#and colonizer and colonized can also merge

[nezumasa]

This is how it feels to explain anything

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

2,000-Year-Old Fayum Portraits from Roman Egypt: also known as "mummy portraits," these funerary paintings were often fastened to the coffins of the people they depicted

Above: Fayum portrait of a woman from Roman-occupied Egypt, c.100-110 CE

Fayum portraiture was a popular funerary practice among the upper-class families of Roman Egypt from about 50 CE to 250 CE. Given the high mortality rates for children during this period, many of these portraits depict children and youths, but adults were often featured, too.

Above: portrait of a youth wearing a golden wreath, c.130-150 CE; the wreath and the background of the portrait are both gilded

The population of the Faiyum Delta, where most of these portraits were found, largely contained individuals with both native Egyptian/North African and Greek heritage. The Greek lineages can be traced back to the Ptolemaic period, when the Greeks gained control of Egypt and began to establish settlements throughout the region, gradually leading to a cultural diffusion between the Greek and Egyptian populations. The Romans eventually took control of Egypt in 31 CE, absorbing it into the Roman Empire and colonizing much of North Africa, but the demographics of the Faiyum Delta remained largely unchanged.

Above: portrait of a man with a mole on his nose, c.130-150 CE

Many of these Fayum portraits reflect the same blend of ethnic and cultural roots, depicting individuals with both Greek and native Egyptian heritage (a claim that is supported by both archaeological and genetic evidence). Some portraits may also depict native Egyptians who did not have any European ancestry, but had been integrated into Greco-Roman society.

Above: portrait of a bearded man, c.170-180 CE

These representations of native Egyptians provide us with unique insights into the actual demographics of Roman-occupied Egypt (and the ancient world at large). Non-European peoples are rarely included in depictions of the classical world; it's also interesting to see the blend of cultural elements that these portraits represent.

Above: portrait of a priest of Serapis, c.140-160 CE; the man in this portrait is shown wearing a fillet/crown that bears the seven-pointed star of the Greco-Egyptian god, Serapis

As this article explains:

In the 1800s and early 1900s, Western art historians didn’t know what to make of these portraits. Scholars of Roman history labeled them Egyptian. Scholars of Egyptian history labeled them Greco-Roman. These binary academic classifications failed to capture the true complexity of the ancient (or, indeed, modern) Mediterranean. In reality, Fayum portraits are a syncretic form, merging Egyptian and Greco-Roman art and funerary practices. They reflect the cosmopolitanism of both Roman and Egyptian history.

Above: portrait of a man, c.80-100 CE (left); portrait of a bearded officer, sometimes referred to as "Perseus," c.130-175 CE (right)

Above: portrait of a young woman in red, c.90-120 CE

Nearly 1,000 of these portraits are currently known to exist.

Above: portrait of a man wearing a gilded ivy wreath, c.100-150 CE

Above: portrait of a bearded man, c.150-170 CE

Sources & More Info:

Curationist: Fayum Portraits

Harvard Art Museums: Giving the Dead their Due: an Exhibition Re-Examines Funerary Portraits from Roman Egypt

Getty Museum: APPEAR Project

Getty Museum: Faces of Roman Egypt

National Geographic: Ancient Egypt's Stunning, Lifelike Mummy Portraits

The Athens Centre: The Myth of Whiteness in Classical Sculpture

Forbes: Whitewashing Ancient Statues: Whiteness, Racism and Color in the Ancient World

[traegorn]

(Not the same anon) I’m really curious in learning more about how Christianity didn’t actually steal from Pagans, and how ‘Pagan’ traditions aren’t actually Pagan, but I’m not sure how to word my question specifically. If you could point me to a resource or two that would tell me about that stuff, I’d love it! (I will be looking up the definition of syncretism as well as checking out the podcast you linked the other anon). Sorry if I worded anything incorrectly or got a concept wrong, I’m very new and wanting to learn. (Also I know I can probably find resources for myself, but I’m not sure where to even begin, which is why I asked you, sorry if I’m being a bother).

So syncretism is when cultural or religious traditions get merged into another religion, usually by customs getting carried over post conversion or colonization.

Like imagine a religion like Christianity comes into an area and mass converts people. And the people say "Oh yeah, we're Christian now -- for sure" but keep doing all of their cultural traditions. What happens over time is that those traditions get recontextualized into the new religion's framework.

It's not Christianity "stealing" them -- it's the cultures that were converted holding onto their traditions in spite of Christianity. The church wasn't deliberately trying to take them -- they just kind of got stuck with them. You get that with a bunch of Yule stuff with Norse and Germanic areas and Christmas.

So that's part of it.

The rest is that a lot of things modern folks claim are "Pagan" just... aren't? Like take the Christmas tree. Like we have clear documentation of its origin going back to German Protestants. Like we know when it started. Yet you'll see countless folks online (and badly written witchcraft books) claiming it's some ancient tradition to decorate a tree in your house. It just... isn't tho?

What you need to do is go to academic sources on these topics, and just kinda take anything in a witchcraft book with a grain of salt.

[credus99-blog]

Aggression/ Danger to humans: Extremely Low – None

Element/ Ailment: None

The Azure Jidderway or Cj’idywej (Chidaway), meaning “trotting shrub” in Dhënuvgöm, is a species of Anthropod (Arthropods that have evolved internal skeletons, closed circular systems¸ and are Mesotherms). While Azure Jidderways are one of several anthropod species that have successfully colonized the surface of Atterra, they are one of the few that almost exclusively live on the surface. Azure Jidderways, like other jidderways, are commonly found in forests, shrublands, and other environments where the moist soil allows the jidderway to bury itself in the soil. These small crepuscular grazers utilize their two oral tentacles in order to funnel food into their mouths and allow their radula to break down their food. The azure jidderway prefers to spend its foraging hours eating small fruits, nuts, algae, and soft leaved plants on the forest floor. Like other anthropods, the azure jidderway can see into the UV spectrum and possess biofluorescent spots and patterns on their bodies for infra-species identification. Curiously, the fluorescent markings that the azure jidderway possesses are concentrated on the top portion of its body that stays above the ground when it is buried. This is believed to allow Jidderway to identify each other even if one is buried in the ground and allow jidderways to gather and form ‘groves’. While Jidderways belong to a group of shell-less anthropods (anthropods that either are not majorly covered or lack by hard carapaces).

When it comes to defending itself from predators, the azure jidderway, like all other hoofed jidderway species, has no natural defenses. The jidderway’s skin, while thick,  is similar to a toad’s and offers little in the way of protection against predators. Instead the azure jidderway, like other jidderway, employs bright colors, speed, and camouflage as its means of natural defense. While harmless, jidderways employ the use of bright colors to give predators the impression of them being poisonous. Helping to give the jidderway a much needed moment to run away from the predator. Surprisingly, jidderways are quick on their feet, often seen frantically and erratically running from whatever is threatening them. To further aid their escape, jidderways will position their eye stalks directly in front of their bodies while running. This gives the jidderway stereoscopic vision to be better able to maneuver around objects ahead of them. When not frantically running for its life, or foraging during the night and twilight hours, the jidderway spends its time buried in the ground. While buried in the ground only their plant stalk, eyes, backs, and leaf-like appendages are above the ground. The plant stalks that jidderway posses on their backs are remnants of a beneficial parasitic plant that once worked in symbiosis with its host. The plant helped provide the jidderway with sugars and oxygen metabolization, and the plant was able to spread its pollen and seeds to other hosts.

However, over time, the parasitic plant slowly became completely indistinguishable from the host’s anatomically and almost genetically. In fact, the only place where the original parasitic plant’s genetics can still be found is within the chloroplasts that exist within the leaves upon the stalk. Not only do the chloroplasts of the stalk  and its leaf-like appendages help the jidderway photosynthesize and metabolize oxygen, but also in its reproduction. This is due to the reproductive organs in the jidderway’s abdomen having become completely atrophied and nonfunctional as the plant symbiote and host merged into one. Currently, the function of reproduction has been completely taken over by the stalk on the jidderway’s back. Making the jidderway reproduce through pollination instead of standard sexual faunal reproduction. The pollination style reproduction makes jidderways the only known genus to reproduce in this manner alongside Grasslings who also reproduce through pollination. Making the Jidderway a more derived and extreme version of the ‘Leaf Sheep’ and Sacoglossa molluscs of Earth which incorporate algae into their bodies in order to photosynthesize for their food.

The stalk of the jidderway is able to metabolize oxygen in sufficient amounts to where the jidderway does not need to breathe from its abdomen while buried in the ground. While buried, the jidderway will unfurl the large fleshy leaves on the top of its stalk and remain as still as possible. Should the jidderway sense something approaching it through vibrations in the ground, it will extend its eye stalks to survey the threat. Should the jidderway be discovered and harassed it will release low frequency calls from its vocal sacks to startle the threat. Should that not work, then the jidderway will attempt smacking the threat with its heavy stalk.

Should that fail to deter the threat, or the threat is severe enough the jidderway and any others around it will burst from the ground and run away for safety in different directions. The surviving members of the grove (which can be anywhere between five to twelve individuals in size) will use their vocal organs to call out to their surviving grove members to regroup. Once regrouped, depending on the time of the day, the jidderways will then either begin foraging or rebury themselves in a spot of sunny soil. During winter jidderway prefer to spend as much time as possible in the ground and go into a hibernative state as they shut down all nonessential systems and almost entirely rely on photosynthesis to get them through the winter. Only moving when they need to escape a predator or to find a better spot to bury themselves in warm vegetation. During these periods of movement the jidderway will eat nuts and shrubs to sustain itself and build up fat before going back to its near inactive state.

To communicate jidderways use the two vocal sacks on either side of their body in order to produce sound and amplify their calls. Similar to how frogs croak, the jidderway will inflate its vocal sacks and vibrate them in order to produce low and high frequency sounds that can be heard for over two miles in the forests that they inhabit. It helps that the jidderway’s ears are especially tuned to hear low frequency sounds, allowing jidderway to communicate over large distances. During early spring, the large leaves at the top of a male’s stalk will turn from green to a brilliant red, yellow, and orange. At the very tops of their stalks both male and female jidderways will develop a blue or white flower containing a stamen or pistil depending on the gender of the jidderway.

Males will compete by making loud calls throughout the forest,  flaunting their colors, and displaying their fitness by rapidly bobbing side to side like a stick bug in front of the female. The more impressive a male’s display is, the more females he will mate with within his grove. Should the top male be challenged by another male and showing off their yellow belly spots, posturing, and calls doesn’t settle the dispute, males will fight by kicking with their hooves and chasing. The winner of the match is the first one to submit or be eaten by a predator due to the ruckus they create running and calling in the brush. Should the female choose to mate with a male, the female jidderway will connect her pistil to the male’s stamen and become fertilized by his pollen. Once pollinated, the female jidderway’s flower will lose its petals within twenty four hours of successful pollination and begin to develop a fruit the size of a large grapefruit over the next thirty days at the end of her stalk.

The growing of a fruit is extremely taxing for the female jidderway as over half the nutrients and minerals she eats will go directly into the fruit while it matures. Should the female encounter any danger while her fruit is growing, she will immediately detach it from her body and abandon it to distract the predator while she makes her escape. Should this happen early enough in the spring or summer, the female may mate again and begin growing another fruit. When the fruit first starts growing, the skin of the azure jidderway’s fruit is a pinkish violet in color with green tipped developing spines. As the fruit matures it will slowly grow hair and become a mix of browns with dark markings and patterns on its skin and a flat bottom. The waxy spines made from thicker and harder skin remain a darker green in color at their tips as the fruit matures and help to protect fruit from potential predators. The skin of a mature azure jidderway fruit is thin and waxy, the inside has a thick and fleshy pinkish pericarp, locule walls, locules with seeds that make up the inner pericarp, and a thick and incredibly nutrient dense core. Each fruit has between fourteen to seventeen locules each with a small black rice-grain-sized seed at their ends and surrounded by two locule walls.

Once the fruit has reached maturity and has been dropped by the female jidderway the fruit will begin germinating. Over the course of the first three days after being detached, the hard black seeds of the fruit will draw nutrients from the core. The seeds expand to the size of a grape and completely drain the core of nutrients before the hard outer shell pops and reveals the embryo and yolk that was developing inside it. Once the hard shell of the seed has been removed, the embryo will feed off its nutrient dense yoke and grow until it’s two inches in diameter over the course of four to six weeks. The skin of the fruit during this time becomes more and more strained from the growing jidderway nymphs until finally it tears and rips open, releasing the nymphs inside. Once ‘hatched’ the jidderway nymphs will devour whatever remains of the fruit to gain all its vitamins and minerals before leaving as a group to find new sources of food.  This grove of young jidderway will continue to grow and develop as a unit over the course of a year and a half before going their separate ways. It is not uncommon to see a young grove of jidderway following a full grown jidderway, using the adult as a means of spotting predators and finding easily accessible food. Once separated, the jidderway nymphs will reach their full size by the end of their second year and reach sexual maturuity by their third.

Due to the skittish nature of the jidderway, initial domestication attempts for meat and fruit farming of the anthropod were largely unsuccessful. Until over thirty years of selective breeding produced a domestic strain of the azure jidderway. While still skittish, the temperament of domestic jidderway is more akin to that of a chicken’s. Generally minding their own business and allowing themselves to be picked up by handlers, but sudden movements and loud noises send them into a panic and make the jidderways run for the nearest cover. Luckily, jidderway are easy to raise and farm due to them needing minimal land due to photosynthesizing in the ground for the majority of the day. Farmers often feed jidderway extra fruit, mineral rich pellets, and scraps of vegetables that are left over from their harvesting process as a way to make use of unwanted parts of edible plants. This ease of farming and the fact that the white flesh of the jidderway, like other anthropods, easily soaks up flavors while cooking. Making  it incredibly popular within the walled state of Malgori and the SRA.

Besides being harvested for their meat, they are also farmed for the fruits they grow after mating. During the spring and summer months jidderway fruit is incredibly popular due to the creamy texture of its flesh, and tasting like a citrusy custard. Adding to the popularity of the jidderway’s fruit (also sometimes referred to as the jidderway melon) is the fact that it is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin c, vitamin k, cobalamin, acticidin, folates, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, pyrite, and copper make the fruit particularly good for growing children.Once dropped by the female the fruit is flash frozen as to stop the germination process of the fruit and allow it to be sold in various grocery stores. To maximize production of fruit during the spring and summer months, female jidderway are fed a calorie and mineral rich diet in order to grow their fruits quickly. Once fruit is detached from the stalk of the female, the female is put in a greenhouse to simulate early spring so that she redevelops her flower and then is repollinated to restart the process. Once the summer ends and fall begins this process is stopped to give the female jidderways a break and resume their natural habits.

Due to jidderways being the most recognizable anthropod besides moss crabs, and how silly it looks while running has made it a pop-culture icon within Malgori and the SRA. In media depictions of the jidderway, the anthropod will bob side to side before disappearing and teleporting somewhere else, often leaving after images in its wake. Another popular depiction of the jidderway is that while running, it’s moving at the speed of sound so everything else is whipping by it. Only for it to switch to a human’s perspective and show that the jidderway is only trotting away at a much slower pace.

The most famous depiction of jidderway’s in media however, is the azure jidderway superhero known as ‘The Blue Bolt’ or Bolt for short. Bolt is part of a cast of other superpowered animals that gained their powers after coming into contact with ancient and powerful relics. In all his depictions Bolt has the power of superspeed, with more recent depictions adding to his list of powers. Turning the jidderway into a martial artist that uses psionic powers to turn evil doers into fruit that he then eats to temporarily gain their powers. The franchise of Bolt and other superpowered animals and their fight against crime has grown so large in recent years amongst the natters (orphans living on the streets), that they can often be seen with memorabilia and shirts depicting Bolt and the other animals on their shirts. This popularity has even gotten to the point that particularly quick and fast acting policemen are called ‘blue bolts’ due to the blue tarda’s (face paint) on their faces.

[desmon1995]

The dichotomy of Fox and Luther

I think one of the weirdest things about the Warriors that even other pieces of media don't really contrast much is the unspoken compare and contrast between Fox and Luther that pops up ever so often in my head.

In the original movie, Fox actually sees Luther murder Cyrus and she basically blacks it from her mind to the point that Luther would have shot her if Cleon wouldn't have stepped in.

Within the concept album, the two are the only ones that make references to video games.

Fox introduces herself as not only the youngest, but makes a reference to the 1970s console the Magnavox and the video game The Odyssey which was one of the first RPGs.

What I really do like about this is that it just reinforces how much of a teenager Fox is but also foreshadows the immense growth that she's going to go through since most 1970s RPGs were very much create your own story types.

(ironically enough the Warriors themselves basically act as one gigantic RPG party and in Japanese RPGs it's pretty common for at least one character to die or sacrifice themselves)

Luther on the other hand predominantly talks about the 1980s video game Pac-Man where he views himself as the title character and the marginalized women he's assaulting as the ghost that need to be terminated by him.

Pac-Man as a character is characterized by his gluttony and the goal of the game is to severely cripple the ghost so that they can become devoured by him.

Ironically enough, Pac-Man is actually pretty fragile and after to hits he's done very much like Luther after everything is said and done.

Another more interesting aspect is that both Fox and Luther are based around mythological / biblical figures.

Europeans largely regarded Foxes as nuisances and within their own stories typically presented them as swindlers and more often than not as a stand-in for minorities (which is why many foxes were brutally hunted for sport).

However, indigenous Americans such as the Blackfoot tribe saw the Fox as a Creator deity that while something of a trickster, often did so to teach people lessons about the world and was said to be the embodiment of the Sun itself.

Fox is more or less all of the above because she is a marginalized woman, pretty coy at first, but ultimately ends up growing to be a guiding light for the rest of her crew to follow as she soaks in most of the lessons that Cyrus and a lot of her older peers have bestowed upon her.

Luther is obviously based around lucifer, but what many people don't know is that Lucifer is actually a Greek god specifically he's the god of the Dawn and his original role was to bring the day into night and vice versa.

It's why he's associated with light, but Europeans deemed that any figures and beans that were not a part of their theology either had to be eradicated or repurposed to fit into their very disjointed understanding of how the world works.

As such, Lucifer was merged with the the the Greek god pan (which was goat like) and that's how we have the horned goatman figure we know today.

In other words, Lucifer was colonized and turned into all things evil but eventually Europeans started to see him as some weird misunderstood necessary evil and started to embrace him and whoopify him.

I don't think I need to tell you how this relates to white supremacy because after the last election we all know that society has grown to not only tolerate but also reaffirm bigotry and White fragility.

The idea is that Luther exists because society allows them to end when confronted with what he does often makes excuses for why this is just the way things are or they just turn around and blame other factions of society.

Luther was always a character that was meant to be a product of his society and in a weird roundabout way he still is that in the concept album but is more horrifyingly real.

It's also interesting how their demise is also treated completely differently.

Fox dies a horrific death by being ran over by the station train right after she fended off her crew from Captain Victor,

Her death is the thing that allows the Warriors to escape and is meditated on not only in the same train home but during the finale.

Luther's death is off screen so he doesn't even really get to go out with the blaze like the shooting star that he thinks that he is.

I know that there are a few people that really wanted to see him get it good, but I almost feel like not giving him what he wanted is a much more satisfying conclusion

[tumblingxelian]

RWBY V9 Epilogue Response

I LEGIT STARTED CRYING!!!!

Seriously this was freaking amazing, I need RWBY to continue, to be finished by these amazing people!

(Swallows back tears)

OK, OK, OK, but like, this was such a brilliant way to show the passage of time, less one sequential event after another and more via a collection of different character perspectives that let us see how things have been going, each one colored by the various characters unique perspectives.

The contrast of Winter's despair and Qrow's optimism, of Nora taking the world on her shoulders & Ren trying to ease his loved one's burdens. Oscar & Ozpin actually being on the same page and fighting the merge. It's all so good and I love all the shots with secondary characters in each scene helping give us a stronger idea how they and by extension everyone else is coping or not coping with things. Seriously, just brilliant storytelling!

Also the fact the massive air fleet & Amity arrived at the same time as RWBY & Jaune, that fits the turning of the tides theme of V9's ending so perfectly and I can see why the Blacksmith sent the team back 'then' given that means a bunch of good things are going to happen at once and do a lot to restore hope.

I also love the general world building, discussing Vacuo's history of colonization, how settlements are being upkept, and gods the loss of Vale, S-assy girl on tumblr predicted it years ago but I still didn't see it coming to this extent. Low key glad Tai's not there cos I'm me and very intrigued about what Glynda is up to. Plys Tyrian, my favorite bastard man, he's here and the Crown is evidently not done with yet either!

Also is Ruby gonna have a cult? I think she should have a cult. It wouldn't help but it'd be interesting, also nice seeing the Happy Huntresses, love them. Plus Raven bringing the team in, ooh I just LOVE THIS!

Gods this is all so good and I need so much more, I have not felt this energized in a long time, thanks so much for sharing this with us, I love the directions everyone is taking!

[wrotelovelytears]

Pluto might be in Aquarius

But that's only half the story.

Now I'm not one to believe only the planets inspire change in people but the environment they live in, their disposition and their current state of being impacts them just as much. Astrology without the consideration of culture and context is just astronomy. It has the body but not the soul.

I start with that because of all the current global happenings. I understand the importance of spiritual and religious practices, and they don't exist in a bubble of their own. It is highly related to the cultural movements and ethnic practices of a region. If we are going to be honest religions/spirituality would not exist with out those cultural foundations. Literally there would be nothing if ethnic and cultural differences didn't play a role.

Hoodoo wouldn't exist if African Americans didn't. The Greek Pantheon wouldn't be a thing if the ancient Greeks didn't interact with the Egyptians, Nubians and Macedonians. And it should be very well known the Romans stole their whole flow and rebranded. The same Romans who took Christianity and set the foundation for the many versions we see today.

I say all that because I've noticed a lack of connecting between the social/political climate, traditions and belief systems. We can't pretend that Vedic astrology isn't an actual part of Hinduism because it wouldn't exist if Hinduism wasn't here. And Hinduism is the result of two very different populations interacting with one getting colonized and pushed south and the other needing a system/ belief to justify it. We can't pretend that tropical astrology isn't a more Eurocentric method because the signs, planets and their meanings are not the same outside of Western/Eurocentric ideology. In fact it's heavily based off of Roman and Greek interpretations, the base of Western Society as a whole.

I'm not going to pretend that Pluto moving into Aquarius is the only reason why we suddenly "see" more social changes, more standoffish behavior, more coldness to our fellow human. All Aquarius is doing is putting it on the internet. It sent a tweet out and we all saw it. These issues aren't a magical happening, they are the result of centuries of bs pilling up. Of cultures merging in ways that weren't possible before modern technology. Of colonization. Imperialism. Chattel Slavery. The Arab Slave trade. Ethnic cleansings.

People weren't passive before the shift into Aquarius, people were ignoring it. It's really easy to do when you have no personal reason to care, in fact it's probably something all humans can relate to on one topic or another. Trust me I was heavily into activism spaces a decade ago, everything being talked about in media now was talking about then. It was talkes about when my parents were growing up in the 60s. My grandparents in the 20s/30s and so on. Aquarius just put it in our faces (again, and will continue to do so) and said "now what? ".

I want people to not just lean in to spiritual/religious practices because they are popular but to look into the actual meanings they have. I want people to understand that yes you can be spiritual/religious and your ethnic background does impact how you practice. I want people to understand these changes we see in France (they lost their standing in Africa, literally all their former colonies told it to cope, and that's leading to their collapse), South Korea (this is not the first, and sadly won't be the last time, power has been abused under the name of "anti communism", in fact ask South East Asians how they treated there and you'll see this was going to happen), the United States (a country founded on genocide and racism isn't going to magically be less of those because a Black woman got to run for office) etc aren't solely a shift in the Star positions.

I see people point out the French Revolution happened the last time Pluto was in Aquarius (but they also had lost all the land in the US and Haiti told them to fuck off, so it wasn't just not eating cake, it was the lack of slave labor to fund their empire). Or America getting it's freedom (Britain was getting close to abolishing chattel slavery (again free labor, people hate to lose their free labor), the Irish and Scottish were also giving the English a hard time, they had to pick between the people next door or the ones over the Ocean). At that time it was the lack of free labor that pushed those movements, yeah everyone didn't have slaves but they all benefited from that system.

So many astrologers say don't let the stars determine your life but literally turn around and do that. Astrology is a tool at the end of the day. That's it, because if someone doesn't believe in it that doesn't change what happens. Conformation bias would have us believe differently but that's just part of our nature to lean towards that which supports us, not questions us. It's a practice that spans the globe and millennia because we can all look up and see the same stars at night. Maybe not as bright because light pollution, not the same positions because stars go supernova and the solar system moves, but it's still up for everyone on the planet. It's something that regardless of where you go, there's some meaning to it, maybe not always spiritual but a reason nonetheless. And it's never the same, obviously or else this would be a very boring plane of existence, and there's overlap because humans gonna human no matter where we are.

I implore you to think on your upbringing. Think on your ethnic group(s). Think on your current country of residence. Think on what you were taught in school. Think on your family. Because that's what's impacting you. That's what makes you make the decisions you do. Not just Mars moving through your third house (this is just an example, if that's happening for you good for you or I hope it gets better idk) .

Pluto in Aquarius isn't bring change. It's humans and our individual motives that are and always have.

Aquarius is a sign that puts the spot light on things already in motion. It makes you think because if you don't you can't understand. It makes you detached because if you feel it too much you might get hurt. It makes you remember because this isn't the first, nor the last time it will happen. Aquarius is the personal motive made public part of human nature. The selfish desires that push for survival. The seeking of like mindedness. The drive for community, but only if it's the same as you. Aquarius is the when of the story.

[hello-nichya-here]

Hello, Nichya. My question is probably very inappropriate, so I apologize in advance. I saw some Americans claiming, that Spanish & Portuguese are colonizer languages. However, these are the most spoken languages in latin countries. Again, I don't agree with such statements, just curious what real Latinos & Latinas would say to it.

Ah, the irony of americans, who speak ENGLISH because they were colonized by ENGLAND, and who made american-english become so wide-spread in the entire world through both imperialism cultural imperialism and invading other countries and placing military basis and/or overthrowing their governments over and over, realizing "Wait, latin america speaks spanish and portuguese (as well as french and dutch in some places) because europe colonized them, that's problematic."

Now, obviously spanish and portuguese were brought to latin america as "colonizer languages", aka to further erase the native languages, and cultures. However you'd be surprised at how complex a topic can become after over 500 years.

Languages are living things, and no two places have the exact same relationship to it. That's how accents, slang, dialects, and eventually new languages, come to be. I have a much easier time understanding modern spanish, italian or french than I do understanding OLD portuguese, despite being brazilian. To me it just looks like a language Tolkien made up. It's too different.

In the same vein, the spanish spoken in Spain today is not the same as the one spoken 500 years ago, and is also not the same as the one spoken in Mexico today - which is also not the same as the one spoken in Argentina, or Venezuela or Chile. And that happens not only due to the distance, but due to what other languages (from bordering countries, immigrants or surviving native tribes) have an influence on the "main" one. I lost count of how many times I was mindblown to discover some random word that I use everyday is NOT portuguese, but rather an old word from languages of brazilian native tribes.

That also ties into two other details that people often forget in that discussion of "you're speaking the language of your opressor and passing on their legacy":

1 - The native tribes were NOT all buddies with each other, and their languages also became dominant for so long because they conquered or killed all their rivals. Like any people group, they had the ones they were allied with, the ones they were neutral on, and the ones they fucking hated. There were groups that tried to isolate themselves as much as possible, others that sought out alliances without any form of merging, and some that went full "I want an empire" mode. The historical tendency of just erasing all that complexity and pretending they were one large homogenous group with a generically peaceful "culture", instead of being as complex and messy as europe, is as racist of a generalization as "They're all a bunch of blood thirsty savages that will kill anything in their path, including each other"

2 - Languages like european portuguese and spanish ALSO were influenced by other languages, often of groups they were at war with or even invaded by, and passed on their legacy too - portuguese has A LOT of arabic influence for exemple. The broad generalization of "Europe colonized the world" is useful in a lot of cases, but also dangerous in others, as it ignores that europe is not magically immune to being influenced by other cultures (sometimes through brutal means).

That last one is also THE main thing that this "these are colonizer languages" discourse misses: it ignores that europeans are not the only ones who can influence others, and that sometimes their tactics backfire.

Portugal conquering a place as large as Brazil, with a HUGE population was itself a power move... but as a consequence, we out-number them to a comical degree. Meaning people are far more likely to learn brazilian portuguese than european portuguese, something a lot of people in Portugal are rather salty about - and that's without taking into consideration that they themselves consume a LOT of brazilian media, but the reverse is not true. It got to the point of there being parents in Portugal freaking the fuck out because their kids could only speak "brazilian" (and we made them even more mad with the "Let's change Portugal's name to Brazilian Guyana" jokes).

That's why latinos tend to get mad at foreigners (especially americans) who assume we somehow don't realize "Oh, we speak these languages because we were colonized." It's condescending and ignores how much of our cultures and identities, by necessity, are built on the basis of us going "Fuck off, this is MINE now, and I'm doing MY thing with it." It crosses the line from a genuine conversation about colonialism to "Let me explain your situation to you since you're too dumb to get it"

[shamandrummer]

Celebrating the Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a vibrant and meaningful celebration deeply rooted in Mexican culture, dating back thousands of years to Indigenous traditions. Every year, from October 31st to November 2nd, families across Mexico and beyond come together to honor their deceased loved ones, celebrating life, death, and the enduring bond between the living and the dead.

This festival, while often misunderstood, is far from being a somber or morbid occasion. Instead, it's a joyous, colorful event, filled with laughter, music, and love. It is a celebration of life, the legacies of the departed, and the unbreakable connection between generations. In this post, we'll explore the origins, customs, and significance of the Day of the Dead, and why it continues to resonate around the world.

Origins of the Day of the Dead

The roots of the Day of the Dead can be traced back to the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica, including the Aztec, Maya, and Toltec cultures. These ancient peoples held a cyclical view of life and death, seeing them as interconnected parts of existence. Rather than fearing death, they believed that the dead remained with the living in spirit, and that death was not an end but a transition to another form of life.

The Aztecs, in particular, had a month-long festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as the "Lady of the Dead," who ruled over the afterlife. After the Spanish colonization in the 16th century, Catholic influences merged with Indigenous beliefs, resulting in the modern version of the Day of the Dead, which coincides with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

Key Dates and Their Significance

The celebration of Día de los Muertos spans several days, each with its own unique significance:

October 31st (All Hallows' Eve or Halloween): This day marks the beginning of the celebration. It is believed that on this night, the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to return to the earthly realm.

November 1st (Día de los Angelitos): Known as the Day of the Little Angels, this day honors children who have passed away. Families believe that the spirits of deceased children (los angelitos) return to visit their families. Offerings and altars are prepared with toys, sweets, and food that children enjoyed during their lifetime.

November 2nd (Día de los Difuntos): The final and most important day is dedicated to adult spirits. Families visit cemeteries, bringing food, drinks, and gifts to their loved ones' graves, decorating them with marigold flowers and candles.

Altars (Ofrendas): A Central Tradition

One of the most recognizable elements of the Day of the Dead is the creation of ofrendas, or altars, which are set up in homes and cemeteries to honor the deceased. These altars are not meant for worship but to welcome the spirits back to the land of the living, offering them comfort and joy during their brief return.

An ofrenda typically includes:

Photographs of the deceased, serving as a visual reminder of those being honored.

Cempasúchil (Marigold flowers), often referred to as the flower of the dead, believed to guide spirits with their bright color and strong scent.

Candles to light the way for the spirits.

Pan de muerto, a sweet bread baked specifically for the occasion. Personal items that the deceased enjoyed during their lives, such as favorite foods, drinks, or objects.

Sugar skulls (calaveras), which are intricately decorated to represent the vitality of life.

These altars are typically adorned with papel picado (colorful, perforated paper banners) that add a sense of celebration and festivity. Families might also include small crosses or religious images as a nod to the Catholic influence on the holiday.

Visiting Cemeteries: A Family Affair

On November 2nd, families flock to cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones. This communal act is a powerful reminder of the connection between the living and the dead, and the enduring presence of those who have passed away. It's common to see grave sites adorned with cempasúchil flowers, candles, and photographs, while families gather to share food, reminisce, and even listen to music.

In many regions, families will stay in the cemetery overnight, creating a festive atmosphere filled with warmth and laughter. This act of remembrance turns the cemetery from a place of sorrow into a space of joy, where life and death coexist harmoniously. Food and Symbolism

Food plays a central role in the Day of the Dead celebrations, and many of the dishes prepared have symbolic meaning. Some of the most popular foods include:

Pan de muerto: This traditional sweet bread is flavored with orange blossom and anise and often decorated with bone-shaped designs on top, representing the cycle of life and death.

Tamales: A favorite across Mexico, tamales are often prepared as offerings and shared among family members.

Mole: A rich, complex sauce often served over chicken, symbolizing the blending of Indigenous and Spanish cultures.

Calaveras de azúcar (Sugar skulls): These decorative skulls, made of sugar, represent the sweetness of life and the acknowledgment of death as a natural part of the human experience.

Sharing these foods not only honors the dead but also brings families together, reinforcing the idea that the Day of the Dead is a celebration of life.

Day of the Dead Beyond Mexico

While the Day of the Dead is most closely associated with Mexico, its influence has spread far beyond its borders. Many communities in the United States, especially in areas with large Mexican populations, celebrate the holiday with altars, parades, and public festivals. Cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio hold large-scale events that bring together people from different cultural backgrounds to celebrate life, death, and memory.

In recent years, the holiday has gained global recognition, in part due to its vibrant imagery and symbolism, as well as popular media representations, such as in the animated film Coco.

Conclusion: A Celebration of Life and Legacy

The Day of the Dead is much more than a holiday--it's a way of life that honors the past while celebrating the present. It is a time for reflection, remembrance, and gratitude for the lives we've shared and the people we've loved. By embracing both life and death, Día de los Muertos reminds us that love transcends time, and that the memories of those we've lost continue to shape us long after they're gone. As this beautiful tradition continues to evolve and gain recognition across the world, it serves as a powerful reminder that death is not something to fear, but rather, something to embrace as part of the universal human experience.

[mr-deep-downer]

so there’s like a super AI managing the entire human population right, and everything it does is for the betterment of humankind, but it’s incredibly pragmatic. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but the few really don’t like that cause they’re all downtrodden n shit. Also they live in on the moon. The moon people really don’t like being downtrodden, so they decide to rise up and rebel, and do a 9/11 to kick things off, but actually the 9/11 was caused by the AI so the earth can invade the moon and do a invasion of Afghanistan.

But in the background there’s some transhuman shit goin on. The AI wanted to created a better race of humans for space colonization n shit, but then the AI changed its mind and had all these artificial people killed… but some survived and one goes to earth to live that bougie life while the other becomes a guerrilla war fighter guy right? There’s also like a big blob monster that if it merges with the chick the cucks the protagonist’s childhood friend, something will happen I guess.

Something always happens.

[blackhistorystoryteller]

This is a message to my black brothers and sisters

Learn about your history

Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in Africa; the emergence of Ethiopian civilization dates back thousands of years. Abyssinia or rather "Ze Etiyopia" was ruled by the Semitic Abyssinians (Habesha) composed mainly of the Amhara and Tigray, the Cushitic Agaw. In the Eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands and more so the lowlands was the home of the Arab-descended Harari that founded Sultanates such as Ifat and Adal and the Afars. In the central and south were found the ancient Sidama and Semitic Gurage, among otheres. One of the first kingdoms to rise to power in the territory was the kingdom of D'mt in the 10th century BC, which established its capital at Yeha. In the first century AD the Aksumite Kingdom rose to power in the modern Tigray Region with its capital at Aksum and grew into a major power on the Red Sea, subjugating South Arabia and Meroe and its surrounding areas. In the early fourth century, during the reign of Ezana, Christianity was declared the state religion. Ezana's reign is also when the Aksumites first identified themselves as "Ethiopians", and not long after, Philostorgius became the first foreign author to call the Aksumites Ethiopians.[The Aksumite empire fell into decline with the rise of Islam in the Arabian peninsula, which slowly shifted trade away from the Christian Aksum.[citation needed] It eventually became isolated, its economy slumped and Aksum's commercial domination of the region ended.The Aksumites gave way to the Zagwe dynasty, who established a new capital at Lalibela before giving way to the Solomonic dynasty in the 13th century. During the early Solomonic period, Ethiopia went through military reforms and imperial expansion that allowed it to dominate the Horn of Africa.

How did Ethiopia Resist Imperialism?

Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, is one of the world’s oldest countries. Dating to around 400 BCE, the region is documented in the in the King James Version of the Bible as the Kingdom of Axum. Along with Rome, Persia, and China, Axum was considered one of the four great powers of the era. Throughout the millennia of its history, the willingness of the country’s people—from farmers to kings—to come together as one, coupled with its geographic isolation and economic prosperity, helped Ethiopia score decisive victories against a series of global colonialist forces.

Ethiopia is considered “never colonized” by some scholars, despite Italy's occupation from 1936–1941 because it did not result in a lasting colonial administration.

Seeking to expand its already considerable colonial empire in Africa, Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1895. In the ensuing First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896), Ethiopian troops won a crushing victory over Italian forces at the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896. On October 23, 1896, Italy agreed to the Treaty of Addis Ababa, ending the war and recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state.

On Oct. 3, 1935, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, hoping to rebuild his nation’s prestige lost in the Battle of Adwa, ordered a second invasion of Ethiopia. On May 9, 1936, Italy succeeded in annexing Ethiopia. On June 1 of that year, the country was merged with Eritrea and Italian Somalia to form Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI or Italian East Africa).

Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie made an impassioned appeal for assistance in removing the Italians and re-establishing independence to the League of Nations on June 30, 1936, gaining support from the U.S. and Russia. But many League of Nations members, including Britain and France, recognized Italian colonization.

It was not until May 5, 1941, when Selassie was restored to the Ethiopian throne, that independence was regained.

Ethiopia's ability to resist being swept up in the "Scramble for Africa" can be credited to the stability of its longstanding imperial government, beginning with the Abyssinian Empire in the 13th century, and lasting into the late 20th century, with the exception of a brief Italian occupation during the 1930s. King Menelik II, the Emperor during the period of rampant European exploration and colonization in Africa, was careful to cultivate an alliance with the smaller surrounding kingdoms of North Africa, and with European powers including Italy and Russia. When Italy began to turn the sights of their imperial ambitions toward Ethiopia, the Ethiopian military became the only African kingdom able to successfully resist the military might of European colonial power, using Russian-supplied weapons to defeat the Italian invading force at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. In the aftermath of the battle, in exchange for permanent recognition as an independent empire, Menelik II granted Italy the right to claim the neighboring territory of Eritrea under their imperial umbrella.

Ethiopians have a history of taming lions.

Many Emperors kept pet lions including Halie Selassie. Occasionally visitors like Kwame Nkrumah could pet one of the lions!

This practice of keeping lions is said to date back thousands of years to the Axumite period.The descendants of the Royal Lions currently live in the Addis Ababa zoo.

Meet his imperial majesty, the King of the Jungle.

And if, with his thick, shaggy mane Challa seems to have something of a frisky regal air about him - it's because he knows that he is a genuine blue blood.Challa is a direct descendant of Mochuria and Mollua - royal lions, which the late Emperor Haile Selassie kept as pets. The Emperor's practice of keeping pet lions is said to date thousands of years back to the Axumite period.Years ago in Ethiopia, Lions were pets to the people, some were used like donkeys, some like dogs kept at home. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia had lions he kept as pets, while some Ethiopians could even ride on them. These were not wild lions, they grew up with humans and became domesticated.They didn't go after human blood or other animals, lions roamed around the streets of Ethiopia and live was beautiful with them. Ethiopia is in East Africa, it's a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia is a place of ancient culture, they believe and still hold on to ancient affairs.

Any lion that goes wild was immediately hunted killed, they were only killed if they kill a human and not animals like goats and chickens. They forbid killing and eating of any lion because lions were pets used in different palaces.

Ethiopia as a country had its origin in about 980 B.C., which makes it one of the oldest nations in the world.

Due to this very long history and an unmatched diversity of people and cultures, the country has often been described as a “museum of peoples”. With such a highly diverse population, Ethiopia houses an intricate tapestry of language and ethnic groups.

Also nicknamed the “Land of 13 Sunshine’s”, Ethiopia is often described as one of the most enthralling and enchanting places in the world – and definitely in Africa.

Ethiopia may not be the first place any traveller think of when planning or booking a next holiday, but it may just as well soon be the case. As African country Ethiopia can boast about having been at peace for at least the previous 15 years or more years and its economy is consequently one of the fastest growing in the world.

With the added bonus of an astounding diversity of landscapes, mixture of cultures and history that tracks back to when homo sapiens first started to raise itself up onto two legs, a traveller suddenly may look forward to a surprising and breath-taking travel destination.

But talking about planning and holiday dated, you probably didn’t know that this unique nation even has its own calendar?

This is but one of a myriad fascinating facts about the country, of which a number are discussed in this article. Looking at the country’s ancient and statutory history, its religion, culture, people and natural phenomena, here are at least 44 random but fascinating facts that you can ponder in anticipation of a visit to this eastern African country in the near future:

Fact number 1 – The oldest people in the world probably lived here.

Fact number 2 – Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and the only African country that could evade colonial rule.

Fact number 3 – Ethiopia was one of the first African forces to achieve a significant victory over a European colonial power.

Fact number 4 – Ethiopia has a rich history of rulers, including emperors and queens.

Fact number 5 – Ethiopia is perceived to be the diplomatic capital of the African continent

Fact number 6 – Ethiopia is the country with the second highest population in Africa, and with almost 1,5 % of the world population.

Fact number 8 – Ethiopia has the most orphans in the world.

Fact number 10 – Addis Ababa is the highest capital city in Africa.

Fact number 11 – More than 200 dialects are spoken by the peoples of the country.

Please like and share so others can see, drop your comments below and let me know what you think.

[ptitolier]

Prometheus and Progress:

Transhumanism, Space Exploration…

Are We Ready to Face Our Own Ambitions?

Over 2,500 years ago, the Greeks told the story of Prometheus.

A Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. A monumental gift, a revolutionary act… but also a condemnation.

For Prometheus was chained, sentenced to have his liver devoured day after day by an eagle, punished for offering humans a power they might not have been ready to control.

Today, this myth echoes strangely.

Because in our era, we too have stolen fire from the gods.

This fire is technology.

We are rewriting our own humanity, pushing the limits of what is possible.

We want to colonize space, becoming an interplanetary species.

We want to transcend our biological limits, merge with AI, modify our DNA.

We have unleashed artificial intelligences that are beginning to think for us.

These revolutions are fascinating—but also terrifying.

They raise a fundamental question:

Are we the new Prometheus, doomed to be devoured by our own creations?

Science fiction has become our reality

What was once utopia—or dystopia—is already here.

Neuralink (Elon Musk) aims to connect human brains to computers, paving the way for augmented intelligence.

SpaceX and NASA are preparing the first human missions to Mars.

CRISPR gene-editing technology allows us to modify human DNA.

Generative AI is reshaping the way we create, work, and interact.

In 2024, are we pushing beyond human limits?

In The Human Condition, philosopher Hannah Arendt warned:

"Every technical conquest is also a conquest over ourselves."

Each breakthrough reshapes the nature of humanity itself.

In Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari envisions a future where humans become upgradeable entities, blurring the line between biological and digital.

In Superintelligence, Nick Bostrom warns that an AI out of control may no longer depend on us.

In You Must Change Your Life, Peter Sloterdijk explains that humanity is in a state of perpetual transformation—but each technological leap forces us to ask: what is the ultimate purpose?

The question is no longer Can we do it?

It is Should we do it?

Transhumanism: Liberation or Servitude?

Transhumanism promises to break biological limitations.

AI, neural implants, and genetic engineering offer the potential for enhanced, smarter, stronger, longer-living humans.

But this promise comes with a paradox:

If we enhance humanity, who decides what modifications are allowed?

Will we still have the freedom to remain simply human?

Some see unlimited potential.

Others see an unprecedented social divide.

A world where the wealthy become optimized "superhumans," while others remain stuck in their natural biological state… does that still sound like humanity?

In The Imperative of Responsibility, Hans Jonas reminds us that the greater our power, the more we must anticipate its consequences.

But do our societies have the safeguards needed to regulate these transformations?

Prometheus gave fire to humans—but no one taught them how to control it.

Space Exploration: A New Frontier or an Escape from Reality?

Another great Promethean dream of the 21st century is the conquest of space.

Colonizing Mars to secure humanity’s survival.

Establishing lunar bases to exploit new resources.

Terraforming planets to extend human civilization beyond Earth.

But is this progress—or an illusion?

Are we solving Earth’s problems before rushing to leave it behind?

Is space a new frontier for humanity—or just another territory to exploit?

In The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant wrote:

"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can will that it should become a universal law.

Are we applying this ethical principle to space exploration… or repeating the mistakes of the past?

How Far Should We Go

This relentless pursuit of progress raises fundamental questions:

Is transhumanism a liberation—or a new form of enslavement?

Is space colonization a breakthrough—or a distraction from Earth’s crises?

Who decides the limits we should not cross? Governments, corporations, scientists… or no one?

We have the fire.

But do we have the wisdom not to burn ourselves?

I explore these questions in-depth in my latest article on Medium:

What do you think—does humanity still control its own progress?

[acetolightning]

I’ve been thinking if I want to include Dragons Rising in my Dragonic Weapons AU since the timeline would be very weird but there is so much angst material that can happen here.

My thoughts here is that Imperium starts learning of living elementals that have unlimited power and the master of said elementals (Lloyd) that has Dragonic and oni blood coursing through its veins. Of course, this catches the Empress’s attention.

Technically five unlimited batteries that are quite literally from the dragons but in pure form. Two are quite literally Energy and Lightning, which are already amazing sources to use to power the Empire.

It’s catching the elementals that are the problem. After the Merge, Imperium has to try and find where these creatures one by one.

(Also btw I headcanon Dragons Rising starts about 5-7 years after the Merge)

There’s some stuff about the ninja that’ll be explained in the future, but essentially, as they get captured and put into draining cages, their minds go into a near dormant state. They rarely, if ever, try to break out or fight back. It’s something that comes with merging with the golden weapons.

Lloyd, while not merged with a weapon like his brothers, has a connection to the others that also makes him go dormant. If all four of them have something happen to them, then Lloyd also gets the same repercussions. This also means after they capture the four ninjas, Lloyd is a walk in the park. They find him just walking in a slow circle, energy pulsing off of his form. It’s here they realize how interconnected the elementals and their master were, as the hybrid’s eyes were distant as they captured it.

Having all elementals and their master, Empress Beatrix is able to start her colonization of the merged realms. With the source dragon and the elementals at her disposal, who could possibly stop her?

For this, I'll be honest and say that I imagine they would get saved by Arin, Sora, Nya, and some.....time-traveling ninjas from pre-March of the Oni. I just like time travel and I think with how this probably wouldn't be canon to my AU, I might write more about it as it's own separate story.

[grison-in-space]

thinking about dog breeds marketed as being a piece of history, I keep getting caught up in dog breeds for whom the real, verifiable, documented history is legitimately a story of resistance and survival.

I had half a post the other day about the well documented fact that indigenous breeds of livestock tend to not survive much past colonial occupation, right? This is especially true if the animals are an important part of indigenous culture, specifically because slaughtering all the animals or forcing indigenous people to cross them to 'improved' colonial strains is an almost ubiquitous piece of the colonialist occupier handbook. Often, after a long period of time, a member of the occupying colonizing culture will come in, scrape up whatever minimal pieces are left, outcross to a bunch of other strains, and start using the unstoppable, tragic story of loss to market the animals they now consider "theirs" to their fellows, generally without input from the living descendants of the strain's original creators. Sometimes, as with the American Indian Dog people, no obvious single breed or landrace actually even existed and they merge a whole bunch of cultures' animals together into a homogeneous mash-up!

Once the story is set, these storytellers will start breeding their animals according to their own fashions and values, because the story is only important insofar as it provides an exotic origin; it's not important in terms of creating cultural connection to the people who are mentioned in those origins. Often, when genetic tests are done and compared to pre-contact animals, it turns out that there's almost no trace of the originating strain left in any case. Often there are just no animals left after the one-two punch of decimation and drowning in modern genomes, and reconstruction can do as it will.

This is the story of the Appaloosa horse, the Araucana chicken, the Samoyed, the Alaskan Malamute, the Carolina Dog, basically every generic American Indian Dog project I am aware of, the Chihuahua, and a number of others. I am not familiar enough with with the history of Peruvian Orchid or Xolo to say there offhand, but I wouldn't be surprised.

(Sometimes a similar phenomenon occurs without the directed slaughter and forcible removal of indigenous control over their native animals, as with Saluki, Arabian horses, Basenji, and Afghan Hounds. This is more likely if the indigenous animals are not especially valued by the indigenous culture, as with Basenji, or if local colonization is not especially preoccupied with eradicating and assimilating local culture, as with British occupation of the Middle East.)

In recent decades, I've noted Saluki, Basenji, and Arabian breeders beginning to do more reaching out to cultures of origin and incorporating at least their modern dogs into the pedigree gene pools, as well as sometimes incorporating the actual opinions of those cultures on dog selection and breeding. This is awesome. More of that, please.

But there are also indigenous breeds and landraces out there that have survived colonization within the hands of their originating people!

Take the Sapsali of South Korea. During the Japanese colonial period, these dogs were slaughtered in huge numbers to make coats for Japanese soldiers and as a way of subjugating Korean culture. But very few survived, and they are in the process of being carefully managed by South Korean breeders to bring them back as a larger population. (The Jindo was the only South Korean dog breed to escape deliberate Japanese attempts at eradication, because it resembles Japan's own indigenous dog breeds and this was felt to be a plus. This doesn't mean that they weren't also slaughtered in huge numbers to be turned into coats; it just means that Japanese colonial efforts weren't actively trying to exterminate them.)

Greenland Dogs and Canadian Inuit Dogs hold a similar story of survival despite pressure to give the dogs up (including dog seizures and killings by the RCMP in the case of the Canadian dogs).

There are also reconstruction projects being undertaken by colonized peoples who are cheerfully agnostic about retaining unbroken genetic connection to their ancestral animals.

The Nez Perce horse, for example, is a Nez Perce-owned and managed effort to recreate their original horses--at the time renowned as long distance, fast endurance animals--using Akhal-Teke crosses to restore the original phenotype, away from the more common Quarter-Horse-like stock horses that characterize many of the animals currently registered as Appaloosas.

There are also some murmurings about potentially attempting to recreate the extinct Salish Woolly Dog with or without genomic assistance from preserved hides. That would be wild and incredibly cool, reconstruction or not.

[the-girl-who-didnt-smile]

DIRECTLY ADDRESSING THE QUESTION OF ‘CULTURAL APPROPRIATION’ IN HAZBIN HOTEL

Many moons ago, I described how I was uncertain where the line was drawn between ‘cultural appropriation’ and ‘cultural appreciation’. To no one’s surprise, I still don’t know where that line is drawn…

However, after spending a bit time researching Louisiana Voudou and Haitian Vodou, I can now form opinions in response to two popular takes:

Are Alastor’s vèvès cultural appropriation? Yes.

Is it offensive that Alastor’s theme is Louisiana Voudou? Not necessarily.

Explanation below:

WHY VIVIENNE WAS RIGHT TO REMOVE THE VÈVÈS

In the pilot, Alastor is shown making an array of vèvès appear near him. 

The real reason this is cultural appropriation is because these symbols are from Haitian Vodou, not Louisiana Voudou. Specifically, not early 20th century Louisiana Voudou, which Alastor would represent.

I heard an interesting rumor that vèvès are hidden in the iron fences of New Orleans. However, I was quite disappointed when shown an image of these “vèvès”, which turned out to be adinkra symbols instead. 

Pictured: Spire of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans

Pictured: Sankofa - the most common adinkra symbol found in New Orleans

One of the most beautiful art forms found in the City of New Orleans are the iron fences, which were produced by the skilled blacksmiths, enslaved and free. They hid these adinkra symbols in their metal work, as a means of preserving African spirituality. 

For more information about the adinkra symbols of New Orleans, see: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AfricanArchitecture/comments/x1hhkm/fun_facts_adinkra_symbols_made_their_way_into_the/ 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ironwork-new-orleans-french-quarter-pontalba-adinkra 

https://hgghh.org/exhibitions/artistry-in-iron 

Whereas adinkra symbols originate from Ghana, vèvès are Afro-Haitian religious artwork. Vèvès merge Dahomean ritual ground designs with Kongo symbology, creating these very beautiful and intricate designs that are full of religious meaning. The writings of Milo Rigaud include many examples, such as those found in Secrets of voodoo and La tradition voudoo et le voudoo haïtien. In order to be hidden in iron fences, their designs would have to be simplified. It also raises the question of which vèvès they are, and which lwa they represent.

If vèvès really are hidden in the iron gates of New Orleans, this is actually an extremely historically relevant piece of data. This would be important proof of which lwa were worshiped in New Orleans prior to the “revitalization” of the late 20th century. A task for a future historian would be to tour the City and catalog these vèvès, photographing each fence, dating them, and identifying which lwa is associated with which vèvè.

Barring this evidence, vèvès should not be associated with a character from New Orleans - especially not someone from the early 20th century. Unfortunately, New Orleans has gained a very negative reputation due to the tourist industry, which markets inauthentic Haitian Vodou as “authentic New Orleans Voodoo”. This is how Haitian vèvès came to be associated with the City, and is largely the fault of outsiders moving to the city because they know this phoney “Voodoo” is profitable. As a result, the natives to New Orleans experience something like colonization, while the Haitians experience cultural theft.  I’m sure some people don’t mind this, but many Haitians are very offended by how their sacred religious symbols have been turned into this commodified, tourist-trap garbage. Likewise, the community of actual authentic New Orleans Voodoo views this as theft and fraud.

Pictured: Kafou’s vèvè.

Many different vèvès featured a four-point cross, but it is particularly prominent with Kafou, whose name literally means “crossroads”.

As a side note, I think it is pretty likely that Alastor was visually inspired by Kafou, one of the most prominent and powerful Haitian lwa. Alastor’s colors are the same as Kafou’s, his crossroads symbols resemble Kafou’s vèvè, and his personality is similar to descriptions of Kafou. But again, Kafou is from Haitian Vodou. There is no evidence that Kafou was a feature of Louisiana Voudou in the 19th century or early 20th century. Instead, it is Papa Legba, who seems to have retained his unpredictable and dangerous nature, where he was frequently “Papa La Bas” (“Laba” or “Labat”) or just “Devil”. Rather than Kafou, Alastor should be associated with “Papa La Bas”, or “The Devil at the Crossroads”.

In any case, Vivienne Medrano was right to remove the vèvès from Alastor’s design.

For more information about vèvès, see: 

Cosentino, Donald. Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. United States, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/sacredartsofhait0000unse/page/102/mode/2up?  

Thompson, Robert Farris. Flash of the Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy. United States, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010. pp. 188-191

IS IT OFFENSIVE THAT ALASTOR’S THEME IS LOUISIANA VOUDOU?

Some argue “yes”, on the grounds that it perpetuates the racist stereotype that Voudou is evil. 

My opinion on this is complicated. 

Basically, I think there are two ethical ways to portray Louisiana Voudou:

Portray it in an entirely positive light, to counter-balance the portrayals that show it in an entirely negative light

Show the good and the bad, to create a balanced portrayal

The key word is balance. The concept of balance is central, not just to Louisiana Voudou, but to many African and African-derived traditions.

Whether it’s Louisiana Voudou, Southern Hoodoo, Haitian Vodou, Santeria, Lucumi, West African Vodun, Isese, 21 Divisiones… I don’t know any serious practitioner who denies that there is a bad side to these things. But there’s a bad side to every religion - including Christianity. 

Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell (Psa 55:15a)

Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks (Psa 137:9)

I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things (Isa 45:7b)

These are verses from the Bible, dude!

(Old Testament, to be specific…)

But in Louisiana Voudou, as in Hoodoo, as in Haitian Vodou, etc… serious practitioners know how dangerous the bad side is. People who believe in hexing know all the ways a hex can come back on you; every time you dabble in the bad side of these things, you endanger yourself. This is why most people in these communities avoid it, focusing on the healing and ancestor veneration instead. There are some people who are said to “work with both hands” (meaning, “bad and good”) (sometimes, mostly “bad”...) but they’re quite the minority. To most people, the bad side is viewed as a “last resort”, that is only used when someone really deserves it.

At that, “bad work” doesn’t necessarily mean ‘evil’, and “good work” doesn’t necessarily mean ‘justice’. “Good work” is like a medicine, while “bad work” is like a dagger. Sometimes, it’s evil to heal someone, and sometimes it’s right to stab them. For this reason, the “bad side” of Voudou isn’t always evil; a good spiritual healer has to know something about the “bad side” in order to do their job.

My understanding is, people in these communities probably wouldn’t agree with censoring the bad side completely, as this can mislead people and cause them to endanger themselves. In many of these traditions, the African ancestral spirits or divinities are described as “dangerous” by the believers of African descent, probably because they’re angered by what their people had to endure, and how they have been desecrated. 

However, others in these communities might appreciate an entirely positive portrayal of Voudou, just for the purpose of counterbalancing the negative portrayals that exist. While you could take this approach, another approach would be to balance the bad side with the good side. 

The easiest, most obvious way to balance the “good” with the “bad” is to also give Alastor’s mother a Voudou theme. If the approach is not to remove the Voudou-related elements from Alastor, this is such an obvious decision to make. Since she’s in Heaven, Alastor’s mother would embody the “good side”, while Alastor would embody the “bad side”, as he is in Hell.

At that, I don’t necessarily agree with the following reasoning: IF Alastor is a villain AND Alastor’s theme is Voudou THEN Vivienne must be trying to say that ‘Voudou is evil’. 

As badly as I want Alastor to become the main villain, I actually don’t know if it’s correct to categorize him as one. For right now, there is so much mystery… so much mystique surrounding this character, he’s more like a “wild card” than an actual villain. Right now he’s Charlie’s ally, and he’s almost certainly going to become her antagonist, but I personally view him more as an agent of chaos than a proper villain.

Some people point to him being a serial killer as proof that he’s evil, but bro… The story is set in Hell. Most everyone down there has down there has done some evil shit. Moreover, it is so fucking obvious you are not supposed to take Alastor seriously as a serial killer. 

“That’s the tea, sis!”

This is something Alastor says, almost word for word, in the show.

He’s just this hot ass, Hot Topic, edgelord, dude. 

He just read every Wikipedia article about Ted Bundy. He didn’t actually kill anyone.

…But in all seriousness, if Alastor is a villain, I think it is very likely that he is a sympathetic villain. That, in spite of being serial killer, something happened in his past that was so horrific you can somehow understand why he became a ruthless murderer.

People already love this character; if this turns out to be correct, the love this guy is just going to multiply further and further.

Basically, I think it is very likely he is going to end up being a complex, multi-layered character who might not even be a proper villain. Even if he does get his run as main villain (LET”S GO BOYS!!!!!!!!) I would bet money he gets redeemed. If so, this calls into question the logic of “it’s wrong to make Alastor Voudou-themed because he’s a villain” if he’s not exactly a villain to begin with.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I am absolutely stuck on the dynamic between Brighid, Arthur, Alfred, and Jack rn. They're both Arthur's sons, but Jack was hers to raise first and she contributed to Alfred's upbringing too, and they may as well be hers with all the people they're getting from her, and that's happening because of Arthur's policies. And Arthur, for his part, parents them based on vague memories of his mother - but you've said a lot of those are actually Brighid.

Point of all that being, would you mind expanding on the early part of Arthur and Brighid's relationship, before he became a colonizing shithead? What are these memories with her that he's attributing to their mother? How did that relationship influence his parenting (both the things that he's aware were Brighid and the things that he thinks were mum but were actually Brighid?)

Okay so just to preface this so no one starts reading this like they do my more modern things where I can usually have a basis in fairly accepted and confirmable fact, we’re going so far back that not only is this not chronologically accurate, its only archaeologically plausible. This is the literary version of saying, "it's for ceremonial purposes” on the label of an artefact anyone with courage would call a prehistoric bong. There’s a big trend for “History of X in 100 Objects” right now. In my personal collection is a 'History of Ireland in 100 objects.' I’m not saying this is accurate or realistic. However, it is based on historical themes that lend themselves to what is ultimately a historical fantasy as plausible as I can write it. That said, let's crack this can of fuckery.

So, to start out, this is all pre-1066, which is when, after the Norman invasions of England, Wales, and and Southern Scotland, the history of the British in Ireland begins. Before that, we’re talking about a world where Irish raiders are a menace on the Welsh coast, and the Dál Riada is the result of an Irish migration, where the peoples on the Irish Coast brought Gaelic culture and eventually merged with and overtook the Pictish culture already occupying the area. The balance of power is very different in this world. This is not the 18th and 19th century when Brighid is firmly under the heel of a British jackboot and even when the British government was willing to concede slightly on empire, the British army nearly revolted when it was even considered to maybe, perhaps, rein in unionist violence in nineteen-fourteen just months shy of WW1. Winston Churchill was also behind that, in case you need more reasons why he's an allmighty cunt.

I give them all Celtic roots. Brighid is probably 300-500 years older than Alasdair, and then political solidification in Wales brought Rhys along and then Arthur as the reorganization of Celtic Britons in Roman Britain. This might be a hot take, but while the Anglo-Saxon ‘invasion’ in the 400s-500s brought Germanic rule and language to England, the Cumbrians and other Celts were not wiped out. Mostly it's a cultural shift. So he’s born as much a Celt as his siblings and experiences dramatic changes earlier in his life than they do. However, if you get to the root of English culture under all of the bullshit of empire and all the German royalty who built up their legitimacy by reviving Anglo-Saxon memory, history has more Celtic elements than someone might think.

In Northern England, Southern Scotland, Eastern Ireland, and the maritime fringes of Wales, there was an Iron Age tribe by the name of the Brigantes, whose name was taken from the northern goddess Brigantia, which means either ‘the exalted’ or ‘highlanders.’ Either way works for me because it is the root word of Brighid’s name, the Welsh word for prestige, honour, dignity and power, all things connected to fire, power and elevation. As all modern knowledge of her comes from 8 inscriptions and some statuary material, and her name is so goddamn appropriate, I’m running with it. It’s so close to Brittania. According to Strabo, writing about a now-lost account of a Greek sailor and explorer Pytheas, it comes from a feminine name likely from the Celts itself.

In the tradition of Catholic patron saints of specific places, Brigantia seems to have been a goddess associated with lakes, rivers, and coastlines. Saint Brighid, from the same name base, is the patron saint of Ireland, bastard children, babies, children, midwives, sailors and poets. Me, hitting a bong in 2021; yeah, that sounds like mother and daughter to me. Eirian, whose name is a version of the Welsh name for King Arthur’s mother because I’m ✨original✨ ruled her own kingdom directly. She was a queen regnant in a culture that saw that crop up often. She was a product of the Iron Age, a warrior culture where swords and a hierarchy of militancy ruled society. Brighid was her firstborn child, and very much her mother’s daughter, sharing that long, beautiful hibernian gold (think rose gold) hair down to her waist. She was tall and gorgeous, with a head for politics as well as martial talent, but Eirian was as much a goddess of the hearth as the sea and war; she still took her tributes in blood, and treasure. She ruled directly with iron and faith.

Brighid, however, while just as capable of that, had a personality that found early Christianity very appealing. It’s hard for us to imagine now, but 1,500-2,000 years ago, Christianity was, in many ways, a much gentler religion than some flavours of what we now call paganism. And while just as capable at every aspect of ruling as her mother, I do think Brighid has aspects to her personality that were kinder, a bit softer. She was an artist in the scriptoriums, a weaver, all these things in her golden age. And she was grown, or near it, by the time Arthur came along. And the gentlest things he remembers about his mother are usually Brighid. An image of a woman weaving, red hair pouring down her back as her fingers fly over the shuttle and her feet work the treadles. That is Brighid. Another of a woman’s elegant and quick fingers on the spindle, fitting the handle into a clumsy child’s hands, laughing when he gets frustrated. Also Brighid. Picking him up and giving him a raspberry even when he kicks to be let down because he wants to run everywhere, is also Brighid. Teaching him to put his knife into the kidney because he’s young, and that's the highest he can reach? That’s his mother. The two images, his powerful mother and his bright sister swirl together when Arthur gets into a strange mood.

He'll yammer away in Cumbrian and hum the tune of the songs who's words he cant remember. When she died in the 5th or 6th century, they scattered as their various regions expanded and solidified linguistically as Common Bythronic became Welsh, Gaelic, and Cumbrian (Scotland’s native Celtic language is actually extinct, replaced by Irish Gaelic in late antiquity.) England imploded under the pressure of the Germanic migrations, so I picture Arthur kind of wandering through his numerous kingdoms most of the year. Brighid may have, too. It was common for high-status people to go on progress and stay with the nobility from time to time in various European societies. However, I can also see her with her own mini-kingdom inside the Gaelic system of ranking kings, over kings and high kings. Arthur would usually spend the winter with one of his siblings. Usually Rhys, but he would have been welcome with Brighid for a long time, even as the wee cuckoo, half-German bastard that he was. He may have even lived with her for long periods. But once, she was power, and once she loved him and once he wasn't the cause of all the horror of her years. It was a different world before the Vikings came.