#honor as a Greek virtue

[obsidian-pages777]

Pick a Card: Future Friend/partner/Spouse Reading Message from Goddess Hera

Top Left [Pile 1], Top Right [Pile 2], Bottom Left[ Pile 3], Bottom Right [Pile 4]

Goddess Hera, the queen of the Greek gods and wife of Zeus, is the deity of marriage, women, childbirth, and family. Revered for her regal authority, she wields power over familial bonds and marital fidelity. Hera is often depicted as a majestic figure, symbolizing the sanctity and strength of marriage. Her powers include protecting women in childbirth, ensuring marital harmony, and bestowing blessings upon families, embodying the virtues of loyalty, fidelity, and nurturing within the household.

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Pile 1

Message from Goddess Hera: In this pile, Hera emphasizes the importance of loyalty and trust in your relationships. She advises you to seek out and cherish those who are truly devoted to you.

Physical Description of Future Partner/Friend: The person coming into your life will have striking features, possibly dark hair and deep, expressive eyes. They might have a medium to tall build and an air of confidence and mystery about them. Their presence is charismatic, drawing others to them effortlessly.

Quote from Goddess Hera: "True loyalty is rare; honor it when found."

The Empress

Future Marriage Description: Your future marriage will be characterized by abundance, nurturing, and growth. The Empress signifies a relationship filled with love, fertility, and creativity. You and your partner will create a harmonious and bountiful home, where both emotional and material needs are met. This marriage will feel like a sanctuary, where you both can thrive and support each other's dreams.

Key Traits:

Abundance and Prosperity

Nurturing and Caring

Creative and Fertile Environment

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Pile 2

Message from Goddess Hera: Hera speaks of the nurturing aspects of love and family. She encourages you to cultivate a space where those you care for can feel safe and supported.

Physical Description of Future Partner/Friend: This individual will have a warm and approachable demeanor. They may have light hair, such as blonde or light brown, and a gentle smile. Their physical build might be average, with a touch of softness that makes them appear very approachable and kind.

Quote from Goddess Hera: "To nurture and be nurtured is the essence of family."

The Lovers

Future Marriage Description: This marriage will be founded on deep emotional connection and mutual respect. The Lovers card signifies a strong bond, where both partners share values, goals, and a profound love for each other. Your relationship will be marked by harmony, balance, and unity. You will face challenges together with a strong sense of partnership and commitment.

Key Traits:

Deep Emotional Connection

Mutual Respect and Unity

Shared Values and Goals

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Pile 3

Message from Goddess Hera: Hera highlights the strength in unity and mutual respect within your relationships. She advises you to build connections based on equality and shared values.

Physical Description of Future Partner/Friend: The significant person entering your life may have a distinctive, athletic build. They could have dark, curly hair and a vibrant, energetic presence. Their eyes might be a striking color, like green or blue, and they carry themselves with a natural grace and poise.

Quote from Goddess Hera: "In unity and mutual respect, love and family thrive."

The Hierophant

Future Marriage Description: Your future marriage will be deeply rooted in tradition, structure, and spiritual connection. The Hierophant suggests a union that honors cultural or religious practices and values. This marriage will be stable and secure, with both partners committed to upholding shared beliefs and maintaining a strong moral foundation. Your relationship will be a source of guidance and wisdom for others.

Key Traits:

Tradition and Structure

Spiritual Connection

Stability and Security

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Pile 4

Message from Goddess Hera: Hera conveys the power of enduring love and the bonds that withstand the test of time. She encourages you to look for relationships that promise longevity and depth.

Physical Description of Future Partner/Friend: This person might have an elegant and refined appearance. They could have dark, wavy hair and a slender, tall frame. Their style is classic and timeless, often dressed in a way that exudes sophistication. Their eyes reflect wisdom and compassion.

Quote from Goddess Hera: "Enduring love withstands all trials."

The Sun

Future Marriage Description: This marriage will be filled with joy, positivity, and vitality. The Sun card signifies a bright and optimistic relationship, where both partners radiate happiness and enthusiasm. Your union will bring out the best in each other, fostering a sense of warmth and fulfillment. Together, you will create a joyful and supportive environment, where you can both shine and achieve great things.

Key Traits:

Joy and Positivity

Vitality and Enthusiasm

Warmth and Fulfillment

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[astrobiscuits]

Unknown asteroids #1

🦭Adorno (21029) – of Spanish origin; means to decorate/embellish; (for females only) if Sun, Mars, Saturn or the Descendant are badly aspected by this asteroid in the natal chart, it can indicate being “objectified” by men; if one of the mentioned planets/angle are positively aspected by this asteroid, it can indicate fighting for women's rights when it comes to the objectification of women

🦭Advincula (23017) – of Latin origin; denotes someone advanced in a certain skill/job/life experiences OR someone who can advance a certain field

🦭Aenna (1155) – of Hebrew origin; means favor/grace, God has favored me; denotes someone getting blessed by a higher force

🦭Aemilia (159) – of Latin origin; means industrious; denotes a workaholic and/or someone who works in engineering; a second meaning: to strive/excel

🦭Aeschylus (2876) – father of Greek tragedy drama; denotes a strong affinity for drama works (either in reading or writing them); if it aspects Uranus, it can bring popularity due to scandals/dramatic past

🦭Bengt (1846) – of Latin origin, but frequently used in Sweden; means blessed

🦭Cappi (49777) – of Italian origin; means lucky

🦭Elpis (59) – of Greek origin; means "the spirit of hope"; like the star card in tarot, this asteroid shows us where we are most hopeful

🦭Gorky (2768) – of English origin; means awkward/strange

🦭Khandrika (12068) – of Indian origin; means small village/small place

🦭Khalat (468725) – of Indian origin; means robe; denotes someone with high social status, someone who dresses expensive

🦭Libby (5672) – of British origin; means God’s promise; if relevant in synastry, it can indicate fated connections, someone given to us from the above

🦭Odeh (34786) – of Arabic origin; denotes someone (or something) coming back into your life, similar to Aesculapia (1027)

🦭Oenomaos (164555) – from Greek mythology (corresponds to King Oenomaus of Pisa); shows love for consuming wine; if prominent in the natal chart, it can point to an alcoholic

🦭Oenone (215) – from Greek mythology; a nymph abandoned by her lover, Paris, who choose Helen of Troy over her; prominent in people who have been cheated on/left by lovers

🦭Okugi (5174) – of Japanese origin; means the heart or depth of something, secrets, mysteries, esoterica

🦭Okuni (7769) – of Japanese origin; means homeland or native country

🦭Olathe (18984) – its meaning comes from the Shawnee language; means lovely/beautiful

🦭Paeonia (1061) – of Latin origin; denotes the latin term for peony (symbols of peony: love, honor, romance, beauty)

🦭Palach (1834) – of Russian origin; means executioner, hangman, butcher, torturer

🦭Piedade (11912) – of Portugese origin; means pity, mercy, kindness towards an enemy

🦭Pierre (1392) – of French origin; means stone, rock

🦭Quigley (18699) – of Irish origin; means “from the mother’s side”; denotes someone very similar to their own mother or her family, heavily attached to the mother figure or someone who has grown up without a father; a second meaning: “unruly hair”; denotes someone with crazy hair

🦭Quinn (107561) – of Irish origin; means wise, intelligent

🦭Quito (10793) – of Spanish origin; means “center of the world”; denotes someone popular and/or famous

🦭Seiwa (16700) – of Japanese origin; means saint; denotes a person of superior knowledge and virtue; a second meaning: peace, calm

🦭Vangelis (6354) – of Greek origin; means good news

🦭Vate (12312) – of English origin, but borrowed from Latin; means prophet, fortune teller, inspired writer; prominent in witches and tarot readers

🦭Vedrana (176014) – of Croatian and Serbian origin; denotes someone who is lighthearted, joyful, cheerful

🦭Xenia (625) – of Greek origin; denotes a great host, someone hospitable and welcoming with guests and strangers in need

(21029, 23017, 1155, 159, 2876, 1846, 49777, 59, 2768, 12068, 468725, 5672, 34786, 164555, 215, 5174, 7769, 18984, 1061, 1834, 11912, 1392, 18699, 107561, 10793, 16700, 6354, 12312, 176014, 625)

[sas-soulwriter]

Masc. victorian names for your book

Augustus: Meaning "majestic" or "venerable," this name reflects the grandeur and dignity associated with the Victorian era.

Clement: Derived from the Latin word "clemens," meaning "gentle" or "merciful," it represents virtues valued during the Victorian era.

Leopold: Of German origin, meaning "bold people," this name has a regal and strong connotation.

Ambrose: A name of Greek origin meaning "immortal," it suggests enduring qualities and perhaps a touch of the romantic.

Percival: With Arthurian legend ties, this name means "piercing the valley" or "pierce the vale," signifying a sense of adventure and nobility.

Thaddeus: Of Aramaic origin, meaning "heart" or "courageous," it reflects qualities admired in Victorian times.

Archibald: Of Germanic origin, meaning "genuine" or "bold," this name conveys strength and authenticity.

Edmund: Derived from Old English, meaning "wealthy protector," it embodies the Victorian emphasis on familial and societal values.

Reginald: Meaning "counsel power" in Old German, this name suggests wisdom and authority.

Gilbert: Of Germanic origin, meaning "bright pledge" or "shining pledge," it carries a sense of loyalty and promise.

Montgomery: Derived from Norman French, meaning "Gumarich's mountain," it has an aristocratic and sophisticated feel.

Humphrey: Of Germanic origin, meaning "peaceful warrior," it combines strength with a sense of peace.

Alfred: Of Old English origin, meaning "elf counsel" or "wise counselor," it reflects the Victorian admiration for wisdom and guidance.

Rupert: Of Germanic origin, meaning "bright fame," it suggests a sense of distinction and honor.

Lancelot: With Arthurian legend associations, this name means "servant" or "attendant," representing loyalty and chivalry.

Ephraim: Of Hebrew origin, meaning "fruitful" or "productive," it embodies prosperity and abundance.

Barnabas: Of Aramaic origin, meaning "son of consolation" or "son of encouragement," it conveys a nurturing and supportive nature.

Horatio: Of Latin origin, meaning "timekeeper" or "hour," it reflects a sense of order and discipline.

Clarence: Of Latin origin, meaning "bright" or "clear," it suggests clarity and distinction.

Winston: Of Old English origin, meaning "wine's town" or "joy stone," it combines elements of conviviality and strength.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

“Washington's circle of young aides were well educated, were versed in the Greek classics, were well aware of the homosexual loves of the ancient Greeks, and compared their loves for each other to the noble love exemplified by such Greek heroes as Damon and Pythias. In camp during the war Hamilton kept a copy of Plutarch's Lives, and particularly admired the “Life of Lycurgus,” the legendary leader of Sparta. Among notes Hamilton kept on the “Life of Lycurgus” is the notation, “Every lad had a lover or friend who take [sic] care of his education and shared in the praise or blame of his virtues or vices.” In a letter to Hamilton, Laurens used the Greek phrase kalos ka agathos, a phrase used in fifth-century Greece and combining the Athenian term for beauty, kalos, which denotes physical or sensual beauty, with the Spartan term agathos, which means beauty in the spiritual sense of honor and valor. In commenting on the letter, the historian Charley Shively writes that kalos ka agathos was used in the 18th-century as a code word for homosexual love, a reference still understood in Greece to this day, Shively says.”

— The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations in Human Societies, by James Neill · 2011

[tylermileslockett]

Herakles #2: Chiron the tutor Entering into adolescence, Heracles finds trouble in Thebes when he kills his music tutor, Linus, in a fit of rage. The boy’s foster father, Amphitryon, sends him into the countryside to herd cattle and be tutored by the brilliant mentor Chiron the centaur, who trains the boy in military strategy, medicine, archery, and athletics. While herding in the foothills one day, Heracles is visited by two divine beings, Vice and Virtue. Vice tempts the boy to abandon his morals and live a life of wealth, pleasure, and decadence. While virtue pleads with him to stay true to his ethics and follow honorable, heroic pursuits. After hearing the arguments, Heracles sides with Virtue. Chiron (Ky-ron) is the offspring of the titan Cronus (disguised as a horse) and the sea nymph Philyra, (making Chiron half-brother to Zeus) unlike the wild race of centaurs who were born from ixion and the cloud nymph Nephele. In contrast, Chiron is most wise and civilized, and is depicted as a full human figure with the back half of a horse. Upon the slopes of Mount Pelion, Chiron mentors such famous heroes as Asclepius (god of healing) Achilles and Jason (of the Argonauts). Chiron met a tragic end, when later in life, he and Heracles fight other centaurs, and Heracles accidently shoots Chiron with a poisoned tip arrow. Being immortal, Chiron suffered greatly, until Zeus took pity on him, ending his life and placing him in the night sky as the constellation Centaurus. The episode relating Vice and virtue comes from philosopher and historian, Xenophon’s Memorabilia, and is commonly referred to as Heracles at the crossroads. In the work, the character Socrates relates the tale of two large statured women approaching Alcides. The first, Vice, is described offers gratifications of physical senses, and a life of ease. While Virtue, described as dignified, argues for moderation, and achievement in glory and honor through sacrifice and struggle.

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[olympianbutch]

I'm just spitballing here, but I don't think it's at all contradictory that the ancient Greeks imagined Zeus and Hera as the gods of marriage par excellence despite their agonistic relationship in myth.

I mean, for one, ancient Greek culture is inherently agonistic. Secondly, considering that Hera and Zeus are entitled to an equal measure of honors by virtue of their pedigree, it makes sense for their dynamic to be frictitious.

[kebriones]

Mmm just a quick question but are there still some words in Ancient Greek that are the exact same as Modern Greek with the same meaning?

Idk why but the word for time in Modern Greek, how do you go from Χρόνος to Φορές made plural??

Oh there are so many words that have remained the exact same.

I literally opened a random page of the symposium to find some:

Ανθρωπος (human)

Χρονος (time)

Κίνδυνος (danger)

Αθανατος (immortal )

Αρετη (virtue)

Μνημη (memory)

Σωματα (bodies)

Ψυχη (soul)

Και (and)

Ονομα (name)

Δικαιοσύνη (justice)

Ηλικία (age)

Γεννηση (birth)

Τιμιος (fair/honorable)

And these are just some of the ones that have stayed absolutely exactly the same.

______

Okay this is a little hard for me to explain because in English it's very different:

Χρονος is time.

(Examples of use: παιρνει πολυ χρόνο= takes a lot of time. Ο χρόνος περνάει=time passes)

Φορες or φορά in singular, is the "time/times" you use when saying for example "how many times have i told you?" Ποσες φορες στο εχω πει; " or "I've visited him many times"

Φορα is used in the same content, or when you want to say "one time.." as in, "one time i went to the sea" μια φορά πήγα στην θάλασσα"

[ruegarding]

Your post about Percy and Thalia's dynamic, specifically the "they're not their parents" part, reminded me of something I've noticed about this series, that being how Percy and his peers stand in contrast to the heroes of old. Mythological "heroes" are mostly defined by being badasses, claiming renown for achieving incredible feats. Modern heroism, by contrast, tends to be defined by embodying heroic virtues (courage, altruism, compassion, honesty, etc.). Your average Greek champion could be the biggest strongest dude on the block, but he could also be an asshole glory hound more concerned with claiming his prize than doing the right thing (along with more than a few thefts, murders and r*pes along the way). Yet he's still regarded as a hero because that's what ancient peoples valued. Percy, however, isn't like that, partially because he comes from the modern world. Percy is regarded as the greatest Greek hero of his generation, yet he flies in the face of the classic Greek hero. Percy's motives for his various quests are rooted in his desire to protect people, be it his loved ones who are being targeted or the people who will get caught in the crossfire for the villains. He doesn't want power or a throne, he doesn't crave glory, he doesn't want his name in history books. All he wants is to stop the bad guys so as to keep his family and friends safe. Contrary to Luke's bemoaning in repeating the past deeds of old heroes, Percy doesn't actually replicate the past beat for beat. He approaches these problems differently because he's a different person in a different time. He may not be as strong as Hercules or as skilled as Achilles, but you don't need that to be a hero these days. Percy's a hero not because he's the bigger badass, but because he's the better man.

referring to this post

yes! i think it's a very interesting way to spin classic heroes with modern values. instead of wanting to be like them, percy learns from their mistakes and avoids their tragic endings. and he does this largely by not playing the role of hero, by yielding. he lets his mother save herself, he tells clarisse to take the fleece home alone, he listens to zoe, he holds the sky so artemis can fight, he gives luke the knife. percy doesn't need to be the guy who saves the day, he just needs the day to be saved because, like you said, he's the better man.

even thalia, who is arguably most like the classic greek champion (and shares some of her father's flaws), learns from their mistakes. thalia wants power, wants glory, but she's willing to turn down both in order to protect the people she loves. even if it takes her a minute to make that decision, she still refuses to jeopardize her loved ones in pursuit of her goals.

i think this is also why, ultimately, luke was wrong. although luke was partially motivated by an honorable goal, he was also blindsided by the glory he would get if he were the one to tear down olympus and bring about the new age. he was willing to do anything, hurt anyone, to achieve that goal, and the only thing that made him finally question himself was when he was going to be used as a stepping-stone for kronos.

[athis333]

At the ancient Olympics in Greece, athletes weren’t the only stars of the show. The spectacle also attracted poets, who recited their works for eager audiences. Competitors commissioned bigger names to write odes of their victories, which choruses performed at elaborate celebrations. Physical strength and literary prowess were inextricably linked.

Thousands of years later, this image appealed to Pierre de Coubertin, a French baron best known as the founder of the modern Olympics in 1896. But today’s Games bear little resemblance to Coubertin’s grand vision: He pictured a competition that would “reunite in the bonds of legitimate wedlock a long-divorced couple—muscle and mind.”

The baron believed that humanity had “lost all sense of eurythmy,” a word he used to describe the harmony of arts and athletics. The idea can be traced back to sources such as Plato’s Republic, in which Socrates extolls the virtues of education that combines “gymnastic for the body and music for the soul.” Poets should become athletes, and athletes should try their hand at verse.

That philosophy was a driving force at the 1912 Stockholm Games, where organizers introduced five arts competitions as official Olympic events. Modern history’s first written work to win an Olympic gold medal was “Ode to Sport,” a prose poem by Georges Hohrod and M. Eschbach. It begins:

O Sport, delight of the Gods, distillation of life! In the grey dingle of modern existence, restless with barren toil, you suddenly appeared like the shining messenger of vanished ages, those ages when humanity could smile.

Over the following eight verses, the poets sing Sport’s praises. “O Sport, you are Honor! The titles you bestow are worthless save if won in absolute fairness. … O Sport, you are Joy! At your call the flesh makes holiday and the eyes smile. … O Sport, you are Fecundity! … O Sport, you are Progress!” And so on.

Today’s readers are often underwhelmed by the first poem to win gold, describing it as “florid,” “saccharine” or “overblown.” But as far as the 1912 jury was concerned, Hohrod and Eschbach knocked it out of the park.

“The great merit of the ‘Ode to Sport,’ which, in our view, was far and away the winner in the literature competition, was that it is the very model of what the competitions [were] looking for in terms of inspiration,” wrote the jurors in their report.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Hohrod and Eschbach understood the spirit of the competition, the fabled marriage of muscle and mind, so acutely. That’s because they were pseudonyms for the man who had conceived the whole idea: The author of “Ode to Sport” was none other than Coubertin himself.

The first major excavations at Olympia, the Greek sanctuary that hosted the ancient Games, began in the 1870s. While previous digs had revealed ruins around the Temple of Zeus, the large-scale efforts that followed uncovered sprawling structures and thousands of artifacts.

At the time, Coubertin was a teenager living in France. He had already seen the ruins of ancient Rome on family trips as a young boy, and now he was hearing all about the excavations at Olympia. He had recently started attending a Jesuit school, which provided him with a classical education and strengthened his burgeoning interest in ancient Greece.

“[Coubertin] was raised and educated classically, and he was particularly impressed with the idea of what it meant to be a true Olympian—someone who was not only athletic, but skilled in music and literature,” Richard Stanton, author of The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions, told Smithsonian magazine in 2012. “He felt that in order to recreate the events in modern times, it would be incomplete to not include some aspect of the arts.”

The baron’s fellow organizers never fully shared his vision. After a few false starts, Coubertin formed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, and the first modern Olympics took place in Athens two years later. But the inaugural 1896 Games included only athletic competitions, such as the discus throw, swimming, fencing and pole vaulting. Several new events debuted in 1900 (among them water polo and archery) and 1904 (boxing and lacrosse), but muscle and mind remained firmly at odds.

Coubertin pressed on. When officials announced that Rome would host the 1908 Olympics, the ancient city’s selection evidently set the baron’s gears churning. On August 5, 1904, he published an article titled “The Roman Olympiad” on the front page of the French newspaper Le Figaro, writing:

The time has come to enter a new phase, and to restore the Olympiads to their original beauty. At the time of Olympia’s splendor … the arts and literature joined with sport to ensure the greatness of the Olympic Games. The same must be true in the future. … Let the Romans now give us such a typical Olympiad and reopen the temple of sport to the ancient companions of its glory.

Coubertin argued that the partnership of sport and art had “outlasted the destruction of Olympia,” and the time had come to “restore this ideal completely.” Now that the first three modern Games had gotten the ball rolling, it was “possible and desirable to bring muscles and thought together again.”

Two years later, the IOC held a conference to seriously consider “to what extent and in what form the arts and literature can participate in the celebration of the modern Olympiads.” The event program listed several arts categories that were under consideration. Under “literature” were two bullet points: “possibility of setting up Olympic literary competitions; conditions for these competitions” and “sporting emotion, source of inspiration for the man of letters.”

Coubertin gave a rousing opening speech, doubling down on the metaphor of muscle and mind’s remarriage. “I would verge on being untruthful if I said that ardent desire compels them to renew their conjugal life today,” he said. “Doubtless their cooperation was long and fruitful, but once separated by adverse circumstances, they had come to a point of complete mutual incomprehension. Absence had made them grow forgetful.”

Officials ultimately agreed to add five arts competitions to the upcoming Olympics in 1908: literature, painting, sculpture, music and architecture. All works entered into these categories, collectively named the Pentathlon of the Muses, would need to be inspired by sports, restoring the ancient harmony that Coubertin had envisioned.

[bermuda-n-drangle]

Wilds of Eldraine Is More Arthurian Than Throne of Eldraine Was

Wizards of the Coast personnel, most prominently Mark Rosewater, have been transparent that Eldraine began its creative life as an Arthurian/Camelot inspired plane. Which it still is, but it was originally just that. However, they'd run some polls, and general public's recognition of things from Arthurian legend was limited in scope compared to the actual breadth of source material. So, to avoid a second Kamigawa, they supplemented it with the "fairy tale plane" premise, which has also been on the short list for years but didn't have enough thematic legs to stand on its own. They would play off each other: fairy tales needed a kingdom of humans, and Camelot legends needed a magical element outside the kingdom.

It was a pretty great idea. Then, the set came out, and the "Arthurian half" of it was received much more mildly than the fairy tale half. So, in Wilds of Eldraine, the fairy tale half is given much, much more prominence. This is obvious in every aspect of the set, from key art to draft archetypes, to the absence of Knight typal.

So this post's title probably seems like a weird sentiment to have. But I feel like Throne's Arthurian side feel flat because it was barely there to begin with.

Here, walk with me through a creative exercise. Suppose you have been tasked with making a setting inspired by Arthurian legend, the way Theros is inspired by Greek myth. You do not yet know that you will be given a fairy tale parachute later on. What's step one?

You probably said "make an analogue of King Arthur and/or Camelot". Because that's the right answer. And that is, indeed what they did.

Sort of.

Eldraine's Camelot is Ardenvale, and its high king is the Good King Algenus Kenrith. He underwent many trials to claim his crown, and all of the realm looks to him for leadership.

King Kenrith's card is not in booster pack, and his entire role in the story is that he is kidnapped and turned into an ungulate.

That's a pretty odd way to handle the King Arthur of your King Arthur setting, in the set that's introducing the setting. But okay.

You have your Arthur expy, and you have his kingdom. What is Step 2 in making a resonant facsimile of the Matter of Britain?

If you said "make four more Camelots"... Well, I'd say that's an odd pull. Given that there was only one Camelot in the source material. However, I did say that in this scenario you were designing for a Magic set, and if a plane doesn't have five or ten of its main gimmick, Richard Garfield will just die on the spot.

This is how we get the five courts. There is Ardenvale, yes, but that's just the white guys. Each court is a different take on the virtues of knighthood and chivalry. Ardenvale values honor and loyalty, Vantress values wisdom and knowledge, Locthwain values determination and persistence, Embereth values bravery and valor, and Garenbrig values strength and fortitude. Thus, the Knight, which is traditionally very white and sometimes black, can be in any color it wants this set and still make sense.

And that was very cool of them, honestly! However, it doesn't get us any closer to the setting feeling Arthurian. Setting aside that you're making a Magic set, ask: once you have King Arthur himself and Camelot, what do you need next to truly be Arthurian-evocative?

There's a pretty good chance that you said either Merlin or Excalibur. And Eldraine does indeed have those! Sort of.

This is Gadwick the Wizened and Embercleave. The former is from Vantress, and the latter associated with Embereth.

I have just told you all the lore about Gadwick and Embercleave.

They are both part of cycles of cards. Gadwick is the only card in his cycle that has anything to do with King Arthur conceptually, and in-universe he does nothing significant and is unrelated to Kenrith or Ardenvale, so it's really only process of elimination and word of God that places him as this setting's Merlin. Embercleave is part of a cycle of artifacts meant to represent different artifacts from Arthurian legend. Except the blue one, which is another fairy tale thing, and the green one, which is... Stonehenge, for some reason.

In fact, Embercleave almost did not exist. It was originally the Irencrag, this world's Sword in the Stone-- or rather, Stone with the Sword. (Note: Excalibur isn't even the sword in the stone, Excalibur was from the lady of the lady, the stone sword is different, look it up) Knights of Embereth, as a rite of passage, stick their weapon into the rocky edifice, and if they can pull it back out again, they are worthy of knighthood. And that's a very fun, cute way to take a recognizable motif of the source material and expand it into a whole cultural thing, genuinely.

But you're telling me early drafts of your Story of King Arthur Plane didn't have an Excalibur? Like, I'm glad that you caught it before you went to print, but where are your priorities where that almost happened? And it's not like Arthurian myth has some kind of dearth of legendary relics! Rhongomyniad, Failnaught, Carnwennan, the Ring of Dispel, the Green Sash, Prydwen. There, I just made another five color cycle with one to spare, and I wasn't even trying!

But fine, it's fine. You have your King Arthur, your Merlin, and your Excalibur, and even your Holy Grail, even though not a one has anything to do with the other and only one of them will do anything of significance within the story. You also almost had a Morgan le Fay analogue in the form of Sheoldred the Whispering Witch, but you cut her later in design because you wanted Eldraine to be a breather period after WotS and not another immediate ramp-up (good call, btw, but her replacement, Oko, is very much not a Morgan).

Is there... anything else? Something... synonymous with King Arthur, present in virtually every pop culture depiction of the man in some fashion? Something that a layman might naturally finish the sentence "King Arthur and his..." if prompted?

That's right, his Round Table!

King Arthur's iconic Round Table, which he famously sat at all by himself. His Round Table which was definitely intrinsically magical and NOT, by any means, a symbol of a regent placing himself on equal footing with those who swore allegiance to him.

In case my sarcasm is not portraying my frustration adequately: there are no Knights of the Round Table in this set. There plenty of knights, sure. A glut of them. And, as seen above, there is something of a Round Table that some of them are associated with. But there is not elite fellowship of legendary knights with the King counted among their distinguished and exclusive ranks.

The set Throne of Eldraine have five legendary knights at uncommon, plus a sixth if you count the commander precon. None of them have any lore or characterization beyond "hey remember how we said knights of this color are like? this is one of them".

Lancelot, the peerless master of weapons whose base desires doomed the court to infighting. Bedivere, the king's first knight of unfailing loyalty and single arm. Kay, the king's stepbrother turned protector, know for his mix of fire magic and swordplay. Gawain the gentleman, whose arrogance is tempered into humility. Mordred, the child of the king and his worst enemy, traitor to the crown. Tristan of the tragic romance. Galahad, Agravain, Percival.

Not a single one of them has an intentional parallel in Throne. All real estate for legendary knight characters in what is, ostensibly, The Legendary Knight Setting, is dedicated to going "knights are in all five colors in this setting isn't that neat".

And one might think "oh, they were just worried that the average consumer isn't going to have the knowledge of the specific of King Arthur's court". And ordinarily might be inclined to agree with you, but: they printed Questing Beast.

Yes, everybody's favorite 4/4 for four with three keywords and more further upsides than most would care to count. The questing beast is an actual thing from Arthurian lore, and like a surprising number of other mythical creatures, it probably originated from someone poorly describing a giraffe. Still, it's extremely obscure. I count myself the biggest authority in Arthurian stuff in most of my friend circles, and I'd never heard of this thing until its card was spoiled.

So this thing that almost nobody had ever heard of, it gets to be in the set, legendary, at mythic, and strong enough to warp standard, PLUS explicit lore importance. But making room for a single Knight of the Round Table? In the Camelot setting? Couldn't be done.

I'm not asserting this is actually true, but looking at the set, I can't help but feel that whoever pitched "let's do an Arthurian world after War of the Spark" knew nothing about King Arthur stuff besides what cartoons and movies made casual reference to. Like, really. Assume that you aren't allowed to say "there's a king" or "there are knights", because those are both things true of very many planes, and tell me, how would explain what makes Eldraine "Arthurian"?

Oathsword Knight is a Monty Python reference, is that anything?

So, yeah. The set comes out, and according to market research, the Arthurian side of the plane "tested poorly", which is to say, most players didn't realize it was there, which is to say, they realized it wasn't. So, in response to this-- I mean, by sheer coincidence, the Phyrexians destroyed all five courts in the invasion. References to them still exist, but Eldraine is focusing much more on the fairy-tale side of things this time, hence the name Wilds of Eldraine. There's knights, but no knight typal. Humans, but no adamant.

And then something funny happened.

I won't go into every last detail of Wilds of Eldraine's story, but: Will and Rowan are in disagreement of how The Realm should be salvaged. Rowan, frustrated with ideas like "social reform" and "negotiation", wants to do so with her magical prowess, and is willing to swear fealty to her evil witch aunt to make it happen. Will, meanwhile, is more level-headed, and wants to untie the realm by simply being a good leader and trusting the people to believe in him. And at first, they don't. But Syr Imodane, knight turned raider turned knight again, sees his earnestness and decides to place her loyalty in Will, and others follow after her.

One day I was thinking about Imodane, who features prominently in the story, and I had a small realization. The prosthetic arm, the mixture of fire magic and melee combat, being first to join. She's sort of like Bedivere and Kay rolled into one character. Except, you know, meaner, and a woman of color.

Then, like a flash, it clicked for me.

Algenus was never the Arthur. He was the Uther, THAT'S why he barely did anything. Will Kenrith is the King Arthur, the boy who became king because somebody had to. Eriette is the Morgan. And Rowan, her pawn and Will's flesh and blood, is the Mordred.

And just like that, they've done it. They have captured, not just the surface-level aesthetics of the Matter of Britain, which are by themselves nothing extraordinary, but the SPIRIT of it.

Many people thought getting rid of the courts would dilute the setting's Arthurian theme to nonexistence, but honestly? The courts never had anything to do with the Arthurian theme, not really. Apparently, they were just getting in the way.

Ultimately, making a setting "Arthurian" is a foolhardy task, because the setting of King Arthur himself isn't interesting, and it's not what makes the tale of Camelot interesting. But making STORY "Arthurian", making its cast and their relationships and their arcs and their virtues line up with what the tale of Camelot explores? That's something. Strange that it took making a limited archetype about evil candy to accomplish this, but we got there.

[izzytheace]

Everybody talks about Philia, but when are we gonna give Nyx's other good children attention?

Some of these might have other parents depending on the myth, but I still think they are neat.

Eurynome, goddess of good cheer, mirth, merriment and joy: Sure, in most mythology she's the daughter of Zeus and Eurynome (fun fact: Eurynome also raised Hephaestus after he was tossed by Hera) but there's also a version where Eurynome is Nyx's child as well and I love that idea.

Hemera, goddess of day: After Nyx brought night to the world, Hemera would chase it away and bring day. She's often associated with Eos, goddess of dawn who also stole Hemera's thunder.

Aether, god of Light and the blue heavenly skies: The brother and husband of Hemera (Greek mythology moment), he chases away the darkness of night with her. He similarly shares his role with Theia, mother of Helios and Eos and Selene and goddess of sight and the blue sky.

Eleos, personified spirit of mercy, pity and compassion: Not only does she have the beautiful roman name of Clementia, she has beautiful domains. What a girl! Her alter in Athens, the only place she was honored, was a place of protection.

Hesperides, goddess-nymphs of sunsets and evenings: While you may mostly know them as children of Atlas, there's myths where they are children of Nyx! You'll know them for guarding the golden apples with a dragon, and perhaps for singing, but their number, names, and parentage change drastically depending on the version.

Sophrosyne, personification of moderation, self control, soundness of mind, and the Greek virtue: While also being a spirit that left Pandora's box, she's also a Greek virtue. From Wikipedia: "Sophrosynebis an ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, purity, decorum, and self-control. An adjectival form is "sophron"." The herb that Odysseus used to resist Circe was symbolism for Sophrosyne. Also, Aphrodite called Sophrosyne her enemy in Apuleius, most likely because her values are prudence and purity.

I'd include Hypnos but he's a mixed bag and pretty well known

[romance-club-daily]

Romance Club MC's as Greek deities:

Lou Reed as Athena:

Goddess of war, handicraft and practical reason 💣🏳️💥

Athena is the goddess of war, craftsmanship, and practical wisdom. Born from Zeus without a mother, she sprang fully grown from his forehead. Another myth suggests that Zeus ingested Metis, the goddess of wisdom, while she was expecting Athena, resulting in Athena's birth from Zeus. As Zeus's favored daughter, she wielded immense power. Athena's moral and military ascendancy over Ares stems partly from her embodiment of the intellectual and civilized aspects of warfare, along with the virtues of justice and skill, in contrast to Ares, who symbolizes sheer bloodlust. In the Iliad, Athena epitomizes the divine aspect of the heroic warrior ideal: she embodies excellence in hand-to-hand combat, triumph, and honor. Lou was chosen as Athena mainly because of her pragmatic personality.

File Source | BeautifulCome | cr.nana | malbgt | tavernytkr |

Other skin colours under the cut:

[the-trans-folk-witch]

The Planets as Angels and Demons

In my tradition I work with planetary virtues by assigning them to days and hours in which certain works must be performed. As someone who also works in a Catholic context, I've assigned Angels and demons to embody the benefic and malefic aspects of these Planets. To me, an angel is not ruled by a planet, but is the planet itself. This is where anism comes into my practice. I acknowledge western occult classifications of angels and their planets, but I rework them to fit my own revelations instead of that according to old irrelevant wiccan men. That said, the 7 angels vs 7 demons lists across the world are heavily influenced by kabbalah. However my own list pulls from Greek Orthodox traditions and Philippino Catholic traditions based in Manila. I also allow the 3 books of occult philosophy to influence my worldview of these spirits and purposes. The 3 books of occult philosophy state that there is a benefic and malefic side to each planet. To copy this within my practice I assign one angel and one demon to a planet. I come to them not in ceremonial methods, but as folk saints.

The angels and their remedies are as followed:

Uriel- (sun/sunday) "regent of the sun" in folklore. He is known for being renowned, amiable, and acceptable; he adds potency in all good works, equaling a man to kings and princes, elevation to high fortunes, and success in all endeavors- I understand Michael as being the Sun in most traditions but I view micahel as being more war-minded and aligned with Mars. Uriel is historically referred to as regent of the sun and that should not be ignored.

Gabriel- (moon/monday) rendering the bearer grateful, amiable, pleasant, cheerful, and honored; removing malice and ill will, security during travel, increase of riches, bodily health, and the driving away of enemies and other evil things. - dreams, blessed pregnancy, prophecy of futures pertaining to spiritual paths and one's fate. Protector of families.

Michael-(mars/tuesday) potency in war, judgments, and petitions; victory against enemies, justice toward enemies for the sake of justice, not revenge. , and stopping of blood. Michael isncommonlynassociated with the color red and as mars is the" red planet" I saw it as fitting. Mars is described as our "sister planet" due to its similarities with earth. Given michael being so close and dear to humanity I saw this closeness and resemblance as representative of his love for us.

Raphael- (mercury/wednesday) rendering the bearer grateful and fortunate to do what they please, bringing gain, preventing poverty, and helping memory, understanding, and divination. He also encourages occult understanding through travel and reading signs given in nature. The protector of travelers and claims vengeance towards thieves.

Sealtiel- (jupiter/thursday) is often seen as the Patron Saint of prayer and worship for members of the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Catholic traditions. In some Orthodox traditions, he is said to help people interpret dreams, break addictions, protect children, preside over exorcisms, and rule over music in heaven. Orthodox Christians will seek his help if their prayer is suffering from distractions, inattentiveness, or coldness. In Catholic tradition, he is depicted with a thurible. He helps fight addiction, helps one seeking gains and riches, favor and love, peace, concord, appeasement of enemies, confirmation of honors, dignities, and counsels, and dissolving of enchantments. "The undoer of witchcraft" which is a title given to St Michael Archangel in traditions that don't recognize this angel.

Jehudiel- (venus/friday) ending concord, ending strife, procuring a woman's love traditionally but all genders apply. aiding in conception, working against barrenness, and causing spiritual abilities in a generation (or gifting a child with the power of prayer). also known for the dissolving of enchantments or lustful charms of a woman causing peace between men and women, making all kind of animals fruitful, protecting pets, curing melancholy, causing joyfulness, and bringing good fortune.

Barachiel-(saturn/saturday) the ability to bring forth, to make one safe, to make one's prayer powerful, and to cause a success of petitions with princes and powers. Marsilio Ficino and others also associated Saturn with intellectuals, whose minds are more lofty and divine than those of common folk. This is because Saturn is the highest planet in occult cosmology and therefore closest to God. this angel brings creativity, good study habits, focus, peace of mind and strengthens decision making skills to ensure good choices are made. -------

The Demons to be shared below are the traditional names of demons taken from Agrippa's 3 books of occult philosophy. It was common in older orthodox beliefs to associate the demons of the 7 deadly sins with the Planets, but I find the demons of the 7 deadly sins to be less influential and deadly than planetary powers would rival. Sin is on earth and changes as nature does. It's not written in the stars and predestined. Therefore, the 7 most well-known known demons on earth would not be fit to personify a planet. Expect a post on the 7 shortly.

After requesting the aide of these planetary demons, always cleanse the soul by prayer to the corresponding angel. Cursing another is similar to rolling in the mud yourself. Wash your hands as Caesar did. Without furthermore, here are the planetary demons that oppose these angels for matters of harming others:

Sorath(sun/sunday)- causing a man to be a tyrant, proud, ambitious, unsatisfiable, and to have an ill ending. Causes requested illness and can only be remedied by the corresponding angel.

Hasmodai- (moon/monday) rendering a location unfortunate and causing people to flee from it, hindering physicians, orators and all men whatsoever in their office. Blurs the psychic senses, hides works, ruins divination, curses divination tools to never work again.

Barzabel- (mars/Tuesday) hindering of buildings/homes, casting down the powerful from dignitaries, honors, and riches; causing discord, strife and hatred among men and beasts, chasing away bees, pigeons. and fish; hindering mills, rendering misfortune toward hunters and fighters, causing barrenness in men, women, and animals; striking terror into enemies, and compelling enemies to submit. Blighting of crops and all works money flows from.

Taphthartharath - (mercury/wednesday) rendering the bearer ungrateful and unfortunate in activities, encouraging poverty, driving away gains, and inhibiting memory, understanding, and divination. Steals spiritual gifts from others and gives them to the witch, can steal luck and good fortune of others. Hides the works of thieves, and protects stolen property from recovery.

Hismael- (jupiter/thursday) attract the baleful influences of Jupiter, of which Agrippa is curiously silent. However I am here with my own thoughts and experiences. This demon quite literally brings an end to the mind. It decays one's thoughts and happiness. It causes lunacy and mania. The hottest of the demons here.

Kedemel- (venus/friday) encouraging strife, driving away a woman's love, blocking conception, encouraging barrenness, blocking generational gifts and the blessing of ancestors, bringing bad luck, destroying joy, and encouraging melancholy. Ruins families, causes miscarriage, and attracts another's lover to you.

Zazel- (saturn/saturday) according to Agrippa includes the hindering of buildings and plantings i.e. growth, casting a man from honors and dignities, causing discord and quarrels, and dispersing armies. Turns one's men against him and creates jealousy. Ends the life of men.

Call on these spirits at your own risk. Always follow it with proper spiritual hygiene.

[mask131]

Roman gods are not Greek gods: Mars

MARS

To start this series, I think the best deity to exemplify the difference between Greek and Roman gods is Mars, the Roman equivalent of Ares.

Everybody knows Ares. The cruel and bloodthirsty god of war, a deity who enjoys bloodbaths and massacres, the twin brother of strife and discord, the father of terror and panic, an embodiment of brutality and violence existing to oppose the most rational, civilized, intelligent and honorable form of war practiced by Athena, deity of strategy, peace and wisdom.

And yet, when you look at Mars, over in Rome… While he is indeed a god of war, like Ares, he has absolutely none of the “dark” or “ugly” sides of Ares. He isn’t a brute, he isn’t mindless, he isn’t a god of carnage feared by all. He isn’t a god of destruction. In fact, he is the sole embodiment of the “good war”. All of Athena’s symbolism as the “goddess of the right way to wage war” can be found in Mars, and all of Ares’ symbolism as the “god of the wrong way to wage war” is thrown out of the window, nowhere to be seen. The reason why is in my general introduction: the Romans were soldiers at heart. Roman culture was a military culture. Waging war and sending legions to conquer their neighbors was how Rome asserted itself as a great power, how the city-state grew into an empire, how the Romans built themselves as people. The army was the main way to maintain order and control in the various provinces of the Empire ; being a soldier was one of the most common careers of a Roman, and the military hierarchy was just a common way of climbing the social ladder ; a part of the nobility of Rome was of military origins. War was a big, big thing for Ancient Rome – and as a result they did not had any “negative” view of war (unlike the Greeks who constantly lived in the fear of both barbarian invasions and civil war among themselves). For them, a god of war would be the god that helped their culture affirm itself, that helped their empire grow, that was present in their everyday life, that maintained order in their lands and that helped structure their very society. And this is why Mars is a “good” god of war, unlike Ares.

To illustrate this, the cult of Mars was heavily centered around shields – showing that he embodied a war and a military supposed to protect as much as it should attack. He was a god that generals prayed to before going on any military campaign, offerings were given to him before any battle, and if the Romans were victorious it was him they thanked. In fact, Mars was often depicted in the company of personifications of victory, such as Victoria or Vitula. Yes, he was also escorted by deities that inflicted terror on his enemies, similar to the Greek Phobos and Deimos (here Pavor and Pallor), but he also counted among his companion allegories such as Honor or Virtus – the very concept of honor and courage, for Mars was a god of bravery and the keeper of the moral code of warriors. His war was one of virtue and discipline, not of chaos and wickedness.

But this is all just one of the two main aspects of Mars – the other being… flowers. Yep. A flower god. Now we’re really not in Kansas anymore – you imagine Ares as a god of flowers? As I said in my general introduction, the Romans were primarily “farmer-soldiers”, with a very… rustic and agricultural pantheon before the massive Hellenization. And Mars is the “perfect” Roman god because he literally has both sides: a god of war and a god of plants. In his “primitive”, more Latin incarnation, Mars started out as a protector of vegetation and a deity making sure that nature flourished – his festivals were during the third month of the year, the month of March (named after him) and coincided with the opening of the tree-buds and the apparition of the first flowers, making him a god of spring.

While he lost most of his agricultural functions to Ceres and Liber Pater as Rome became a much more military nation, he still kept several traits of his primal characterization – for example his old epithet “Gradivus”, originally tied to “grandiri” (to grow, to become tall) was reinterpreted as tied to “gradi, gradus” (to march, to step) and from a god helping plants grow he became the god of the marching soldiers, aka infantrymen – it was on Mars Gradivus that generals and soldiers swore an oath to be valorous in battle. There is also how soldier’s prayers for Mars to protect their weapons and blade from “rust” originated as prayers by farmers to have their wheat protected from another type of “rust”, a special type of wheat fungus. The fact he was celebrated in spring became more than just a celebration of him “waking up” nature and giving back life to strength and plants – he was also perceived as “waking up” bravery and courage in men’s hearts. Because, with the end of winter, battles and military operations could start again (they were usually “paused” during the winter). And thus “war and prosperity” became seen by the Romans as just two sides of the same coin, and spring as the season of both flowers and soldiers. Mars was perceived as the god of “virility”, and for the Romans virility was as much a social virtue AND the very concept of life force – virility was the way a soldier or general had to be, but it was also virility that helped crops grow and that helped create plants.

A last interesting way the two sides of Mars were united is through his spear. Mars’ iconic weapon was his spear (the two items of his military cult were the shield and the spear) – and often said spear was depicted as wrapped in laurel garlands. While originally a symbol reflecting his role as a vegetation god, the idea of garlands of leaves and flowers became associated with victory in battle and peace after war – which is why for example a crown of laurel became a symbol of a champion, winner or conquerer in Rome.

  Other important facts about Mars:  

# Mars had a very important role in Roman history, and was thus seen as one of the “ancestor” gods of the Roman civilization. He was said to have been the father of Romulus and Remus, the brothers who actually built the city of Rome ; and he helped the second legendary king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, by offering him a magical shield that was tied to Rome’s fate and would help protect the city as long as it stayed undamaged. This important role led to him being actually called “father” in religion: Mars Pater, Father Mars (which is a name also present in earlier incarnation of the god as “Marspiter” or “Maspiter”).

# In fact, Mars was one of the most prominent and important Roman gods, with temples present everywhere. It is said that he was one of the gods of the “archaic triad” (the triad of main gods of early Roman religion), alongside Jupiter (imagine: Mars was equal to Jupiter!) and a purely Roman deity known as “Quirinus”. What is slightly confusing however is that while sometimes Quirinus and Mars are treated as separate, other times they are treated as one of the same: “Mars Quirinus” was one of the aspects of Mars, as the god of the “quirites” (citizens of Rome), the protector of Rome’s civilians, as well as the keeper of treaties and oaths ensuring peace as a whole.  

# Ovid actually gave Mars a birth legend that was the one of Hephaistos in the Hesiodic tradition: Juno/Hera, jealous of seeing Jupiter/Zeus giving birth to a child on his own (Minerva/Athena), decided in retaliation to also give birth to a child on her own. But unlike Hesiod’s Theogony where Hera worked on her own and the result was an imperfect, deformed baby ; in Ovid’s tales, Juno asked for the help of the goddess Flora, who offered her a magical flower that impregnated the goddess and led to the birth of Mars. (This legend furthers highlights the “vegetation” aspect of Mars).

# While March became the “third month” of the Roman calendar, with the month of January (named after the god Janus) marking the new year ; originally March was the first month of the early Roman calendar, and on the first day of this month (so the first day of the year) was celebrated the Matronalia, a festival of mother and married women centered around Juno. It was also thought to be the day Juno gave birth to Mars. Thus, the birth of Mars, god of vegetation, from the mother-goddess, by a magical flower, was the original opening of the Roman year – a year which, as you can see, in the agricultural lifestyle of early Romans was entirely centered around nature, beginning with the rebirth of vegetation and ending with the “death” of plants in winter.

# While Ares’ sacred animals reflected his nastier side (the destructive boar blinded by rage, the corpse-eating vulture), Mars’ sacred animals were the woodpecker, the bear and the wolf. The latter was very important – a she-wolf nursed Romulus and Remus, Rome’s founders, as babes, and thus the wolf became the symbol of the “nurse and nurturer” of Rome, it became the animal of the defense of Rome, and the very representation of Rome itself.  

# Ares had a female divine companion, which was a purely Roman goddess and the main “warrior goddess” instead of Athena/Minerva – it was Bellona, goddess of war, sometimes said to be the sister, daughter or wife of Mars. But while she was the main war goddess of the Roman pantheon, she was not the equivalent of Athena at all – in fact, in a true ironic twist, Bellona was said to be a more brutal and savage deity than Mars, asking for mutilation and blood in her sacrifices, and being escorted by the Roman version of Eris (Discordia) and by the Furies (Roman Erynies). So overall, Bellona was more of a “true” equivalent of Ares, while Mars is more of an equivalent of Athena… Mars also had another consort-goddess which was sometimes equated with Bellona: Nerio, the personification of “valor” – and just like Mars, she had a dual nature as both embodying a social virtue, a form of “majestic power” (valor as we understand it today), and a manifestation of the vital force and life-power.

# As you can deduce from above – the whole thing of Mars and Venus being in love actually did not exist until the Hellenization of the Roman religion. It was then that the love story of Ares and Aphrodite was brought over, and forced upon the Roman gods, even though Mars and Venus had nothing to do together prior to that. However, while the Romans quickly adopted the Mars and Venus love, they kind of ditched a very important aspect of the Greek story: the adultery. It was present in the first manifestations of the Greek tale in Rome, but the Romans did not like to speak of such vile or unpleasant things like adultery (unlike rape for example, which Romans ADORED), and so it did not stick. This tale fascinated the poets, the artists, the philosophers, precisely because they adored the beauty and idea of Love and War being united as a couple, and so they refuse to have it be presented in a negative light like the Greek did. Ares and Aphrodite’s relationship wasn’t a love story, but an infidelity story almost turning into a grotesque farce – it was the Romans who romanticized and embellished Mars and Venus’ relationship into a beautiful love story, to the point that the two deities were implied or considered to be married to each other, and were seen as the ideal model for married couples. It helped that both were consider the “parent gods” of Rome, Mars as the “father” through Romulus/Remus, Venus as the “mother” through Aeneas. An interesting thing concerning the Mars-Venus relationship: in Roman depictions of the relationship, Venus is always presented in a dominating or leading position, while Mars is often shown in a submissive, relaxed, rested way, often disrobed, disarmed, if not outright nude or sleeping. As I said, the Mars-Venus relationship was heavily perceived through poetic and philosophical lenses, and as a result these depictions wanted to insist on how Love actually brings calm, peace and rest in War, allowing War to leave its weapons and abandon itself to pleasures and quietness.

[dedalvs]

Treasure of the Castilian or Spanish Language

My good friend gave me this very small book that was a translation of some of the many thousands of entries from a Spanish dictionary written at the turn of the 17th century. The original was by Sebastián de Covarrubias Horozco, and the dictionary was described, at the time, as "a large work of…slovenly erudition". The translator included only a few entries (the book is 62 pages long), but, let me tell you... You're in for a treat.

Here are some entries from a monolingual Spanish dictionary from 1617:

AJO (GARLIC)

Garlic is so well-known that one need not describe it. Garlic is not a food for courtly people. The leopard abhors the smell of it; if the leopard's lair is scoured with garlic, the leopard forsakes it. Garlic rubbed against the trunk of a tree keeps caterpillars away.

ANDRÓGENO (HERMAPHRODICTIC)

Some say that women have three wombs on the right side and three on the left and one in the middle; some wombs create males, the others females, and the one in the middle hermaphrodites. And others attribute even more wombs to women, and many allow for none of this.

APIO (CELERY)

The symbol of sadness and weeping.

BERENJENA (EGGPLANT)

Eggplants are not beautiful. They taste insipid; they sadden the spirit; they cause headaches; their bad quality comes out in the face of he who eats too many, giving it their livid or dark green color.

C

It is a silent letter. It was called the sad letter.

COCODRILO (CROCODILE)

The crocodile follows the man who flees it, and it flees the man who follows it. It flees from saffron. The crocodile that follows the one who flees it and flees the one who follows it is a symbol of glory and honor. A crocodile surrounded by wasps need not be feared.

DIAMANTE (DIAMOND)

The diamond can be worked with no instrument except another diamond and the hot blood of a goat.

DRAGÓN (DRAGON)

For a serpent to become a dragon, it first had to eat many other serpents.

FADAS (FAIRIES)

Enchanted nymphs or women who pretend they cannot die.

GALLO (ROOSTER)

The rooster has a hidden virtue: when placed in the presence of the lion, it makes the lion run. The rooster always faces its beak to the wind—this keeps its tail feathers composed. Roosters grow livelier with garlic paste.

GIRASOL O TORNASOL (SUNFLOWER)

Salute this plant.

H

Its figure is formed of the light and the strong.

HIEDRA (IVY)

The copyist making a clean copy of my papers left this word between the lines, and many other words remained with it, forgotten, as I was so sick I couldn't write with my own hand or look over what was written in another.

HORMIGA (ANT)

Some ants grow wings to lose themselves.

JIRA (PICNIC)

To a certain friend it seemed that the word "picnic" may have come from the Greek word for "pig," because the day the pig is killed is a day of joy, and because of the many good morsels that the pig provides, and furthermore the whole house rejoices, even the children, who play ball with its bladder. The pig is the rich man who has poor debtors and grunts like a pig his whole life until he dies.

LAMER (LICK)

Sheep lick salt, dogs lick blood they find on the ground. To lick plates is proper to boys who delight in belly cheer.

LECHO (BED)

Delight in leisure grew, and men invented sleeping on the delicate feathers of the breasts of swans and other birds and on mattresses of cotton and wool, and even with all this the delicate can sleep no more than if they threw themselves on brambles and thistles because of the cares and passions pricking their souls.

LEÓN (LION)

The lion isn't as brave as they say. For the Egyptians it symbolized the heart, the sun, the earth, or he who subjugates others' hearts. It suffers from mosquitoes that bite its eyes; it flees from the sight of the rooster and the rooster's voice, particularly if the rooster is white. Why this is so is unknown. Nature provided that this most ferocious of animal be less prolific than the rest, in contrast with the fecundity of the fearful little rabbit. The lion cub ravages its mother's womb with its claws. The lion forgives.

MIEL (HONEY)

Common honey is nothing but dew that falls over the leaves of grass and trees that bees deflower and lick with great appetite, swelling in size until they are forced to vomit.

OSO (BEAR)

It is unwise for brave men who hunt these wild beats to wait and fight them face-to-face, since bears tend to be dangerous.

PULGA (FLEA)

This insect is made from dust and a little dampness.

Q

"Q" is mute, because it sounds like "c" and in a certain lazy way, like "k."

SANGRE (BLOOD)

Blood of the dragon: the true blood of the dragon is the blood that runs from the dragon that has fought with the elephant, which, atop the dragon, crushes it. The dragon tries to cling to the elephant's belly as there the elephant's hide is thin, and the blood that the dragon sucks out mixes with its own and becomes the true blood of the dragon.

SIETE (SEVEN)

There are books written only on this topic.

TÚ (YOU)

A primitive pronoun of the second person.

UFANO (SMUG)

Soaked in joy like the breadcrumb in liquid that loosens and puffs.

VIDRIO (GLASS)

That which pleases us most about glass is its transparence. If glass did not break, silver or gold couldn't compare with it. The Romans used glass clocks. The ancients drank from glass cups with great delight, as do those now for the joy the sight of glass gives us: if you fill it with water, it seems like a diamond, while red wine makes it like a ruby, and white wine, a balas burning with color, a quality that cups of myrrh, being like mirrored black stones, do not possess.

VIGÜELA (VIHUELA)

Very few have learned to play the vihuela since the invention of guitars. This has been a great loss, as the guitar is no more than a cowbell, an instrument so easily played, especially if strummed, that every stable boy plays it.

X

The drunk becomes an "x" because his weak legs cross. A very erudite man censors this letter.

YESO (GYPSUM)

A stone that glints like crystal. A poison. I do not understand how some young women peel the crust off the walls and eat it like icing.

ZUCIO (DIRTY)

Sweat keeps man from being lustrous.

***

This is but a selection. I've omitted the shortened definition of elephant, which was originally twelve pages long (this guy evidently revered elephants—and roosters. And goats. I omitted that one, too, as it was long). The translator is Janet Hendrickson, and you can find this book at ndbooks.com. It's an absolute treasure.

[tylermileslockett]

Herakles #2: Chiron the tutor Entering into adolescence, Heracles finds trouble in Thebes when he kills his music tutor, Linus, in a fit of rage. The boy’s foster father, Amphitryon, sends him into the countryside to herd cattle and be tutored by the brilliant mentor Chiron the centaur, who trains the boy in military strategy, medicine, archery, and athletics. While herding in the foothills one day, Heracles is visited by two divine beings, Vice and Virtue. Vice tempts the boy to abandon his morals and live a life of wealth, pleasure, and decadence. While virtue pleads with him to stay true to his ethics and follow honorable, heroic pursuits. After hearing the arguments, Heracles sides with Virtue. Chiron (Ky-ron) is the offspring of the titan Cronus (disguised as a horse) and the sea nymph Philyra, (making Chiron half-brother to Zeus) unlike the wild race of centaurs who were born from ixion and the cloud nymph Nephele. In contrast, Chiron is most wise and civilized, and is depicted as a full human figure with the back half of a horse. Upon the slopes of Mount Pelion, Chiron mentors such famous heroes as Asclepius (god of healing) Achilles and Jason (of the Argonauts). Chiron met a tragic end, when later in life, he and Heracles fight other centaurs, and Heracles accidently shoots Chiron with a poisoned tip arrow. Being immortal, Chiron suffered greatly, until Zeus took pity on him, ending his life and placing him in the night sky as the constellation Centaurus. The episode relating Vice and virtue comes from philosopher and historian, Xenophon’s Memorabilia, and is commonly referred to as Heracles at the crossroads. In the work, the character Socrates relates the tale of two large statured women approaching Alcides. The first, Vice, is described offers gratifications of physical senses, and a life of ease. While Virtue, described as dignified, argues for moderation, and achievement in glory and honor through sacrifice and struggle.

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