thepagansun

[thepagansun]

Me wanting ACTUAL Agamemnon content, only to be constantly misled by the cursed #tagamemnon tag 😭😭😑😑😂

[thepagansun]

🏛 "History Speaks" 🏛

Hello again, you look familiar, I know we've met before

You come to me for answers and knock at my open door

I warmly invite you in, as I always used to do

And we sit and laugh together as I spin a tale or two

"Tell me" you say "about Rome, the empires of the West

"Explorers who reached the East, when we were at our best

"Or tell of great strides in science, medicine and the moon"

"With AI now at our side, we'll go again there soon"

I sigh as I realize, "So this is why you're here"

It's always been just the good that you've held so dear

But you see, the story of your people on this earth

Has been planted deep within me, long before your birth

I've witnessed empires rise-- glorious and new!

Only to fall to the same traps the ones before them knew

Works have been written for those who occupy the throne

But what of millions of nameless ones working to the bone?

To get the other story, you'd have to turn my page

Be warned, it speaks of hurt, bitterness, and rage

But a story also of survival, love and hope

With all the tools you need to get through life and cope

"Oh no, that's quite alright," you hastily say

Getting up to leave, "I must be on my way"

I whisper, "I know you think them such a bore"

"But they're yours too, you know, the stories you'd ignore"

You pause at my door with your back halfway turned

"Would you really wait," I ask, "until your world has burned?"

I know you think me unimportant, a relic, a dusty book

Your sole focus on STEM is the path you took

But they'll all end up on my pages someday

Engineers, inventors, and more have all come my way

The answers you seek to disease, war, disasters, and more

Have always been right here, unhidden, past my open door

But when you come, you always visit me half blind

Read only the same stories & the answers you'll never find

You desperately ask, "Well, what else can I do?"

I say, "Take care of all your people & don't hide what's true"

All those planets in deep space that you so long to go

The same problems will wait there unless you learn & grow

Remember those who came before & learn the lessons well

From emperors to peasants, all had their tale to tell

I help walk you out the door & we try not to cry

"I'll come again," you say "It's not a true goodbye"

But when we meet again, you'll be wearing a different face

To ask me the same questions...in another time & place

- Arsa Rodz

[thepagansun]

I have found my people!!! Agamemnon was a BEAST in battle. The only major warrior on either side to never need divine aid or divine weapons in battle. All hail the King of Men and Lord of Spears! 💪🏛👑

We all love to talk about Achilles's revenge for Patroclus but what about Agamemnon's revenge for his brother?

In Rhapsody 11 of the Iliad we have Agamemnon in battle and he absolutely slays quite literally several Trojans, including but not limited to; two bastard sons of Priam Isus and Antiphus. But during his ferocity in battle he encountered two more opponents

Peisander and Hippolochus sons of Antimachus

And these two were the source of his rage. The two of them rode the same chariot which was out of control due to the fact that their reins were lost and Agamemnon stopped them! The two brothers tried to beg for their life, saying that their father would pay ransom for them but Agamemnon didn't bulge at all! And why?

If you are indeed wise Antimachus's sons; who once upon a time suggested at the Trojan assembly to kill Menelaus and godly Odysseus when they came as ambassadors, so that they wouldn't return back to the Achaeans, now you shall pay for the shameful deeds of your father!

(Translation by me)

Oh boy! Hear the lion roar!

Antiphus was a person who was bribed by Paris to prevent Helen from returning to Menelaus, had suggested to kill his brother and arguably a man he did consider his friend (if not from the very beginning after so many years of warfare) and now he saw his sons on the field and man no mercy given! Agamemnon dragged down Peisander and smote him in the chest with his spear and boy oh boy did he not stop there! The brother tried to run and flee but Agamemnon smote him too, cutting off his hands and then his head and let them both lie there and he went on and on in a killing spree, calling out to Achaeans come close to him!

DUDE!

CHILLS MAN!

Honestly I don't think I ever saw anyone talking about that but Agamemnon literally shone, ate and left no crumbs in that scene! Agamemnon with his hands bloodied from battle rushing forward towards the gates of Troy, calling onto the rest of the Greeks and the Trojans scattering "like frightened cows scared by a lion coming at them". Zeus even drew Hector out of the cloud of dust because of this enraged attack. Zeus even sent Iris to Hector to tell him that he would charge the attack if Agamemnon was wounded by a spear or an arrow. Like...Zeus told Hector to stay out of the way of Agamemnon the way he led the attack to the walls!

Honestly whenever I hear that Agamemnon was just a flamboyant asshole who did nothing and he didn't aspire the crowd of the Greeks and all like this scene just screams as to why Agamemnon was a king! Not because he was in charge of the richest kingdom only! But because he was heading first in fight; leading havoc and calling upon others to follow his example! To the point that Zeus needed to protect even Hector from this attack! And man did Agamemnon slay more! The first to come at him was Iphidamas who tried to strike him but his sword didn't pierce the armor and man Agamemnon then kept going:

And lordly Agamemnon grabbed the spear in his hand and drew it towards him with the fury of a lion and taking it off his hand: he smote him to the neck with his sword, and he went limb

(Translation by me)

DUDE! Dude! Like...why are we not even talking about this move?! Like honestly Agamemnon is incredibly underrated for his power at war, his power as a leader and above all his care for his brother and friends! Dunno guys but this scene gave me a howling fit! And he didn't stop there! Iphidama's brother Coön furious to see his brother die he attacked Agamemnon FROM THE BACK and wounded his arm and yet Agamemnon rushed upon Coön and killed him when he was trying to drag the dead body away! And even if he was bleeding profoundly he kept attacking the enemy!

In fact the pain became so great and the blood was growing dry that Homer describes it the same terrible and strong as the pain from childbirth! Agamemnon eventually could take no more and he took his chariot to leave the battlefield by shouting orders STILL to his comrades to protect the ships as he was leaving. And only THEN did Hector move! Honestly Hector! The prince of Troy was advised by Zeus to avoid the battlefield till Agamemnon was out of the game!

WHY ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I'm gonna die on that hill but yes I am not becoming Agamemnon hater! I can recognize his moments when he was an asshole without making it his entire persona and without appreciating these moments!

And yeah he didn't really kill their father (although I bet he absolutely would want to!) but the concept of "sons will pay for the sins of their father" was a common trope in antiquity. Ironically it is the same thing Agamemnon is killed by Aegisthus for, for Aegisthus was carrying the revenge against Agamemnon's father Atreus

[thepagansun]

Tell me, what do you think of people who think all religions should be left in the past?

Sorry this reply came a bit late. I often have military duty which takes up time.

Well, there are two sides to religion. One side used to be (and in many places around the world still is) a very public affair and part of a society's culture. This side is reflective of the community which can be a double-edged sword since on the one hand it can reinforce a society's or culture's identity. But on the other hand, as societies become more multicultural and not everyone believes in the same thing, it can also be very isolating for those that don't share the same beliefs. If a religion is forced, then I can understand why they might feel that way.

But this leads to the other side of religion which is very private and is about the individual and his/her relationship to the Gods or God. In ancient Greece and Rome, this side was filled by the philosophers and the "mystery religions."

Personally? In today's world (or at least in the USA), I'd rather keep religion and the state separate and I think it's possible for an agnostic or an atheist to be happy and live a good life without religion.

If others don't have a religion, that's fine. But if they tell me "my religion belongs in the past?" That's when I have a problem. I'm pretty sure I've loved my Gods through several reincarnations. I don't plan on stopping now.

☺️🏛☀️

[thepagansun]

Thanks so much!! I greatly appreciate it. 🙏

Donald will always hold a special place in my heart. It's just such a shame that despite being the original adventurer and brawler of the Duck family and being the reason why Ducktales and even Scrooge McDuck exists in the first place, he keeps getting passed over for far less deserving newbies that haven't accomplished one iota of what he has.😔

So if no one else will, I'll make sure he gets his due justice! I'm so glad there are others like you that aporeciate him as much as I do. Thanks for being one of them! ☺️🤗🦆

totally random, but can we give a handclap for @thepagansun?

I consider you a number 1 Donald Duck fan and defender. I've been seeing you in comment sections here since I was at least 13. Always standing your ground with your opinions

I consider it admirable 👏👏👏

[thepagansun]

What exactly do modern pagans believe about fate, if anything?

Thanks for your question!

While I can't quite speak for all modern pagans, I can try to explain in relation to my own religion, if that helps.

In accordance with ancient Greek and Roman beliefs, many modern followers of Hellenism (modern Paganism of the ancient Greek Gods) and Roman Reconstructionism/Nova Roma (modern Paganism of the ancient Roman Gods), we believe in the Morai (Greek name) or Parcae (Latin name) who were the three Fates that spun, measured, and cut every mortal's life from beginning to end.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were usually pretty determinist if not fatalistic, meaning that they believed most people's paths were set and couldn't be changed. But it was also the truth of the times when it was very difficult to change one's circumstances back then compared to today. But they also still believed that we had the power to change what we could and had to take personal responsibility for our choices.

Alongside the public religious worship of the Gods, people also turned to the more personal and secretive mystery religions like Mithraism or philosophies like Stoicism or Epicureanism (both have many modern adherents today) in their search for more complex answers about Fate, virtue and life in general. So Roman Reconstructionist modern pagans like me that take the more historical route feel similarly about Fate.

Here's a link from the Nova Roma website to learn a little more about ancient Roman culture and philosophy: http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Nova_Romanitas

In my personal view? While the circumstance of one's birth, the length of life and our death are pre-determined; what we do with the length of the life we have is up to us.

If you're interested in further reading, let me know, and I can make another post about a few more short and simplified examples of various ancient Roman philosophies and their different approaches to Fate still practiced today.

In the meantime, please enjoy some quotes from one of ancient Rome's greatest Emperors and Stoic philosophers, Marcus Aurelius (2nd cent. AD) from his work, Meditations. Much of his work includes advice on how to handle Fate or the things we can't change and it's still enjoyed and followed today by pagans and even monotheists. 🏛😊

[thepagansun]

Respect Neo-Pagans and Our Gods!

Although they probably will never see it (or care), this post is meant for Hollywood, Netflix, Marvel and all other industries and streaming platforms that are hosting shows based on but twisting pagan or polytheist "mythology" or ancient religions such as Gods of Egypt, Immortals, Clash of the Titans, Thor: Love and Thunder, DT17, Supernatural, Kaos, Twilight of the Gods, Blood of Zeus, Percy Jackson, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Record of Ragnarok, American Gods, Lore Olympus, and God of War games, etc.

The trend of creating content that demonizes, humiliates, or insults our Gods is upsetting and unfair. Creative and artistic license is one thing, but it's a double-standard for content about the monotheistic god or religions to be treated with respect even when under academic criticism while are ours are depicted as one-dimensional, villainized and humiliated. We are asking for that same respect.

Yes, content about any kind of "mythology" is fun, but the modern world needs to please remember that these were and still are RELIGIONS to many people around the world, myself included.

People worshipped these Gods, listened to their stories around the fire, married under their vows, raised their children, went to war, and but also built magnificent structures, wrote literature, prayed in their temples, and many more!

In fact, we still have vestiges of their worship! The names of the months and days of the week in the Western world come from Roman or Norse/Germanic Gods, the Olympic Games were originally dedicated to Zeus, the Hippocratic Oath was originally a prayer offered to Apollo, people from all over the ancient world visited the shrine and oracle at Apollo's Delphi, and many more examples.

And while yes, sometimes people were sacrificed to some pagan Gods (not so much the Greeks or Romans), but are we really going to pretend that many more people haven't died in the name of Christianity or Islam??

Lord Zeus wasn't just some womanizer, he was also King of the Gods, Father of Gods and Humans, the God of Hospitality, Oaths, Lightning, Law, Order, Authority, Monarchy, etc.

This was also Lord Zeus of the ancient Greeks:

This was also Lord Odin of the ancient Norse:

This was also Lady Hera of the ancient Greeks:

This was also Lord Ra of the ancient Egyptians:

This was also Lord Huracan of the ancient Maya:

Even if you personally don't worship these Gods, at least respect the fact that your ancestors did. Imagine if 100-200 years from now your descendants start making movies and shows that demonize or humiliate Yahweh, Jesus, Allah and Mohammed, etc.!

In fact, neo-paganism is the fastest growing religion in the United States: https://commonwealthpolicycenter.org/paganism-is-americas-fastest-growing-religion/#:~:text=Paganism%20is%20one%20of%20the,a%20broader%20form%20of%20paganism.

Members of Ásatrù, heathen religion of Iceland, honoring the Norse Gods:

Members of Hellenism, honoring the ancient Greek Gods:

Members of my religion, Nova Roma, honoring the ancient Roman Gods:

Traditional African religion:

Traditional Maya religion:

Members of Wicca at Stonehenge, the biggest Neo-Pagan religion in the world with 3-5 million practioners worldwide!

Our Gods are our RELIGION, not just your "mythology!" And both They and we, their followers, deserve the same respect you expect for your religions.

And they at least would never condemn you to an eternal fiery pit simply for not believing in them, unlike some other god I could mention.

They are here. We are here. They exist. We exist. And we are not going anywhere.

[thepagansun]

Hi! I know your favorite Iliad character is Agamemnon (I love him too) and I would like to ask, what’s your opinion about Menelaus and his personality? And their relationship with each other?

Thank you for your answer in advance! :D

Hi! Thanks so much for your question! I love Trojan War questions! Especially regarding Agamemnon or his family! 😁

I do like Menelaus, especially in the Iliad. He shares similarities with Patroclus in that they're both kinder than Agamemnon and Achilles respectively and are underestimated as a result.

Combat: Menelaus probably ranks as the 10th strongest warrior since he wasn't included among the top 9 who volunteered to fight Hector. But he was still quite courageous. He dueled and curbstoped Paris. He was the one who asked Big Aias (Ajax) to help a wounded Odysseus and with Athena's help, he was able to protect Patroclus' body and briefly stand against Hector before getting Big Aias again. So he's definitely impressive.

Relationship with Agamemnon: I love their relationship in the Iliad! Their scenes together are brief but sooo touching! Agamemnon really did seem to go to war for Menelaus' sake and not as most modern (far more inaccurate) portrayals that make it seem like he just wanted Troy's wealth (as if Mycenae didn't have more than enough gold). In Book 4, Agamemnon freaks out when he thinks Menelaus got wounded. In Book 6, Agamemnon is so angered by the injustice Menelaus suffered that he kills a Trojan prisoner Menelaus himself was willing to spare. And in Book 10, they share such an emotional, touching scene where Agamemnon defends Menelaus from Nestor's criticism and subtly warns Diomedes against choosing Menelaus for the night raid. He even lends Menelaus his mare so Menelaus could participate in the chariot racing for Patroclus funeral games! Their love for each other was so genuine. And for his part, despite the heartbreaking quarrel Menelaus and Agamemnon had in the Odyssey, Menelaus is inconsolable when he finds out Agamemnon's fate and he erects a barrow for him in his memory.

Relationship with Helen: I do think Menelaus genuinely loved Helen and she loved him. As early as Book 3, Helen makes it clear she regrets leaving with Paris and we find out it was heavily influenced by Aphrodite. And in the Epic Cycle, Menelaus spares Helen's life. And the Odyssey, they seem to live contently (although still grieving their loved ones) and are predicted to live together forever in the Elysian Fields.

Other Notes: But I think sadly, Menelaus' story gets lost in the bigger story of more powerful characters like Agamemnon, Achilles, Big Aias, Diomedes, Hector, Odysseus and even Helen. The quarrel he has with Agamemnon in the Odyssey seems almost necessary for Menelaus to finally have gotten his own story/epic that sadly is lost to us. We only have a glimpse of his wanderings in Egypt through the Odyssey and the play Helen by Euripedes. But the Athenian plays should be taken with a grain of salt for his portrayal because the Athenians were biased against Spartans due to the Peloponnesian War.😔

In short, I think Menelaus was a tragic epic hero whose story sadly gets overshadowed by others. But I love that the small bits that survive prove that he was almost as fascinating as Agamemnon. I hope this helps! 😊

[thepagansun]

Hey just a random zodiac question:

If Aries, Scorpio and Leo were put into a fight, who would be most likely to win?

Well...I'm a bit biased (being a Leo) and I do think Leo is the physically strongest of the three and even of the entire Zodiac (or ties with Taurus) but I'll try to be fair:

I think Leo, being a fixed masculine fire sign ruled by the Sun and symbolized by a lion would win in a contest of raw physical strength and endurance. He'd probably be best at winning a traditional fight by overpowering or outlasting his opponents.

Aries being a cardinal masculine fire sign ruled by Mars symbolized by a ram would probably win a physical fight when it comes to tactics (he rules the head and brain) and speed. He'd probably be the best at thinking at a moment's notice.

Scorpio being a fixed feminine water sign ruled by Mars and to a lesser extent Pluto and symbolized by a scorpion would probably win a physical fight if it comes down to strategy (long-term planning), subterfuge and surprise attacks. She'd probably be able to use her surroundings to her advantage the best.

I mean, in terms of actual people, I do think any sign in real life is obviously capable of winning but in terms of the essence of the signs themselves...this is how I imagine it.

I hope this helps! 😁♌️♈️♏️

[thepagansun]

Admittedly on the tendency to glorify Scrooge over Donald, sure Donald's existed longer than Scrooge, but when you look at the in-universe timeline for anything with Scrooge, he's clearly shown going on adventures for decades before Donald was ever born. Like it is kinda hard for a work to claim Donald is "original adventurer" when in the in-universe timeline has Scrooge going on adventures for decades before Donald was ever born. It's not like they can just go the meta route in stating Scrooge and Donald are cartoon characters that were already in their present ages the moment they were first drawn and created because they don't follow animated actor rules in Disney works (aside from Roger Rabbit and the Rescue Rangers movie).

I got a LOT of Disney asks which I can only assume came from the same person so I'm going to try to answer them all here.

The thing with glorifying Scrooge over Donald: Yes, Scrooge is far older than Donald in-universe, but if Disney can go out of its way to constantly credit Mickey as "It all started with a mouse" (when technically it was Oswald and before him, Julius of the Alice Comedies which was also Pete's first incarnation); then I think they can find a way to properly give Donald his well-earned credit for being the one to inspire the Al Taliaferro and Carl Barks (and by extension Don Rosa) universe. In the end, the original in that regard was Donald, not Scrooge so he should get the credit.

Mickey and Goofy: My favorite portrayals of them? For Mickey, I love the newer Mickey Mouse shorts/Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse shorts which are admittedly a little weird but do a good job in bringing Mickey back to his mischievous, wacky roots. And I love the fact that he doesn't always win because he wasn't originally perfect. Just like Donald wasn't originally a bad luck magnet. Donald's bad luck came around the same time as Mickey was sanitized. Donald is more than his bad luck and Mickey is more than a corporate cardboard cut-out. For Goofy, "A Goofy Movie" did a great job in balancing him as both his goofy side with real, relatable emotional depth. He and Pete are older in universe than Donald and Goofy. And while Goofy might not be book smart, he's emotionally wise with life experience that sadly, gets overlooked. The movie had great tunes, too! And Max also matured throughout the movie.

Newer Disney Shows: The only newer shows of the ones you listed that I watched (and even then only a few episodes) were: Star and the Forces of Evil and Amphibia. The difference between those and DT17 are that those are completely new (to my knowledge) so they're not changing or missing up already established portrayals of the characters since it's the first time we're seeing them.

Newbies and Webby on DT17: It's not that I "don't like newbies on reboots." What I don't like is having newbies upstage the canon characters on adventures inspired by the canon characters' adventures and stories. DT17 essentially hijacked the adventures, badass abilities and even biological family of Donald abd Scrooge and literally made it all about Webby as if she's the reason for the Carl Barks/Scrooge legacy when she's absolutely NOT. Donald is. So making it seem as if it's all thanks to her is dead wrong and a gross disrespect to Donald. Now.. that being said, how I would've handled her? Several ways, I guess. She could've been given a couple of episodes focuses on her where she went on an entirely new adventure (that wasn't a ripoff of one that Donald or Scrooge already did). Instead of having her be the only badass fighting kid, I probably would've had each nephew/adopted nieces master a form of martial arts each: Huey would've mastered kickboxing to deal with his anger, Dewey would've mastered Muy Thai or BBJ which are flashier, Louie would've mastered judo or akido since they use less effort, and Webby would've mastered karate. And she definitely would've remained Beakley's biological granddaughter.

Productions that do a good job with Scrooge: The original Ducktales was pretty good in his portrayal and DT17 came close too. But again, their issue was having Scrooge sort of cater and bond with the newbies over his own canonical family! How many episodes did we get of Scrooge and Donald bonding?? But yet Webby gets to meet the McDucks TWICE when Donald himself, their canonical grandson, doesn't get to meet them ONCE?? It was prioritizing Scrooge's relationship with the newbies over his own family that damaged his portrayal. That and sanitized his greed. If Donald had to keep his bad luck, Scrooge was supposed to be a miser. I think his portray in House of Mouse came pretty close too especially the lengths his greedy can go.

Favorite Versions of Minnie & Daisy: I do like their sillier sides in the newer Mickey Mouse shorts. I liked Daisy's sweeter/ditzy side in House of Mouse. And actually, I think the pre-K shows do a good job of getting them out of Mickey's and Donald's shadows.

Other Reboots: I did like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power but I can understand why that too fell flat for those that lived the original. Out of the various TMNT? The one that came closest to their comics was TMNT 2003-2010. I grew up with TMNT (1987-1996) and Nickleodeon's TMNT 2012-2017 had the best balance of being aimed a younger audience but with serious issues and some plot points of the comics. I liked TMNT 2007 movie mostly because I'm a Raphael fan and he beat Leo in a fight. As for My Little Pony, I never saw episodes of them but I grew up seeing the Gen 2 games so I miss that.

Hope this answered everything.

[thepagansun]

YES!!! Agamemnon was canonically hot/muscular and one of the best warriors in the entire Iliad!! 😍😍😍

People drawing or describing Agamemnon as an ugly man in their modern retellings.

Meanwhile, Homer:

… and among them went King Agamemnon, with a head and face like Zeus the lord of thunder, a waist like Ares, and a chest like that of Poseidon. As some great bull that lords it over the herds upon the plain, even so did Zeus make the son of Atreus stand peerless among the multitude of heroes.

Try again. No other man is compared to the handsomeness of THREE, yes 3, different gods at the same time. Only Agamemnon 💖

[thepagansun]

Wasn't the original Negaduck Darkwing's negative self split from him via Megavolt's Tron-Splitter?

I think there were two similar but different characters with that name.

These articles help explain it better:

"Negaduck is the "Darkwing" or Negative/opposite Darkwing Duck native to the Negaverse and the evil doppelganger of Darkwing Duck. He is known for using violent weapons and causing harm to anyone and anything he can. He is not to be confused with Darkwing's negatron half in the titular episode." - Link: https://darkwingduck.fandom.com/wiki/Negaduck_(character)

"Negaduck is the main antagonist of the TV series Darkwing Duck. There are two incarnations of him in the original series: the first was a manifestation of Darkwing Duck's evil side created by Megavolt's tronsplitter, while the second and more well-known version, the subject of this article, is an evil doppelgänger of Darkwing from a parallel universe known as the Negaverse. " - Link: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Negaduck

[thepagansun]

What are your headcanons on Negaduck? (For either the OG or DT17 version)

I think I prefer the OG Negaduck over DT17 mostly because I try to respect the origins of a character as much as I can. And the original Negaduck came from the Negaverse. DT17 changing that origin by making both Darkwings begin as actors changes the characters in a fundamental way.

I mean, I guess I can appreciate DT17 trying to take a risk and do something different, but it was a bit too different.

As for headcanons...I don't have much because I'm not as familiar or invested in Darkwing or Negaduck the same way I am with Donald but I'll try to give a few:

- I think Negaduck can be a genuinely threatening villain when he wants to be, but sometimes likes to give off a first impression of being normal and charming to throw off his victims

- I think he hates Darkwing because he reminds him of everything he's not and the family he could never have

- I think he teams up with the Fearsome Five because despite him sometimes thinking them beneath him, they're the closest things to friends he has even if he runs them more by fear than actual camaraderie

- I think he has a soft spot for Darkwing's Gosalyn

- I think he chose yellow to Darkwing's purple because while purple is a dark color to help blend in the shadows, yellow is a loud, vibrant color you can see a mile away. Negaduck wants to make his presence known before he even has to speak.

- I think he chose a chainsaw because a chainsaw is not only an intimidating weapon (just looking at it will usually make you obey the wielder) but if you did have to use it, it forces you to get up close and personal with your victims as opposed to the long range of a grappling or smoke gun like Darkwing's default weapon.

I hope these helped!! 😁

[thepagansun]

Beautiful artwork of Agamemnon and Cassandra by coloricioso who seems to be the only besides me who loves Agamemnon this deeply!! 😍😍🏛

i can't get tired of how cute they are :c <3 just like people spent centuries demonizing Hades, I hope someday people will realize Agamemnon is actually cool :,c

[thepagansun]

do you have any headcanons for Donald and Pete’s friendship?

Ooooh. Nice question. I do.

- I think that their friendship feels like big brother (Pete) and little brother (Donald) especially in their more recent cartoons because Donald was originally depicted as the youngest of his friends while Pete is technically Disney's oldest recurring character

- Pete almost adopted Donald ("Officer Duck")

- They share many common interests: love of boats, love of cars (in particular RVs), love of fishing, love of music, and they both enjoy working with their hands, they both love wrestling, they both have heritage besides American.

- Based on "Mickey's Service Station"(1935) and "Timber" (1941), Pete seems to have French Canadian heritage because he has a French accent. So I like to think that Pete's father was French Canadian and his mother was American. And Donald is half Scottish thanks to his mother, Hortense McDuck.

- Based on the above headcanon, while Donald is famous for his pancakes among his family in the European comics, he gets his maple syrup from Pete who gets it from Quebec. In order to get it, he always has to do Pete some favor.

- WWII left its mark on both of them and they always spend two days of the year together. Can you guess which ones? (Hint: Think military)

- Pete refuses to acknowledge that ducks technically have two birthdays (the day the egg was laid and the day they hatched) and only recognizes June 9 as Donald's birthday. But...he sometimes goes on March 13 for free cake and ice cream. He won't bring a gift on March 13, but in exchange, he'll tell Donald a story (since Pete notices that Scrooge gets away with not bringing gifts by telling stories)

- Except for Daisy and HDL, Pete doesn't like Donald's family. He doesn't like how Donald will bend over backwards for them and how Donald's family doesn't appreciate Donald. In one comic, Pete got the Beagle Boys to drug Donald (who he called "our dear little Donald") and HDL while they tried to steal Scrooge's Money.

- Pete and Donald will sometimes sleep near each other (this was seen in a few cartoons)

- Pete taught Donald French because he couldn't quite understand him in English originally and because of this when Walt Disney (who was their boss) asked Pete who he should send as an ambassador to Latin América, Pete suggested Donald (who was a bit depressed since it was still during WWII). Walt Disney at first didn't want to since he thought they wouldn't be able to understand him but Pete said that he already taught him French and Spanish and Portuguese wouldn't be too hard to learn after that. So Donald went...and met José Carioca and Panchito Pistoles.

- Pete helped Donald through the worst parts of WWII and so whenever Donald feels emotionally damaged, he'll go to Pete who will cheers him up by doing something they both love

- Donald seems to be the only Mickey Mouse friend who knows Peg isn't PJ's (who he calls Junior) biological mother and is the only one who met him as a little kid/brat ("Bellboy Donald")

- Pete knows that Donald's desperate desire to fly during WWII was his desire to find his sister, Della before Donald decided to offically adopt Huey, Dewey and Louie on his tax return

- Whenever Donald fights with Scrooge and needs a job, he can always go to Pete who will give him one

- Pete has a bunch of nicknames for Donald, the most common being "Quackers" and "Ducky" (when he's particular affectionate)

- They still fight each other sometimes. Pete is stronger under normal circumstances, but when Donald gets truly mad...he surpasses anything Pete can do. Pete fought Donald twice ("Canvas Back Duck" and "Tapped Out") and lost both times. But they both have a grudging respect for each other.

- There's a stamp that shows them giving blood together (The Gambia D1)

- Pete doesn't believe that Donald has bad luck and instead thinks that most of Donald's issues are caused by his own recklessness. This is partly because in Goof Troop, Pete says that Goofy has bad luck when he never said anything like that about Donald

- In some other media, they're depicted as being quite close. And Pete is the only one of the Mickey crew that's involved in almost all of Donald's media. For example, he's the only that shows up in the Carl Barks comics. He had cameos in 1987 Ducktales and in Legends of the Three Caballeros. And you can tell Donald had an influence on Pete's character in Goof Troop.

I might think of more but these are the main headcanons. 😁

[thepagansun]

how did Donald Duck influence Star Wars? And wasn’t Indiana Jones inspired by Scrooge, not Donald?

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg mentioned that they were inspired by Carl Barks' comics.

So was Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy and "Godfather of Modern Manga."

And Donald Duck was going on adventures with his nephews in the Carl Barks comics long before Scrooge McDuck was created and this is precisely why DT17 and other media trying to give all the credit to Scrooge but forgetting that Donald was the FIRST just proves my point in my frustration with them.

Everyone just thinks it was Scrooge McDuck thanks to the later Don Rosa's work: "Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" which was loosely based on Carl Barks' works (Don Rosa exaggerated a lot of Scrooge's abilities at the expense of Donald's).

This is why I advocate for giving credit where credit is due when it comes to canon characters and where I feel DT17 really dropped the ball. Donald was an adventurer looong before Scrooge and some of Carl Barks' best comics don't even have him:

-"Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold" - Carl Barks first full length comic

- "Mystery of the Swamp" - Donald and nephews encounter gnomish creatures in the Everglades which some think were the inspiration for the Ewoks in Star Wars

"The Mad Chemist" (the comic credited with discovering the chemical compound methylene 20 years before it was actually studied and verified!)

-"Lost in the Andes" - Carl Barks claimed was his best work

- "The Golden Helmet" - Donald and nephews: whoever possesses the golden helmet is ruler of North America

- "The Ice Box Robber" - The comic that showcased Donald having WWII PTSD

- "Sherrif of Bullet Valley" - Donald and nephews in the Wild West

- "Dangerous Disguise" - a comic about spies where a Donald look alike commits suicide by jumping out of a window

- "Luck of the North" Donald and nephews rescue Gladstone in Alaska

"Old California" - Donald and the nephews seem to time travel to California in 1848 and they witness the family there living their lives. It turns out they were in a bad car accident and were on the hospital in a coma for weeks. But the house is still there.

"A Christmas for Shacktown" - Donald and the nephews find ways to raise money for the poor kids in town

"The Gilded Man" - A search for a rare stamp leads Donald and the boys finding El Dorado

- "The Forbidden Valley" - Donald and the nephews discover a lost land of dinosaurs

Just to name a few. There are plenty more.

The great thing about the Carl Barks comics especially when it came to Donald was that although he still had bad luck, it showed him also have great skills in practically everything and it tackled deep emotional issues and real world events such as PTSD, spies/espionage, danger/adventure, poverty, but in a way that was relatable and entertaining.

Donald mixed the best of high action adventure with scenes of intimate, heartwarming domestic life with his nephews. It was literally the best of both worlds: adventure and domestic life.

So the world needs to know that actually it's Donald Duck that deserves the credit for the success of the Carl Barks comics. Not only was Donald first but he was used as the protagonist for many more comics than Scrooge. And I hope if we ever get another version of Ducktales that the writers actually credit Donald as he deserves and not a bunch of semi newbies that don't even exist in the original comics.

There's so much he inspired and influenced that people don't know and so it's unfair for him to be sidelined as he was for characters that haven't accomplished one iota of what he has.

It's time to give credit where it's actually due: to Donald Duck.

[thepagansun]

Who do you think is Donald Duck's archenemy?

That's another good question. Actually though it seems like Donald Duck himself doesn't really have arch enemies. Most of the enemies he comes across are either Scrooge's, Mickey's or one of his alter-egos' enemies.

One of Donald's first enemies in the Carl Barks comics that purely his was Argus McSwine (he was used as Scrooge's villain too later):

In his Paperinik/Duck Avenger persona, his main arch enemies are the Evronians: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Evronians