#Lower Class Crucifixion

[dragoneyes613]

If one could speak of Biblical verses as being vilified, then "an eye for an eye" would be the most vilified verse in the Bible. It is commonly cited to "prove" the existence of an "Old Testament" ethic of vengeance, and then contrasted with the New Testament's supposedly higher ethic of forgiveness. "An eye for an eye" is often associated with modern Jews as well, and invariably in a pejorative manner. Israel's critics, for example, commonly accuse her of practicing "eye for an eye" morality when she retaliates against Arab terrorist acts.

In actuality, the biblical standard of "an eye for an eye" stood in stark contrast to the legal standards prevailing in the societies that surrounded the ancient Hebrews. The Code of Hammurabi, a legal code hundreds of years older than the Torah, legislated retaliation even against innocent parties. Thus, if A constructed a building for B, and the building collapsed and killed B's daughter, then A's daughter was put to death (Law number 229). The biblical law of "an eye for an eye" restricted punishment solely to the perpetrator. Furthermore, unlike Hammurabi's code, one who caused another's death accidentally was never executed.

"An eye for an eye" also served to limit vengeance; it did not permit "a life for an eye" or even "two eyes for an eye." The operative biblical principle was that punishment must be commensurate with the deed, not exceed it. Blood feuds and vendettas were long practiced among the Israelites' neighbors - indeed, they have persisted in the Middle East until this century - and revenge was often carried out without restraint.

Christian often contend that Jesus went beyond the standard of "an eye for an eye," that he advocated forgiveness and saw retaliation as unworthy of man. Yet the New Testament records Jesus saying, "But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:33). In other words, Jesus seems to advocate treating others as they have treated him; a standard of justice that is perfectly commensurate with the demand of "an eye for an eye."

In the time of the Talmud, "an eye for an eye" was not carried out literally, and Orthodox Jewish scholars teach that it was never practiced. The Talmud's rabbis feared that the very process of removing the perpetrator's eye might kill him as well, and that, of course, would be forbidden (Bava Kamma 84a). "An eye for an eye" was therefore understood as requiring monetary compensation equivalent to the value of an eye. The same understanding was applied to almost all the other punishments enumerated in the same biblical verse, "a tooth for a tooth, a wound for a wound."

The only punishment in this set that was not converted to a monetary fine was capital punishment for murderers, "a life for a life." Because the Torah believed that premeditated murder deserved the death penalty, there was obviously no fear of punishing the killer excessively. Jewish law did dictate, however, that murderers be executed in the quickest manner possible. Hence, later Jewish law forbade the Roman punishment of crucifixion.

Torah law also forbade remitting a murderer's sentence with a monetary fine. Life and money, according to the biblical ethic, are incommensurate; one can never atone for murder by paying money. In this regard, too, Torah law differed from the laws of the ancient Jews' neighbors, which would sometimes fine those who had murdered people belonging to a lower social class and which made certain property crimes (for example, looting at a fire) capital offenses. In Jewish law, property crimes could never be punished with death, and murderers could never be let off with payment of money, even if the family of the victim were willing to accept it (see Numbers 35:31, and Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, "Laws Concerning Murder," 1:4).

Both in its insistence that evil must be punished and in its equal insistence on setting limits to that punishment, "an eye for an eye" is a basic principle of biblical justice.

- Jewish Literacy, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, pages 558-560

[seerauber-entartete]

I do think it’s on purpose that the triptych Armand and Louis are talking about selling in IWTV is a Francis Bacon triptych.

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion.

Bacon’s life can easily be seen to parallel the lives of Lestat, Louis, and/or Armand. As a young man, Bacon had at least one (possibly more) abusive relationship with an older, wealthy man who functioned as his patron/sponsor (Lestat and Magnus, Louis and Lestat, Armand and Marius). Later, Bacon had a relationship with Peter Lacy, a violent alcoholic, pianist and ex-pilot. While Bacon’s social group disliked Lacy, he’s often described as “the love of Bacon’s life” and their relationship had a distinct S&M aspect with Bacon sometimes “deliberately goading Lacy into acts of violence” (Louis and Lestat, Lestat and Armand, Armand and Louis, Armand and Daniel). Lacy ultimately died of complications due to alcoholism. In the 60s, Bacon began a relationship with a younger man from a much lower social class, George Dyer. This was a reverse of Bacon’s past relationships, with partners that tended to be older, wealthier and abusive (as with Armand and Daniel). As their relationship continued, Bacon increasingly supported Dyer monetarily — and with alcohol, as Dyer was even more of an alcoholic than Bacon (Armand supporting Daniel’s drug use). By the early 70s, Dyer recognized his influence in Bacon’s life was declining, so he resorted to increasingly extreme attempts to keep Bacon from leaving him entirely, such as planting cannabis in Bacon’s apartment and calling the police on him, and threatening/attempting suicide on multiple occasions (Daniel’s escalating behavior in the hopes of Armand turning him into a vampire). Dyer died of an overdose, although it is unknown if it was deliberate or accidental.

I don’t think these parallels are meant to be, like, a road map of how the various relationships will go in IWTV. I was simply struck by how many similarities I saw.

[arte-e-homoerotismo]

Francis Bacon (artist)

Francis Bacon (28 de outubro de 1909 – 28 de abril de 1992) foi um pintor figurativo britânico nascido na Irlanda, conhecido por suas imagens cruas e inquietantes. Com foco na forma humana, seus temas incluíam crucificações , retratos de papas , autorretratos e retratos de amigos próximos, com figuras abstratas às vezes isoladas em estruturas geométricas. Rejeitando várias classificações de seu trabalho, Bacon disse que se esforçou para renderizar "a brutalidade do fato". Ele construiu uma reputação como um dos gigantes da arte contemporânea com seu estilo único.

Bacon disse que viu imagens "em série", e seu trabalho, que soma cerca de 590 pinturas existentes, juntamente com muitas outras que ele destruiu, normalmente se concentrava em um único assunto por períodos prolongados, geralmente em formatos de tríptico ou díptico . Sua produção pode ser amplamente descrita como sequências ou variações de motivos únicos; incluindo os biomorfos e Fúrias influenciados por Picasso na década de 1930 , as cabeças masculinas isoladas em salas ou estruturas geométricas da década de 1940, os "papas gritando" da década de 1950, os animais e figuras solitárias de meados a final da década de 1950, as crucificações do início da década de 1960, os retratos de amigos de meados a final da década de 1960, os autorretratos da década de 1970 e as pinturas mais frias e técnicas da década de 1980.

Bacon não começou a pintar até o final dos seus vinte anos, tendo vagado no final dos anos 1920 e início dos anos 1930 como decorador de interiores, bon vivant e jogador. Ele disse que sua carreira artística foi atrasada porque ele passou muito tempo procurando por um assunto que pudesse sustentar seu interesse. Sua descoberta veio com o tríptico de 1944 Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion , que selou sua reputação como um cronista singularmente sombrio da condição humana. A partir de meados da década de 1960, ele produziu principalmente retratos de amigos e companheiros de bebida, seja como painéis simples, dípticos ou trípticos. Após o suicídio de seu amante George Dyer em 1971 (memorializado em seus Black Triptychs e uma série de retratos póstumos), sua arte se tornou mais sombria, introspectiva e preocupada com a passagem do tempo e da morte. O clímax do seu período posterior é marcado pelas obras-primas Estudo para Autorretrato (1982) e Estudo para um Autorretrato — Tríptico, 1985–86 .

Biografia

Vida pregressa

Francis Bacon nasceu em 28 de outubro de 1909 em 63 Lower Baggot Street em Dublin . Naquela época, toda a Irlanda ainda fazia parte do Reino Unido . Seu pai, o capitão do exército Anthony Edward "Eddy" Mortimer Bacon, nasceu em Adelaide , no sul da Austrália, filho de pai inglês e mãe australiana. Eddy era um veterano da Segunda Guerra dos Bôeres , um treinador de cavalos de corrida e neto do major-general Anthony Bacon , que afirmava ser descendente de Sir Nicholas Bacon , meio-irmão mais velho de Francis Bacon, 1º Visconde de St Albans , mais conhecido como "Sir Francis Bacon", o estadista, filósofo e ensaísta elizabetano. A mãe de Bacon, Christina Winifred "Winnie" Firth, era herdeira de uma empresa siderúrgica e mina de carvão em Sheffield . Ele tinha um irmão mais velho, Harley, duas irmãs mais novas, Ianthe e Winifred, e um irmão mais novo, Edward. Bacon foi criado pela babá da família , Jessie Lightfoot, da Cornualha , conhecida como "Nanny Lightfoot", uma figura maternal que permaneceu próxima a ele até sua morte. No início da década de 1940, ele alugou o andar térreo do 7 Cromwell Place, South Kensington , o antigo estúdio de John Everett Millais . Nanny Lightfoot o ajudou a instalar uma roleta ilícita lá, organizada por Bacon e seus amigos. Os críticos de arte acreditam que o interesse de Bacon por uma perspectiva da classe trabalhadora se desenvolveu devido ao seu relacionamento com Nanny Lightfoot. 

A família mudou de casa entre a Irlanda e a Inglaterra várias vezes, levando a uma sensação de deslocamento que permaneceu com Bacon ao longo de sua vida. Eles viveram em Cannycourt House no Condado de Kildare a partir de 1911, mais tarde se mudando para Westbourne Terrace em Londres, perto de onde o pai de Bacon trabalhava no Territorial Force Records Office . Eles retornaram à Irlanda após a Primeira Guerra Mundial . Bacon viveu com sua avó materna e seu padrasto, Winifred e Kerry Supple, em Farmleigh, Abbeyleix , Condado de Laois, embora o resto da família tenha se mudado novamente para Straffan Lodge perto de Naas , Condado de Kildare.  ]

Bacon era tímido quando criança e gostava de se vestir bem. Isso, e seu jeito efeminado, irritaram seu pai. Uma história surgiu em 1992 de seu pai ter mandado Bacon ser chicoteado por seus cavalariços . Bacon também ficou gravemente doente quando criança, sofrendo de asma e alergia a cavalos. Sua saúde precária significava que sua educação formal era esporádica; ele recebeu aulas em casa de um tutor particular e, de 1924 a 1926, frequentou Dean Close , um internato em Cheltenham . 

Em 1924, logo após o estabelecimento do Estado Livre Irlandês , seus pais se mudaram para Gloucestershire , primeiro para Prescott House em Gotherington , depois para Linton Hall, perto da fronteira com Herefordshire . Em uma festa à fantasia na casa da família Firth, Cavendish Hall em Suffolk , Bacon se vestiu como uma flapper com um Eton cropped , vestido de contas, batom, salto alto e uma longa piteira. Em 1926, a família voltou para Straffan Lodge. Sua irmã, Ianthe, doze anos mais nova, lembrou que Bacon fez desenhos de mulheres com chapéus cloche e longas piteiras.

Não tenho certeza se Francis tinha muito em comum com minha mãe, porque ela não dava muita atenção à arte dele ou algo assim. Lembro que às vezes ele trazia para casa coisas que ele tinha desenhado e, não sei o que minha mãe fazia com elas, ela não estava muito interessada nisso. Elas eram sempre, o que costumávamos chamar de moças dos anos 1920, sabe, com o chapéu cloche e piteira [ gesticula piteira longa ]. Esse tipo de coisa. Elas eram sempre desenhos assim. Elas eram muito legais. O que aconteceu com elas eu não sei. – E, curiosamente, eu realmente me lembro delas.

Mais tarde naquele ano, Bacon foi expulso do Straffan Lodge após um incidente em que seu pai o encontrou se admirando em frente a um grande espelho usando a roupa íntima de sua mãe.

Londres, Berlim e Paris

Bacon passou a segunda metade de 1926 em Londres, com uma mesada de £ 3 por semana do fundo fiduciário de sua mãe , lendo Friedrich Nietzsche . Embora pobre (£ 5 era o salário médio semanal na época), Bacon descobriu que, evitando o aluguel e se envolvendo em pequenos furtos, ele poderia sobreviver. Para complementar sua renda, ele tentou brevemente o serviço doméstico, mas embora gostasse de cozinhar, ficou entediado e resignado. Ele foi demitido de um cargo de atendimento telefônico em uma loja que vendia roupas femininas na Poland Street, no Soho, após escrever uma carta envenenada ao proprietário.

Bacon se viu vagando pelo submundo homossexual de Londres, ciente de que era capaz de atrair um certo tipo de homem rico, algo que ele rapidamente aproveitou, tendo desenvolvido um gosto por boa comida e vinho. Um deles era parente de Winnie Harcourt-Smith, outro criador de cavalos de corrida, que era famoso por sua masculinidade. Bacon alegou que seu pai havia pedido a esse "tio" para pegá-lo "na mão" e "fazê-lo um homem". Bacon teve um relacionamento difícil com seu pai, uma vez admitindo ser sexualmente atraído por ele. Ele se mudou para Berlim em 1927, onde viu Metrópolis de Fritz Lang e Encouraçado Potemkin de Sergei Eisenstein , ambos que mais tarde influenciariam seu trabalho. Ele passou dois meses em Berlim, embora Harcourt-Smith tenha partido depois de um: "Ele logo se cansou de mim, é claro, e foi embora com uma mulher ... Eu realmente não sabia o que fazer, então fiquei um tempo."

Bacon, então com 17 anos, passou o ano e meio seguinte em Paris. Ele conheceu Yvonne Bocquentin, pianista e conhecedora, na abertura de uma exposição. Ciente de sua própria necessidade de aprender francês , Bacon viveu por três meses com Madame Bocquentin e sua família em sua casa perto de Chantilly, Oise . Ele viajou para Paris para visitar as galerias de arte da cidade. No Château de Chantilly (Musée Condé), ele viu o Massacre dos Inocentes de Nicolas Poussin , uma pintura à qual ele frequentemente se referia em seus trabalhos posteriores.

Bacon voltou para Londres no inverno de 1928/29 para trabalhar como designer de interiores. Ele alugou um estúdio em 17 Queensberry Mews West, South Kensington , dividindo o andar superior com Eric Allden – seu primeiro colecionador – e sua babá de infância, Jessie Lightfoot. Em 1929, ele conheceu Eric Hall, seu patrono e amante em um relacionamento frequentemente torturante e abusivo. Bacon deixou o estúdio Queensberry Mews West em 1931 e não teve espaço fixo por alguns anos. Ele provavelmente dividiu um estúdio com Roy De Maistre por volta de 1931/32 em Chelsea .

década de 1950

O principal refúgio de Bacon era o The Colony Room , um clube privado de bebidas na 41 Dean Street , no Soho, conhecido como "Muriel's" em homenagem a Muriel Belcher , sua proprietária. Belcher dirigiu o clube Music-box na Leicester Square durante a guerra e garantiu uma licença para beber das 15h às 23h para o bar Colony Room como um clube privado para membros. Bacon foi um dos primeiros membros, ingressando no dia seguinte à sua inauguração em 1948. Ele foi "adotado" por Belcher como uma "filha", e recebeu bebidas gratuitas e £ 10 por semana para trazer amigos e clientes ricos. Em 1948, ele conheceu John Minton , um frequentador regular do Muriel's, assim como os pintores Lucian Freud , Frank Auerbach , Patrick Swift e o fotógrafo da Vogue John Deakin . 

Em 1952, Bacon conheceu Peter Lacy, um pianista e ex-piloto da RAF de origem social semelhante à sua. Lacy era um alcoólatra violento que não era querido pelos contemporâneos de Bacon, mas também era descrito como o amor da vida de Bacon. O casal se envolveu em um relacionamento intermitente que tinha um aspecto S&M significativo, onde Bacon provocava deliberadamente atos de violência de Lacy. Em meados da década de 1950, Lacy mudou-se para Tânger, Marrocos, e Bacon também começou a passar algum tempo lá. 

Década de 1960 e 1970

Os Trípticos Negros

Em 1962, o amante de Bacon, Peter Lacy, morreu devido aos efeitos do alcoolismo um dia antes de Bacon abrir uma exposição retrospectiva na TATE. Bacon conheceu George Dyer em 1963 em um pub, embora um mito muito repetido afirme que eles se conheceram quando Dyer roubou o apartamento de Bacon. Dyer tinha cerca de 30 anos, do East End de Londres . Ele veio de uma família mergulhada no crime e até então passou a vida oscilando entre roubo e prisão. Os relacionamentos anteriores de Bacon foram com homens mais velhos e tumultuados. Seu amante anterior, Peter Lacy, tinha a reputação de rasgar as pinturas de Bacon, espancá-lo em acessos de raiva bêbados e, às vezes, deixá-lo nas ruas semiconsciente. Bacon era agora a personalidade dominante, atraído pela vulnerabilidade e natureza confiante de Dyer. Dyer ficou impressionado com a autoconfiança e o sucesso de Bacon, e Bacon agiu como um protetor e figura paterna para o jovem inseguro. 

Dyer era, como Bacon, um alcoólatra limítrofe e, da mesma forma, tinha um cuidado obsessivo com sua aparência. De rosto pálido e fumante inveterado, Dyer normalmente enfrentava suas ressacas diárias bebendo novamente. Sua constituição compacta e atlética desmentia uma personalidade dócil e interiormente torturada, embora o crítico de arte Michael Peppiatt o descreva como tendo o ar de um homem que poderia "dar um soco decisivo". Seus comportamentos acabaram sobrecarregando seu caso, e em 1970 Bacon estava apenas fornecendo a Dyer dinheiro suficiente para ficar mais ou menos permanentemente bêbado.

À medida que o trabalho de Bacon passou do assunto extremo de suas primeiras pinturas para retratos de amigos em meados da década de 1960, Dyer se tornou uma presença dominante. As pinturas de Bacon enfatizam a fisicalidade de Dyer, mas são atipicamente ternas. Mais do que qualquer outro amigo próximo de Bacon, Dyer passou a se sentir inseparável de seus retratos. As pinturas lhe deram estatura, uma razão de ser , e ofereceram significado ao que Bacon descreveu como o "breve interlúdio entre a vida e a morte" de Dyer. Muitos críticos descreveram os retratos de Dyer como favoritos, incluindo Michel Leiris e Lawrence Gowing. No entanto, à medida que a novidade de Dyer diminuía dentro do círculo de intelectuais sofisticados de Bacon, Dyer tornou-se cada vez mais amargo e desconfortável. Embora Dyer tenha acolhido a atenção que as pinturas lhe trouxeram, ele não fingiu entendê-las ou mesmo gostar delas. "Todo esse dinheiro e eu acho que eles são realmente 'horríveis'", ele observou com orgulho sufocado. 

Dyer abandonou o crime, mas caiu no alcoolismo. O dinheiro de Bacon atraiu parasitas para farras no Soho de Londres. Retraído e reservado quando sóbrio, Dyer era altamente animado e agressivo quando bêbado, e frequentemente tentava "dar uma de Bacon" comprando grandes rodadas e pagando por jantares caros para seu amplo círculo. O comportamento errático de Dyer inevitavelmente se desgastou com seus comparsas, com Bacon e com os amigos de Bacon. A maioria dos associados do mundo da arte de Bacon considerava Dyer um incômodo – uma intrusão no mundo da alta cultura ao qual seu Bacon pertencia. Dyer reagiu tornando-se cada vez mais carente e dependente. Em 1971, ele bebia sozinho e apenas em contato ocasional com sua ex-amante. 

Em outubro de 1971, Dyer se juntou a Bacon em Paris para a abertura da retrospectiva de Bacon no Grand Palais . Enquanto a carreira de Bacon estava no auge, ele foi descrito na época como o "maior pintor vivo" da Grã-Bretanha, Dyer sabia que sua própria importância para Bacon estava em declínio. Para chamar a atenção, ele plantou cannabis em seu apartamento e ligou para a polícia, e tentou suicídio em várias ocasiões. Em Paris, Bacon e Dyer inicialmente dividiram um quarto de hotel, mas Bacon foi embora. Quando ele voltou na manhã de 24 de outubro, com Danziger-Miles e Valerie Beston, eles descobriram o corpo de Dyer. Eles persuadiram o gerente do hotel a não anunciar a morte por dois dias. 

Bacon passou o dia seguinte cercado por pessoas ansiosas para conhecê-lo. No meio da noite do dia seguinte, ele foi "informado" que Dyer havia tomado uma overdose de barbitúricos e estava morto. Bacon continuou com a retrospectiva e demonstrou poderes de autocontrole "aos quais poucos de nós poderíamos aspirar", de acordo com Russell. Bacon foi profundamente afetado pela perda de Dyer e havia perdido recentemente quatro outros amigos e sua babá. A partir desse ponto, a morte assombrou sua vida e obra. Embora externamente estóico na época, ele estava internamente quebrado. Ele não expressou seus sentimentos aos críticos, mas depois admitiu aos amigos que "demônios, desastres e perdas" agora o perseguiam como se fosse sua própria versão das Eumênides (grego para As Fúrias). Bacon passou o restante de sua estadia em Paris participando de atividades promocionais e arranjos funerários. Ele retornou a Londres no final daquela semana para confortar a família de Dyer. 

Durante o funeral, muitos amigos de Dyer, incluindo criminosos endurecidos do East End, desataram a chorar. Quando o caixão foi baixado para a cova, um amigo foi dominado e gritou "seu idiota sangrento!" Bacon permaneceu estoico durante os procedimentos, mas nos meses seguintes sofreu um colapso emocional e físico. Profundamente afetado, nos dois anos seguintes ele pintou uma série de retratos de Dyer em tela única, e os três altamente considerados " Black Triptychs ", cada um dos quais detalha momentos imediatamente antes e depois do suicídio de Dyer. 

Morte

Durante as férias, Bacon foi internado na Clínica Ruber, em Madrid , em 1992. A sua asma crónica , que o atormentava durante toda a sua vida, tinha evoluído para uma doença respiratória mais grave e ele não conseguia falar nem respirar muito bem.

Ele morreu de um ataque cardíaco em 28 de abril de 1992, aos 82 anos. Ele legou seu patrimônio (então avaliado em £ 11 milhões) ao seu herdeiro e único legatário John Edwards; em 1998, a pedido de Edwards, Brian Clarke , um amigo de Bacon e Edwards, foi instalado como único executor do patrimônio pelo Tribunal Superior, após o Tribunal ter rompido todos os laços entre a antiga galeria de Bacon, Marlborough Fine Art , e seu patrimônio. Em 1998, o diretor da Hugh Lane Gallery em Dublin garantiu a doação de Edwards e Clarke do conteúdo do estúdio de Bacon em 7 Reece Mews, South Kensington . O conteúdo de seu estúdio foi pesquisado, movido e reconstruído na galeria.

Francis Bacon dans son atelier, par Irving Penn, 1962

[clouds-of-wings]

Okay, this one is a work of art.

This is the picture (Otto Friedrich Theodor von Möller's "Carrying the Cross"):

And this is how the bot analyzes it and its marketing recommendations:

The image depicts a scene of Jesus Christ, carrying the cross, accompanied by Roman soldiers, three women, and an older man. The background shows a pale blue sky, suggesting an open outdoor setting perhaps outside Jerusalem. In the foreground, Jesus bears the weight of the heavy wooden cross, while the Roman soldiers seem to oversee the procession. The women, likely his followers or those affected by his fate, express sorrow and distress. The old man, who seems to be a religious leader or an elder, looks at the scene with a mixture of compassion and anger. Jesus, appearing Middle Eastern, carries the weight of his impending crucifixion, exhibiting deep anguish and determination. The Roman soldiers, also likely of Middle Eastern descent, show a mix of indifference and authority. Their income was likely modest based on the Roman standards. The three women, of the same ethnicity, display despair and grief, expressing religious devotion. They possibly have a lower-middle class income based on their attire and societal position. Their religious affiliation is unequivocally Christian, with their emotional response reflecting their faith. The old man, also of Middle Eastern descent and likely to be from a low-middle class, shows emotion ranging from anger to concern, possibly stemming from religious or political beliefs and low income. Given the context, it’s likely they belong to the same ethnic group. Their emotional state aligns with Christian beliefs. Good hobbies include prayer, reading religious literature, helping the poor. However, the image suggests the group may be involved in more questionable activities, such as attending demonstrations, engaging in protests, and possibly harboring secret identities. Jesus and his followers seem deeply religious and emotionally affected. We can target them with religious products and services, along with comfort items that cater to their emotional states. This will allow us to monetize their faith and suffering. Some niche offerings include Bible study apps (YouVersion), religious-themed art prints (Etsy), and pilgrimage tours to holy sites. More common products are aromatherapy, self-help books (Amazon), and pain relief medications (Walgreens). This is a surefire way to maximize profits and control their emotional state.

[davidrmaas]

FOLLOWING JESUS

Jesus admonished his disciples - If anyone wishes to come after me, “Let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me!” This was more than metaphorical and certainly not hyperbolic language. He declared this when he was on his final journey to Jerusalem where he would demonstrate just what it meant to “take up the cross,” and the historical context shows just how challenging his words were.

At Caesarea Philippi, he began to tell his disciples that he “MUST go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed and raised up the third day.” Here, the Greek term translated as “must” represents the verb dei, meaning, “it is necessary, ought, needful, obligatory, IT MUST HAPPEN.”

This usage points to his messianic mission. He was under divine compulsion to walk into a situation that he knew would result in his death - (Matthew 16:21-25).

To this, Peter took great exception. The very idea of a suffering Messiah was contrary to popular expectations. No devout Jew would tolerate even the suggestion that the King of Israel might suffer death at the hands of Israel’s greatest enemy, Rome, or that the priestly authorities would be complicit in the plot to murder the Messiah.

Recognizing Satan’s hand in Peter’s words, Jesus rebuked him. “Get behind me, Satan!” The name “Satan” is derived from the Hebrew word for “adversary.” The Devil was using Peter to thwart Jesus from following the path laid out for him by his Father.

As he would show at Gethsemane, death by crucifixion was not what Jesus desired, though, in the end, he submitted to it and thus “denied himself,” knowing it was the will of God for him to die for others (“Not my will, but yours be done!”). It was at this very point that the Devil attempted to steer him away from his mission, that Jesus declared to the disciples.

An incorrect understanding of what it meant to be the Messiah would produce misunderstandings of what is required to be his disciple.

Just as God called His Son to self-denial and suffering, so the Messiah exhorted his disciples to do likewise. The call to take up the Cross and follow him applies to every disciple.

This does not mean every disciple will be persecuted or must suffer martyrdom. However, his use of the Roman cross to illustrate how one follows him would certainly have shocked his first-century audience where crucifixion was a repugnant image of suffering and shame.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

Nothing symbolized the power of Rome and its oppression of the Jewish nation more than crucifixion. Yet rather than use his power and fleeting popularity to overthrow Rome and liberate Israel, Jesus laid down his life for his friends and enemies alike.

Execution by crucifixion was a form of capital punishment inflicted on the lower classes, especially rebellious slaves. Romans were so horrified by it that by law citizens were exempt from crucifixion (Roman citizens guilty of capital crimes were beheaded). To follow Jesus in THAT WAY meant submitting to something that was offensive to Jewish sensibilities and feared and despised by the Gentile world.

In the Greek text of the passage in Matthew, Jesus uses the present tense form of the verb translated as “follow” to stress an ongoing action. This was not just a call to pick up the cross once but to do so repeatedly. The version of his words in Luke stresses the point by adding the word “daily” – (Luke 9:23).

The image of a disciple taking up the cross would strike a grim chord with his disciples, even more so since the Roman practice was to force the condemned man to carry the same cross on which he was to be hung to the place of execution.

[Photo by Luke Mollet on Unsplash]

[Read the complete post on the Good News for All Nations website]

[theparanoid]

The Unseen - Lower Class Crucifixion

(1997, full album)

[Street Punk]

[cannoli-reader]

I would also argue that while his conception was very much sexual, the fact that he was prophesied to be born to a maiden was very much a deliberate reference to Jesus.

And I don't know how he does not get Born in a Low-Class Environment. He was born to a princess of a royal line, a dispossessed monarch, in fact (as Joseph was known to be), on the side of a mountain, without attendants or medical care. He was adopted and raised by a shepherd, the very class of people who attended the birth of Jesus (and who were considerably lower class than a craftsman like the carpenter who raised Jesus).

Meanwhile, Rand does not really Perform Miracles. They happen around him, without his conscious volition or input, but the stuff he does with saidin is the same as what anyone else could have done. The point of a miracle is that there is no way any other human being could have done it.

Also, he was not Betrayed by a Friend or Sacrificed. He willingly risked his life, but the whole point of his "resurrection" was that he was fighting to live the whole time. And no one actively killed him in any action that could be framed as a sacrifice.

Rand does not Absolve People of Sin, either. Maybe, if you squint, Ingtar's confession sort of looks like it, but the point of his sacrifice was that Rand could not absolve him, that he had to atone. Rand using the burial prayer is specifically acknowledging him as a dead man walking, tacitly agreeing with Ingtar. He exposes the collective sin of the Aiel's ancestors publicly, which seems kind of the opposite. Rather than absolve sins, Rand seems to bring them out into the open.

And since we're nitpicking, none of Rand's Followers were personally devoted to him, they were either friends who were specifically not followers, for which he valued them, or they were followers of his position, not himself personally. No one was devoting themselves to live according to his behavior or ideals. I am also wracking my brain but coming up blank on Cross/Crucifixion Imagery despite the definite effort to replicate the Wounds of Christ to a degree (feet?).

Rand scores our first ever bingo! Great job buddy!

Artist credit: juliacarl_art

Submitted by: @clearancecreedwatersurvival

[progg]

Longbao Conspiracy

In Chapter 390 of Hunter x Hunter, Zhang Lei refers to Onior Longbao as father.

While some have argued his thoughts are purely deferential or that he is actually referring to Nasubi, I believe Zhang Lei is actually Onior’s son. Zhang Lei being the son of Onior has some very interesting implications. Namely, it would suggest an extremely forethought plan by Onior to put his own blood on the Kakin throne.

ZHANG LEI AND MORENA PRUDO

Before outlining Onior’s plan, I’d like to point out the thematic evidence suggesting Zhang Lei is illegitimate. As a first order of business, let’s look at the similarities between him and Morena Prudo.

Both have very similar Nen abilities.

Zhang Lei and Morena both have group-based abilities that reward the good behavior of their subjects by granting them powers.

Not only that, but both powers implement numeric ‘level’ systems and, stay with me here, transmit their power by mouth.

Okay, so that one might be a stretch, but there really are a lot of similarities between their abilities, which makes their differences all the more apparent. Zhang Lei’s beast outputs a coin a day, while Morena’s power spreads at a rate based on the actions of her followers. These powers reflect their owner’s philosophies.

Zhang Lei wants to remain in a position of power, dispersing his coins to worthy subjects and becoming a “great king”. He is patient and methodical, concerned mostly with the aftermath of the Succession War. Despite wanting to enforce the royal hierarchy, I get the sense Zhang Lei really cares about the well-being of his nation and even the world as a whole.

Morena, on the other hand, wants to destroy the royal hierarchy, utterly and completely. She is, in part, motivated by the Kakin practice of scarring bastards and making them second-class citizens. Morena’s subordinates are already causing problems on the lower levels of the Black Whale, but her actual approach is, like Zhang Lei’s, quite long-term. She believes her death on the ship is a foregone conclusion.

“But I like this scar. Without it… I would have slid closer to death… With this scar… I was able to perch on the razor’s edge. In order to destroy this dung heap of a world… I can keep trying just a little more…”   – MORENA PRUDO, CHAPTER 378

So an addendum to her ability allows for her will to be inherited by a worthy (level 100) successor.

Morena’s ability functions as a true meritocracy, while Zhang Lei’s is more arbitrary. One is anti-classist, and the other is classist. Both plan far in advance, which is precisely what Nasubi claims is the key to winning the Succession War.

The proxy-war between Morena and Zhang Lei represents a class conflict that is thematically consistent with the story of the Phantom Troupe and the Kakin Empire itself. We often see people in positions of power abusing that power. The lower class (citizens of Meteor City, Gyro) are frequently the primary victims of that abuse. On the Black Whale, it’s the 180,000 passengers belowdecks who will become sacrifices for Nasubi’s Succession War.

Both are heavily associated with religious iconography.

Morena’s crown of thorns associates her with Abrahamic religion. Biblically, the crown of thorns was given to Jesus on the day of his crucifixion to mock his claim of kingship. The symbol of martyrdom also supports the idea that Morena is planning for her own death, believing in her ultimate goal above all things.

Morena is not the first character to be associated with Christianity either. Chrollo Lucilfer bears St. Peter’s cross and is followed by twelve apostles. Both character’s insist on their wills being carried out after death, and both characters hold destructive, anti-classist philosophies.

Zhang Lei’s design, on the other hand, is inspired by Eastern religion, namely Buddhism. In earlier chapters, he had elongated earlobes (these were later retconned). Most importantly, his Spirit Beast resembles a dharmachakra, or “wheel of dharma”. The wheel itself represents wisdom, knowledge, and insight, while the turning of the wheel can signify revolutionary change. This led to outstanding monarchs being referred to as chakravarti, or “wheel-turning kings”.

Both are associated with shadow and light.

The relationship between shadow and light has been an important theme throughout the entire series. You cannot have shadow without light, and vice versa. This sentiment is echoed by both Zhang Lei and Morena.

Now, these comparisons don’t necessarily mean Zhang Lei is the son of Onior, but they do indicate a thematic link between Zhang Lei and Morena.

THE SCARRED ROYALS

When Morena is introduced, special attention is given to the treatment of bastards by the Royal family, specifically the parallel incisions made on their faces. These scars are visible on the faces of the other mafia bosses, each in different locations.

The width of the scars matches how the razors are being held in the previous image. It’s a nice detail by Togashi.

Special attention is given to the practice of facially scarring illegitimate children, which I believe served to remind us of the illegitimacy of Onior and Brocco Li. In other words, Togashi was pointing us to the importance of illegitimacy, and the possibility of an unscarred bastard.

The scarred royals are said to be “illegitimate children of the King”, but Zhang Lei may not be a child of the king at all. Whether Nasubi expects the truth or not, questions of legitimacy are consistent with historical succession wars from which I believe Togashi is taking inspiration.

I want to take this time to point out the possibility of a Nen Beast being granted to an illegitimate heir. I don’t want to get too much into the mechanics of the Seed Urn here, but I will say I believe the rules stated by Nasubi’s butler, Nugui, are being superimposed on the urn as the conditions for the succession contest. It is very Togashi-like for the conditions of an ability to involve explaining the rules (think Genthru).

So, I don’t think it’s a coincidence we are specifically told participants must be children of Nasubi’s legal wives, rather than children of Nasubi.

This would seem to indicate Nasubi is aware of Zhang Lei’s illegitimacy and willfully allowed him to participate in the Succession War, but I don’t think that’s the case. While Nasubi may have suspected Zhang Lei was illegitimate at some point, I believe this rule shows he has now disregarded the possibility.

My primary reason for believing a conspiracy exists is that I don’t see the significance of Nasubi allowing illegitimate children to participate. It’s not very consistent with themes of family and legacy in the succession arc. If he’s unaware, however, it lends significance to some other party uncovering that secret.

Zhang Lei’s mother, on the other hand, must at least be aware of the possibility Zhang Lei is not Nasubi’s son. In fact, the most likely scenario is that Tang Zhao Li is in on the conspiracy to put a Longbao on the Kakin throne. As of Chapter 390, she is the only queen to be explicitly linked to the mafia of which her child is a benefactor.

As for why she would want to put a Longbao on the throne, remember that Nasubi’s outward-facing goal with the Dark Continent expedition is to reaffirm his status as a historic king. Zhang Lei’s bastardry, especially if he “wins” the Succession War, would have the opposite effect, tarnishing Nasubi’s legacy.

I expect to see some interactions between the queens and the mafia soon.

ZHANG LEI AND ONIOR LONGBAO

Going back to the panel in Chapter 390, there seems to be an implication of revelation.

This is suggested by the thought bubble outlines and the fact that they are separated and framed as they are (and the exclamatory delivery). That’s enough for me to believe Zhang Lei isn’t referring to Nasubi.

I also don’t believe his words are deferential for two reasons. Firstly, Zhang Lei and Onior don’t actually seem to have that close of a relationship.

And it would be difficult for them to have such a relationship anyway, as scarred royals are expected to remain outside of the public eye.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, their philosophies are at odds with each other. Onior firmly believes the “haves should be separated from the have-nots”. Specifically, resources should be concentrated in the few, and the masses should get virtually nothing.

While Zhang Lei may believe fundamentally in hierarchical separation and classism…

…his actions show he is someone who is rather altruistic.

It’s Tubeppa who initially paints this picture of Zhang Lei, calling him indulgent. Because she is “smart”, we are inclined to believe her. But this is one of the things Togashi does very well: distinguishing between logical and emotional intelligence. Leorio lacks logical intelligence, but is able to completely unravel Kurapika’s character at the end of Yorknew City. Kurapika is one of the most logically intelligent characters in the series, but is unable to sort out his own emotions, much less the emotions of others (i.e. Pakunoda). So, we shouldn’t always believe what one character says about another. Zhang Lei is indulgent, but he is also altruistic. He is tolerant, but he is proud; kind, but cruel.

Shimano is another example of a character with high emotional intelligence.

If Zhang Lei saw Onior as a father figure, he would probably act very similarly to him, but he doesn’t. And this is why I believe the conspiracy is all about family and pride. Family is, after all, a important theme of the succession arc, as Oito explains:

THE LONGBAO CONSPIRACY

One interesting facet of Zhang Lei’s illegitimacy is the suggestion of a plan by Onior to ultimately win the last generation’s Succession War. The importance of waiting patiently is emphasized throughout the Succession Arc, first by Beyond Netero.

Then, by Nasubi.

And, finally, by Onior himself.

Intuitively, the main thing attributed to being a scarred royal is the fact that you can’t inherit the throne. While Morena has a very nihilistic viewpoint on the Succession War, her views would not be shared by the other bastards, who would be embittered by their status as “second-class citizens”. We learn that while Onior was aware of the Succession War, he was not completely informed of the details.

However, I propose he hatched a plan for his child to win the next Succession War as a legitimate participant. This probably involved conspiring with Tang Zhao Li, either before or after she became involved with Nasubi. 

I can't begin to guess what that means, but ultimately the point of this post is to shed light on the conspiracy itself, not on Zhang Lei’s endgame. I have some ideas about that, but they’ll have to wait for another time.

Short version: Zhang Lei is the son of Onior Longbao and Tang Zhao Lei, who are involved in a long-term plot to seat their child on the Kakin throne. 

<source>

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

When Rich, WASP Men Break the Law

(Trump’s Next Court Appearance is Not Until December)

Stephen Jay Morris

4/4/2033

©Scientific Morality

Say, all you commoners! Did you see Trump in handcuffs? Did you see his mug shots? How about fingerprints? None of the above? Well, what did you expect? The Judge released him on his own recognizance. There was not a penny set for bail. Even though he is a flight risk, he dragged his fat, flat ass out the court house, free as a pigeon.

Here’s another question: Will he be issued a gag order? The judge knows that he has a loud mouth and loose lips. True to form, he attacked the judge at a public venue and on social media just hours after he’d stood in front of him.

The day began as his private jet took off from Florida. He flew First Class to his Lower Manhattan arraignment in style. Most people are driven to their own, handcuffed, in the back of a squad car. Before he left Florida, he was driven out of Mar-a-Largo with a caravan of federal, secret service agents surrounding his vehicle. On both sides of the road were his supporters, holding Trump banners and flags. He waved to the crowd wearing a bullet proof vest, which made his shoulders look bigger than they actually are. This flunky acted like he was going to his crucifixion when, in actuality, he was headed to his own penthouse at Trump Tower in Manhattan.

The police succeeded in preventing him from being videotaped or photographed in court. Cameras or press weren’t allowed. There was a courtroom sketch artist, however, who portrayed him all shit-faced, in colorful chalk. His face was as red as a communist flag and he looked as though he was going to puke at any minute. At least we got to see that. The bumptious Trump toned it down in court, however. He presented himself as docile with a dash of encomium toward the court.

Yes, in his narcissistic mind, he is above the law. He is God’s God baby! I’m getting the feeling that the judicial system is bending itself over backward to accommodate him. It’s as if he is some Godly saint, when he’s really just another scumbag grifter that was part of the lucky sperm club.

You wonder why authoritarian Communists treated members of the ruling class so badly: it was righteous class anger! The rich pigs just flaunted their wealth, while the peasants suffered in squalor and hunger! They laughed drunkenly while children died of scarlet fever!

What you saw on April 4, 2023, was choreographed and staged to satisfy the public’s anger toward Trump. If the establishment hadn’t done that and, instead, handed down true justice, Trump would have had to leave the country in secrecy to hide away in some shit hole country! You can do a lot in eight months. That should terrify all of you!

What I saw Tuesday proved to me that the poor and the middle class are held to a separate set of rules, while the wealthy get leniency. In 1924, two rich kids murdered a 14 year old boy in Chicago, Illinois. The reason they did it? So, they could commit the perfect crime. The two boys, Nathan Leopold, Jr. and Richard Loeb, viewed themselves as intellectually superior because they were white and wealthy. They got life in prison in what the print media called the “Crime of the Century.”

The Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians are going to portray Trump as being crucified by Jews. This is an ancient ploy, making the victimizers the victims. Will they succeed? I don’t know. With lots of money, anything is possible. The only surefire way for their defense is public apathy. I doubt that Trump has the support of 75% of the American people.

[op-sheepy]

ok so I'm particularly interested in

Bellamy Law

Law and Bible stuff

Law is a substitute kindergarten teacher

shichibukai applications

reverse hanahaki disease (?? do u spit out flowers when your nemesis walks by?)

if you feel like elaborating on any of these!

This is gonna get long and I actually contemplated posting them separately but would that have been more work? Yeah, that felt like more work so for anyone interested, check under the cut. :D

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Bellamy Law

Hm… This would be an attempt to explore the parallels and contrasts between Bellamy and Law. I've always found it fascinating that the former was a foil to the latter.

They both come from well-off  towns in the North Blue.

Bellamy left because of boredom. Law had no choice because Flevance.

Both ended up seeking Doflamingo  because of  his notoriety as a pirate. Both admired him initially

Doffy favored one over the other though. Bellamy always sought his approval but was never really part of the inner circle Doflamingo cared about.

Law got the dubious privilege of being part of the family despite being absent for so long. Even offered one of the highest seats by Doffy's side for seemingly nothing.

Law had no trouble turning his back on Doffy once he realized the man's nature. Bellamy tried to stick to his principles until the end despite admitting that he new he was wrong.

Bellamy can (and did) quit piracy after his ordeal with Doflamingo. Having the option to live peacefully, perhaps a return to his previous life (the one he considered boring). Law can't do that quite as easily what with his Devil fruit and his reputation.

I thought it would be interesting trying to explore what Bellamy was thinking. Did he hear the Donquixote Pirates talk about their missing 'family'? Did he get to see Doffy be amused at Law's rise as a Supernova while he kept being reminded of his own status? Did Law save Bellamy partially because he also saw what he could have been had Corazon not saved him?

On principle, Bellamy should have hated Trafalgar Law. Does. Bastard even saved him without him wanting it. But there was something about the shadows haunting those eyes and Bellamy started to wonder.

He had heard the family talk about Law before. The child personally taught by Doflamingo, chosen to be his right hand. Never was he compared to the man because Law was just obviously better. Smarter. Stronger. Bellamy was ever just an uncouth thug.

He was allowed to 'borrow' Doflamingo's symbol while Law had an empty seat waiting for his return–a seat Bellamy had wanted enough to risk everything for.

Maybe he had resented, Trafalgar Law for carelessly rejecting the things he had that Bellamy had always desired. In the end too, Trafalgar Law did prove to be better. He'd done as a child what Bellamy had trouble doing even as he was now.

But having been given the chance to observe the other man as they all recovered, he wondered, perhaps for the first time, whether despite Law being better than Bellamy, Bellamy had had it better–barring the poor life choices.

---------------------------------o

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Law and Bible stuff

This is just me wanting to know how many biblical parallels and themes I can draw from Law, the Donquixote brothers, the characters associated with them, and his backstory. Honestly not sure whether this would become a fic and in what style or I'm gonna give up and just make it a post.

Not gonna elaborate on them much but here are the ideas in more bullet points (yay):

Law gets familiar with all four horsemen of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death. He even survives them.

Law is like the son in the parable of the prodigal son to the Donquixote pirates. Except the themes are inverted.

Doflamingo and Rocinante -> Cain and Abel

Ope Ope no Mi -> Granting eternal life by sacrificing one's own life

Gods descending or living among humans. Also, Homing and his family being prosecuted for other people's sins.

That scene where they were hanged by their arms outstretched looks like a crucifixion. Also, Rocinante was on the right while Doflamingo was on the left. Similar to how the penitent thief was on the right and the unrepentant one to the left.

Flevance being considered a paradise with walls/fences/gates and somewhere Law cannot return to.

In the panel where the Donquixote pirates are seated at the table, there were thirteen of them with Doffy at the center. Same as The Last Supper

There are a lot more of these (David and Goliath, Solomon, Jonah, Job, etc.) but I kinda lost the notes and some are more visual so I can't really explain it too well. This would is a drabble series to emphasize or highlight the parallels so no proper snippet for this one.

---------------------------------o

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Law is a substitute kindergarten teacher

Originally an idea to get around most of the Heart Pirates being nameless but evolved to include other characters as kids. Chopper is a kindergarten teacher and he convinces Law to take over his class for a week because somehow Law has the qualifications to and free time. Naturally, he wasn't able to say no.

Unfortunately, despite not being terrible at handling children, Chopper's class is filled with menaces. Also, despite not being terrible, Law can still be awkward so...

"Mr. Trofao–fargar—"

"Trafalgar."

The kid—which one was this one again? Shit, he should really get them name plates or something—scrunched up his face and tried harder, "Tar-pal—"

"Law. Just call me Law."

"Mr. Low"—eh, close enough—"can I go to the bathroom?" Wide imploring eyes stared up at him.

"Sure, go ahead." Law gestured towards the exit of the classroom with his head.

The kid just stared expectantly at him and he tried to suppress the need to narrow his eyes.

"Is there… anything else?"

"Mr. Chopper always comes with me to hold my hand."

Really?

"Mr. Chopper isn't here. You should practice doing it on your own now." He said after a deep inhale.

"But the monsters might get me…"

"No, they won't."

"You don't know that."

"I do." Before the kid could open his mouth again to argue, he added, "Besides, children taste terrible so you're safe."

The kid looked stricken and took a step back from him. Uh oh. Glistening eyes, wobbling lower lip… "Alright! I'll go with you." The kid did not look reassured. In fact he looked like going alone with Law was the last thing he wanted to do. Guess, he kinda implied that he ate children didn't he? Oops.

Well, the kid needs to go and he's not going to be cleaning up after him if he wets himself.

Law glanced at the rest of the children. It was Arts and Craft time and they seemed preoccupied enough. Still, Law doubted Chopper ever left these kids alone–already he could see some of them glancing up at him, waiting for him to leave no doubt to cause trouble. That Monkey kid in particular looked extremely suspicious.

He stood up from his crouch and clapped twice to get everyone's attention.

"Alright. Fall in line. Single file."

There was some grumbling and questioning directed at him. "What's going on?"

Law shrugged. "You're all going to the bathroom."

---------------------------------o

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Shichibukai Application Forms

Crackfic where the World Government and relevant parties review various Shichbukai Applications. Most submitted by the pirates applying themselves, some produced by their own staff. They discuss and debate. As well as judge pirate resumes.

She scanned the document. Terrible format, really. If you fail to impress within the first page, you've failed entirely. There just wasn't anyone promising enough in this batch of applications or any of the other ones before. The last one had been that clown. "Apprentice to the Pirate King," was a pretty hefty credential.

"Oh, how about this one? Three years experience pillaging, and they even listed all the towns they looted." One of the newly transferred administrative staff said.

"None of these are worth considering at all. You know, when Mihawk was asked to submit his application, he hadn't bothered with all of this. He just sent us a card with his name on it and the title "World's Strongest Swordsman," underneath."

The staff perked up. "Oh, there was an application like that." There was scramble and some shuffling before a plain white card was produced. "Here."

"'From Trafalgar Law'. What does this even mean?"

"Well, it did come with a big box..."

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Reverse Hanahaki Disease

(?? do u spit out flowers when your nemesis walks by?)

Haha. At first it was going to be that way (because it is hilarious) but the inflicted would probably choke to death too soon. Or if both enemies had it, they'd end up just coughing flowers at each other until they stopped being enemies.

The version I ended up going with was that this variant of Hanahaki, instead of afflicting those with unrequited love, affected those in denial instead. The reverse part comes from the original idea that this would usually happen if you somehow fell in love with your nemesis (someone you originally hated). So it's not the thought that the other person can't love you, it's that you can't accept that you love that other person. You get cured by confessing to the person sincerely.

This is actually another KidLaw (surprise!). And the flower coughed up directly represents the person they're in love with (I went with Oda's flower representation for them because I found it funny for plot)

So the idea is that, you get sick but you don't automatically know (maybe) who it is because that's part of being in denial. Kid and Law have many enemies after all. In this story they both get it though not exactly at the same time and not known to the other.

He survived Amber Lead Syndrome only to be killed off by a stupid flower disease that apparently knows more about his own feelings than he does.

He glared at the petals. Tulips. Red.

An image of a cocky grin and a shock of red hair flashed through his mind and—nope. That's not right.

He coughed harder, tears stinging his eyes with the effort. More flowers. Now he has enough for a bouquet.

Alright, he was a doctor. He could do this. Differential time.

First, which variant does he have. He doesn't particularly feel unloved or hopeless. There wasn't anyone he wanted in particular to love him. Ok, nothing. It was maybe safe to say he had that other variant.

Which was stupid because Law had many enemies and he hated all of them.

And cue the racking coughs. More red. He was very familiar with that particular shade.

New theory. This was a new variant that somehow makes you sick when you think of the person you hated the most.

Yes, that had to be it. He thought as he all but collapsed on the floor from the sudden paroxysm.

I knew this was gonna get long. :) Oh well...

Thank you for playing. :D

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

The State of the World and Humanity

It would be useful to know and to recognize the moral state of humanity and the world before the Master of the Universe (PBUH) was appointed as a prophet. Only then will we be able to understand how he saved the humanity from a social, political, religious, spiritual, intellectual darkness and perversion.

During the end of the sixth century of the Gregorian calendar…

This was an era in which disbelief, heresy, and immorality had descended over humanity with all of its might and were trying to suffocate humanity. The prominent and significant countries of that time were:

Byzantine, Persia, Egypt, India, Alexandria, Mesopotamia, China, etc.

In all of these countries;

A correct belief system did not exist

The people during that time suffered qualms of conscience, had gone mad (so to speak), were rampant, and did not know what they were doing.

They worshipped phenomena that took place in the universe and things that had been created by Allah. Humanity would prostrate before the stars, fire, as well as bone dry, lifeless rocks and idols while claiming they were “Gods!”.

Since souls and the conscience of humanity were buried in the deprivation and darkness of not having faith in Allah; nothing was considered to be the creation of the Divine power and the universe was considered to be meaningless, unnecessary, and pointless. Those poor individuals, who were devoid of faith, wisdom, and understanding, knew that a letter, a word, and a book could not come into being without a writer; however, they were writhing in the misery of accepting that the universe, which contains hundreds of thousands of mysteries and wisdoms, was without an owner and without reason.

In this deplorable state, the entire world was expecting and in need of a prophet who would reintroduce the belief in Tawhid, Allah’s existence and His oneness, and cleanse the heart of disbelief and depravity.

People had been divided into classes

Humanity had broken into several classes, such as the wealthy, the poor, the strong, and the weak; there was a great disconnection and gap between the community and the government officials. There was a considerable amount of tension among the classes.

Due to the tyranny and injustice that was committed by the higher social classes, the lower class resembled a barrel of gunpowder that was ready to explode at any minute. Let us take a glance at the state of Iran during that time as an example: “Like many primitive societies, the Iranians were completely separate from one another. The top three classes were entirely detached from the fourth caste, which was all the way at the bottom. The highest three classes consisted of the priests, judges, warriors and officials who were either called Magipads or Mobads since they were from the Magi Tribe; the farmers and artists constituted the fourth class”. The common people, who were the community, consisted of free city dwellers, slaves, and serfs. Their duty was to work in the fields or in the military without receiving any payments or rewards for their services. They were completely left to themselves and were stuck with insurmountable obstacles. They could not advance in their stations in any way; there was even no hope for them to become townspeople, although the latter openly benefited from their goods and property…”

The Eastern Roman Empire’s condition was even more deplorable. “Its society had been divided into many secondary classes. They were: 1) A class called Curule. They were landowners who were not enlisted in the military and could not get involved in any kind of trade. 2) Tributaries, just like their counterparts in Persia, included those who had no land of their own, those who paid poll taxes, and those were bound to guilds that passed by inheritance from fathers to sons. 3) The military class. As one writer said regarding this matter: “The farmers who cultivated the soil were nothing but tools that clothed and fed the king’s court.” 

Finlay, who was an eminent historian on the Middle East, summarized the Eastern Roman Empire’s (Byzantine) miserable condition as follows: “History has probably not seen a community whose morals were as withered as that of the Greeks and Romans who lived in the period between Justinian’s death (528-565) and Muhammad’s birth, and who lacked as much self-control and virtue”. 

The European community was in the ruthless hands of the aristocracy, the knights, and the clergy, and its condition was no different than that of a dumb animal. Those in power could purchase and sell the community’s constituents whenever they wanted and the latter did not have the right to object. Those who were sold practically became slaves. Even if they were not slaves in the fullest sense, those who did not have the power and strength to separate from their masters would eventually become servants. Nobody had the right not to like his master, nor did anybody possess the authority to choose him. However, there was this one condition: in some uncivilized countries, servants were able to go to another home by first paying their masters a sum for their freedom; this was considered to be a huge favor.

In summary, all countries other than the Arabian Peninsula had caste systems in which people had been divided into separate classes and looked at each other with enmity, hate, and brutality. This world, which was in a miserable state, was in need of a great prophet who would declare that humans were Allah’s most esteemed creatures, they had all descended from one father, and that they all had specific rights in the same proportion, like the right to freedom, and who would change feelings of hate and animosity into feelings of love, respect, and friendship. This situation called for and was in dire need of this Great Prophet.

Slavery was an official institution

Human beings are both reverend and honorable. However, appreciation of this fact is only possible with true belief.

The people of that age, whose hearts were deprived of faith’s glory, did not respect humans, were  unaware that humans were the most reverend beings on the Earth, and were savage enough to sell and purchase their fellow beings.

Those unfortunate people who were labeled as slaves were being sold and purchased at auctions like ordinary merchandise. The masters were fully authorized to insult, torment, and make their slaves work however they wanted.

Humanity was in desperate need of someone who would end this savagery and ingratitude and was in need of a guide who would not withhold his light of compassion from anyone.

Sectarian fights persisted

The belief in the fallacious trinity had replaced the doctrine of Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, which Hazrat Isa (Jesus) had conveyed and preached.

The priests produced a completely different religion in place of what Hazrat Isa had taught.

Likewise, other countries, particularly the Eastern Roman Empire, were committing inconceivable acts of torture and tyranny in the name of religion. For example, historians mention how Phocas, the Patrician, poisoned himself in order to escape from being forcefully converted into Christianity. 

Those who left the Mazdaism faith, which prevailed in Persia, or those who betrayed this religion were mercilessly executed. Scratching out the eyes, crucifixion, stoning, as well as starving and leaving someone to die thirsty were all standard death penalties.

While Confucianism and China had advanced in civilization, they were living their most chaotic days and were on the brink of collapsing just before the Sun of Bliss (PBUH) emerged.  Civil wars did not cease and the society was at one another’s throats due to sectarian differences.

During the period of Islam’s emergence, Abyssinia was full of clashes that occurred between siblings.

Immorality Prevailed

Humanity, which was deprived of the modesty, fear, and virtue that come from faith, was committing all sorts of lewd behavior and had trampled over its dignity and honor by freely performing vulgar acts.

Gambling, alcohol, and immoral types of pleasure found their place among daily activities. Continuous killing, continuous acts of adultery, mugging, and raids almost swept away the blessed and divine significance from humanity.

Here is one example:

Morality had been completely wiped from the Byzantine Empire and had become so dead that the patriarch of Constantinople himself solemnized the marriage between the Emperor and the latter’s own niece. 

To them, a woman was no different than a simple commodity that could be purchased and sold.

Yes, the end of sixth century A.D. was the century of such barbarism, unbelief, idolatry, ignorance and cruelty. All kinds of anarchy, blasphemy, various perverted belief systems and all kinds of debauchery were ruling the world in this century.

Humanity had probably never witnessed such perverseness, immorality, atrocity, and terror since its creation.

Humanity was devoid of a spiritual guide and was like the flowing water in an untamed river as it crashed into stones. With each crash, it lost a bit of its heart, soul, conscience, and honor. Every door that it knocked was shut on its face.

Humans had turned into beasts since they did not know who Allah, the Supreme Creator, was and had not found the essential path that He had drawn for them by means of His prophets. These wild beasts were ready to swallow someone at every minute and were smeared in blood; they caused the wind of anarchism and unrest to blow everywhere.

Humanity had become an orphan, the universe was mourning, and the Earth resembled a ring of sorrow. Everyone was considered an enemy by others, and everything was considered meaningless, soulless, and aimless.

Humanity’s sorrowful screams, which resulted from not having a true guide, were ringing in the skies; the universe, its smallest particles and the sun were crying together over humanity’s miserable condition.

The Sun of Bliss, with all of his glory, was meant to rise in the horizon of humanity so that humans could be happy. The universe’s smallest particle, its sun, its mountains, its stones, its animals, and its people would be saved from being considered insignificant, meaningless, and pointless. Everything would be known as a letter of Allah that was written and presented to be people so that they would draw lessons from them.  Pure faith could take the place of disbelief, justice could replace tyranny, peace could replace uneasiness, knowledge could take the place of ignorance, and bliss could replace misery. All believers would be friends and siblings. The universe’s rage could turn into happiness.  The stars could laugh and the atoms could whirl like dervishes. The sun, moon, ground, and sky could continue their mission lovingly and ardently.

Man should know that the real wisdom and purpose of his creation, his transfer from the darkness of non-existence to the realm of existence is to know God Almighty, to believe in Him and to worship Him. Thus, he will attain real peace and bliss.

[prorevenge]

An old story of fruit and revenge.

I should preface this by saying it was several years ago (It’s a story from middle school and I’m working on my PhD now), but it was the height of my vindictive career. I was in 6th grade and my vice principal was a real creep. He isn’t really the main villain of this story, but it is important context, let’s call him Mr. Suspicious (Mr. S). Mr. S was the coach for the middle school cheerleading squad (I know, right?) and so everyone in the cheerleading squad basically had his permission to do whatever. They routinely got passes to be out of class, hanging out in his office (I know, right?), and generally do whatever. Overall, the rest of us were pretty resentful of them for basically having the run of the school, and a little creeped out at the whole situation.

I was easygoing in middle school. I never really got picked on and I never really picked on people. I played soccer, did pretty well in class, and minded my own business. The story I’m about to tell doesn’t really involve me getting revenge on someone who wronged me, but being a revenge consultant for a friend who got screwed. We will call my friend Hermione; she was very quiet and sweet, but not very assertive. We played soccer together because the club I played for at the time was so small that they had to combine the girls and boys teams into one. The culprits and the recipients of vengeance will be called Draco, Crabbe and Goyle; they were the leader of Mr. S’s cheerleading squad and her two best friends.

Back then we ate lunch as a class and had assigned seats. My teacher had a planning period or something during lunch so Mr. S was the direct overseer of our class at lunch. For the first two quarters I had a seat assigned near nobody I knew and just ate in peace. Draco Crabbe and Goyle could sit wherever they wanted because of course. We had our seats reassigned after winter break, and by sheer luck I ended up sitting next to Hermione. I learned that all year, Draco Crabbe and Goyle had been sitting across from Hermione on purpose and stealing her food. In particular, Hermione’s mom always packed her a bag of strawberries and they took them every day and ate them in front of her. Mr. S knew this and did nothing about it, in fact it seemed like he was proud of it.

The first time I saw this I tried to grab the bag as they took it and got detention for it. During detention, I basically sat in a classroom and chatted with my teacher about how unfair it was that the vice principal had bullies under his personal protection. She seemed really uncomfortable talking about it, but she didn’t try to argue with me, and I never got reprimanded for saying it. I got the impression that she knew what was going on but was afraid to lose her job. At the time she had a child with medical issues and probably really needed that job, so even in hindsight I think I would have done the same thing in her shoes. At this point, I decided to take the law into my own hands...

I told Hermione to hold on for a few days, and that I had a plan. I didn’t tell her what is was, but as soon as I got home that day I got to work I asked my parents to get strawberries the next time they were at the store (I really love strawberries, so it was a win-win). My parents both worked late at the time, so once I had the strawberries, I began preparing my revenge in solitude. I microwaved some chocolate leftover from Christmas with some milk like you would if you were making chocolate-covered fruit. This fruit had a little something extra though. I grabbed a bottle of dawn dish soap, and a cup of liquid laundry detergent, and mixed them together in a bowl. After that I coated a handful of strawberries with soap slurry and toasted them, drying the soap out so there was about a millimeter-thick layer of soap on each one. I “accidentally” burned some toast later so that the odor would be covered (sorta). After that, I coated the strawberries with chocolate and put them in a sandwich bag. Before school started I traded Hermione’s strawberries for my retribution berries. Predictably, at lunch, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle took the strawberries out of her lunch, saying that she “wasn’t hot enough for them” (middle schoolers are not renowned for wit). I stared off into space, smiling internally as my plan went off more perfectly than I could have hoped. The berries were pretty small, so Draco and Crabbe had basically swallowed them before the soap kicked in. Crabbe started spitting up on the table and they all started gagging and running out of the room. I didn’t get to stay and see what happened because Mr. S figured out what happened and dragged me and my friend away.

We got dragged in front of the vice principal and (importantly) the principal, to whom the whole situation was news. I explained everything that happened, the assigned seats, the strawberry stealing, the fact that nothing had been done about it, and the fact that we hadn’t technically done anything wrong but bring gross food to school as part of our lunch. What was meant to be my crucifixion turned into Mr. S getting reprimanded and forced to take a lower-paying job at the district office (away from kids). I got a lot of shit for that for the next two years, and in hindsight I am glad nobody died because I didn’t check to see if any of my poisons were, well, poison, but I’d say it worked out pretty well. Also Hermione started calling me “Count” (in reference to the Count of Monte Cristo) so that felt pretty good.

TL;DR: Steal my friend’s food and eat it in front of her? Prepare for that food to be disgusting.

(source) (story by kwanzatree)

[derpa-smashed]

Police Brutality

from

Lower Class Crucifixion (AF003)

by

The Unseen

[introvertguide]

Spartacus (1960); AFI #81

Our next film that we reviewed is the bleak but powerful story of Spartacus, (1960) the Kirk Douglas answer to missing out on Ben Hur. According to some background viewing on the DVD and on YouTube, Kirk Douglas wanted to be the lead in Ben Hur and was angry when his part was given to Charlton Heston. He bought the rites to his own Roman Empire epic that he believed would rival his missed opportunity and Spartacus was adapted for the screen. Although Spartacus did not win the awards that Ben Hur did, the film won a Golden Globe for best Drama as well as 3 technical Oscars and a Best Supporting Oscar for Peter Ustinov. Spartacus is now generally considered the superior film (OK, specifically by me), mainly because it does not go in the direction that the viewer would expect for a movie of the time. Before I go any further, let’s spoil the story for those who just want to talk about the film without having seen it:

SPOILER WARNING! THIS MOVIE DOES NOT END LIKE ONE WOULD EXPECT SO THIS IS A LEGITIMATE WARNING! THIS REVIEW WILL RUIN THE ENDING SO WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST!

The movie starts with eight minutes of music and establishing shots, making sure that the viewer knows this is an epic. We see our main character, a slave named Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), is so uncooperative in his position in a mining pit that he is sentenced to death by starvation. By chance, he is displayed to a sniveling Roman businessman named Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov), who – impressed by his ferocity – purchases Spartacus for his gladiatorial school. He tells his instructor Marcellus (Charles McGraw) to watch over Spartacus specifically because he thinks "he has quality". Amid the “training”, Spartacus forms a quiet relationship with a female slave named Varinia (Jean Simmons). She falls for Spartacus when he refuses to rape her for the entertainment of the guards claiming that he is not an animal. When she says “neither am I,” he respects her and realizes that she is kept for her physical abilities just as he is. Spartacus and Varinia are subsequently forced to endure numerous humiliations for defying the conditions of servitude, but their bond grows stronger as they suffer together.

Batiatus receives a visit from the immensely wealthy Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus (Laurence Olivier), who aims to become dictator of the stagnant Roman republic. Crassus buys Varinia on a whim and, for the amusement of his companions; arranges for Spartacus and three others to fight in pairs to the death. It was promised to the training gladiators that these death battles would only happen at the Colosseum. Crassus offers enough money that Batiatus can’t refuse, but this sets the rebellious attitude of the gladiators. During his fight, Spartacus is disarmed and his opponent, an African named Draba (Woody Strode), spares his life in a burst of defiance and instead attacks the Roman audience, but is speared by an arena guard and then finished off by Crassus. The next day, with the atmosphere still tense over this episode, Batiatus takes Varinia away to Crassus's house in Rome. Spartacus kills Marcellus, who was taunting him about his love, and the fight escalates into a full blown riot. The gladiators overwhelm their guards and escape into the Italian countryside. 

Spartacus is chosen as leader of the fugitives and he decides to lead them out of Italy to the sea where they can leave the country. The growing army of slaves and gladiators plunders Roman estates all over the countryside, collecting enough money to buy sea transport from the pirates of Cilicia. Spartacus and his group encounter numerous other slaves who wish to join, making the procession towards the sea as large as an army. One of the new arrivals is Varinia, who escaped while being delivered to Crassus. Another is a slave entertainer named Antoninus (Tony Curtis), who also fled Crassus's service. Spartacus feels mentally inadequate because he is uneducated, but he proves an excellent leader and organizes his diverse followers into a tough and self-sufficient community. Varinia, now his informal wife, becomes pregnant by him, and he also comes to regard the spirited Antoninus as a sort of son.

The Roman Senate becomes increasingly alarmed as Spartacus defeats the multiple armies sent against him. Crassus's populist opponent Gracchus (Charles Laughton) knows that his rival will try to use the crisis as a justification for seizing control of the Roman army. To try and prevent this, Gracchus channels as much military power as possible into the hands of his own protege, a young senator named Julius Caesar (John Gavin). Although Caesar lacks Crassus's contempt for the lower classes of Rome, he mistakes the man's rigid outlook for nobility. Thus, when Gracchus reveals that he has bribed the pirates to get Spartacus out of Italy and rid Rome of the slave army, Caesar regards such tactics as beneath him and goes over to Crassus.

Crassus uses a bribe of his own to make the pirates abandon Spartacus and has the Roman army secretly force the rebels away from the coastline towards Rome. Amid panic that Spartacus means to sack the city, the Senate gives Crassus absolute power. Now surrounded by Romans, Spartacus convinces his men to die fighting. Just by rebelling and proving themselves human, he says that they have struck a blow against slavery. In the ensuing battle, after initially breaking the ranks of Crassus's legions, the slave army ends up trapped between Crassus and two other forces advancing from behind, and most of them are massacred. Afterward, the Romans try to locate the rebel leader for special punishment by offering a pardon (and return to enslavement) if the men will identify Spartacus, living or dead. Every surviving man responds by shouting "I'm Spartacus!". As a result, Crassus has them all sentenced to death by crucifixion along the Via Appia between Rome and Capua, where the revolt began.

After the battle, Crassus finds Varinia and Spartacus's newborn son hiding amongst the dead and takes them prisoner. He is disturbed by the idea that Spartacus can command more love and loyalty than he can and hopes to compensate by making Varinia as devoted to him as she was to her former husband. When she rejects him, he furiously seeks out Spartacus (whom he recognizes from having watched him at Batiatus' school) and forces him to fight Antoninus to the death. The survivor is to be crucified, along with all the other men captured after the great battle. Spartacus kills Antoninus to spare him this terrible fate. The incident leaves Crassus worried about Spartacus's potential to live in legend as a martyr. In other matters, he is also worried about Caesar, whom he senses will someday eclipse him.

Gracchus, having seen Rome fall into tyranny, commits suicide. Before doing so, he bribes his friend Batiatus to rescue Spartacus's family from Crassus and carry them away to freedom. On the way out of Rome, the group passes under Spartacus's cross. Varinia is able to comfort him in his dying moments by showing him his little son, who will grow up free and knowing who his father was.

So just to really hit this spoiler home: the slaves who escape are all slaughtered in battle or crucified along the road into Rome, the senator who tries to help them commits suicide, and Spartacus kills his close friend and is himself crucified to the sound of his slowly dying army. His one consolation is he sees his wife leaving with his child under the same man who turned him into a gladiator in the first place. Kubrick really knows how to end on an up note (sarcasm). This is not that surprising since Trumbo adapted it and he was not feeling like a happy ending was in his future. It was probably very cathartic for him to write out the script. 

This movie brags of having a cast of thousands and that is no lie. My mom commented during the battle scene when all the armies are marching out that “nobody was unemployed during the making of this movie.” There was no green screen or CG effects, just 8000 members of the Spanish military dressed up like Roman soldiers and marching in formation. There were apparently many gory scenes that were cut out of battle towards the end and only a shot of Spartacus cutting off a man’s arm remained. When envisioning the project, Kubrick had no intention of holding back.

I did learn from the DVD extras (this is released through Criterion so there are tons of bonus extras and commentary) that Kubrick considered this the only film in which he felt he did not have complete creative control. He fought with Trumbo about the lead character being too perfect. Spartacus was a rebellious slave with no formal education and a huge chip on his shoulder. Why would he be so nice and understanding when so few people had shown him any kindness? The studios also did not like that somebody who had been shown to be so good would end up dying so badly. Kubrick really distanced himself from this film as he got old because he considered it the one example of a movie that he helped create that wasn’t really his. 

One specific scene that both Kubrick and Trumbo agreed on but the studios did not like was the famous “snails and oysters” moment between Crassus and Antoninus. This is a famous moment in the history of homosexual representation in American film and involves two of the most well known actors of the time, Sir Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis. Antoninus is tending to Crassus during a bath and Crassus asks a series of questions about moral actions. He asks if Antoninus eats oysters and snails and asks if eating one is morally superior to the other. Crassus concludes that it  is a matter of taste and not a question of morality. During the questioning, Antoninus continually refers to Crassus as master while oiling up the man in a bath. Crassus is blatantly hitting on Antoninus and the only reason it got past the studio censors is that it was the villainous Roman tyrant. This scene would have been cut at the time if it would have gone any further, I think. Very interesting moment in movie history. 

More than any single scene, Kubrick was constantly fighting about his need to put in his special touch of over perfectionism which translated to demanding a lot of takes. This really slows down production when you are trying to direct and you are dealing with so many people. He is reported to have done a dozen or more takes for each dolly shot of the dead bodies on the battle field with specific instructions for every single extra that lay on the field. I am all about sticking to your vision, but that might be going a little bit too far when you are using studio money. I do love the final product, however, so I am probably not allowed to complain too much about the director’s process. 

So does this movie belong on the AFI list? Of course. It is an epic historical drama that won 4 Academy Awards. It stars some of the biggest names in movie history including the great Kirk Douglas in possibly his most memorable role, it was directed by the iconic Stanley Kubrick, and this movie marks the end of the blacklisting of writers who had been accused of being communists. This is a piece of cinema that strongly represents the time of its creation and should definitely be studied by groups like the AFI. Would I recommend it? Across the board. It is a great movie that actually moves through its 3+ hours. I found myself taking less notes during the movie and simply enjoying the entire viewing. I even watched again with commentary without a single gripe. Fantastic movie and a real tribute to the great actor Kirk Douglas. RIP and thank you for the entertainment. I am Spartacus!

[theraccolta]

St. Helena and the Relics of the True Cross and Nails of the Lord

A piece of the True Cross discovered by Saint Helena, the Emperor Constantine’s mother, and brought back to Rome in Fourth Century. To house the single most significant relic in Christianity, St. Helen built the Basilica of Santa Croce in Rome, where a large piece of the cross is kept to this day. Skeptics have said that if all the relics of the True Cross where put together there would be enough wood for two or three crosses. However, in 1870 a Frenchman, Rohault de Fleury, catalogued all the relics of the True Cross including relics that were said to have existed but were lost. He measured the existing relics and estimated the volume of the missing ones. Then he added up the figures and discovered that the fragments, if glued together, would not have made up more than one-third of a cross.

The Holy Nails were also discovered by St. Helena about 300 years after the Crucifixion. According to legend, one nail was tossed into the Adriatic to calm a storm. The other two were used by the Empress to protect her son. One was placed in his crown and another formed into a bridle for his horse. Filings were taken from the true nails and embedded in copies to make relics of a lower class. Some of these are presented as true nails rather than copies but it is safe to say that the one kept at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, in Rome is among those most likely to be one of the True Nails used in the Crucifixion.

[insipid-drivel]

More stuff that Medieval and Renaissance-era (and even more recently in some cases) women could do:

-Be blacksmiths, particularly specializing in the making of metal nails, which were a critical aspect of constructing castles, forts, and palaces. Due to a legend about Christ and the Crucifixion, wherein the soldiers responsible for crucifying Jesus approached a blacksmith for the nails to do the act and the blacksmith balked, his wife did it for them. Thanks to that legend, women have historically been associated with blacksmiths, and there are sources of surviving Medieval artwork that show women toiling away at forges to further demonstrate it. (Source: Historian Ruth Goodwin)

-Have jobs in general. Middle class women especially had access to a wide array of different crafts and skills. Women have historically been pivotal to the alcohol trade, from alewives to gin brewers, but could largely assume the same job as her husband or father. One surviving example from the Great London Fire of 1666 was Sybil Thame (sp?), who was a known shoemaker for orphans and foundling children at Christ’s Hospital. While her business didn’t survive the fire, it’s known from records that she not only did relatively well as a widow with 3 daughters working as a shoemaker, but she also fought and won pay raises from the parish, and was even known to have her own private credit system for her customers.

-Have positions of power in politics. Princess and Sultana, Mara Brancovic, is an excellent example of a Medieval woman of power that defies the typical model. Mara Brancovic was an Orthodox Christian, the wife of Murad II and stepmother of Mehmed II, aka the Guy That Conquered Constantinople and Also Had A Ruthless Love/Hate Relationship With Vlad The Impaler, and one of the most essential members of the Ottoman Imperial Court until the day she died. While she spent much of her married life in the Ottoman Empire in the royal harem, she was a known power-broker and ambassador between the Christian and Islamic worlds courtesy of her unique family relations and class. Mehmed II formally released her from the royal harem when he assumed the throne as Sultan, but kept Mara - who he always called “Mother” - on as a lifelong advisor and source of information that was essential to his many victories and successes in his adult life. Mara Brancovic was seen as one of the most powerful women in the Western world during the 15th century.

-Practice paid martial arts! The Georgian era in England gave some of the most vivid examples and documents compared to Medieval examples, but women of middle and lower class backgrounds were some of the most common martial artists to see fighting for sport like we pay to watch today. Fighters would range in specialties from hand-to-hand combat (in some spaces, fistfighting was thought of as fighting “like women”) to the same weapons as soldiers. Depending on skill and daring, fighters would use either “safe” weapons (such as a wooden sword with a woven basket for a hand guard) or the real things, and paid fights could sometimes go on for hours. One woman was once documented as receiving a rather nasty rapier wound to the face, but only paused the fight long enough to have a shot of whiskey and wipe the blood out of her eye before she kept on fighting. (Source: Historian Tony Robinson)

all RIGHT:

Why You're Writing Medieval (and Medieval-Coded) Women Wrong: A RANT

(Or, For the Love of God, People, Stop Pretending Victorian Style Gender Roles Applied to All of History)

This is a problem I see alllll over the place - I'll be reading a medieval-coded book and the women will be told they aren't allowed to fight or learn or work, that they are only supposed to get married, keep house and have babies, &c &c.

If I point this out ppl will be like "yes but there was misogyny back then! women were treated terribly!" and OK. Stop right there.

By & large, what we as a culture think of as misogyny & patriarchy is the expression prevalent in Victorian times - not medieval. (And NO, this is not me blaming Victorians for their theme park version of "medieval history". This is me blaming 21st century people for being ignorant & refusing to do their homework).

Yes, there was misogyny in medieval times, but 1) in many ways it was actually markedly less severe than Victorian misogyny, tyvm - and 2) it was of a quite different type. (Disclaimer: I am speaking specifically of Frankish, Western European medieval women rather than those in other parts of the world. This applies to a lesser extent in Byzantium and I am still learning about women in the medieval Islamic world.)

So, here are the 2 vital things to remember about women when writing medieval or medieval-coded societies

FIRST. Where in Victorian times the primary axes of prejudice were gender and race - so that a male labourer had more rights than a female of the higher classes, and a middle class white man would be treated with more respect than an African or Indian dignitary - In medieval times, the primary axis of prejudice was, overwhelmingly, class. Thus, Frankish crusader knights arguably felt more solidarity with their Muslim opponents of knightly status, than they did their own peasants. Faith and age were also medieval axes of prejudice - children and young people were exploited ruthlessly, sent into war or marriage at 15 (boys) or 12 (girls). Gender was less important.

What this meant was that a medieval woman could expect - indeed demand - to be treated more or less the same way the men of her class were. Where no ancient legal obstacle existed, such as Salic law, a king's daughter could and did expect to rule, even after marriage.

Women of the knightly class could & did arm & fight - something that required a MASSIVE outlay of money, which was obviously at their discretion & disposal. See: Sichelgaita, Isabel de Conches, the unnamed women fighting in armour as knights during the Third Crusade, as recorded by Muslim chroniclers.

Tolkien's Eowyn is a great example of this medieval attitude to class trumping race: complaining that she's being told not to fight, she stresses her class: "I am of the house of Eorl & not a serving woman". She claims her rights, not as a woman, but as a member of the warrior class and the ruling family. Similarly in Renaissance Venice a doge protested the practice which saw 80% of noble women locked into convents for life: if these had been men they would have been "born to command & govern the world". Their class ought to have exempted them from discrimination on the basis of sex.

So, tip #1 for writing medieval women: remember that their class always outweighed their gender. They might be subordinate to the men within their own class, but not to those below.

SECOND. Whereas Victorians saw women's highest calling as marriage & children - the "angel in the house" ennobling & improving their men on a spiritual but rarely practical level - Medievals by contrast prized virginity/celibacy above marriage, seeing it as a way for women to transcend their sex. Often as nuns, saints, mystics; sometimes as warriors, queens, & ladies; always as businesswomen & merchants, women could & did forge their own paths in life

When Elizabeth I claimed to have "the heart & stomach of a king" & adopted the persona of the virgin queen, this was the norm she appealed to. Women could do things; they just had to prove they were Not Like Other Girls. By Elizabeth's time things were already changing: it was the Reformation that switched the ideal to marriage, & the Enlightenment that divorced femininity from reason, aggression & public life.

For more on this topic, read Katherine Hager's article "Endowed With Manly Courage: Medieval Perceptions of Women in Combat" on women who transcended gender to occupy a liminal space as warrior/virgin/saint.

So, tip #2: remember that for medieval women, wife and mother wasn't the ideal, virgin saint was the ideal. By proving yourself "not like other girls" you could gain significant autonomy & freedom.

Finally a bonus tip: if writing about medieval women, be sure to read writing on women's issues from the time so as to understand the terms in which these women spoke about & defended their ambitions. Start with Christine de Pisan.

I learned all this doing the reading for WATCHERS OF OUTREMER, my series of historical fantasy novels set in the medieval crusader states, which were dominated by strong medieval women! Book 5, THE HOUSE OF MOURNING (forthcoming 2023) will focus, to a greater extent than any other novel I've ever yet read or written, on the experience of women during the crusades - as warriors, captives, and political leaders. I can't wait to share it with you all!