what did a mundane life look like? I'm especially grateful to Frances because her diaries ensure that I will have at least one post every single day for the foreseeable future. She was also Christian, and also lived in New York state. I am fairly certain that Vern was her husband and Rich her son.

Note: Although I do my best, handwriting can be hard to read. Especially in Mary's entries, I may have multiple spots filled in with {???} when I couldn't decipher what she meant. I appreciate any assistance if you have any corrections or additions

Mary's diary, 1934-1936

Phyllis' diary, 1940-1946

Frances' diaries, 1962-1978

I also recommend you keep a diary!! I have been for the last 14 years and I have a lot to write, but even if you don't, they still make 5-year diaries with only a few lines to jot down what you did every day! I have one to catch what I did when there isn't much else to say about it. Diaries from now will be rarer than diaries from 100 years ago because more people use social media or digital diaries instead, but think about what happens when that technology is no longer usable! Save a future historian! Keep a journal!

#history #diary #diaries #journal #journaling #ephemera

[djassassino]

Orla Sheehan, Renowned Historian and Archeologist of Baldur's Gate

So I just recently finished Baldur's Gate 3. And I have a lot of things I want to put into words about the lore for my Tav, who is also my D&D character, Orla Sheehan.

SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE ACTS OF BALDUR'S GATE 3

Before Act 1:

Orla is a history professor at Baldur's Gate, teaching at many schools in the Upper City and acting as a leading figure in the study of ancient civilizations. Being an archeologist and explorer, Orla would often lead her own expeditions into the more perilous and stranger parts of Faerun. She studied for years the art of dueling and fighting with a rapier, so she was always able to defend herself. Alongside her was her partner and co-writer of many of her books, Drita. Drita is an incredibly well studied biologist and alchemist. She would help Orla with her expeditions very often. While the two were not romantic with each other, they had a strong bond and an immense deal of respect for each other.

Yet in a special expedition near Neverwinter, their group was attacked by bandits, who looked to rob Orla's party of their valuable artifacts and treasures. Orla always had this... not necessarily carefree attitude but leaning towards that when she fights. Training for years, she treats this like any menial task. Orla and her hired adventurers made quick work of the bandits, but in a brief moment of not thinking and foolishly thinking that everything was over, one of the bandits holds Drita hostage with a knife. Things go very badly and the bandit slices Drita's throat. Orla quickly kills the bandit and tries to heal Drita herself. But the wounds she took are too grievous for Orla's magic, who always thought they wouldn't need anything more. And so Drita died in Orla's arms.

Her death haunted Orla for so long. It snaps her back into reality as to how careless and lax she had been. So much so that it cost the life of one of her best friends and partners. Every since then, Orla acted more vigilant and selfless. For Drita's sake, she needed to be better. Never to allow such carelessness cost her someone's life once again.

Act 1:

The main thing about Act 1 to add onto the main story is the appearance of the Dream Visitor, who looks exactly like Drita. Even remembers what her life was like with Orla. Her mind swirls and races with so many thoughts and feelings, but nothing gets answered in that part of the game. It only serves as a realization of what she condemned her partner to.

On a brighter note though, Orla meets Karlach. Up until this point, Orla didn't really know how to handle emotions well. She has certainly never met anyone she wanted to be romantically involved with either. But Karlach's energy, her kindness, her loyalty to her friends, and her unwavering willingness to do good charmed her so deeply. And she's fucking hot but yeah.

And so a lot of Act 1 and Act 2 is Orla dealing with strong emotions she's never really had to deal with before. Love, romantic love. Nervousness, anxiety. Some of the motivators for those last two were part of the events of the story, but a good chunk of it was because of her time with Karlach.

Act 3:

The discovery of the Emperor devastated Orla. Finding out this mind flayer perverted and abused the memories that she had of Drita should have enraged her. But she knew it would get them nowhere.

At first, Orla wanted to find some way to fix Karlach's engine, but there was nothing she could find. Dammon had no more solutions for them. The upper city was completely sealed off, despite their best efforts to get in. And none of Orla's old associates knew anything, even those more well versed in Avernus and the Hells themselves. As Karlach started to accept her fate, Orla began to accept it too. And made it a point to make the most of their time together. Whether it was drinking a taverns, exploring the Lower City together, enjoying what they could of Baldur's Gate.

But after the Netherbrain was defeated and Orla saw Karlach begin to let herself go to the raging infernal engine in her chest, Orla stayed with her to the very end. Despite Karlach's warnings, Orla embraced her in those last moments as flames engulfed her. The infernal engine exploded. Nothing was left of Karlach. And Orla felt herself blasted back towards Wyll, who rushed her off to Shadowheart to treat the horrible wounds on her face and body. The explosion ripped apart her armor and burnt half of Orla's face and body badly. It was a miracle that she stayed intact at all. More so that she woke up days later in bed, being cared for by Shadowheart and her parents.

Baldur's Gate was saved. The people began to rebuild. Orla was a hero. Yet she didn't feel like celebrating. She laid in bed for days, staring up at the ceiling. The absence of that love and joy she felt for Karlach before was deafening. It felt like her heart was the one that got destroyed that day and she just continues to live for some cruel twist of fate. Part of her wished that she died in that explosion. That she went to the City of Judgement with her or whatever afterlife waiting them. As long as they were together.

But now she was gone. And Orla was still here.

Many of her companions would come to visit her, trying to cheer her up in some way. None of it worked, despite what methods they all used. Then one day, Dame Aylin visited Orla. She exclaimed that so many years ago, she too was in this same position as Orla. When she lost Isobel. And back then, while it may not have turned out well, what pushed her to keep going was her memory and the obligation she still had to the people that Isobel loved. Which is what Dame Aylin says to Orla. To remember what she still has. And remember that Karlach would want nothing more than for her to continue on, with the same heart and passion she did in life. And while blunt and loud were Aylin's words, they sparked something in Orla's heart. Something that she hadn't felt in weeks.

Immediately did Orla begin to write a new book. A history of her adventures. Of the people she traveled with. Of the heroes of Baldur's Gate. Quotes directly from her friends, of their trials and feelings and bonds with others. Or at least, what they were all willing to share.

And when it came to Karlach's chapter, she wrote of this woman who never failed to find the good in people. Of a woman who's smile burned as bright as the sun. Of a woman always kept her heart in the right place, despite having her original one stolen. Of a woman who vanquished evil with raging flames of justice. Of a woman that Orla deeply loved. Orla made sure that Karlach was remembered as a hero. As a savior. As someone people could look up to.

The burns on her face now serve as a reminder of the literal mark that Karlach left on her life. And a reminder that she will see her again. One day, when it's finally her time to pass on.

--------------------------------------

Yeah, I had a lot of thoughts about Baldur's Gate and my little D&D blorbo. If you made it this far, thank you and I really appreciate you for reading all of this! And I hope you enjoyed Baldur's Gate 3, if you played it!

#baldurs gate #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #baldur's gate oc #baldur's gate 3 oc #karlach #karlach cliffgate #bg3 karlach #orla sheehan #baldur's gate 3 act 3 spoilers #act 3 spoilers #all spoilers actually

[macbetha]

19 & 37

Thanks for your patience! 💞☺️

Nineteen: Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

This is a little long 💗

I was making up stories before I even knew how to write. I was very lucky to have a mom that would play dolls with me and she would say each morning, “What’s her name today? Where does she work? What does she do for fun?” I’m so so lucky.

My mom is also a writer! She writes children’s books and they’ve always had animal characters present, so I’m sure I use all my animal symbolism because of that. She and I also have a sort of book club for fanfictions! We’ll read a story at the same time and compare notes over coffee. She enjoys Hunger Games AUs the most.

My mother’s family is small but full of incredible storytellers. My uncle that passed, he would turn his voice and use sweeping gestures and it was such a beautiful thing. He was absolutely lyrical. He could make grim situations humorous and even a little beautiful. He loved the storytelling in music and played the guitar. I have his guitar, cannot play it worth anything, but if I’m overwhelmed I can easily remember him saying, “Just get somewhere alone and listen to your records.” So stories are generationally important to me.

I can’t remember why exactly I started writing fanfiction around age twelve but I do know what was going on in my life at the time, so I’m sure I needed escapism profusely. I’ve mentioned before I wrote some Alvin and the Chipmunks at the time lmao but I also did Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was a balm.

I wrote fanfiction for other media like young adult books until I was I think sixteen? Well, I stopped publishing them. I continued writing them but I kept telling myself I wasn’t ready to publish whatever came next? It was weird. I just kept building the story until years had passed and I guess I let intimidation get the best of me.

Then around age twenty I started writing for Free! and I don’t remember my mindset on why I decided to publish - I’m not sure what changed in my mind - but again, I needed some serious escapism. EWOATT is exaggerated but there’s a baseline of personal experiences I had never spoken about and I needed the release. I was hurting and had exhausted all other efforts to cope. It turned out better than I ever could have imagined.

I continued writing for years up until about nine months ago. Haven’t published anything since. I was in my last year of undergrad and I’m sure people are used to me taking breaks, but this is the longest stretch since I was twenty. I’m twenty-seven now. I miss sharing stories like it was a home and I am getting back into it. 💗

I do anticipate that it will be interesting for me to see how I’ve changed. My writing style is different but in a way I definitely like! Comeback incoming wooo~

Thirty-Seven: If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you?

“SHIT THIS GIRL WAS SO SAD” lmao no I’m not sure. I can say that if I got to choose what words I was remembered by, I’d want it to be the Asahi quote from EWOATT: “You can’t forget, okay? That there’s good in the world.”

I also like “I’d beg him to ruin my life” (Sousuke about Rin in DOAB) / “Your hands are my hands” (Makoto to Haruka in THOM)

Thank you for asking~! 🍄🍓

#ask #asks #ask game

[fabien-euskadi]

21, 22 and 31!

I had to ask question 22 back at you! Here's the personality test I mentioned in my reply.

21.something you’ve kept since childhood?

Hum… that is a tough one. I have moved a few times since those early years of my existence, and that means many things had to be left behind. Maybe my mom still has anything from that era (I believe she does). However, there are very things from those times that I brought to my current place (or places - there are currently two) …

… until I realized there is a book. Yes, a book, a book called “The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of Portugal”. I saw it on a bookstore (was it a bookstore?) when I was 9 or 10, and immediately fell in love with that huge book with Piódão in the front cover and Barrancos in the back cover (I had just been in both, as far as I remember). My mother bought me the book, and I still have it with me all the time. Actually, I check it frequently - I want to visit all the 122 villages, but, so far, I have only been in half of them.

You may think I am a complete lunatic, but, when I look for a new place to live, I frequently check that book. If it was considered one of “The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of Portugal” (a subjective categorization, I should admit), then it’s a plus. The head of the county where I am right now is in that very list. Many places I like to photograph are also inspired by that book.

22.what type of person are you?

Well, you already knew my answer to this one, correct? 😊 Obviously you knew it, you read it.

So, the famous 16 personalities test - once again, a way of trying to define someone, to limit their personality. I took it for the first time several years ago, because my (then) girlfriend – who was a therapist - wanted me to; I don’t remember the result, because it changes from time to time. I am not always the same person, and the environment around me is not always the same - and neither are the circumstances.

But I made the test. This time, I am an INFP-T (the Mediator). As far as I know, that’s very common among writers and artists in general. However, defining me as just a writer would be extremely limitative, since that is just one of the things I do in my life (albeit I must admit that is, probably, my biggest passion). In the same way that it would be incredibly restrictive to classify me as a PhD student - or even an historian.

Even saying that I am Miguel is limitative. Because that name was not chosen by me, it was chosen by someone else, without asking for my opinion (for obvious reasons, I admit).

31.what type of music keeps you grounded?

It all depends on how I am feeling, and what I am doing in that very moment. But most of the time, rock (not all subgenres, I confess), metal (the same) and neoclassical darkwave/dark ambient music are what keeps me grounded.

But it depends - I am not always the same person, and nor is my music, and, lately, I am learning to explore some things that, years ago, I would simply runnaway from (synthwave and synthpop, for example).

However, funk carioca and reggaeton are, per definition, not welcome in this house. But are they even considered music?

(thank you very much - it's always a pleasure talking to you)

[winter-came]

YOU ASKED AND I AM HERE TO DELIVER. For the writer ask:

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral?

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end.

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story?

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?

37. If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you?

friend, you are about to get very chaotic and half-coherent answers

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

- I don't think I have a ritual. Ritual is something you repeat right? Well, I have a random burst of writing energy between 11pm and 3am. That's the cursed part. I absolutely demolish my sleeping schedule.

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral?

- martyr

-gone

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

- a piece of writing 100% haunted me but you could put my hand into a fire rn and I won't tell you a quote

- and my own writing haunted me too. There are two quotes that just live rent-free in my head, you know which one I'm talking about

["take care of the world for me." & "when you look over your shoulder, what do you see? do I haunt you? to haunt. what a terrible word for missing someone."

- what does it mean for me? that no matter how loud my impostor syndrome can get, those pieces of my writing are undeniable proof I have it in me and it's GOOD.

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you to write about? What is easy?

- hard is good family dynamics, or in general writing nice/comfortable scenes [my other friend once said: you can't write about what you never experience and frankly I was speechless]

- I also can't write about romantic/sexual relationships. thas is just beyond my skills and appetite tbh

- easy is a tragedy [wink] and just pure unleashed angst

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end.

- friend? you are literally the first-hand witness to all of my passages and all "how it started, how it's going"

- but for someone who ISN'T...

“But why him?! He had nothing to do with it! ” tears rolled down his cheeks, glittering diamonds.

“Because it’s Hadia. Because it’s personal. All this could’ve been avoided if you just didn't lie.” Marana took out a vial with small orange beads inside of it. She unscrew a lid and reached through the bars. With a firm grip, she forced Roman’s mouth open. Emptying a bottle. “There.'' She let him go.

Roman spat out but the beads already melted. The bitter taste reminded him of cracked black pepper. “Really? A poison? You know that I am already dying!”

“Oh but that wasn't poison. It was an antidote.”

Marana looked straight into his eyes. “Death would be a mercy for you. But to live with a burden of guilt? Far better. More corrupting. Trust me, I know.” she leaned closer. “You will live out your days knowing that you cost them their lives. And for what? A bit of money. But don’t worry, I will secure that for you too.”

“You are a monster.”

“I might be. How do they call me in those rats-filled streets you call home?”

“Marana The Black.”

“Indeed, and there is a reason for it. You had a chance to not find out. And you fucking wasted it.”

this one started widely different. Roman was supposed to die because of the poison, and I held out, insisting on it for a very long time. Then I got an idea of how to keep him alive but make it worse. Marana was supposed to meet him only once and then be done with him. And it ended up looking like this. Honestly, I don't think this answer make sense but-

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

- no organization. I just have one large google doc for each story where I dump quotes, ideas, names, and written-down chapters.

-but I have also a folder in my computer with finished pdf versions

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

- hm I'm not sure what is being asked here. I don't prepare much? When I need to know something (e.g.which wood is durable but also very light) I just google it as I'm writing.

- I do think a lot about the ideas and plot connections, or how the characters move and talk and just what kind of person they are

- but in generally I sit down with very vague idea of what I want to happen in the scene and then I let the chaos reign

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story?

- Marcus Mercar has a cold allergy.

-Hadia has three cats - Sunny, Pumpkin, and Cleo [fun fact: I asked my very good friend to name those cats]

-Roman Bass HATES cabbage

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?

- I will have to get back to you on this one.

but oof, something from the top of my head?

"I like to call myself a wound, but I will answer to a knife."

I saw this one once on Pinterest and just OUCHIE

what it means for me? just that sort of self-view that I pity myself often and think of how much I've been hurt but I fail to see myself as someone who had done damage.

BUT more often than not, it's actually reverse. That I see myself as the knife all the time [bad, cold, merciless, cruel] and refuse to see myself as the wound. ANYWAYS

37. If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you?

- this bitch was sadistically obsessed with tragedy

#thanks #enjoy this insane chaos answers #literally put no filter

[nemisis09]

Daughters of Sparta

If you are a lover Of Greek mythology, ancient history, or even just Percy Jackson than Daughters of Sparta is just the quick read for you, and I say quick read because I read this book while on vacation and finished this in a day and a half. This book follows the lives of sisters Klytemnestra ( Nestra oldest daughter of Queen Leda and King Tyndareus, also original heir of Sparta) and Helen, as they navigate marriage, motherhood and having to grow up rapidly and in a king’s world. The author Claire Heywood is a historian and truly a incredible writer as she not only make you eager to flip the page but also ready fo her next book going in February of 2023. For lovers of The Song of Achilles this book holds the same kind of historical magic that floats on the pages of Madeline Miller’s novel. With each chapter you can feel the Love, betrayal, and utter hatred for each character's pain and story. Alike to the afore mentioned stories each moment in these stories you can feel the characters coming to life in ways that they haven't been connected to in thousands of tellings of this story that have always been portrayed as man against man for the love of the most beautiful woman in Ancient Greece, into a realistic more personal story about tough decisions and heartfelt tragedies. While this book may be better suited for  adults and teens comfortable with the description of risqué acts. All of this being said this is definitely on of the best books of this genre, a great read, and. a fantastic debut book of author Heywood and as I said earlier I can’t wait for her up coming book on Perseus.

#booklovers #daughtersofsparta #claireheywood #review #firstpost #the song of achilles #madeline miller #theshadowofperesus #greek mythology #Helen #klytemnestra #paris #troy #Sparta #agemenmon #menelaos

[vintagegeekculture]

Who coined the term “blaster?”

I’ve said for years that the first person to use the phrase was Jack Williamson, who also coined the terms “terraforming” and “genetic engineering,” in his Legion of Space novels from 1936. These stories were a highlight of the pre-golden age, F. Orlin Tremaine era of Astounding, just before Campbell took over and kicked off the era we know:

However, recently, a far older occurrence of the term “blaster” was found, this time, dated to an incredible full decade earlier (1925), by one of the strangest and most mysterious men in all of science fiction history: Nictzin Dyalhis. 

Dyalhis is the most mysterious of all of the Weird Tales writers. For starters, very little biographical information about him can concretely be determined. Weird Tales historian and superfan L. Sprague de Camp (who worked hard to get many Weird Tales writers like C.L. Moore and Robert E. Howard published after the magazine ended, saving them from total obscurity in the paperback era), a man who wrote in depth biographies of weird shut ins who left very little personal trails in the real world, like Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, looked into Dyalhis and could find absolutely nothing, except that, as near as he could tell, Nictzin Dyalhis was his real name, as he was of Welsh origin and his first name was derived from the fact his father was obsessed with everything Aztec. 

Dyalhis was not only mysterious, but did not correspond with his contemporaries like C.L. Moore, Lovecraft, or Hugh B. Cave much, and in his entire life, had only 15 published stories. One of them, the Sea Witch, is basically if Haggard’s She got a happy ending (what kids today call a “fix-fic” except it got published and is one of the best horror stories of all time). 

Nictzin Dyalhis used the term “blaster” to refer to a ray gun in the 1925 story, “When the Green Star Waned,” but the reason it wasn’t caught until now is that he spelled it “blastor” (which seems wrong to me). 

I was holding my Blastor pointing ahead of me; for as I blundered full upon the monstrosity it upheaved its ugly bulk—how I do not know, for I saw no legs nor did it have wings—to one edge and would have flopped down upon me, but instinctively I slid forward the catch on the tiny Blastor, and the foul thing vanished—save for a few fragments of its edges—smitten into nothingness by the vibration hurled forth from that powerful little disintegrator.

#nictzin dyalhis #weird tales #scifi history #science fiction

[its-opheliasgarden]

The Stars We Stole At Night (우리가 밤에 훔친 별) 

Baek Gyeon-woo, the village flirt and con artist, and Do Joon, the eldest son of a nobleman, strike an unlikely friendship, when Baek Gyeon-woo schemes to get Do Joon out of his arranged marriage to Yi Hae-ryung. Do Joon only has eyes for Ma Ji-hwa, a commoner and his childhood sweetheart.

Yi Hae-ryung, proud and arrogant, despises the confines of marriage. She reluctantly agrees to her union with Do Joon to appease her family. An aspiring writer, she finds solace and comfort in the pages of her favorite books, the only companion she will ever need.

When Baek Gyeon-woo plan to seduce Yi Hae-ryung is set into motion, he soon finds himself bewitched by her charm. Will Baek Gyeon-woo be able to to fight his growing feelings for Yi Hae-ryung and stick to the plan? 

Of course when these new items dropped with the latest update, I just had to live out my sageuk (historical K-drama) dreams! Also saw some incredible posts from @hotpatched, @harinezumi-sims, and @thesimsblues so I couldn’t help but create some new Sims for these outfits too! 

A lot of inspiration for these characters came from some of favorite dramas like Mr. Queen and Rookie Historian! This particular edit was 100% inspired by this promo poster for Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency!

Also please note I did use Google to translate the title so apologies for any grammatical mistakes on the name! 

-d.

#ts4 #ts4 maxis match #ts4mm #ts4 lookbook #ts4 story #its-opheliasgarden

[dandelion-turtle]

Hyakinthos

Hyakinthos was a Spartan prince, most prominently known in Amyclae with a decent cult following. there are a couple of different people listed as being his parents, but the most popular is King Amyclus and Diomedes. if Amyclus was his father, that would also make Daphne, another of Apollo’s lovers, Hyakinthos’s sister. it seems like he would be quite simple, he has a relatively small story with one of the earliest written records from Hesiod. in this version there is no love rival, just an accident. written in the 7th century BC, it was merely one, albeit long, sentence.

”. . ((lacuna)) rich-tressed Diomede; and she bare Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus), the blameless one and strong . . ((lacuna)) whom, on a time Phoibos (Phoebus) [Apollon] himself slew unwittingly with a ruthless disk.”

however, the most famous version, and one that most will know, comes from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. written somewhere between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, this sentence long story grew to be paragraphs long. in which Ovid describes the love Apollo and Hyakinthos have for each other — which was the ultimate demise for the young prince. with parts of it coming from the perspective of a mourning Apollo, Ovid writes how Hyakinthos was turned into a flower with “ai, ai” written on the petals to express Apollo’s sadness. and the version that we all have come to know including betrayal and jealous rage from Zephyros (the West Wind), is hinted at in Pausanias’ “Description of Greece”.

”[In the temple of Apollon at Amyklai (Amyclae) Nikias (Nicias) [painter fl. c. 320 B.C.], son of Nikomedes, has painted him [Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus)] in the very prime of youthful beauty, hinting at the love of Apollon for Hyakinthos of which legend tells . . . As for Zephyros (the West Wind), how Apollon unintentionally killed Hyakinthos, and the story of the flower, we must be content with the legends, although perhaps they are not true history.”

despite this seemingly clear-cut story, there’s a lot more than meets the eye with Hyakinthos. according to many historians the -nth part of his name is pre-Hellenic and comes from the Mycenaean era. another word like that would be Corinth — a pre-Greek polis that was destroyed and rebuilt. this leads many to believe that Hyakinthos was around BEFORE Apollo. he would have been a chthonic vegetation god — almost like the male equivalent to Persephone. this leads to a few different theories, but before I get to that, let me tell you the story of Hyakinthos as told by Ovid and Lucian’s “Dialogues of the Gods”. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ The Myth ⊱

Hyakinthos was a beautiful Spartan prince. he had many lovers, but the one that had eventually won his heart was Apollo. the god taught beautiful long-haired Hyakinthos how to play the lyre, how to use a bow and arrows, a little bit on prophecies, and gave him a swan chariot. the two were incredibly in love, but sadly, there was someone who didn’t like that. Zephyros, the west wind, was jealous for he too loved Hyakinthos. he had tried to woo him but it really was no match for Apollo. he watched the two men play again and again until he had eventually had enough of it. he ultimately created one of the most tragic love stories. like most days, Apollo and Hyakinthos were together, playing around and having mild competitions throwing a discus. Apollo wanted to show off for Hyakinthos so he could see just what a god could do. he threw a discus high into the air, clearing the clouds away and it disappeared into the sky. Hyakinthos wanted to impress his lover as well, so he chased after the discus laughing. Zephyros in a fit of rage at the two men enjoying themselves changed the course of the discus. as it came to land, the force was so strong that it bounced off the ground and smashed into Hyakinthos’s face. Apollo ran to his lover and tried every kind of medicine and healing he could think of. he even placed ambrosia on his lover’s lips but blood flowed freely from the wound. there was no way for him to stop a wound of Fate. in his despair, he turned Hyakinthos into a flower, but seeing that wasn’t good enough, he wrote his grief upon the petals. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Symbolism From The Myth ⊱

Taking A Temple as mentioned before, it’s very likely that Hyakinthos was an older deity from the pre-hellenic period. something that many Greek writers did, was create a myth of how a deity began their worship in a specific place. we know the temple that Apollo was worshipped at in Amyclae was older than when his worship would have started. one theory behind this myth then, is how Apollo came to be worshipped over Hyakinthos at the temple and area; by killing the previous deity. it sounds sad, but it’s actually happened several times, and even with Apollo specifically. the most famous example I can think of would be at Delphi. originally the temple was in honor of the titan Gaia. Apollo came in valiantly and killed the Python (which is what gives Apollo’s priestesses their name) and inevitably took the temple over with his worship. what this doesn’t account for, is the fact Hyakinthos is still worshipped at the temple heavily, his and Apollo’s worship having mingled and being near inseparable. it is even said that upon his death and burial, Apollo said to give him (Hyakinthos) all offerings first. now, if you know a thing or two about Greek worship, the first portion of the offering was incredibly important, especially considering hero worship was probably closer to chthonic sacrifices in practice; though they were not considered to be ‘dead’. within my research so far, I have yet to find this happening somewhere else, but I will update this if I ever do. now all of this is unusual with the theory that this myth symbolizes one deity taking over. if that were the case, why continue to worship Hyakinthos? Duality some of you may not know this about me, but I am a sucker when it comes to duality, specifically with lovers. this myth may be a symbol for the growing season and harvest of the crops. while it may be a common motif, especially among the Greeks, I think it’s a sweet and somber story giving personification to an important aspect of Greek life. I also believe the duality is less about the exacts of what they rule over, but the way they were worshipped. the closest example I can think of also comes from Delphi with the duality between Apollo and Dionysos (who, shockingly enough, was the only other god historians believe was present during the Hyakinthia festival besides Apollo and Hyakinthos). as a hero, or simply for his chthonic aspect, the ritual and practice would have been far different than that for Apollo. while this isn’t exactly backed by anything I can find specific to duality, I personally feel a reason both Apollo and Hyakinthos were worshipped together in Amyclae is due to that duality between them. Hyakinthos would have been a chthonic deity probably for vegetation or agriculture, whereas Apollo here is a god of light (not the sun) representing life, health, and the ultimate grief. their worship in Amyclae was always together once Apollo was introduced (to some this hinted that they were possibly the same person representing a cycle, but most disagree with this theory). the duality is clearly a theme already for Apollo, and I think what happened at Delphi with Dionysos is the same for Amyclae and Hyakinthos. together they represent loss and mourning but also happiness and life — love. ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Hyakinthos Associations ⊱

okay, now that I have bored you all to death, let’s talk about some less heavy things. due to their worship being completely together, I would say that nearly anything related to Apollo can also be associated with Hyakinthos and vice versa. however, we love individuality in this house, so let’s talk about the things either associated with him through the various, limited texts we have and some UPG. Associations ➳ larkspurs/hyacinths ➳ swans ➳ bow and arrow ➳ summer! ➳ new spring growth ➳ chiton’s (they were offered to him by the women of Sparta) ➳ death ➳ rebirth/cycles ➳ chariot’s ➳ blood ➳ blue/purple/red colors ➳ discus (sorry) ➳ lavender ➳ lyre ➳ lapis lazuli ➳ amethyst ➳ black tourmaline ═══════════════════════════ Devotional Activities ➳ keeping a garden ➳ maybe even an indoor garden ➳ go to parks and feed the swans/birds ➳ archery ➳ sports ➳ making a chiton ➳ writing poems ➳ taking care of those around you ➳ growing larkspurs/hyacinths ➳ get a devotional journal ➳ create a playlist (sad songs for the most part) ➳ fall in love deeply ═══════════════════════════

⊰ Deity Or Divine Hero? ⊱

I don’t know if this question can be answered for a fact honestly. what we do know is that he was at least worshipped as a hero, that much can be said. anything further than that comes at a later time and from the outside perspective. a lot of ancient Greek writers didn’t write down certain things because they saw them as common knowledge. this doesn’t help us looking back now. what we can say, is that some of the offerings given to him were not common with hero worship and would have been reserved for the gods. this is according to Angeliki Petropoulou, a professor in ancient greek studies/religion, and the author of “Hyakinthos and Apollo of Amyklai: Identities and Cults. A Reconsideration of the Written Evidence” pages 153-161. Within this, she makes the argument that Hyakinthos has gone through ‘apotheosis’. this is the action of a mortal, usually a hero, becoming a god. note: ‘βουθυσί��’ is a traditional oxen sacrifice.

“The βουθυσία for Hyakinthos, which is indicative of his new immortal status, should be placed on the third day too. Oxen are costly victims, the bull being the most “noble” sacrificial animal. After mourning for Hyakinthos’s death and making a propitiatory sacrifice at his tomb, they honoured him with a bull sacrificed as if to a god. Yet the geographical range in which he was regarded as god was rather circumscribed and did not spread beyond the borders of Lakedaimonia. The βουθυσία for Hyakinthos would have been instituted after the construction of the altar on which Apollo received sacrifices; for the only altar excavated, in an area filled with remnants of burnt sacrifices, is attributed to Apollo.”

so there you have it. most places will probably call him a hero, and that wouldn’t be wrong. others may call him a deity, which also isn’t wrong. I’ll tell you what I’m personally going to go with, and everyone can make their own decision based on the information listed through this post and the readings I’ll link at the bottom. no matter your conclusion, the relationship you have will be completely yours, and it’s ok! if anything, I encourage that over taking my word for it. ══════════════════════════ for me, I think I consider him a deity. I know that I heavily romanticize the story, and with Apollo being so near to my heart, him having a terrible love life hurts my soul. while I don’t exactly want to rewrite any myths, I won’t claim that they are married, I will say that I believe them to be happy. their worship in Amyclae was so intertwined and based completely around each other from the history we know, that, for me, it makes sense to also honor them together. I’ll leave you all on one more incredibly sad quote from Lucien’s “Dialogue of the Gods” (that I referenced from earlier).

”Apollon : Well, my loves never prosper; Daphne and Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus) were my great passions; she so detested me that being turned to a tree was more attractive than I; and him I killed with a quoit. Nothing is left me of them but wreaths of their leaves and flowers.”

it’s ok to cry, I do nearly every time I read that.

⊰ For Further Reading ⊱

➳Hyakinthos theoi ➳Apollo theoi ➳Hyakinthos Wiki ➳My Hellenic Research Google Drive this also contains the Sparta book I reference and a few others worth a read.

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