#of course the embody hades & Persephone!

[motherfuckingmaneater]

A little Bellamort as Hades & Persephone AU inspired by Death Himself Bowed Before Her by the insanely talented sstasia.

[faberown]

IS ADAM A MISOGYNIST?

Answer: NO. And this should be obvious to anyone with some brain.

But let's try to give more explanations. First of all, let's start outside from the show, and answer a more important question:

IS ADAM A MISOGYNIST IN THE BIBLE?

Well, no. Actually, Adam in the Bible is one of the characters that respect and love women the most, which is ironic considering the time when such things were written (let's remember that until less than 200 years ago women were considering PROPERTY of the men). But then, why is Adam considered a misogynist today? Well, because a problem that unfortunately has afflicted us for a long time: people forget that the mentality of people when the myths were written was very different from today, and what means one thing for us at the time meant another. But unfortunately people don't understand this concept, because it is much easier to read and interpret in a literal way, or rather, in a way that conforms to their own thoughts, so as to justify their beliefs.

Let's take for example another famous myth, that of Hades and Persephone. Many modern interpretations see it as a kidnapping, but the truth is that Hades never kidnapped Persephone: before picking her up, in fact, he had asked permission from Zeus, her father (and also his brother... who was the brother of Demeter, the mother of Persephone... so he married the daughter of his brother that was born from an incest between his brother and his sister... yes, the Greek gods were the embodiment of Sweet Home Alabama). Only after Zeus had given him permission to marry Persephone had Hades gone to get her, because again, daughters at the time were PROPERTY of the male parent; not CUSTODY, just PROPERTY. The mother and daughter had no right to say anything. So, in fact, a kidnapping never existed: Hades simply went to take what belonged to him. Not only that, but Hades behaved in an unusual manner for the time: instead of immediately taking advantage of Persephone as was his right, once in the Underworld he courted her and treated her with extreme respect. He has never cheated on her and has always sincerely loved her (they are literally the ONLY healthy couple in Greek myth), and he himself even proposed the deal to Demeter when he realized that she sincerely wanted to spend time on the surface being the goddess of spring.

See? If we don't base ourselves on a literal interpretation of the myth but rather integrate it with the culture and mentality of the time, suddenly what seemed like an act of violence becomes one of the most beautiful couples in all of Greek mythology, which in fact they were. Now, let's try to apply the same reasoning with Adam, Lilith and Eve.

First let's make one thing clear: Lilith DOESN'T exist in the Bible, so here, to avoid too much confusion, we will simply talk about sacred texts, but that doesn't change much since they were written in very close times. Now, was Adam a bad husband for Lilith? Obviously not. That is a modern feminist literal interpretation of the myth, because they wanted to find at all costs a way to criticize religion and patriarchy (and no, I'm not mad at feminists, I'm simply mad at all those who misinterpret something just to justify their beliefs). In this myth, as we well know, Adam and Lilith had to have sex and she didn't want to be under him, and he replied that she always had to be under him. The problem? Again, the mentality of the time was different. To begin with, the idea of ​​the time was that "sacred" sex, and therefore the only sex allowed in Eden given that it was an earthly Paradise, was only that aimed at procreation; and to procreate, according to the mentality of the time (a mentality that has persisted until very recent times), the only right position was that of a missionary, otherwise the child wouldn't be born (in fact the prostitutes stayed on top not to risk getting pregnant). Is this false? Of course, but for the mentality of the time it was absolute reality. So what Adam is saying to Lilith is not "You must be submissive to me, slave woman you must obey me patriarchy blah blah blah", but rather "sorry, but I can't magically change the position of our organs, if we want to have sex we have to do it this way, so just accept it". Basically, it is as if today a woman wanted to get pregnant by only having oral sex, and after her boyfriend points out that it is impossible she accuses him of being misogynistic: who would you side with? So no, Adam never tried to impose himself on Lilith, Lilith was simply a bitch who wanted to do everything as she wanted and thought she could go against even her own nature. And considering what she did AFTER she escaped from Eden, it's very clear how out of her mind she was; I won't go into detail, just know that she has a long history of cannibalism, rape and pedophilia.

Let's talk about Eve now; again, the idea that she was subservient to Adam arises from a modern feminist misinterpretation. Eve was created from Adam's rib to be "more docile", but then again, "docile" thousands of years ago didn't mean "submissive" at all. "Docile" was considered synonymous with "affectionate, loving, faithful, gentle", and did not take into account submission to the master or anything like that, which in fact had another name. Eve was therefore not created from Adam's rib to be his servant, but rather because in this way they would both complete each other and love each other in the purest and deepest way (the classic saying "I love her as if she were a part of me") . It is, in a certain sense, a variant of a Greek myth that saw all people once united, only to be divided by the gods, and therefore destined to seek their other half through love. In fact, Adam and Eve were a united couple and loved each other madly, to the point that Adam, in many variants of the Bible and even in more modern works such as Milton's Paradise Lost, eats the forbidden fruit because he doesn't want to separate from Eve (which places him, by symbolism, in a heroic way but also as a worse sinner than her, given that he chooses mortality and desire instead of divine grace). In some other versions, even, God doesn't free them together but places them in different places on Earth, so that, after the initial quarrel due to the forbidden fruit, they understand how much they need each other and seek each other, and then reunite in love and begin humanity.

Alright, and with that, we're done with the "accurate biblically story" part. Personally, I was very disappointed that Viv didn't use the real version but limited herself to choosing the extremely wrong modern feminist one, given that I think the original one is much more interesting. But now, let's go further and move on to the second big question:

IS ADAM A MISOGYNIST IN HAZBIN HOTEL?

Hazbin Hotel clearly presents many differences with the sacred texts, to the point of creating a mythology more in its own right than being a reflection of the real one; consequently, let's try to look at it without taking into account what actually happened in the Bible. But even in this case, if we exclude the story described in Charlie's book (which has so many holes that it is impossible not to consider it false, especially considering it was written by those who are described as revolutionary heroes, something never confirmed by any other character of the series), then Adam is not a misogynist at all. Let's analyze his character: all his best soldiers are women and he never shows any doubt that they would know how to do what, since time immemorial, has been considered a man's job; his right hand is a woman and he allows her to speak back on him and even boss him around sometimes; his boss is a woman and even when they disagree he still respects her authority; and the list is still long. The only times he seems to despise women is when he talks to Vaggie, but it is clear that in that moment he is despising her more than women, since she is a traitor and an enemy. Haven't you ever seen a movie where the villain takes advantage of the situation to make fun of the hero, behaving in a way he didn't behave with his henchmen or allies? Well, this is basically the same. Should we consider him misogynistic because when he talks to Charlie he makes silly jokes and pranks and proudly talks about his experiences? I expect such behavior from a slightly rude person, certainly not from a misogynist. Based on this logic, Alastor (who slaps Vaggie on the ass in the pilot) and Lucifer (who objectifies Eve and Lilith by talking about them as if they were trophies during the battle) are misogynists too. It's just a ridiculous thought.

In particular there is a scene in which I want to focus to demonstrate his total absence of misogyny, namely the moment in episode 6 when he and Lute notice Charlie and Vaggie in Heaven. In that scene, Lute grabs him by the collar and orders him not to speak loudly, with a very rude attitude to boot. Not only this is a total lack of respect given the different rank that they have (let's not forget that he is her superior, moreover in a military context, where discipline and respect are considered fundamental and absolute), but it also destroys any idea that Adam might be a misogynist for one simple reason: he lets her do it. People tend to forget this because Adam acts like an idiot and Lute acts like the bossy one, but the difference in strength between them is enormous. Lute is good at fighting with an angelic spear, but Adam can summon weapons, shatter magical shields with a punch, open portals, fire beams of power equal to the most powerful laser on Earth, and even defeat Charlie who in power level is equal or even superior to the Deadly Sins except for Lucifer. Adam can literally pick up Lute and break her bones like she's a breadstick, and no one could scold him for anything since he, being the general of the army, has the authority to give punishments if he feels there is a lack of discipline. If Adam had been a misogynist and a woman had dared to treat him that way, he would have immediately reestablished his authority by punching her in the face, or at least threatening her; instead, he lets her do it and listens to her advice, and he even seems genuinely sorry after she makes an offended face because of an unkind comment of his. Let's said it again: Adam, a being who can fight on equal terms with the princess of Hell and win, doesn't get angry after being treated badly and with disrespect by a woman inferior to him, but rather listens to her and follows her advice. Does this seem misogynistic to you?

So, to conclude, no, Adam is not a misogynist, he's just a slightly rude person who thinks his jokes are funny (and it must be said that no one ever contradicts him). He's like the classic pompous friend that any of us have had in life. Calling him misogynistic means to have no clue what misogyny, or patriarchy, is. Viv's problem (as unfortunately with many others) is that she uses words to describe her characters without really knowing what they mean, and she relies on her personal experiences (extremely subjective and without any objective value for the rest of the world) to write them. If Adam is indeed based on an ex-boyfriend, then that ex-boyfriend was just a ridiculous pompous prideful guy who didn't know what education was, certainly not a misogynist. I don't wish for Viv to meet a true misogynist in her life, but if that will happen she will immediately understand how stupid she was to describe Adam as one.

[empyreanroses]

I just remembered why I love the Halstarion pairing so much.... they are literally Hades and Persephone.

Astarion embodies the symbol of death due to his vampiric condition and is naturally driven to the essence of blood to fulfill his undead state. (Traits of winter, decay, and decomposition)

Halsin is a druid and a gifted healer, so of course his job is to preserve nature and all of its living things. He loves animals and becomes overly protective whenever someone threatens the natural order. (Spring, growth, prosperity, etc.)

Can't stop thinking about Hades!Astarion seeing Persephone!Halsin and becoming FLABBERGASTED at his beauty, wanting the druid all to himself. (like the greedy vamp that he is lol)

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 3 MATCH 22

Claude propaganda:

"To say Claude has trust issues is an understatement—you have to spend half the game earning his. (Claude isn't even his real name!) Once you have it, though, he's absolutely ride or die for you until the stars go out. He is so full of heart and ambition: He wants both sides of his heritage to get along, he wants to open borders and eliminate xenophobia and promote equality between commonfolk, and deep down, I think he craves a partner to stand with him at that new dawn, or an equal who sees his vision for the future and will fight for it just as hard. Nobody believed in him when he was a kid, but if you put your faith in him, he'll return it tenfold. Some people don't like that he's calculating, or has to leave the player character at the end of the game to go back to his homeland, but both are necessary elements for his goals to change things. He will always come back, and everyone who bets against him and his love for his companions is wrong with a big fat W. #KhalidForMostDatablePrez"

"Claude is a fun little onion of facades. He calls himself the embodiment of distrust, he acts like he's carefree and without worries, an unscrupulous schemer--and so many in universe buy into that hook line and sinker. He's used to others viewing him with suspicion and uses it as armor to obscure his not-so-dark truth: that he cares immensely, that he values minimizing the loss of life, and that above all he has so much hope that people will fundamentally choose to do better given the choice.

His front guards a center that his conflict filled world would be happy to tear apart. As the child of people from two nations in constant conflict--one of which is explicitly isolationist and dehumanizes those outside its church's reach--he hasn't really had a place where he can be without his facade. As a child he thought he could run, but when confronted with the fact that this hatred existed no matter where he ran, he chose to instead try to create a more just and kind world.

His inability to let others in beyond his facade at first may lead to a sense of distance, but isn't it then all the more satisfying when you're allowed in? All he wants is a little trust, a little faith, and--like what he wants to give everyone--a chance to be better.

And like that you got a charming young lad with a fun personality that your grandma would be thrilled to have stay forever."

Hades propaganda:

“Fields of Asphodel is a work in progress (but nearly finished!) text-based IF game where the MC plays the part of Persephone (you can rename your character tho) who get married to Hades at the behest of Zeus (being a giant douchebag per usual) and move to the Underworld. Hades is kind and respectful and cares deeply for his realm. He feels guilty that the MC was forced into this arranged marriage and does whatever he can to make the MC more comfortable. Even if the MC wants to leave, he puts the MC's feelings first. He drinks that respect women (gender neutral) juice everyday. Listen, this marriage is arranged by Olympus King Dick Zeus, so Hades has absolute zero problems if the MC dates someone else from his realm. Choose someone else's route (if you can!) He has the cutest kid, Makaria and of course everyone's favorite puppy Kerberos. Hades is a slow burn, he dodges and swerves the MC's flirting, pretending to be oblivious. He's not oblivious at all to the growing feelings between the two and that's what makes it sooo good.”

[roukabi]

Wayyy down crittertown, way down under the grouuuund

design notes under the cut

I can't believe it's taken me this long to finalize some animal-ifications for Hadestown, but hey, they're here now!

Orpheus was pretty simple. I wanted something cute and cuddly, and I figured it'd be interesting to turn him into an animal commonly seen as a trickster. It'd throw Eurydice (and maybe The Audience) off guard, maybe as a little nod to looking beyond the darkness of the world to find the abundance of light within. I like to think that he wraps Eurydice up in his fluffy tail when they sleep together :)

For Eurydice, I decided against a literal songbird in favor of something that would better foil Orpheus (and leave the avian designs to the neutral characters). Where Orpheus is an honest fox, Eurydice decided to be a true raccoon - traveler of the streets, thief of the city, and a true loner. Survival of the fittest is her life philosophy... until she meets Orpheus and sees the world from a different perspective. Deep down, she wants to let herself go, to enjoy life, and to be loved. Isn't that what any stray animal wants?

As previously mentioned, I wanted to keep Hermes and the Fates as birds to separate them from the story they tell. The tall, elegant form of a great blue heron seemed right for such a sage god, even if the real Hermes' bird is the rooster. He gets to literally take Orpheus under his wing, too.

Not all gods have to be imposing, though. Persephone as a squirrel is exciting to me, because there's a lot of comedic potential in a mighty goddess being contained in a foot-long, very lively, wine-loving vessel. That isn't to say she can't be serious, of course. I've learned that most squirrels do not actually hibernate, and instead tough out the winter with stored food and a deep burrow. Squirrels are also known to (accidentally) plant trees. Therefore, I think Persephone would be even more concerned about the seasons going haywire than normal, and would react accordingly.

Hades, meanwhile, is far more stony and mountainous than his wife. Unlike their European cousins, American badgers are so infamously pushy that the word 'badgering' was invented. Hades embodies this to a mild degree, being stubborn but not too ornery. He is, above all, a king. His leucism and reversed coloring helps him stand out as the big boss of the tunnels, and obscures him in the snow. Deep, deep down, maybe he's just a big fuzzball...

The Fates may look like old crows, but they're actually ravens, and they're very insistent on that. Clotho (left) is the youngest and least concerned about mortal woes. She just spins up the string, it's none of her business what happens later. Lachesis (top) is the middle sister with an airtight plan for everything, especially the lifespans of the people. She can be a bit bossy. Atropos (right) plays it straight, and cleanly cuts mortals' strings of life. She's not benevolent, but she's not unkind, either.

As for the workers, they're just miscellaneous critters doing Hades' burrow work. it used to be a snake pit before, y'know, the snakes moved out. Now it's Hades' new empire, just as warm and bright and unstable as the surface. The burrows are large enough to house some scary-looking hounds just waiting for a chance to stretch their legs and hunt...

That's it. Yaaaay! As usual, designs are free to use with credit, should they interest you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be looking for every excuse possible to draw the hadestown cast as critters.

[dopplerdora]

Interestingly, going by the myth Zeus was the only sibling spared his father's actions. He was saved and only returned to fight him as an adult. He can't be "put back into his place" because Kronos was prevented from putting him there in the first place.

And it's his biggest fear.

He's terrified of having to suffer like his older siblings suffered and he acts in ways to ignore the problem.

He acts like Kronos, like a tyrant because he never experienced living under one, and he uses that power to make sure he never will.

Going by the books Zeus is the worst parent of his siblings. Which is saying somthing because Hera tossed one of her kids off of fucking Olympus. But Zeus just let's Hera do all that and then does his own cruelties.

Hades is kind of a fuck up in the books but he does love his kids and he tries. (Loving how he was shown in the show. Really pumped to see him interact with Nico)

Posiden is also a fuck up bit he loves his kids and is willing to help even his least favorite. The worst thing he did as a parent was an arranged marriage of his daughter to what was essentially a war hero and not being all that jazzed with said daughter being an embodiment of destruction and chaos.(still fucked but his worst action is being old fashioned)

We don't see alot of Demeter but she sided with Persephone over Zeus so...

Regardless, Zeus has no clue how to be a family in the first place. He only met his siblings when he rescued them and became King. He probably spent his entire early life avoiding his father's wrath and hearing about how horrific it was and how Zeus needed to stop him.

Stopping Kronos is not his only real blame to being king(he is the youngest child after all) but Kronos is probably his greatest fear, a fear he never had to really face in the way Percy is saying.

Of course it's his greatest fear. Zeus only rules through being the strongest. He has no concept of family being loyal and loving to family. But his father is more terrifying and more powerful than him.

Thank you for coming to my mixed book/show Rambling that is complete gibbrish.

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

If you had to give each character in 1968 a Greek god to truly represent them which would it be?

This is a fantastic question, and also difficult to answer because in my mind, each of our 3 main characters embody multiple deities.

Aemond is Zeus (powerful, controlling, vengeful), but also Hades (stealing Persephone, death), Hephaestus (fire, willpower, work, effort), and Poseidon (sea storms, earthquakes).

Aegon is Dionysus of course (a little drunk, a little insane) as well as Apollo (music, light, prophesy, humor, truth, healing), Ares (bloodshed, war, Aphrodite's lover), Hermes (thievery, travel, a messenger), and Prometheus (in chains, the giver of knowledge).

Io is Aphrodite (love, desire, committing adultery while married to Hephaestus), Hera (marriage, childbirth, bitterness), Artemis (untamed and unowned), Athena (wisdom and math), Persephone, and, as we all know, the original Io.

And there are a lot of other deities mixed in too! I imagine characters and scenes in 1968 as these ever-shifting recreations of pieces of Greek mythology, for example in one moment Aemond could be seen as Zeus and just a few paragraphs later is embodying Hades. To me, it adds a sense of uneasiness for these familiar dynamics to be reappearing in unpredictable ways.

If I had to give each character just 1 god, I would say:

Aemond -> Zeus

Aegon -> Apollo

Io -> Aphrodite

And I'll choose minor deities for the rest of the family, since the main Greek gods are so intertwined with the Aemond/Aegon/Io trinity...

Viserys -> Chronos (Father Time)

Alicent -> Leto (motherhood)

Criston -> Atlas (endurance, cursed to carry the world on his shoulders)

Otto -> Ananke (force, fate, necessity)

Ludwika -> Tyche (fortune)

Fosco -> Harmonia (harmony, agreement)

Helaena -> Gaia (the Earth)

Daeron -> Helios (the Sun)

Mimi -> Lethe (forgetfulness, oblivion)

Alys -> Hecate (magic, witchcraft, ghosts)

[inoreuct]

I mean modern takes on Hades and Persephone where they're seen as equals, Persephone comes to genuinely like Hades, Hades is pretty chill for the king of hell and is actually a good husband, & it's Persephone who's actually scarier (sorry if my first ask was vague, I should've explained more 😅)

oh no not at all! i just hadn't replied to it yet because i was wondering whether i wanted to turn the tables and make ZORO persephone,,, bcs sanji being stuck in the dark dank underworld (germa) with his family and not actually liking it at all fits so well. and one day he goes up to the surface and finds this gorgeous god of spring lounging beneath an apple tree and just falls head over heels in love because zoro is the embodiment of everything he's ever wanted; light and life and everything he can't have down in his domain. but if this was the case, it would be more likely for sanji to leave the underworld and stay on the surface— of course he still has to go down and fulfill his duties, make sure his family isn't causing too much trouble, but i think he'd really much rather stay in the sunshine with his husband. it certainly doesn't hurt that he thinks the flowers zoro grows are more beautiful and precious than any ol' hunk of rock or gem he could find down there.

BUT. sanji being persephone also works. the breathtakingly beautiful god of spring, kind and charming with wit sharper than a grain scythe and a marvellous capacity for divine rage? SOUNDS LIKE HIM 😭😭 he'd be pissed as HELL (heh) when zoro drags him down to the underworld, but if he's honest with himself he didn't have much to stay for on the surface. it's not like it's bad down there, either; zoro spares no expense to ensure he's comfortable, even though he doesn't come see sanji himself very often in the beginning. (sanji doesn't know it yet, but zoro's deathly terrified of sanji genuinely hating/fearing him or the underworld, or not being happy. like you mentioned, he's a good man; he'd brought sanji down because he'd fallen hard and fast in love but if sanji ever truly did want to leave, zoro would personally see to it that he got home safe.) it's a little lonely, but not horrible; sanji befriends the servants and talks to the shades, and word spreads that the king's new spouse is somebody to be treated with the utmost respect, not just because of the order zoro proclaimed but because he deserves it. sanji is kind and understanding and fun to be around, but he also gives solid advice and he's much more emotionally aware than zoro, and everyone down there loves him.

gonna stop myself before i spill all my hcs here HAHA i'll probably reply to your original ask with a proper list of hcs but what do you think? one or the other? or both BECAUSE I CAN DO BOTH do you see why i was debating about it for so long 😭

[petrawood]

Since the DLC trailer came out, I have been checking the Elden Ring characters and lore and remembering how much I like Mohg and Miquella once more.

But... a lot of people say that their "relationship" is disgusting and deeply problematic, and I mean, looking at the canon yeah, it is oh my god.

So, I started thinking. Why do I like their relationship so much?

And I realized that of COURSE I was going to like them. I mean, you are looking at a person who watched Beauty and the Beast over and over again when growing up, is in love with the myth of Hades and Persephone and got completely obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera for several years.

What I mean to say is, stories of people who embody Life and Beauty being trapped by a Monster who embodies Death and Ugliness, but learning to love them while going through a personal journey of self-descovery while the Monster finds love and kindness for the first time are my JAM, you know?

So yeah, I like to imagine Miquella breaking through his curse and obtaining the adult body he desires, and even through trials and suffering learning to know Mohg so both of them can discover new things about themselves and each other together.

I know the canon is messed up, but honestly? Their relationship is GREAT for fanfics and character studies.

Btw, Mohg and Miquella are really similar to Hades and Persephone, and I'll die on that hill. Just think about it!

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

Hey Roddy. How far did you get in Hades? Were you able to throw the bash for the Olympians?

There's another one I'd like to ask, but that's the only one I can ask without serious spoilers going brrt.

We get to throw a party?! Hell yeah!! Party time!! Poor Zag, though, having to be the party host and planner, he's gotta do everything around here. Someone cut him a break.

No, I haven't gotten to throw a party. And I assume the question that you wanted to ask is if Zag's got his mom back living in the Underworld, which no, I haven't gotten there either. Last time I got to her, she told Zag not to come back, because she was worried that the Olympians would find her there, and Zag climbed out of the blood pool and said "that's bullshit, I'm going back", but since I'm trying to beat Hades with all of the weapons and I suck ass with the spear, I hadn't gotten back to Persephone to tell her that I'm not listening to her suggestion.

Other notes are that Zag is ferrying messages between Zeus and Hades (Zag said "your brother says he forgives...whatever happened" and Hades of course got pissed off about it), Chaos and Nyx (why is the literal embodiment of Chaos one of the most chill entities we're doing family counseling for), and is looking for a way to get Achilles and Patrocles reunited. I can't remember if Zag's also trying to be a marriage counselor for Orpheus and Euridyce as well? If he is, I haven't gotten far on that. And Meg just gifted Zag a plushie. That's where I was at.

Unfortunately I am bad at video games and this one, though fun, hurts my hands if I play for too long at once. Which is hard, because it's a game that once I pick it up again, I want to play it a lot!

[chthonicgodling]

~*Seph's Daughters*~

first - next - last

cranking out Melinoe content as the one person who knew abt her before Had2 comes out - JOAKS,, anyway fr do you too forget all the time that Maci and Meli are half sisters bc OOPS!! though of course Meli's since been adopted by Euriales so -

weeelll for the uninformed, since i dont talk about Meli much here (anymore ah), lets delve into a very long recap<333 for you new people but also for you old people for funsiess – ahem! underr the cut! This is a massive lore dump!!!

FIRST: Melinoe! version: BLANK.  the backstory – 2,000 years ago, she was born the daughter of persephone and ZEUS, who saw an awful "opportunity" when the Underworld royal family was in turmoil immediately following the thanatos debacle and seized it :(( Melinoe was born with two physical souls inside of her, one of them the embodiment of all good and the other the incarnation of all evil, prophesied by Fate to lean one way or the other but ONLY one at a time depending on how she was treated

Her “family”… fuckin ignored this and proceeded to neglect and ignore her for eight solid years – mostly Hades but YES also Maci who 1) is not always the best person im sorry you had to find out this way fjfhfhg but also 2) was heavily influenced by Hades who was manipulating the fuck out of her too so idk I guess she cant fully be blamed??? She certainly should be tho cmonn. The Blank Early Melinoe, while the dual souls inside of her each waited to seize control of her vessel, did not speak (actually fun gross fact whenever she’s Blank shes got no physical tongue fhfhg), or sleep or really do anything, just quietly haunted the palace. Her aura was split down the middle black and white! and then!

SECOND: iiits OrigiMel! version: EVIL. “origiMel” is not a real name first of all its just Melinoe but she is considered the ORIGINALL incarnation of Melinoe hence the OoC nickname to differentiate, by age 8 the evil side of her had had enough and wrested control of the physical vessel and assumed her role as Goddess of Ghosts, Most Evil Creature In the Universe and thus began a reign of terror that would continue for two fuckin millenia. Her aura turning black. She murdered lots and lots of mortals and has done SO many awful things! Shed also hypnotize their ghosts of mortals she killed to serve her as endless slaves and playthings forever. Bc she reached her full powers so goddamn early thanks to Hades and Seph an Maci treating her like shit, Melinoe is forever 8 years old (out of universe this is. Because when I created her 15 years ago I was fucking obsessed with the ring that’s literally it. Self callout ig whatever lmfao) but was theeee most physically powerful being in the entire underworld.

Eventually due to her persistent hatred for Maci and family she focused all of her evil energies on the mortal Maci was DATING 2,000 years later – this of course was Tory – and she terrorized HIM specifically in some really really awful ways, before they got together, AFTER they got together – shes actually a huge part of Maci and Tory's story as their main villain forget about fuckin Thanatos,,, well this all culminated in the absolute last straw when she murdered Tory’s mother :((( in,, front of him,,, , eventually the Elysium gang figured out that by erasing her memories, they could reset her Blank again and give the good half of her a chance to take over, so after she was captured following that murder, Epi and Maci and Tory and Lethe forcibly erased OrigiMel's memory which turned her Blank indeed and then-

THIRD: finally, Meli! version: GOOD. That’s exactly what happened! When OrigiMel’s memory was erased, she was taken in by Epi and Eury (before they had other children, she was their first ,,) who adopted her as their own and cared for her lovingly, eventually the good half of her seized control. This is the Meli of today! She is sweet and kind and compassionate, still eternally eight years old, she has a family who she loves and so many siblings (including Ty and Bel who are her BABY BROTHERS no matter how old they get!), she loves to draw and hang out with her best friends whomst are all ghost children fggkgkh.,, The first thing she did as new Meli was cut her hair.

Meli’s aura glows white – WITH PATCHES OUT OF IT, becauuuse well oh god it’s a very long story but years later the evil half of her briefly escaped and umm killed Epi and eury’s first bio baby Melanie, before she was immortal in utero, tearing her soul to shreds as goddess of ghosts and uh. Aahh. Meli found all the pieces and glued them back together using parts of her own aura :’))) Melanie’s soul was reincarnated into Ty and Bel hence why they’re one split into two!!! Anyway as for Maci and Meli – i guess tbh they never really formed any sort of formal sisterly relationship since Seph's so disowned her and Meli is so completely Epi and Eury’s daughter, but Maci does love her and uh. Is super embarrassed and regretful of allowing all that to happen so. Happily ever after now!

Aaaaand that’s it weeooo. Anyway enjoy these three pictures rffjghjgjhkgggjkfgj i didnt need to write all that if you made it to the end. hi. thanks.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Aphrodite

Favorite thing about them: She's a fascinating figure, full of potential for stories: a stunningly, irresistibly beautiful goddess who embodies romantic love and sexuality, who can be cruel and kind in equal measure, just like love itself. It's no wonder that she's captivated writers and artists for centuries.

Least favorite thing about them: As I said above, she can be cruel: for example, in her treatment of Psyche, and her role in starting the Trojan War. Of course this is true for most of the Greek gods and goddesses, not just her.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm passionate.

*I love romance (in stories, at least) and visual beauty.

*I can be hot-tempered and petty sometimes.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not irresistibly alluring to men.

*I don't take vicious offense when people consider other women more beautiful than I am.

*Unlike her traditional depiction, I'm not blonde.

Favorite line: I'd need to read through all the various mythology sources to find one.

brOTP: Her son Eros, when she's not abusing his future wife Psyche.

OTP: Her various famous lovers (Ares, Anchises, Adonis), and in some modern retellings, her husband Hephaestus.

nOTP: Any of her own children, or anyone she's put a curse on.

Random headcanon: If there's a place where the gods and goddesses of different cultures can meet, then when she visits that place, I'm sure she enjoys lording her fame over other love-goddesses like Inanna and Freya. None of them embody love and beauty throughout Western art and popular culture the way she does.

Unpopular opinion: I'm not sure how to feel about the traditional portrayal of her marriage to Hephaestus, or about revisionist versions thereof. On the one hand, I understand the urge to deconstruct the tradition of "beautiful goddess despises her ugly husband and has affairs willy-nilly with handsomer gods and men." By pure instinct, I like seeing them reimagined as a happily married couple. But at the same time, I think of all the discourse surrounding the Hades and Persephone myth, and apply the same thoughts here. Arguably, the fact that Aphrodite is forced into a loveless marriage reflects the experience of most women in ancient Greece, and the fact that she does have affairs willy-nilly – and that she's the goddess of love but not of marriage – reflects the separation between marriage and love in ancient Greek culture. Ultimately, I'm open to both types of retelling, just like I'm open both to "happily married Persephone" and "unhappily married Persephone" in portrayals of the Underworld.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

The Aphrodite of Knidos:

The Aphrodite of Milos, or as it's better known in pop culture, the Venus de Milo:

Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus:

Alexandre Cabanel's The Birth of Venus:

The Sleeping Venus by Giorgione and Titian:

Titian's Venus of Urbino, assuming she really is the goddess and not just a courtesan:

Titian's Venus with a Mirror:

Jacques-Louis David's Mars Being Disarmed by Venus:

William Blake Richmond's Venus and Anchises:

This illustration of her birth from D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths:

Marilee Heyer's illustration of her birth from Doris Orgel's book We Goddesses:

Aphrodite as she appears in Disney's Hercules – not high art, but she is cute:

[evansblues]

This group of women on here are amazing!

https://www.amazon.com/Goddesses-Everywoman-Powerful-Archetypes-Womens/dp/0062321129/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580743676226&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061205&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14953610191371188157&hvtargid=kwd-747115415&hydadcr=15523_13517318&keywords=goddesses+in+every+woman&qid=1695920116&sr=8-1

Bolen herself is an Artemis type she said.

Ayehsa mentioned abstience being an attractive option: https://womenlovepower.com/why-abstinence-can-be-sexy-and-radical/

Women Love Power archetypes, introduction to the system and quiz (easy to understand graphic): https://womenlovepower.com/13-seduction-archetypes/

About Women Love Power

Starting off with what the anon said, they are correct in the sense that you have the essentialist, representing the mother archetype first, followed by the lover archetype.

It's worth noting that Bolen has also identified the mother archetype as Demeter. Demeter is Persephone's mother and the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

The mother archetype embodies beautiful, nurturing energy. She is selfless and caring, often expressing love through acts of service and taking care of others. However, the downside is that the mother might be overly involved in her daughter's life. In some narratives about Demeter and Persephone, their stories are always interwoven. This dynamic is mentioned in the maiden archetype for Persephone on her website, which varies depending on the lover energy.

On a related note, the lover energy is represented by Aphrodite. The perspective of Ayesha, is that all women should and do need to embody some aspects of Aphrodite energy. This can manifest as physical sensuality or simply a love of dance; it's essentially a profound love of femininity. Aphrodite epitomizes the feminine energy all women should have. Bolen, however, views Aphrodite differently, as an optional goddess; not all women may resonate with or need her energy. Some may possess a mix of Aphrodite energy, while others might not have it at all.

Returning to the mother energy and its association with Chris: Having gone through the entire book by Bolen and the courses, I'm very confident in Chris's archetypes. Bolen has a book for the men called Gods in Everyman and Ayesha covers all the Gods in each of her courses with the best matches for you based on your archetype. This course, by the way, is excellent and worth the investment. It was instrumental in helping me understand my type and why I keep picking the wrong guys.

Contrary to what the anon suggests, the desire for all encompassing love is not the primary objective of the mother archetype. Her archetype even as the sensualist is that of nurturing- family first is the best way to describe her and that means she's children focused not husband focused or love focused. Just to be clear, you can be a mother or sensualist (Both demeter) and not want or have any kids. What replaces kids is up to you but could be pets, those who need help and vulnerable, seniors, the homeless etc. The point is you need to nurture to be happy. Lisa has big mother energy although I'm not sure which one and she's in an unhealthy energy but that's for another story. All encompassing love-That's the domain of a different goddess. Each goddess has her own goals, especially in romantic interactions.

The quiz, which helps determine one's archetype, requires careful attention. It's comprehensive, consisting of about 100 questions spread over six to eight pages. It's crucial to save your progress since refreshing the page necessitates starting from scratch. When attempting it, one should reflect on their lifelong character traits and not merely on situational behaviors.

For instance, even if a woman embraces the nurturing energy of Demeter after becoming a mother, her fundamental archetype might remain unchanged from what it was pre-motherhood.

Using Gloria Steinem as an example, regardless of whether she has children or is married, her primary archetype is that of Artemis, representing independence and advocacy for women's rights. So, regardless of her life choices, they're filtered through the lens of her primary archetype. It's vital to approach the quiz from a standpoint of one's true and purest nature. Don't take it worried about what others would think. Take as you are and it will resonate the most.

Every archetype has its beauty and significance. There's no hierarchy of value among them. One challenge with Bolen's perspective is that many are drawn to the Aphrodite archetype, perhaps because it seems more glamorous or desirable. However, very few genuinely embody the Aphrodite archetype. It's often challenging since those who do are sometimes criticized for their comfort with their sexuality. Think of figures like Kim Kardashian or Marilyn Monroe who often face societal scrutiny for their sensual energy. Aphrodite types are often looked at as "the other woman", have a hard time getting female friends and a host of other problems. Don't romanticize archetypes based on patriarchy!

As a reminder, the quiz is extensive. Approaching it with the right mindset is crucial. It's not about just seduction romantically. It's about seducing yourself, falling in love with yourself, with life and being your own best partner. It's self development and she includes romance and covers it very well but it's not the main aspect. Ayesha is the siren archetype she said.

Personal note- I'm the ingénue type. If you all take it, please do share!

Thank you for writing all that! This is so fascinating!

[tenshiharmonia]

Still playing Hades, and I must say, it would have been pretty cool to have Persephone appear among the gods who can offer Zagreus their boons once you’ve finished the main story. I mean, from then on, she spends half the game on Mount Olympus, and while those glowing orbs may not allow them to have a proper conversation, the Olympians still have a direct line to Zagreus when he is conducting his runs through the Underworld. Really, having her offer her own boons feels like it would accomplish so much. It would not only allow her to have a stronger presence in the game once the main plot is complete, emphasizing how she is always watching over her son even when she has to leave the Underworld, but also refresh the gameplay one last time as the player starts to dig into the post-game. Bonus point if the boons she offers turn out to be utterly broken. I mean, they would only be available half of the time, when she is on Olympus, so you might as well let the player have some fun with them. :p Imagine, an attack that replenish your health each time you hit an enemy, without any drawback (unlike the Blade upgrade). Or a cast that explode into a flowerbed that heals Zagreus when he stands on it. Really, I feel like a playstyle focused on healing would fit her character and esthetic pretty well, embodying all the nurturing and maternal affection she’s lavishing upon her long-lost son. Of course, she is also strongly associated with pomegranates, so like Dionysus with nectar bottles, we can imagine a series of boons that would grant Zagreus a bonus - in health, attack or whatever - each time he picks up a Pom of Power. Also, since Demeter only appears in her “winter” form during the game, her boons would have the exclusivity of flowers and plant life as design elements... Really, the more I think about it, the more it feels like such a missed opportunity. Heck, without giving her her own boons, just have her hijack one of the other Olympians' "transmissions" to wish her son good luck would have been pretty neat, on top of making for fun dialogues and interactions. Like, imagine, you are picking up a boon from Zeus when Persephone appears on screen : "Hello, Zagreus. Don't mind me, I'm just passing by to wish you good luck and tell you what a great job you're doing. Show your father who is the boss down there ! Oh, by the way, your uncle wants you to have one of these..." Anyway, I think you caught my drift. Thank you for reading this post. It wasn't much, but still, I hope you found it somewhat interesting. See ya ! ^_^

[bringerofplagues]

Hades 2: Information, Speculation and Wishes

So, last night at the game awards we got a trailer for Hades 2 and i have been looking through the trailer several times trying to find every scrap of information in there, and now i am gonna share it with everyone. When i am done with that i will be doing some speculation on what this might mean and then i will talk about some stuff i would love to see.

First of all let’s talk about the new characters. According to the games steam page the player character is Melinoë, and in the mythology she is the daughter of Persephone and Zeus, and she has some connections to Hecate the goddess of witchcraft. We know from the trailer credits that Hecate will be in the game, and we can safely assume that she is the trainer character whom Melinoë refers to as Headmistress. First of all, Melinoë is a witch and it would make sense if her trainer was the goddess of witchcraft. Secondly: Hecate was often described as a three headed goddess, and while it would seem like the Headmistress only has one head, you can see two heads, one on each shoulder, but we don’t know if they are real or decorative at the moment. Then there is Moros, the embodiment of doom, and Nemisis, the goddess of vengeance, both of whoom are children of Nyx and Erebus thus making them siblings of Thanatos and Hypnos from the first game. The first boon we see comes from Apollo, the god of music, the sun and Medicine, but all of the boons we see in the trailer are damage focused and seem to have a sun theme. We also seem to have this games version of Dusa aka Dora, who i assume to be Pandora like how Dusa was Medusa. And of course there is the big bad of the game Chronos/Cronos. Now these are tehcnicly two different figures, Chronos is the god of time, and Cronos is a titan, the god of harvests and the father of Hades, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, Hades and Zeus. Long story short he swallowed his children but then he got killed by Zeus and locked up inside of Tartarus. It would seem that the game has combined the 2, Hades refers to him as a titan, which Chronos wasn't, and he is locked op both of which point to Cronos. But then Hades also calls him “time itself” and we hear clockwork in the background which indicates a time connection, thus drawing upon Chronos. To be fair it is fairly common to combine the 2 into one as they have very similar names and this simplifies things. Now let’s get on to the speculation.

First of all i have an idea of what the story will be. At the very end of the trailer Melinoë says “Wait for me father. I will be there soon.”, and since her father is Zeus this would seem to indicate she is trying to reach Zeus. However we can also see Melinoë tell Hecate that she will “slay the titan yet” so she is gonna try to kill Cronos. This makes me think of  2 possibilities, either Cronos has captured Zeus and Melinoë wants to save her father, or in order to leave the underworld she has to kill Cronos, possibly as a test from Hades. In the trailer Hades sounds worried while talking about Cronos, stating “Time can’t be stopped” which makes me think the first possibility is the most likely. Nemesis does say that she wished to receive “the task” from some one only referred to as she in one of the screenshots from the steam page. This would indicate the task to kill Cronos would have come from Hecate. It also indicates that both Nemesis and Melinoë are being trained by Hecate, and given that she is refereed to as Headmistress i think we can assume some sort of school setting. And for the last bit of speculation, since we have both Moros and Nemesis i think we can probably expect some expansion on the Nyx & Erebus household / family dynamic, at the very least between those two but maybe also some references to Hypnos and Thanatos.

And here are my personal wishes. First of all i really hope we get to see Hestia in this game, she is my favorite Greek deity and i think it would be cool if she was in the game, maybe giving a self-healing based boon-set. Then, since we have Apollo i really hope we get Artemis back, i really like her depiction in the first game and i would love to see how the studio handles her relationship with Apollo. I also hope we get Hypnos and Thanatos back. Hypnos is one of my fave Greek gods, and his dynamic with Thanatos in the first game was really well handled but i just want to see more of it, specifically i would like to see Thanatos not being a complete jerk to his twin brother who really deserves better. There are also some Greek heroes i would like to see. First of all there are two of Apollos former lovers of Apollo, Hyacinth and Daphne (all though in Daphnes case the word lover is really that fitting. Daphne was a nymph who didn’t want Apollos infection and turned into a tree before he could kiss her. Hyacinth was a much more willing lover of Apollo, but sadly got killed by the jealous wind god Zenyth who threw a discus at him and so Apollo turned him into a hyacinth flower. I think these two could function like Patrolcus did in the first game, the dead lovers of Apollo where Patrolcus was the lover of Achilles. Then i would love to see Jason, mainly because i want to beat the shit out of him for how he treated his wife Medea (long story, basically she carried his ass to get him the golden skin and then he decided to dump her for another princess so he could become king but promised he would still keep her as a mistress). Speaking of, given the games witch theme i would be shocked if neither Medea or Circe showed up, since they are both famous witches from Greek mythology. And at last i hope they add Odysseus, i love that clever scoundrel.

[calmwaterstarot]

Listening to women love power course and it dawned on me Chris is the classic hades and Persephone pairing.

Hades (Chris) and Persephone (Alba) pairing. An emotionally dark man who wants a younger woman that will not put him to task like an emotionally mature women.

Expect it to last until She gets to her Queen phase.

That myth is so tragic and dark. Still an epic story, but dark nonetheless. I do love how the tale embodies death, rebirth, and transformation—Scorpionic energy at its finest.

When do you think the Queen Persephone phase will happen, anon?