#Castle Zeitgeist

[texaschainsawmascara]

[cocaineskarsgard]

RAHHHH ROMAN GODREY EDIT

[romangodfreyownsmyass]

Me watching Barbarian

[oopsyblue]

Bill Skarsgård is a wickedly handsome man

[sitp-recs]

Thank you so much for your recs—they are fantastic! I wondered if you had any for Draco and Harry becoming friends at (and eventual lovers) at Hogwarts (doesn’t have to start with 1st year, but can!). Thank you!!

Hi there! Happy you’re enjoying the recs 😊 I got a couple recs, the majority is 8th year since I don’t really read canon rewrite AUs. I hope you enjoy these!

Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (T, 5k)

Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.

Good Company by Greenflares (T, 8k)

With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry's return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn't exactly fun. Somehow, it's his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.

Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (E, 10k)

A new Muggle Studies professor takes the Eighth Year students to work on an archaeological excavation. In which Draco is lazy, Harry is sweaty, Hermione is drunk, and Ron turns red.

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Makes Me Stronger by Lomonaaeren (E, 29k)

Rita Skeeter’s Harry James Potter: An Unnatural History is a best-seller, mostly due to the fact that Skeeter’s collaborated with a photographer who’s infused the pictures in the book with Harry’s actual memories. As Harry struggles to survive the storm consuming his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy becomes an unexpected ally.

On Our Way by evils (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (E, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup. In which Harry is Hogwarts' star Seeker, Draco is on the bench, and they both have a thing or two to learn about playing for the same team.

Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch (T, 43k)

The problem with living with another insomniac is, eventually, they find out you’re one, too. When Harry and Draco return for their eighth year, they think they’ll see very little of each other. Then McGonagall assigns them to room together. And the castle starts breaking. And there’s that thing with Potter’s magic.

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 67k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 93k)

Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

Changing Tides by carpemermaid (E, 109k)

Draco has spent half of his life spouting the things his father has taught him without much thought about how he feels about what he says. When he unexpectedly comes face to face with the Dark Lord, he grapples with the harsh realities of the world and struggles with his changing views on life.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop (E, 114k)

Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

Twist of Fate by Oakstone730 (T, 300k)

Draco asks Harry to help him beat the Imperius curse during 4th year. The lessons turn into more than either expected. A story of redemption and forgiveness.

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : MAY ✧• ─

2 MAY - William received the Rt. Hon. Christopher Hipkins MP (Prime Minister of New Zealand) 3 MAY - William, Catherine and their children attended the Coronation Rehearsal. 4 MAY - William and Catherine travelled on the Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road Station where they were received by Mr. Kevin Traverse-Healy (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London). Afterwards, they visited the Dog and Duck Pub. Subsequently, William received Hon. Anthony Albanese MP (Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia). 5 MAY - William attended the final Coronation Dress rehearsal. Later, Catherine and him attended the Realm Governor-Generals and Prime Ministers Reception at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, they joined The King in greeting the crowds at The Mall. Subsequently, they attended the Reception for Heads of State and Overseas Guests. 6 MAY - William, Catherine and their children attended the Coronation of The King and Queen in Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, they witnessed the RAF fly-past from the Palace Balcony. 7 MAY - William took part in the Coronation Concert Rehearsals at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, Catherine and him attended the Coronation Big Lunch on the Long Walk. Later, they attended the BBC Coronation Concert and held a Reception following the Concert at Windsor Castle. 8 MAY - William and Catherine were joined by their kids for the Big Help Out at 3rd Upton Scouts Hall. They appeared in the Coronation Portrait released by Buckingham Palace. 9 MAY - William and Catherine gave an Afternoon Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Coronation of The King and Queen. 10 MAY - William held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 12 MAY - William and George appeared with the King in the Coronation Portrait released by Buckingham Palace. 14 MAY - He attended the Women's FA Cup Final between Chelsea Football Club and Manchester United Football Club at Wembley Stadium. 15 MAY - William held a Meeting with Mr. Alastair Martin (Secretary of the Duchy of Cornwall). Afterwards, he chaired a Meeting of The Prince's Council. Subsequently, he attended the Zeitgeist 2023 Earthshot Prize summit in Hertfordshire. 16 MAY - William received Lieutenant Commander David Brannighan RN at Windsor Castle. 17 MAY - He met submariners who rowed across the Atlantic in HMS OARDACIOUS at Eton College Rowing Centre. 19 MAY - William received the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). 22 MAY - William marked the sixth anniversary of Manchester Arena Attack. 23 MAY - He visited Notpla Limited in London. 26 MAY - William was received by Mr. Kevin McGrath (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London) as he met members of the Grenfell community supported by Queens Park Rangers Football Club at Loftus Road Stadium. 31 MAY - William and Catherine arrived in Amman for the Royal Wedding.

[bridenore]

HD Mirror of Erised fic recs

Here are a few drarry fic recs featuring the mirror of erised, some more heavily than others. Listed in alphabetical order, as always.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic [88k]

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

red and green are complimentary colours by  ace_0fhearts [88k]

After the war Hermione manages to convince Harry to go back to Hogwarts for his eighth year. Expecting an uneventful year of classes and rooming with the other Gryffindor boys, he’s surprised when McGonagall tells him he’ll be sharing a room with Draco Malfoy.

Now Harry has to get through a year of arguments and awkward silences. Or he would, if Malfoy would stop ignoring him and moping around the castle alone.

Or: Draco and Harry fall in love through sleepless nights and late night quidditch games

Stars As Bright Spots Only by Slytherincess [66k]

Draco Malfoy is struggling to maintain his sanity while carrying out his duties as a sixteen-year-old Death Eater. Draco tries to take solace in Polyjuice, a loyal friend, and an enchanted hand mirror, and finds there’s more than meets the eye in the Mirror of Erised. The events of Half-Blood Prince as interpreted from Draco’s POV.

Through the Looking Glass and What Draco Found There by @magpiefngrl [17k]

Draco discovers the Mirror of Erised is a portal and he enters an alternate reality where your deepest  desires come true.

Or how Draco found himself in the world of his dreams and Potter had to come and ruin it.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop [113k]

Harry doesn’t mind that so many Slytherins from his year have returned to finish their NEWTs, really he doesn’t. It’s just – do they have to be so friendly? He’s not prejudiced, really he’s not. It’s just – they’ve got to be up to something, right? Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

When he’s hit by an illegal love-spell though, Harry finds he has more to worry about than whether or not Blaise Zabini actually wants to be his friend. For if everyone affected has been blessed – or cursed, by the look on Malfoy’s face – with a magical tattoo revealing the name of their soulmate, what does it mean that Harry’s skin remains completely bare?

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did! 

[emrowene]

a new introduction

i'm em: author, artist, and aficionado of the gothic and strange. my writing sits squarely at the crossroads between old school fantasy and creeping gothic horror; if I can fit a detective and a dragon into the same work as a crumbling old castle and a deal with the devil, you can be sure I will.

I aim to destroy the current publishing zeitgeist bare-handed, but for now I publish radical queer penny dreadfuls online and in hand printed zines.

find me elsewhere

{ website || patreon || discord server || instagram }

fractured magic

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the case files of sheridan bell

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[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

have you read (ugh) Harry Potter and if so how do you compare it to TOH ( also let’s burn Rowling at a stake lmao)

I grew up with Harry Potter so it was a pretty big part of my childhood. It was a fun, fantasy series that inspired millions of children worldwide and had a considerable impact on children's literature. Given its popularity and position in the zeitgeist, it was inevitable that people would be inspired by it, analyze it, criticize it, mock it, etc.

Now I haven't read HP in a long time and it's been a hot minute since I've watched the movies but I think I remember enough. It's also difficult (and probably unfair) to compare TOH and HP because one has 7 books in which to expand its lore and characters while the former only had effectively 2 1/2 seasons. But let's try any way. This got long so there will be more after the cut:

The Owl House is a structurally flawed show and it has a glaring blindspot in how its poc characters are treated but at least it doesn't have offensive tropes such as Jewish-coded goblins and elves who are happy to be slaves.

TOH's biggest strength is probably the likability of its characters and how easy it is to project onto them; Eda is the fun and sassy mentor but struggles with a terrible curse that many people read as a metaphor for chronic illness. Luz is your typical kid protagonist who is curious, excitable, and struggled to fit in at school. Amity was the perfectionist bully but secretly has a soft side. These are all good archetypes for your characters and it's easy to see why they're appealing.

On the other hand, I feel like HP's biggest strength is its world building: Hogwarts feels like a place the reader can step into as do Knockturn Alley, Gringotts, Grimauld Place, the Burrow, 2 Privet Drive, etc. The fact that I can still name all of these places shows the culture impact HP had and just how immersive the books were (and of course, how the movies brought them to life).

I think a big part of this is how HP incorporates magic into its universe: Hogwarts has the moving staircases, a ghost haunting the girl's toilet, floating candles in the Great Hall, the magic makes the setting come alive. When Harry said that Hogwarts was his home, many readers felt the same way.

When I think of the Boiling Isles, I think of how small it feels; there's Hexside, the Emperor's Castle, and the titular Owl House but aside from the last one, none of these places really stand out design wise or even emotionally. Hexside is just another fantasy school except with teeth, and the Castle is just a generic evil overlord castle. And the Owl House only stands out because of Hooty, without him, it's just another house.

As for the magic itself?

Well, the magic in TOH is really inconsistent, especially the glyphs. Here's a post that goes in depth on how poorly the glyphs were incorporated into the show. It's also not terribly creative with its magic: Willow is a plant witch but we only ever see her attack with vines and Gus' Illusion magic is explored in one, maybe two episodes. The only new element that is interesting is Abomination magic, which looks cool but it's basically water bending with goo.

For a show set in another world, it doesn't really do much to distinguish itself from Earth outside of the aesthetics; there's social media, movies, a job fair, and people treat covens like college degrees (which has enormous implications for how poorly done the EC is). It doesn't feel like you're in another world and I think a big part of that is the lack of whimsy in the show.

When Harry Potter explored the castle, the reader did as well, and we were just as amazed and impressed as he was. As Harry explored the wizarding world and all of its creatures and inhabitants, that sense of whimsy and awe never faded. I never got that sense of whimsy when Luz was exploring the Boiling Isles, it felt too similar to home.

If the show had spent more time in season 1 establishing its tone and identity instead of making fun of HP or fantasy tropes in general then we wouldn't have this problem. Hexside is especially guilty of this: look! here's our Parody Sorting Hat! check out our broom game that has nonsensical rules! take that Harry Porber!

As it stands, TOH looks good on paper but it botches the execution of its interesting ideas and concepts. I can see why so many people love it though because some of the things the characters go through are Relatable but for me, I've seen all of this done before and better in other media. If it came out years ago, perhaps it would have left a bigger mark on me, but in the end, TOH has very nice designs but it's undercooked.

[texaschainsawmascara]

[romangodfreyownsmyass]

Aha I’m fucking shaking

[sitp-recs]

Hiii!! I was wondering if you knew of any hogwarts era long fics (like 50k onwards). I read survival is a a talent and chaos theory and honestly fell in love with seeing both of the boys grow up and fall in love during their hogwarts years. Thank you sm for everythingyou do!💫

Hi anon! Absolutely, here are my favorite 8th year long fics. Enjoy :)

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

Orbit by HenryMercury (E, 52k)

They don't like each other. They're not friends. There's not even a ceasefire of any sort because they're fighting as much as ever—but there's definitely something different about it. An added layer of self-awareness they don't dare identify, but which colours every Scared, Potter? and Do your worst; each You wouldn't dare and Then prove it.

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (M, 59k)

Rumor has it that a wealthy investor is starting up a brand new professional Quidditch team and he’s looking for players. Harry and Draco both want to make the team, but there can be only one Seeker. Will competing for the position bring them closer or drive them further apart?

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 66k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Right Hand Red by @lqtraintracks (E, 73k)

Harry felt Malfoy's breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory. Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy. Malfoy felt inevitable.

Inertia by @cavendishbutterfly (E, 83k)

It’s three months after the war. Harry has already mucked up all his plans. Draco is no longer the prince of Slytherin house. And they sure as hell didn’t both mean to go back to Hogwarts at the same time. Cue snarking, long conversations…and unexpected snogging.

Reparo by amalin (E, 84k)

Voldemort's final defeat does not mean Harry Potter's troubles are over; far from it. In the aftermath of war, he returns to a Hogwarts that is fractured and divided, but this is no break that can be fixed with a spell. New owls, fading scars, surprising alliances—and along the way, the hardest task of all, to live with it.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 93k)

Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

At Your Service by Faith Wood (E, 95k)

Hogwarts students are in danger; Harry is determined to save them all. There's only one thing he knows for certain: Draco Malfoy is somehow involved.

The Silent World Within You by Femme and noeon (E, 95k)

Harry only wanted Malfoy for one night, one birthday. It wasn’t meant to be anything more.

Far From the Tree by aideomai (E, 112k)

The arrival of Harry Potter’s children—snapped back in time, the children themselves guessed, twenty or so years—was the most interesting thing to happen at Hogwarts for years.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop (E, 114k)

Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

Things Worth Knowing by Femme and noeon (E, 164k)

After the Battle, Harry thinks he's left Hogwarts for good, but Minerva insists that all students return for an Eighth Year if they wish to sit for NEWTs in the spring, and Harry needs those NEWTs to go into the Aurors. Draco's just grateful not to be in Azkaban. Or the Manor. He's hoping he can steer clear of Potter this year and grapple with his own problems. Unfortunately for him, Potter appears to be one of those problems.

Mental by sara_holmes (M, 186k)

Harry has had quite enough of sharing his mind with someone else, thankyouverymuch. A miscast Legilimecy spell says otherwise.

[bananaofswifts]

7/10 -  Written by Kelsey Barnes

When Speak Now was released back in 2010 without any co-writers, Swift used it as a message to critics and naysayers alike who doubted whether she actually contributed in writer’s rooms during Fearless.

Her 2008, third body of work, which was Swift’s first to sell over 1 million copies in a week, was produced by her longtime collaborator Nathan Chapman and danced between the country and pop genres.

If Fearless was Swift charting her own coming-of-age story, Speak Now was her making sense of her growing fame and the increased media interest in her personal life. With the third re-recorded release after Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), the biggest shift is Swift’s vocals. The country twang heard on songs like “Mine” and “Mean” has faded, but unlike what she sings on “Speak Now” (“I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me”), Swift and her voice are stronger and more assured than ever.

Reclaiming her work means Swift must revisit the events and experiences that brought her joy, inflicted pain, and every other emotion in between. But unlike the original versions of “Dear John” and “Last Kiss,” the breathy and defeated vocals have faded — in its place is a Swift completely at peace with the things she’s been subjected to. Better yet, she sounds like she’s at her full power.

Although the original album was a snapshot of what was happening to her in 2010, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a snapshot of who she was and what she was listening to at that time. Two of the vault tracks feature pop punk and emo-leaning groups Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams of Paramore who are featured on "Electric Touch”' and "Castles Crumbling" respectively. On “Electric Touch” there’s a punchy juxtaposition of Swift’s vocals with those of FOB lead singer Patrick Stump as they play off one another, whereas on “Castles Crumbling”, a song about grappling with falling from grace, it sounds more in line with Williams’ solo work rather than the work of Paramore. Although “Castles Crumbling” may not be the powerhouse pop-rock anthem Swemos were expecting, it’s as if its the prequel to Swift’s collab with Phoebe Bridgers on Red (Taylor’s Version): a story about growing up as teens in the public eye.

Similar to “Dorothea” on evermore, “When Emma Falls in Love,” one of the album’s other vault tracks, is a song written for one of Swift’s friends. The track, presumably about actress Emma Stone who became friends with Swift shortly before the release of “Speak Now”, is a piano-driven song in the perspective of Swift watching her friend fall in love. With lyrics like “Little does he know his whole world is about to change” and “Little Miss Sunshine always thinks it's going to rain” teeter on slightly naive storytelling, it’s a song that is quintessentially Speak Now.

Since its release, “Better Than Revenge” has been celebrated, criticised, and then found its own place in the zeitgeist as a slightly problematic but equally beloved track. Despite the original’s anti-feminist sentiments (“She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”), Swift decided – much to the irritation of fans – to adapt the lyrics to “He was a moth to a flame / she was holding the matches.” Back in 2014, Swift said to The Guardian that she was 18 at the time of writing the track and her perspective was incorrect. Although this change clearly is Swift’s response to how her perspective has grown, attempting to rewrite history does a disservice to actually honouring who she was at that time – flaws and all – during the writing of the original Speak Now.

Despite that blemish, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a cathartic release of pent-up frustrations of things she never had the confidence to say at 19 that are now stated proudly at 33. Almost prophetically, much of what she sings has already come true. She does live in a big city, shining like fireworks regardless of who has hurt her publicly, as referenced in “Innocent” and “Mean”, or privately as alluded to on “Dear John” and “Better Than Revenge.”

What hasn’t changed, though, is the message prevalent in “Long Live,” a song dedicated to her fans. The reclaimed version is even more formidable, a sonic snapshot of the artist she was when she first wrote it with the experience and growth of the artist she is today. The Swift of 2010 couldn’t foresee the number of walls she’d have to break through or the amount of dragons she’d have to slay in the 13 years that followed. But if Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) represents just one thing, it’s that her fans will be there to support her as she reclaims her work, truly living the lyrics “Long live all the magic we made [...] One day, we will be remembered."

[honeyjets]

Started the day at St. Francis Fountain with Jess, sat outside, clinked mimosas as a downpour started, but it ended quick and I walked to Zeitgeist and got Marc a Maker's on the rocks like old times, talked Philly hoops with Mojo, said hi to Erica, talked blogging 15 years ago with Jeff, drank a Fernet and ginger beer, and then walked most of the way home, helped Jess clean up a weather related mishap at our neighbors', ate a snack and then caught a bus to the Knockout for the honky tonk happy hour with Nashville Honeymoon who were great, got an Espolon and soda and sat down next to J-Man and Glenn, reminisced about Inky Psyche, talked to Janet a bit and booked her for another DJ gig at the brewery, talked to Bryan a bit and told him his honky tonk happy hour idea was GOLD, then I took the 49 straight to the Castle for the Gabi Bravo/Calaverx show which was pretty good, Lisbeth was DJing when I got there, I got another Espolon and soda or two, traded pics with Lizzy via text of the different shows we were at, and then J-Man and Glenn caught up with me and we chatted about the old days at the Castle, but then I had to go to Bottom of the Hill to see Kendra Morris who was pretty good, but the crowd was giving me the willies so I left a little early and headed home.

[whatthecrowtold]

#unhallowedarts The Tale Of Lohengrin, Wagner and the Golden Age of Illustration

“Aye , quick it is with the seeds of

change

With blessing and with bane.

But I deem it a thousand years shall run

Or ever beneath the open sun Thy voice shall sound again”

(T.W. Rolleston)

It was a knight in shining armour all right, albeit not white-steeded but pulled up the river Scheldt by a white swan, to save Elsa, ubiquitous damsel in distress, from dark Count Telramund’s cabal to usurp the Duchy of Brabant. In trial by combat, goes without saying, as it was the custom back in the days of King Henry the Fowler, which were at the turn of the 10th century when the place was part of the East-Frankish kingdom of Austrasia. Or so Richard Wagner would have it in his usually somewhat giddy take on Medieval epics and historical events. The valiant’s name, however, was Lohengrin, the one from Lothringen, Lorraine, obfuscating the man’s true origins: Lohengrin hailed from the grail castle Monsalvat, Wagner’s scene for “Parsifal” thirty years after “Lohengrin” premiered in Weimar in 1850.

Lohengrin’s mystical provenance is one of the arch-Romantic opera’s central motifs and, of course, the Germans have a word for it, “Frageverbot”, the forbidden question after the man’s origins, checking at least two of the “tall, dark, stranger” three boxes. Lohengrin is a luminous figure, but a rather sad one and the story ends in tears when the hero sails, swan-propelled, into the sunset after his work is done. Bitter, but Wagner and the zeitgeist wouldn’t have it any other way.

The tale of Lohengrin itself hails back to the High Middle Ages, honourably mentioned by Wolfram von Eschenbach in the early 13th century as Garin le Loherain in the minnesinger's “Parsifal”, gets two own contemporary verse epics and several variants of the swan knight theme over the next centuries until Wagner collected them all and crammed the rich material into his three hour opera, along with heroics from antiquity, elements that were perceived as Germanic paganism in the rather clouded view of the 19th century on Iron Age customs and beliefs and politics of Wagner’s own day when the Germans fought for their national unity. Along with romanticised Christian mysticism. Lohengrin is a grail knight, after all. And they do get properly married, Elsa and Lohengrin, to the sounds of “Here Comes the Bride”, no less, faithfully guided, “Treulich geführt” in Wagner’s original German from the opera’s libretto, a tune heard at the fabled joyous event across the globe ever since a Prussian royal wedding in 1858.

Wirkmächtig, efficacious, and if only for said tune, even if the topic borrowed from the old tale of Zeus and Semele, the metaphysic being hiding its true identity because the partner-to-be, as the saying goes, “can’t handle the truth” should raise every imaginable red flag, Romantic mystery or not. Even if Lohengrin reveals his true identity in the end, before his picturesque exeunt when the king calls to arms to make war against the pagan marauding Hungarians down South.

On that note, it is not without irony that Willy Pogany, born in 1882 in the back-then Austro-Hungarian city of Szeged, illustrated the tale of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” for Rolleston’s retelling with rich imagery that equals that of the better known Arthur Rackham’s of the “Ring” trilogy published around the same time. Pogany’s “Lohengrin” hit the booksellers’ shelves in 1911, along with “Parsifal” and “Tannhäuser”, when precious “gift books”, illuminated by the luminaries of the Golden Age of Illustration, were still all the rage as Christmas presents in a time when “education” was a hallmark of what passed as “better classes” back in the day.

Pogany, pronounced PO-gahn, immigrated to the US before the Great War turned the world upside down in Europe, after getting properly married in London, revealing his true identity from the very beginning, goes without saying. He continued to illustrate mainly children’s books and stuck to his Art Nouveau-influenced style that sometimes reminds of Edmund Dulac, albeit with stronger lines and expressions than the Anglo-French better-known master would come up with in his dreamy takes on often the same themes as Pogany took on.

T.W. Rolleston retelling of Wagner's "Lohengrin" along with all of Willy Pogany's enchanting (and often quite dark) illustrations can be cherished following the link to a facsimile below: