ihealswisty

[ihealswisty]

ao3 turns 15 today

reblog if youre older than ao3

[ihealswisty]

reblog if you’ve read fanfictions that are more professional, better written than some actual novels. I’m trying to see something

[ihealswisty]

THE SIGN – CULTURAL REFERENCES, MYTHOLOGY AND META

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This post comes on the heels of the one by @respectthepetty about mythology and meta of The Sign, linked here. 😍👍 If you've not read it yet, I recommend you do before watching any more of this series, because it will help things make more sense (especially if you're not familiar with some of the cultural references thrumming in the background).

Anyway, I'd previously done some research on the legend(s) of the Garuda and the Naga in Southeast Asia, and so I'm writing this post to share what I've found because it does have relevance to at least some of what we're seeing onscreen in The Sign, and elaborates on @respectthepetty's post.

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The Garuda and the Naga are mythical beings with origins in Indian mythology that have been transposed into cultures across Southeast Asia.

In Hinduism, Garuda is a single deity, depicted in either full-bird form or part-bird and part-human, and is the king of birds and also a divine sun-bird (with physical attributes similar to an eagle's). His elder brother, Aruna, is the chariot driver for Surya the sun-god, while Garuda himself is the mount of Vishnu.

In Buddhist mythology, the garudas (sometimes also spelt garulas) are a society and race of gigantic predatory birds, sometimes also depicted as part-human in form. The garudas are intelligent, social and blessed with might and magical powers.

Thailand may be predominantly Buddhist, but it has also been strongly influenced by ancient Indian culture and Hinduism, and thus both the concept of a single deity Garuda and the race of garudas co-exist in Thai mythological beliefs.

The nagas on the other hand, are snake-like or dragon-like creatures, whose realm is the water world. (The word naga is derived from Sanskrit and is also etymologically related to the English word snake.)

In mythology nagas and garudas are perpetual enemies, although neither side is actually identified with good or evil – they are simply two groups eternally at war with each other (so occidental-leaning minds should dispel any preconception that the water serpents are necessarily the bad guys in The Sign, even though the narrative seems to be tilting in that direction).

When borrowed into popular culture (as has been done for The Sign) you may sometimes see influences of Chinese dragon and phoenix mythology (as Chinese cultural influence is also present in Thailand, and the dragon/phoenix motif of Sinitic culture nicely parallels the naga/garuda conflict pairing). And because of Garuda's association with the sun in Hinduism, and a parallel with the fiery phoenix of Western mythology, you may sometimes see garudas portrayed as aligned with the sun and/or flame as well.

There are some hints of these in The Sign. The naga that Phaya encounters while struggling underwater during the open sea training challenge in Ep.1 is very Thai in appearance (especially with the curved, forward-pointing crest, making it look much like the nagas that adorn Thai temple architecture). But the array of pronged, backward-pointing horns and trailing antennae appear to be a design nod at Chinese or Japanese dragons (East Asian dragons are also strongly identified with the watery realm, by the way). And in the graphics of the series (e.g., in the poster at the start of this post), the sky (the realm of Garuda) is suffused with sunlight and speckled with what look like drifting sparks, referencing sun and flame.

Because of the wings tattooed on his back and his time in the air force, Phaya is most likely the reincarnation of a garuda in human form (and this is why he struggled with the water challenge, as he was completely out of his element).

This is also possibly why we see him smoking early on in the series (because of the alignment of Garuda with the element of fire), and significantly he does this while Naga Tharn (irked by Yai's teasing at the dining table) seeks refuge in the washroom (which is ห้องน้ำ/hong naam in Thai, literally water room):

‌Billy also describes Phaya's character in the promo video for the series (linked here) as being "like fire, always hot and burning... quite hot-headed." 👍

Elsewhere in the same promo video (linked here), Tharn's good friend Chalothon is explicitly identified as the reincarnation of an important naga, which immediately signals that he and Phaya will be at odds in the series:

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The water deity that saves Phaya during the open sea challenge – Wansarat, whom he drew in his sketchbook – is not just Freen Sarocha in a fancy scuba suit. 😂

If you look at her arm and hand when she reaches out to save Phaya (before she turns into Tharn) the green scales meld into the skin of her human wrist – they're part of her natural covering, and she's really a nakhee/nagin/nagini, a female naga, appearing in human form to save Phaya.

The narrative has made it strongly obvious that Phaya is a reincarnated garuda, while Tharn is the reincarnation of Wansarat, from the lineage of the nagas. And the teaser-trailer (linked here) tells us that Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat are lovers bound to each other through time:

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However, the special promo video (released 24 November 2023) also tells us (in Heng's interview linked here) that Chalothon and Wansarat were lovers in past lives, even while it is Phaya and Wansarat (reincarnated as Tharn) who are paired by fate in The Sign.

And as the nagas and garudas are bitter enemies, the love story between Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat that transcends time and reincarnation cycles is also one that must have been (and will continue to be) forbidden by their respective naga and garuda tribes (especially since Tharn/Wansarat also used to be naga Chalothon's lover), and will undoubtedly be a source of conflict in the series. This is way beyond the Montagues and Capulets! 😍

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So with this as the base, I took a look at the characters' names, and those belonging to Phaya, Chalothon, Tharn and Wansarat especially also reflect their garuda/naga origins. 🤩

Phaya's name (พญา) means lord, king or leader. While it can be applied to the nagas (พญานาค/phaya naak refers to the King of the Nagas) it is also used for Garuda (the Thai national symbol) – พญาครุฑ/phaya khroot, or Lord Garuda (and is what his name references in The Sign).

(above) Billy Patchanon as Phaya

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Chalothon's name (ชโลทร) is rare, but it is derived from Pali/Sanskrit and means river, sea or body of water, reflecting the watery homeland of his naga persona.

(above) Heng Asavarid as Chalothon

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Tharn's name (ธาร) also has a connection to his water-dwelling naga roots. Tharn/ธาร is short for ลำธาร/lam thaan and means stream, brook or creek (and he is thus a naga nong to Chalothon's phi).

(above) Babe Tanatat as Tharn/Wansa

However, Tharn is his chue len. His formal name is Wansa, and is the same Wansa in Wansarat (which the narrative lets us know at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.35).

(above) Freen Sarocha as Wansarat

Now Wansarat is spelt วรรณษารัตน์ in the subtitles (at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.02), and I can't find any translation of it that makes sense in the context of The Sign's world-building.

But Wansarat's name is spelt differently elsewhere on the Internet (on Thai drama websites, and movie databases, etc. like thaimovie.org), and I assume they've all based it on official releases from Idol Factory because the spelling is consistent across these other sources – it's วรรษารัตน์ there.

And Wansa/Wansarat spelt this way also reflects the nagas' dominion over water, because วรรษา/wansa (an archaic word, referenced in an older dictionary but not newer ones) means rain or rainy season (from the Sanskrit varsha) – in Thailand the nagas are also associated with rain control, and prayers are offered to them for timely and abundant rainfall when it is needed. (The -rat part of Wansarat is a feminine ending meaning jewel or gemstone, and may echo with meaning for speakers of Indian and Sri Lankan languages, since it's derived from the Pali/Sanskrit ratna).

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Just out of interest (because nobody asked 😂) some of these naga/garuda elements were also present in the early episodes of KinnPorsche – the den of the Theerapanyakuls (nagas, wealthy beings of the underworld) was full of watery elements (e.g., the waterfall, the various pools, and Tankhun's carp – which in Chinese belief are the original, natal form of dragons). The -nak in Kinn's formal first name Anakin (which is not a traditional Thai name) is also a nod at the word naga. Porsche had the tattoo of a fiery phoenix on his back, and was out of his element whenever water was concerned (e.g., his failed pool challenge, the mermaid costume punishment, his misadventure with the sprinkler when he tried to smoke in the store room – water vanquishing the flame). Kinn was unable to make fire when they were trapped in the forest, despite claiming to be friends with the flame, while Porsche could immediately do it.

But I didn't see the KinnPorsche narrative taking the naga/garuda themes much further than these random nods in the earlier episodes. Maybe it did (like Kinn and Porsche could be seen acclimatizing to each other's realms more), but I just couldn't be bothered to look at the show more closely since it didn't really stand up to deeper scrutiny, and after the first few episodes I just went along for the exhilaration of the ride instead. 👍

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Anyway, I'm totally bedazzled by the level of world-building going on in The Sign and look forward to more from the series. If the first episode is anything to go by, I think Executive Producer Saint Suppapong may be on to something! 😍

[ihealswisty]

sharing is caring: 🏷️ BL novel edition PART 1

‼️ This translation is not for sale and not used for commercial purposes, all the copyright belongs to all the authors of these novels and this translation will be taken down if the author directly requests for it.‼️

📌 have others novels that I haven't uploaded yet. If interested, you can ask via DM

do not steal it or post it on other platforms like wattpad, penana ao3, twitter or anywhere else!!!

there might be be a lot of grammatical mistakes and miss spelling

‼️[SEND REQ TO GDRIVE TO ACCESS THE FILES]‼️

🌷

Love Course! เสื้อกาวน์รุ��เสื้อกุ๊กรับ by iJune4S [complete]

- Cooking crush adapted into series by GMM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15.5 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 end special part 1 special part 2 special part 3 special episode dream special episode name special tenderella

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Pit Babe พิษเบ๊บ by alittlebixth [The author has said that it only allowed to translate 18 out of 25 chapters, for the remaining chapters, you can buy the physical book or the ebook on web]

- Pit Babe adapted into series by GMM25 and CH31 (PavelPooh)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 end

- special chapter: you're cute, i hate you [send req for access] *i will update the link soon...

🌷

Red Peafowl (Red Peacock) นกยูงแดง by Jun~oN [book 1-2 complete]

- most anticipated upcoming mafia BL series, still don't have much information about it

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 18.1 18.2 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 end special chapter 1

🌷

[ihealswisty]

a cat

[ihealswisty]

Fruits Basket is wild because the premise is "Haha! Wow! These Pretty Anime Men turn into Animals when theyre hugged and then when they turn back they're NAKED!!! 😳😳😳 ehe silly anime!" but then you watch it and its like. Every Character on this show is physically, financially, and emotionally controlled by one person with immeasurable wealth and power. the main characters stories revolve around their slow recovery from the trauma of physical/verbal abuse, sexual manipulation, and neglect. there's a love triangle that isnt even about Who Gets The Girl, but rather each individual's growth as a human being, understanding that they are worthy of love and compassion, that there are people in this world who will love them, unconditionally, and that they DESERVE to be loved. love EXISTS and nothing about them makes them unworthy of whole, unbiased love. that realization is a pivotal part of their healing and it's a central theme of the show that comes up for each and every character, whose own journeys follow that same thread of healing past wounds with compassion, love, and friendship.

and then they like. barely ever turn into animals.

[ihealswisty]

Just one of the thousands of reasons to rewatch Encanto for the 17th time.

There's a lot of things about Encanto that make me emotional, but by far, Casita is the character that made me cry. Casita loves its inhabitants, its family, as much as any of the human characters do. She helps them, often without being asked, plays with the children, shows off for the townsfolk, and even treats the kids how the adults might, such as knocking Camilo for misbehaving or worrying about Mirabel going into the places where it can't help. Casita has such a fun personality, she's such a genuinely enjoyable character in the movie, and adds so much to the film without ever having a single spoken line. She's so playful and kind and cares so much so deeply about a lot for a living house lol

When she's falling and breaking and literally coming down, Casitas only priority besides helping Mirabel get the candle is protecting the Madrigals from harm. It softens Camilo and Isabela's falls before throwing them all out and letting the damage come down in front of the door so they can't come back in. 100%, I believe that it purposely weakened the wall Bruno smashes through so he could escape, wanting every single Madrigal to be safe. She knows that Mirabel wants the candle for a good reason, but the moment she has it, Casita immediately rushes to shield Mirabel from harm. If things started to go south before Mirabel could grab the candle, there is no doubt that Casita would have forced her to leave it and thrown her out to protect her even if the complete loss of it meant that Casita really could never return. AND THEN, in its actual final moments, Casita fucking waves goodbye to Mirabel and the other Madrigals.

Casita falling apart doesn't just feel like a house coming down, you really are watching another living member of the Madrigal family crumble down to nothing but broken bricks and chips of plaster. It feels so incredibly real and you get to panic for Casita as well as the Madrigals because you aren't just watching a house fall, you're watching another living being straight up die. She not only dies, but she uses the very last bit of her strength to say GOODBYE before she does and it makes me bawl my eyes out

God and when it comes back and she's so incredibly happy. She's singing! She's making music! She's pulling her family back inside as fast as it can and celebrating alongside them!! It missed them. Casita even sets up the photo to be taken and includes itself in it!! She's so fucking happy to be back and for everyone to be home and it's so CUTE, Casita is so precious to me

I love all of the Madrigals, but Casita is definitely my absolute favorite of them all. She's one of the best living object characters I've ever seen. She was created to protect the Madrigal family and does everything in her power to do so, no matter how big or small the danger might be

[ihealswisty]

Can you imagine being Mr. Darcy and throwing yourself into a lake in a fit of agonized yearning for the woman who has rejected your marriage proposal and whom you think you shall never see again. After getting thoroughly soaked, you stride out of that lake undressed and she is there. She is at your house and you are indecent. You then have to make the most agonizing small talk, all the time aware that you are soaking wet and half-dressed, while you both politely pretend you aren’t. You inquire after her parents’ health twice. 

It’s a wonder he didn’t expire on the spot.

[ihealswisty]

he gets it

[ihealswisty]

[ihealswisty]

going through Surface Pressure on Youtube to see how much Luisa worries about Mirabel. It even seems like she’s protecting her from the doors.

Like Luisa is afraid the pressure of having a power will hurt her baby sister, and she wants to protect Mirabel from everything, even the pressure of being an Amazing Madrigal.

It feels like saying “I love my little sister and her colourful embroidery and dancing” and wanting to protect her from turning into someone more hurt. Sort of a way they both view the situation as ‘Mirabel doesn’t have a gift, she doesn’t have a job decided for her. I want her to grow into the butterfly she’s supposed to be’ vs. ‘no one believes that I can do the jobs they all have and I feel I have to prove I’m enough’

Luisa already thought Mirabel was wonderful, and didn’t want the pressure of the world to touch her. It’s so sweet….

[ihealswisty]

Gosh, I miss her so much. Time for an AoS rerun. ✨

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 3.03  A Wanted Inhu(Man)

[ihealswisty]

[ihealswisty]

Mr Darcy: “My future wife must be elegant and articulate and demuring and beautiful and intelligent and respectful of her station and have the perfect countance for being the lady of the house and be an accomplished woman and-”

Lizzie: *stumbles in wearing mud-covered boots, marches over, and insults him straight to his face*

Mr Darcy: “Never mind, I want that one”

[ihealswisty]

Foggy actor unprompted saying he is Team Foggy for Matt's love interest is !!!

he said partners in law AND in love

[ihealswisty]

I love this scene so much 🤣🥑

[ihealswisty]

HAWKEYE | 1.05 Ronin