do you have any recs for folklore/mythology books to learn from or docs/videos?
I have tonnes!!! I prefer non-fiction books when it comes to mythology, with the exception of American Gods and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This one is more history focused but it blends the mythology and culture of Nigeria/Igbo folklore. I would recommend it to anyone just looking for a really good book to read about culture, history, the perception of masculinity within that culture, and of course, the negative effects of colonisation, and the history of pre-colonisation in Nigeria. It's one of my favourite history books by a really amazing author and poet! Def recommend.
I tried to focus on mythology that is not as widely popularised as others since they are often harder to find. But here are some of the ones that I enjoyed! Most of them were available at my public library as well so if you can't find them in stores or online, that's always another good place to look for mythology books/refs!
Books:
Myths from Mesopotamia by Stephanie Dalley
Voices from the Other World: Ancient Egyptian Tales by Naguib Mahfouz
Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many by Erik Hornung
Indaba, my Children: African Folktales by Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (this is a massive encyclopedia at 700 pages but sooooo worth it!)
Folktales from India by A.K. Ramanujan
Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik (also: The Goddess in India: The 5 faces of Eternal Feminism, 99 thoughts on Ganesha: stories, symbols and Rituals of India's beloved Elephant Headed Deity, and the Pregnant King are really good)
Myth and Reality: Studies in the Formation of Indian Culture by Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi
The Ramayana & Mahabharata by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (these are epics but OH GOD they are fantastic!)
Irish Mythology - this is a massive tumblr reference with books and guides on where to find Irish Folklore
I've really been enjoying the Chronical Books series on mythology - if only for the illustrations. My favourite so far is Tales of East Africa by Jamilla Okubo, Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh. I wouldn't really say these are super important for mythology - the stories are very basic (not in a bad way at all, just less in-depth since I believe the books are geared toward a younger audience) but the art alone makes them worth it!
Mythology by Edith Hamilton is usually a good introduction to Greek, Roman, and Norse myths
The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology by Snorri Sturluson
Videos:
Trese on Netflix - it's about Philippine mythology told in modern times, and just an amazing show on its own!
The Entire Story of Greek Mythology Explained - it's 3.5 hours but WORTH IT!
I don't really watch too many videos on mythology, but I do on history and culture. It's just kinda hard to find mythology/folklore specific videos but since it's often interwoven within the cultures respective history, I watch Smithsonian docs on their history instead.
I really hope this helps!!!
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Ye Olde Historical Leader: i really like the cut of that guy's jib! Make him the HORSE MAN.
Henchman
From the Old English hengest, meaning "horse", notably stallion. Loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Originally referred to one who attended a horse for his employer.
Constable
from the Latin comes stabuli (literally 'count of the stable') and originated from the Roman Empire; originally responsible for keeping the horses of a lord or monarch.
Field marshal
Second most senior military rank. Origin dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses (from Old German Marh-scalc = "horse-servant").
司馬" (sima)
Eastern Han dynasty China. One of the Three Excellencies who is in charge of the country's military affairs. Literally means "master of horse", and later became a two-character surname.
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I think the appeal of an absolute monarchy, especially in this age of extremely slow, ineffective partisan politics, is the idea that if you just had the right person in there, they could make huge, sweeping changes instantly. While watching politicians squabble and bargain over completely necessary reforms, and then not make them because they are afraid to lose the next election, the thought of someone who can make decisions without considering those consequences is very enticing.
Except that is never how monarchies have worked because even the most powerful monarch ultimately fears being dethroned or assassinated. Radical reform has always been hampered by the wealthiest class, who protect their monarch only as long as their interests are served. The safest option is always stagnation. The monarchs who managed to make sweeping changes and reforms were rare and incredibly brave, and that's just not something you can count on.
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Same (shy) anon as before: My absolute favorite prehistoric animal was Inostroncevia alexandri! It's a type of gorgonopsian. Kind of a proto-mammal but not classified as a mammal.
OHHHH THESE GUYS HELL YES GORGONOPSIDS ARE FUN
they're defs the kind of prehistoric beast that i see and recognize it enough to go "oh hey is that a gorgonopsid", but i don't know it by name. maybe now i'll have a better chance at remembering it hflgfhfd LOVE how chunky their heads are it's excellent
one of my friends actually got me this print by @/mulchmouth for christmas two years back and i think it might be of inostroncevia...? idk i tried looking through the artist's stuff but i couldn't find this postcard print in their shop nor posted anywhere. regardless, i see this guy every day bc he's up on my print wall above my desk hehe
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last exam of my bachelors degree is done, all I have left is my thesis defense, which I'm actually really excited for because I've been waiting a year to have a good in depth conversation about early 20th century Hungarian history, but have the good sense to know that no one else in my life wants to talk about that for an hour straight. Sure it'll be with people trying to pick my argument apart, but a. none of them actually specialize in Hungarian history, and b. I feel like I handled the colloquium presentation and questions pretty well.
Anyway, I'm going to be proud of myself for this because I spent most of my childhood thinking I was stupid, was a C average student in in K-12, and believed that post secondary was utterly beyond my capabilities. I've always loved history but I never really thought I'd be able to study it, so the fact I'm about to graduate (with honours!) and will be going on to do my masters this fall is literally more than I ever dreamed.
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