#rúnar

[genevieveetguy]

When the Light Breaks, Rúnar Rúnarsson (2024)

[simspurgatory]

The Harbinger - Rúnar Ölvirsson

Day 09 of @windbrook's SLASHED challenge

Day 01 - Day 02 - Day 03 - Day 04 - Day 05 - Day 06 - Day 07 - Day 08

[cappedinamber]

Þrestir / Sparrows (2015)

Directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson

Cinematography by Sophia Olsson

[pop-sesivo]

Rúnar Rúnarsson es quizás el director islandés más reconocido en festivales. Este es el tráiler de su nueva película, When the Light Breaks, que compite este año en la sección 'Un certain regard' del Festival de Cannes. En la plataforma Filmin, en España, pueden verse dos de sus películas: Sparrows (2015), que tiene un final muy cruel y desolador; y Echo (Bergmál), que me encanta, pues es la historia, contada en breves secuencias, de la Navidad en Islandia.

[breitzbachbea]

I wish I had more LFLS shitposting these days, but Irish Problems is getting prettaaaay serious these days and all I'm doing with @swabianmapley is also putting the kids Through The Horrors and thinking about how much that icelandic nepo baby sucks.

[renegade-hierophant]

Rune Garden

Hávamál, Rúnatal

138. Veit ek at ek hekk vindga meiði á nætr allar níu, geiri undaðr ok gefinn Óðni, sjálfr sjálfum mér, á þeim meiði er mangi veit hvers hann af rótum renn.

I know that I hung on a windy tree for all of nine nights, wounded by a spear and given to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no one knows the kind of roots it runs from.

139. Við hleifi mik sældu né við hornigi, nýsta ek niðr, nam ek upp rúnar, œpandi nam; fell ek aptr þaðan.

They blessed me with neither bread nor horn, I peered down, I took up runes, screaming I took them; I fell back from there.

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Norse mythology in the Frozen universe: How it's all connected | Part 1 | Analysis | Theory

What if I told you Norse mythology is not a stranger to the Frozen universe but rather a very familiar companion? What if I told you that it's all connected and this is not something out of the blue? It's true!

Last night I came across @humongoustreemoon's post (thank you for this!) and it hit me - it got me investigating and going back to theories from Frozen I! There are old Norse runes and Norse mythology all over the place in the two movies and they could be the clues to finding out what we're in for in Frozen 3 and 4. Please stick with me.

This is going to be a long post but I'll break it down to a part one and two.

[long post alert]

Norse mythology in Frozen I

The book

Okay so the very first piece of ancient language that we get is from book cover of the very book that Agnarr goes to find that leads them to the troll valley at the beginning of the movie.

Runes of Knowledgeable [magic] book cover

These runes are of Nordic runes from Norse mythology which is German is mythology. The book reads "ᚱᚢᚾᚬᛦ ᚠᛁᚢᛚᚴᚢᚾᛁᚴᛦ" or “runąR fiulkunikRa”, “Rúnar Fjǫlkunnigra” in proper Old Norse which translates as “Runes of Knowledgeable [in magic]". I tried to translate it myself but it was hard to find the right alphabet and get the right translation. Chrome browser may not render runic font properly or Google apparently. So most of the translations in this post are based on Panya's blog on deciphering the runes.

Then we look at a specific page inside the book.

A page of Runes of Knowledgeable [magic]

Apparently some of the lines in this book are repeated. The lines in old Norse are:

1. ᛋᛏᛅᛁᚾ ᚠᚢᛏᚢ ᚢᛅᛚᛏᛅᛦ ᛏᚢᚴᛚᛅᚼᛁᛘᛁᚾᛋᛁᛋ ᚦᛅᚢ

2. ᛏᚱᚢᛚᛁᚾ ᛅᚠ ᛋᚢᛅᚱᛏᛅᚠᛁᛅᛚᛅᚱᛁᚴᛁ ᛅᛁᚴᚢ

3. ᛚᛅᚴᚾᛁᛋᚼᚬᛏᛦ ᛋᚢ ᚬᛏ ᛁᛋ ᛅᚠ ᚴᛅᛚᛏᚱᛁ ᛋᛅᚱ

4. ᛘᚾ ᚴᚱᚢᚦᛅ ᛁᚠ ᚠᚢᚱᚦ ᛅᛚᛒᚱᛅᚦᛚᛁᚴᛅ ᛏᛁᛚ

5. ᚢᛅᛚᛅᛦᛁᛋ ᚦᛅᛁᛦᛅ ᛏᚱᚢᛚ ᛅᛁᚴᚢ ᚦᛅ ᚾᚬᛏᚢᚱᚢ

6. ᛅᛏ ᚦᛅᚢ ᚠᛅ ᛅᛚᚬᚾ ᚴᛅᛚᛏᚱ ᛅᚠᚦᛁᚱᚦᚬᚾ[ᛚ]

7. ᚢᛦ ᚴᚢᚴᚢᛚᛁᚴᛁ ᚾᛁᛘᚬ ᛅᛁᚾ ᚦᚢᛁ ᛏᛅᚦ ᚴᛅᚱ

8. ᛁ ᚢᛚᚢᚴᛁᚾᛁ ᛅᛋᛏ ᛁᛋ ᛋᚢ ᛅᛁᚾᚬ ᛁᛋ ᚠᛅᛦ

9. ᛅᚠᚦᛁᚱᚦᚬᚾ[ᛚ] ᚼᛁᛅᚱᛏᛅ ᚴᚱᚢᛏ ᛅᛚᛒᚱᛅᚦᛚᛁᚴᛅ

In the blog, they try to translate it as:

1. Stone brought fourth by powers of moon and sky, they,

2. the Trolls from the dark mountain realm, have

3. healing hands. A soul which from cold wounded

4. will heal if brought very quickly to

5. the field of them. Trolls have those nature

6. that they get all sorcery thaw

7. out of approached body to save one. Such action done

8. in true love is only which can

9. thaw heart stoned very quickly quickly.

Making sense, the text says: The Stone (heart) brought fourth by the powers of moon and sky, they, the Trolls from the dark mountain realm, have healing hands. A soul which is cold wounded (struck by the cold powers) will heal if brought very quickly to the field of theirs (the Troll valley). Trolls have the nature that they get thaw for all sorcery out of approached body to save one. Such action can be done by true love only which can thaw heart stoned (heart) very quickly.

It's like what happened with Anna. Anna had been struck by Elsa's "moon and sky" (ice) powers which led Agnarr to quickly go to the Troll valley so the trolls could heal Anna, the cold wounded. Trolls seem to be known to somewhat heal and know the thaw for sorcery magic like such. Pabbie was able to heal Anna's head but had warned the family of being struck in the heart with the powers. For Anna's situation years later, Pabbie told them the cure was true love.

Next to the text page is this image:

It shows a troll healing a royal man/ soldier by taking out a blue misty magic (the same moon and sky/ ice magic Elsa has) from his head and right above it is the northern lights. This could be what happened with Anna, the trolls were seen taking out ice magic from his head and changing up her memories. The Northern lights were used as a visual projection for Grand Pabbie's prediction abilities.

The northern lights will play a huge role in Frozen 3 and 4 I think, just like in Frozen. When Anna sees them in the sky she believes the sky is awake, and Olaf too says the same.

The concept art for Frozen 3 shows that mysterious white castle and the northern lights around it. My theory is that the northern lights are magical and are part of the trolls magic. So troll magic = Northern lights magic. I know this might not make sense right now but let's look at it differently. When it came to the trolls, King Agnarr was very familiar with them and knew all about them. They seem to be a part of Arendelle history. It could be that Norse mythology is part of Arendelle's history which is Agnarr's side of the family, just like Sami culture was part of the Enchanted forest's history from Iduna's side of the family. Frozen 2 explored Iduna's background while Frozen 3 could be exploring Agnarr's background.

The map

Then we have a map that falls out of the book which leads to the Troll valley. In Nordic runes it says “ᛏᚱᚢᛚ” or “trul” which is menas “Troll”.

There's a map compass-like sign at the top left hand corner of the map which resembles the Viking protection symbol the Helm of the Awe in Norse mythology.

So it seems like Agnarr's ancestry is Norse mythology/ Viking heritage as Iduna's was Sami culture.

The memorial stones

A little while later in the movie, when Anna goes to her parents burial, there are runes on their graves.

The left stone reads:

ᛁᚦᚢᚾ ᛏᚱᚢᛏᚾᛁᚴ

ᛏᚢ I

ᚼᛅᚠᛁ

This translates to:

Queen Iduna

She died in the/ at sea

The left stone reads similar:

ᛅᚴᚦᚬᚱ ᚴᚢᚾᚢᚴᛦ

ᚼᚬᚾ ᛏᚢ I ᚼᛅᚠᛁ

Translates to:

King Agnarr

He died in the/ at sea

In Panya's blog, she says that these aren't grave stones but memorial stones as they didn't find their bodies. I don't know why we never thought of this. They never found their bodies - how could that have? Iduna and Agnarr died in the dark sea and their ship was washed to shore in the enchanted forest all the while the forest was still trapped in the mist. No one could've gotten in or out. And the Northuldra and Arendellian soldiers seem clueless to their deaths which means they never discovered the ship or if they did they didn't find any bodies with the ship. (Brb I'm gonna cryy!)

So I'm gonna go with their conclusion of this theory that Agnarr's ancestry is Norse mythology.

The wedding book

Anyways, next and the last we see the runes in the movie is on a book held by a small troll when they try to wed Anna and Kristoff.

The book reads “ᛏᚱᚢᛚ”, and “Troll” in English.

Powers of the moon and sky

But before I move onto Frozen 2's Nordic rune sightings, I wanna refer back to this, we're a troll is scene healing an Arendellian.

Some believe this is an ancestor of Agnarr who was hit by ice magic. This could be true. It would make sense why Agnarr was so familiar with magic and the trolls. But this ancestor was hit by the magic of the sky and moon meaning that Elsa wasn't the first with the ice and snow magic, which then could mean that there was indeed a previous fifth spirit who also had powers like Elsa at the time of this recorded incident. It's unknown if there were two parts of the fifth spirit, one with powers like Elsa and one without like Anna. I would say there wasn't but after seeing the chaos that King Runeard caused, Ahotohallan believed the fifth spirit should be divided into two with one being powerless so that peace with humans could be made between the magical. Runeard probably hated magic partly for this very reason, that it is dangerous and he fears the unknown. With frozen we learn that if anyone fears the unknown, the magical, they try to destroy it and hunt it down. Runeard feared the magic in the enchanted forest and Arendellians or at least the council feared Elsa's magic so they tried to destroy it until it was Anna who ultimately saved the days and restored peace between humans and the magical. Elsa couldn't have done her part in saving Arendelle and the forest if it wasn't for Anna. That's why both are the fifth spirit.

And the book mentions that the powers are of the moon and sky. That sounds very similar to Tangled where Rapunzel's flower was from the drop of the sun. Tangled takes place in Germany so it could have tied with Norse mythology having Frozen and Tangled connected in not only the same universe but with Norse mythology too. But in Frozen 2 we learn that Ahotohallan was the source of all (elemental) magic and is a frozen river/ a glacier. It could be that it was just being metaphorical as ice relates to the moon and sky with how cold it is. In the D23 panel, we're given the question of who gave Elsa her powers? Now where did it come from because we got that answered. It's who? Ahotohallan isn't actually a being. It's a magical source. Could it be that the who is linked to Agnarr's Norse mythology ancestry? Maybe it's related to the previous Fifth spirit that gave the Arendellian the cold wound. I don't think the Fifth spirit is someone from Agnarr's ancestry but I could be wrong, especially if his ancestry relates to Norse mythology where runes are included. The spirits symbols are runic so it could be from Iduna's side too. Perhaps the two sides are connected!?

Trolls' realm

As for the trolls, I believe the Trolls are part of his culture, with the Old Norse runes. They are revealed in the runed book to come from a Dark mountain realm. For those who have no idea what realms are kingdoms/ holes to different species and gods. It's like a different world basically. Realms are included in Norse mythology but the Dark mountain realm isn't a named realm in the nine realms of Norse mythology. The nine realms are

Asgard

Midgard

Vanaheim

Jotunheim

Alfheim

Nidavellir

Niflheim and Muspelheim

Helheim

I did some research and it seems like Jotunheim or Jötunheimr is the "dark mountain" realm that contains dark forests and mountain peaks where winter never is neverending. But it's a home to giants. In Scandinavian folklore, trolls are giant, monstrous beings, sometimes possessing magic powers and in old Norse, Trolls dwell in isolated mountains, rocks, and caves and are rarely described as helpful or friendly.

In the Frozen universe the trolls aren't giants but are rocks themselves and they live near an isolated mountain, being the North mountain where it's wintery. Except they are always friendly and helpful and are known to heal those wounded by sorcery magic. The realm they're from is called the Dark mountain realm. It sounds similar to Jötunheimr.

Referring back to the concept art, we see a white castle that people are quick to believe is a place similar to Valhalla. Valhalla is basically like paradise in Norse mythology, a place viking warriors go for the afterlife. The majestic described hall is located in a celestial realm in Asgard where the Norse gods live. Perhaps that castle isn't a castle but a hall and that place really is Valhalla which would explain why it sits on clouds. Agnarr was a viking warrior according to Norse mythology so it's possible he's there. Perhaps he and Iduna could return in that sense. And seeing the northern lights surround what seems to be Valhalla, maybe the northern lights are what surrounds and guards these realms.

Read Part 2 here.

[filmografie]

Favorite films watched in April 2024: 

Elvira Madigan (1967), dir. Bo Widerberg

The Horse Thief (1986), dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang

The Nun's Story (1959), dir. Fred Zinnemann

The Naked City (1948), dir. Jules Dassin

Anna (2009), dir. Rúnar Rúnarsson

[kynvillingur]

voðalegur heigulskapur hjá rúv alltaf, ætla örugglega að reyna að taka þátt og hundsa alla gagnrýni eins og síðast

[thorraborinn]

Hey, are you still doing rune transcriptions? The one you did for me a few years back was pretty helpful, and I’ve got another one I’d like to work up.

“nam ek upp runar /œpandi nam”

Could I get that one in Younger/Icelandic Futhark?

Another bit from the Voluspa, for another of the inevitable tattoo designs I’m always working on. Thanks!

I don't maintain a standing offer to anyone to do it anymore, but we've interacted before, and since you're asking for something that's already in Old Norse that takes some of the ambiguity out.

So usually when I refer to Icelandic futhark, I'm talking about a fairly late development of the Younger Futhark with certain distinctly Icelandic features like using the dotted t rune for ð and the rune ᛨ for y (and generally being very influenced by Latin writing). Here's an example (via Arild Hauges runer):

The last thing I did for you was in Viking age younger futhark. I suspect you might mean the latter, but I'll do both. Also, just want to point out that these lines are from Hávamál.

10th century younger futhark:

nam ek upp rúnaʀ / œpandi nam nam : ik : ub : runaʀ / ubąti : nam

13th+ century Icelandic:

nam ek upp rúnar / æpandi nam nam : ek : upp : runar / æpandi : nam

Remember the font I'm using here is for clarity and not to look good, so don't feel locked into it looking like this. Feel free to sub out long-twig for short-twig. I'm using spacing dots but again that's for clarity, you don't need to include that, or could use a different word boundary marker/line break if you want.

[stefankarlfanblog]

Litla Hryllingsbúðin (1999) - CD album

Album scans by me, the person who originally acquired the album is my friend @smartsmjatt !

Litla Hryllingsbúðin (1999) - CD album

Icelandic music album of the Reykjavík City Theatre version of the Little Shop of Horrors.

The Reykjavík Theatre Company (Leikfélag Reykjavíkur) performed the show on the stage of Reykjavík City Theatre (Borgarleikhúsið) on the 4th of June 1999. For this version, the show was translated and localized by Gísli Rúnar Jónsson with the original Icelandic lyrics by Megas from the first show from 1985. Directed by Kenn Oldfield. Original English lyrics by Howard Ashman. Music originally by Alan Menken.

Music credits: The show's band consisted of: Jón Ólafsson (Keyboard and music director), Karl Olgeirsson (Keyboard), Jón Elvar Hafsteinsson (Guitar), Friðrik Sturluson (Bass), Jóhann Hjörleifsson (Drums, percussion).

Cast:

Baldur Snær (Seymour Krelborn) - Valur Freyr Einarsson 

Auður (Audrey) - Þórunn Lárusdóttir

Markús (Mushnik) - Eggert Þorleifsson

The The Urchins:

Ellen - Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir

Ellý - Selma Björnsdóttir (And later on to be played by Jóhanna Vigdís Arnardóttir)

Ella - Regína Ósk Óskarsdóttir

Audrey II (Voice) - Ásbjörn Morthens

Audrey II (Movements) - Ari Matthíasson

Broddi Sadó (Orin Scrivello), Gulldís Hlíf (Mrs. Luce), Róni (?), Customers 1&2, Bói (?), Andri Brabra (?), Ástmar Magnússon(?), Voice of Audrey II when needed - Stefán Karl Stefánsson

[anytimebitchess]

Match highlights:

* most abt Ruben

Ruben bulling Bernardo.

Ruben spitting.

Ronaldo getting a yellow.

Ruben tugging up his shorts.

My brother and his friend sneaking in to the stands.

A friend of my brother’s getting on the pitch.

Ronaldo being frustrated for not being able to score 2727x

Ronaldo playing like shit for 80 minutes.

Rúnar finally woke up and was unstoppable with these saves.

Ruben falling.

Ruben slaying.

Joao Felix hair looking reddish under the Iceland sun.

Bernardo being MOTM.

Ruben bending down and shaking his ass in my direction.

Iceland’s squad called up their barbarian ancestors.

Ruben waving and smiling in my direction when he was on the bus.

Bernardo Silva is REALLY smol 🤏🏼

Vitinha too.

Pepe looking fierce.

Alfred Finnbogason plying Italian.

Rafael Leao is actually magnificent.

SIUU

Ronaldo setting a world record.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

With most of the country just under the Arctic Circle, Iceland does not experience true polar night, where the sun stays below the horizon and darkness lingers throughout the winter.

However, some parts of Iceland do experience a version of this phenomenon.

Due to the nation’s steep mountains, many people live in areas where the peaks block the sun’s rays.

This includes Ísafjörður, a small town in the Westfjords of Iceland.

There, from late November to late January, the rays of the sun fail to reach the town, leaving it in shadow.

On January 25 each year, the sun finally arrives at Sólgata, or “Sun Street,” in Ísafjörður.

To celebrate, families and friends gather for Sólarkaffi, “Sun coffee,” to welcome the return of the sun.

If it is a cloudy or stormy day, which is not uncommon for Iceland at this time of year, many will postpone the celebration.

But even if the sun’s rays can be felt for just a few precious minutes, out comes the strong coffee and Icelandic pancakes, along with wishes of gleðilega sólrisu, or “Merry sunrise!”

Around Iceland, many people celebrate Sólardagur (“Sun Day”) around January 25 with sweets and hot drinks.

But in villages such as Ísafjörður, many families choose to have their Sólarkaffi on the exact day that the sun hits their home.

Ásdís Guðmundsdóttir has lived in Ísafjörður for the majority of her life.

She can remember celebrating the holiday when she was eight years old, with her mother making pancakes when the sun finally reached town on a clear day.

Now, she celebrates with her great-grandchildren, making and eating pancakes the same way she did as a child: with whipped cream and jam.

Icelandic pancakes, pönnukökur, are crepe-like pancakes best served with homemade rhubarb jam and whipped cream.

Some people like to cover them in sugar and then roll them up to be eaten like a hot dog.

The golden pancakes, with their resemblance to the sun, are eaten to celebrate making it through the darkest days of the year.

“We like to call them Sólarpönnukökur (“Sun pancakes”),” says Edda Björk Jónsdóttir, a specialist in education and communication at the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður.

In Siglufjörður, a small town surrounded by steep mountains in the north of Iceland, Sólardagur is celebrated on January 28, the day that the sun’s rays shine over the mountaintops and fall on the town.

In addition to celebrations at home, companies in town set aside time for employees to have sun pancakes together.

At noon, elementary school children gather on the church steps to sing songs such as “Sól er yfir Fjallabyggð,” an ode celebrating the light reaching the Fjallabyggð region.

These days, most people tend to leave their small fishing villages to move to the capital of Reykjavík, often for employment or education.

Yet Sólardagur is such a meaningful day to people from places like Ísafjörður and Siglufjörður that it is also celebrated in Reykjavík, even though the city receives direct sunlight throughout the winter.

Ísfirðingafélagið, founded in 1945, is an organization based in Reykjavík that connects people from Ísafjörður who have moved to the city.

Their big event of the year is Sólarkaffi.

Since 1946, it has been held annually, except for when the Covid-19 pandemic prevented large gatherings of people.

What began as a small gathering over coffee and pancakes on a Sunday afternoon is now a Friday night event with a ball and dancing—but only after the traditional coffee and pancakes are served, of course.

“Even though we moved to Reykjavík and could see the sun all year around, we kept this tradition to celebrate the day of the sun, in honor of our hometown and those who live there and have not seen the sun for a long time,” says Rúnar Örn Rafnsson, the current chairman of Ísfirðingafélagið.

“Pancakes and coffee are a vital part of the celebration,” says composer and pianist Halldór Smárason, who is from Ísafjörður but now lives near Reykjavík.

Smárason performs at Sólarkaffi every year and wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“I really love this event as it’s an opportunity to reunite with old friends and familiar faces from my hometown,” he says.

For many people, Sólardagur marks a return to easier times.

“The sun makes everyone happier, the grass gets greener, fishing becomes more manageable, and the long-awaited light creates a true and deep feeling of appreciation in all of us,” says Smárason.

The celebration is especially meaningful, considering that the winter darkness can be detrimental to mental health.

Thelma Björk Guðmundsdóttir, the head of the mental health team at the hospital in Ísafjörður, notes that the arrival of the sun in dark Icelandic towns is a genuine cause for celebration.

“It means a lot to us when it happens, because of how it can affect us to be in darkness for so long,” she says, “which people might not quite understand unless they live with it.”

Jónsdóttir from the Herring Era Museum shares that sentiment.

“I think that most people associate hope with the Sólardagur,” she says. “Some people have said that it’s almost like the sun fills you with light, hope, and joy on the inside.”

More than simply coffee and pancakes, Sólardagur and Sólarkaffi are a chance for families and communities to celebrate the first sign of winter’s end together.

“It’s definitely a turning point,” says Jónsdóttir. “We have been without the sun for over two months, and when the sun finally comes back, it means that there will be less darkness.”

[breitzbachbea]

God I love enemies and I love hatred Blease Blease tell me about the hatred I’m beghing on me knees

Oh, where to START. Charlie and Robert have their own playlist, which I should remake on youtube so that I can share it. Big fan of "Hated You from Hello" by Downplay and "You're Going Down" by Sick Puppies being both sided, "Know It All" by Fivefold is so, so good for when Robert gets his revenge for Sicily in a later story and in turn "Thank You for Hating Me" by Citizen Soldier is a great Charlie song once he has had enough. Those aren't all songs on the playlist, just a little overview.

So yeah, these two and just how deep and visceral the hatred of each other runs is very important to me. Started with the homophobia, but even when Robert gets better, Charlie just ... still thinks he is the most annoying person on the planet. And Charlie in turn is never going to let Robert forget what he did to him, because if he has to live with the trauma, so has Robert.

However, the English are very good at making enemies and Robert in particular manages to be unpopular. Literally nothing funnier in the world than a good old Tarielle/Railey love triangle where Tahir is incidental. This isn't about him, this is about Robert and Arielle not wanting to share air to breathe. Read my latest drabble and see it in action. Or this Lego thing I wrote - Hugo isn't very in character, but the Robert and Arielle bitching is just. on point.

OH MY GOD, SPEAKING OF HUGO. LEMME JUST. I think those drawings by @c0ffinated speak for themselves. Very sad I cannot share the nsfw ones that make the point in the best way.

(First one is Hugo eating Alois' protein snacks in the middle of the night after a one-night stand. One night stand number 238493. And the fourth one is the Live German Reaction to the third one, because that's Katta and Selim. Katta says "This is such a shitfest here, I love it" and Selim "Got something of Asi-Tv" (<- slang for German reality TV. Think TLC kind of stuff). )

Alois is being an asshole about Hugo's weight, Hugo is being an asshole about Alois' lost legs, it's a good look on neither of them, somehow they still end up fucking all the time. I don't get it. Neither does Massoud, the poor soul in the second picture trying to help with Alois' leg. Leo thinks this shit is hilarious, like the Germans, Nathan (aph switzerland) doesn't have much of an opinion, Hugo tries to behave in front of Lilli, but oh my god, these two are driving Roderich nuts. He can handle Hugo on his own, but as soon as Alois is also in the picture .... it goes against all of his sensibilites. PLEASE read this Hugois One Shot, I am so proud of this one, it encapsulates all that is wrong with them so well. Also, if God wants it, I will actually get to write another one shot where Hugo is REALLY nasty. Has a breakfast brawl at the end. It's gonna be so good once it's done.

Okay, but to circle back to Robert, another petty feud he has with @swabianmapley's OC Siggy, who is one of the Icelanders. It's not really as intense, because it's for ... incredibly dumb and petty reasons and the Icelanders aren't high on the English priority list, but it deserves a mention. As do another two of Jani's OCs, the former right hand of Emil's dad, Rúnar, who did a runner when the old man wandered off into the ice, never to be seen again. But before that even he dated one of the Icelandic subordinates, Þóra, and they had an incredibly poor breakup. Hates his guts even before he left them all hanging and god knows, Leifur's other right hand Alex now has more than a few good reasons to throw him into a volcano if he ever showed up again, but Þóra would strangle the motherfucker on the spot if he showed his face in Iceland again. Also, while we are at the Icelanders - Leifur, Emil's dad, and Ansgar, Lukas' dad, never really got along. Business partners, yes, but also business enemies, never really being cool with one another. And then the sister of Leifur's wife moved to Oslo and his wife asked Leifur if he couldn't help her find work. So he asked Ansgar for a favour and whoops, they got married and now they are brothers in law. Whoops.

Okay, last Robert one, but since the Spaniards and the English also have bad blood (and Arthur is SO smug about it while Antonio is so passionate about kicking his face in), Robert and Diego don't get along. Robert usually is more eager about the fights because he's an adhd hothead like that, but only because Diego is a soldier doesn't mean he want to punch out his teeth any less. "Friends" by Sixlights is a great song - the chorus for them in general and the verses for the fucked up AU version where they dated and had a bad breakup.

On the bigger playing field, where there also little animosities nestled into the bigger ones like matryoshka dolls - The Empires of course don't get along. The English have beef with the Russians and Spaniards, the Spaniards are pissed with the Turks and vice versa, while the Turks also can't stand the Russians. Also - the Austrians and the Turks. Not sure where I stand on the Austrians and the Russians yet. But yeah, love the idea that Charlie and Harry have a conversation on a big event whether or not "their Kurdish friend" (Dilan) just doesn't like blondes, because she's bitching with Salomé (who, much like Francesco however, thinks personal grudges are uninteresting and also is the horniest lesbian on the planet who wishes Dilan wasn't straight), Alois, Robert and Viktoriya. Their convo also includes "Okay, but she gets along with the Dutch lass." "She's no natural blonde though." "Neither is Salomé." "... point taken."

Oh yeah, while we are at the Dutch: It's not an ACTIVE beef, they aren't really out here hating each other on a deep personal level, but both Nathan and Gavin resent the other AND that rotten Dutchman for all the money they are sitting on. Nathan and Gavin do a lot of banking and related illegal stuff, so they are direct competition. Tim doesn't care about either of their bs, he'd do business with them if the price was right. But, quote from an RP I had with Jani, by Tim about Gavin: "Some people like holding grudges more than they like making money."

Who else is there ... I mean, I absolutely love a good ScotFruk tug of war. Gavin and Arthur inheriting the nemesis relationships from their fathers, each of them want power and influence on the isles and then Arthur happens to on-off date Gavin's ex-boyfriend. And the Scot just can't help, even if he is not actively in love with someone anymore, he will always love all his sweethearts. Besides, the French are friends! François is a friend! And he deserves better than this cruel and petty Englishman! Meanwhile, Arthur is a jealous little bitch who can't properly express his love for Fran, but also can't stand the thought that the Scot puts his finger not only on his sphere on influence but the one man he loves. Bitchfest supreme.

Speaking of that, I have a note in my notebook for the next chapter of IP I will edit that says "Can anyone ask more about Lovi so that Michele can call him bitch boy unlimited". The fact that Michele hates Francesco, too, out of a mix of jealousy over not being the biggest siren in the room if Franci is there and because he doesn't buy his friendly shtick, plus he's afraid that Francesco could see behind his mask. But we are here for Lovi and Michele, which is a very ironic hate. In the hetaverse at least they are united in their mutual dislike for Feli and all the other Northerners. but in LFLS, Feli falls a bit to the wayside (though Michele has not much respect or love for him either) and it's all about these two. I think, aside from the fact that they also inherited a generational enmity, Lovino feels entitled to the land Michele is sitting on and Michele is fiercely protective of his independence ... aside from all that, they are too close for comfort. They see in each other who they could be, maybe all they should be but aren't, maybe all the sides of themselves they like the least.

... Yeah! I think that's a good start! :)

[doitinanotherlanguage]

Langblr Advent Calendar | 28 November 2022 | Bergmál (2019; Echo), dir. Rúnar Rúnarsson

On this lovely Monday, I am recommending an Icelandic Christmas movie called Bergmál (Echo). A quietly ruminative feature consisting of 56 thought-provoking, unconnected scenes, Bergmál is a mosaic-like portrait, both bitter and tender, of modern society and of life in contemporary Iceland just before Christmas.

Bergmál is one of those movies that make me super aware of how much US American media I’m constantly consuming. Watching the film, I felt oddly seen. Like, its not a personal or relatable movie as such, but the Nordic vibes just feel so homey, you know. Do other non-USians feel like this? When you just consume US stuff 24/7, and then you watch something that is from closer home, and you’re like “damn, that’s touching”.

Anyway, I don’t really know how to describe this movie or how to rec it, other than to say that it’s just so very mesmerising in its mundanity.