#Leather Cord Preservation

[sunnetherlands]

Unlocking the Softness: How to Soften Leather Cords at Sun Enterprises

At Sun Enterprises, we understand that the softness and flexibility of leather cords usa are crucial aspects when it comes to crafting exquisite jewelry and accessories. Our high-quality wholesale leather cords are known for their durability and beauty, but sometimes you may need them to be a bit softer for your specific projects. In this guide, we’ll explore various methods to soften leather…

[ashmouthbooks]

Læg nu smukt din hånd i min by katekane

A6 quarto hardback with homemade bookcloth - first time making it myself! and the title stamped on the front cover with fabric paint. I have never watched a single Far til fire film (not even the modern remakes) but when I stumbled across this on ao3 I couldn’t pass it by. this fic touches on Danish queer history with such heart and warmth and wonderful characters (I should probably watch the films) that it became an instant favourite.

for ikke at tale om at når man har tilbragt tyve plus år i fandom på engelsk og med engelske canons så er det at læse fic på dansk, der har udgangspunkt i dansk kultur og historie, som regn for sjælens ødemarker.

craft talk under the cut.

this is my first time making bookcloth so I want about it the cheapest possible way - fabric square from Søstrene Grene’s craft section backed with tissue paper which was a) the only paper I had that was big enough for the fabric square and b) salvaged from a past gifty delivery. it went ok but after drying some of the tissue separated from the fabric. hashtag yolo etc. I decided to use it anyway, and I think the moisture in the PVA was just enough to reactivate the paste on the paper backing, because the finished case came out beautifully smooth - and soft. I opted not to infill the cloth so it’s open weave cotton and feels as soft as a pillow to the touch.

the endpapers are also from Søstrene Grene, decorative paper 120gsm. The textblock is printed on 90gsm Munken Lynx Smooth Natural White, I wanted a whiter paper than usual as the chapter end notes have colour photos that I wanted to preserve. headbands are sewn on, the core is leather cord and the thread is embroidery thread.

the title is stamped on using rubber stamps from, you guessed it - Søstrene Grene. (they actually have letter stamps with the Scandinavian alphabet characters but the London store only has that particular set in all caps and the lower case set only had the English alphabet. luckily an æ is easily improvised and I have both a steady hand and a fine tip paintbrush for the circle over the å.) the paint is shimmery metallic fabric paint from Lumiere.

[unsanctioned-if]

What is the fashion like in your world?

Oh, what a fun question!

It’s taken me quite some time to get to since I had to think about fashion in parts of the world not immediately shown in the beginning of the story and consider more details that I hadn’t previously thought of.

Just like in the real world, the fashion and clothing styles vary a lot depending on the different regions and cultures.

I'll mainly focus on the fashion of Aíos, which is the country where "Unsanctioned" takes place, though I'll also touch on the nations of Ciralor (Azora's homeland) and Ekkeran.

Aíos

The vale where the MC spends most of their childhood is ever cold and bitter, reminiscent of Ekkeran, though the rest of northern Aíos doesn't suffer this unending, unnatural predicament. Clothing focuses on practicality; partly due to the shifting temperature and partly because this part of the land is situated closer to the wilderness and thus remains more at risk for impromptu visits from forest creatures.

The clothing among the less well off is constructed from repurposed, hard-wearing materials like thick felt and wool. Garments need to be durable enough to withstand the rigors of manual labor, unpredictable weather conditions and frequent mending. Earthy tones and muted colors are common due to the limited accessibility of expensive dyes.

In order to add a hint of elegance to their clothing, people can sometimes be seen with hand-carved wooden buttons, bead embroidery and cord work.

Thinner fabrics often come in layers in an attempt to create the illusion of grandeur despite humble means. In general, the focus tends to be on clean cuts and minimal ornamentation.

Old clothing items are at times repurposed and transformed into new pieces.

Talzaric – Aíos’ capital – has a considerably warmer temperature, but that doesn’t mean that the aristocracy doesn’t choose to suffer for the sake of making an impression.

Most wear loose velvets, silks, and satin. Rich jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, and ruby red can oftentimes be spotted accompanying neutral whites and creams. Most wear flowing, floor-sweeping gowns with intricate embroidery, lacework, beading, and metallic thread embroidery. Tooled leather belts cinched at the waist is quite popular, sometimes paired with flowing cloaks draped elegantly over one shoulder. Feminine attire often contains tulle underskirts while masculine fashion incorporates waistcoats with patterned silks and rich brocades, complete with pocket watches dangling from intricate chains.

The motifs of the embroidery ranges from house to house, precariously balancing between a chance at standing out while making certain to fit in with the crowd. Mosaic patterns and motifs inspired by frescoes can often be seen on skirts, coats and cloaks. Dresses sometimes feature layered, petal-like sleeves and intricately carved wooden accessories along with more valuable jewelry.

Headwear is commonly used regardless of social status. Laurel wreaths, feathers, bonnets and hats often serve as miniature works of art, ranging from practicality to whimsical fashion statements.

Ekkeran

A quiet, looming kingdom to the far north. It's not uncommon to see the northerners with weapons strapped to their belts, clad in robust furs, wool (dyed or not) and intricately stiched leather from various animals. Their clothes often contain hidden pockets created to store various objects meant to preserve warmth. Their clothing is nothing if not practical, even among the so called ‘nobility’. Survival takes precedence and precious few have time to consider beauty in the harsh environments that Ekkeran presents.

That doesn’t stop people from adding their own personal touches to the clothing or hair, however. Different types of shaved hairstyles are popular among the Ekkerans, sometimes in patterns depicting symbols that hold intimate meaning.  Some people wear discreet, meaningful tokens woven into their clothing or accessories passed down through generations. It’s popular for sweethearts to exchange wooden charms that can be carried close to the recipient, unperturbed by the harsh elements.

Materials play a crucial role in daily life. Textiles, while first and foremost serving the role of protection, allow for subtle pattern variations that become a form of non-verbal communication such as knotwork or frost-patterned fabrics that convey social status, occupation, and allegiances without drawing unnecessary attention.

Personal amulets and talismans are essential to the Ekkerans. These are often worn close to the heart in order to grant protection against the foul magic that plagues their lands.

Seemingly mundane objects such as lanterns, cooking utensils etc. sometimes hold hidden, carved symbolism such as milestone events or cryptic warnings that would remain a mystery to outsiders unfamiliar to Ekkeran customs. Over time, it’s become a game of sorts to leave riddles and trying to figure out the meaning of these carved secrets.

Ciralor

As a nation that prides itself on innovation and tradition alike, Ciralor fashion often consists of contrasts; such as delicate silk embellished with brass filigree and intricate clockwork mechanisms.

Hanfu-inspired garments, sometimes with Mandarin-inspired collars, merge with bustles, corsets and obi belts cinched at the waist, adorned with steam-powered automatons and delicate gemstone-studded cogs.

In terms of accessories, wooden fans are often etched with tiny gears, worn as brooches and adorning hairstyles. Jade jewelry can be found infused with minute clockwork components that whir softly. Their shoes are sometimes curved soles reminiscent of traditional geta sandals, adorned with copper piping and steam-powered pistons.

[paganimagevault]

The Princess of Ukok (aka Siberian Ice Maiden & The White Lady) 500 BCE. Tumblr image limit only allows 30 photos, I will include a link to my blog, at bottom, with more photos and more organized descriptions.

"In 1993, Russian archaeologist Natalya Polosmak and her team discovered an ancient tomb at the Ukok Plateau, in the Altai Mountains region of Russia near the border with China.

The ‘Maiden’ belonged to the Pazyryk culture. The Pazyryk people, a congregation of Scythian nomadic tribes, lived in the Altai mountains in the 6th to 3rd centuries B.C.

The woman’s body, carefully embalmed using peat and bark, was laid on its side as if she were asleep. She was young and her hair was shaved, but she wore a wig and a tall hat. She was 167cm tall. Some tribal animal-style tattoos remained on her pale skin: creatures with horns that evolved into floral shapes. Her coffin was made large enough to accommodate the 90cm felt headdress she wore. She was also wearing a long wool skirt with red and white stripes and white felt stockings.

'A mop of hair on top was tightly wrapped around with a woollen cord, which helped this mop to stand upright,' she says. 'On top of this mop was worn a red 'nakosnik' (a braided decoration made from threads), and atop of this structure was a bronze pin with a deer, standing on a sphere. The deer was made from wood, and was covered in golden foil.' Yet it was more intricate, still. 'The wig had another very important detail,' she says. Its crowning glory looked like a giant feather, 68.5 cm long, made from felt and covered with black woollen fabric, with a stick inside it to help it stand straight.' she says. 'This feather had the figures of 15 birds attached to it, which like in modern Russian Matryoshkha dolls with one inside another, were each of smaller size compared to the previous one. The birds had leather wings, tails and legs, and long necks, which most likely meant they were swans. 'This feather can be interpreted as a symbol of the Tree of Life - a healing tree which existed in so many cultures all around the planet. By the roots of the tree there is a wooden figure of a deer with a Capricorn's antlers. 'There was also ... a cap for the wig.... some 84 cm tall. It was found in Princess Ukok's burial chamber.'

The Altai princess became the second mummy found with a tattoo (tattoo had not yet been found on other, earlier mummies in the Hermitage). Kurgan 1, burial ground Ak-Alakha-3 (Ukok Plateau, Altai). Tattoos were inked on both arms from shoulders to hands. The drawings were blue and stood out against the white skin. They were preserved only on the left hand, on the right they were almost completely destroyed. Drawings were also applied to some phalanges of both hands. Archaeologists saw the tattoos during the opening of the wooden sarcophagus, then the mummy's skin began to darken, and the tattoos disappeared, subsequently they were restored in the laboratory. When other Pazyryk mummies were found, the tattoos were not visually noticeable.

The tattoos on the left shoulder of the 'princess' show a fantastical mythological animal: a deer with a griffon's beak and a Capricorn's antlers. The antlers are decorated with the heads of griffons. And the same griffon's head is shown on the back of the animal. The mouth of a spotted panther with a long tail is seen at the legs of a sheep. She also has a deer's head on her wrist, with big antlers. There is a drawing on the animal's body on a thumb on her left hand.

Somehow, many Pazyryk burials in this region were flooded, possibly with underground waters, and then froze – so the organic remains were preserved almost untouched by decay.

The embalmed body was buried at least three months after death. All this time, the mysterious woman continued to play a special role in the life of her tribe — for example, she was put in some chairs, which can be seen from the traces on the body. At the same time, a complex, time-consuming ceremony of embalming is a sign of the extraordinary status of the deceased. However, the scientists deny her status as a ‘Princess.’

“It’s not accurate to call her a ‘princess’. She was not a princess, she was a representative of the middle layer of the Pazyryk society,” archaeologist Vyacheslav Molodin, academician at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Natalya Polosmak’s husband, told “Expert-Siberia” magazine in 2012.

Studies of the mummified remains extraordinary advances in our understanding of her rich and ingenious Pazyryk culture. The tattoos on her skin are works of great skill and artistry, while her fashion and beauty secrets - from items found in her burial chamber which even included a 'cosmetics bag' - allow her impressive looks to be recreated more than two millennia after her death.

The princess' cosmetic kit included a black horsehair brush with a thin wooden shaft inside, tied with a (disappeared) leather cord, completely studded with cylindrical marble beads, and handfuls of scattered powder of bright blue-green color. There were also the remains of a broken thin rod of flat metal rings filled with the same blue-green substance (that is, in fact, it is a pencil for drawing lines or drawings like our eyeliner).

Analysis showed that it was vivianite (blue iron ore). Such a powder, closer to modern times, was used to obtain green paint. In the Altai Mountains, it is known as a satellite of gold-bearing sands. Perhaps this powder had a sacred meaning. The vivianite pencil may have been used for face painting, possibly for people with special functions or gifts. Among the Pazyryks, face and body painting has not been recorded, partly because not a single mummified face has been found. But among the peoples close to the Pazyryks, such a tradition was recorded, in particular, the painting of the face with two spiral drawings. There is a weak association with the blue-green turquoise Hathor from the Sinaiand numerous Sumerian green cosmetic "shadows" in boxes discovered during excavations in Ur and other cities of Sumer.

It is believed that she was not in fact a royal but that her use of drugs to cope with the symptoms of her illnesses may have given her 'an altered state of mind', leading her kinsmen to the belief that she could communicate with the spirits. Her lavish grave suggests she was someone of singular importance.

The MRI, conducted in Novosibirsk by eminent academics Andrey Letyagin and Andrey Savelov, showed that the 'princess' suffered from osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone or bone marrow, from childhood or adolescence. Close to the end of her life, she was afflicted, too, by injuries consistent with a fall from a horse.

The mystery was solved only in the 2010s with the help of a computed tomography scan. It showed that the maiden suffered from breast cancer that killed her in about three years. She was 25 at the time of her death.

'During the imaging of mammary glands, we paid attention to their asymmetric structure and the varying asymmetry of the MR signal,' stated Dr Letyagin in his analysis. 'We are dealing with a primary tumour in the right breast and right axial lymph nodes with metastases.'

'The three first thoracic vertebrae showed a statistically significant decrease in MR signal and distortion of the contours, which may indicate the metastatic cancer process.' He concluded: 'I am quite sure of the diagnosis - she had cancer.

'She was extremely emaciated. Given her rather high rank in society and the information scientists obtained studying mummies of elite Pazyryks, I do not have any other explanation of her state. Only cancer could have such an impact.'

'When she arrived in winter camp on Ukok in October, she had the fourth stage of breast cancer,' she wrote. 'She had severe pain and the strongest intoxication, which caused the loss of physical strength. 'In such a condition, she could fall from her horse and suffer serious injuries. She obviously fell on her right side, hit the right temple, right shoulder and right hip. Her right hand was not hurt, because it was pressed to the body, probably by this time the hand was already inactive. Though she was alive after her fall, because edemas are seen, which developed due to injuries.

The DNA research performed on the remains showed that the ‘Maiden’ is genetically closely related to contemporary Selkup and Ket peoples – indigenous Siberian tribes still living in Russia.

'There was a moment of gross misunderstanding when a legend came about this mummy being a foremother of people of Altai,' said Molodin.

'The people of Pazyryk belonged to different ethnic group, in no way related to Altaians. Genetic studies showed that the Pazyryks were a part of Samoyedic family, with elements of Iranian-Caucasian substratum.'

So perhaps more Samoyedic than Scythian.

'We tried to overcome the misunderstanding, but sadly it didn't work.'

The Altai authorities have now declared the remote mountain area from where the princess and her kinsmen were buried as a 'zone of peace' where no more excavations will take place, despite the near-certain treasures lying in the permafrost.

Such work amounts to plundering, they believe.

To Molodin, who found the male mummy several years after the princess, this deprives the world of a valuable scientific inheritance. He argues, too, that the issue is critical since global warming means the ancient bodies will decay.

Scientists reckon there are thousands of burial mounds here, hundreds of which date to the Pazyryk period, many of which may contain answers to questions about where we come from.

The ancient mummy of a mysterious young woman, known as the Ukok Princess, is finally returning home to the Altai Republic this month (The Siberian Times, August 2012).

On 19 May 2014, during a speech at the museum, (Alexander) Berdnikov reminded the crowd and media that the renovation and repatriation of the Altai Princess was one of his most important accomplishments, of course aided by Gazprom:

We should be proud that we have such a museum. A great accomplishment; we thank the management of Gazprom. When I was appointed as the Head [of the Altai Republic] one of my main goals and dreams was to have a bright opening of a renovated museum and that we could welcome the “Siberian Ice Maiden” home again. Today our museum is the best one east of the Urals and is the only one that has been restored in Russia in the past twenty years. (Government of the Altai Republic 2014)

The museum, the repatriated Altai Princess, and a vibrant cultural life, all indirectly bankrolled by Gazprom."

-taken from The Siberian Times, Russia Beyond, Taylor & Francis Online, world-jewellery livejournal, and peaceandjustice

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

Fugging fugg it.

Silco x Genderfluid!Sex Worker Reader WIP

———-

Tell me, is there a specific impetus that determines whether you present as a boy or a girl?'

You glance up from the bowtie you're making with the drawstrings to your pants. His slender fingers, the fingers that were wrapped around your cock only minutes before, splay like a divided fan to frame his face. Two fingers the vertical span of his cheek, the others curled beneath his lower lip. Thoughtful as he studies you.

It is impossible to beat the feeling back--your chest flutters with something light. Gratified. That dangerous, dangerous thing that can lead people off a cliff and into hell if one isn't careful. That thing that you know he can *see* that you have strung between the both of you with an invisible cord, your heart to his eyes, his mouth. That *predictable* sentiment, the hollow, pathetic hunger for affirmation that is far more perilous to possess in the Undercity than recklessness, greed, or sheer stupidity.

He knows, and he sits, a spider balanced on a splay of silk you have woven for him. Enthusiastic, willing pawn that you are. A hint of interest, and you are running.

You wonder if he can read the conflict that roils in your heart, the survivalist’s battle with this embarrassingly predictable nature that plagues the scores of mensch that tread the earth of Runeterra. Brotherhood. Freedom. Power. Does he know how greatly you struggle to remain able in his presence, how small you are made to feel despite his trust in your capacity as a courier and a reconnaisseur?

An obedient peon when necessary, of course, always obedient, but a person yet still, an individual. He must see you struggle. Does it amuse him to see you endeavor not to unravel? Does he recognize your efforts, and how? A mark of hubris, or tenacity? A bug pinned under glass, or a child fumbling toward freedom.

'Or both.' Your tone is dry, bordering on sarcastic. You have faced this line of questioning countless times from people too stupid or too insincere to understand. But as soon as the words leave your lips, you regret them. This was not some alley drunk foreign to the concept of an engaging personality.

To your immediate relief, however, his chest hitches, the most imperceptible exhalation of air let through his nose. His eye flickers off to the side before returning to you. A finger taps his cheekbone. Amusing. ‘Or both.' He echoes.

'We've slept together quite a few times, and never once have you asked me such a thing. Why the sudden interest, sir?' You deliberately add the moniker out of habit, and self-preservation. Let it never be said that you *deliberately* mouthed off to *the* Silco. Post-sex murder is an anticlimactic way to go.

Another soft hum, the note round and warm in the middle. 'Idle curiosity.'

You raise an eyebrow. It's not that you don't believe him, but it's clear that there's more to it. You tell him as much. Politely, of course.

The thread of uncertainty fades. He seems receptive to your reporte today, or perhaps he thinks offering up his motivations will result in a reciprocity that he'd otherwise glean with subterfuge and verbal acrobatics. He pulls back from his desk and opens a drawer by his knee to retrieve a leather book, and beckons you over with a lift of his chin. You tighten the strings to your pants and do as he bids.

It's an almanac for this year. Odd thing for him to have, you think. He seemed more like a newspaper man. Splaying it open on the desk before him, he flicks to the section laying out the calendar months and slides it over to you while pointing at the month of April. If you recalled correctly, you started sleeping together around the end of that month...

At first you don't know what you're looking at. Certain days are marked with a single dot, all through the past few months. Blue, green, and red dots. It takes you a moment to parse out the data, but:

'You've been tracking my gender every time we've slept together?'

'I thought it..interesting. At first there seemed to be a pattern, but by July my working theory was in shambles.' He tilts his head to give you an appraising look. 'You are woefully inconsistent, boy.'

You can’t help it, you bark out a laugh.

He tsks, good eye narrowing in a baleful glare, yet his lips twisted in a way that betrayed his lack of genuine offense toward your outburst. 'I'm glad my confusion is so amusing to you.'

'Ahah, sorry, I just didn't expect this...' you gesture to the book, '..social studies project.' Without asking, you pick it up and run your finger over the neat printed columns. You glance over at him and find him fishing out another cigar from his humidor. Turning back, you shrug. 'You could've just asked.'

There is the familiar sound of the cutter. Snip. 'I believe this would fall more under 'psychiker medicine'.' The cutter lands on the desk with a metal clunk, and then the telltale click-and-flick of the lighter.

Your smile turns sly, and you lean forward, pressing your arms on either side of your chest to push what little flesh existed there into a tiny facsimile of cleavage. 'Would you like me to be a girl next time, daddy~?'

Rolling his eyes mid-inhale, Silco takes the cigar from his mouth and allows a waterfall of smoke to billow from his nose. He flits his occupied hand at your chest as if to say 'put those away'.

You playfully stick out your tongue, clipping it between your teeth, and give a little shimmy before straightening to resume getting dressed. You feel his gaze on your back as you round the desk to retrieve your shirt.

'It would behoove you to watch your cheek where I'm concerned, Darling.’

——-

Uh, these people liked a post I made a long time ago asking if anyone was interested in this idea so you quite literally asked for it.

@spoczkot , @spooklia , @rockz-in-a-box , @fluffydogboo13 , @aftonsfatnuts , @jas-mjp

[thegatesofsilverandbone]

**The Singlet in the Thrift Store**

Emily had always loved exploring thrift stores. There was something magical about rummaging through the old, discarded items, each with its own story, its own history. On this particular day, she wandered into a small, out-of-the-way shop she had never noticed before. The smell of dust and worn leather filled the air, and the shelves were packed with an eclectic mix of objects.

As she browsed, something caught her eye—a bright red and blue wrestling singlet hanging on a rack in the back corner. It was surprisingly well-preserved, the fabric still taut, though it bore the unmistakable signs of use. The material was thick and stretchy, designed to withstand the rigors of the wrestling ring. Emily wasn't sure why she was drawn to it. She had never been interested in wrestling, but something about the singlet called to her.

She took it off the rack, holding it up to her petite frame. It was clearly too big for her, meant for a man much larger, but a strange curiosity pushed her to try it on. After a quick glance to ensure no one was watching, she slipped into one of the small dressing rooms at the back of the store.

Inside the cramped space, Emily undressed down to her underwear and carefully stepped into the singlet. The material was cool against her skin, and she had to tug it up over her hips and adjust it around her shoulders. As she pulled the straps over her arms, she felt an odd tingle spread across her body, but she brushed it off as nothing more than a strange reaction to the old fabric.

Emily turned to look at herself in the mirror, expecting to see a ridiculous sight—herself, a small, slender girl, drowning in the oversized singlet. But what she saw was different. The singlet seemed to fit her better than it should, hugging her body in a way that was both surprising and a little unsettling. The fabric clung to her form as if it were tailor-made, and she noticed with a start that her muscles appeared more defined, her legs thicker, more powerful.

A sharp tingling sensation shot through her spine, and Emily gasped, grabbing the edges of the small dressing room mirror as she felt her body begin to change. Her muscles, once delicate and lean, began to swell and harden, bulging beneath the fabric of the singlet. Her arms grew thicker, biceps and triceps developing as if sculpted by years of intense physical training. Her chest expanded, flattening as it filled out with muscle, her breasts disappearing entirely.

Emily’s breathing grew heavy, her voice catching in her throat as it deepened involuntarily, the pitch lowering to a gravelly tone that was unfamiliar and frightening. She tried to scream, but the sound that escaped her lips was guttural, masculine. Panic set in as she watched her reflection change further—her jawline grew more pronounced, and a coarse stubble began to spread across her face, soon darkening into a thick, full beard. Her once delicate facial features hardened, taking on the rough, rugged appearance of a man who had lived through years of experience.

The transformation didn’t stop there. Her body continued to broaden, her shoulders widening, her neck thickening with corded muscle. A strange pressure built in her groin, and Emily doubled over, gasping in shock and confusion as her anatomy shifted, twisted, and reformed. The reality of what was happening hit her like a freight train—she was no longer a she at all.

She tried to hold on to the memories of who she was, but they slipped away like sand through her fingers. Her childhood, her friends, her family—all of it faded, replaced by new memories, foreign yet eerily familiar. The sound of a roaring crowd filled her mind, the smell of sweat and the sting of physical exertion becoming the backdrop of her existence. She remembered fights, victories, losses, and the camaraderie of fellow wrestlers in locker rooms that she had never before stepped foot in.

The image in the mirror was no longer Emily at all, but a burly, hairy man, every inch of his body radiating strength and masculinity. His eyes, once wide with fear, now looked back at him with the calm confidence of someone who had seen it all. A thick beard framed his square jaw, and his chest, arms, and legs were covered in a dense mat of hair. He was a man in his forties, hardened by life and the sport he loved.

As he straightened up and adjusted the singlet, which now fit him perfectly, he couldn’t remember why he had been so frightened just moments before. The memories of Emily’s life were gone, replaced entirely by the life of Jack “The Crusher” Malone, a seasoned wrestler who had spent years dominating the ring. Jack flexed his arms, grinning at his reflection, the last remnants of Emily’s thoughts dissolving into the background.

With a satisfied grunt, Jack stepped out of the dressing room, leaving behind the memory of a young girl who had once existed. As he left the thrift store, he felt an overwhelming desire to get back into the ring, to feel the rush of the fight once more. The singlet, after all, was a part of him, just as much as the memories and the life that now filled his mind.

[brittlefcrged]

Coming in at 5’4”, Reese comes across as a little too pale, a little too lean - there’s an undercurrent of frailty that the rest of her seems built on like a house of cards, just waiting for one wrong move to scatter her to the winds. It’s reflected in her eyes, too. Her gaze, a bit too bright, her pupils a bit too wide, the sheen of blue a hint too silvery. Her skin is pale, and almost without blemish; pale dots of color flush her cheeks and her lips are peach hued and plump, despite the fact they are often pinched and scraped between her teeth (which are healthy and mostly straight). Her hair, often clumped into a thick braid or messy bun and shoved into a knit cap, is a soft honey gold in hue, with somewhat raggedy layers throughout, wispy long bangs and edges that frame her face, and when unbound, the longest edges graze the midway point of thigh and bend of knee.

She possesses a natural grace, though the longer she’s awake and the more she’s had to drink or if she’s mixed her prescription meds with alcohol or non prescription drugs she can get clumsy to the point of accruing many bumps and bruises; she still retains finer dexterity and speech patterns well through sheer force of will and habit. She has a tendency to pick up on the natural accents, linguistics and speech patterns of people that she’s around a lot - some of this is a habit picked up instinctively out of self preservation, some of it is just her natural ear for language and the music of words.

Her normal speech pattern is somewhat rambling, train of thought, run on sentences but she rarely exhibits this way of talking unless she’s incredibly comfortable around someone and or incredibly tired or very, very mellowed by her prescriptions / laudanum / whatever. There is a tiny touch of Russian accent buried in her natural speech pattern but faint enough it would probably take a native or well learned ear to pick up on it. She speaks many languages. She reads and writes even more of them than she speaks / understands audibly.

Her clothes are haphazard, usually chosen for comfort over style, layered options that can be adjusted for temperature and whim; the clothes are generally well worn, a mend can be seen here and there, and if one looks closely enough they might spy splatters and stains of ink and paint here and there, and depending upon the day might note corresponding stains and smears of charcoal and ink on her fingers (and maybe even face). She almost always carries a worn but once incredibly luscious leather backpack that looks like it might be older than she is (because it is) that serves as purse, duffel, overnight and travel bag. (She might throw a messenger bag on if needed for her art supplies but that’s generally only for specific outings.) She opts for platform boots, usually ankle, doc martens are a fave, for day to day wear and she will never be seen without her fingerless elbow length gloves, or detachable sleeves that cover from upper arm to palm, or some similar covering for her arms. Her jewelry is typically simple, some random leather cord with charm, or some mix of silver and gold choker and necklaces pairing, random dangly earrings and bangles. (The price range here ranges the most dramatically with dollar store plastic bangles worn with a several carat necklace that she just liked and pulled out of her jewelry box that morning.)

In terms of tech, she carries one or two phones, air pods, over the ear beats, a top of the line tablet (iPad probably for digital art). Always carries at least two books to read, a sketch pad and various drawing tools, and a very worn old leather journal that she still occasionally writes down snippets of music in when no one else is around. Also, vanilla cloves, a silver zippo, various drugs, prescription and otherwise, a flask, random snacks and whatever else happens to be stuffed in her bag at any given time.

She has two lobe piercings, a cartilage piercing in each ear, one daith piercing, a nose piercing (left nostril). Others may come and go, including but not limited to tongue, belly button, nipples, clit. Tattoos, none usually but may vary on verse. Scars, may vary some based on threads; some random scatterings here and there but no major ones in most verses except her forearms. (Most injuries before her initial death were minor, so the scars are really faded and small and anything after her healing factor kicked in eventually fades away entirely.)

She is on a pretty much constant dose of laudaunum & lithium / opium tincture bc they are literally the only thing she’s found that quiets the voices and dulls the visions - the side effects are not great and there will be times she refuses to take them for a while. She also used a lot of uppers and downers to keep herself awake and knock herself out to sleep. If she didn’t have an unnatural healing ability she would have died a long time ago from her drug and alcohol use lbr.

[lailoken]

Dodman's Chain (Sold)

This is an example of a Traditional West Country domestic charm I’ve made from ethically sourced Snail Shells. While, historically, this particular form of talisman had no official title that I know of, I came to call it a Dodman’s Chain.

In the West Country, charms such as these were used to bless the home with prosperity and protection by drawing upon the potent virtues of the Snail, who has long been associated with luck, preservation, and the domestic abode.

The Dodman’s Chain pictured here was composed from 13 shells, which I lightly varnished with my homemade 'Wisefool's Glaze' (composed from Linseed Oil and various powerful arboreal resins) and then strung together on recycled leather cord, with a Benison worked into every knot. Finally, the entire implement was Hallowed and fumigated with an incense made from Dragon’s Blood, Sweet Gum Burrs, and Fern Dust.

I am currently selling this singular example of this talisman for $39 + Shipping, though I am going to be selling them on my website that is currently under construction too, should anyone find themselves interested in purchasing one later on (as well as ones made from 21 shells and 27 shells.) If you'd like to acquire a lovingly crafted Traditional Talisman like this, then please feel free to reach out to me through this blog!

[iturbide]

Summer Storm

5,347/50,000 words

He watched as the smith deftly worked her glowing iron with swift hammer strikes before finally plunging it into a nearby trough of water, letting it bubble and steam before lifting it out to take a closer look at it.  Miryn supposed she must have been satisfied, because she lay it on the anvil before turning toward him -- and a wide, toothy smile spread across her face when he raised his hand in greeting.

“Afternoon, Kayla,” he called, idly unbuckling his top pack with one hand as she moved to join him, her stiff leg lending her a rolling gait.

“Miryn!  Market day already?” she asked conversationally, stripping her gloves and loosening her mane of tawny hair from the net keeping it out of her face and off her neck while she worked.  “Must have been a good day, if you’re here so early.”

“Sold out, in fact,” he grinned.  “I hope that won’t cause problems with my order?”

“Oh, of course not,” she scoffed, hauling a crate up onto the counter.  “Twelve bottles, eight vials, and I did some trading to get some more of those little clay jars you like from one of the potters.”  She gave him a conspiratorial wink as she lay the wares out on the counter for inspection, the rippling glass ranging in color from green to a pale cornflower blue.

He lifted one up to the light, smiling at the play of color across the scarred and slightly scorched counter between them.  “Beautiful work, as always.  How much?”

“The usual -- though I’ll give you a discount if you have more of that burn salve,” she added with a wink.

“Well, what do you know: I just happened to bring a few jars along,” he said, feigning surprise as he opened the lid of his pack, moving the leather scraps aside to withdraw them from their padding.

She whooped as she snatched one up, removing the lid and dipping a finger into the ointment.  “You are the best,” she said, dabbing it onto the red marks around her elbow where stray sparks from the fire had landed.  “This is the only thing that actually works, you know -- the apothecary down on market street has something he says does the same thing, but I swear it just adds a rash to the burns.  And it’s greasy, too, absolutely awful stuff.”

“I’m glad I brought along an extra jar for you this time, then, if three didn’t last you between markets,” Miryn chuckled, digging into his coin satchel and starting to count out the gold pieces.  “Are you getting busier?”

“Everyone around here is: the guard put in an order for more blades, and no forge is big enough to do it all without taking an age to finish, so everybody’s been pitching in.  Of course, since I work both glass and metal, I’m starting to think I might need an apprentice.”  She pulled her hair back again, this time tying it into a high tail with a charred leather cord.  “You know anybody looking to learn the blacksmithing trade?”

“Afraid not,” he said, beginning to transfer the new glassware into his pack.  “My sister’s happy with her trade, and I don’t think she keeps the right hours for a smith, anyway -- no one wants to listen to the forge going all night.” Kayla shuddered at the thought.  “Six preserve, someone would have my head before the week was out if I tried that.  Well, it was worth a try, at least."

[luminashdawnwing]

August 2023 DWC Day 1: Beginnings / Endings

CW: Mention of death of a child

Since the anomaly near the reservoir, that moment when time had stood still and its threads had parted to show Luminash a glimpse of himself, scarred horribly by shadowflame, mind twisted by disillusionment with the Titans and by the Infinite promise of control over time’s endless march, Luminash had been diligent for more, searching the area daily for any trace of that timeway’s signature. 

He had tried his timepiece method, an hourglass, even dabbled in harmonies and resonance as some of his colleagues at Eon’s Fringe had, charging condensed glassy beads of temporal sand with the Arcane. Still, he found nothing. In the end, he had felt it best to bring in someone with sharper, fresher eyes to use those tools.

“I remember writing this. Most of it, at any rate,” Luminash said, scanning the timelost scroll recovered from the hills near the reservoir.

“But not all of it?” Theras asked. The younger Dawnwing turned over between his fingers the wolf’s fang he wore around his neck, waiting for his father to speak.

Luminash shook his head, rolling the paper back up and setting it down with the pack his son had brought back, resonating stone humming shrilly before the magister deactivated it, “The conclusion here is different. Significantly.”

“How so?” Still he toyed with the wolf fang, and the magister allowed himself a small sad smile at the recollection of an aging frostwolf companion of many years past.

“I concluded that the Titans were – are – not infallible, but their deeds and legacy are still worth studying and preserving. With important notes, let us say, that we ought not follow their path blindly. The world, all of creation, is much more complex than one piece of it would have us believe.” Catching his son’s eyes, he tapped the scroll with a jabbing finger, “Here, I concluded that their legacy is hopelessly tainted by their intentions of control, and all children of Azeroth should seek to free themselves of the yoke of Order.”

“What would account for that? What happened in that timeway that would lead you to that?” The ranger asked about his father, but the unspoken question of his own fate in that timeway nevertheless hung in the air, “Where do the changes start?”

Emptying the rest of the pack, Luminash sighed, “A very good question. I’ll admit, I have my own doubts, but to throw my lot in with a Primalist-Infinite alliance seems extreme.”

Theras stepped away from the table while his father sorted through the various effects from the other Luminash’s pack. He saw the usual tools of the trade – arcane foci, inks, parchment, nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing to hold his interest. Far better were the rolling dunes nestled in the rocky crags and peaks of Thaldraszus. The young ranger had never seen anything like it, and his heart swelled as his imagination soared through those peaks. He wondered how a drake’s reins would feel in his hands. Then, he snapped back to reality.

“Theras,” the magister said, voice little more than a hoarse whisper, “Here. Look.”

The last item in the pack, the end of their investigation for the day, lay bare on the table. Theras’ hands grasped his necklace, knuckles white, as he stared at its duplicate on the table. The only difference is that the other’s leather cord was gone, replaced by silver, and a chip missing from the end of Rimepelt’s memento.

Soaring through the clouds, wind whipping his red mane behind him, then suddenly swallowed in a black pit, diving deep from the heights, no bottom in sight. Theras, already pale, utterly blanched.

“The beginning, I dare say. I am…” Luminash struggled to find the right words, only trailing off. How often, he wondered, did one have to offer condolences to someone on their own death?

Theras swallowed hard and took one step back, then another. He looked at his father, into his eyes, the same ones that would be darkened with shadowflame after, what, his own demise?

“I need some air.”

@daily-writing-challenge

[kultofathena]

Pre-Owned – Customized Hanwei Tinker Norman Sword – Sharp Version

Blade Condition: Good condition with a moderate amount of cosmetic blemishing present. The blade is moderately sharp, notable edge damage is not present and it is uncertain if the blade had this level of sharpness direct from the factory or if it has been used lightly and properly with minor scratches removed after cutting. When sheathing and unsheathing the blade there is a glue-like substance that sticks to the blade from the scabbard, probably from an earlier blade preservative. Over time and with repeated cleaning this should cease to be an issue.

Hilt Condition: Good condition with cosmetic blemishing (scratches / scuffs) present.

Grip: Good condition. The grip is a custom wrap of brown leather which has been glued on. There is a seam on the back of the grip with a gap of about 1/16″ in some places. Construction Condition: Sword is still durably constructed.

Scabbard: Good overall with a medium amount of cosmetic blemishing. Scabbard still fits the blade well. The scabbard has been customized with a new black suede leather wrap and a black leather locket. Leather is tight and well fitted.

The Hanwei Tinker Norman swords available in both sharp and blunt versions, are similar in weight and static balance and offer virtually identical handling characteristics. This sword is harmonically balanced to optimize cutting ability. The blade is forged in 5160 high carbon steel and marquenched to HRc50-52, allowing superior edge retention. The grip is wood-cored and leather-covered over a cord wrap. Includes a wood scabbard with leather wrap and hanging rings.

[sunnetherlands]

Unlocking the Softness: How to Soften Leather Cords at Sun Enterprises

At Sun Enterprises, we understand that the softness and flexibility of leather cords are crucial aspects when it comes to crafting exquisite jewelry and accessories. Our high-quality wholesale leather cords are known for their durability and beauty, but sometimes you may need them to be a bit softer for your specific projects. In this guide, we'll explore various methods to soften leather cords effectively, ensuring that you can work with them easily and create stunning pieces that your customers will love.

Selecting the Right Leather Cord

Before we delve into the techniques for softening leather cords, it's essential to start with the right type of leather. At Sun Enterprises, we offer a range of leather cords, including round leather cords, braided leather cords, and flat leather cords. Choosing the appropriate cord for your project can make the softening process easier.

Using Leather Conditioner

One of the most common methods to soften leather cords is by using a leather conditioner or leather softener. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Clean the Cord: Before applying any conditioner, make sure your leather cord is clean. Wipe it gently with a damp, clean cloth to remove dust or dirt.

Apply Conditioner: Take a small amount of leather conditioner or softener and rub it onto the cord using a soft cloth or your fingertips. Ensure you cover the entire length of the cord.

Massage and Stretch: Gently massage the conditioner into the leather cord, allowing it to penetrate the fibers. You can also stretch the cord gently to help distribute the conditioner evenly.

Let it Sit: Allow the cord to sit for a few hours or overnight, giving the conditioner time to work its magic.

Test and Repeat: After the waiting period, test the cord's softness. If it's still not as soft as you'd like, repeat the process until you achieve the desired level of softness.

Using Heat

Another effective method to soften leather cords for sale is by using heat. Be cautious when using this method, as excessive heat can damage the leather. Here's how to do it:

Warm Water Soak: Submerge the leather cord in warm water for a few minutes to soften it slightly. Be careful not to use hot water, as it can cause the leather to become too pliable.

Dry and Stretch: Remove the cord from the water and gently stretch it to further soften it. You can use your hands or a soft cloth for this step.

Heat Treatment: Use a hairdryer or heat gun on a low setting to apply heat to the cord. Keep the heat source moving to prevent overheating. As you heat the cord, continue to stretch and flex it until it reaches the desired softness.

Cool Down: Allow the cord to cool naturally, which will help it retain its new softness.

Natural Oils and Balms

Another method for softening leather cords is by using natural oils and balms. This approach not only softens the leather but also adds a rich, lustrous finish. Here's how:

Clean the Cord: As with other methods, start by cleaning the cord to remove any surface dirt or dust.

Apply Oil or Balm: Choose a leather-friendly oil or balm, such as neatsfoot oil or mink oil. Apply a small amount to the cord and massage it in, ensuring even coverage.

Warmth and Absorption: To aid absorption, gently warm the cord with a hairdryer or by placing it in a warm, sunny spot. The warmth helps the leather absorb the oil.

Let it Sit: Allow the cord to sit for several hours or overnight to absorb the oil fully.

Check and Repeat: Check the softness of the cord, and if necessary, repeat the process until you achieve the desired softness and suppleness.

Patience and Care

No matter which method you choose to soften your leather cords, patience and care are key. Take your time and monitor the progress to avoid over-softening or damaging the leather. Each leather cord may respond differently, so it's essential to test your chosen method on a small section before treating the entire length.

At Sun Enterprises, we offer a wide range of high-quality leather cords in various colors, sizes, and styles to suit your jewelry-making needs. By following these softening techniques, you can ensure that your wholesale leather cords are supple and ready for your creative projects. Softened leather cords provide endless possibilities for crafting exquisite jewelry and accessories that will impress your customers. Explore our collection of wholesale leather cords today and unlock the potential for stunning creations.

[galgadotenderson]

**World War II British RAF Uniforms: Authentic RAF Military Gear Guide**

“The World War II British RAF Uniforms played a vital role in maintaining professionalism, discipline, and national pride during one of history's most challenging periods. These uniforms are iconic, representing the strength, bravery, and unity of the Royal Air Force (RAF). For collectors and history enthusiasts, understanding the details of authentic RAF military gear is crucial.”

Key Points to Know About World War II RAF Uniforms

1. Design of World War II British RAF Uniforms

RAF Blue-Grey Color: The standard uniform color was a distinctive blue-grey, easily recognizable.

Two-Piece Uniform: Most aircrew members wore a two-piece uniform with a tunic and trousers.

Fabric: Wool serge was commonly used, ensuring warmth during high-altitude flights and colder environments.

2. Categories of RAF Uniforms

Service Dress Uniform: This was the standard formal uniform worn by RAF personnel, featuring a jacket with buttons, shoulder insignia, and a peaked cap.

Battle Dress Uniform: More practical and durable, used for combat missions and training exercises. It was shorter and included a waist-length jacket.

Flying Gear: RAF pilots wore specialized gear for protection during flights, including leather jackets, flying helmets, goggles, and oxygen masks.

3. Rank and Insignia

Shoulder Insignia: Rank badges were worn on the shoulders of the uniform, signifying the individual's rank and role.

Pilot Wings: A distinctive feature of RAF uniforms is the RAF Pilot Wings, worn on the chest to distinguish trained pilots.

Officer Ranks: Officers had more intricate decorations on their uniforms, including braided cords and gold or silver insignia.

4. Headgear in RAF Uniforms

Peaked Caps: Worn by officers, featuring a stiff peak and the RAF insignia.

Side Caps: Commonly worn by non-commissioned personnel. These were more functional and simple in design.

Flying Helmets: Essential for aircrew, designed to hold communication devices and provide warmth.

5. Authentic RAF Military Gear

Collectors' Demand: Authentic RAF military gear from World War II is highly sought after by collectors. Genuine items like jackets, helmets, and insignia are valued for their historical significance.

Reproduction Gear: While authentic items are rare and expensive, quality reproductions are available for reenactors and enthusiasts.

Preserving History: Owning authentic RAF gear is not only a hobby but also a way to preserve and honor the bravery of the airmen who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

6. Specialized RAF Uniform Variants

Tropical Uniforms: RAF personnel stationed in warmer climates like the Middle East or Africa wore lightweight khaki uniforms designed for hotter weather.

Cold Weather Gear: For personnel stationed in colder regions, heavier uniforms and overcoats were issued.

7. RAF Parachute Gear

RAF airmen involved in parachute missions used parachute harnesses and survival packs as part of their flying gear. These items are especially rare and valued by collectors.

8. Where to Find Authentic RAF Uniforms

Antique Military Shops: Many authentic RAF World War II uniforms can be found in specialized antique military stores.

Online Auctions: Websites like eBay and military auctions are popular places to find original RAF uniforms.

Military Reenactment Stores: For those looking for reproduction uniforms, many stores offer high-quality replicas for reenactments or personal collections.

Why Collect World War II RAF Uniforms?

Collecting World War II British RAF Uniforms allows enthusiasts to connect with history on a personal level. Whether for display, reenactment, or education, owning authentic RAF military gear is a testament to the valor and heritage of the Royal Air Force. These uniforms tell the story of the brave men and women who served during one of the most pivotal moments in history.

Conclusion

In summary, World War II British RAF Uniforms are more than just military attire; they are symbols of courage, skill, and dedication. The detailed design, rank insignia, and specialized gear make them a fascinating area of study for historians and collectors alike. Whether you're interested in authentic RAF military gear for your collection or historical interest, these uniforms remain an enduring legacy of the Royal Air Force's contribution to victory during World War II.

[mealvaan]

Onerous

On the way home, Imogen carries her own corpse on her back.

The backpack she carries is ridiculously hefty on a good sun, but this trek feels like death itself. The paths are long, craggy and winding from the south of the Shroud, each unsuspecting branch actually the beginnings of a larger trunk, rocks buried in a carpet of leaves. She’s irritable and zealously so, adjusting her path solely to avoid belligerent merchants on the trails by the settlements and walking through bushels to do so with relative success. Intercepting her retreat from society, sparse flyclouds pick at the back of her hands and the slope of her chin. Each slap she sends in the way of a biting bug feels like an overplayed joke that ends incessantly in the punchline, “Why are you hitting yourself?”

The weight of her luggage isn’t helping. A normally jumpable crag has to be circled round in a walk of shame. The tatty hempen cords keep getting caught in the thickets; the bottom of the bag hangs so low. She can hardly outrun the literal fucking flies.

When she gets to shelter, an inventory is in order.

A worn tin can of glittering fire shards, a ball of ten-or-so hair ties wrapped around a wooden comb, a coin pouch (heftier than usual), a long-dried ink pen, a crumpled handkerchief, a wad of forgotten receipts on mangled parchment, a wrapped few lengths of jackal meat jerky, a little pouch of trail mix, a lightweight compass, and a cracked spyglass.

A leather wrap containing an untouched set of lock picks, a bent pair of pliers, a metal implement in the vague and well-worn shape of a screwdriver, a small pair of tweezers intertwined in the bunch, whetstone better suited for a hunting knife than a polearm, a hunting knife, a pack of gauzes in desperate need of refresh, the tiniest vial of disinfectant ever, 20 fulms of hempen rope, and a shitty tin mallet, freshly dented. 

A crushingly folded pile of clothes containing three days’ worth of increasingly avant-garde tops — it used to be two sennights’, before she’d replaced it with the utilitarian jumble she’s just offloaded — a pair of proper pants, and then a few pairs of short bottoms, all amounting to about two pairs of pants when you put all the cloth all together. A healthy smattering of socks tucked into plain sets of underwear, and tucked within those, a distribution of gold and silver earrings and rings. 

A single thin bedroll with drink and dirt stains along the edges, an empty waterskin rolled to its smallest, an old mess kit that still carries the faint scent of anchovy, a journal miraculously surviving the weight of her world that’s more Charlette’s style than her own, and the Deck of Sixty preserved in a sturdy wooden box. 

And carrying their own little collections yet are her pockets, her coat, and her back.

Speaking of — she stretches and listens to it click in a sickening rhythm, winces at the pressure. Perhaps the dead weight she’s been carrying is more her than she’d thought.

[xtruss]

He’s The Most Famous of Europe’s Bog Bodies. But Who Was Tollund Man?

Was He a Human Sacrifice? A criminal? Scientists are Still Piecing Together Details About the Life—and Death—of the Man Mummified in a Danish Bog Some 2,400 Years Ago.

— By Erin Blakemore | February 6, 2024

The Tollund Man was discovered in 1950 in the Bjældskovdal bog in Jutland, Denmark. His mummified body was found in a sleeping position with a leather cord around his neck—and scientists have been analyzing his ​remarkably well-preserved remains ever since. Photograph By Robert Clark, National Geographic Image Collection

When a family cutting peat for fuel unearthed a mysterious body in a Danish bog in 1950, they assumed the well-preserved corpse was a local murderer’s latest victim. In fact, he was anything but: Although the man had been killed, his body dated from the Iron Age about 2,400 years ago.

Now known only as the Tollund Man, his incredibly preserved face, stubbled and slightly smiling, has ensured him a place as one of the world’s most famous bog bodies—made even more mysterious by the fact he was the assumed victim of human sacrifice.

In the decades since his discovery, scientists have studied Tollund Man extensively and pieced together more details about his life and death. Here’s what to know about the naturally mummified man.

Who Was Tollund Man?

A brown, bronze like mummified body of a man laying on his side in the fetal position on a square pile of brown earth and soil, with a braided rope around his neck against a black background.

Although Scientists know that Tollund Man died of hanging, they're not yet sure why. Could he have been killed in vengeance—or as part of a Ritual Sacrifice Photograph By Ian Dagnall, Alamy Stock Photo

The presence of wisdom teeth suggest the Tollund Man was at least 20 years old when he died in Denmark’s Bjældskovdal bog in Jutland, but researchers think he was actually between 30 and 40. Radiocarbon dating indicates he died at some point between 405 and 380 B.C.

Standing at about 5 foot 3 inches, the Tollund Man was discovered in a sleeping position with a rope around his neck. An autopsy revealed he had died of hanging, noting his extremely well preserved head and face.

After his death, the acidity in the peat bog preserved Tollund Man’s bones and many of his soft tissues, including an intact yet shrunken brain and intestines complete with their contents. Tollund Man’s skin and nails had cured and blackened over thousands of years spent in the oxygen-free environment of the bog. But their full decomposition was blocked by the chemicals that are produced when sphagnum moss, the main moss that comprises peat, degrades.

Today, his body is preserved at the Silkeborg Museum, a Danish cultural heritage museum near the place of his discovery.

Who Were His People?

Tollund Man lived during the early part of the Iron Age in the years before Rome conquered the majority of Europe. During the period, Jutland was well populated and home to villages and farms. The era’s farmers grew grain, kept animals, and engaged in religious rituals that involved leaving sacrifices—often food or weapons, but sometimes human bodies—in the local bogs.

Modern-day researchers suspect these bogs were seen as supernatural sites with connections to the gods and the afterlife. But since the Jutland dwellers left no writing behind, it’s unclear what actually drove their religious rituals.

Tollund Man was found in this bog in Denmark. What makes bogs so good at preserving bodies? Archaeologist Isabella Mulhall told National Geographic in 2023 that factors include the lack of oxygen, the acidity levels, and moss found in bogs that blocks the decomposition process. Photograph By Robert Clark, National Geographic Image Collection

What He Wore

Bogs are famous for preserving clothing along with bodies, like the knitted clothing that surrounded a Scottish bog body found in 1951. But Tolland man wore much less apparel: He was buried naked, clad only in a cap and belt.

Further investigations have revealed that Tollund Man likely wore shoes for part of the year, but also walked barefoot much of the time. Stubble on his face indicates he must have shaved.

His Last Meal

In 2021, researchers discovered the contents of Tollund Man’s last meal—porridge containing barley, a variety of wild seeds, flax, and fish. The gut analysis also revealed that unlike some other famous bog bodies, Tollund Man wasn’t under the influence of edible hallucinogens or other medicinal plants when he died—signs that typically indicate a human sacrifice.

His Death

But scientists say Tollund Man could have been the victim of a ritual sacrifice. The wide variety of types of seeds and weeds found in his gut are similar to those discovered in the digestive tracts of other bog bodies thought to have been sacrificed.

“People have suggested that they’re forming a human sacrifice because something’s going wrong in the environment,” archaeologist Henry Chapman said of those victims in a 2021 interview with National Geographic. Those cases have led researchers to believe that the sacrifices involved eating a wide variety of types of food before death, perhaps in response to environmental changes that threatened farming or food sources.

Another possibility is that Tollund Man’s death could have been more sinister: Perhaps he was a criminal or died by suicide, or was part of a vengeance killing thought to have been a practice in northern Europe at the time. Other bog bodies found throughout the region show evidence of purposeful killing and even gruesome abuses of the corpses.

But though he was clearly killed on purpose, Tollund Man’s body was also carefully buried, and his mouth and eyes closed. Ultimately, that careful burial, his hanging, and the fact that cremation and grave burials were more common at the time than throwing bodies into bogs is why many researchers do believe his death was part of some kind of sacred sacrifice.

His Remaining Mysteries

Though it’s been nearly 75 years since his discovery, Tollund Man could continue to yield more information to curious archaeologists. During scientists’ initial experiments with the bog body, his head was carefully preserved and was put on display in Denmark. But his body dried out and was misplaced—yes, misplaced.

For decades no one knew where the bog body’s limbs and organs were. This led to a bizarre treasure hunt in the 1980s, when researchers armed with new technologies realized the potential worth of the rest of the body and asked for the public’s help locating the remainder of the corpse.

Commonly found in bogs, sphagnum moss releases an acidic sugary molecule that takes up the nutrients that would otherwise nourish microbes that cause decay. This helps mummify corpses—though sphagnan also leaches the calcium out of bones, weakening them. Photograph By Robert Clark, National Geographic Image Collection

It turned out that the severed parts had been housed at a variety of museums and institutions throughout Denmark. The hunt yielded everything except for the internal organs and the bog body’s right big toe, whose location remained a mystery until the children of the former conservator returned it to the museum after their father’s death.

“Now nearly all body parts are in the museum[’]s possession,” the Silkeborg Museum says on its website. “Should anyone, however, come across a mysterious jar containing what might [be] his internal organs, we would be most interested to hear from you.”


The Tollund Man's thumb was among the appendages that were amazingly well preserved after thousands of years in the peat bog, a natural medium for mummification. Photograph By Robert Clark, National Geographic Image Collection

These remains could still produce more insights, though researchers have so far been unsuccessful at obtaining ancient DNA from Tollund Man’s tissues.

In the meantime, the bog man has inspired everything from poems to music to children’s books—a testament to the ongoing fascination he invokes in both scientists and the public. “He is not merely a museum piece, but a man,” one archaeologist told The Age in 1956. “We refuse to believe in his death. There is a living man behind the warmth and fine humor of his face.”

[finestbeads]

Boho Chic: Incorporating Crescent Beads into Your Bohemian Style

Bohemian style, also known as "Boho," is a lasting fashion trend that has its own captivating charm. With its free-spirited and eclectic vibe, Boho fashion effortlessly combines natural materials and earthy colours with a touch of sparkle and sophistication. To enhance your Bohemian-inspired jewellery and accessories, consider incorporating versatile and stylish crescent beads.

(Source: https://www.finestbeads.com/product/16972.html)

The Essence of Bohemian Style

Let's start by reviewing the fundamental elements of Bohemian fashion before exploring how to incorporate crescent beads into your Boho look.

Natural and Earthy Tones:

Boho style often embraces a colour palette inspired by nature, including browns, greens, blues, and earthy neutrals.

Layering and Mixing Textures:

A crucial element of Boho fashion is layering. This involves skillfully combining various textures, fabrics, and patterns to achieve a laid-back and effortlessly stylish appearance.

Statement Jewelry:

The Bohemian style is known for its eye-catching statement jewellery pieces that incorporate a variety of materials. These can range from feathers and leather to gemstones and beads.

Free-Spirited and Eclectic:

The Boho spirit embraces freedom and eclecticism, giving you the opportunity to combine different elements that reflect your unique personal style.

Incorporating Crescent Beads into Boho Jewelry

Now, let's explore how to infuse your Boho style with the elegance of crescent beads:

1. Layered Crescent Bead Necklaces:

Materials: Select crescent beads in earthy tones and mix them with natural stones like turquoise, jasper, or labradorite.

Design: Create a layered necklace by combining crescent bead strands of varying lengths. Add some charms, feathers, or tassels for that Bohemian touch.

2. Boho-Chic Crescent Bead Bracelets:

Materials: Choose leather cord or suede as a base for your bracelet. Incorporate crescent beads, along with metal or wooden beads, for an authentic Boho feel.

Design: Experiment with wrap bracelets or multi-strand designs. For an added Boho touch, incorporate macramé or knotting techniques.

3. Dangle Crescent Bead Earrings:

Materials: Use wire or thread to connect crescent beads with small, colorful beads, or gemstone chips.

Design: Create dangle earrings with cascading crescent beads. The movement and sparkle will draw attention to your Boho-chic style.

4. Boho Crescent Bead Headbands:

Materials: Select a suede cord or a thin leather strip as the base for your headband. Add crescent beads, feathers, and natural stones.

Design: Craft a custom headband with crescent bead accents that can be worn with flowing dresses, maxi skirts, or your favourite Boho attire.

5. Mixed-Media Crescent Bead Accessories:

Materials: Combine crescent beads with macramé, leather, or fabric to create unique accessories like belts, handbags, or even shoe embellishments.

Design: Use your creativity to mix textures and materials, giving your accessories that Boho flair.

Maintaining the Bohemian Spirit

When incorporating crescent beads into your Boho jewellery and accessories, it's important to preserve the essence of individuality and self-expression that defines the Bohemian spirit. Embrace the freedom of mixing and matching various styles and materials to craft pieces that truly reflect your personal taste and unique personality. Allow your creativity to flourish, as Boho style encourages limitless imagination.

Conclusion

By incorporating crescent beads into your Boho style, you not only add elegance and sophistication but also express your individuality within this timeless and free-spirited fashion trend. So, embrace your inner Bohemian experience with crescent beads, and let your unique style shine!

Source:https://www.finestbeads.com/58982.html