#east o' the sun and west o' the moon

[thefugitivesaint]

''East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon and other Norse Fairy Tales'' by Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe, 1917 (translated into English by Sir George Webbe Dasent) Source

[kaiyonohime]

So sitting in a safety deposit box in a credit union in the US is a copy of East o the sun west o the moon that I loved growing up. It's old, well read, and very loved. And I was thinking of making a new version of that edition for my son so he could read it. It was published in 1934, so it's in the public domain.

Project Gutenberg doesn't have that edition. Their editions don't have the stories mine does, nor the same illustrations. So I get curious and start looking online.

A book that I bought for five dollars online twenty years ago because the original was at my grandmother's farm is nowhere to be found. Absolutely nowhere. I can't find any proof of its existence.

So yeah, the next time I'm in the US, not only am I retrieving that book, I'll be making high quality scans and making a copy. Because the illustrations were gorgeous, and no edition I can find has a several of the stories, like Butterball, and Snow White and the Seven Goose Brothers.

Book editions are weird.

[andsobelovedbesoalone]

“There was a darkness in him, so different from the brown bear; foreboding and cynical, as if he viewed the world only for the worst it could be, instead of choosing to look for hope.”

[littlenightma]

Run, Rabbit, Run | Thomas Hewitt x Female!Reader (NSFW)

Author’s Note: *slams post button* Here you go, sluts *evil cackle*

Warning tags: Primal kink, chase kink, breeding kink, lots o’ smut.

The Texas sun kissed your sweat-soaked skin with a harsh pressure of a thousand blow torches. His heavy breathing and roaring of his chainsaw pushed you forward, to keep going no matter what stood before you, but the persistent throbbing between your legs teased the resilience of your rapidly depleting willpower.

Miles separated you from the farm house and separated you from the rest of civilization. Oceans upon oceans of rocky dirt, dying grass, and the occasional road kill were all that could be seen.

The radiating sun, which had been sitting proudly in the sky to the East, now sat lamely in the West beginning to hide beyond the horizon. The ivory moon would force away its suffocating heat, providing the barest of illumination, increasing your chances at escaping.

A small part of you wished the sun would stay out and light up the world just a little while longer.

“You’re so polite for someone your age. You remind me so much of my boy Thomas.”

“If he’s anything like you, ma’am, he has to be the sweetest boy around.”

He was a six foot tall mountain of muscle and power, running with the determination of a blood hound tracking the scent of a wounded animal. When you thought you had successfully outsmarted him by suddenly changing directions within the tall, golden thickets at the last second, he’d still be barreling after you, unphased, no further than he was before.

There were moments, fleeting as they were, but impressionable nonetheless, where he had been so close to getting a hold of you. So close, the slight breeze from his hand attempting to grab your hair raised your skin, sucking the breath from your chest as you narrowly dodge him.

And that made things even more thrilling.

His grunts of frustration were muffled by his mask and the tight curve of his bottom lip. The lip jutted out awkwardly and looked as if it had been stung by a bee the way it was swollen.

Deformed.

And this deformed man was coming after you.

To him you were an outsider. A pest that needed eradicating. Even though his Mama willingly invited you into their home, he made you feel as if you were trespassing anyway. He wanted to kill you then and you were sure as shit he wanted to now, probably more than ever seeing how you keep escaping him.

She’d had asked him to keep you alive so assuming that he’d follow through with her request, your life would be spared, but for what sick reason? Would death be more lenient than what they had planned for you?

Of all days for your tire to blow out…

“Here he comes now,” said the woman, smiling expectantly as the basement door opened and out from the darkened staircase came Thomas.

The boy, no man, stood protectively behind the older woman. He placed his hands on her shoulders, watching you with narrowed eyes that were partially covered by a curtain of black, curly hair. To you, they looked like snakes ready to strike, and so did he.

His nose and lower half of his face was covered by a worn, leather mask that wrapped around the base of his head with thick straps. It looked uncomfortable to wear as it was was to look at.

He was not pleased to see a stranger sitting in his living room and you wanted to sink deeper into the faded couch and disappear. Maybe if you pushed against the cushions hard enough.

A muffled scream came from the basement. Luda Mae glanced up at her son then back to you. Your back straightened.

“What was that?”

She smiled, yet it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Nothing, dear.”

Again, the basement door opened, and out came a man in a Sheriff’s uniform. Fresh blood splattered across his chest and arms, trickling down as he sauntered his way into the room.

“Who in the hell is this pretty thing?”

Time slowed down and so did your breathing. All three had you pinned with various stares ranging from curiosity, understanding, and searing contempt. You weren’t going to risk it. You jumped from the couch and hauled ass out the door, leaving a trail of dust behind.

“Son of a bitch,” said Hoyt. “Boy, go get her before she causes us any trouble.”

Luda Mae grabbed Thomas’ hand. “Keep this one alive, baby. She’ll be good one to have around.”

Thomas wanted to argue his Mama’s odd request, but the sweet smile she gave him and the gentle way she held his hand made him reconsider. He didn’t want her, that’s for damn sure, but whatever his Mama wanted, she’d get.

In the midst of your recollection you realized it was ominously quiet behind you. Peering back, he was no longer running after you. I’m fact, he wasn’t there at all.

You spun around, eyes frantically searching the desolate landscape. He didn’t just vanish into thin air, not a man of his size, yet he had. The weeds danced and suddenly parted, revealing him on all fours as he pushed himself off the ground, propelling into you with a gut-wrenching force, knocking you onto your back.

His full body weight had you pinned, flattening the dry brush beneath you. His barrel-chest heaved and his hand wrapped around your neck, squeezing. As frightened as you were, a strange sense of relief washed over and the instinct to raise your hips overtook you.

He tried moving away, but your legs locked him in. You awkwardly shimmied your shorts down and he watched you. His anger dissipated, replaced by hunger the more of your thighs he saw.

You captured his curious gaze, “Look how wet you made me.”

Your hand reached down and massaged your aching pussy through your sodden underwear. You were a mess, physically and mentally, and if you didn’t get fucked soon you were going to go rabid.

“Thomas, please. Don’t make me beg for it. You know what I want.”

Hearing his name revved him up like an engine. He could practically smell you through his mask. Your pussy glistened beneath the moonlight and he was more than willing to comply. With one hand still around your throat, he used the other to hastily unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants.

He roughly pushed your soaked panties aside and thrusted roughly inside you with a loud grunt. It was swift and had you not been as wet as you were you knew it would have hurt more than it did. You gasped and cried out, pounding your fist to the ground. He fucked you like an animal. It was exactly what you’d been yearning for and if felt so fucking good to finally get it.

His hips bucked with a mighty strength, sending you backwards every time. It made it hard for him to keep himself inside you without having to adjust his position. He scooped you up like a rag doll and pinned you against a tree, folding you between it and his body. The change in position was too much as the angle allowed him to reach new depths inside you, hitting spots you never knew you had, sending you over the edge.

Your climax arrived so suddenly that it left you silently shaking and clinging to Thomas. Your pussy clamped down like the jaws of a lion and he growled, spilling his seed inside you from the tightness.

He laid you both down on the ground with your back to him. You took the time to catch your breath and settle down, but Thomas had other plans. He raised your top leg in the air, spreading you wide and began pumping again.

“Slow, Thomas. I’m really sore.”

Not thinking he’d actually do as you asked, you were surprised at the gradual way he eased his thick cock back into your pussy, keeping a close eye on your face. Although you were too spent to cum again, you nestled back against his chest and idly enjoyed his thrusts.

“Just like that, Thomas. Oh…”

His head was right there and the temptation to kiss him was too good to pass up. Soft lips met his through the mask and he jerked back, stopping his movements altogether.

“God, don’t you stop, Thomas. Your cock is too good. Come back here.”

You wrapped an arm around his head and he let you bring him back down. This time he kissed back, licking and sucking your lips like they were made of chocolate. You were in absolute bliss, not thinking clearly, lost in a haze of euphoria.

With his mouth full of you and you full of him, he groaned a guttural sound that didn’t sound quite human. Your pussy took his second load with open arms, milking every last bit of him he had left to offer. You broke the sloppy kiss to watch his cock pulse and his balls twitch, finding it super erotic.

His cock left you open and wide. You clenched your walls and streams of his fresh cum gushed out. You swiped some and brought it to your lips with Thomas watching in clear fascination. You then offered your finger to him.

He titled his head and inspected the leftover fluid. After some time of pondering his tongue tentatively flicked out, considering the taste, then placed your entire finger in his mouth. He sucked until there was nothing left to suck except the saltiness of your skin.

Using the tree as a support, you carefully maneuvered up. Everything was sore, from your head down to your hips and the simple task of bending down seemed impossible. In an oddly sweet gesture, Thomas gathered your shorts and helped you put them back on.

“You know,” you began, eyes twinkling mischievously, “It’s a long way back to the house. Who knows what could happen on the way there.”

Thomas made a sound caught between a chuckle and a scuff. He watched you strut away, eyes glued to your bouncing ass.

His Mama was right. You were worth keeping around.

[nemfrog]

Smiling sun face. East o' the sun and west o' the moon. 1924. Endpaper detail.

Internet Archive

[the-evil-clergyman]

Illustration from East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon for Thourgh Fairy Halls of My Bookhouse by Donn P. Crane (1925)

[fictionadventurer]

Seeing your latest fairy tale post and some misconceptions about fairy tales, I’m interested to see your perspective on how they portray love cause lots of people believe it to be not of much substance

Not much substance? The love that sends a woman east o' the sun and west o' the moon in search of her beloved? The love that wears through seven pairs of iron shoes? The love that makes seven nettle-shirts while keeping silent for seven years? The love that sends a prince through brambles that that have killed dozens of men before him? Fairy tales contain some of the most awe-inspiring examples of true, substantial love--romantic, platonic, and familial--that one can imagine, and anyone who thinks otherwise has not read far enough into the genre.

Perhaps these people are referring to commonly-known Cinderella types of tales, where a prince falls madly in love with a woman after one night of dancing, and we are meant to believe that this is a solid-enough foundation for a lifetime of happiness. How could he truly love her? Isn't it more likely he's been blinded by her beauty? No, because these too-literal takes forget that Cinderella's appearance in a dazzling gown is a revelation of her true self; the interior beauty that has been hidden by her stepmother's efforts to keep her enslaved as a soot-covered, rag-wearing servant is now put on full display, clad in silk and jewels as such beauty deserves to be. Often in fairy tales, beauty equates with goodness, not because beauty is good, but because goodness is beautiful. It is this beauty, exterior and interior, that the prince can now recognize and fall in love with, and a love built upon a foundation that clearly sees the interior self can be as lasting and true as love built upon years of acquaintance.

Or maybe these skeptics are talking about the many tales in which a husband or wife is merely a reward for success in the hero's endeavors, just another piece of the happily-ever-after, a love that we're supposed to believe in just because we're told it exists. But how is this different from any of the other unbelievable things in the story? In fairy tales, we don't expect things to happen like they do in the real world. Animals talk, monsters eat children, strangers hand out magical gifts that work upon arbitrary rules. We don't question these things, merely marvel at them. Things happen because they happen, and we don't need to understand more than that. It's a very childlike approach that doesn't wonder why or how, but just plain wonders at the marvelous news that it happened at all. If the story tells us that the couple lived happily-ever-after, who are we to doubt the truth of the tale? Why can we believe that the ogre can turn into a mouse, that the cloak can make a man invisible, or that the boots can travel seven leagues in one stride, but doubt that the love between husband and wife can last through a lifetime? Why is human fidelity the one miracle that we doubt? Fairy tales are a genre that asks for innocence--for child-like trust that the story happened the way they said it did. As marvelous and unbelievable as it sounds to the skeptical ears of adults, love can last a lifetime, whether a couple has known each other for a few hours or a few decades, if they choose to keep loving each other every day of their lives. If the story tells me it happened, I am more than happy to believe it was so.

[thegothicalice]

Another oil painting, from the fairytale “East o’ the Sun, West o’ the Moon” with hand sculpted & painted details added to a thrifted frame, 8”x10” 🐻‍❄️🌞🌙🌌🕯️

[zoesblogsposts]

o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

[incomingalbatross]

"Wives saving their husbands/betrothed," very incomplete list:

Cupid and Psyche (the archetype, a lot of its structure shows up in later examples)

The Black Bull of Norroway

The Singing, Springing Lark/Lily and the Lion

East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon

There are a lot more listed under the Aarne-Thomson-Uther Index type 425, "Search for the Lost Husband" (although the Wikipedia page is titled "Animal As Bridegroom," which is an overlapping subtype). The ones above are just the ones I have some personal knowledge of.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Shihouin[四楓院] Chika[千日]

Shi[四]: "4"

Hou[楓]: "Maple(tree)"

In[院]: "Temple/House(of governmetn)/Institution"

Chi[千]: "1,000"

Ka[日]: "(The)Sun"/"Day"

Given the naming pattern with Yoruichi and Yuushirou reading "Night 1" and "Night 4 Son", it would follow that Chika's name here reads as "1000 Days" or "1000th Day" A curious notion when the Shihouin crest has a moon on it, which was obviously where the night motif in the later heirs came from. Is Chika a blacksheep of the family for not having a night name? Or did the Shihouin change their motif at some point from day/sun to night/moon?

And very noticeably he's wearing what looks like a chinese style of lamellar belt(it's hard to say when there isn't an accompanying suit of armor to go with it) but it evokes to me a lot of Ming dynasty period pieces(or alternatively very anime-ass Romance of the Three Kingdoms designs) and incidentally Journey To The West was written in the Ming Dynasty, and combined with his complexion and his distinctive Xiangyun[祥云]:"auspicious clouds" scarf (and of course my ongoing crackpot theory about there being an unspoken theme of pre-Japanese Buddhism underlying the foundation of Soul Society) makes me think he's specifically Indian but having travelled East across China(or whatever the Soul Society equivalents are)

Izuhara[嚴原] Kinroku[金勒]

Izu[嚴]: "Strict/Stern"

Hara[原]: "Plain/Field/Wilderness"

Kin[金]: "Gold"

Roku[勒]: "Bit/Bridle(like a horse's)"

Makes him sound like a wild stallion type who was only tamed by being bribed with wealth and luxury. At first glance I had pegged him for a cold corporate or medical type, but looking at him again he has a certain yakuza look about him too. Less an overt thug and more a grifter, a penny pincher, a coldblooded loan shark type, and this name seems to vibe with that. It's hard to tell but it looks like he has the archetypal yakuza/laborer bellywarmer like Tetsuzaemon did too.

Shijima[志島] Chikiri[知霧]

Shi[志]: "Will/Resolution/Ambition"

Jima[島]: "Island"

Chi[知]: "Wisdom/jnana"

Kiri[霧]: "Mist/Fog/Haze"

Same root word Shi[志] as in the Shiba family and in Okikiba Genshiro's given name. Weird that all three of these are associated with the water; waves/ripples, islands, and distant waters.

The given name is fun because it seems to describe him as wise but in a hazy way, his wisdom is obscured or unclear; whether that means it's unclear to others, or even to him isn't clear. Either one seems to fit his kind of disheveled appearance.

Now that we can see him properly, he kind of reminds me of Wonderweiss.

Obana[尾花] Danjirou[彈児郎]

O[尾]: "Tail"

Bana[花]: "flower"

Dan[彈]: "Bullet/Pellet/(musket)Ball"

Ji[児]: "newborn baby"

Rou[郎]: "son"

On the one hand the compound [尾花] appears to refer to "(ear of) Japanese pampas grass" which is also known as the Chinese Silver Grass. But it's also part of the compound [鸟尾花] refering to the Crossandra infundibuliformis, the Firecracker Flower. And also [鸢尾花] referring to irises in general. Since, as the 5th division captain, he's not the one with an iris insignia, I'm going to go with the silver grass reference. It does evoke a certain rugged and pastoral landscape that seems to suit the rustic almost hick-ish vibe he has going on.

As for Bullet baby.... I have no idea what to make of it...

Saitou[齊藤] Furofushi[不老不死]

[齊]: "...-Like/as if..."

[藤]: "Wisteria"

[不老]: "No grow old"

[不死]: "No die"

"Wisteria-like" has obvious evocations in her hair color and pigtails. The given name all together is actually a phrase meaning "immortality/perpetual youth." Pretty straight forward.

Shigyou[執行] Nobutsuna[乃武綱]

Shigyou[執行]: "execution/enforcment"/"executive/executor"*

No[乃]: "<possessive indicator>"

Bu[武]: "Military/Martial"

Tsuna[綱]: "Cord/Rope"

*can also refer to a "lead monk performing various tasks in a (buddhist)temple" although his overall appearance is anything but monk-like; certainly there are other captains here that would suit that reading better. So, the "rope or military enforcement."

(The random 3rd division guy with the "Winter Whistle" sword was named Taketsuna[武綱])

Katoribatsu[鹿取抜] Unsai[雲齋]

Ka[鹿]: "Deer"

Toribatsu[取抜]: "Drain/Extract"

Un'[雲]: "Cloud"

Sai[齋]: "<indicates a penname>"

Ok, first of all... "Deer Extraction"??? And then her given name is either "Penname: Cloud" or if taken together [雲齋]: "cotten drill" as in the twill weave fabric used for things like khakis?? But that feels like a weird way to go. She is quite bookish looking (i mean... as if she can avoid it in the proximity of Nanao and Risa...) so perhaps she's an author on the side? Hence the penname. But as for the deer collecting... it feels like a weird way to phrase it, but I'm assume it's trying to conjure a disney princess-like scene of her attracting deer to her to show her purity and trustworthiness? Maybe???

Also she has a distinctive, Zhōngguó jié[中國結]: "Chinese knot" ornament at the end of her naginata(?) which wasn't shown in the poster. Although the coloration on this sheet is oddly gold rather than the more typical red. What is probably the most common and recognizable design is the Pán zhǎng jié[盤長結], sometimes called an "endless knot" or "eternal knot" and is used to represent various Buddhist virtues.

Kumoi[久面井] Entetsu[煙鐵]

Ku[久]: "A long time"

Mo[面]: "Face/Mask/Surface"

I[井]: "Well(water source/hole in the ground)"

En'[煙]: "Smoke"

Tetsu[鐵]: "Iron"

He sounds and looks very much like a jailer/torturer, not unlike some vibes Urahara's backstory gave off. Kumoi's zanpakuou is also a Tiěbiān[鐵鞭], a sectioned iron rod, part of a broader family of weapons/tools all called "iron whips."

Interestingly it's the same type of weapon Sui-feng's bankai, Jakuhou Raikouben[雀蜂雷公鞭], is named after.

Outokawa[王途川] Furuoki[雨緒紀]

Ou[王]: "King"

To[途]: "Road/Way"

Kawa[川]: "River"

Furu[雨]: "Rain"

O[緒]: "Cord/String(of an instrument)"

Ki[紀]: "Era/Period(of time)" or "Rule/(Written)Record"

"King's Way River" is a very pompous sounding family name... Interestingly the name Furuoki uses the kanji [雨] for rain, but is pronounced here like furu[降る] which is the verb for "to fall" referring specifically to rain or snow. The "Era of Rain(fall) String." It might be a stretch but I want to interpret that as the lines of rain falling being equated to the string of an instrument, and by proxy comparing the sound of rain fall as music.

But alternatively it could be another play into Kubo's on-again-off-again rain symbolism. Sometimes it's Ichigo's depression, sometimes it's Uryuu's legacy as the last Quincy, sometimes it's Orihime making confusing statements about joining earth and heaven, in direct contradiction to her Tanabata namesake... Is it "The Rule of Rainfall" as in the downpour comes eventually no matter how you run from it? Or as in, heaven and earth are joined eventually if your just wait? Or as in heavens will be clouded over and separated eventually? Or as in, relief comes eventually and even the worst drought can't last forever?

Zenjou[善定] Jiuhin[寺有嬪]

Zen'[善]:"Virtue/Goodness/Good deeds

Jou[定]: "certainty/reality/samadhi"

Ji[寺]: "temple"

U[有]: "bhava/becoming/existence"

Hin'[嬪]: "court lady/virtuous woman/concubine"

So I can't quite tell if Kubo's just leaning into the on'yomi here, or if he's specifically aiming for a Chinese reading. I want to say On'yomi, but it is fairly close to the Chinese reading Shàndìng[善定] Sìyǒupín[寺有嬪] it's just the dìng[定] vs jou[定] throwing a wrench in it. And I'm hung up on Jiuhin's name sounding Chinese because with the mandarin style collared shirt and the fact that he has... for some reason two... queue... it all points to a distinctly Chinese influence in the design.

Arguably the face paint could also be pulled erroneously from the brooder aesthetic of Chinese opera --as in maybe Kubo was going for a Chinese opera inspired look, but what's here definitely isn't accurate to the style-- but it feels very in line with Kubo's own funky sensibilities either way.

Sakahone[逆骨] Saizou[才藏]

Saka[逆]: "Reverse"

Hone[骨]: "Bone"

Sai[才]:"Talent/Ability"

Zou[藏]: "Hidden"

....the idea that this decrepit old man is named "Reverse Bones" as if he's like that because his bones are just "wrong" is for some reason hilarious and horrifying to me. "Hidden Talent" seems self-explanatory given he looks like he should barely be able to move, let alone fight or kill a person.

[thebeautifulbook]

EAST O’ THE SUN & WEST O’ THE MOON by Peter Christen Asbjørnsenre and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe. (Philadelphia: McKay, c.1921). Illustrated by George Webbe Dasent.

source

[andsobelovedbesoalone]

“And so, beloved, you must go alone—traveling lands afar and paths unknown, facing perils great and trials small, until you arrive east of the sun and west of the moon to conquer the greatest grief of all.”

— Baba Priskeda, And So Beloved

[valiantarcher]

I'm rereading Black as Night and have a few thoughts (under a cut for spoilers and because it did get a bit long).

Even thought it's incredibly obvious and his role is obvious, I think this is the first time it's clicked why Hunter is named Hunter.

This is the one book where it feels like I miss a certain amount of nuance and humour because I don't have a good grasp on the structure of the Roman Catholic church (what is the basis of the snub about Benedictines and fruitcake??).

I am again having idle wonderings about what would've happened if Blanche had tried to tell Fish about her feelings of danger before he left for Europe. I'm guessing he wouldn't have really believed her but I also have a feeling that he would've probably tried to give her a ride home from work a few times or checked in, just to set her mind at ease, with the result that he probably would've seen her mystery stalker or otherwise had his sense of danger raised enough for him to start taking it very seriously.

While rereading, I also was struck by the remembrance that, at one point, Regina Doman had been considering retellings of Rumplestiltskin and East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. It seems unlikely those will happen now (but not impossible, I guess!), which I'm mostly fine with, but I am curious all over again about how those would've worked out.

I'm struck by how frustrated Fish is that Bear makes spur-of-the-moment decisions and gets into trouble without looping him into it. There's an aspect that probably comes from experience (always better to have backup and they learned a lot on the streets as teens) and some that just comes from their differences in personality and strengths, but it's also interesting with respect to Waking Rose, where Fish does get into trouble without Bear BUT always with a plan, usually with backup, and often with having given Bear a heads up or keeping him looped in.

The Nancy Drew reference is common enough, but I'm amused that Fish knows enough about girls' detective stories to know to call Rose Trixie Belden. Also somewhat telling that Fish both has a point in his comment about Rose not surviving to star in a second novel, much less three hundred fifty more, from the perspective of her only surviving SotB (and then WR) because he saved her and also sells her short because she *does* survive three novels where she does detecting. ;))

Also! I had forgotten that Rose is the one who hits the nail on the head as far as motive! Fish is right that it's unlikely but she's correct that it's about jealousy - they're just both missing a couple pieces of the puzzle at that point.

I feel like the Austrian professor is a reference to Fish's later adviser in WR?

I also feel like there's some significance to Mr. Fairston's name being Alistair but going by Jack. Maybe a bit of foreshadowing that his last name isn't really his right name either (though it is legal - which raises the question why he didn't change his first name to Jack when he changed his last name if he hated Alistair so much)?

I appreciate the continuity between Bear trying to talk Mr. Freet out of further murder in SotB and him trying to talk Elaine out of murder in BaN. Granted, the stakes are high in both instances, but he is also genuinely concerned for the consequences of murder on themselves.

The short emergency room scene is good and I like how quickly Fish, upon being thanked, redirects that thanks to Rose and rightly acknowledges her invaluableness to saving both of his surviving family members. (Also, I still kind of wish there had been a parallel emergency room scene at the end of SotB.)

OH MAN. I just caught that Mrs. Foster comes by to read to Bear and Fish's dad! She was so protective of them and rightly upset by how their dad threw them out after they got out of the juvenile detention and yet??? She comes by and visits him and reads to him, something he is appreciative of! She was under no obligation and it would've been really easy for her to just not even stop by and yet!!

I'm really hoping Rose had wandered off by this point in the phone call and didn't hear Fish's "Let's hope Elaine didn't dump [Blanche] in the river" comment.

I'm unexpectedly appreciating the reconciliation between Bear and his dad more on this read than I have before. I know it's critical for Bear's arc and growth, but it just stands out more this time around. (Also, I'm a bit saddened by the realisation that, apparently, his own probable reconciliation didn't have much of an impact on Ben as it never comes up in WR.)

I'm wondering if Fish went out, bought a cellphone for Bear, and pressed it into his hands before he went out looking for Blanche or if Bear is still just carrying around Fish's cellphone. Either seems reasonable and either is just slightly amusing.

[sciatu]

TAORMINA - PASSEGGIANDO

Nessun poeta può scrivere una poesia su Taormina perché Taormina è già poesia nel suo essere cielo e mare nella luce che la veste nella sua infinita primavera nei mille colori che l’accendono nel suo solare abbraccio perché qui nessun cuore può essere straniero o triste o vestirsi di malinconia o non credere nei sogni mentre parla con il mare dai suoi balconi fioriti da quel gradino del paradiso che è la sua piazza luminosa. Nessuno a Taormina può negare la bellezza o ignorare la felicità o non amare la vita. Perché Taormina è la luce del giorno è i versi di una tragedia nel teatro sospeso sul mare è il fascino dei palazzi medievali arrossati dal sole al tramonto Taormina è il sorriso delle sue bellissime donne è le lingue del mondo che qui trovano casa. Taormina è i suoi vicoli il verde ed i fiori che la vestono è il profumo dei suoi ristoranti l’ironia, la gioia delle scalinate il suo essere nobile e casta sensuale e provocante, sorella e amante ricca e generosa silenzio e musica. Taormina è abbracciare il nord è il lungo sereno viale che vive da levante a ponente è il suo volto rivolto a sud è il centro di tre mari lo specchio di sette cieli il tempo che si ferma la vita che scivola felice su i suoi antichi palazzi. Taormina è il crocevia di ogni poesia d’amore è le stelle d’agosto con cui le sue luci si confondono felici è il sospiro di amanti e poeti è la luna che la veste d’argento le nubi che la sfiorano la serenità che la culla il vento che l’accarezza. Taormina è il bello racchiuso nella sua profumata, antica multicolore, immensa, elegante anima mediterranea

TAORMINA - WALKING: No poet can write a poem about Taormina, because Taormina is already poetry, in its being sky and sea, in the light that dresses it, in its infinite spring, in the thousand colors that light it up in its sunny embrace because here no heart can be foreign or sad, or dress in melancholy, or not believe in dreams, while it speaks with the sea, from its flowered balconies, from that step of paradise, which is its luminous square. No one in Taormina can deny beauty, or ignore happiness, or not love life. Because Taormina is the light of day, it is the verses of a tragedy, in the theater suspended over the sea, it is the charm of the medieval buildings, reddened by the setting sun, Taormina is the smile of its beautiful women it is the languages of the world, which find a home here. Taormina is its alleys, the greenery and flowers that dress it, it is the scent of its restaurants, the irony, the joy of the stairways, its being noble and chaste, sensual and provocative, sister and lover, rich and generous silence and music. Taormina is embracing the north, it is the long serene avenue, which runs from east to west, it is its face facing south, it is the center of three seas the mirror of seven heavens, time that stops, life that slides happily, on its ancient buildings. Taormina is the crossroads of every love poem and the stars of August with which its lights happily merge is the sigh of lovers and poets it is the moon that dresses her in silver, the clouds that touch her, the serenity that cradles her, the wind that caresses her. Taormina is the beauty contained in its fragrant, ancient, multicoloured, immense, elegant Mediterranean soul

[khapaleaf]

A compilation of puzzle solutions for the Relics of the Lost Age series 

Relics of the Lost Age

Chapter 1 — The Oracle of God

1. The very first puzzle

First seal: South then North

Second seal: East then West

Third seal: West then South

Fourth seal: West then East

Chapter 2 — Shambala

N/A

Chapter 3 — Devil Music

1. The Objection! achievement

What did you learn at the museum that contradicts the theory making Elliot out as the robber?

It was something related to the Satanic imagery in the gallery --> a. it was the written message “Hail Satan”

What did you learn at the precinct that contradicts this evidence?

It was something we saw at the precinct. --> b. it was the register of detainees on the front desk

2. Strange box puzzle

Open the drawer depicting the man with his finger to his lips.

Chapter 4 — The River

N/A

Chapter 5 — The Eye of Kali

1. The clock puzzle

7 : 44

Chapter 6 — Hong Kong Crazy

N/A

Chapter 7 — Endgame

1. The relics puzzle

First podium: King Manuel’s amulet from the Congo

Second podium: The Stone of Shambala from Tibet

Third podium: The Eye of Kali from London

Fourth podium: The dragon figurine from Hong Kong

Fifth podium: The high priest’s breastplate from Palestine

Sixth podium: Chantelle LaValle’s amulet from New Orleans

2. The tree puzzle

Acorn / patch of earth / sun / raindrop

Relics 2: The Crusader’s Tomb

Chapter 1 — The Quest

N/A

Chapter 2 — A Canterbury Tale

1. The organ puzzle

D - E - A - F

C - A - G - E - D

D - E - C - A - D - E

D - E - F - A - C - E - D

Chapter 3 — City of Light

1. The map puzzle

Direction from Paris: Southeast

Associated saint: St. Mark

Associated animal: Lion

Chapter 4 — La Serenissima

1. The tome puzzle

The Life of St. Esther of Bingen: the saint’s name

The Life of St. Benedict: the saint’s revival of the dead child

The Life of St. Scholastica: the saint’s relation to Benedict

The Life of St. Jerome: the story about the tame lion

The Life of St. Matthias of Westphalia: the death of the lion

Note: the sequence of Benedict / Scholastica / Esther / Jerome / Matthias also grants the achievement for solving the puzzle.

Chapter 5 — Pilgrims in an Unholy Land

1. The coat of arms

Deer / stag

A lion

Chapter 6 — Blood of Dracul

1. The altar puzzle

The tree / the scorpion / the boat / the peacock

Chapter 7 — The World’s Desire

1. The chalice puzzle 

Turn the third cylinder left.

Turn the middle cylinder left.

Turn the first cylinder left.

Turn the first cylinder left.

Turn the middle cylinder left.

Turn the third cylinder left.

Turn the middle cylinder right.

Note: a shorter solution should also be possible, but I lost it.

2. The column puzzle

4th column and 7th column

Chapter 8 — Endgame

1. Geometric shape puzzle

Circle / triangle / square / pentagon / cross

Relics 3: Ashes for Gold

Chapter 1 — Showdown at Rattlesnake Gulch

1. Geometric shape puzzle

Single line / two parallel lines / the triangle / the upper-case M / the pentagram

Chapter 2 — The Temple of the Sands

1. Safe combination

Find the concealed note in Baillard’s office (“Behind the Sphinx. The answer is in the Good Book.”). Return to the guest bedroom and consult the bible to find the safe combination (Mark 10:43).

2. First temple puzzle

Press Jamanu, meaning “Amun”.

Press hotep, meaning “satisfied”.

Press the empty cartouche name-ring.

3. Second temple puzzle

Khonsu symbols: moon, crook and bandage.

Mut symbols: mother, water and crown.

Amun symbols: farmer, ram-headed sphinx and two vertical plumes.

Chapter 3 — The Doctor’s Demons

1. The alchemy puzzle  

The scythe-bearing angel: an offering of earth.

The torch-bearing angel: an offering of fire.

The trident-bearing angel: an offering of water.

The trumpet-bearing angel: an offering of air.

Note: follow the given order otherwise it will become bugged (on dash, at least)

2. The code puzzle

Fill in a letter for the symbol ' = T

Fill in a letter for the symbol < = H

Fill in a letter for the symbol - = R

Fill in a letter for the symbol > = O

Fill in a letter for the symbol ~ = D

Fill in a letter for the symbol : = C

Fill in a letter for the symbol " = F

3. The identity of the traitor

Solution 1

What was the key piece of information about?

It was about me.

And what was it that Becker said about you that gives Winter’s identity away?

That your cover story involved working for the Smithsonian.

Solution 2

Winter’s gender: uses traditionally male pronouns

Winter’s title and position at the university: is an academic with the rank of full professor

Winter’s employment at Magdalen: has been involved with the college for a long time

Chapter 4 — Dead Man’s Chest

1. The museum puzzle

The three ships that called into Barros’s harbor (The Jocasta out of New Orleans, a French ship carrying sugar and tobacco, and an English ship bound for Portsmouth).

2. The ship voyage puzzle

1. New Orleans, Louisiana / St. John’s, Antigua / Bridgetown, Barbados

2. Veracruz, Mexico / Saint Augustine, Florida / Cartagena, Colombia / Le Havre, France.

3. Havana, Cuba / Santo Domingo, Hispaniola / Portsmouth, England

3. The bomb puzzle

The yellow wire / the blue wire / the green wire / the indigo wire / the red wire

Chapter 5 — Path of the Condor

1. The three worlds puzzle

Set the first lever to the down position.

Set the second lever to the up position.

Set the fourth lever to the down position.

2. The Inca society puzzle

The tile showing the woman with the stretched earlobes: in the second slot down.

The tile showing the man planting maize: in the bottom slot.

The tile showing the man with the silver shoes and headdress: in the top slot.

The tile showing the man holding the knotted cords: in the third slot down.

Chapter 6 — The Sapporo Archive

N/A

Chapter 7 — Endgame

N/A