#as in: I wrote the first chapter and published it before the eggs were introduced

[anonymous-dentist]

Real ones remember my first ever qsmp fic being a Roier-centric superhero au in which Spiderman is dead after being killed by semi-immortal anti-hero Agent Oso over a mysterious white dog named Osito Bimbo, but that’s fine. Spiderman is dead, but Roier is alive, and he’s going to fucking kill Agent Oso, and he’s going to use a goddamn gun to do it

[falloutglow]

Writer Tag

Tagged by @glitchvault74 & @valkyriejack thanks yo!

Tagging: @roachvalentine, @its-sixxers, @memailikesnukacola, @bigwinged, @deacons-wig, @saintdeanthomas AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO DO THIS!!! If you see this I TAG THEE

1.  How many works do you have on AO3?

Just recently 74 total!

For just Fallout its 26

2.  What’s your total AO3 word count?

Total: 163,825

For Fallout: about 55k

...I wrote so goddamn much for Pnat years ago its unreal XD

3. What are you top 5 fics by kudos?

I’m ignoring the overall fics and just going by Fallout only HAHA

1- Wrong (Its Hancock/Nick Valentine so I’m not surprised)

2- Waking Up (for whumptober 2020; Deacon/Nick Valentine)

3- Sensors and Sensations (Mysterious Stranger/Nick Valentine....are yall seeing a pattern here?)

4- Take Me Out With the Crowds (Nick Valentine & Echo (oc) ;w; hell yea 1st fic where they interact haha!!)

5- On Top of Sanctuary Hills and Far Away (my chapter fic that introduces my psyker gal Echo!)

4. Do you respond to comments?  Why or why not?

Sometimes, so long as I can remember! If I’m on mobile...usually harder to respond haha but if I’m on my computer its much easier. I’ll do it mostly cause I wanna let the commenter know I appreciate the kind words and having them take the time out of their day to tell me how they feel about my fics! Plus, its a way to build a bit of a community on ao3

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

In my personal opinion....either Lee’s Library (Walking Dead Telltale video game) oooor one of the many bad endings in Counterbalance (Paranatural) because ya gurl wrote a Choose Your Own Adventure fic and boy howdy. it depends on which end you get XD

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Hmmmm, honestly not sure? Hella subjective honestly.

7. Do you write crossovers?  If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

*SIIIIIGH* I used to. I’m not as obsessed with crossovers like I was as a kid. Technically, the craziest one I wrote when I was like 12 (damn preteen me had such a drive) was some wild and hella ambitious Camp au of sorts with a bunch of cartoon shows mixed with some ocs. There were...soooooo many characters to keep track of, easily like 30. Possibly more, maybe less.

I never published it cause it was for me to be super self indulgent and back then I also had to share a computer/laptop with my sisters and mom. I did not have access to flashdrive/usb yet, but damn did I fill like a notebook and half up with that goddamn wild au.

I wonder if its in one of the totes in the basement....hmmmm....

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes. It was a long time ago and I don’t remember it nor do I care to remember that shit. Anyone who leaves hate on fics? Keep it to your damn self. Don’t hate read. That’s such a childish thing to do and you don’t like it? Why waste time on something you hate? It makes 0 sense! Go find something self indulgent and learn how to be nice.

9.  Do you write smut?  If so, what kind?

I...have... No I will not elaborate...

10.  Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No idea.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Bold of you to think I’m that popular lol

12.  Have you ever co-written a fic before?

...Yes? I think so???? But it was a long while ago. I’m mostly a solo act lol

13.  What’s your all-time favourite ship?

PTH I’m a multishipper I cannot!!! Okay fine Nick Valentine x HAPPINESS LET HIM BE HAPPY I say while putting him through shit HAHA

(u_u I like to also ship him with my psyker oc Echo... why write fic if yaint being self indulgent?)

14.  What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

That’s like all my WIPs tbh. The fact that I finish a wip is a goddamn miracle.

Though I’d LOVE to do my fallout haunted house fic with the END squad I’ve called “Follow You Down”. However, dunno if or when I’ll ever actually make it more than some massive chapter fic idea involving haunted mannequins, literature references, ghosts, and eldritch horrors.

15. What are your writing strengths?

My brain is a goddamn corkboard. I can slap down ideas like crazy and somehow create an elaborate way to make it work.

16.  What are you writing weaknesses?

... *leans against a closet door that won’t close* Haha funny thing. You know how I just said I have a fuck ton of ideas? >_>;

I’m also a slow writer, but mostly cause I think my words through.

17.  What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Nah. I don’t think I’m qualified. Now if its a bilingual joke? I’m aaaaall over that shit haha My personal fav: “Why do French people prefer to have small breakfasts? Because one egg is un oeuf!” 

18.  What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Danny Phantom. It is also the first fandom I looked up fics for LOL

19.  What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

OOF that’s a hard one... It’d have to be between On Top of Sanctuary Hills and Far Away (fo4) aaaand my most recently posted fic The Crooked Tooth (fo4)

The former cause istg it felt like I unlocked something while writing that fic. Pre-Sanctuary Hills fic I STRUGGLED at getting a higher word count. 1-2k was my maximum. 3k was an achievement! Both of these fics I’ve hit over 5k for!!! I’m still flabbergasted by this development! And... the latter is sooooo self indulgent hahahaha got that cute cute comfort, mutual pining (while both being idiots about it), while also slapping in that good good spooky shit >:3c

[maxsmusicmacrology]

Artist Profile: Toby Fox

Many of you may be most familiar with Toby Fox as “the guy who made Undertale”, or maybe as “the guy who made Megalovania”. The latter is actually a surprisingly useful way to think of the man, as the journey of Megalovania is wound very closely to the journey of Toby Fox. Just trust me on this part.

In the mid 00’s, Fox was a teenager frequenting Starman.net, a popular forum for the game EarthBound and the other titles in the Mother series, under the username “Radiation”. He created two ROM hacks of the game, releasing the first one in 2006, but his much more successful and influential hack was the EarthBound Halloween Hack, a submission to a 2008 Halloween-themed competition run by Starman.net.

After Fox rose to popularity, he went on to say that he’s not very proud of the hack, and in a deleted 2016 tweet he referred to it as a “bad rom hack with swears”. Having played through it, it’s an apt description- several of the fights are incredibly unbalanced and the villain drops a few slurs- but I don’t believe the hack should be entirely written off either.

In 2008, hacking new music into EarthBound was incredibly difficult, so both composing original music using the EarthBound soundfont and getting it to play in the game was an impressive achievement. While the game certainly has the usual Halloween aesthetic, full of pumpkins and zombies and ghosts, the real horror of the game is psychological, creating a much more fascinating story than a traditional halloween slasher. The final villain is consumed by grief after the death of his son and the estrangement of his wife, becoming a broken man who turns to violence— which are the exact same themes that would later be explored through Asgore when Fox would go on to make Undertale.

Anyway, this was the first and original appearance of Megalovania.

In 2009, Andrew Hussie launched his webcomic Homestuck on mspaintadventures.com, his fourth and final work to be published on the site. It ran until ending 2016 (with Epilogues launching a few years later), and is best known for having possibly the worst fandom in modern history until people started losing interest in 2013. Its second most notable characteristic is how heavily it embraced its online medium, including not just text and images but also gifs, animations with music, and even little interactive games. Over the comic’s seven year run over 500 pieces were written as part of Homestuck’s discography by a variety of artists, and while only a few dozen were included as part of the comic, all of them were made available online through Bandcamp under the Homestuck umbrella.

Toby Fox joined the music team in 2010 with two contributions to the comic’s fourth album, and from there he went on to be their most prolific contributor. From 2010-2016 Homestuck published roughly 90 of Fox’s songs, and he also hosted and managed a contest that led to nearly 60 fan contributed pieces being published. After Homestuck ended, Toby Fox went on to be one of the composers for the various spin off titles: Hiveswap Act One, Hiveswap Friendsim, and Pesterquest, so it seems he has no intent to leave the Homestuck universe anytime soon.

Undertale’s soundtrack was highly praised through its use of leitmotifs (and trust me, I’ll be talking about that plenty later on), but some of his tracks written for Homestuck make even better use of their motifs and reach some fairly complex heights. This video goes through Descend, which ended up during a critical moment during the early comic, and lists the twenty seven songs sampled during.

Of course, these aren’t just empty motifs for fun. The characters introduced thus far all have various themes associated with them, each motif bringing to mind the characters, their factions, and their histories. This is musical storytelling done through completely instrumental songs, and it is fantastically done. Several of his tracks do this, Jade’s medium entrance theme Umbral Ultimatum samples three songs she’d already appeared in, and his final track for the comic’s main run was a glorious melody of several prior battle themes.

Anyway, in 2010 he published the second appearance of MeGaLoVania, which was used during the [S] Wake animation and appeared on a 2011 album.

In 2012, Toby Fox contributed to an EarthBound fan album called “I miss you”, organized by bandcamp user sleepytime Jesse. He contributed four tracks, including Fallen Down (which would later feature in Undertale) and a remix of Megalovania. This isn’t a major milestone in his career like his EarthBound hacks or Homestuck, but I think it says a lot that he loves EarthBound and its community so much that he’d compose songs for a small fan album.

In 2015, Undertale came out and took the internet by storm. Like it or hate it, it was everywhere you looked for a while, from every gaming channel covering it to endless quoting on Reddit or Tumblr. Fox made the majority of the game himself, which of course includes making the soundtrack. There are a total of one hundred and one songs, and it would not surprise me if every single one of them (except Megalovania) was tied to all the others through some web of samples, remixes, and motifs.

Oh yeah, the third version of Megalovania is here, once again featuring as a final battle theme.

Once again, Fox uses motifs expertly as a form of storytelling. Let’s take a look at the track ASGORE, which is entirely created from other songs. The opening is bergentrückung, the intro theme that plays before the battle starts. That flows into Heartache, the battle theme of his ex-wife Toriel, showing that even after she left him, she’s still important enough to be part of his main theme. It also includes the Game Over theme, guiding the player to remember that it was his voice encouraging to continue playing when they failed, urging them forward only to reach him, as well as Undyne’s theme, who looks up to and idolizes him without knowing the truth of who he is.

The entire game is like this. If the player decides to turn evil, they gain a genocide motif that appears in some of the genocide-only bosses. The true final boss is foreshadowed through His Theme during important moments. Undyne and Alphys end up dating in the true ending, and in the genocide run Undyne resurrects herself from the brink of death while Alphys’s melody plays.

Fox’s music makes itself special by being so connected. His songs call back and call forward to other songs, making each of them important in some way or another. The Homestuck and Undertale soundtracks feel holistic, they’re not just “songs that happen to be written by the same guy”, they’re united soundtracks where every song has a greater meaning than just the scene they play over. Hell, even the Homestuck and Undertale soundtracks reference each other, and not just through Megalovania. Another Medium from the latter soundtrack samples Doctor from the former, and the final battle theme Collide samples Death By Glamour.

He’s currently working on his new game Deltarune, the first chapter of which (and its soundtrack) are available for free on PC and various consoles. The music already slaps, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Anyway, the fourth and (as of now final) version of Megalovania was included into none other than Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, added into the game alongside a Sans costume for Mii fighters.

This, in my opinion, is nothing short of incredible. Toby Fox went from a Nintendo fan who made a “bad rom hack with swears” for a game he liked, and now his music is appearing in one of the largest gaming franchises of all time. Shoot for the stars, everyone.

I think this is the part where I’m supposed to give a track listing, but come on, you’ve been reading. 90 Homestuck tracks and 101 Undertale tracks, plus everything before and after and in between. Fortunately, his page on the Undertale wiki has his entire discography listed, so I’m going to take the easy way out and link that.

https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Toby_Fox#Discography

He has done and has planned a few other projects, but I think the right place to end off is by mentioning his contribution to Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, the Battle Tower theme. This is notable not only for being an awesome song that he composed for a massive franchise, but because it samples one of his early contributions to the Homestuck fandom. I am of course talking about The Baby Is You, an “opera” he wrote as a fan contribution to protest forum rules, which was subsequently banned from even being mentioned on said forum. Not only is this another example of all Fox’s projects fitting in with each other, it’s also a nearly decade-old callback to an obscure edgy joke he made and then hid as an easter egg (or an afikoman for you Jewish folk) in an official Nintendo title.

And I think that’s beautiful.

[annacwrites]

the wip list

Alright, gang. Buckle up. This is going to be a long one, and at this point I can’t even bring myself to be sorry about it. I meant to put this off but then I started thinking about it, so here we are (at 1:05 in the morning when I have to work at 8:30, what am I doing?). 

I’m going to break this down in a couple of ways—fanfiction vs. original fiction, fandom (if it’s a fanfic), series/universe (if it’s in one), and then the individual books themselves (if I have the ability to do that, because quite frankly, for some of these I don’t because I have no idea what the titles are or where I’m splitting the story yet).

Also, “WIP” is an incredibly broad term here. In some cases it means I’ve already written the whole thing but I plan to 100% rewrite it (and haven’t started yet). In some cases it means I’ve written half of the thing but haven’t finished yet. In some cases it means I have it all outlined but haven’t started writing yet. In some cases it means I haven’t really touched an outline on paper yet but I have it all worked out in my head. Take the “in progress” part of WIP with a grain of salt.

(Putting this whole thing under the cut because it is so freaking long. I apologize if the read-more doesn’t work on your dash. Idk what tumblr is doing.)  

Starting off easy—the fics:

Harry Potter: (JKR can fuck off with her transphobia and cultural appropriation and all the other stupid and fucked-up shit that she’s done/promoted but, as I said to my friends, she can pry my next-gen fanfics from my cold dead hands. Cursed Child is not canon in my life because I’ve never read it and I don’t care what nonsense she came up with.)

The “In Your Arms I’ll Stay” universe (Tedtoire/Scorose): 

The first fic in this universe is the first fic I ever finished. 110k words followed up by a ~137k word sequel. It is a disaster and a half but it’s also my baby and I fully intend to rewrite it one of these days. It is full of standard Tedtoire trope-y nonsense—best friends since childhood! two-year age gap! jealousy about other relationships! obliviousness!—and at 15 I thought it was a really good idea to try to turn it into a mystery too, which is a mistake that I have every intention of rectifying because it was unnecessary and I just didn’t know how to do drama and tension back then. 

Anyway. It will probably be two parts again when I rewrite it because one part per school year just works, yeah? We’re covering Vic’s fifth/Teddy’s seventh year and Vic’s sixth year/Teddy’s first year out of school over the course of these parts.

Within this universe we also have Heartbeat and Bone, which is a Scorose fic that I’ve written probably 75% of already but have no intention of actually finishing before I rewrite it. I want to get the stories in the right order so that I can get details straightened out, so Teddy and Victoire get the rewrites first and then I’ll be revisiting this fic. Also full of trope-y nonsense (and my continued acceptance of the headcanon that the Heads have their own dormitory at Hogwarts, because it’s just too much fun that way).  

some things were meant to be (Tedtoire):

Oh god, another fic with a cliché title taken from Can’t Help Falling In Love. I have zero regrets because it fits them perfectly.

This one is... half-done? I fully intend to finish it but I need to finish the outline first. It was my 2019 NaNoWriMo project and I am 100% just writing it for the lols (and because Teddy and Vic are like... my comfort ship where writing is concerned). I wanted to play with a different universe and change up their relationship and roles at school a bit, but once again... trope-y nonsense. It’s unavoidable with them. There is obliviousness everywhere. 

Star Wars: (it’s Reylo, okay? It’s Reylo. I don’t want to hear it about how the ship is ~so terrible.~ That is literally the furthest thing in the world from a hot take, you can’t say a single thing that I haven’t heard before, and I’m a grown adult and can do what I want. Bite me.)

looking for the map that leads me home (Reylo): 

Stole the title on this one from We Take Care of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen, because why the fuck not, right? 

To put it simply: musician AU. To put it a little less simply: he’s got a dead career, she wants to have even the slightest shot at one, Rose is the best, Poe’s a singing heartthrob, Finn is a love-struck goofball. You know, all that fun stuff. The entire thing is based on a playlist that I made and every chapter has a song that acts as its theme. I haven’t touched it since January 2018. I want to finish it eventually but it’s not really at the top of the priority list. 

There’s a few other fics from other fandoms that I’ve started and never finished but the odds of me touching them again are like... nonexistent, so I’m not including them here. I’ll update this post if anything changes on that front (but it probably won’t).

Now for the complicated part—the original fiction:

Maker’s Magic 

This is a trilogy (or at least, it’s supposed to be). This is also a rewrite of the first story I ever finished—the fantasy novel that I wrote for my first-ever Camp NaNoWriMo back in August of 2011, when I had literally no clue what I was doing at all and essentially stole the plot structure from The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and built my own story around it. This is not a good way to write a piece of fiction that you want to publish, kids, but it is a damn good way to get your feet wet when you’ve never really written before.

I am reworking this story entirely from scratch. The characters are... kind of the same as the original story. Kind of. Maybe. I’ve changed a few names and merged a few people together and scrapped some others and entirely shifted the backstory of pretty much everyone, but... they’re definitely still the same, right? 

Basically, at this point the plot is really only similar to The Obsidian Trilogy in that we’ve got a trilogy, we’ve got some elves, and it’s your standard good vs. evil fantasy story (in its own unique fashion, of course). I’m still working out the details of this rewrite, but this is kind of the Holy Grail of all of my writing projects and the one that I’m most concerned about getting right, so I’m anticipating that I’ll be in it for the long haul on this one. I’m hoping I might be able to get a draft of the first book done this year, but... we’ll see.

(I also don’t want to give too many details about this project, ‘cause it’s the one that I’d really like to maybe publish one day, so...)

The Willow Hill universe

This started as a single story plus a standalone sequel set in the same universe, conceptualized when I was fourteen and missing horseback riding terribly (so yes, it is a story for all those Weird Horse Girls™ out there). I wrote a good portion of it, then deleted it, then rewrote the entire thing, then deleted it again a few years ago because I was no longer satisfied with the writing quality (after hitting top 100 on the Teen Fiction list on Wattpad way back when, so... I didn’t do too badly as a 16-year-old, but the writing still sucked). I’ve been promising a rewrite to my Wattpad followers since 2016 or something like that (2014? Whenever the hell it was that I deleted it the second time) but haven’t delivered at all.

I now envision this universe as a duology plus the aforementioned standalone sequel, except it’s not entirely fair to call it a YA duology in that the first book is definitely YA, but the second is more romance-y?

I originally just revealed the main character’s endgame relationship in the epilogue of the story, but I love both her and her boyfriend and their relationship so much that I decided that I’m going to be self-indulgent and write the story of them actually falling in love with each other, so that’s book two (so really, you don’t actually have to read book two to understand anything, I’m just writing it because I want to and it’s also kind of a present to anyone who read the original story when they were also a teenager and is now an adult who wants to read other stuff). 

Book one is now about the teenage struggle of crushes and trying to figure out what it is that you actually want out of your life and what you value (I say “now” because it was definitely way more self-insert-y the first time I wrote it and it is decidedly not at this point). It’s also sort of a love letter to trainers who are amazing and the kind of person we should all be so lucky as to be coached by.

These characters are my comfort characters where original fiction is concerned since they’ve been bouncing around in my head for the last ten years or so, and I’m hoping I can get at least the first book rewritten in the next year-ish, partly because I’ve been promising it for so long, and partly because I just really enjoy this world and I want to get back to it again.

The Coffee Shop Chronicles

AKA, I lived in one coffee shop on my university campus for pretty much the entirety of my college experience and it was a very inspiring place to be, so this has less to do with coffee shop AUs and more to do with the fact that I met several of my favorite human beings on this earth over a vanilla chai latte and mutual sass with the baristas.

(One of said baristas is very near and dear to me and introduced me to another regular who is now a very good friend with the statement “You’re both sarcastic assholes. You’ll love each other.”) 

None of the characters in this universe are based on actual human beings whom I know, but I liked the idea of the campus coffee shop serving as this thing that tangentially connected all of these people to one another, much in the way that I am tangentially connected to god knows how many people via my barista friend. Essentially, the idea is that the stories in this universe are all standalone, but the characters sometimes cross paths with one another at Caffeinated, so it’s sort of... Easter-egg-y in terms of who pops up where in which story. 

Currently I only have two stories in this universe that are legitimately plotted out, but there is room for any number of spin-offs based on whichever characters show up in those stories (or don’t—that’s the fun of it being a coffee shop. The barista is the only reliable character). Those two stories are as follows:

Chance Encounters (title so totally subject to change, also stealing the terribly summary from the Wattpad draft that never saw the light of day):

For Bennett McGuire, things with guys just didn't seem to want to go her way. From the disasters that were her attempts at dating in high school to the problem that had been Elijah Becker, she hadn't exactly had the best luck. With all that in mind, it made perfect sense to swear off dating until she finished college—that is, it made sense until one frozen day in February when Gordon Evans walked into her life. After that, who was to say what would happen?

What’s Your Metaphor? (once again, enjoy the terrible summary from the Wattpad draft that never was. I am cringing reading it but also too tired to come up with anything better):

"What's the point?" 

It's a question asked widely, for all sorts of reasons, and it's one that April Hayes didn't know the answer to any better than anyone else. All she knew was that she had her plan, and she was going to stick to it, because it was the only thing that seemed to have any sort of logic to it in her life. The things she thought, the things she believed—well, they all fell before the plan, because she didn't have time to ask herself "What's the point?"

That is, she didn't have the time to know the answer—her answer—until one guy by the name of Drew Collier showed up and made her consider things that she had never even thought of before.

High Blood

Yinz can go read my WIP introduction post for this one. It’s a fantasy story. Just for the hell of it, here’s the summary from said WIP introduction post: 

At the age of seventeen, Thessaly of Averak had a choice—take the crown of her people and her place as her father’s heir, or set it aside to become one of the High Warriors, dedicated to protecting their people and the country that her long-dead ancestor Enred built after leading its citizens out of a long and bloody war. Amidst raids and famine at the borders, she gave up her crown to better serve the people that her family rules.

Ten years later, all is quiet. At least, all is quiet until Beca’s pendant is stolen by a thief who disappears into the night on the journey back from the summer palace, Tess gets herself stabbed, and the discovery is made that the rock-solid foundations of their family’s claim to the throne—and the peace that depends upon them—are laced with hairline fractures.

(I didn’t write anything to speak of for Camp NaNo July 2020 and actually wound up deleting my project for this on the NaNo site because my dad was hit by a car while cycling the Friday before the weekend when I was planning to write like... 30k words to catch up, so obviously I gave up on that plan (he is doing well now, thank you for asking). I’m hoping I’ll get around to this one eventually because this particular universe arguably has the most potential for having multiple stories set in it, fantasy-wise.)

Emerson’s Lights

Natalie Flynn has been best friends with Evan Acheson practically since birth. They've stuck together through thick and thin, from her braces in seventh grade to his jump to stardom as a singer-songwriter their freshman year of college. 

She’d do anything for him, but spending a week with him on tour involves a lot more than she bargained for, culminating in the turn of events that is Caleb Blake, lead singer and primary songwriter of opening act Emerson’s Lights, moving into her house for the better part of a month.

She always knew there would be complications being the best friend of a rock star, but this? This was one that she didn’t bet on.

(Aka, girl meets boy in a band trope. Yay.)

(NaNoWriMo 2020 project)

The famous musician story (this thing doesn’t have a title right now and I’m not even going to try)

Stupid, trope-y nonsense idea that I came up with for my own personal amusement and nothing else. I’ve written a few chapters of it but genuinely have no idea where this falls in the hierarchy of things that I want to get done. Long story short, she’s in grad school for history, he’s a famous musician in town recording for a new album, they meet in the library, she pretends she has no idea who he is, and shenanigans ensue.

And that is where I think I’m going to leave it. There’s four other stories that I can think of off the top of my head that I could theoretically add to this list, but they are legitimately just ideas right now so they can be added at a later date when they’ve manifested themselves a little more strongly. There’s also another quartet in the Willow Hill universe that I came up with in high school that could theoretically be added but I think I might just steal those character names and give them their own little world instead. We’ll see.

Basically, if you didn’t get the point from this list: I am working on a lot of things, and when I say I’m writing, it could mean literally anything on this list (or any of the other ideas that I have floating around). The stories/universe here are the most likely candidates for my time, depending on whether I’m doing a deep dive into my writing or just playing around with something fun, and hopefully (god, hopefully) I’ll be able to move one or two of these to a “completed works” list in the next year(ish). 

(Or at least, as complete as a draft ever gets before you start going in on it again.)

[tachimuquet]

Valiant Soul Extended Cut - Inazuma Caravan Arc

On February 21st, I posted the 10th chapter of my ongoing fic, Valiant Soul, which put an end to the story’s first major arc: the Inazuma Caravan Arc, or, simply put, Inazuma Eleven episodes 43 to 65 but with less soccer and more fancy metaphors on soccer. Almost an entire year later and most of the next arc already posted, I’m posting this anecdote post.

Not that many people have read it (19 kudos on AO3, which is still a lot more than I ever expected), so I don’t expect many people to care (not that the concept of a multi-chapter, canon rewrite-ish Tachimukai character study that goes into way too much speculation was ever going to be a golden egg hen), but oh well, I figured it may be interesting to at least one person. Of course, since those are notes on a currently published (and hopefully updating) fic, there are gonna be spoilers for whatever happened that wasn’t in the actual anime, so reader discretion is advised.

Warning for mentions of child abandonment and, idk, soccer terrorism I guess. You know, the good Inazuma Eleven 2-patended stuff.

HOW VALIANT SOUL CAME TO BE

To explain Valiant Soul, I first need to explain Brave Soul. You probably didn’t see it because I don’t usually say anything about it, but BraSou is the name of the fic series ValSoul is a part of - because ValSoul used to be called “Brave Soul”. In fact, before I decided to go for the structure that the series is going to have, I first planned it to be a big-ass oneshot that’d have gone from the birth of the centric character to a point where the series will actually never reach, which was said character making his own family.

The thing is, I quickly realized I’d never be able to finish such a oneshot in my lifetime and that’d I’d have to sacrifice a lot of things I’d have wanted to speak about. What confirmed this to me was when I started writing what became the third chapter, “The Weakest Link”, and found it too fun to skip over matches like I did for the Yokato VS Raimon and Raimon VS The Genesis matches in chapter 2. Thus was born the idea to split what’d have been a character study oneshot into a couple fics, and the series’ name? “Brave Soul”.

Valiant Soul was almost called “Brave Soul”, though. My first reasoning was to give the series another name, but BraSou had stuck as a placeholder for so long that it just wasn’t a placeholder anymore. The name ValSoul being so close to it is a leftover of this reasoning.

Now, why write an entire series about one character that even the writers didn’t really give two craps about? I mentioned it before on the notes of another fic (one of my rare non-original work 0-kudos fic, btw; all of the others are Corpse Party oneshots I never bothered to translate from French), but if there was one character I’d almost unironically call my kinning character, it’d be Tachimukai. I’ve mentioned in my A/N having spent what surely must be way too much time speculating on very small details and, back in late 2018/early 2019, when I started writing the experimental oneshot which’d become ValSoul, I just had the urge to write my headcanons and proposed alternatives to canon, all motivated by a couple things I’d noticed during seasons 2 and 3. I felt pretty gucci writing this, and figured if not me, then no one else would, and thus was born ValSoul.

Now onto more specific notes, by chapters, because that’s probably why you’re here. 

CHAPTER 1 - GOLDEN YOUTH

Just so you know, this chapter is supposed to be its own sub-arc, since it only barely relates to the actual series and events of the first arc.

This chapter was, obviously, the very first thing I wrote and it shows: most of the elements introduced in it (such as the missing parents and the deal around the name Yuuki) were always supposed to be for much later back when the story was meant to be an experimental oneshot. That explains the weird POV too, since this is the only chapter where you probably couldn’t tell with whose POV I was going for. Fret not: I’ve still got no idea either.

When I started writing this, in late 2018-ish, my Japanese geography was so awful I thought Fukuoka was an island to itself (it’s not), mostly because 1. I had done no research 2. the IE2 overworld map somehow got me confused 3. Kyushu is a thing and I somehow didn’t know.

Ironically, when I wrote and edited this chapter, I had no idea in mind for the good ol’ parents, aside from the fact they were probably workaholic jackasses who forgot to use protection one night. Now, I do have a clear picture of them (who’ve I’m previously sold as “Derek Stiles from Trauma Center’s aunt from his maternal side who is just as bad at parenting as his own mom and her stuck-up unmarried husband”; but hey, to understand this, you’ll probably have to read another fic of mine, Unrelated Relatives), and it can be seen in a story for another series of mine (Take Flight, Clipped Wings). Both can be found on my AO3, I can’t link them here because Tumblr will beat me up if I do.

Chihiro, the friend mentioned in the narration, was no more than an afterthought, but he’s becoming his own character since I do need to have a dormmate buddy for the next arcs to come.

Yes, I somehow forgot Endou Daisuke was from Fukuoka and not from Inazuma back then. If I had remembered, I’d have probably put more emphasis on the legendary status that guy must have in Yokato.

CHAPTER 2 - (UN)ORDINARY LIFE AT YOKATO JUNIOR HIGH

The title is a kind-of reference to Danganronpa. There, I said it.

For something that’s supposed to be oh so important to Tachimukai’s character, canon never spent much time developing why he admired Endou to the point of switching positions, so of course I had to do it myself (a recurring theme with ValSoul and, well, my Inazuma writing in general). Back during the original writing of ValSoul (circa 2018-2019), the story was supposed to be much more expeditive and that’s why I never bothered developing much of it either... I should’ve, in retrospect, because that’d have helped me a lot for future chapters. I’ve been slowly trying to patch this up whenever I get the chance.

Originally, the first part of this chapter was meant to be with Chapter 1 and the rest was meant to be Chapter 2; but said second part was too weak to stand on its own imo and I really didn’t see myself writing in great details three curb-stomp battles. Raimon VS Yokato is a boring match all things considered (haha majin the hand go brrr), Yokato VS Genesis is literally pitting a Lv1 Magikarp against a top-level Smogon Uber player and Raimon VS Genesis is, y’know, what it is.

Yes, Yokato VS Genesis is a game-cutscene-only match, and that’s probably the most you’re going to see from the game sipping into ValSoul events. It’s no secret that I know jack shit about the games aside from passive things and their file structure so... don’t expect much else. I just felt like it fit into my narrative.

CHAPTER 3 - THE WEAKEST LINK

I know Yokato is supposed to be made out of Endou and not Raimon fans, but it felt a little... off to me. It made more sense for them to support the entire team rather than just their captain. Helps balancing out the Endou macrocephism that franchise has.

I expected to write more about Raimon VS Oumihara because it’s legit my favorite match of all Inazuma with Raimon VS The Genesis, but truth be told, there isn’t much to be said about it from the perspective of a swamped midfielder. Writing a fish out of the water is always a fun thing to do, though.

The title is a sly reference to a TV show I used to see a lot when I was younger of the same name... but in its French version. Ask anyone my age in this country what they thought of “Le Maillon Faible”, they’ll have funny answers to give you.

I’m still surprised I didn’t lie emphasis on the “Everyone runs too fast, too much for him to keep up without losing his breath.” part, since back in 2014 when I started the speculations that lead up to the fic’s birth, it was one of the points I tried way too hard to explain. I’d be glad to explain it but... it’s a little too embarrassing to talk about, to be honest, haha.

The matches against Epsilon Kai and Diamond Dust (especially the former), while super important to the show’s structure, were far less important to what I wanted to say, since it’d have all been said in the Raimon VS Oumihara part anyway. As I said: fish out of the water. It was fun to rediscover the scene at the end of episode 52 where Gouenji gets to show off his new and stronger Fire Tornado, though.

I’m also disappointed in myself that I never lay emphasis on that makeshift goalkeeper outfit either, it’s so cute. I remember my younger self being frustrated at its existence, but my 2021 (generally chiller) self is feeling tempted to draw it.

I somehow never caught that Raimon only gets back to Inazuma after the change in their formation, not after the Epsilon Kai match. To be fair, I didn’t even rewatch the match against Diamond Dust for this chapter, I just looked at the collection of screenshots I had courtesy of Inazuma Perfect Pics on Twitter.

CHAPTER 4 - RIPPLES IN THE ENDLESS SEA

I wonder if ValSoul readers are aware of my track record or if they just took interest in this one story, but anyone who knows me has to have guesed this chapter had an ulterior motive for literally years from now. (In actuality, I preferred to have Haruna as a preeminent character before the equivalent of episode 89 so it felt less like the writers realizing they could have a nice dynamic for ship teasing purposes and more like actually trying to build a cool dynamic).

Writing the weird practice match from episode 56 was one of my favorite parts of this arc because it’s such a weird moment and it’s filled to the brim with BROTP energy. The anime writers knew they had something magic on their hands when they decided Tsunami and Tachimukai needed to interact.

still why is nobody concerned for the 13-year-old child who can see double that doesn’t sound healthy

CHAPTER 5 - FOUL FEELINGS

As I mentioned in the notes for this chapter, I was originally planning on having it be much saltier, especially compared to canon. I don’t think I’ve ever stated why explicitely, though, and my reasoning can be summarized to “oh, so it’s okay for your goalkeeper to tank 10 shots, but when your captain takes a hit to the head, you’re suddenly worried and get better at soccer?”. While I still believe Raimon’s lack of reaction before Endou used Megaton Head is sus, I had to take into account scenes I hadn’t thought much about and one of Touko’s lines (you know the one, the “won’t last much longer” one), and that made me go softer.

The title for this chapter actually originates from the saltier perspective that got cut during the writing of the chapter, but since it still fit with Chaos and that I found it too cool-sounding to scrap it, it stayed.

CHAPTER 6 - REACHING FOR THE STARS

Introducing elements for future fics is always one of my guilty pleasures and that’s what happened with the mention of Tsunami’s siblings in this chapter. It was also a way for me to very unsubtly tell you this fic is never going to be romantic TsunaTachi in case you don’t know the other side of my (very) specific Inazuma fanfic brand.

I’ll admit, playing a bit with the fact I introduced the Yokato VS Genesis match in this story for this chapter was pretty fun, however short it was. The theme of “these middle schoolers surely are traumatized by what they saw and lived through” starts here I wanna say.

The focus on the fact Raimon replied with a plural to Gran’s taunt about Tachimukai being a terrible goalkeeper was something I was hesitant at first - after all, maybe the subs I watched mistranslated it! However, considering this line is a plural too in at least three other dubs (for reference: English, Spanish and French, the three European dub languages I can understand), I had to cave in: Endou is just that laser-focused on his fallen friends.

CHAPTER 7 - THE COLOUR OF DESPAIR

The original title for this chapter (as you may remember it being named differently for a couple hours) was “Purple-Tinted Despair”, but i quickly changed it because I found it too on the nose.

This match was the occasion for me to solve a question I’ve never been able to find an answer to: “what the hell is that hand injury? is it just the one hand, both, or the wrist is also injured?”. You can have guessed I’ve been frustrated by not knowing (and canon just deciding it didn’t exist anymore by the end of the episode; yo canon even Captain Tsubasa doesn’t pull off that shit) I decided to go for all three, because I’m extra like that, and because there is one shot in episode 65 where it looks more like Tachi’s holding his wrist rather than his hand. To this day I still have no definitive answer to what that injury was exactly. I hate the funky soccer anime for making me look more like a maniac than I usually do.

My biggest motivation for this chapter was having Mugen the Hand reach G5 during the DE match. I’ve alway been uselessly frustrated at it only reaching it against South Korea. It’s an element I had spent so much time thinking about before VS was a thing that I knew I had to include it and tell canon to fuck off for once.

CHAPTER 8 - WATERED-DOWN AFTERMATH

An issue I’ve come to know during my years on AO3 is how thinking in another language can bite you in the ass. This chapter’s title was such a case: I discovered, to my dismay, that the French édulcoré actually didn’t have a direct translation into English and had to settle with what was the closest to what I wanted to convey.

The scene in the infirmary was a sort of rewrite of a previous fic of mine, Burning on the Inside, Burning on the Outside, where a similar conversation took place (but with more broken English). It’s quite old since it dates back to 2018 and it was the first Inazuma fic I was properly posting in English online; it’s insane to think there had to have been a first! Also, you may’ve been able to tell thanks to the characters in this scene, but it was a HaruTachi fic.

CHAPTER 9 - SUNSET IN FUKUOKA

I’m pretty sure I subconsciously associate Fukuoka to the sunset because its game incarnation just reminds me so much of Twilight Town from Kingdom Hearts 2.

Writing Yokato Eleven is always a little weird, but exciting. We know jack shit about these guys, so I got to get a little creative and imagine their personalities on what little we see of them in the anime (and a wittle of the games). That may be why I now have a fully-fledged Toda for my fics...

CHAPTER 10 - SUMMER LONELINESS SYNDROME

I made the mistake of planning this entire chapter’s gimmick -- discovering a summer of loneliness (duh) -- before rewatching the first episodes of season 3 and that, of course, bit me in the ass. Season 3 starts 3 months after the end of the Aliea arc, but I thought it happened later than that, and got bamboozled. Not a good look on my planning abilities... not that I’ve ever had any.

DISCARDED CONCEPTS

For a moment, I considered making the entire Fukuoka arc the one from the game or, at least, have Kazemaru leave that way instead of the anime’s... but then I remembered my crippling addiction to the scene in episode 46 when Majin the Hand Kai gets completed and I threw that out of the window.

[fromdemonsandart]

 Title: No light

  Chapter: 2 - Chapter 1 here

Words: 1915

 Pairings: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Eleven/Mike Wheeler.

  It’s their last year of high school, the traumatic event that happened years before it in the past. All they hope is to enjoy that last year. The boys are best friends as always, except for Mike and Will who are more than that…

  Everything seemed as normal as it could be, but things couldn’t be easy. They never were.

 Or

 Eleven returns, Mike develops feelings for her again and Will is in the middle of everything.

 It all felt so surreal. Time? It didn’t exist. Or so she believed, even if her hair grew, her nails, her body… It all changed. There hadn’t been a mirror to where she could actually see herself in, still she could feel she wasn’t the same.

 The place was different, wasn’t it? It was too bright, or so she felt it when she opened her eyes. Weakly, she covered her face with one hand; the other one seemed to be… restrained somehow. The girl made a small sound, completely tired, what had happened exactly? Whatever she’d been living, it drained her, but she never allowed herself to feel it. Resting or surviving, that’s how it worked there.  Again, the upside down was so dark and that place was too bright.

 “Hey.” a soft voice said, startling her. “Take it easy, you're fine now.”

 Eleven turned her head, to see who was speaking. That voice, it sounded so familiar… Surely she had heard it once, a long time ago.

 Then she blinked, almost unable to open her eyes completely. Nevertheless, the figure she could see, the colors, they were all too familiar for some reason.

 “My name's Jim Hopper.” He introduced himself, it took her a while but she recognised him.

 “Where…?”

 “At the hospital. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” He repeated and Eleven wanted to cry. Was she, though? Was she safe?

 A part of her, however, didn’t care about the answer. If it was true, if she wasn’t dreaming, then she was out. There weren’t any questions from her part, though, not having the energy to think about them. Hopper didn’t explain much, either. All he said was that she was safe, he kept repeating that.

 Then there was a doctor, the sole sight of him making her hyperventilate. A man with white robes… But Hopper promised her she was safe, he kept saying it even then. It was so hard for her to trust people, especially men in white ropes. Yet deep inside her, she knew she could trust Hopper. Thus she endured it, she could do it once more.

  Will woke up at the sound of her mother talking loudly on the phone. Alright, he woke up just five minutes before his alarm went off; but those were glorious five minutes! Sighing at the sight of his alarm clock, he just left his bed.

  Ignoring his mother, Will went to brush his teeth. Still, he noticed she sounded distressed somehow. Was she speaking to his father? He hadn’t hear from him for almost a year, not even calling on Will’s birthday. Rarely did he, so the boy learned not to see it as a personal attack; It wasn’t that he was a bad son, but Lonnie was a shitty father. Thinking about it, it made sense to hear his mother like that. Nevertheless, it still seem to be about something else… So when he finished brushing his teeth, he went to where his mother was.

 “Was it dad?” He asked as soon as Joyce hung up the phone. His voice almost made her jump.

 “What? No, no, honey. It’s, uh, it’s complicated.” She looked shaken up, which only served to worry Will.

 “Then what…?”

 “I have to go.” She said, hurriedly taking her keys. “There’s some eggs, if you want. See you later, okay honey?”

 His mother gave her a quick hug before leaving, not leaving space for any question. There wasn’t any point in dwelling in it, for now, as he had to go to school. It just, ugh, he wished he hadn’t.

 Taking advantage of those extra five minutes, he made some toasts to eat with two eggs, which he drank with orange juice. The day before he ate less, maybe that was why he fainted… Although deep down he knew that wasn’t the reason, but he couldn’t think of anything else. He didn’t want to think about anything else. It’d been years, right? It couldn’t be that! He got over that! Or so he said to himself from time to time…

 Having eaten his breakfast, he filled Chester’s plate as he always did. Will caressed his pet’s fur, trying to forget for a second about everything. It was fine, he was fine.  Everything was normal, everything was normal…

 To stop his mind from wandering to terrible places, he started to think about something else as he rode on his bike to school. He thought about spending Christmas with his family, about Jonathan's picture being published in a magazine a couple of months ago; he thought of the summers with his friends. The thing he thought about most was Mike, how he told him he loved him before asking him to be his boyfriend.

 It had been in Mike's basement and they were speaking after weeks without doing so. Will had been avoiding him since he found out his friend had kissed Katy Miller in a party. There wasn't any reasonable excuse to give, so he didn’t; he just avoided his friend. He had been so angry and so had Mike, it seemed, as he demanded to know why he was acting that way. Words came, words went by; before he could tell, they were kissing.

 His cheek started to burn as he arrived the school, his mind was elsewhere alright. Leaving his bike, he realised he was the first one of his group of friends to arrived. Everything was fine, he repeated like a mantra, everything was normal. Speaking of which…

 “Well, look who’s here!” Troy says, walking in front of him alongside his goonies. “Hawkins little fairy!”

 Will sighed, more annoyed than anything. After everything that happened, it was hard to be scared of them, of anything actually. Nevertheless, the feeling of uneasiness didn't go away, as it was the first time in almost two years that they got him like that. Alone. They wouldn't hurt him, though, they couldn't be so stupid… Or so hoped at that moment.

 “Call me all the things you want, Troy. But please finish before class starts.” Will replied, sounding almost bored. Even if he felt rather anxious, he still knew there were worse things than bullies. So much worse.

 “You can go, Will.” Troy said with a smirk, confusing everyone there.

 “But Troy, we just got him!” complained one of his friends.

 “Guys, don’t you get it? He’s getting late to his appointment, sucking Wheeler’s dick!”

 Everyone burst into laughter, as Will felt he was going to throw up. While some people said they were too ‘closed’, it was the first time someone ever said something about Mike and it made him feel sick. He knew their love wasn’t wrong, his family knew, their friends knew! But he also knew how people were, how Troy and his friends were.

 He was left speechless, but it almost didn’t mind as they didn't seem to expect a word from him. What was that about? Did they just want to let him know that they knew? Actually, knew? Had they see them near Castle Byers?

 Before Will could say anything or the gang could throw another insult, Mike and Lucas appeared.  

 “Just in time, Byers.” Troy said, a wicked smirk in his face as he left, followed by the other boys.

 As he watched the other boys leave, he felt someone touch his shoulder. Lucas.

 “They will literally annoy us ‘till the end.” His friend said, annoyance showing in his face. “What did they say?”

 “Same as usual.” He said nonchalantly, even if he was still a bit shook.

 “You sure?” asked Mike.

 “Yeah. I almost missed their stupid faces.”

 “Can’t relate!” Lucas said, already walking towards his class.

Dustin arrived just a couple of minutes later, the day went by as usual after that. Then why did Will feel as if something odd was happening? Everything felt strange out of sudden, a feeling that just didn't go away.  

 As the boys returned home, Will told them about his mom. There was something strange going on, but he couldn't figure out what.

 “Well, if it was your dad, maybe she doesn’t want you to know?” Dustin suggested, but Will just shook his head.

 “Why would she do that?”

 “No offence, but he’s an asshole. Maybe that’s why.” Lucas interjected, while everyone nodded.

 He knew that, but he also knew his mother would tell him if it was something related to his father. Perhaps he was just being silly… It seemed that was all it was lately. Actually, he never stopped being paranoid since his return, but he was pretending so well! And he'd continue doing so. Thus, he agreed with them, they were probably right he said. Will wasn’t sure whether he was lying or not.

 His mother wasn't at home when he arrived, allowing Mike to stay with him for a while. After finding out that they were dating, well, sleepovers were out of the question. Everyone understood, but it didn't make it less annoying for him. If there were all of his friends, sure, but not between Mike and him.  

 Will sat on the couch as Mike played with Chester, talking as they did so. There was a story he was writing, so he talked to his boyfriend who was never cruel with his criticism but didn’t lie either. Though, true to be told, he was a rather stuck with it. Usually he drew and wrote everyday, even if it was just a few lines. It had only been a day, but he couldn’t think of anything else to add.

 “It has to do with you fainting yesterday?” Mike asked, still worried.

 “Probably, I… I don’t know anymore.” He sighed, feeling overwhelmed about the stupidest thing.

 “You didn’t have flashbacks, did you?”

 “Mike…” Will replied annoyed at his accusatory tone, not liking what he was implying. “I told you the truth about everything, I don’t know what happened. I. Don’t. Know!”

 Will breathed hard for a couple of seconds, before forcing himself to calm down. What was wrong with him?

 “I’m sorry, I don’t know…”

 “Hey.” His boyfriend said, cupping his face between his hands. “It’s alright, I just…”

 “You just worry, I know.” He said, with a small smile. “I’m just being a jerk.”

 Instead of replying, Mike held him. The taller boy was well aware that Will never truly got over what happened years ago. Sure, he got better but he doubted he’d ever just forget about had happened. That didn’t mean things weren’t alright, but it didn’t mean that Mike got scared from time to time. Like the day before, where he could barely catch Will as he fell.

 But it was alright! Every time it happened less, with a greater distance between an episode and another.

 Instead of offering comforting words, he kept asking about the story, helping him continue imagining it. So Will kept giving different scenarios, while Mike gave his opinion about which one fit better. Both of them knew it was getting late, but being like that, with Will’s head laying on his shoulder while he had his arms around him. The taller boy did not want to go, even if he knew he’d see his boyfriend the very next day. Barely could he sleep after that phone conversation the night before, thinking about him.

 “Let’s go to the movies this Friday.” Will suggested, taking Mike away from his thoughts. “I know the four of us are hanging out that day, but we can do it before. Or afterwards. What do you say?”

 Truth to be told, they hadn’t gone to many dates… Actually, they hadn’t been alone that much as they didn’t want to leave their friends behind. After all they promised everything would stay the same, so rarely did they show affection in front of them. Sure, they touched hands, they hugged but kissing? Only to annoy them! Maybe a date would be a good idea, it could also help Will relax a bit.

 “Or just rent a movie and watch it here?” Will asked carefully, taking Mike’s silence as a ‘no’.

 “No, no. Let’s go to the movies, buy popcorn, soda and all that crap.” He replied, almost laughing. “That’s what couples do, right?”

 Will felt so grateful towards him and, knowing he was leaving in any minute, he closed the little distance that separated them to kiss him. It was slow, gentle, as most of their kisses were. At that moment, however, Will remembered something; something unpleasant. Why, of all the moments…?

 “Mike?” He asked breathless, his eyes still closed. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

 “Okay.” Mike replied, feeling sick out of sudden. Those were never good words.  

 It was at that moment, of course, when the door opened. Quickly they separated, pretending that nothing was wrong. Mike went as far as standing up, leaving Will sitting in the couch.

 “Sorry I took so long, I… Mike?” Joyce asked as the boy's face burned. Surely he resembled a tomato now…

 “Hi, Mrs. Byers I was going to go home now so…” he said, taking his bag and ready to leave.

 Obviously Joyce knew and couldn't care less about his son loving another boy, but it didn’t make the boys any more comfortable. Even so, Will wanted to both die and laugh at the same time.

 “Oh, Mike! Hello, honey.” She greeted, looking rather nervous. “Yes, good. Because it’s getting dark, your mother must be worried.”

 He nodded as he got closer to the door, at this Will went to hug him. “Let’s talk later”, he whispered, as his boyfriend hugged him back.

    There was something going on with his mother, even if she reassured him that everything was right. So they sat together, ate dinner, as Joyce asked him how his day was. Will thought about everything, about Troy’s words, but he answered it was fine.

 Seeing no point in insisting, not now at least, he went to the bedroom. There he grabbed his walkie talkie, knowing Mike was already home in his bedroom. Meanwhile his mother was passing up and down, thinking about who she saw. A girl, not older than her youngest, lying in a hospital bed. A girl she knew a little too well, those years ago…  

[josephkitchen0]

12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds

By Christine Henrichs – Understanding the 12 Days of Christmas meaning adds something special to this favorite traditional carol. Its repeating verses make it fun to learn the list of traditional gifts: A partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, 10 lords a-leaping, 11 pipers piping and 12 drummers drumming, all reflect things that were familiar to life in 18th century England and France.

In a nutshell, here’s the 12 Days of Christmas meaning: In the Christian religion, the 12 Days following Christmas are the time it took for the three wise men to make their journey to the stable where the Jesus was born. January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany. Religious meanings have been imputed to each day’s gift, but there isn’t any historical documentation for that. To me, it’s interesting because it tells us about what life was like back then.

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The 12 Days of Christmas meaning is interesting to explore through a historic lens. The song lists many wild and domestic birds that brightened life in those days of political upheaval and revolution. It was first printed in the 1780 children’s book, Mirth Without Mischief, but it was already old then. It may have originated in France, as three French variations exist. The First Day’s signature partridge was introduced into England from France in the late 1770s, shortly before the carol was formalized in print and published.

The Partridge in a Pear Tree

The partridge is a colorful choice for the first gift. Partridges include lots of different species with bright plumage on their rotund bodies. The gray or English partridge, a Eurasian native, was known in England then. It came to North America around the turn of the 20th century, directly from Eurasia. It has adapted well and is now fairly common in North America. They are hardy birds, able to survive cold winter conditions in the Midwest and Canada. They aren’t much for flying, with a stocky body and short, round wings. Most flights are low, at eye level and shorter than 100 yards. They are 12 to 13 inches long with a wingspan of 21 to 22 inches and weigh about one pound.

The hens may lay as many as 22 eggs in a clutch and hatches of 16 to 18 are common. They are not usually raised as domestic birds.

Among modern chickens, the name Partridge survives today as a recognized color variety in both large fowl and bantam Cochin, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Chantecler, and Silkie breeds. It is similar to the Black Red pattern, the name more appropriately applied to game birds, according to Dr. J. Batty in his Poultry Colour Guide of 1977. Males and females differ, with males have rich red plumage on their heads, backs and wings, glinting with lustrous greenish black. Females are more subdued, mostly reddish bay with distinct penciling. The Standard of Perfection details the requirements of the Partridge color pattern description.

Two Turtle Doves

Turtle Doves are a wild breed of European doves, similar to North American Mourning Doves. They would have been common in England and France during the spring, summer and fall as they migrated through to enjoy a warm winter in southern Africa. They have a long history of domestication by humans.

Doves carry a message of peace and hope, appropriate for the holiday season. Their symbolism transcends religious divisions: In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the dove was the messenger of revival to Noah on the ark in the Old Testament and the embodiment of the Holy Spirit descending on Christ at his baptism in the New Testament. In India, gods take the shape of doves. In Islam, Mohammed was attended by a spirit in the form of a dove.

In the U.S., doves and pigeons — the terms are used interchangeably, although sometimes there’s a suggestion of size, smaller birds being doves and larger ones pigeons — are very popular. Their small size puts them within reach of those who live in small homes or even apartments. Literally hundreds of colors and types of pigeons have been developed by fanciers. Stephen Green-Armytage has documented many of them in his photographs, Extraordinary Pigeons, www.abramsbooks.com. The gift of two Turtle Doves confers both the spiritual and the earthly virtues, their beauty reflecting their spiritual power.

In creating the American edition of Harrison Weir’s The Poultry Book in 1912, editors Willis Grant Johnson and George O. Brown decided to include a chapter on pigeons even though the English Weir had overlooked the species in the original. “There is an awakening of interest among fanciers for the fancy breeds, while squab-raising has become an important business in many sections,” they explain. They invited J.C. Long of New York to write the chapter, describing him as, “one of the oldest and best-known pigeon experts in the country.”

Three French Hens

Three French hens could be selected from the three old French breeds recognized by the APA for exhibition. Houdan, LaFleche and Crevecoeur were all in the original APA Standard published in 1874. They have long histories, as far as the 15th century in the case of the La Fleche, the 17th century for the others. All are large birds, topping out at 8 pounds for roosters and 7 pounds for hens. All are white egg layers.

Houdans have been known as Normandy fowl. They are a crested breed, recognized in mottled-black and solid-white varieties. Solid black, blue mottled and red mottled varieties have existed in the past and may be raised by fanciers yet.

In the U.S., Houdans were a popular dual-purpose production breed in the 19th and early 20th century. They have five toes like the Dorkings.

The La Fleche, which may be the oldest of the three, was selected and managed for egg production in Britain and North America. They take their name from the town of La Fleche, around which production was centered in the early 19th century. They probably resulted from crossing Polish, Crevecoeur and Spanish birds, which gave them their white earlobes.

Their unusual horned V-shaped comb is remarkable, in the past causing these birds to be called the Horned Fowl. Although now clean-headed, some breeders report occasional offspring with small crests or tassels. The French standard requires a crest.

Although recognized now only in black, they were bred in other colors in the past. In 1580, Prudens Choiselat wrote that blacks, reds, and fawns were the best. Blue and white strains have existed in the more recent past.

The Crevecoeur is sometimes compared to the Dorking, which has history on both English and French sides of the Channel. They also have V combs, although earlier in history they also had leaf combs. Currently recognized only in black plumage, white and blue ones were raised in the past.

The Crevecoeur was also used as a production fowl in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Left, the illustration of Partridge Wyandottes is from Dr. J. Batty’s book. Right, two of the three Houdan hens in a reproduction of Lewis Wright’s Poultry, published in 1983 by Dr. J. Batty.

Four Calling Birds

On Day Four, the “calling” birds were originally “collie” or “colley” birds, meaning black-as-coal blackbirds. My poultry mind wants to stretch and consider that they could have been black domestic fowls, such as the old French breeds, all of which were often black, or black Spanish chickens. Black turkeys also were popular in the 18th century in Europe.

Black fowl lost favor because the dark feathers show up in the skin of the bird prepared for the table, unlike white feathers. In the 19th century, white birds lost popularity because they were thought to be constitutionally weak. Fashions in food are as variable as fashions in dress.

Many breeds have modern black color varieties. American breeds such as Javas, Jersey Giants, sometimes called Black Giants, and the English Orpington have black heritage. Asian breeds such as Cochins and Langshans have a strong history of black plumage. Sumatras are always black. Black varieties of Orientals are relatively recent, such as Malays and Cubalayas. Among Mediterranean breeds, the White-Faced Black Spanish is an old breed. Minorcas were originally an entirely black breed called Red-Faced Black Spanish.

Black East Indies ducks are an old breed, although whether they date back to the 17th century is a matter of discussion. Some authorities trace their history back only as far as the 19th century. Cayuga ducks are always black. The recognition of the breed dates back to the 19th century, but it originated from wild American Black ducks crossing with domestic ducks. A black variety of Runner ducks is recent, 20th century. Black ducks could fit the description of “colley” birds.

Black turkeys were popular in Europe, and after Columbus introduced the wild turkey, American colonists crossing the Atlantic brought domesticated black varieties with them. Turkeys were often known by their origin as well, such as the Norfolk Black and the Black Spanish.

In domestic poultry, black plumage has an iridescent quality that gives it a greenish sheen, sometimes complemented with violet. The feathers are truly beautiful and eye-catching, suitable for a gift that would honor the season.

Five Gold Rings

The 12 Days of Christmas meaning behind the Day Five — Five Gold Rings — may have referred to Ring-Necked Pheasants, or perhaps to Golden Pheasants. Those original meanings unify the verses around a bird motif.

Both of them are natives of Asia but have long had successful populations in Europe and the British Isles. The Romans probably introduced them to Europe during their Empire. Pheasant were accepted residents of Britain by the 10th century.

Ring-necked pheasants were introduced to North America in the late 19th century in Oregon, where they succeeded on the second attempt, and after, were introduced in other states. They are now the state bird of South Dakota. They flourish in the wild and are one of the most hunted birds today.

Golden pheasants are successful feral residents in England, but they probably were not introduced there until later than the carol, perhaps as late as the mid-19th century. Their astonishingly beautiful plumage could certainly have inspired songs about golden birds!

They can be raised for meat or for stocking hunting ranges. A white variety eliminates the issue of dark pinfeathers on meat birds. Pheasant tail feathers are in demand for costumes and other decorations.

Six Geese A-Laying

Geese certainly were part of English and French life in the 16th century and long before. Geese have been hunted and tamed and domesticated since the early days of settled agricultural life. West of England Geese, also known as Old English geese, may well be the breed that came over with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. They were an important American regional breed, particularly in New England.

Goose is the traditional festive bird for the holiday feast. When raising geese for meat, it’s important to note that geese do not thrive in the intense husbandry conditions of modern agriculture, so they are not as plentiful as they were in the 18th century when every farm had some. Most American cooks have never roasted one, so recipes have disappeared. Prominent chef Nigella Lawson is a champion of goose. Because they are waterfowl, they have a layer of fat under the skin. When you roast goose, it naturally bastes itself. The fat is flavorful and can be used to toast vegetables and other meats. Food critic Bonny Wolf calls goose fat “the creme de la creme of fat.”

The two main types of domestic geese are those descended from the European Grey Lag Goose and those from the Asian Swan Goose. The European line gives us the domestic Embdens, Toulouse and all their American descendants, such as Pilgrim Geese. The Asian line gives us the African and China breeds, with their distinctive knobs.

Wild geese have lived closely with humans for centuries. Even as little as a century ago, they were maintained as semi-wild livestock in England. Villagers let their geese forage and live on the River Cam. The geese spent the spring and summer on the village green, then migrated to the river for the winter.

In February, the owners would call their geese, which responded to their voices and returned home to nest and rear their young. Those offspring were a significant contribution to the villagers’ income. Those Geese A-Laying were valued not only for the eggs themselves, but for the additional birds into which the eggs would hatch.

Despite centuries of domestication, geese remain seasonal egg layers. Some modern breeds such as the China goose have been selected for laying, bringing their production of eggs up to 70 or more annually. Some breeds of ducks have become more productive egg layers with selective breeding over time.

The eggs are reputed to be superior for baking. The albumen is thicker than that of chicken eggs, making it unsuitable for whipping into meringue. The higher fat content of the yolk makes them desirable for baking. The good news about having Geese A-Laying would be that the goslings would soon follow. Geese are excellent parents and protectively raise their young.

This graphic from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shows the differences in the heads and bills of three types of swans.

Seven Swans A-Swimming

Swans are one of the most charismatic birds. Their graceful flight and peaceful beauty as they glide across the water have inspired humans to find spiritual meaning in them. Iron Age Britons, eighth century BC and later, considered them supernatural. Mute swans are the traditional birds of folklore. Although migratory, they became semi-domesticated in Britain by the 10th century.

Richard the Lionhearted is often credited with bringing swans to England on his return from the Crusades in the 12th century, but some documentation shows swans being kept as far back as 966, during the reign of King Edgar.

It was in the 12th century that the Crown claimed ownership of all swans. In the 15th century, swan ownership was shared with the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Companies. That continues today, with an annual ceremony called Swan Upping, in which cygnets, baby swans, are captured, weighed, checked for health problems, banded and released.

So, the 12 Days of Christmas meaning behind Seven Swans-A-Swimming would have had royal as well as spiritual connotations.

In the 17th century, Mute Swans were semi-domesticated in England. In the Netherlands, they were farmed, for their down, their meat and as ornamental birds, according to Sylvia Bruce Wilmore, in her book, Swans of the World. In the Netherlands, those practices continued until after World War II. Because all swans in England belong officially to the Royal Family, swans given as gifts would have been marked on the upper part of their bills. Their markings identified the person who had responsibility for them and thus could benefit from them. Marks date back to 1370.

Today in the U.S., migratory waterfowl are protected by state and federal laws. Permits are required to keep wild birds legally. If you are in any doubt about birds you are considering acquiring, check with the state department of fish and game, parks and wildlife or natural resources.

Mute swans are controversial residents along the East Coast, where they have displaced local Trumpeter swans. Mute swans have been acquired as decorative waterfowl for parks and estates, but easily escape and become feral. They are now regarded as unwanted invaders, trashing the fragile wetland habitat in which they live and chasing out native birds. To avoid those problems, the state of New Hampshire requires by law that Mute swans be pinioned, an operation done on young cygnets to remove the distal joint of the wing, making flight impossible. They retain their mythic grip on people, touching the hearts of those who glimpse them gliding across a misty lake. This dichotomy confounds wetlands managers who want at least to control Mute Swans, if not eliminate them entirely.

“They are a beautiful form of biological pollution,” said Jonathan McKnight, associate director for habitat conservation at Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. Others disagree, citing Mute Swans’ circumpolar migratory route, and claim that they have a historic presence in North America.

Current wildlife control professionals hunt them to reduce the population, which has been successful. Tundra and Trumpeter Swans are unquestionably native birds to North America. They remain protected.

I haven’t found any evidence that swans were ever raised commercially in North America. They are wild birds, the largest flying bird, and formidable aggressors willing to protect their nests. Swans-A-Swimming remain a lovely image, but one not practical for domestic production.

Eight Maids a-Milking

In the 16th and 17th centuries, cattle breeds were as different from modern cattle as poultry breeds are. Devon cattle were among the breeds that the maids may well have been milking.

The American Milking Devon was developed from the breed named for the county Devon in England. It retains good production in milk as well as meat. This Devon heifer, “Fashion 5th,” is an illustration from Livestock and Complete Stock Doctor: A Cyclopedia, by Jonathan Periam and A. H. Baker, published in 1910. The breed is known for fast walking, which allows it to cover fields efficiently. It is a desirable breed for oxen as well as food production.

The Milking Shorthorn, which traces its history back at least to the estates of the nobility of Northumberland in England of those days, would also be a candidate for the hands of those maids.

Significant points for good dairy cows, according to the Stock Doctor, are: “… a small neck, sharp shoulders, small brisket and small bone. Moreover, small bone usually accompanies thrift, and is universally found in improved breeds.”

Milkmaids were associated with good skin at this period of time because they were likely to avoid the smallpox that scarred so many. Because of their close association with cows, they were exposed to cowpox, a much less serious disease that made them immune to smallpox. Edward Jenner relied on this observation to develop the first “vaccine,” a word that comes from the Latin word for “cow.”

12 Days of Christmas Meaning Behind Ladies, Lords, Pipers, and Drummers 

The nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming also reflect aspects of life in the 18th century. The social system placed Lords and Ladies above the common people living on the farms, the Pipers Piping and Drummers Drumming who entertained them. Their performance would have been an expression of military strength as well as general festivities, dancing and making merry. They all would have appreciated the birds that came to the feast.

Now you know the 12 Days of Christmas meaning and history. Isn’t it fascinating? While we’re on the subject of Christmas carols, what’s your favorite?

Christine Heinrichs is the author of How to Raise Chickens and How to Raise Poultry, Voyageur Press. Both books focus on raising traditional breeds in small flocks. 

Originally published in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Backyard Poultry.

12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds was originally posted by All About Chickens

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12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds

By Christine Henrichs – Understanding the 12 Days of Christmas meaning adds something special to this favorite traditional carol. Its repeating verses make it fun to learn the list of traditional gifts: A partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five gold rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, 10 lords a-leaping, 11 pipers piping and 12 drummers drumming, all reflect things that were familiar to life in 18th century England and France.

In a nutshell, here’s the 12 Days of Christmas meaning: In the Christian religion, the 12 Days following Christmas are the time it took for the three wise men to make their journey to the stable where the Jesus was born. January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany. Religious meanings have been imputed to each day’s gift, but there isn’t any historical documentation for that. To me, it’s interesting because it tells us about what life was like back then.

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The 12 Days of Christmas meaning is interesting to explore through a historic lens. The song lists many wild and domestic birds that brightened life in those days of political upheaval and revolution. It was first printed in the 1780 children’s book, Mirth Without Mischief, but it was already old then. It may have originated in France, as three French variations exist. The First Day’s signature partridge was introduced into England from France in the late 1770s, shortly before the carol was formalized in print and published.

The Partridge in a Pear Tree

The partridge is a colorful choice for the first gift. Partridges include lots of different species with bright plumage on their rotund bodies. The gray or English partridge, a Eurasian native, was known in England then. It came to North America around the turn of the 20th century, directly from Eurasia. It has adapted well and is now fairly common in North America. They are hardy birds, able to survive cold winter conditions in the Midwest and Canada. They aren’t much for flying, with a stocky body and short, round wings. Most flights are low, at eye level and shorter than 100 yards. They are 12 to 13 inches long with a wingspan of 21 to 22 inches and weigh about one pound.

The hens may lay as many as 22 eggs in a clutch and hatches of 16 to 18 are common. They are not usually raised as domestic birds.

Among modern chickens, the name Partridge survives today as a recognized color variety in both large fowl and bantam Cochin, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Chantecler, and Silkie breeds. It is similar to the Black Red pattern, the name more appropriately applied to game birds, according to Dr. J. Batty in his Poultry Colour Guide of 1977. Males and females differ, with males have rich red plumage on their heads, backs and wings, glinting with lustrous greenish black. Females are more subdued, mostly reddish bay with distinct penciling. The Standard of Perfection details the requirements of the Partridge color pattern description.

Two Turtle Doves

Turtle Doves are a wild breed of European doves, similar to North American Mourning Doves. They would have been common in England and France during the spring, summer and fall as they migrated through to enjoy a warm winter in southern Africa. They have a long history of domestication by humans.

Doves carry a message of peace and hope, appropriate for the holiday season. Their symbolism transcends religious divisions: In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the dove was the messenger of revival to Noah on the ark in the Old Testament and the embodiment of the Holy Spirit descending on Christ at his baptism in the New Testament. In India, gods take the shape of doves. In Islam, Mohammed was attended by a spirit in the form of a dove.

In the U.S., doves and pigeons — the terms are used interchangeably, although sometimes there’s a suggestion of size, smaller birds being doves and larger ones pigeons — are very popular. Their small size puts them within reach of those who live in small homes or even apartments. Literally hundreds of colors and types of pigeons have been developed by fanciers. Stephen Green-Armytage has documented many of them in his photographs, Extraordinary Pigeons, www.abramsbooks.com. The gift of two Turtle Doves confers both the spiritual and the earthly virtues, their beauty reflecting their spiritual power.

In creating the American edition of Harrison Weir’s The Poultry Book in 1912, editors Willis Grant Johnson and George O. Brown decided to include a chapter on pigeons even though the English Weir had overlooked the species in the original. “There is an awakening of interest among fanciers for the fancy breeds, while squab-raising has become an important business in many sections,” they explain. They invited J.C. Long of New York to write the chapter, describing him as, “one of the oldest and best-known pigeon experts in the country.”

Three French Hens

Three French hens could be selected from the three old French breeds recognized by the APA for exhibition. Houdan, LaFleche and Crevecoeur were all in the original APA Standard published in 1874. They have long histories, as far as the 15th century in the case of the La Fleche, the 17th century for the others. All are large birds, topping out at 8 pounds for roosters and 7 pounds for hens. All are white egg layers.

Houdans have been known as Normandy fowl. They are a crested breed, recognized in mottled-black and solid-white varieties. Solid black, blue mottled and red mottled varieties have existed in the past and may be raised by fanciers yet.

In the U.S., Houdans were a popular dual-purpose production breed in the 19th and early 20th century. They have five toes like the Dorkings.

The La Fleche, which may be the oldest of the three, was selected and managed for egg production in Britain and North America. They take their name from the town of La Fleche, around which production was centered in the early 19th century. They probably resulted from crossing Polish, Crevecoeur and Spanish birds, which gave them their white earlobes.

Their unusual horned V-shaped comb is remarkable, in the past causing these birds to be called the Horned Fowl. Although now clean-headed, some breeders report occasional offspring with small crests or tassels. The French standard requires a crest.

Although recognized now only in black, they were bred in other colors in the past. In 1580, Prudens Choiselat wrote that blacks, reds, and fawns were the best. Blue and white strains have existed in the more recent past.

The Crevecoeur is sometimes compared to the Dorking, which has history on both English and French sides of the Channel. They also have V combs, although earlier in history they also had leaf combs. Currently recognized only in black plumage, white and blue ones were raised in the past.

The Crevecoeur was also used as a production fowl in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Left, the illustration of Partridge Wyandottes is from Dr. J. Batty’s book. Right, two of the three Houdan hens in a reproduction of Lewis Wright’s Poultry, published in 1983 by Dr. J. Batty.

Four Calling Birds

On Day Four, the “calling” birds were originally “collie” or “colley” birds, meaning black-as-coal blackbirds. My poultry mind wants to stretch and consider that they could have been black domestic fowls, such as the old French breeds, all of which were often black, or black Spanish chickens. Black turkeys also were popular in the 18th century in Europe.

Black fowl lost favor because the dark feathers show up in the skin of the bird prepared for the table, unlike white feathers. In the 19th century, white birds lost popularity because they were thought to be constitutionally weak. Fashions in food are as variable as fashions in dress.

Many breeds have modern black color varieties. American breeds such as Javas, Jersey Giants, sometimes called Black Giants, and the English Orpington have black heritage. Asian breeds such as Cochins and Langshans have a strong history of black plumage. Sumatras are always black. Black varieties of Orientals are relatively recent, such as Malays and Cubalayas. Among Mediterranean breeds, the White-Faced Black Spanish is an old breed. Minorcas were originally an entirely black breed called Red-Faced Black Spanish.

Black East Indies ducks are an old breed, although whether they date back to the 17th century is a matter of discussion. Some authorities trace their history back only as far as the 19th century. Cayuga ducks are always black. The recognition of the breed dates back to the 19th century, but it originated from wild American Black ducks crossing with domestic ducks. A black variety of Runner ducks is recent, 20th century. Black ducks could fit the description of “colley” birds.

Black turkeys were popular in Europe, and after Columbus introduced the wild turkey, American colonists crossing the Atlantic brought domesticated black varieties with them. Turkeys were often known by their origin as well, such as the Norfolk Black and the Black Spanish.

In domestic poultry, black plumage has an iridescent quality that gives it a greenish sheen, sometimes complemented with violet. The feathers are truly beautiful and eye-catching, suitable for a gift that would honor the season.

Five Gold Rings

The 12 Days of Christmas meaning behind the Day Five — Five Gold Rings — may have referred to Ring-Necked Pheasants, or perhaps to Golden Pheasants. Those original meanings unify the verses around a bird motif.

Both of them are natives of Asia but have long had successful populations in Europe and the British Isles. The Romans probably introduced them to Europe during their Empire. Pheasant were accepted residents of Britain by the 10th century.

Ring-necked pheasants were introduced to North America in the late 19th century in Oregon, where they succeeded on the second attempt, and after, were introduced in other states. They are now the state bird of South Dakota. They flourish in the wild and are one of the most hunted birds today.

Golden pheasants are successful feral residents in England, but they probably were not introduced there until later than the carol, perhaps as late as the mid-19th century. Their astonishingly beautiful plumage could certainly have inspired songs about golden birds!

They can be raised for meat or for stocking hunting ranges. A white variety eliminates the issue of dark pinfeathers on meat birds. Pheasant tail feathers are in demand for costumes and other decorations.

Six Geese A-Laying

Geese certainly were part of English and French life in the 16th century and long before. Geese have been hunted and tamed and domesticated since the early days of settled agricultural life. West of England Geese, also known as Old English geese, may well be the breed that came over with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. They were an important American regional breed, particularly in New England.

Goose is the traditional festive bird for the holiday feast. When raising geese for meat, it’s important to note that geese do not thrive in the intense husbandry conditions of modern agriculture, so they are not as plentiful as they were in the 18th century when every farm had some. Most American cooks have never roasted one, so recipes have disappeared. Prominent chef Nigella Lawson is a champion of goose. Because they are waterfowl, they have a layer of fat under the skin. When you roast goose, it naturally bastes itself. The fat is flavorful and can be used to toast vegetables and other meats. Food critic Bonny Wolf calls goose fat “the creme de la creme of fat.”

The two main types of domestic geese are those descended from the European Grey Lag Goose and those from the Asian Swan Goose. The European line gives us the domestic Embdens, Toulouse and all their American descendants, such as Pilgrim Geese. The Asian line gives us the African and China breeds, with their distinctive knobs.

Wild geese have lived closely with humans for centuries. Even as little as a century ago, they were maintained as semi-wild livestock in England. Villagers let their geese forage and live on the River Cam. The geese spent the spring and summer on the village green, then migrated to the river for the winter.

In February, the owners would call their geese, which responded to their voices and returned home to nest and rear their young. Those offspring were a significant contribution to the villagers’ income. Those Geese A-Laying were valued not only for the eggs themselves, but for the additional birds into which the eggs would hatch.

Despite centuries of domestication, geese remain seasonal egg layers. Some modern breeds such as the China goose have been selected for laying, bringing their production of eggs up to 70 or more annually. Some breeds of ducks have become more productive egg layers with selective breeding over time.

The eggs are reputed to be superior for baking. The albumen is thicker than that of chicken eggs, making it unsuitable for whipping into meringue. The higher fat content of the yolk makes them desirable for baking. The good news about having Geese A-Laying would be that the goslings would soon follow. Geese are excellent parents and protectively raise their young.

This graphic from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shows the differences in the heads and bills of three types of swans.

Seven Swans A-Swimming

Swans are one of the most charismatic birds. Their graceful flight and peaceful beauty as they glide across the water have inspired humans to find spiritual meaning in them. Iron Age Britons, eighth century BC and later, considered them supernatural. Mute swans are the traditional birds of folklore. Although migratory, they became semi-domesticated in Britain by the 10th century.

Richard the Lionhearted is often credited with bringing swans to England on his return from the Crusades in the 12th century, but some documentation shows swans being kept as far back as 966, during the reign of King Edgar.

It was in the 12th century that the Crown claimed ownership of all swans. In the 15th century, swan ownership was shared with the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Companies. That continues today, with an annual ceremony called Swan Upping, in which cygnets, baby swans, are captured, weighed, checked for health problems, banded and released.

So, the 12 Days of Christmas meaning behind Seven Swans-A-Swimming would have had royal as well as spiritual connotations.

In the 17th century, Mute Swans were semi-domesticated in England. In the Netherlands, they were farmed, for their down, their meat and as ornamental birds, according to Sylvia Bruce Wilmore, in her book, Swans of the World. In the Netherlands, those practices continued until after World War II. Because all swans in England belong officially to the Royal Family, swans given as gifts would have been marked on the upper part of their bills. Their markings identified the person who had responsibility for them and thus could benefit from them. Marks date back to 1370.

Today in the U.S., migratory waterfowl are protected by state and federal laws. Permits are required to keep wild birds legally. If you are in any doubt about birds you are considering acquiring, check with the state department of fish and game, parks and wildlife or natural resources.

Mute swans are controversial residents along the East Coast, where they have displaced local Trumpeter swans. Mute swans have been acquired as decorative waterfowl for parks and estates, but easily escape and become feral. They are now regarded as unwanted invaders, trashing the fragile wetland habitat in which they live and chasing out native birds. To avoid those problems, the state of New Hampshire requires by law that Mute swans be pinioned, an operation done on young cygnets to remove the distal joint of the wing, making flight impossible. They retain their mythic grip on people, touching the hearts of those who glimpse them gliding across a misty lake. This dichotomy confounds wetlands managers who want at least to control Mute Swans, if not eliminate them entirely.

“They are a beautiful form of biological pollution,” said Jonathan McKnight, associate director for habitat conservation at Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. Others disagree, citing Mute Swans’ circumpolar migratory route, and claim that they have a historic presence in North America.

Current wildlife control professionals hunt them to reduce the population, which has been successful. Tundra and Trumpeter Swans are unquestionably native birds to North America. They remain protected.

I haven’t found any evidence that swans were ever raised commercially in North America. They are wild birds, the largest flying bird, and formidable aggressors willing to protect their nests. Swans-A-Swimming remain a lovely image, but one not practical for domestic production.

Eight Maids a-Milking

In the 16th and 17th centuries, cattle breeds were as different from modern cattle as poultry breeds are. Devon cattle were among the breeds that the maids may well have been milking.

The American Milking Devon was developed from the breed named for the county Devon in England. It retains good production in milk as well as meat. This Devon heifer, “Fashion 5th,” is an illustration from Livestock and Complete Stock Doctor: A Cyclopedia, by Jonathan Periam and A. H. Baker, published in 1910. The breed is known for fast walking, which allows it to cover fields efficiently. It is a desirable breed for oxen as well as food production.

The Milking Shorthorn, which traces its history back at least to the estates of the nobility of Northumberland in England of those days, would also be a candidate for the hands of those maids.

Significant points for good dairy cows, according to the Stock Doctor, are: “… a small neck, sharp shoulders, small brisket and small bone. Moreover, small bone usually accompanies thrift, and is universally found in improved breeds.”

Milkmaids were associated with good skin at this period of time because they were likely to avoid the smallpox that scarred so many. Because of their close association with cows, they were exposed to cowpox, a much less serious disease that made them immune to smallpox. Edward Jenner relied on this observation to develop the first “vaccine,” a word that comes from the Latin word for “cow.”

12 Days of Christmas Meaning Behind Ladies, Lords, Pipers, and Drummers 

The nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming also reflect aspects of life in the 18th century. The social system placed Lords and Ladies above the common people living on the farms, the Pipers Piping and Drummers Drumming who entertained them. Their performance would have been an expression of military strength as well as general festivities, dancing and making merry. They all would have appreciated the birds that came to the feast.

Now you know the 12 Days of Christmas meaning and history. Isn’t it fascinating? While we’re on the subject of Christmas carols, what’s your favorite?

Christine Heinrichs is the author of How to Raise Chickens and How to Raise Poultry, Voyageur Press. Both books focus on raising traditional breeds in small flocks. 

Originally published in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Backyard Poultry.

12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds was originally posted by All About Chickens