#holy nail

[realcatalina]

Two Christian relics in Czechia

I am from Czechia, country known historically as Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia. We have complicated relationship with religion. We have the highest number of atheists in the world. There is long and complicated history, involving catholics and protestants, lots of politics and bloodshed. If you didn’t hear of Hussites, 30 year war, check it out, to get some of the basics. 

I was never raised up to religion. I don’t know that much about any faith, tbh.

But Czechs as culture, we have surpring level of respect towards the churches and monastical buildings and history overall. Doesn’t mean we believe, but we respect the history of any historical place or historical item and effort put into building/making it. 

So I’d like to introduce you a bit to history of my country, and I’d like to start with items perhaps not so interesting to us czech nowadays, but perhaps to other nationalities more so. Some of the religious relics of Bohemia/Czechia.

So read further if you’re interested.

For now, I’ll skip the remains of various saints, as the dressed up corpses creep me out more than Sedlec Ossuary:

It was inspiration for decor certain horror-tv show, but actually it is place where some soil from Holy Land was brought to and people wanted to be burried there. Yet over time there was not enough space and they started to do this. There is way more bones than you see in this picture! Few years back, they had to take all the remains out to do restoration work to building itself and then carefully return them all back. It’s intersting place, but somehow naked bones don’t scare me as much as when you put clothes upon them. So no saints today.

It might come as surprise, but the most known religious relic in Czechia-the The Reliquary of St. Maurus, is not here from romanesque times, but only from the end of 19th century. It wasn’t public knowledge it was in the country back then. One noble family kept it on their property, in private, right until it was hidden by them after WW2 ended. Nobody but them knew of it. The reliquary of St. Maurus(bellow):

It is beautiful and located in castle of Bečov nad Teplou, in western part of country(not that far from Germany). It considered to be the second most important historical artifact in the Czechia after the Czech Crown Jewels. But it is not relic which christian public would come to visit historically. As I said, it was hidden.

But strangely, it is not the only relic that nobody knew about. And even for much longer time. The relic discovered in hidden vault in 2020, exceeds it in importance. How you ask? 

Not in beauty, but certainly in carbon dating.  You probably never heard of Milevský relikviář(The Reliquary of Milevsko). Hell, I lived here all my life, and I still didn’t notice it in news in 2020. At the time it didn’t really make the main news. It wasn’t spoken about. But I think it is pretty amazing find. 

Milevsko is a town, in Czechia, where in 12th century a premostraterian monastery was built. Once, it was one of the richest in the country. But in 1420 it was burned down by Husits. As many other religious places I’ve been to on various trips, it was robbed and burned down by them. (So if somebody tells you they were all about religious reforms and they were all nice, just as with Disolution of Monasteries during Henry VIII’s reign, a lot of it was to do with people searching for excuse to rob and destroy a rich monastic place.)

Long story short, the monastery once again belongs to the monks, and archeological works were carried out bit by bit, as monastery gets repaired. And boy, did they find a treasure! 

You must have heard of INRI, well IR is shorter version of it-Iesus Rex, Jesus the King. This litle piece of metal,is from pure gold, even though most relics or their casings are merely gilded. It was found in vault, in particularly well-hidden spot, where it probably stayed since before the monastery burned down in 1420. For 600 years, certainly since 1500 at least. The Husits and 30 year old war, has eradicated all the records of what it might have been.

But the very fact the monastery was among richest in the Kingdom, suggests lots of pilgrims came there. Yet by the time this was found, nobody knew of possible of Holy Relic being here. And when they found it, aside from the location, and the gold, it didn’t look as much. Pile of rotted wood, with bit of gold and IR letters.

But based upon those letters archeologists started to suspect that it could relic related to christ, namely part of the Holy cross. But they were wrong.

Among the rotten wood and gold once forming the box was cca 6 cm of metal, adorned with golden cross(mark sometimes put on religious relics, labelled them as the relic).

It was part of the iron nail. But just as splinters of holy cross are truly many(and their autenticity uncertain), there are many alleged true Holy nails. 

And here is where this gets truly interesting. They carbon dated the wood. There were two types:

Lighter wood-larch, 1290 – 1394, hence possibly from during reign of Emperor Charles IV(also King of Bohemia), man who was very religiously involved and liked to collect and care for relics.

And darker oak wood, which was from middle east(probably from Byzantine Empire). Carbon dated to 260 to 416 AD.

This nail has at least 1600 year old history. Making it very exciting find.

Because currently, it is the only Holy Nail(or its part) which we can prove had been worshiped since at least 5th century.

And it makes likelihood that it genuine, that much greater.

Experts also found reason why the reliquary outer box was not made of something more sumptuous(there was bits of silver and gold, but no rare stones). We’d expect something more like Reliquary of St. Maurus. Instead we have pile of rotten wood.

But experts found that wood was painted with the most expensive pigment of the time-the natural ultramarine(from lapis lazuli). So it was held in VERY sumptuous box- like blue sky. But of course over time, in its hiding place it was not taken care of and eventually it rotted away. 

Also, according to wikipedia, there are 3 other Holy nails which are just part of the nail, I certainly hope, that somebody will try to see if any of those other parts might have once fitted together. (Which sadly might be impossible due to erosion of the metal, but who knows?)

If anybody was interested, in future the alleged Holy Nail will be in Milevsko Monastery. They are preparing pernament exhibition of it, but it is not ready yet. The nail itself needs proper security and microclimate. So it will probably be shown to public only on special occasions, before then. 

Is it worth it to go and see it? Only few days ago, I’d say not for the estetics of it!

But on 13th of September 2022 the monastery has officially introduced the relic to the public and it transpired they had the nail set in very respectul way:

And it looks like a proper relic once more. The cross it is set in, is not very large. But neither is the nail, so I think it is actually perfect size, so that you could look at it and focus on that nail, and not the suroundings. 

There are two more things I also find interesting about this relic. 

Vatican has previously said that authenticity of various alleged Holy Nails cannot be verified-including one in Prague, which is alegedly part of Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral-namely the Coronation Cross:

It has not been verified that nail is actually there(or at least part of it), but who had the cross made? -Emperor Charles IV. 

This is especially interesting conection, because the archeologists only started to probe the hole within the vault in the Milevsko monastery, after having discussion with somebody else about the vault in St. Vitus Cathedral(which was build during Emperor Charles IV’s reign). Without doing so, they’d not find the relic.

 The vaults are of very similiar design. Coincidence? Maybe. But perhaps the Emperor had funded both the vault in St. Vitus and in the monastery and gifted them this relic. 

The other interesting thing is that monastery has decided to have logo made for the relic.It’s very simple, but on point. It truly hit the nail on head.(Sorry I couldn’t resist saying that.)

In past they used coat of arms and flags, these days its logos. You know, the relic is not yet very known by christians around the world and monastery is hoping to atract the pilgrims or just curious tourist. So they have to somehow start to present this relic to the public and this is one of the ways to go.

Also its discovery also gives hope of finding in the future some other lost relics.

I’ll be honest, I am trying to promote a bit my own country. 

But the story seems also amazing to me. To even get to the vault was not easy. They had to get over beam which was later added, to clear it from rubble(some animals nested there), and then there was this very narrow long space, where they had crawl and after reaching the end of it, they found it has tiny space to side, but when they reached into it-the hand of grown modern man wasn’t long enough. They had to build special shovel-like tool to reach there and clear it.

And they could have just stopped once they reached the end of that narrow space. But they found St. Vitus vault had hiding space exactly like this and it that very space the most prized items would be kept. So they gave it a second go.

The nail was hidden for exactly 600 hundred years. Nobody knew it was there. Nobody knew to look for it. Its two boxes didn’t make it. But the relic did. So perhaps some other long lost relics will be equally lucky.

I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

[tumbld-out-of-my-bed]

Heaven: And whenever you see the Enemy, the demon, make sure they are Smitten.

Aziraphale: Absolutely! You got it!

Aziraphale definitely understood the assignment and has been working very hard on it for the past 6,000 years

[miwkchii]

Someone give him brown eye contacts im shaking ☹️

Jagertity doing the nail polish trend ✧˖°.

[IVE BEEN SICK its been like a week but im better!! and i wanted to draw my blorbos being cute]

[circusinarun]

ARGH! I LUV HOLLY SO F MUCH!

My bird boy... <33333

"Hey! Hey! Ward! Ward! I'm going to adopt this alien orphan! !"

"Not fucking now...."

And also...

Welp Cass, if u add gay drama in ur graph then... Hehehehe \pos

Some close ups

Aaaand...

Marble sky by @somerandomdudelmao :3 hewwo! 👋👋👋👋👋

[sceebybeeby]

⚠️the book of bill spoils, blood⚠️

"Hey, brother, it's Sixer."

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

"See you tomorrow"

MDZS Disco Elysium AU part 4 [prev parts]

[0wikipedia0]

Alright everyone, I NEED you to go watch the new live action avatar.

Because despite everything, and I never thought I’d say this, it was good.

Now, don’t expect it to be exactly like the cartoon, because unlike it’s source material it has a darker undertone (which makes sense given it’s a live action, and not a cartoon catered towards a younger audience) but other than that I think it’s a overall pretty great adaptation. It reorders and removes and changes things but nothing feels unnecessary for the shift in theme they made.

Needless to say, go into it with an open mind and not so cemented in the idea everything needs to stay the same. If everything was the same there would be no need for a live action. The only difference would be that you can see the actors and at that point just go watch the original again. The adaptation took the source material and molded it into something different, but definitely enjoyable, and with people set in hating it for frankly obstinate reasonings, it’s not going to get a season two. And that would be a travesty because I for one, am dying to see where they takes this.

[softavasilva]

undefined

alba messing up avas lines but it doesnt even seem like she broke character bc she just radiates avas golden retriever energy so well. im sob

[its-your-mind]

HEY. HEY.

HEY @re-dracula WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HAVE JONATHAN ACTUALLY READING THAT PASSAGE OUT LOUD BEHIND SEWARD DESCRIBING THE SCENE, HUH? WITH THE TEARS IN HIS VOICE AND THE PAUSING AND THE SHORT LITTLE INHALES AND THE VOICE CRACKS? WAS IT TRULY NECESSARY??? I WAS ALREADY CRYING. I DIDN'T NEED THIS TOO. WHAT THE FUCK.

[gordonsumner]

today is Good Friday, the 1990th or so anniversary of Jesus seeing Nine Inch Nails

[mossymenagerieart]

‼️TRANSGENDER WEREWOLF GUYS IN PRETTY DRESSES AND FRILLY CLOWN COLLARS APPRECIATION POST‼️

[magpod-confessions]

Its crazy how everyone always tryna draw /stylish/ versions of the characters (according to fandom people which makes it. Questionable in actual style) but always sleep on the one character that is described as being stylish and havin cool hair bc shes black and a woman. How come we got the same or more fanarts of Mike Crew when he like shows up in one episode and then gets immediately knocked dead than Anabelle who appears multiple times is a mysterious presence loomin over the story and plays a huge role on like. The whole closure of the entire podcast. Like im sure everyone hates to hear it and im callin myself out w this too cuz i havent done much fanart of her (to be fair i havent done enough fanart in general bc of chronic artblock) but im calling racism, mysoginy and mysoginoir too bc everyone either ignores her or writtes her as a dominant agressive presence to antagonize in their jmart fics

Anon you are actually so so right holy crap

[jazz-miester]

Nsfw One-shot with Bayverse!Optimus, please;)

BtwI’m OBSESSED with your works. I LOVE EM.

I Have Found My Peace In You

Paring: Bayverse Optimus x Reader

Reader type: Gender Nuetral Bot

Song: Would that I- Hozier

Warnings: Smut lol

An: Oh hell yes. Fukin love bayverse Optimus my dude. And i'm glad you like my stuff so much! It means a lot that ya like it lol.

(Also I just did my nails and holy fuck is it hard to type in them. Rip.)

You felt more than saw Optimus come up behind you.His servos settling on your hips before sliding up and over your stomach plating. His helm fell in the crook of your shoulder and neck. His lips pressed to the cabling there. A warm huff of air had you shivering as a smile curved your lips.

"And what are you up to?" Optimus was in a meeting the last time you checked. Something about Autobot and Human alliances that would greatly improve upon the scarce supplies you all had.

You lent back against his chassis as your fingers hovered above the keyboard you were previously engaged with.

"Is it a crime for me to see my Conjunx?" Optimus spoke into your neck. You caught sight of his optics in the reflection of the holo screen. The look of them sent a shiver down your back struts. Often that look was accompanied with your thighs on either side of his helm.

"It is when you are giving me such a look." You could feel him smile. His helm dipping down before nipping at your neck. You yelped and jumped as he soothed it with another kiss. You laughed as smacked at one of his arms wrapped around your waist.

Optimus's response was a laugh of his own and to squeeze your briefly. The sound of it had your spark fluttering. So rare a sound it was anymore. It was pleasant when he did. You couldn't help but wonder what had him in such a light mood.

"Truly, it is your fault. How could I handle myself." He paused pressing yet another kiss to to your neck. "When you are looking the way your are." Optimus couldn't help but find you to be nothing short of divine. The suns low light highlighted all his favorite parts of you. Coupled with the fact that this meeting had actually went well for once. Optimus found himself craving you.

His helm rose digits capturing your chin to turn you towards him. Optimus pressed a chaste kiss to your lips. He took a moment to take all of you in. Optics following the lines and curves of your faceplates. Then there was a tug at your bond. Full of want and desire. Warmth and love. Letting you know just how much he loved you in that moment. The here and the now in between the quiet lull of the war.

"Optimus. I do have reports to finish." They really were not important. You just wanted to tease. You were swiftly turned before your digits could touch the keyboard. The small of your back pressed against it as Optimus leaned forward towards you. You could hear the holo screen going wild until Optimus reached behind you and turned it off.

"The reports can wait." He pressed a kiss to your jaw. One servo traveling over your hip and up your waist.

"Do you really think Ratchet or Lennox would be ok with that?" Optimus huffed an pressed his helm against yours.

"I am the Prime. They can come to me if there is such an issue with it." With a laugh you pulled him in for another kiss. Arms moving to wrap around his neck as he lifted you up by your thighs before resting you on the keyboard.

Foolish decision really. But with him kissing along your neck like this? You were able to discard any real hard feelings about it.

"Oh for the love of Primus. Get a room you two!" Optimus turned to reveal and angry-ish Ratchet. The old war medic was shaking his helm and wagging a digit. Reminding you of one of the old ladies on the rom coms that Bumblebee liked to watch time to time.

"We are in a room old friend. Unless you intend to watch I suggest you leave." You barked out a laugh and smacked his chest with your servo.

"Optimus Prime don't you dare!" You could hear Ironhide laughing while he left just ask quickly as he came pulling a peeved looking Mudflap along with him.

"Absolutely not! I will not have you getting transfluids all over my equipment! Out! The both of you!" Laughing the entire time Optimus pulled you away from the keyboard and holo screen and down the hall. Leaving as you heard Ratchet mumbling about. "A Prime" And "To old to be acting like a couple of younglings freshly bonded."

The short trip down the hall and to the Autobots barracks seemed longer than usual. Then again you were very preoccupied with you lips against Optimus's neck cablings. You could feel his growing heat and hear the hushed growling in his throat.

There was a bond feedback as you felt just how much you were effecting him and honestly you didn't find yourself caring. Instead continuing on with what you were doing with and added roll of your hips against his,

He really did growl then as the door to your habsuit was thrown open. The door all but slammed closed behind the both of you.

You were laid down on the berth with a bit more care and a lot more gently. Optimus hovered above you. His optics cycling as the want went through him.

"Do you realize what you do to me My Spark?" His arms were braced on either side of you. His knees pressed to the berth on either side of your hips. "Truly, you drive me to insanity." His lips found yours. Drawing you close to him. His sweetened breath on yours as his servo came to cradle your face plates before he pulled away. His thumb brushing against your cheek.

"Oh? And you think i'm the unaffected party here?" You turned and pressed a kiss to the palm of his servo. "Really, you've been neglecting me. Being gone for so long." You looked up at him with lidded optics. "You come. Command your troops with that voice of yours and i'm supposed to pretend that i'm ok? It's torture really. I'd imagine it's in that geneva conventions that the humans have."

Optimus laughed. His servo moving away from your jaw to play at the seems on your chassis. "Oh I've been neglecting you now?" His frame moved languidly downwards. Leaving a trail of kisses while he moved before settling between your spread thighs. "Please, allow me to rectify it."

"Mmm. No." Optimus's optics went wide.

"No?" He hummed. "Even if I do this?" His lips pressed against your thighs. To the spot just above your modesty plating. A free servo traveling to the edge of your chassis. Playing at the seems that would lead to your spark chamber.

A surge of pleasure ran through your energy field. The bastard.

Your hips rolled of their own record as he did it again and again. Switching between moving slowly. Smoothly. Like the waves on a calm ocean. Before switching it to a rapid movement. Sure and firm.

Optimus pressed a kiss to your now heated plating. "May I?" He asked. His voice low and hoarse. "Please?" He gave you that same look he had earlier. A soft want pulled at your spark.

You knew that you could end this here. Have everything come to a stop. But then there was the needing. The craving of your conjunx that you have spent to little time with him as of late. Cybertronians are long lived, not immortal.

You let your plating fall back. Both your spike and valve open to the cool air of your habsuit.

Optimus took his sweet time. Trailing kisses to every but the place you craved it most. One servo gently wrapped around your spike as he slowly moved his servo up and down. Taking his time to gather the fluid leaking from its tip before dragging it back down.

Finally. Finally he moved to your valve. Dragging his glossa between your folds before wrapping his lips around your node. He did this again and again as he slowly stroked your spike.

Your hips moved as he did this. Optimus humming as he looked up at you. Watching as you came undone before him. You babbled after a bit. Telling him how much you loved him. Just how good he was and "Oh right there. Please. Frag please don't stop." He hummed again his his digits curled within in you. His mouth now swallowing your spike instead as he pumped his digits in and out of you.

"Optimus.Im. Fraggit." You voice was breathless. Optimus's free servo grabbed one of yours. Settling your joined servos on your stomach as he moved his helm up and down. Optics not once leaving yours as you finally released. Helm thrown back as Optimus swallowed all you had to offer.

"Was that enough of an apology My Spark?" Optimus spoke as he moved upwards. You digits smeared at your own fluids on his face. Wet and shiny it was. The mech always made a mess despite all your complaints. Then again you ever really complained to much. You got to overload repeatedly after all.

"Maybe." You laughed and gave him a kiss. Tasting yourself on his lips as you did so.

"Oh? And what else could you want?" His lips found yours against and again. Your digits dug at every exposed seem of his you could find. Tweaking and pulling at cables and wiring that sent shivers down the Primes frame.

"Your spike. In me." You spoke it near his audial. His mouth once again finding your neck cabling. You hoped that there wouldn't be any bruising. Not wanting to endure the teasing you would sure get from Ironhide and Sideswipe after wards. But after the stunt the two of you pulled in the command center of all places it was sure to happen anyways.

"As My Spark wishes." Optimus pulled himself upwards. Pulling your legs around his hips as he drew you in close. For a brief moment the two of you fumbled with pillows and blankets to place beneath your hips.

His own plating fell back after that. His spike springing out from its housing and bobbing briefly from the force of it.

Optimus moved his spike against your valve. The tip of it brushing against your node had your thighs shivering. Your valve gripping at nothing as you waited for him to finally push into you. You would have began cursing the Prime for not moving sooner until he finally did just that.

He moved slowly. Tourturessly into you. Inch by inch as your valve swallowed him greedily. Optimus paused for a moment when he was full into you. His frame bowed over you. His mouth slightly opened as he cycle cooled air into himself.

Optimus muttered a few curses as he rolled his hips. Dragging his spike against the nodes within you. He did it again and again before pulling out as sliding back within.

He picked up a steady rhythm then. A steady push and pull of his hips.

"Look at you." He muttered. "Taking my spike so well." His vocalizer spat static. His venting just as eratic as yours. "You are doing so good My Spark. Taking me just like that. You feel so good around me." His helm pressed against yours.

"Open your optics." You hadn't noticed that you ever closed this. Enveloped in the pleasure he was bringing out of you. "Open your optics. I want to see you overload. I want you to see what you are doing to your Prime."

He was absolutely undone before you. The crackling charge of your fields in the air. Optimus's optics were blown wide and utterly entranced with your own.

"That's it. That's my good spark. That's it." Optimus rumbled out. His frame shaking from the way he spoke it.

You could feel the growing pleasure coil within you. Winding tighter and tighter with the drag of his hips. Optimus uttered a curse. Then another as his digits found your node. Winding quick tight circles around it until that coil snapped. Broke. Your release followed by his.

He spoke your name. Uttered it like a prayer as your highs came down. Again and again as he kissed along your jaw. His hips pulling away from yours as he fell to your side.

Optimus drew you close to him. Curling his frame around yours.

The two of you laid on your sides facing each other. One of your arms was looped around his. Your other servo cradled his face as he did yours. His other arm was your pillow. Your leg were entwined together as you basked in each others presence.

The two of you said little. As it wasn't needed in the moment. You had almost fallen into recharge if it wasn't for Optimus speaking.

"I am sorry. For not being around more." You could hear the remorse in his voice. You optics opened. Your spark sank and you could feel him on the other side of the bond.

Guilt.

"You are around plenty. Optimus. There is no need to apologize." You pulled him close. Letting him rest his helm against your chassis.

"Still." You stopped him before he could finish.

"Speak on it no longer my Prime. You are here now. And I cherish the time I have with you. It is the effort that you make that brings me peace. Now quiet. Rest. And let me love you." With that Optimus sighed. Wrapped his arms around you and held you close. Basking in the glow of the one his spark was closest to.

[willkimurashat]

OMG JUST NOTICED IF YOU ZOOM IN REALLY CLOSE ON THE FINAL ART OF THE NEW LI THEY DROPPED - HE HAS BLACK PAINTED NAILS!!!😍😍😍😍😍

[sketchyspirit]

All yours

(cropped) commission for the 54th chapter of @barmadumet 's fanfic Streets of Gold ✨✨

[forlorn-crows]

fucking LOOK AT HER