#Charles Radcliffe

[makoto-nihil]

The Ocean Hunter: Eyes of Truth - Log Entry 02-01

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==June 14, Year 10==

***The following morning, Father departed for his trip to Luna Sea without seeing me for one last time.***

"He left just a few minutes ago. He didn't mention if he'll stop by your friend's place to see you before his flight later this morning," Their uncle Roger's voice spoke on the other end of the line, still cheerful as ever. "But don't you worry about your father, boy."

Torel twisted the cord connecting the handset receiver to the wall-mounted telephone with one hand as they held the receiver with the other against their ear. The morning sunlight in the living room area on the other side of where Torel was in the apartment was peeking through the closed window blinds, but it still felt too early to be awake at seven in the morning, especially on a weekend.

A few minutes ago, their peaceful slumber was interrupted by the wall-mounted telephone ringing across where they were in the living room area of the apartment's main room in the dining room area. Since Torel was sleeping on the couch in the living room area last night, their earbuds were immediately subjected to the loud noise the moment the phone rang. At first they'd thought it was for Taka, since Chris had mentioned that in the past people would sometimes call him directly in the early hours before the auto shop opened to schedule appointments for repairs and maintenance ahead of time, much to his chagrin and annoyance. They'd pulled the pillow over their ears and tried go back to sleep in spite of the loud noise. A minute later, they'd heard Taka grumbling from his room, which was near the dining room area, followed by some shuffling, and then his door opening and him dragging himself to answer the phone and muttering to himself, accompanied by the sound of a metal crutch clacking against the hardwood floor. Another minute passed along with a small conversation muffled by the pillow over their ears before Torel heard Taka walk over, them hearing the crutch coming closer and clacking against the floor first before they felt him shake them by their shoulder with a gruff, "It's your uncle calling for you." Torel made sure to thank Taka before the older man headed back into his room to go back to sleep.

"Why, when we were young lads, we once got lost in the woods behind the family manor! I was scared out of my wits, being in the middle of nowhere, and your aunt, who had the entire woods mapped out in her brilliant and bright mind, was busy helping your grandmother with some historical records. But your father kept his chin up and remained absolute that we would find our way back home! Just when we thought we found the path we'd took earlier to head back home, a huge bear suddenly appeared and-."

"Roger, please!" Lady Murdoch's voice snapped in the background, interrupting Roger.

Torel heard his uncle's and mother's voice become muffled on other end of the line, as if his uncle had put a hand over the receiver to discuss something with her. "At least tell him to come home right now!" and "He'll come home when he feels like it" were what Torel managed to make out from the muffled discussion. A couple minutes passed before they heard their uncle get back to them.

"Anyways, I'm sure Samuel will be just fine," Roger said reassuringly.

"I guess so," was all Torel could mumble in reply.

***Despite how I felt about Father back then, even back since I was younger, I still felt a little worried about him. This was the first research expedition he'd done after he and his research institution were forced to stop five years ago because of what happened at North Sea. I thought about what if something happens during the trip? More importantly, would he return home like he'd always done in his previous trips?***

***Even so, I pushed those worried thoughts to the back of my mind.***

After his uncle wished them a good weekend before hanging up, Torel put the receiver back on the phone box and dragged themself back to the couch. As soon as they get some more sleep, they and Chris (who was still sound asleep despite all the noise outside his room) would continue with their study session for the upcoming exams which, as a result of their impromptu decision to stay over at Chris's apartment for the weekend yesterday, something they looked forward to at this point and would be for the rest of the weekend. They flopped back onto the couch and instantly fell back asleep the moment their head hit the pillow. The last thing they heard before their lights went out was the low whirring hum of the small rotating fan that sat on a chair next to the couch and towards them.

By the time the alarm clock in Taka's room went off an hour later, Torel was still fast asleep.

~~~~~~~

==June 16==

***Soon enough, the exams had came and gone, and summer break finally arrived.***

"Finally, it's over!" Torel exclaimed, exhausted. They stretched their arms up as they spoke, only for exhaustion to catch up to them and causing them to suddenly slump onto Chris, who was walking next to them. They managed to sling their left arm around his shoulder before their body almost gave way.

The two were walking through a huge crowd of students flooding out of the front doors of the school building. Chris blinked down at their now-tired queer platonic partner before wrapping his right arm around their right shoulder to pull them up and turning his attention back to the book open in his left hand - Moby Dick - while keeping an eye on the path ahead. As the crowd around them started to scatter off to different directions, Torel leaned against their partner and walked alongside him for a few more minutes before they finally realized Chris hadn't said anything to their earlier proclamation. They lifted their head slightly up to look at him.

"Hey, aren't you glad the exams are over?" they asked, still feeling exhausted.

"Hm?" Chris's eyes flickered towards Torel. "Yeah."

Torel tilted their head a bit. Chris didn't look as tired as they were; in fact, he looks rather relaxed and calm. "Really? 'Cause you were looking extremely focused and tense during the exams, so I'd thought you'd be happy to be done with them."

"I am. I just didn't devote my entire brain power into completing them, unlike you." Chris then lightly tapped the book against Torel's head. Torel exclaimed in surprise and lazily swatted at him with their free hand while Chris cracked a small smile at them.

Torel then noticed some of the upperclasspeople nearby being surrounded by Torel's and Chris's fellow current year students. The crowded students were being wished by the underclasspeople good luck with getting into the colleges or universities of their dreams, their future endeavors and whatnot.

"You know, it's really sad to see them go," they remarked as they scanned the crowded upperclasspeople to find a familiar face. "It's kinda hard to see them depart for college or other ventures after all the studying sessions and support for each other and us underclasspeople for the whole year, except for the jerks of course. Even though there's a chance that they'll come back to the city to visit whenever they can."

Chris hummed in assent, looking up in the same direction as Torel was. Before he could say anything, he felt someone glomp onto his right side and squeeze his right arm tightly. He glanced over to see a familiar dark-skinned girl with dark short hair clinging onto his right arm. Torel too was glancing over to see who it was, this time standing upright instead of slouching. Chris sighed and turned his left hand to lightly tap his book on her head. "Hey, Kayla," he mumbled.

"It's...sad," she mumbled.

"Sad?" Chris inquired.

"They're leaving. They kept saying they're going for their dreams, but it's just an excuse for something else..."

"Like...hunting sea monsters?" Torel guessed.

"Hm?" She looked over at them with her emerald green eyes.

"Well, it's no surprise, Kayla." Torel, Chris, and Kayla turned around to see a tall, fair-skinned upperclassman with short brown hair approaching them from behind. "Considering the bounties on the Seven Great Monsters' heads had increased just yesterday, it's no doubt people like them would be enticed and distracted from their otherwise stated goals to try to claim the big prize," the upperclassman continued.

"Why would they, though?" Torel asked.

"Even though many others have tried and failed in the past?" Kayla followed.

"Who knows?" The upperclassman shrugged. "Maybe they think their futures aren't worth it in the long run and that hunting sea monsters for their bounties sounds more exciting and prospective."

"Well, maybe it's something else besides that. Maybe they just want to get glory and fame faster?" Torel pointed out.

"Or maybe it's for personal vengeance," Chris guessed.

Silence quickly fell over the four young adults. The chatter and noise from the other students around them continued on.

"So what about you, Charles?" Torel asked the upperclassman a minute later. "What do you really plan to do now that you're done with A-levels?"

"Me?" The upperclassman immediately straightened up and stood with his arms crossed. "Well, I ain't fishing anytime soon. Ain't got the time for that!" he declared. A bold smile streaked across his face.

"So, you're still going for it?" Torel inquired excitedly.

"Definitely!" His face was now beaming with confidence and his bright purple eyes twinkled with excitement. "In three to four years, depending on your perspective, England will hear from the next Charles Dickens, the most awesome writer of all time - Charles Radcliffe!" he proclaimed, extending his hand to the air with a flourish. "I just have to decide which of the many universities that accepted my application I would attend," he added, lowering his hand a bit.

"Well, guess that means we'll have to wait for more than three to four years for your first novel," Chris said in a jokingly half-resigned and half-nonchalant voice.

Kayla giggled with a hand over her smile.

"Chris~!," Torel whined with a sweat drop rolling down the side of their face.

"What?"

"Why you got to bring down the mood?"

"I wasn't."

Charles laughed and playfully cuffed Torel and Kayla by their shoulders, causing both Torel and Chris to bonk each other in the head and almost throwing Kayla off-balance. "Oh, I'm so going to miss y'all. But hey, my ol' pop sent my final manuscript of my short story to his friends at a literary magazine publisher just yesterday," he added with a wink. "With any luck, my months of drafts should pay off soon and you'll definitely see my first work before the semester starts."

~~~~~~~

Much later, the group had relocated to the city park. Since it was still early in the afternoon, the park wasn't very crowded when they arrived, and so they were able to find a spot in the grassy parts of the park to sit together under the warm afternoon sun. Torel and Chris sat next to each other, their satchels placed behind them to act as cushions, while Charles sat a bit from Torel's side and Kayla close by Chris's side and still clinging onto his left arm. For a while, the four friends did nothing but gaze out to the blue sea beyond while the the sounds of chatter and kids playing around them in the distance and the seagulls cawing above carried on.

But, it didn't take long for the calm and tranquility of the park, or rather the peaceful silence between the group, to be interrupted by loud chanting and shouting behind them in the distance.

"Them again?" Torel sighed in annoyance. They didn't bother to look over their shoulder to see where the source of the unexpected commotion came from - rather, everyone in the park and in the vicinity of the noise knew very well where it's coming from.

"Who? That group over there?" Charles inquired, looking behind him and pointing his thumb at the group of figures in black cloaks walking into the park.

"Who else?"

"Oh, the Vox maris Dei-whatever. That fanatic sea monster cult."

While Torel and Charles were chatting, Chris had quickly grabbed his satchel as soon as he heard the loud commotion behind them in the distance and got up, pulling Kayla with him in the process, considering that she was still clinging onto his arm and her satchel still slung on her shoulder, but she nevertheless willing to follow where he goes. Torel didn't notice this until they caught them by the corner of their eye heading down the hill. They looked back to where the cult group was and just then noticed the path the cultists were starting to walk down on would lead down close to where they and their friends were sitting. Quickly connecting the dots, Torel quickly picked up their satchel and followed after them with a "Hey, wait up!", Charles following suit.

The cult group soon walked past the four's original sitting spot, chanting loudly a disarray of phrases and gibberish. Some of the parkgoers looked at them, a few in annoyance and even shaking their heads. The rest were pulling their children towards them and away from the cultists while covering their ears. Eventually, the cultists reached the end of the path and were walking away from the park, much to the relief of every parkgoer, and the parkgoers resumed their activities before they were interrupted earlier. In the case of Torel, Chris, Kayla, and Charles, however, they remained at their new spot further down the hill and past the promenade and near the park's lighthouse.

"They seem to be going around more often than they used to," Kayla noted as she watched the cultists disappear from view. "Even though no-one listens to them at all."

"Well, who'd listen to them?" Charles remarked. "Scream and yell the same fanatical crap all the time, and people are bound to detest you, even ignore you completely. Though, it's not like that's ever stopped them from bothering everyone else they come across."

"Father and the other scientists at his research institute have had a few bad run-ins with the cult because of their work," Torel said, adding to the conversation. "Those fanatics have been harassing them for years, for 'disrupting the harmony and well-being of the Seven Seas'. What they don't understand is that Father - and my family in that matter - and the other scientists have been doing the opposite for a long time, even before the Seven Great Monsters came."

"But, as to why they'd been more active lately," Charles noted, "it's probably cause of this so-called 'doomsday' that's supposedly coming up."

"Huh?!" Kayla tightened her grip on Chris's arm as she and Torel whipped their heads towards the older young adult. Chris, for his part, grunted in pain and patted Kayla's shoulder to get her to loosen up her grip, which she promptly does, before turning his head to look at Charles.

"Haven't you heard?" Charles looked at his younger friends' puzzled look. "I know I said that people would usually ignore the cult, but I picked up a few details or so from their ramblings this past week. Supposedly, this 'doomsday' they'd been wailing and crying about nonstop is drawing near, around this summer or fall or something. Course, it doesn't sound like Rahab, who they proclaim to be their so-called god, could ever destroy the world and remake it in his own image, since after all he is just a sea monster. I would say, though, that Great Monster is a better mystery than the other six," he added. "But hey, it's not like the world will end soon."

"What makes you say that?" Torel asked curiously.

"Call me crazy for actually catching on to what the cultists that walked by earlier were yapping about, but supposedly Rahab would have to wait until he and the other monsters find this...thing of sort." Everyone gave him unimpressed looks. "OK, I wasn't that attentive. But the way I see it, and given that it's been ten years ever since the Great Monsters appeared, it'll probably be years before that sorta thing could happen. I would say, though, this 'prophecy' kinda reminds me a bit of this old tale I've heard of before". Charles scratched his hair. "I think it was called, The Man of the Sea, or something..."

Out of the corner of Torel's eye, they noticed Chris perked up a bit.

"But either way, I forgot how the old tale goes," Charles quickly admitted. "It was something I read up on in a book while I was touring one of the universities I applied to over waaaaaayyy back during January break, in the campus library."

"I think I may have also read something like that too in the library back at home, now that you mention it," Torel noted, rubbing their chin. "What about you, Chris?" they asked as they glance over at him.

The moment the attention turned to him, Chris nearly froze. "I, uh...maybe?" was what he managed to stammer out, a sweat drop rolling down the side of his face.

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?" Charles inquired, tilting his head in curiosity.

Chris could still feel everyone looking at him. "It's...just something my Mom used to tell me..." He stopped talking with a sigh.

Torel noticed something flicker in his eyes when he spoke and immediately got the feeling of what it was. A pang of guilt twisted inside them. "Hey, you don't have to continue if it's making you uncomfortable," they quickly said, putting a hand on his shoulder, which they hoped communicated to him as reassuring. "Sorry for asking-."

"No." Chris patted the hand on his shoulder. "I-It's fine. It's fine." He took a deep breath before he continued. "I just...only know the parts of the tale that she remembered." He swallowed and cleared his throat a bit.

"There was once a man who lived with his two children in the sea. The endless ocean was his home, and the creatures were his friends. And they all lived happily together in the sea in peace.

One day, the man fell into a great slumber. But when he woke up, he found destruction...and one of his children gone."

Silence filled the air, save for the whistling winds coming from the direction of the sea far away and the hubbub up the hill where most of the parkgoers were.

"That's...all I know," Chris said apologetically, looking away. He curled his right hand halfway into a fist, if not all the way, had Torel not gently placed a hand on his back and Kayla squeezing his left arm.

"I'm sorry again," Torel apologized.

"I'll be OK," was his response.

A few minutes passed before anyone spoke.

"Well, I think I'll raid the public library and see if I can find the old tale in the folklore section or similar," Charles proclaimed. "If not, then I'll swing by your place, Torel, and raid your library! Kidding!" he exclaimed, laughing, as Torel moved to swat at him while shouting, "As if!"

"But really," Charles pointed out, "it does leave a lot of questions. Like who or what destroyed the sea that the man calls 'home', and what happened to his kids. Ahaha...theories abound!"

Charles pulled out a pen and a notebook from his satchel and started to jot down ideas and theories. As he does that, Chris glanced over at Torel, who had turned their head to look out towards the sea beyond.

"You're worried about your Dad?" he asked.

Torel bit their lip as they contemplated for a bit. They shook their head. "Not really...but a part of me is, as much as I don't really want to," they admitted reluctantly.

"Even after ten years, your ol' pop must be really crazy to go out to to the Seven Seas at a time like this," Charles remarked, lifting his head up as he continued to write. "But, everyone here still respects him, as far as my pop told me."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd crossed into dangerous territory for the sake of research," Torel shrugged, followed by a sigh, "but, who knows? Maybe he'll come back alive and okay from this trip, just like he always did."

***Or so I thought.***

***I didn't "hear" from Father until a week later...***

[carnevol]

Stalag Fashion

[sainztificc]

Charles and Daniel Radcliffe, they look so similar in the kid version don't they🥹

[breadcrumbsz]

just saying i’ve never seen daniel radcliffe and charles leclerc in the same room

[idontliketomatoesleavemealone]

weve got two people legally named Charles so uhhh

Charles Muntz Jr is Charlie

Charles Radcliffe is Charley

[kickinganddriving]

The tumblr gods have given me questions and polls 🙏🏾

Answer and then reblog!

[nathalieskinoblog]

David Copperfield 1935 - 2019

[leer-reading-lire]

Last read:

Title: Supernatural Horror in Literature

Author: H.P. Lovecraft

Translator: Gabriela Ellena Castellotti

Number of Pages: 167

Rating: ★★★★☆

First published: 1927

Read: 22 - 30 December 2022

Thoughts:

Well, I had this book in my tbr list for the longest time and after two attempts I finally got around to read it.

Looking at the title, it makes me think that my professors at university would have never let me get away with a title like that. "Supernatural Horror in Literature" is a really broad subject and Lovecraft, not surprisinly, only mentions European (German, English and French) and United States authors. So his views are rather limited. In my opinion, he should had mention the countries and the time periods that he was going to refer to.

The requisite to be listed and comented favorably by Lovecraft is simply his subjective taste. I didn't find further arguments other that what he liked and what he didn't.

While I didn't expect Lovecraft to mention many women writers, I was still unsatisfied that he only recognized the talents of a handful, such as: Anna Laetitia Barbauld and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman.

In fact, the essay didn't contain much about gothic horror history that I didn't already know, thanks to courses I've taken and books I've read on the subject. However, I think it's a good place to start for someone just beginning with this kind of literature.

[d3mon-ology]

a cursed film adaptation of the secret history but paul dano, who is a whole father and almost has 4 decades on this planet, plays richard

[medievalandfantasymelee]

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Prince Henry [Dougray Scott], Ever After (1998)

Hubert Hawkins [Danny Kaye], The Court Jester (1955)

Hugh Beringar [Sean Pertwee], Cadfael (1994-1998)

Prince Humperdink [Chris Sarandon], The Princess Bride (1987)

Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin], The Princess Bride (1987)

Isildur, Son of Elendil [Maxim Baldry], The Rings of Power (2022-)

Ivanhoe [Anthony Andrews], Ivanhoe (1982)

Ivar the Boneless [Alex Høgh Andersen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Jacques le Gris [Adam Driver], The Last Duel (2021)

Jack [Tom Cruise], Legend (1985)

Jafar [Marwan Kenzari], Aladdin (2019)

Ser Jaime Lannister [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

James Douglas [Aaron Taylor Johnson], Outlaw King (2018)

Jareth, the Goblin King [David Bowie], Labyrinth (1986)

Jaskier [Joey Batey], The Witcher (2019-)

Prince Jingim [Remy Hii], Marco Polo (2014)

Little John [Nicol Williamson], Robin and Marian (1976)

Little John [Eric Allan Kramer], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Prince John [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Prince John [Richard Lewis], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Prince John [Oscar Isaac], Robin Hood (2010)

Jon Snow [Kit Harrington], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Ser Jorah Mormont [Iain Glen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Kai [Michael Gothard], Arthur of the Britons (1972, 1973)

Kili [Aiden Turner], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

The Kurgan [Clancy Brown], Highlander (1986)

al’Lan Mandragoran [Daniel Henney], The Wheel of Time (2022)

Sir Lancelot [Luc Simon], Lancelot du Lac (1974)

Sir Lancelot [Nicholas Clay], Excalibur (1981)

Sir Lancelot [Richard Gere], First Knight (1995)

Sir Lancelot [Santiago Cabrera], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Legolas Greenleaf [Orlando Bloom], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Leofric [Adrian Bower], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Leon [Rupert Young], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Lin Shu [Hu Ge], Nirvana in Fire {Lángyá Bǎng} (2015)

Loial [Hammed Animashaun], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Lurtz [Lawrence Makoare], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Madmartigan [Val Kilmer], Willow (1988)

Le Maître d'Armes (the fencing master) [Christian Bujeau], Kaamelott (2005-2009)

“Man With Snake” [Barry John Clarke], Edward II (1991)

King Mark of Cornwall [Rufus Sewell], Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Martin [Rutger Hauer], Flesh + Blood (1985)

Massetto [Dave Franco], The Little Hours (2017)

Matrim “Mat” Cauthon [Donal Finn], The Wheel of Time (2022)

“The Mayor of Hamelin” [Claude Rains], The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)

Mehmed II [Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu], Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020-2022)

Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck [Dominic Monaghan], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Merlin [Nicol Williamson], Excalibur (1981)

Merlin [Sam Niell], Merlin (1998)

Merlin [Colin Morgan], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Mikoláš Kozlík [František Velecký], Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Miles Hendon [Errol Flynn], The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

Mordred [Jason Done], Merlin (1998)

Much [Sam Troughton], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Murtagh Morzansson [Garrett Hedlund], Eragon (2002)

The Mute [John Bernthal], Pilgrimage (2017)

Nasir [Mark Ryan], Robin of Sherwood (1984-1986)

Niankoro [Issiaka Kane], Yeelen (1987)

Niccoló Machiavelli [Julian Bleach], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Niccoló Machiavelli [Thibaut Evrard], Borgia (2011-2014)

Nicodemus Ravens [Jakob Oftebro], Skammerens Datter {The Shamer's Daughter} (2015)

Prince Oberyn Martell [Pedro Pascal], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Odda the Elder [Simon Kunz], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

“One-Eye” [Mads Mikkelsen], Valhalla Rising (2009)

Osferth [Ewan Mitchell], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Sir Percival [Tom Hopper], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Peregrin “Pippin” Took [Billy Boyd], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Pero Tovar [Pedro Pascal], The Great Wall (2016)

Perrin Aybara [Marcus Rutherford], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish [Aiden Gillen], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

High King Peter the Magnificent [William Moseley, Noah Huntley], The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)

Philip II [Timothy Dalton], The Lion in Winter (1968)

Phillippe Gaston [Matthew Broderick], Ladyhawke (1985)

“The Player” [Richard Dreyfuss], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1990)

Podrick Payne [Daniel Portman], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Prince Prospero [Vincent Price], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Ragnar Lothbrok [Travis Fimmel], Vikings (2013-2020)

Ramsay Bolton [Iwan Rheon], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Rand al’Thor [Josha Stradowski], The Wheel of Time (2022-)

Ravenhurst [Basil Rathbone], The Court Jester (1955)

“The Red Death” [John Westbrook], The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Renly Baratheon [Gethin Anthony], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Richard Cypher [Craig Horner], Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)

King Richard [Timothy Omundson], Galavant (2015-2016)

Richard II Plantagenet [Ben Whishaw], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

Richard III Plantagenet [Aneurin Barnard], The White Queen (2013)

King Richard III Plantagenet [Benedict Cumberbatch], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016)

King Richard IV [Brian Blessed], The Black Adder (1982)

Rilk [Jesse Lee Keeter] JourneyQuest (2010)

Robert of Artois [Jean Piat], The Accursed Kings (1972)

Robert of Huntingdon [Jason Connery], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robert the Bruce [Chris Pine], Outlaw King (2018)

Robin Hood [Errol Flynn], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Robin Hood [Richard Todd], The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)

Robin Hood [Sean Connery], Robin and Marian (1976)

Robin Hood [Michael Praed], Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Robin Hood [Kevin Costner], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Robin Hood [Cary Elwes], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood [Jonas Armstrong], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Robin Hood [Tom Riley], Doctor Who: “The Robot of Sherwood” (2014)

Robin Longstride [Russell Crowe], Robin Hood (2010)

Rodrigo Borgia [Jeremy Irons], The Borgias (2011-2013)

Rollo [Clive Standen], Vikings (2013-2020)

Roose Bolton [Michael McElhatton], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Rosencrantz [Gary Oldman], Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Count Rugen [Christopher Guest], The Princess Bride (1987)

Saburo Naotora Ichimonji [Ryu Daisuke], Ran (1985)

Saladin [Milind Soman], Arn: The Knight Templar (2007), Arn: The Kingdom at Road’s End (2008)

Samwise Gamgee [Sean Astin], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Sandor Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Saruman [Christopher Lee], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Stannis Baratheon [Stephen Dillane], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Tajomaru [Toshiro Mifune], Rashomon (1950)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Wheatley], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-1959)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Peter Cushing], The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)

“The Sherriff of Nottingham” [Alan Rickman], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

“The Sherriff of Rottingham” [Roger Rees], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Sid [Luke Youngblood], Galavant (2015-2016)

Sihtric Kjartansson [Arnas Fedaravicius], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Simon Aumar [Justice Smith], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Steapa [Adrian Bouchet], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Syrio Forel [Miltos Yerolemou], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

“Taunting French Guard” [John Cleese], Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Theoden, Son of Thengel [Bernard Hill], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Thierry de Janville [Jean-Claude Drouot], Thierry la Fronde (1963-1966)

Thomas Becket [Richard Burton], Becket (1964)

Thomas Cromwell [Mark Rylance], Wolf Hall (2015-2024)

Sir Thomas Gray [Nigel Terry], Covington Cross (1992)

Thorin Oakenshield [Richard Armitage], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Thranduil, The Elvenking [Lee Pace], The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Thraxus Boorman [Amar Chadha-Patel], Willow (2022)

Tom Builder [Rufus Sewell], The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

Tormund Giantsbane [Kristofer Hivju], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Sir Tristan [Kingsley Ben-Adir], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Trumpkin [Peter Dinklage], The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Mr. Tumnus [James McAvoy], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Turgut Alp [Cengiz Coşkun], Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014-2019)

Tyrion Lannister [Peter Dinklage], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Lord Tywin Lannister [Charles Dance], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Ubbe [Jordan Patrick Smith], Vikings (2013-2020)

Uglúk [Nathaniel Lees], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Uhtred of Bebbanburgh [Alexander Dreymon], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Ulrich von Jungingen [Stanislaw Jasiukiewicz], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)

“Unnamed Elf Escort” [Bret McKenzie], The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Uther Pendragon [Gabriel Byrne], Excalibur (1981)

Uther Pendragon [Anthony Stewart Head], BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012)

Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham [Keith Allen], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

Vlad III Dracula [Luke Evans], Dracula Untold (2014)

King Vortigen [Jude Law], King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Wat [Alan Tudyk], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Wen Kexing [Gong Jun], Word of Honor (2021)

Westley [Cary Elwes], The Princess Bride (1987)

Wil Ohmsford [Austin Butler], The Shannara Chronicles (2016)

William Wallace [Mel Gibson], Braveheart (1995)

Will Scarlet O’Hara [Matthew Porretta], Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Will Scarlett [Patrick Knowles], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Will Scarlett [Christian Slater], Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Will Scarlett [Harry Lloyd], BBC’s Robin Hood, (2006-2009)

William Thatcher [Heath Ledger], A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Willow Ufgood [Warwick Davis], Willow (2022)

Xenk Yendar [Regé-Jean Page], Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Zbyszko z Bogdanca [Mieczyslaw Kalenik], Knights of the Teutonic Order (1960)

[kaijuno]

“Since her death in 1979, the woman who discovered what the universe is made of has not so much as received a memorial plaque. Her newspaper obituaries do not mention her greatest discovery. […] Every high school student knows that Isaac Newton discovered gravity, that Charles Darwin discovered evolution, and that Albert Einstein discovered the relativity of time. But when it comes to the composition of our universe, the textbooks simply say that the most abundant atom in the universe is hydrogen. And no one ever wonders how we know.”

—

Jeremy Knowles, discussing the complete lack of recognition Cecilia Payne gets, even today, for her revolutionary discovery.

Cecilia Payne’s mother refused to spend money on her college education, so she won a scholarship to Cambridge.

Cecilia Payne completed her studies, but Cambridge wouldn’t give her a degree because at that time there's not much exposure for woman, so she said to heck with that and moved to the United States to work at Harvard.

Cecilia Payne was the first person ever to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College, with what Otto Strauve called “the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever written in astronomy.”

Not only did Cecilia Payne discover what the universe is made of, she also discovered what the sun is made of (Henry Norris Russell, a fellow astronomer, is usually given credit for discovering that the sun’s composition is different from the Earth’s, but he came to his conclusions four years later than Payne—after telling her not to publish).

Cecilia Payne is the reason we know basically anything about variable stars (stars whose brightness as seen from earth fluctuates). Literally every other study on variable stars is based on her work.

Cecilia Payne was the first woman to be promoted to full professor from within Harvard, and is often credited with breaking the glass ceiling for women in the Harvard science department and in astronomy, as well as inspiring entire generations of women to take up science.

Cecilia Payne is awesome and everyone should know her.

[niko-sasaki-dbd]

I'm still thinking about Death's words in Episode 1, and the way I think she was not just talking to Wilfred (the soldier), but indirectly, she was talking to Edwin and Charles too.

Let me explain...

"You've been fighting old battles for too long (...) you died over a hundred years ago"

"I came for you then, but you were so confused, so filled with anger and with hate, you seem a lot better now"

I wonder if they overheard her, if that's even possible, or if it was something purely directed to us, as an audience.

It just makes me think quite a lot, because her words were so on point for the way the boys' arc was going to develop. In one side, Edwin fighting against his own mindset in order to face his own identity and his feelings, and then Charles, facing his trauma, and the frustration and anger that he had been carrying since he died.

Oh, and then there's the poem:

They will come back - come back again, as long as the red Earth rolls.

He never wasted a leaf or a tree. Do you think He would squander souls?

[Source: The Sack of the Gods, Rudyard Kipling]

This is not the whole version, only the last verse that Death recites in that scene. I would like to mention the story behind it too, because I find the connections curious.

The Kipling Society refers that this poem—most probably—was written as a form of celebration, "in lofty cosmic terms" of Kipling’s partnership with his friend Wolcott Balestier, who died unexpectedly in December 1891.

Together, it passionately asserts, the two young comrades had fought to conquer the heights, an endeavour which seems long ago now that Wolcott is dead.

[Source: The Sack of the Gods – Background (notes by Jan Montefiore and John Radcliffe)]

Also, about the lofty cosmic terms, these are found in the following verses of the poem:

Under the stars beyond our stars where the new-forged meteors glow,

(...)

Dust of the stars was under our feet, glitter of stars above—

Wrecks of our wrath dropped reeling down as we fought and we spurned and we strove.

Worlds upon worlds we tossed aside, and scattered them to and fro.

I don't know if the connection between the poem and the song that plays in the background of Charles' memories in Episode 7, was intentional or no.

And it's something quite peculiar,

Something shimmering and white

It leads you here, despite your destination,

Under the Milky Way tonight.

[Source: Under The Milky Way - The Church]

But I think is beautiful, if you take into account that the meaning of that poem revolves around the idea of deja-vu, "hearking back to an experience in an earlier life, based on reincarnation"; and that there's always that possibility.

Is this something? Am I even making sense?

[carnevol]

We're all that's left, aren't we?

[forthegothicheroine]

Do you have any gothic novels that you can recommend off the top of your head? Especially to people who want to try their hand at the genre? I've hit a wall in my project and I need to get some fresh inspiration, but I don't know where to start and the book side of tumblr failed me the last time I tried asking them for recs

Hell yeah! I made some old posts for this a while back, but it's good to look at it again with my more recent taste! Let's see...

Classic Gothics

Dracula: The one, the only. Often imitated, never equalled.

Frankenstein: Short, sad and world changing! Can get a little slow at parts, but definitely worth it. (True story, my parents read this to me as a fetus to calm my kicking, so it's part of my personal mythology!)

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward: The most gothic of Lovecraft's work, and possibly my favorite. Novella length, usually found in collections.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Sinister, sexy, philosophical, with a main character I want to punch in the face!

Carmilla: Another novella, about as lush and swooning as vampire stories get.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: A very readable gothic mystery.

Confessions of a Justified Sinner: This one isn't as action packed, but if you have big religious issues like me, it's incredibly haunting.

The Monk: Like the above, but sleazier and crazier!

Northanger Abbey: A gentle parody of early gothics, starring an adorable proto-goth girl.

The Italian: I'll be honest, I find Anne Radcliffe kind of a slog, but if you liked Northanger Abbey and want to read what Catherine Morland reads, this is probably the most accessible.

A Long Fatal Love Chase: This starts as campy and then takes a plunge into gut-wrenchingly intense. The book Jo March was always trying to write!

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Another novella, and Stevenson is one of the best writers out there for excitement!

The Werewolf of Paris: Gothic monster as serial killer, still scary today.

Rebecca: The foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. A ghost story without a ghost, with an ending that's still debated as happy or sad!

Jane Eyre: The other foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. I bounced off the child abuse-heavy beginning a few times, but I'm very glad I finally read to the good stuff!

The Castle of Otranto: Considered the first gothic novel, a goofy b-movie in written form.

Modern-ish Gothics (post-1950 or so)

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein: Fuck the haters, I love this book.

Mexican Gothic: Genuinely scary, genuinely romantic, genuinely creative. A favorite.

Blackwater: A southern gothic saga of a family in a flooded town, whose scion marries a woman who isn't quite human. A whirlwind ride!

A Bloodsmoor Romance: Another family saga, this one northern gothic, with sisters whose lives all go off the rails in different supernatural ways. Give this a try before writing Joyce Carol Oates off entirely!

The Silver Devil: A nasty, problematic bodice ripper where you'll cheer for the heroine to bring the hero down low!

Interview with the Vampire: To be honest again, I'm not super into Anne Rice, but this is a page-turner, and every vampire book that has come after it has had to respond to it in one way or another. Read the next two Vampire Chronicles books if you like it!

A Taste of Blood Wine: My own preferred sexy vampire romance!

The Bloody Chamber: The ultimate dark sexy fairy tale work, accept no substitutes.

Haunted Castles: Contains the brilliant novella Sardonicus, as well as some other campy gothic stories!

A Great and Terrible Beauty: Many millennials were introduced to the gothic genre via this, Fear Street Sagas, or A Series of Unfortunate Events. This is my favorite of the three, though the sequels are a bit of a letdown.

Gormenghast: This series is a throwback to the pseudo-medieval, Otranto-style gothic, but much better. Don't read Titus Alone.

[godzilla-reads]

My Year of Gothic Reading 2024

Rules: For each month in 2024 you have to pick either a book, poem, or short story to read that carries gothic themes or aesthetic. Here's a list of suggested reading, but feel free to read something else or add others onto this list!

Books

"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

"The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

"The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe

"The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

"The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole

"The Monk" by Matthew Lewis

"The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

"Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Short Stories

"The Great God Pan" by Arthur Machen

"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Sandman" by E.T.A. Hoffman

"The Mark of the Beast" by Rudyard Kipling

"The Vampyre" by John William Polidori

"The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier

"The Cats of Ulthar" by H.P. Lovecraft

Poems

"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

"The cold earth slept below" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

"The Lady of Shalott" by Lord Alfred Tennyson

"My own Beloved, who has lifted me" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"What Would I Give?" by Christina Rossetti

"Time to Come" by Walt Whitman

"Love and Death" by Lord Byron

"Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson

"La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats

"The End" by D.H. Lawrence

"Hymn to the Night" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"The Possessed" by Charles Baudelaire

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The Modern Lovers - Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, October 27, 1972

Ohhhh, New England! We're heading across the Charles and back in time — from Galaxie 500 in 1989 to their forebears, the original Modern Lovers, in 1972. This Radcliffe College tape has floated around previously, but it very recently popped up in much more listenable / much less hissy form. "A substantial upgrade," writes the DIME uploader — and that is an accurate assessment. This one now goes up there with the Stonehenge recording as one of the best early Modern Lovers boots out there. Huzzah!

What we've got here is the quintet version of the band, with future Real Kid John Felice on second guitar — Felice even gets to sing one of his own tunes, the garage-rockin' "Carla." But this is the Jonathan Richman show, of course, with JoJo leading the Lovers through that classic repertoire: "I'm Straight," "Someone I Care About," "Pablo Picasso," "Astral Plane" and beyond. Then there are several rarities, including a song I don't think I've heard anywhere else called "I Know I Turn Her On." Here, the Modern Lovers seem to invent about three or four Feelies songs. And I'm always happy to hear another epic "Plea For Tenderness." At the end of this one, I think Richman is offstage singing un-mic-ed amidst the crowd. A true showman.

Of course, there's also a fantastic extended rendition of "Roadrunner," with Jerry Harrison taking things into the stratosphere during an electrifying instrumental section. Finally, the revved-up cover of the Velvets deep cut "Foggy Notion" is a total treat as usual. That then-unreleased song seemed to be a secret handshake for VU fanatics back in the day; Rocket From The Tombs would tackle it a few years later, too.

What did the Cliffies think of the Lovers? Hmm, was anyone even there? The audience response to these great two sets makes some of those poorly attended VU shows from the late 1960s sound like absolute parties. Count those hands clapping!