#Ive been praying with those epithets for MONTHS

[sunlitpath]

Did you know Apollo has a war aspect?

[mcdonaldsnumberone]

ohhhh i had fun reading your analysis on argenti's gothic motifs!! i don't really play star rail (i couldn't handle grinding for that and genshin at the same time) but i think your analysis is sound and you presented good evidence. just wanted to share: 1) i really like your comparisons to Idrilla to the Virgin Mary cause that to me then suggests argenti's worship is similar to the Marian Devotions, a type of practice among Christians solely focused on the Mary, mother of God. From my experience as a Filipino Catholic in the Philippines, the Marian Devotions involve a lot of prayers and pilgrimages. October is considered the rosary month and for those really devout, they pray the rosary every day and also pass a statue of the Virgin Mary house to house. Similarly, there are a lot of churches in the Philippines dedicated to the Virgin Mary and people will typically undergo a pilgrimage to go there and pray. 2) in the same vein, the Virgin Mary actually has a lot of titles and epithets! There's Our Lady of Solitude, Queen of Heaven, Our Lady of Fatima, etc. More interestingly, there's Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose), Our Lady of Sorrows, and Our Lady of the Thorns. So there's that interesting connection with Argenti's design. 3.) going off of that, a lot of the titles of the Virgin Mary are actually from supposed apparitions of her in certain places which have been acknowledged by the Church. examples of these are Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Lourdes. thus, you could connect argenti's desire to see Idrilla as a nod to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. 4.) weak argument, but you could also argue that red is a color associated with the Virgin Mary. it is certainly not HER color, since white and blue are what she's typically associated with, but nonetheless, there's a lot of art of her wearing red. again, weak argument but yeah. 5.) lastly, we also didn't learn much about courtly love but if i remember, from what i read, the main characteristic of the woman in the courtly love is that she has to be unattainable. now, i could be misremembering, but again i think some have tried connecting the unattainable lady to the virgin mary. i just know that some said that courtly love feels somewhat religious and that lancelot and guinevere's relationship, while a form of courtly love, is also a perversion and hence it is necessary to punish them. but idk, i last read about this when i was in my second year so yeah. i also really like your claim that argenti is inspired by gallahad. if i remember correctly, gallahad was a later addition to the arthurian cycle and was created as a punishment (for lack of better word) for lancelot's faults. gallahad is supposed to represent the ideal that his father failed to embody. anyway, yeah. sorry for yapping in your inbox, had fun reading your analysis, 10/10 i think you should mesh art history and character analysis again <33

hi hi thank you for taking the time to read my sicko yap and to also leave an ask!! putting this under cut since im a chronic yapper

the stuff about pilgrimage and worship in the philippines is so cool! i know southeast asia has a lot of fun stuff going on as far as religious devotion is concerned but ive never had a chance to really study it in any capacity so this is all really cool stuff to me!

the epithets are definitely a good point to consider! especially the lady of thorns one because we see thorns everywhere with both argenti and idrila. one of these days i want to do more biblical flower analysis since i know one of mary's tried and true flower symbols is the lily, but that's really i got LMAO

as far as colors go, my gothic art professor (who's apparently a leading scholar in the field?? send a priv ask or a dm if you want details since im not that eager to doxx myself just yet HAHA) always said that the gothic were INSANE about symbolism so i wouldn't be surprised if there was some significance to the color red and mary. like you mentioned, i associate blue more with mary but that isn't to say i haven't seen her dressed in red (i think one of my stained glass examples literally has her in red)

side tangent: ive yapped a little bit before about how the mirror holders collecting parts of idrila's body is very reminiscent of the catholic practice of relics, but thats a whole can of worms i gotta read up on a little more to fully get into.

and yes you're absolutely right about the courtly love stuff! thinking too hard about lancelot makes my stomach hurt and im sure i can make a more nuanced argument with time, but like . am i crazy if i say that argenti's master and argenti are literally a lancelot-galahad parallel. like i feel insane if i think about any of them for longer than thirty seconds.

i know i probably sound like those english teachers with the "curtains were blue" symbolism shit but . its genuinely really interesting to me to see how deep argenti's symbolism can go like so much of his character design and lore has been lovingly crafted to reflect centuries of storytelling and art and its SOOOOOO !!!!! it makes my peepeepoopoo heart very happy

but yes!! thanks again for dropping this into my askbox! im sure ill vomit some more sicko shit abt argenti sooner or later, but this was all super cool tidbits!!!!

[excorcismic]

    ❛ and my eyes are DAMP from the words you left , ringing in my head                            when you broke my chest . . . ❜

                                                   ❛ I’M STILL YOUR ZELDA . ❜                                                           playlist . plotting call . listen as you read !

the mirrors surrounding you did as they were meant to, reflecting back a spitting image of COURTNEY EATON  -  but it’s clear something is wrong from the moment that a vision of THE SAVIOR ; BLINDING LIGHT AS YOU PROTECT YOUR FINAL HOPE strikes you.  perhaps it was a passing daydream in the frenzy of the funhouse. you reassure yourself  -  you’re ( PRINCESS ) ZELDA KING ! ,  a TWENTY-TWO YEAR-OLD BIOLOGY STUDENT / FLORIST EMPLOYEE whose virtue lies in your + INTELLIGENT & + GOOD-HEARTED , although you’ve been told that you tend to be quite - INSECURE & - PESSIMISTIC ,  and you’re associated with THE PRESSURE OF APOCALYPSE ON YOUR SHOULDERS , THE BLINDING LIGHT OF AN EXORCISM - A CLEANSING OF EVIL , GOLDEN TEARS FALLING INTO COLD & UNKIND WATERS OF PRAYER by those around you.  suddenly ,  however ,  you’ve found GOLDEN BRACELETS on your person - was that always there ? from the moment you leave the funhouse,  memories from your life in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA have begun to return - leaving whoever you had been before in the mirror’s reflection behind you .  you can almost hear I OF THE STORM by OF MONSTERS AND MEN following in your wake. ( she/they &  genderfluid )

                  this is the story of a very powerful being .

I . IF I COULD FACE THEM, IF I COULD MAKE AMENDS WITH ALL MY SHADOWS . . .

zelda king is born to a prestigious family with years of alucard history in their bloodlines . their father , speaking the word of the lord with a tongue of gold , and their mother , speaking the scripts of the law with a tongue of silver . they’re comfortable & happy - and the bundle they hold in their arms is the one that will carry along their glory .

so , simply , a child does not grow allowed to be a child - nothing but the best , that is what zelda king has been told to be from a young age .

from the moment she can enroll in school , she enters an expensive private school . from the moment she can speak , she is instructed to help her father with sunday mass . from the moment she can walk , she is sent to try out every single sport or physical activity until she finds one that suits her fancy ( she finds it in fencing . ) and it’s decided from an early age that she’ll either go into lord or law , golden tongue or silver . nothing else . and she is to get nothing but the best grades , as a prodigy is the bare minimum for what a king should be .

II . I’D BOW MY HEAD , AND WELCOME THEM . . .

zelda king has no say in the matter when it comes to her life - she doesn’t grow up with many friends that she chooses on her own , but she does have a few that her parents approve of . she doesn’t do much outside of the activities expected of her , but she likes to watch the other kids play & mess around . studying , fencing , praying - it seems like that’s all she knows .

but there’s an instance where her parents are out of town , and zelda’s aunt rachel is the one they ask to babysit . and aunt rachel introduces the young child to a new concept : fun . fun is something that every child should prioritize , according to her , and the week that she is gone does zelda begin to learn what she’s missing out on .

her aunt first takes her on a trip to the park , and from then on zelda is enamored by the outside world she has yet to see up close . her aunt teaches her about flowers & nature and they spend the afternoon trudging through muddy grass and getting themselves dirty with the earth around them , making ‘food’ out of the dandelions and weed , picking wildflowers and braiding them together . the next day , aunt rachel takes zelda to the book store - and she purchases a bunch of books on flora & fauna with bright pictures yet lots of words . as her aunt bakes cookies , zelda points out everything she likes . 

bedtime stories consist of stories about gods & goddesses and princesses , knights , monsters . a few of them lead the young child to want to learn more , and back they go to the book store , where aunt rachel gives her books on greek , norse , egyptian mythos and more . as her aunt tends to a bundle of roses on the kitchen table , zelda tells her how cool it’d be to be like athena or freya .

but week-long vacations last for a week and not forever , and as much as zelda wishes it was different , aunt rachel has to leave again . but even as she’s put through her usual activities and rigorous studies once more , she’s found a new love in other things : the world around her , present and past . her parents shut the door on her to go to bed and she pulls out a flashlight , so instead of sleeping , she reads nothing but the books her aunt gave her .

III . BUT I FEEL IT BURNING , LIKE WHEN THE WINTER WIND STOPS MY BREATHING . . . > ( tw : maternal death )

it’s years still of endless pushing & pursuing but here is zelda still immersed in her passions to keep her from falling - as it feels like pillars of expectations are on her shoulders . she’s atlas , but while she holds the sky she thinks of the earth around her & the stories and fairytales and the pain becomes less and less .

of course . . . that does not save her from the pain that comes with a lost loved one .

mrs . king is laid to rest when zelda is seventeen ; the scholarly child is already overcome with grief , and as her father holds her hand while sobbing , they recover together at a slow pace . things are quiet as they calm , but over a few months as zelda tells him of her acceptance into college - he tells her that she must go into law to make her mother proud . it was the woman’s dying wish , after all , and her law firm will be zelda’s when she’s ready .

but . . . that is not what zelda wants . she wants to go into science ; to research and study life around her , and to explore and see more of the wonders beyond alucard . she doesn’t want to be in a stuffy courtroom , she wishes to run around and study the beauty that populates this planet . but when she assigns her major as biology , her father fumes . the only way she can appease him is promising she’ll minor in law , and she does so , but there’s nothing but endless frustration .

she loves her mom , and she wants to respect her mom’s memory - but she should not toss away her own person to do so .

as a college student , zelda sits back and reflects on her past two decades of allowing her parents to shape her into someone they want rather than what she wants to be . only her aunt has allowed her to be her own person , and at this point she realizes that she only know a bit about herself . she hasn’t had much of an opportunity to discover who she is , but she knows what she likes - science & history .

she sits in her college dorm , alone at her desk , thinking to herself about how she’s an adult now ; she is free , and the only thing that can allow her to still cave into what others want is herself . she makes a vow to start moving into the directions she wants ; she has only known herself to be by what others think - the whispers of little miss perfect and the alucard prodigy are common epithets . and she is proud that she’s intelligent , but she’d rather try and make her own path and get to know herself better .

so she promises to discover zelda king , and not the perfect princess , the goody-two-shoes , the next in the bloodline . there is a slumbering power that resides in this person . . . a slumbering power that she’ll unlock by learning who she is .

IV . ARE YOU REALLY GONNA LOVE ME WHEN I’M GONE ??

she still needs to slowly stave from twenty years of people pleasing - baby steps . the expectations she’s under are still heavy and she has yet to figure out how she wants to free herself of them .

she does know a few things : one , she does genuinely love knowledge and learning . scholarly pursuits are her passions , especially those having to do with scientific and historical studies . museums and exhibits are her favorite places as well as botanical gardens and open parks .

two , she doesn’t hate everything her parents have introduced to her . fencing is something she’s still active in ; maybe that’s something that comes with the pride of being a champion , but she doesn’t mind it .

three , she wants to explore not only the world around her , but the people . even people that her father would never allow inside the house - in fact , that only DRAWS zelda to them . she wants to expand her horizons , do away with the perfection reputation she’s gained . she is still . . . new , but she is determined to shake the perception . 

her talents are not only known in the social circle of her family - given the fact her father is a local preacher and her mother was a popular & well-trusted lawyer , their prodigy child only had her own reputation . from fencing champion to star student to trilingualist to golden choir child , she’s either loved or hated by those who strictly only know her by her epithets . it’s . . . irritating , to say the least .

she doesn’t believe in religion & law sours her , even though she does as well in the latter as much as she does in biology . she has a natural gift for speaking & presenting , but would rather engage in the environment of the outdoors and the laboratories than the courtroom . 

and . . . sometimes it is easy to tell that she is cracking under the stress and pressure she’s been carrying for years . a kind person & an intellectual with gifts , talent , skill - but she still needs to learn it’s okay to breathe . she can let herself breathe now . it’s alright .

some chances to breathe come - such as her job at the florist ; she can spat off a million facts about each flower , each succulent , each plant . she loves the arrangement of bouquets , the look on a young teen’s face as she fixes their corsage . flowers are a gift to the world zelda can’t help but appreciate . 

she also loves the library ; still sometimes more focused on books of her passions than her studies . she knows almost every greek , egyptian , norse myth by heart , and has read almost every book on those shelves at least twice . 

twenty two years old , genderfluid , pansexual . passionate in all things biology , history , flowers , and mythos . still a lot to discover , but . . . zelda is becoming quite fond of the person she’s finding herself to be . perhaps one of the smartest people in alucard , but certainly with a heart as big as her brain .

                                                         and they call me under . . . 

there is someone . someone with blood in her mouth , dirt on her cheeks , but herpalms glow with the golden light of the heavens & her veins run with the divine ichor of gods . she looks at zelda from the other side of the mirror with damp & reddened eyes , but as her chin rises with confidence , there’s maybe a smile of COCKINESS and belief that no matter what evil comes towards her , she’s got this . and zelda . . . as confused as she is , leaves the house of mirrors with the same thing . she’s a being of the gods ; ichor flows through her veins and every word from her mouth is from the tongues of the heavens . and there is power that resides in every action , every line spoken . . . she is both blessed & a blessing , and she will do good things here .

[pamphletstoinspire]

Book of Wisdom - From The Latin Vulgate - Chapter 7

INTRODUCTION.

This book is so called, because it treats of the excellence of Wisdom, the means to obtain it, and the happy fruits it produces. It is written in the person of Solomon, and contains his sentiments. But it is uncertain who was the writer. It abounds with instructions and exhortations to kings and magistrates to administer justice in the commonwealth, teaching all kinds of virtues under the general names of justice and wisdom. It contains also many prophecies of Christ's coming, passion, resurrection, and other Christian mysteries. The whole may be divided into three parts: [1.] In the six first chapters, the author admonishes all superiors to love and exercise justice and wisdom. [2.] In the next three, he teacheth that wisdom proceedeth only from God, and is procured by prayer, and a good life. [3.] In the other ten chapters, he sheweth the excellent effects, and utility of wisdom and justice. (Challoner)

Chapter 7

The excellence of wisdom: how she is to be found.

1 I myself also am a mortal man, like all others, and of the race of him, that was first made of the earth, and in the womb of my mother I was fashioned to be flesh.

Notes & Commentary:

Ver. 1. Myself. Solomon acquired wisdom, and all others may do it.

2 In the time of ten months I was compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and the pleasure of sleep concurring.

Ver. 2. No explanation given.

3 And being born, I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, that is made alike, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do.

Ver. 3. No explanation given.

4 I was nursed in swaddling clothes, and with great cares.

Ver. 4. No explanation given.

5 For none of the kings had any other beginning of birth.

Ver. 5. No explanation given.

6 For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out.

Ver. 6. Out. Augustus asked a little before his death: "Have we acted our part (personæ) well enough?" (Suetonius) --- Life is like a stage; before and after which, all are equal.

7 Wherefore I wished, and understanding was given me: and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me:

Ver. 7. Wherefore, as I had no advantage over others naturally, I asked for the wisdom requisite to fill so important an office, 3 Kings ix. 10. (Calmet) --- Solomon, whose sayings are here recorded, prayed for wisdom. (Worthington)

8 And I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.

Ver. 8. Preferred. I did not ask for extensive dominions, &c. (Calmet) --- In Proverbs viii. 10., &c., as well as here, some things refer to the uncreated, and others to created wisdom. (Menochius)

9 Neither did I compare unto her any precious stone: for all gold, in comparison of her, is as a little sand; and silver, in respect to her, shall be counted as clay.

Ver. 9. No explanation given.

10 I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for her light cannot be put out.

Ver. 10. No explanation given.

11 Now all good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands,

Ver. 11. No explanation given.

12 And I rejoiced in all these: for this wisdom went before me, and I knew not that she was the mother of them all.

Ver. 12. No explanation given.

13 Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy, and her riches I hide not.

Ver. 13. Not. Ecclesiasticus xx. 32., and Matthew xxv. 25. Such disinterestedness deserves to be imitated by all the learned, chap. vi. 25.

14 For she is an infinite treasure to men: which they that use, become the friends of God, being commended for the gifts of discipline.

Ver. 14. God. Coming near to him, chap. vi. 20., and 1 Corinthians vi. 16. The wise do not seek for glory; but it follows them.

15 And God hath given to me to speak as I would, and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are given me: because he is the guide of wisdom, and the director of the wise:

Ver. 15. Would. With sincerity, and in a sententious and captivating manner, 3 Kings ix. 24. (Calmet) --- Thoughts. Præsumere has this meaning. (Haydock) --- Presumption is far removed from true wisdom. Solomon manifested his greatness of soul by his buildings, and wise regulations.

16 For in his hand are both we, and our words, and all wisdom, and the knowledge and skill of works.

Ver. 16. No explanation given.

17 For he hath given me the true knowledge of the things that are: to know the disposition of the whole world, and the virtues of the elements,

Ver. 17. No explanation given.

18 The beginning, and ending, and midst of the times, the alterations of their courses, and the changes of seasons,

Ver. 18. Times. Or "things." (St. Ambrose, Abr. ii. 7.) --- Times past, present, and future, (Origen, hom. xxi.) or the three seasons; autumn, the beginning of the civil year, summer the end, and spring or winter, the middle. (Grotius) --- Their. The "seasons," as the Greek implies, (Calmet) and the vicissitudes of heat and cold. (Menochius)

19 The revolutions of the year, and the dispositions of the stars,

Ver. 19. No explanation given.

20 The natures of living creatures, and rage of wild beasts, the force of winds, and reasonings of men, the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots,

Ver. 20. No explanation given.

21 And all such things as are hid, and not foreseen, I have learned: for wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me.

Ver. 21. No explanation given.

22 For in her is the spirit of understanding: holy, one, manifold, subtile, eloquent, active, undefiled, sure, sweet, loving that which is good, quick, which nothing hindereth, beneficent,

Ver. 22. Holy. These are the proper epithets of the spirit of wisdom, (Worthington) or of the Holy Ghost. (Cornelius a Lapide; Lorin.) --- They may also be applicable to the wisdom which resides in man: one, in essence, manifold, in its operations, subtle, knowing all things; (chap. i. 7.) eloquent, to persuade; (Calmet) Greek, "easily moved, or moving," eukineton, (Haydock) active. Greek, "open (Calmet) or entire."

23 Gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having all power, overseeing all things, and containing all spirits: intelligible, pure, subtile:

Ver. 23. No explanation given.

24 For wisdom is more active than all active things; and reacheth every where, by reason of her purity.

Ver. 24. For wisdom, which is the same with the Spirit, and the Son of God, ver. 25.

25 For she is a vapour of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty God: and therefore no defiled thing cometh into her.

Ver. 25. Glory. As St. Paul testifies of Jesus Christ, Hebrews i. 3. (Eusebius; Demon. Evang. iv. 5.) --- It may also be understood of the wisdom given to the prophets and saints, ver. 27. Plato thought this to be a vapour, or fire proceeding from God. (In Protag. Philo. de Som.) --- Some apply the passage to the blessed Virgin [Mary]. (Cornelius a Lapide, v. 26.) (Calmet) See Proverbs i. 2. (Worthington)

26 For she is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted mirror of God's Majesty, and the image of his goodness.

Ver. 26. Goodness. This is particularly noticed, as he speaks of the favours received. It was also an effect of infinite goodness, that the Deity should communicate itself substantially, in the generation of the Son, and the procession of the Holy Ghost. (Menochius)

27 And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself the same, she reneweth all things, and through nations conveyeth herself into holy souls, she maketh the friends of God and prophets.

Ver. 27. Prophets. No age or nation has been left destitute by God. Among the Gentiles, Job was a saint. (Haydock) --- The philosophers also knew God, (Romans i. 21.) and taught many important truths, (Calmet) though they erred in other respects, and dishonoured their profession. True religion has always subsisted, and saints, (Haydock) yea even pagan philosophers, have borne witness to the truth. (Clement of Alexandria, &c.) (Calmet)

28 For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.

Ver. 28. No explanation given.

29 For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of the stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.

Ver. 29. No explanation given.

30 For after this cometh night, but no evil can overcome wisdom.

Ver. 30. Evil. Or disgrace. (Grotius) --- The brightest days are succeeded by night. The divine wisdom never fails, though that of man is subject to change, as Solomon has taught us by his own woeful example. (Calmet)