#The best reference for language would be dothraki from game of thrones

[soulflamesketches]

World Building.... So much fun....urg!

The Planet of KaKoro is the home of the Kakoreans, or for those who see what personal stuff I post, The Ejderhalar. That name serves to be the actually species name they've given themselves, like how we are Homo Sapiens.

Warning: If you do not want to read any sort of dragon puns, I suggest avoiding this post 😂 But I'm not gonna point them out, you tell me~

The Four Regions or Contiments are:

The Hydran Peaks. These mountains and valleys are the home of the Wyrmtain Ejderhalar or the Standards as I've called them before. They are now the Wyrmtain.

Saharamph. This is the homeland of the Desert Ejderhalar or they refer to themselves as 'Saharamphia'. This land is a desert terrain full of dunes. The natives had to dig into the earth in order to create cool homes during the heat.

Draykle is the icey homeland of the Arctic Ejderhalar. Covered in snow and ice, the natives are covered in fur in order to survive, they seek rock caves in order to make fires and hide from storms

The Seraphant Isles are the remains of the continent that sunk after the great drift. The islands were so small that nothing could grow on them, so the natives had to take refuge in the water, now Aquatic Ejderhalar use the sunken lands as estate for homes. You could find a drop off and find a nighbour hood in the 'cliff side'

The land bridge inbetween Saharamph and the Hydran Peaks were the key to starting to unite the entire species, so now that area is used as a captital city and the land in where the Alpha resides. It's the best mid point for all the sub-species to congregate without any extreme evironment changes being too much for someone.

[cbhunter494]

Valyrian Translator

So what if you do actually want to learn Dothraki or Valyrian? Of course, the ideal scenario would be to have an actual language exchange with a Dothraki warrior or a nobleman from Essos for Valyrian. High Valyrian is the language of the old Valyrian Freehold which was located on the eastern continent of Essos. Much of Essos was once dominated by the Valyrians for thousands of years, stretching from the Free Cities in the west, to Slaver's Bay in the east. The Valyrians forced the peoples they subjugated to speak in (or at least be able to converse in) their language. After the Doom of.

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High Valyrian is a language originating from Valyria and the Valyrian Freehold. Corrupted dialects known as bastard Valyrian are spoken in the Free Cities(1) and Slaver's Bay.(2)

2High Valyrian

3Bastard Valyrian

History

Some of the oldest remaining ancient texts were written by Andals, Valyrians, Ghiscari, and Asshai'i.(3) After the Old Empire of Ghis was conquered by the Valyrian Freehold in the Ghiscari wars, the Ghiscari began speaking the High Valyrian of their conquerors.(4)

High Valyrian is no longer widely spoken due to the Doom of Valyria,(5) and most Valyrian records were destroyed in the catastrophe.(6) The tongues of the Free Cities have continued to evolve from the original High Valyrian.(5)

Queen Alysanne Targaryen is said to have begun learning how to read from Valyrian scrolls while still at the breast of her mother, Queen Alyssa Velaryon.(7) Alysanne's husband, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, was fascinated with the Old Valyrian scrolls in the library of Dragonstone.(8)

How to lead jo owen ebook reader. Racallio Ryndoon is said to have spoken a dozen dialects of Valyrian.(9) Lord Alyn Velaryon studied Valyrian treaties about warship design and sea tactics when he visited the Citadel.(9)Larra Rogare, the wife of Prince Viserys Targaryen, was fluent in High Valyrian and the dialects of Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and Volantis.(10)

Some highborn children of Westeros are still taught Valyrian as a sign of their noble education.(11)(12) Songs(13) and scrolls(14)(15) are still sung and read in High Valyrian, although by 300 AC most Westerosi nobles cannot understand the language.(13)

High Valyrian

Language

The High Valyrian phrase valar morghulis‎(16) is translated as 'all men must die.'(17) A counterpart phrase, valar dohaeris,(18) is translated as 'all men must serve.'(19)

The word dracarys is translated as meaning 'dragonfire.'(20) Obsidian is called 'dragonglass' in the Common Tongue, but 'frozen fire' in High Valyrian.(21)Valonqar is the word for 'little brother.'(22) High Valyrian is the most likely source language for maegi (pronounced differently from 'Maggy'),(23) which means 'wise'.(24)

The Valyrian writing system, or at least a Valyrian writing system, is described as involving glyphs.(25) It was also probably standard practice to write on scrolls, and not in books.(26) The glyphs can also be inscribed, as on an old Valyrian dragon horn, which, when sounded, had 'every line and letter shimmering with white fire.'(27) Valyrian carvings have been found on obelisks.(28)

Valyrian steel is forged with spells, as well as hammers.(29) Some smiths still know them, although not entirely.(30)

Names

House Targaryen came from Valyria and thus most of its members can be considered to have High Valyrian names. These include:

Aegon

Aelor

Aelora

Aelyx

Aemon

Aemond

Aenar

Aenys

Aerea

Aerion(26)

Aeryn

Aerys

Alysanne(31)

Ayrmidon(14)

Baela

Baelon

Baelor

Daella

Daemion

Daemon

Daena

Daenerys(32)

Daenora

Daenys

Daeron

Elaena

Gael

Gaemon

Helaena

Jaehaera

Jaehaerys

Maegelle

Maegon

Maegor

Maekar

Maelys(33)

Naerys

Rhae

Rhaegar

Rhaegel

Rhaella

Rhaelle

Rhaena

Rhaenyra

Rhaenys

Rhalla

Saera

Shaena

Shaera

Vaegon

Vaella

Valarr

Valerion

Visenya

Viserra

Viserys

English To Valyrian Translator

Houses Baratheon, Celtigar, Qoherys, and Velaryon are of Valyrian descent, and thus these names are possibly Valyrian as well.(34)(35)

Velaryon first names include:

Aethan

Corlys

Daenaera

Jacaerys

Laena

Laenor

Lucerys

Monterys

Vaemond

Valaena

Jaenara Belaerys was a Valyrian explorer(36) and Aurion was a would-be emperor.(37)

The Valyrians most likely gave Valyrian names to their dragons, as the dragons Balerion, Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax were named after Valyrian gods and goddesses.(38)(39) However, not all dragons of House Targaryen had Valyrian names (e.g., Queen Alysanne Targaryen's dragon, Silverwing(31)).

Eight of the nine Free Cities were founded as colonies of the Valyrian Freehold, and are thus likely to bear Valyrian names as well:

Volantis's satellite towns of Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys likely have Valyrian names as well. It is also probable that Elyria, Mantarys, Oros, Tolos, Tyria, and Velos are Valyrian in name, being cities close to Old Valyria.(40)

Bastard Valyrian

Free Cities

Bastard Valyrian includes the languages of the nine Free Cities.(1) Each of the cities has its own dialect, and each dialect likely has its own separate derived vocabulary. Syrio Forel of Braavos speaks the Common Tongue with a lilting accent.(41) One of the Brave Companions is described as having a thick Myrish accent.(42)

The Free Cities use glyphs to write Valyrian.(43) The Valyrian of the Free Cities is described as sounding 'liquid'.(44)

Slaver Cities

Valyrian Translations Season 4

The Old Empire of Ghis was conquered by the Valyrian Freehold five thousand years ago, and the Ghiscari have since spoken High Valyrian. The Slaver's Bay cities of Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor have their own versions of bastard Valyrian, which have been influenced mainly by Old Ghiscari, the ancient language of Old Ghis. Like the Free Cities, the people of the Slaver Cities use glyphs to write Valyrian.(2)

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Astapori Valyrian is described as having a 'characteristic growl,' influenced by Ghiscari.(2) The dialect of Yunkai is close enough to that of Astapor to be mutually intelligible.(45)

Valyrian Voice Translator

Yunkai used to be part of the Old Empire of Ghis, and has multiple languages spoken in the city. Mhysa, Maela, Aelalla, Qathei, and Tato are given as words for 'mother', but which tongue fits which word is unknown (excepting the first, which is Ghiscari).(45)

Some slavers speak a mongrel tongue,(46) a blend of Old Ghiscari and High Valyrian.(47)

Characters familiar with High Valyrian

Valyrian Translation

Gerris Drinkwater speaks a halting approximation of High Valyrian.(12)

Haldon Halfmaester(48)

Tyrion Lannister learned to read High Valyrian on his maester's knee.(11)

Quentyn Martell can read and write High Valyrian but has little practice speaking it.(12)

Melisandre is known to pray in High Valyrian, the Common Tongue, and the speech of Asshai.(49)

Missandei(17)

Moqorro can apparently sing in High Valyrian.(50)

Septa Saranella tells Cersei Lannister the meaning of valonqar.(22)

Ser Barristan Selmy has some High Valyrian, though not as much as Daenerys Targaryen.(2)

Arya Stark knows some High Valyrian(51) but the kindly man insists that she improve it.(52)

Catelyn Stark considers the speech of Moreo Tumitis of Tyrosh to be the vulgar Valyrian of the Free Cities.(53)

Sweets is fluent in High Valyrian(54)

Aegon Targaryen is fluent in High Valyrian.(12)

Daenerys Targaryen(2)

Samwell Tarly only has a little High Valyrian.(55)

The closest thing the Windblown have to a company tongue is classic High Valyrian.(56) Their leader, the Tattered Prince, says 'and now we ride' to his men in the language.(56)

Quotes

Each of the Free Cities has its own history and character, and each has come to have its own tongue. These are all corruptions of the original, pure form of High Valyrian, dialects that drift further from their origin with each new century since the Doom befell the Freehold.(5)Download counter strike condition zero full.

Behind the Scenes

According to George R. R. Martin,

Tolkien was a philologist, and an Oxford don, and could spend decades laboriously inventing Elvish in all its detail. I, alas, am only a hardworking SF and fantasy novel(sic), and I don't have his gift for languages. That is to say, I have not actually created a Valyrian language. The best I could do was try to sketch in each of the chief tongues of my imaginary world in broad strokes, and give them each their characteristic sounds and spellings.(57)

David J. Peterson further developed High Valyrian for the television adaptation Game of Thrones.

References

↑ 1.01.1A Game of Thrones, Chapter 11, Daenerys II.

↑ 2.02.12.22.32.4A Storm of Swords, Chapter 23, Daenerys II.

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Dawn Age.

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Rise of Valyria.

↑ 5.05.15.2The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities.

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Valyria's Children.

↑Fire & Blood, The Year of the Three Brides - 49 AC.

↑Fire & Blood, Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I.

↑ 9.09.1Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist.

↑Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.

↑ 11.011.1A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 1, Tyrion I.

↑ 12.012.112.212.3A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.

↑ 13.013.1A Storm of Swords, Chapter 60, Tyrion VIII.

↑ 14.014.1A Game of Thrones, Chapter 9, Tyrion I.

↑A Feast for Crows, Prologue.

↑A Clash of Kings, Chapter 47, Arya IX.

↑ 17.017.1A Storm of Swords, Chapter 27, Daenerys III.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 6, Arya I.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 34, Cat Of The Canals.

↑A Storm of Swords, Chapter 8, Daenerys I.

↑A Storm of Swords, Chapter 78, Samwell V.

↑ 22.022.1A Feast for Crows, Chapter 39, Cersei IX.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 36, Cersei VIII.

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 72, Daenerys X.

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.

↑ 26.026.1A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 19, The Drowned Man.

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: The Grasslands.

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 1, Bran I.

↑A Storm of Swords, Chapter 32, Tyrion IV.

↑ 31.031.1A Storm of Swords, Chapter 40, Bran III.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 15, Davos II.

↑A Storm of Swords, Chapter 67, Jaime VIII.

↑Citadel. Heraldry: In the area of King's Landing

↑The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses in the Riverlands

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos.

↑The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria.

↑Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.

↑A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Map of Valyria

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 22, Arya II.

↑A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39, Arya VII.

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 65, Arya V.

↑A Clash of Kings, Chapter 27, Daenerys II.

↑ 45.045.1A Storm of Swords, Chapter 42, Daenerys IV.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 59, The Discarded Knight.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 60, The Spurned Suitor.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 14, Tyrion IV.

↑A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 56, The Iron Suitor.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 45, The Blind Girl.

↑A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.

↑A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 47, Tyrion X.

↑A Feast for Crows, Chapter 26, Samwell III.

↑ 56.056.1A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 25, The Windblown.

↑So Spake Martin: Yet More Questions, July 22, 2001

The material on this page is taken from the web page Other languages at Dothraki Wiki that is owned by dothraki.org and may be used for noncommercial purposes.

External Links

Valyrian languages on Wikipedia.

High Valyrian 101: Learn and Pronounce Common Phrases By Katie M. Lucas

Retrieved from 'https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?title=High_Valyrian&oldid=257130'

By Stars Insider of StarsInsider |

Learn Valyrian and other fascinating fictional languages

Valyrian Translate

With numerous fantasy shows gaining more and more popularity, it's no shock that many fans are going the extra mile. For instance, it was reported that over 800,000 people started learning 'Valyrian,' a language spoken by characters on 'Game of Thrones.' Incredible stories like 'Star Wars' and 'Lord of the Rings' also have their own unique languages, which you can start to learn about in this helpful gallery.

High Valyrian To English

© BrunoPress

[avwrites4ever]

Fantasy Setting Idea - Classic Japan (Heian Period)

It’s a New Year! And what better way to start it off than gush about something I love! I hope you will enjoy it too, and get excited, because I’m bursting with ideas!

I’ve even gushed about this to people at my work, the poor things. That’s how excited I am.

I just love discovering new writing ideas and hoping someone will do something wonderful with them. It doesn’t have to be me. Just someone.

So.

The Heian Period.

Also known as the Golden Age of Japan.

I think it’d make a fascinating base for a fantasy setting. So would ancient Korea, if the movie Ramage taught me anything.

*NOTE: This isn’t a history lesson. I’m just examining broad strokes of certain elements of culture & setting which I think would lend themselves to a fascinating fantasy story.

(Although there is a History of Japan in 5 minutes video at the end.)

Fun Fact:

The Tale of Genji, written during this time period, is probably

the world’s 1st novel.

The 1st novel. Ever.

Written by a court lady in Heian Japan, no less. She is known as Murasaki Shikibu, but that’s a nickname (her real name is unknown.)

Chiefly, I’ll quote from Royall Tyler’s intro to his translation of The Tale of Genji.

And if I can find my copy of The Pillow Book, written by Sei Shonagon, I’ll include that too. (Please don’t confuse with the film of the same name, which is not the same AT ALL.)

Here’s a summary of The Pillow Book:

http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-pillow-book-of-sei-shnagon/9780231073370

*Not sure if this is the best translation, I just like the summary.

*Note: Translations are tricky, & often if you don’t like a translated text, it might be because the translation is bad, and not actually the fault of the original work! Please keep that in mind while reading.

The Tale of Genji & The Pillow Book are both primary sources, by the way, meaning they were written by people who were actually living in the Heian Period!

(And both ladies were rivals of each other, which I find hilarious, considering I like both of their works.)

They’re not dry & boring either. Far from it. (I mean obviously, or I wouldn’t recommend them.)

I recommend The Pillow Book first. If you have a good translation, while reading, you’ll learn about how life was during the time, which will make reading The Tale of Genji easier since, being a novel, Genji assumes you live in the Heian Period and so know all about it (the inside jokes, the word play, the burns, everything.)

I also find Sei Shonagon a fascinating person. Very funny & clever. She journals like I do, only less randomly. She’s very interested in the world around her & all its funny, heartwarming, or baffling moments.

If not for the barriers of time & language which, funny enough, translation has more or less broken, I feel as we’d have some great conversations.

I love how real people in history are both very relatable & very different from us.

I mention these 2 because it was chiefly while reading the intro to Royall’s translation of Genji that I got the idea for this post. Though I was already fascinated by Heian Japan while reading The Pillow Book.

Though, if anyone is interested, I first became intrigued by Japan’s history while reading Rurouni Kenshin. Considering it’s a manga, consisting of pictures & text, you might start there.

(Though Rurouni Kenshin is set shortly after the Meji Restoration, which I believe is something like the start of Japan’s modern period, since samurai are in decline. But don’t quote me, I could be wrong.)

Anyway.

Also, Tumblr apparently doesn’t know what the Heian Period is, so few pictures here will be actually of the Heian Period, and doubtful if they’re accurate.

Actually, I’m using this as an excuse to put in pictures of Toshiro Mifune & old Japanese black & white films & pretty landscapes & cats & anime, because I can.

So! What about Heian Japan so intrigues my writerly brain?

Lots of things, naturally,

Certainly a fantasy world based around the Heian Period will be different from your typical western Medieval-esque fantasy settings which are so popular.

Yes, I’m brilliant, no one would ever have guessed that.

(Though speaking of Medieval-esque fantasy research has taught me those, such as Game of Thrones, to give a popular example, are actually closer to reflecting the Early Modern Period.)

See this link for better argument by someone more researched than me:

https://acoup.blog/2019/05/28/new-acquisitions-not-how-it-was-game-of-thrones-and-the-middle-ages-part-i/

https://acoup.blog/2020/12/04/collections-that-dothraki-horde-part-i-barbarian-couture/

I mean yes, I was surprised too that a person who claims to do their research apparently hasn’t, but here we are.

Speaking of which, take everything I say with a grain of salt, because I know nothing. Nothing!

By which I mean, I am not an expert about the Heian Period, or even Japanese history. For example, a lot of what I’m talking about will involve the perspective of court nobles & rich people, since those were both the characters in the primary sources & were what the authors were themselves.

I’d love to read a story where the main characters & people involved are peasants in the Heian Period. (And who stay peasants, & aren’t secretly royal or noble.)

I’m only suggesting this as a way to expand your mind beyond fantasy settings which have been done before.

I hope too that I’m not advocating cultural appropriation either (an easy trap to fall into.) If you think I am, let me know!

Now that’s all out of the way, here’s some specifics about what I love about the Heian Period:

It’s a Hidden & Secret World Insubstantial as a Dream, Structured by Social Manners & Rank

What struck me right away while reading The Pillow Book & The Tale of Genji is how closed their worlds are. Noble women especially lived in a world of curtains, panels, blinds, and  paper, silk, or bamboo screens, and walled gardens. People speak to each other not only through these divides, but also through messengers / servants.

What connects all these things are how fragile they are.

As Royall writes in his introduction to The Tale of Genji, even in courtship, (pg. xix):

“He cannot see her, and he may have no idea what she looks like. He will not normally see her even if she speaks to him in her own voice, since she will still be in another room, behind a blind and a curtain, and the curtain will remain even if she allows him into the room where she is.”

Seeing another person is very intimate. This makes it very easy to build up mystery and intrigue of a person before you actually meet them. Catching a glimpse of them or a snatch of their voice, or the hem of a sleeve from under a screen can be electrifying. Especially of a gentleman to a lady, or vice versa, because of all those blinds and screens and so forth. Royall mentions this in the introduction to his translation of The Tale of Genji. 

“If he then takes it upon himself to brush her curtain aside and go straight to her, he will by that gesture alone have claimed something close to the final intimacy.” (Introduction, pg. xix.)

What prevents him, of course, is a combination of good manners & reputation. Royall writes, “Good manners maintained a proper distance, which amounted to unholding the accepted social order.” Loss of reputation could mean loss of friends and entertainment and wealth, even exile. Having other people to talk to or play games or music with was essential.

Introducing ghosts, shape-shifters, and uncertain magic to such a setting is only to be expected. (There is a ghost in The Tale of Genji.) 

Also note that then & now personal names were seldom used, & especially not in public unless by someone intimate with you (such as a family member or old friend) or the person was extremely rude. Instead, people were referred to by their rank and title or last name, or even the place where they came from. Some were even referred to by a number, for example, First Princess (Onna Ichi no Miya.)

Notes or letters were vital within such a formal social structure. Even more vital than text messages are today. For in notes, especially poetry, someone could speak from the heart. So much that even the type of paper used was important. For example, most romantic notes were written on thin, colored paper, often kept in the front fold of a robe. They could also be scented and contain a branch from a tree or flowers.

And of course, clever word play and innuendos were all the rage. People were also expected to memorize poetry, and judged if their poetry or writing wasn’t up to standard.

Anyone who loves words would excel here. Think of all the possibilities! Secret lover’s notes, inside jokes between friends, sick burns between enemies or rivals. Plots to overthrow the Emperor could happen in plain sight. Throw some curses and magic to the mix and see what happens. Having some sort of mystery would also work well.

Hope you enjoyed this & makes you excited about creating a unique, rich, fascinating fantasy world.

Or really any part of Japan’s history, which roughly goes like this:

Obviously, if any of this intrigues you, & you want to use Classic Japan as a setting, you’ll need to do research. And I mean it. Or I will hunt down some rusty spoons.

I’m serious though. The reason why I’m writing this post is, hopefully, other people can also learn about Heian Japan, or more of Japan’s rich, beautiful, bloody history. Share the wonder with others, so the wonder won’t be lost or forgotten.

And in doing so, discover the wonder at being able to laugh at jokes made by someone who doesn’t even speak the same language as you, doesn’t even live in the same time or place . . .

It’s truly amazing. People are more alike than we know. And amazingly different. Reading manga & learning about Japan (and other countries) has been & is such a glorious experience. I understand myself & other people better.

It’s opened up the world.

[popconandpopcorn-blog]

Conlangs: constructed, not convoluted

What makes the aliens we see in movies so alien like? Is it their green skin or their round spaceships? No, those are silly depictions that Hollywood has long since left behind. CGI offers limitless possibilities nowadays, but the best way to create something that the audience can immediately identify as unknown is to invent a new language. But how do you invent a language? Can anyone just go and create a language?

Constructed languages (or conlangs) serve several different purposes. Many linguists have attempted to create an ideal language that is easy to learn and speak, the most successful example of which is Esperanto, which is now spoken by around a million people, several thousand of whom are native speakers. However, constructed languages don’t always serve a purpose in the real world, they may just be designed for aesthetic pleasure. These particular constructed languages are referred to as artistic languages (or artlangs). The most famous example of an artlang is J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish, a group of languages he started creating in 1915 as part of the lore of Middle Earth. Now of course, Tolkien was not just an author, he was also an academic. His desire to create a language stemmed from his work as a philologist and his knowledge of Middle English.

There isn’t a clear set of rules for creating a good conlang. The main thing that language constructors pay attention to is the context in which the language is used. A language like Dothraki from Game of Thrones sounds foreign but still somewhat recognizable. The length of words and sentences are similar to the length of English words and sentences, and there are 23 consonant phonemes, where English is generally believed to have 24. All of the consonant phonemes in Dothraki can also be found in English. It makes sense for Dothraki to sound recognizable because it is spoken by humans, albeit exotic ones. A stranger sounding conlang is Na’vi, from James Cameron’s Avatar. Na’vi contains twenty consonant phonemes, but it lacks voiced stops (like b, d and g) and instead has several glottal egressives, which are sounds made by exhaling air from the throat instead of the lungs. Glottal egressives don’t occur in any Indo-European languages. This causes Na’vi to sound far stranger than Dothraki, which is logical to the viewer because Na’vi is spoken by blue creatures from another world. How strange a language sounds to our ears is influenced by the sounds in that language, the length of words and sentences and also the syntax of a language.

Creating a conlang is difficult because it is tempting to let your native language influence the language you’re creating. Most conlangs are created by English speakers and since they’re usually made for movies, television or books they’re geared towards an English audience. There might be people in this world to whom Na’vi would sound far more familiar than Dothraki does, but that is often not taken into account by the creators of conlangs. Overall, there are many pitfalls when it comes to inventing a new language, but when it works it is an incredibly effective way to immerse your audience in the world you’ve created.

- Maartje - 

[gaygoetia]

The Sexist Patterns of Leadership in GoT

Note: This post includes heavy sarcasm. I'm aware that sarcasm is hard for some people to pick up on, especially in written text, so I will bold all the sarcastic parts for clarity.

EDIT: I wrote this late last night and realised this morning that Jon being heir makes sense with the line of succession and isn’t just because he’s a dude. So bear that in mind when reading this because there will be some mistakes. 

I noticed last episode that there’s actually a bunch of parallels between Dany and Cersei and that honestly when you compare how they’re portrayed it creates kind of a sexist picture of how GoT view female rulers.

Last episode painted a clear picture of how the show wants us to perceive the current situation.

Both Cersei and Dany are unstable mad women who will bring ruin to Westeros and cause thousands of innocent lives to be lost in the process.

The right choice for the throne is clearly Jon. He doesn’t want to be king but that makes him the best choice right? Who needs passion for what you do when you have the cold unbiased logic of resenting all your responsibilities?

Luckily for us, Westeros’ sexist inheritance laws declare that Jon is the true heir anyway. *Phew* If that gets out we won’t need to worry about those hysterical women! Everyone will automatically rally around Jon because he has that all important penis (which as we all know is the part of the body responsible for rational decision making)

For real though. Jon is apparently weak willed and easily manipulated enough to just go along with whatever Dany wants but somehow that isn’t framed as a flaw on his part? No, instead it’s Dany’s fault for being “too strong” for him and “bending him to her will” with her womanly wiles.

But enough about Jon (for now)

Let’s talk about Dany and Cersei.

Their stories are both very much rooted in their experiences as women in a highly sexist society. They start with very little agency and climb their way up to positions of power. And it’s a much harder climb than it would be for any male character because they’re being intensely scrutinised every step of the way. They’re treated as children or sex objects or political pawns or baby making factories. They’re talked down to and harassed and abused. They’re called ‘whores’ and ‘bitches’ and ‘sluts’ just for daring to be women in positions of authority - or hell just daring to be women (cos it’s not like any woman in the show is spared from that kind of language)

So how to they get to those positions of power? Well it’s mainly by losing everything they love. Dany becomes the ruler or the Dothraki when her husband and child are killed. Cersei becomes Queen once she has lost her husband and all three of her children.

Not that it was easy for them by any means. The deaths of their husbands and children (dragons included) were a necessity for them to have even a chance of ruling but actually getting to that point took immense time, effort, strategy and sacrifice.

And that kind of sums up the problem with the women in power of Game of Thrones. If they want power they must sacrifice everything they care about to get it (in ways that just aren’t true of the male characters)

Furthermore they have to sacrifice traditionally feminine attributes like empathy and compassion as well as the feminine ideals of motherhood and romantic love.

Hell, this episode Sansa suggested that in some way she was grateful for the abuse, rape and torture she suffered at the hands of Littlefinger and Ramsay because if it hadn’t happened she would “still be a little bird”. It is a reference to The Hound’s nickname for her in King’s Landing and it evokes the image of someone delicate, innocent and pretty - again, traditionally feminine attributes. It is implied that Sansa’s trauma has strengthened her and that without it she couldn’t be the well-respected, capable leader she is today. Needless to say, this is a pretty fucked up way to perceive both trauma and female leadership.

There are no secret benefits to trauma. While it can cause people to grow and change in positive ways it is in no way a necessary evil required for self improvement, and to show it as such is deeply harmful. Neither abusers or their victims should be taught that victims should be grateful for the abuse they’ve suffered.

But I digress. My point is that Sansa had to sacrifice her innocence in order to gain agency and a position of authority. She was raped and abused by her husband and manipulated and abused by a man who claimed to love her; a man she trusted. Through these experiences she lost all the idealised notions she’d once had about marriage and romance. She went from open and trusting to bitter and cynical. And though their deaths were certainly deserved, her murder of Ramsay and Littlefinger marked a significant and darker change in her once very pacifistic character.

Even ignoring all of the abuse and neglect she suffered during her marriage to Robert, Cersei was only able to sit on the Iron Throne by sacrificing all of her children and it looks like Dany will have to pay the same price in order to succeed.

These two women, while far from flawless rulers themselves, have faced adversity at every turn in their quest for agency. Meanwhile everyone is just desperate to put Jon in a position of authority despite him continuously fucking up.

For example: Jon is democratically elected to be Commander of the Night’s Watch - and it goes so well that he gets assassinated by his own people. Then he is inexplicably voted by the Northern people to be King in the North... and immediately bends the knee to a foreign queen who implies she’ll happily let her dragons eat them all.

Wow what a great leader. Turns out those sexist inheritance laws were right all along. Thank God they’re in place or the throne could have gone to *shudders* a “strong woman”

Seriously though. Twice now Jon has been elected into a position of power that he doesn’t really want and immediately turned everyone against him by making incredibly unpopular decisions. This is the guy who’s apparently the perfect choice to rule seven kingdoms? He can’t even keep one happy!

Say what you want about Cersei and Dany but they have fought tooth and nail for everything they have and at great cost. Jon has faced his share of losses and hardships too but when it comes to positions of power, Jon has had everything pretty much handed to him.

So what message are we left with?

“Work hard for years, sacrifice everything you love and then maybe - just maybe you’ll get the authority you desire... only to be replaced by someone who didn’t try at all and doesn’t even want it”

It’s a depressing message as it is but it’s even more depressing when we take a step back and consider its gendered implications.

Think of the female rulers we’ve seen in Game of Thrones. Dany, Cersei and Ellaria all gained power at the cost of their children’s lives (and those of their lovers in the case of Dany and Ellaria) Olenna’s scheming to get Margaery on the throne led to the death of all the other Tyrells, wiping out her entire line. 

Every time women in Game of Thrones try to claim power they are narratively punished for it and for what? To show that the person best suited to rule is the white guy those outdated sexist laws always said would be?

And of course none of this is even touching on how racism and homophobia intersect with sexism on this show but other people have talked about that more eloquently than me and if I tried to go into it here this post would end up novel length. TLDR; GoT punishes female characters for daring to want agency in a patriarchal society while encouraging us to root for the enforcement of sexist and outdated inheritance laws.