#vitali descendants

[cosmicoceans-fr]

My second primal baby!

These two are Vitali descendants and they along with their soon to be siblings are getting ready for the May leveling event!

I enjoy these two a lot as they're almost identical! Aside from the eyes and slightly different tertiary color.

These two are not currently up for grabs but most likely will be after the event assuming I don't donate them to the main Vitali's Warrior thread.

[cosmic-expanse-fr]

Hatched: May 4, 2023

Top to Bottom: Atiba, Ajaka, Atobatele, and Aganju

Redirects in pinned. ^^

[williamkergroach55]

How Washington sold out Ukraine to take on Moscow…

Ten years ago, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement with the opposition Euromaidan to resolve Ukraine's political crisis. The very next day, the opposition tore up the agreement and seized power by force. Behind Ukraine, the American Empire wanted to take over Russia. The story of a determined war.

After months of rioting, sparked by the Euromaidan movement, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych agreed to reform the constitution, form a "government of national unity" and hold early elections in December 2014. The Ukrainian president agreed to pardon rioters and launch investigations into abuses by law enforcement agencies. The February 21 agreements aimed at ending the political crisis in Ukraine were signed by Yanukovych and opposition leaders Vitaly Klitschko (Udar Party), Arseniy Yatsenyuk (Batkivshchina) and Oleh Tiagnybok (Svoboda Nationalist Party) in the presence of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Eric Fournier, Director of the Continental Europe Department at the French Foreign Ministry. The day after the agreement, on February 22, 2014, the buildings of the presidential administration, the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers were stormed by violent demonstrators. Maidan leaders appointed Oleksandr Turchynov as head of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, in violation of the country's constitution. Yanukovych was ousted. Speaking on television from Kharkiv, Yanukovych refused to resign: "I am a legally elected president. What is happening is blatant vandalism, banditry and a coup d'état", he declared. Nevertheless, EU leaders immediately declared that they would work with Ukraine's "new government", sweeping aside the agreements they had just secured the day before. February 2014. Yanukovych left Ukraine and fled to Russia.

Washington was behind the coup

Officially, the opposition was supported by the Europeans, but as Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in 2015, "We knew perfectly well that the real puppeteers were our American partners and friends."

In early February 2014, an intercepted conversation between US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, a descendant of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants on her father's side, and US Ambassador to Ukraine, now US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources since 2022, Geoffrey Pyatt, spoke of bringing opposition leader Arseniy Yatseniouk to power, and putting Tiagnybok and Klitschko "on the sidelines". Nuland dropped: "Fuck the EU…" On February 27, 2014, Yatseniouk was appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine. Klitschko became mayor of Kiev on June 5, 2014. Tiagnybok was kept out of government.

Russia was the target.

After the coup, Arseniy Yatsenyuk's government brutally repressed its political opponents, promoting an openly Russophobic agenda, and sent the army against civilians in the Donbass, opposed to the coup against legitimate President Yanukovych. Larry Johnson, a former CIA intelligence officer and State Department official, believes that the West had simply decided to take control of Russia and its formidable natural wealth. "They were looking for a long-term strategy to isolate Russia. And the key to that was to get Ukraine into NATO, into the EU, and thus isolate Russia." At least, American strategists thought they could isolate Russia.

Broken agreements

Russia had hoped to put an end to the bloodshed in the Donbass thanks to the Minsk agreements. The Minska Protocol was signed on September 5, 2014 in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the aim of ending the war in Donbass. The agreements called for a cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line, the release of prisoners of war and constitutional reform in Ukraine to grant autonomy to the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President François Hollande have since acknowledged that the Minsk agreements were maneuvers to buy time to arm and train the Ukrainian army. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, himself, admitted in an interview with Spiegel in February 2023 that he had never intended to observe the Minsk agreements; nor had the Euromaidan putchists intended to respect the agreements signed on February 21, 2014 with President Viktor Yanukovych.

Washington wants war.

The United States could have refused to integrate Ukraine into NATO, refrained from conducting military exercises with Ukraine, reopened discussions with Moscow on reviving the ABM Treaty and the INF Treaty on intermediate nuclear forces. The ABM Treaty (Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty) was signed in 1972 between the United States and the Soviet Union. The aim of this treaty was to limit the deployment of missile defense systems in order to discourage an arms race in this field. Both parties undertook to deploy only a limited number of missile defense systems, thus limiting the possibility of defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed in 1987 between the USA and the Soviet Union, prohibited the production, stockpiling and deployment of ballistic and land-based cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. This was a key element in reducing tensions during the Cold War, as it prohibited the deployment of an entire class of short- and medium-range nuclear weapons in Europe. These two treaties were seen as pillars of strategic stability between the USA and the Soviet Union, then Russia after the dissolution of the USSR. However, in 2002, under the George W. Bush administration, the United States announced its unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty. The development of missile defense systems resumed. Similarly, in 2019, under Donald Trump's first term in office, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the INF Treaty. Russia announced its own withdrawal from the INF Treaty, and arms control no longer existed. President Biden repeatedly voiced his opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, claiming that it would increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia and weaken Europe's "energy security". The United States has threatened sanctions against companies and entities involved in the pipeline's construction, as well as against countries supporting the project. On February 6, 2022, at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden warned: "If Russia invaded Ukraine, there would be no Nordstream 2. We will stop it. Asked how he would go about it, he replied, "I promise you we'll be able to do it." The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines actually took place on September 26, 2022 in the Baltic Sea, resulting in major gas leaks. The first, on Nord Stream 2, was discovered southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. Several hours later, two further leaks were discovered on Nord Stream 1 to the north-east of the island. This was a deliberate act, as traces of explosives had been found. In an article published on his blog on February 8, 2023, Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Seymour Hersh asserts that the USA and Norway are behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, citing a single anonymous source with direct knowledge of operational planning.

The Russian Bear is patient.

Russia has always been open to negotiations. Moscow has maintained a dialogue with the Poroshenko and Zelensky governments to implement the Minsk agreements in order to respect the rights of Ukraine's Russian speakers while preserving the nation's territorial integrity. Petro Poroshenko's government was in office in Ukraine from June 7, 2014 to May 20, 2019. Poroshenko was elected President of Ukraine in May 2014, succeeding Viktor Yanukovych who had fled to Russia. As for Volodymyr Zelensky's government, it has been in office since May 20, 2019. Zelensky won the Ukrainian presidential election in April 2019, succeeding Petro Poroshenko as President of Ukraine. His government was formed shortly after his presidential inauguration and remains in office to this day. The Western press is silent on the fact that, before launching the military operation in Ukraine, Moscow sought to conclude agreements with the USA and NATO to ensure common European security. Draft agreements providing for NATO guarantees against eastward expansion and for Ukraine's neutral status were deliberately ignored by Washington, Brussels and, of course, the NATO leadership.

A month after the start of the special military operation, Russian and Ukrainian representatives signed preliminary peace agreements in Istanbul in March 2022. Davyd Arakhamia, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at the March 2022 Istanbul talks with Russia, told Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 in November 2023 that Moscow was ready to end the conflict if Ukraine committed to neutrality and refused to join NATO. However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson forced President Volodymyr Zelensky to fight to the bitter end. Ex-Prime Minister Johnson was backed by European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell Fontelles, in April 2022, who promised hundreds of millions of euros for Kiev: "This war will be won on the battlefield", he tweeted… US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared that Washington wanted to see "Russia weakened." The U.S. has spent over $100 billion, the European Union has given around €85 billion, to support Ukraine's military effort. The result is inconclusive.

worldnewsdigest@protonmail.com Source : Ekaterina Blinova https://sputnikglobe.com/20240221/euromaidan-was-part-of-wests-proxy-war-against-russia--cia-

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Earth's surface water dives deep, transforming core's outer layer

A few decades ago, seismologists imaging the deep planet identified a thin layer, just over a few hundred kilometers thick. The origin of this layer, known as the E prime layer, has been a mystery — until now.

An international team of researchers, including Arizona State University scientists Dan Shim, Taehyun Kim and Joseph O’Rourke of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, has revealed that water from the Earth's surface can penetrate deep into the planet, altering the composition of the outermost region of the metallic liquid core and creating a distinct, thin layer. Illustration of silica crystals coming out from the liquid metal of the Earth's outer core due to a water-induced chemical reaction.

Their research was recently published in Nature Geoscience. 

Research indicates that over billions of years, surface water has been transported deep into the Earth by descending, or subducted, tectonic plates. Upon reaching the core-mantle boundary, about 1,800 miles below the surface, this water triggers a profound chemical interaction, altering the core’s structure.

Along with Yong Jae Lee of Yonsei University in South Korea, Shim and his team have demonstrated through high-pressure experiments that subducted water chemically reacts with core materials. This reaction forms a hydrogen-rich, silicon-depleted layer, altering the topmost outer core region into a film-like structure. Additionally, the reaction generates silica crystals that rise and integrate into the mantle. This modified liquid metallic layer is predicted to be less dense, with reduced seismic velocities, in alignment with anomalous characteristics mapped by seismologists.

Illustration of Earth’s interior revealing subducting water and a rising plume of magma. At the interface where subducting water meets the core, a chemical exchange occurs to form a hydrogen-rich layer in the topmost outer core and dense silica in the bottom of the mantle. Image courtesy Yonsei University

“For years, it has been believed that material exchange between Earth's core and mantle is small. Yet, our recent high-pressure experiments reveal a different story. We found that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica," said Shim. "This discovery, along with our previous observation of diamonds forming from water reacting with carbon in iron liquid under extreme pressure, points to a far more dynamic core-mantle interaction, suggesting substantial material exchange.”

This finding advances our understanding of Earth's internal processes, suggesting a more extensive global water cycle than previously recognized. The altered "film" of the core has profound implications for the geochemical cycles that connect the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core.

This study was conducted by an international team of geoscientists using advanced experimental techniques at the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Lab and PETRA III of Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Germany to replicate the extreme conditions at the core-mantle boundary.

Members of the team and their key roles from ASU are Kim, who began this project as a visiting PhD student and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Earth and Space Exploration; Shim, a professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration, who spearheaded the high-pressure experimental work; and O’Rourke, an assistant professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration, who performed computational simulations to comprehend the formation and persistence of the core's altered thin layer. Lee led the research team from Yonsei University, along with key research scientists Vitali Prakapenka and Stella Chariton at the Advanced Photon Source and Rachel Husband, Nico Giordano and Hanns-Peter Liermann at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron.

[eretzyisrael]

Jews from Egypt offended by musical event at Heliopolis synagogue

A musical event at the Heliopolis synagogue in Cairo has elicited  anger and sorrow from Jews from Egypt. The event, held at the Vitali Madjar synagogue,  is part of a festival being held from 18 – 25 May. 

Sufi dancing at the synagogue musical event has offended Jews from Egypt

Jews from Egypt have reacted with shock, anger and sorrow to the event, which appears to include Sufi dancing.

Sami Douek, who now lives in Brazil, has asked that on the closing day a priest, an imam and a rabbi speak for cultural rapprochement and peace between the three religions practised in Egypt.

“I also ask that those who are absent from this event who are descendants of Jews of Egyptian descent, who may have felt offended by the holding of a musical event in this sacred place, in their honor and represented by the Rabbi who would speak, ” he wrote on the Facebook page of Juifs d’Egypte.

The Heliopolis Festival programme for 18 – 25 May includes a musical event at the Vitali Madjar synagogue

It is not the first time that Jews have complained about the uses to which their houses of worship have been put. In 2018,  Desire Sakkal of the Historical Society of Jews from Egypt wrote to the Egyptian ambassador to the US to protest a planned photographic exhibition being held in the Vitali Madjar synagogue.

“Since there are fewer than 10 Jews in Egypt, the events will have to be non-Jewish in nature. We protest this action”, he wrote. “Our synagogues are houses of worship and must be used only for religious functions. They are not social clubs.”

Several synagogues have been restored since the previous head of the community, the late Mrs Carmen Weinstein, turned 13 synagogues over to the control of the Egyptian Ministry of Heritage.

The Heliopolis synagogue had been derelict until Albert Herscovitch had tried to enter the padlocked synagogue of his childhood in 2011. This prompted Mrs Weinstein to kickstart a renovation  project. But the Egyptian government, having restored the synagogue at its own expense, now controls what happens inside the building.

Recently, visitors have complained that other synagogues, like the storied Ben Ezra synagogue in Fostat, have been closed. The Maimonides or Rambam synagogue was closed as soon as it was renovated. The Maadi and Adly synagogues in Cairo are occasionally used for services. A handful of Jews are thought to still live in Cairo.

The current community president, Magda Haroun, has responded to her critics on the Juifs’ D’Egypte Facebook page: ‘Would you have preferred it to remain locked up in its decayed and brain-dead state until it collapsed and be replaced by a building or mall? And that the presence of the Jews of Heliopolis falls into oblivion. Do you realize that the community has fewer people than the fingers of one hand?  As president of the community and president of the Society of the Drop of Milk (a charity devoted to the preservation of Jewish heritage)  I am convinced that I am doing my best to preserve the heritage and memory of the Jews of Egypt and if any of you thinks you can do better, take my place.”

[semolinaart]

What creatures other than dragons are in Inorganiculi and Mythoanimalia?

Thank you for this question!

Inorganiculi is the phylum that includes all creatures that can spontaneously generate (not necessarily from inorganic substances, the name of this phylum does not refer to the nature of the parent substance, but to the type of reproduction), for example, some mice, eels, a number of microorganisms and insects, as well as giants and gargoyles.

The systematic position of the chimeras and golems is debatable. Sometimes they are referred to this phylum, but most scientists distinguish them separately, combining them with Inorganiculi into one superphylum.

Mithoanimalia kingdom includes all "animals" in the development and life of which vis vitalis plays an important role, for example, unicorns belong to this kingdom (although they are most likely descended from ancient cetaceans, but this system itself is not one hundred percent natural and is not always based on an evolutionary origin).

I didn't focus on the rest of the taxa very much as I was more interested in dragons, so all the information above is subject to change, but that's how it is in general terms.

[brookston]

Holidays 11.4

Holidays

Air-Conditioned Automobile Day

Ask a Conservator Day

Bad Mood Day

Cash Register Day

Chair Day

Check Your Blood Pressure Day

Chicken Lady Day

Citizenship Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Community Service Day (Dominica)

Day of Love (Egypt)

Endive Day (French Republic)

Flag Day (Panama)

Giorno dell’Unita Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate and Victory Day (Italy)

Good Ass Day (Japan)

Honeymoon Day

Indie Author Day

International Cake Day

International Gimme Fiber Day

International Marketing Day

International WAGS of SCI Day

King Tut Day

Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day

Mischief Night (UK, Australia, NZ)

National Advent Calendar Day

National Chicken Lady Day

National Coach Appreciation Day

National Community Service Day

National Day of Community Service (Dominica)

National Day of Mourning (Hungary)

National Easy-Bake Oven Day

National Melanie Day

National Professional Paint Contractors Day

National Sex Toy Day

National Skeptics Day

National Tonga Day (Tonga)

National Unity and Armed Forces Day (Italy)

Thanksgiving Day (Liberia)

Unity Day (Russia)

Use Your Common Sense Day

Victory Day (Italy)

Waiting for the Barbarians Day

Will Rogers Day (Oklahoma)

Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day

The Zombie Apocalypse

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Candy Day

1st Saturday in November

All Saints' Day (Finland, Sweden) [Saturday after 10.30]

Book Lovers Day [1st Saturday; also 8.9]

Children’s Day (South Africa) [1st Saturday]

Digital Scrapbooking Day [1st Saturday]

Drum, Dance & Pray for Peace Day [1st Saturday]

Extra Life National Game Day [1st Saturday]

International Games Day (Libraries) [1st Saturday]

Learn to Homebrew Day [1st Saturday]

National Bison Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Pumpkin Destruction Day [1st Saturday]

National Service Day [1st Saturday]

National Wine Tasting Day [1st Saturday]

Pepsi Dig In Day [1st Saturday]

Sadie Hawkins Day [1st Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sausage and Kraut Day [1st Saturday]

Standard Time begins/Daylight Savings Time ends (US, except AZ, HI, Navajo Nation, Puerto Rico, others) [1st Saturday/Sunday 2 AM]

World Chili Day [1st Saturday]

World Numbat Day [1st Saturday]

Independence Days

Valbona (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Americus (Christian; Saint) [America]

Boccaccio Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Brinstan (Christian; Saint)

Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic Church)

Emeric of Hungary (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Our Lady of Kazan (Russian Orthodox Church)

Feast of Qudrat (Power; Baha'i)

Federico Pelini (Muppetism)

Felix of Valois (Christian; Saint)

Gerrit van Honthorst (Artology)

Guido Reni (Artology)

Hume (Positivist; Saint)

Joannicius the Great (Christian; Saint)

Lhabab Duechen (Descending Day of Lord Buddha; Bhutan, India)

Listen to Sea Shanties and Dance Like a Pirate Day (Pastafarian)

Ludi Plebii begins (a.k.a. Plebian Games until 17th; Ancient Rome)

Not the Zombie Apocalypse Day (Pastafarian)

Our Lady of Kazan (Russian Orthodox Church)

Pierius (Christian; Saint)

Saga’s Day (Pagan)

Teresa Manganiello (Christian; Blessed)

Vitalis and Agricola (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Amsterdam (Film; 2022)

The Ascent to Truth, by Thomas Merton (Spiritual Book; 1951)

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 3rd ed., by Joseph A. Schumpeter (Political Theory; 1950)

Chicken Little (Animated Film; 2005)

The Cornish Coast Murder, by Ernest Elmore, writing as John Bude (Novel; 1935)

The Crown (TV Series; 2016)

Doctor Strange (Film; 2016)

Donald’s Golf Game (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Fifth Elephant, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 1999) [Discworld #24]

First Rodeo, by Honeyhoney (Album; 2008)

The Flash (Film; 2022)

Fresh Fish (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

From Hare to Eternity (WB LT Cartoon; 1997)

G.I. Blues (Film; 1960) [Elvis Presley #5]

Great Performances (TV Anthology Series; 1972)

Hacksaw Ridge (Film; 2016)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Film; 2001) [#1]

Hearts and Bones, by Paul Simon (Album; 1983)

Heroes (Film; 1977)

The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud (Book; 1899)

Jarhead (Film; 2005)

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair (Novel; 1905)

The Last Waltz (Concert Film; 1977)

The Lion and the Cobra, by Sinead O’Connor (Album; 19987)

The Man Who Sold the World, by David Bowie (Album; 1970)

Mr. Johnson’s Blues, recorded by Lonnie Johnson (Song; 1925)

Pied Piper Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Prisoner of Zenda (Film; 1952)

Rocket to Russia, by the Ramones (Album; 1977)

Sheep Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

Symphony No. 1 in C, by Johannes Brahms (Symphony; 1876)

Tank (Video Game; 1974)

Trolls (Animated Film; 2016)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (Film; 2011)

Walking on the Moon, by Police (Song; 1979)

Weird: The Al Yankoic Story (Film; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Karl (Austria)

Drago, Dragutin, Karlo (Croatia)

Karel (Czech Republic)

Otto (Denmark)

Erla, Erle, Herta (Estonia)

Hertta (Finland)

Aymeric, Charles, Jessé (France)

Charles, Karl, Karla, Modesta (Germany)

Károly (Hungary)

Carlo, Guido, Rosalia (Italy)

Atis, Oto, Otomārs (Latvia)

Eibartas, Karolis, Vaidmina (Lithuania)

Ottar, Otto (Norway)

Emeryk, Karol Boromeusz, Mściwój, Olgierd, Witalis (Poland)

Karol (Slovakia)

Amancio, Carlos (Spain)

Nore, Sverker (Sweden)

Amory, Cara, Carl, Carla, Carley, Carlie, Carlo, Carlos, Carly, Carol, Carolina, Caroline, Carolyn, Carrie, Carroll Charles, Charlie, Chaz Chuck, Emery, Karl, Karla, Karlee, Karli, Karly (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 308 of 2024; 57 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 44 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 21 (Bing-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 20 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 20 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 8 Mir; Oneday [8 of 30]

Julian: 22 October 2023

Moon: 57%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Descartes (11th Month) [Hume]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 42 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 12 of 29)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 11.4

Holidays

Air-Conditioned Automobile Day

Ask a Conservator Day

Bad Mood Day

Cash Register Day

Chair Day

Check Your Blood Pressure Day

Chicken Lady Day

Citizenship Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Community Service Day (Dominica)

Day of Love (Egypt)

Endive Day (French Republic)

Flag Day (Panama)

Giorno dell’Unita Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate and Victory Day (Italy)

Good Ass Day (Japan)

Honeymoon Day

Indie Author Day

International Cake Day

International Gimme Fiber Day

International Marketing Day

International WAGS of SCI Day

King Tut Day

Medical Science Liaison Awareness and Appreciation Day

Mischief Night (UK, Australia, NZ)

National Advent Calendar Day

National Chicken Lady Day

National Coach Appreciation Day

National Community Service Day

National Day of Community Service (Dominica)

National Day of Mourning (Hungary)

National Easy-Bake Oven Day

National Melanie Day

National Professional Paint Contractors Day

National Sex Toy Day

National Skeptics Day

National Tonga Day (Tonga)

National Unity and Armed Forces Day (Italy)

Thanksgiving Day (Liberia)

Unity Day (Russia)

Use Your Common Sense Day

Victory Day (Italy)

Waiting for the Barbarians Day

Will Rogers Day (Oklahoma)

Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day

The Zombie Apocalypse

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Candy Day

1st Saturday in November

All Saints' Day (Finland, Sweden) [Saturday after 10.30]

Book Lovers Day [1st Saturday; also 8.9]

Children’s Day (South Africa) [1st Saturday]

Digital Scrapbooking Day [1st Saturday]

Drum, Dance & Pray for Peace Day [1st Saturday]

Extra Life National Game Day [1st Saturday]

International Games Day (Libraries) [1st Saturday]

Learn to Homebrew Day [1st Saturday]

National Bison Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Pumpkin Destruction Day [1st Saturday]

National Service Day [1st Saturday]

National Wine Tasting Day [1st Saturday]

Pepsi Dig In Day [1st Saturday]

Sadie Hawkins Day [1st Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sausage and Kraut Day [1st Saturday]

Standard Time begins/Daylight Savings Time ends (US, except AZ, HI, Navajo Nation, Puerto Rico, others) [1st Saturday/Sunday 2 AM]

World Chili Day [1st Saturday]

World Numbat Day [1st Saturday]

Independence Days

Valbona (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Americus (Christian; Saint) [America]

Boccaccio Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Brinstan (Christian; Saint)

Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic Church)

Emeric of Hungary (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Our Lady of Kazan (Russian Orthodox Church)

Feast of Qudrat (Power; Baha'i)

Federico Pelini (Muppetism)

Felix of Valois (Christian; Saint)

Gerrit van Honthorst (Artology)

Guido Reni (Artology)

Hume (Positivist; Saint)

Joannicius the Great (Christian; Saint)

Lhabab Duechen (Descending Day of Lord Buddha; Bhutan, India)

Listen to Sea Shanties and Dance Like a Pirate Day (Pastafarian)

Ludi Plebii begins (a.k.a. Plebian Games until 17th; Ancient Rome)

Not the Zombie Apocalypse Day (Pastafarian)

Our Lady of Kazan (Russian Orthodox Church)

Pierius (Christian; Saint)

Saga’s Day (Pagan)

Teresa Manganiello (Christian; Blessed)

Vitalis and Agricola (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Amsterdam (Film; 2022)

The Ascent to Truth, by Thomas Merton (Spiritual Book; 1951)

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 3rd ed., by Joseph A. Schumpeter (Political Theory; 1950)

Chicken Little (Animated Film; 2005)

The Cornish Coast Murder, by Ernest Elmore, writing as John Bude (Novel; 1935)

The Crown (TV Series; 2016)

Doctor Strange (Film; 2016)

Donald’s Golf Game (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Fifth Elephant, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 1999) [Discworld #24]

First Rodeo, by Honeyhoney (Album; 2008)

The Flash (Film; 2022)

Fresh Fish (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

From Hare to Eternity (WB LT Cartoon; 1997)

G.I. Blues (Film; 1960) [Elvis Presley #5]

Great Performances (TV Anthology Series; 1972)

Hacksaw Ridge (Film; 2016)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Film; 2001) [#1]

Hearts and Bones, by Paul Simon (Album; 1983)

Heroes (Film; 1977)

The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud (Book; 1899)

Jarhead (Film; 2005)

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair (Novel; 1905)

The Last Waltz (Concert Film; 1977)

The Lion and the Cobra, by Sinead O’Connor (Album; 19987)

The Man Who Sold the World, by David Bowie (Album; 1970)

Mr. Johnson’s Blues, recorded by Lonnie Johnson (Song; 1925)

Pied Piper Porky (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Prisoner of Zenda (Film; 1952)

Rocket to Russia, by the Ramones (Album; 1977)

Sheep Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1949)

Symphony No. 1 in C, by Johannes Brahms (Symphony; 1876)

Tank (Video Game; 1974)

Trolls (Animated Film; 2016)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (Film; 2011)

Walking on the Moon, by Police (Song; 1979)

Weird: The Al Yankoic Story (Film; 2022)

Today’s Name Days

Karl (Austria)

Drago, Dragutin, Karlo (Croatia)

Karel (Czech Republic)

Otto (Denmark)

Erla, Erle, Herta (Estonia)

Hertta (Finland)

Aymeric, Charles, Jessé (France)

Charles, Karl, Karla, Modesta (Germany)

Károly (Hungary)

Carlo, Guido, Rosalia (Italy)

Atis, Oto, Otomārs (Latvia)

Eibartas, Karolis, Vaidmina (Lithuania)

Ottar, Otto (Norway)

Emeryk, Karol Boromeusz, Mściwój, Olgierd, Witalis (Poland)

Karol (Slovakia)

Amancio, Carlos (Spain)

Nore, Sverker (Sweden)

Amory, Cara, Carl, Carla, Carley, Carlie, Carlo, Carlos, Carly, Carol, Carolina, Caroline, Carolyn, Carrie, Carroll Charles, Charlie, Chaz Chuck, Emery, Karl, Karla, Karlee, Karli, Karly (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 308 of 2024; 57 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 44 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 21 (Bing-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 20 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 20 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 8 Mir; Oneday [8 of 30]

Julian: 22 October 2023

Moon: 57%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Descartes (11th Month) [Hume]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 42 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 12 of 29)

[bookoftale-rpg]

Les familles Fondatrices :

Famille Cohnal : La famille Cohnal regroupe deux enfants, Lorena et Tebald, nés d'une mère différente. C'est la famille qui a été le plus de fois élue pour devenir souverain du pays. La régence est importante pour eux, un but nécessaire. Un incendie à ravager la maison, seulement le père s'y trouvait à ce moment là, il est mort enseveli sous les décombre n'arrivant pas à se libérer. Lorsqu'il est mort, c'est la mère de Tebald qui est devenue représentante en attendant que Lorena puisse le devenir. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille McMillan : La famille McMillan regroupe trois enfants, Emma, Eric et Milo. Le cadre de famille est très stricte, leur éducation était stricte et ils n'avaient pas le droit de faire un pas de travers. Toujours rangé dans les rangs, Matthew leur père, ancien représentant a choisi  Eric peu de temps avant de laisser sa place en 2016 se trouvant trop âgé pour continuer. Les tensions entre Emma et Eric ont toujours été présentes, tout deux souhaitaient obtenir la place de leur paternel. Si au début Emma pensait pouvoir avoir la place, Eric est rapidement revenu en course montrant à son père ce dont il était capable. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Loild : Angelika est la dernière représentante de la famille, sa mère est décédée en couche quant à son père, il est décédé récemment (début 2023) à cause d’une maladie. Ayant 18 ans depuis peu, elle peut se débrouiller seule, cependant c’est son parrain Joaquin Olvera qui prend soin d’elle et l’aide à traverser tout ça. Elle vit chez lui pour le moment. En attendant qu’elle atteigne l’âge pour être représentante sa place au conseil est mise en sommeil. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Dupont : La famille Dupont est connue pour leur loyauté à la famille Cohnal, ils ont toujours eu un profond respect, les rumeurs racontent même qu’une aventure s’est passée à une certaine époque cependant rien n’a jamais été prouvé. Dans le doute, ils n’ont jamais été destitués. Les Dupont ont eu des problèmes liés à leur fortune il y a quelques années, ils ont été aidé par les membres du conseil et plus particulièrement les Cohnal ainsi que les Vitali. Ils sont extrêmement reconnaissants de leur geste qui n’était en rien obligatoire. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Aretusi : Callista est la doyenne du conseil, elle a eu de nombreux enfants. Ce qui veut dire qu’elle a un grand choix de succession, la plupart de ses enfants ont déjà d’ailleurs des descendants. Depuis de nombreuses années leur prénoms sont des prénoms en référence à l’antiquité Romaine, une tradition qui continue de perdurer. La doyenne ne compte pas laisser sa place au conseil, tout du moins du temps qu’elle est encore capable d’exercer ses fonctions. Cette famille a pour habitude de rester le plus longtemps possible à leur place, rare sont ceux qui ont cédés leur place alors qu’ils avaient encore la capicité de continuer. Elle n’a d’ailleurs pas encore choisi son ou sa successeur. Un choix qui risque de diviser la famille comme cela l’a toujours fait. Un des petits enfants de Callista s’est amouraché.e d’Antoine Erlich écartant alors toute possibilité de devenir un.e membre du conseil ainsi que la destitution d’Antoine qui avait déjà sa place au conseil. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Meir : Famille assez reculée et secrète, peu ne connaissent pas vraiment le vrai visage de cette famille. Ne sachant pas vraiment à qui ils ont affaire, jamais aucun membre de cette famille n'a été souverain.es, cependant leur place au conseil ne peut être annulé. Il y a plusieurs années, Louis qui devait être le successeur de son père, n'a finalement pas pu être choisi par son père en raison d'agressivité. Après de nombreuses agressions, il est condamné à plusieurs années de prison, ce qui oblige son père à choisir un autre représentant parmi ses enfants. C'est donc Adam qui gagne la place de représentant de la famille Meir. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Erlich : Famille de trois enfants, Rivka, Urielle et Antoine il n’y a jamais eu de compétition. Tous ont toujours été d’accord sur le fait que c’était Antoine le dernier de la fratrie qui prendrait le relais. Chose qui s'est faite assez rapidement, leur père n’étant plus apte à rester au sein du conseil. A l’âge de 25 ans , il prend la place de son père. Il tombe cependant rapidement amoureux d’un.e membre de la famille Aretusi. L’amour est caché pendant plusieurs mois mais il finit par être dévoilé. Antoine perd alors son droit de siéger au conseil et se fait renier par sa famille. C’est finalement Rivka qui a pris récemment la place au conseil lorsque le père a fait son choix. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Luethi : La famille Luethi a toujours pris son rôle au sérieux, mais depuis plus de 3 passations les représentant.es sont présent.tes seulement par obligation et n’accordent pas d’importance ou peu à leur rôle. La plupart du temps, c'est l’aîné.e qui prend la relève pour que lae representant.e se débarrasse le plus rapidement du rôle. Ils cherchent en général à se débarrasser de ce rôle au plus vite, bien qu’ils apprécient quand même avoir une main dans le pouvoir. La responsabilité est trop grande et ils préfèrent profiter de la vie. (plus d'infos ici)

Famille Vitali : Famille disparue. Les Vitali ont toujours eu une bonne réputation, ils étaient impliqués dans le conseil et la vie du pays. Ils faisaient partie des plus riches et des plus influents. Malheureusement la dernière représentante est morte en 2019 de maladie cardiaque avant d’avoir un enfant. N’ayant pas de successeur et étant fille unique, la place au conseil s’est vue disparaître. La fortune quant à elle, est utilisée pour améliorer Ayalon ainsi que la vie des habitants. (plus d'infos ici)

[yumi007]

Russia's Path to Return to the Moon. A rocket launched into space, embarking on its first lunar mission in nearly 50 years.

On Friday, a rocket carrying a lunar lander was launched into space, initiating Russia's first moon mission in almost 50 years, ahead of an upcoming Indian spacecraft's attempt to reach Earth's satellite.

The Luna-25 spacecraft lifted off from the Eastern Spaceport in Russia's Far East, marking the country's inaugural launch since its time as part of the Soviet Union in 1976.

The Russian moon lander is anticipated to reach the moon on August 23, roughly aligning with the timing of the Indian spacecraft launched on July 14. The Russian craft is set to spend about 5.5 days en route to the moon, followed by an orbit of 3 to 7 days at a distance of approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles), before descending to the lunar surface. Only three governments have successfully landed on the moon: the Soviet Union, the United States, and China. India and Russia aspire to become the first nations to land at the moon's southern pole.

The Russian space agency aims to demonstrate the nation's capacity to deliver payloads to the moon and ensure secure access to its surface. "Studying the moon isn't the objective," noted renowned Russian space analyst Vitaly Egorov. "The objective is the political competition among superpowers like China, the United States, and other countries aspiring for the title of space superpower."

[cosmicoceans-fr]

First clutch from Azoth and Maffei and second ever clutch!

They came out way better than I expected ^_^

2 females and 1 male in the middle.

[cosmic-expanse-fr]

Hacthed: May 4, 2023

Top to bottom: Amin and Kanemi

Vitali's Warriors Descendants

Redirects in pinned.

[elsewhereuniversity]

Why You Should Wear Boots after Picking a Major You Didn’t Want

A university is a place where dreams are thrown away.

Such is the case far too often. It remains Real even between the railroad, highway and train tracks. Even there, people interrogate themselves: ‘This is your dream, but is it realistic? How much is the starting salary? Look at your classmates, elegantly breezing over what you clawed through, tooth and nail. Look at your competitors––’

So many choose to drown their dreams themselves… even though, at Elsewhere University, the dead do not rest quietly. The Wild Hunt is proof of that. Yes, that Wild Hunt, which rides across campus when the fog rolls in. We all know the versions in which they hunt for students unlucky (or unbelieving) enough to be outside when the hounds begin baying. Stay inside, stay quiet, and you’ll be all the better for it, if they ignore you.

What about the other versions, though? What about the versions in which it is best to open your windows and howl back? There are tales like that, too––

Sometimes, those brave enough to shout along with the Wild Hunt will be rewarded with a share of prey or gold. Those kind enough to repair a lost hunter’s sled soon discover this to be the right choice, for upon closer inspection, the hounds are not just hounds. Their bones are laden heavy with wrath.

And sometimes, villagers tell tales of a cloaked rider on a white horse. Horseshoes spark against the night breeze. He will ask you to play an impossible game of tug-of-war. If you are wise, you will tie the other end of the rope to a sturdy oak. The leader of the Hunt likes clever little things. He might even drop a reward in your boot.

Perhaps this is why you see students wearing boots for a while after they declare their majors. Even Magenta (who got her name from always wearing high-heeled loafers of that particular shade) and Ma-Boi-Blanche (who has 17 pairs of white sneakers) wore boots back then. Rumor has it, according to a friend of a roommate of a Forbidden Major, that this footwear will help you abandon your misery.

When the Wild Hunt rides as a group, they come to condemn. The RAs are not wrong in telling you to run for safety when the fog descends.

On the other hand, when the leader of the Hunt appears alone, he comes to test. In this more benign (but not safe, never safe) form, 4% meet a bedraggled man, 2% a king of old, 3% a specimen of demon (the Christian subspecies), 6% a harlequin, and 5% a sledder with a thick Mecklenburg accent.

84% of those who have survived the encounter say that the leader of the Hunt wears a cloak and a wide hat that partially hides his eyes (one of which is duller than the other). He gallops in on a splendid white horse.

95% of those who survived the encounter were wearing boots (one of them was wearing spatterdashes over court shoes, but eh, close enough).

100% of the survivors say that you must be ready to be tested. Be kind, clever, daring. If you are all that––and wary, wise, lucky too––the leader of the Hunt will let you go and stuff something in your boot. A post-it, on which is written the major that they chose, yet hated with every fibre of their being.

Now, put the boot back on and walk. It may be a bit awkward to walk around, what with the paper writhing under your feet, but do so anyway. Every student who has tried it reports that when they got back to their dorms, the paper had vanished from beneath their soles. In its place, they had gained a floating sensation, grafted in their bones.

By the end of the year, Ma-Boi-Blanche and Professor Redd were chattering away like old friends. The Professor had to admit that his student wasn’t very good at dissections, but there was an unmistakable passion for anatomy in his eyes, and he would improve soon. (Very soon, especially with Professor Redd’s talent of acquiring practice bodies, his jaunty hat growing redder with every new specimen.)

On the other side of campus, the law majors learned to listen for the click-clack of high-heeled loafers. Woe betide the unlucky people who faced off against Magenta, who suddenly threw herself into mock trials with gusto. Her opponents gained a Pavlovian fear response to seeing any shade of pink.

This did not go ignored. The Involved went up to the two, in order to warn them.

“The Gentry do not offer things for free,” they said. “And intelligence isn’t cheap. What in Morganwode did you pay?”

To which the ones who met the Huntsman merely laughed, because they weren’t any smarter. The only difference was that now, they were interested in the subjects they found so odious before.

In the old tales, a satisfied rider of the Wild Hunt will reward a human with meat. The person will walk back home in the dark, one shoe on and one shoe off, the boot growing heavier with every step. Once home, they will see that the raw, bloody meat has transformed into gold.

There are a few who still receive this, not always in the payment of gold, but in blessings. (Childe House’s oldest RA is one of them, which explains why the once-every-305-days evacuation has a 100% success rate, even when half a dozen residents don’t understand what a “mandatory house meeting” or a “fire drill” is.)

  Which begs the question: why does the leader of the Hunt help so many?

Rewards are meant to be given to the exceptional few. Yet the unhappy are not part of these few. Given the number of students with newfound rapture in their eyes, one does not need to be exceptionally kind, clever, or daring to transfer their passions. Just wary, wise, and lucky are enough.

When asked, the leader of the Wild Hunt proclaimed that such a spell is child’s play. We’ve already provided the ingredients: two subjects and a passion. The price is low because all he needs to do is to sever the interest from one subject, then attach it to another. Simple work, he said. He would never think of charging so much for something he could do before breakfast. It is not befitting a warrior. Think of it as a favour from a father to his children, he said, then laughs as if there is a joke here that no one else understands.

There are more people who understand than he might think, for the more competent members of the Forbidden Major have another theory. Anyone with passing knowledge of folklore would be able to recognize this person at a glance, they say (quietly, and never to the Huntsman’s face). He is the amalgamation of ghost, fae and old god.

The first rider of the Wild Hunt might be, depending on the amount of fertilizer on the campus lawn and the moon phase, the oldest warrior poet. There are less battlefields for him to watch over now, but still he is song and madness. Still, he is overcome with fury when he sees yet another soldier buckle before the fight has begun.

This child would have made a fine skald. That child could have become a brilliant shield-maiden. This one had the makings of a king, yet they chose to push these futures away, he said through clenched teeth. These children began to think there was nothing left. They started to look at the pond and that single eighth-floor window which could open all the way.

This is not a battlefield, but… to give up before the horn sounds, under his watch?

Unforgivable, he said, with an unblinking smile, all teeth and lone glittering eye. To despair is to slander my hundred names.

So the leader of the Hunt casts a few spells here, a little trickery there, and coaxes the bright frenzy back in their eyes, or so the Forbidden Majors whisper. The price is only low because of who and why he is. He helps them so they can die more valiantly, another day.

  Think of it as a favour from a father to his children, he says, then laughs as if there is a joke here that no one else understands. This is despite the fact that half the Forbidden Majors and a fifth of the Literature Majors know who he is.

(Not that they would reveal that, ever. The all-father’s wrath is a terrible thing.)

  Addendum:

Statistics unavailable for those who encountered the Wild Hunt’s leader alone, while not wearing boots. Mythological references, as well as the Sword-House valet’s intuition, imply it is better not to know.

[Author’s Note]

I did not intend “Why You Should Wear Boots after Picking a Major You Didn’t Want” to be so long. Do pardon me.

There is much debate over the identity of the Wild Hunt’s leader. My personal favourite theory is that the leader is Odin, or some variant of him, which this submission is based on. Still, I couldn’t resist hinting at the others:

“Bedraggled man” = multiple stories, in which the Hunt’s leader is any hunter who preferred hunting to going to church, or else slandered a certain god

“King of old” = Arawn

“Harlequin” = in Vitalis’ Ecclesiastical History Vol. 2 (1140), Hellequin/Herlequin is the herald of a Wild- Hunt-esque procession of tortured souls. There is also King Herla.

“Sledder with a thick Mecklenburg accent” = Frau Gauden

-Louis

[ltwilliammowett]

The White Ship Disaster

The White Ship was a Nef that sank on its way from Normandy to England on 25 November 1120. Now you might think that this is a normal shipwreck, but it is not that simple. This accident was the presumed cause of a civil war ( The Anarchy) in England that lasted for many years. Even before this event, there were already disputes about the succession to the throne and the claims of Normandy. As a result, the only legitimate son, William Ætheling, was confirmed by Henry I as successor and ruler of both territories, so he and his father had been in Paris. Now it was time to return to England and the company of several hundred people waited for good winds. A ship owner put his white ship, a commercial nef, at their disposal for this purpose. William boarded the ship with 300 noblemen and other gentlemen.

Henry I and his descendants,with the sinking of White ship, Liber legum antiquorum regum; Cotton Claudius D. ii, f. 45v.  (x)

According to the contemporary chronicler Ordericus Vitalis, two of William's illegitimate half-siblings, Maud and Richard FitzRoy, also boarded the ship. Henry I took another ship, which also sailed first. The Nef followed in the night but ran onto a rock as it was leaving Barfleur harbour and sank in short order. Only one man, a butcher named Bérold or Guéroult from Rouen, could be rescued the next morning and report what had happened. This was recorded by the chronicler Ordericus Vitalis who gives an exact account of what has happend. According to this, William had already served plenty of wine on land and thus everyone was drunk, including the crew. That was the moment were Stephen of Blois, a nephew of Henry left the ship.

Detail of the royal family tree from Henry I to Henry II, showing King Henry I, his wife Matilda of Scotland, their children William Adelin and Matilda. Genealogical Chronicle of the English Kings: Royal MS 14 B V, Membrane 5

When the ship finally sailed, a noblewoman is said to have ordered the king's to be caught up. In their eagerness, no one paid attention to the well-known Quilleboeuf rock in front of the harbour exit, which crushed two planks on the starboard side. Water entered the ship and it sank very quickly. William Ætheling first managed to save himself in a small boat, but when his half-sister Maud called for help, he turned back. Now other drowning men tried to climb onto the boat, causing it to capsize. Except for the aforementioned butcher, all those present died.

King Henry I and the White Ship in a series of images of English kings preceding Peter of Langtoft’s Chronicle, Royal 20 A. ii, f. 6v. (x)

This misfortune brought with it unforeseen consequences, for now Henry I, who had many children but only one legitimate heir, was once again without an heir. His wife Edith of Scotland had already died two years earlier. This meant that he had to marry again. Unfortunately, the marriage between him and Adelheid of Louvain remained childless and so, after his death in 1135, his daughter Empress Maud (Mathilde as she was actually called) widow of Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, would claim the throne. As she was considered unsuitable as a wife, Stephen of Blois, we remember the nephew of Henry I, was able to make his claim valid. An almost 20-year war of succession broke out between Stephen's and Matilda's parties, which the empress's son Henry FitzEmpress finally won. As Henry II, he ascended the English throne in 1154. He united England and the independent Duchy of Brittany with the French Duchies of Normandy and Aquitaine as well as the Counties of Maine, Touraine, Anjou and Poitou to form the Angevin Empire and established the centuries-long rule of the House of Plantagenet over England.

Why did the ship sink ?

Apparently, and if contemporary sources are to be believed, it was due to the wine that was generously given out. Which ensured that even the crew were so drunk that they forgot to follow the fine line and sailed against it. (Reminiscent of the Titanic and the iceberg, but with the royal family) Strangely, Stephen of Blois left the ship beforehand. Some few now say that he planned it all and that he was actually the one who let the wine flow and also made sure that more flowed during the voyage.

Interestingly, historian Victoria Chandler ("The Wreck of the White Ship: A Mass Murder Revealed?", The Final argument) has found that someone else was involved in the disaster, a steward named Pirou. But no one knows how he survived, whether he was on board or not. Was he the one who served the wine on behalf of Blois? These are questions that still cannot be answered today, but leave a lot of room for speculation. Because if Blois was really involved, then it was not an accident but a mass murder.

Besides Chandler's book, I also recommend Charles Spencer's - The White Ship and Judith A. Green, Henry I: King of England and Duke of Normandy. If you want to read more about this case.

[dwellordream]

“…When a medieval royal marriage was being negotiated, what the bride would bring to the marriage was of the utmost importance, both in terms of land through her dowry and in terms of the alliance a union of two powerful families could bring. The bride could be taken either from within the kingdom or from another one. Janet Nelson wrote that, while there were benefits for marrying within one's own aristocracy, there was also the chance that, upon the birth of a son, the family of the bride would become overly powerful.

Because of this, and because foreign brides brought together dynasties, the kings of twelfth-century England were more inclined to take a bride from outside their kingdom, with a diplomatic dowry. Regardless of where a potential queen came from, the scale of both her dowry and dower were 'an index of the prestige' of the bride, and the authority a queen held was at least partly based on this initial weighting of her standing.

In the case of Matilda of Scotland, her dowry upon marrying Henry I seems to have been quite small. William of Malmesbury wrote of Henry that 'a rich dowry was in his eyes of no account'. William reported that 'Matilda [of Scotland] brought little or nothing to the marriage in the way of material goods and spoke instead of a long-standing affection between Henry and Matilda'. This is supported by Orderic Vitalis, who wrote that the orphaned daughters of Malcolm and Margaret of Scotland had to look to God for aid. Still, it is doubtful that the sister of a neighboring king would not bring any land or other wealth as a dowry. Huneycutt suggests that, rather than having no dowry, what Matilda of Scotland brought to her marriage was seen by contemporaries as less than what was expected of a royal bride.

From this it may be seen that Matilda of Scotland was valuable more in diplomatic terms than economic ones, in that she brought with her an alliance with the king of Scotland and the prestige of marrying into the Anglo-Saxon royal line, rather than money or property. This would be a 'diplomatic dowry'. On this point, Huneycutt notes that a marriage between Matilda and Henry 'carried the possibility of an heir who would unite the bloodlines of conquerors and conquered. It would also secure the Scottish border, freeing Henry's attention for expansion into Wales and the extension of his continental holdings.'

As the daughter of the later-Saint Margaret (d. 1093), Matilda of Scotland was a descendant of King Edmund 'Ironside' (d. 1016) of the early-eleventh century, and a direct relative of Edward the Confessor (d. 1066), which may have served to help cement Henry I's right to the English throne. It may also have been the case that this marriage brought about an end to conflict between England and Scotland regarding lands that were in dispute before Henry I took the throne, a possibility that would not have been recorded as a dowry. Overall, it seems that Matilda of Scotland brought with her to her marriage with Henry I significant allies, which increased her own authority after her coronation.

This idea of a 'diplomatic dowry' is also applicable to Henry I's second wife, Adeliza of Louvain. This hastily arranged marriage both augmented Henry's existing alliance with the German empire and allowed him the chance to produce more legitimate heirs. A marriage to Adeliza brought to Henry I connections with the ducal houses of both Lower Lotharingia and Boulogne, as well as emphasized his link with his son-in-law, the Holy Roman Emperor. Robert Bartlett wrote that although Henry, while in negotiations for the marriage, may have considered Adeliza's bloodlines and youth (both factors in his need for male heirs), the main focus was more likely to have been 'immediate political calculation'.

Adeliza's father was Godfrey (d. 1139), count of Louvain and duke of Lower Lotharingia and Brabant, and an ally of Henry I's son-in-law, Emperor Heinrich V (1086–1125). As Godfrey's lands bordered Flanders, a county allied with the king of France against Henry I, an alliance Louvain and the Germans was 'particularly important', according to Bartlett. A marriage between Henry I and Adeliza of Louvain provided him with a strong political alliance. More than would have been the case had Adeliza been chosen solely for her reputed beauty and moral character, this would have likely added to her authority while she was queen.”

- Lida Sophia Townsley, Twelfth-century English queens: charters and authority

[isadomna]

Alberta  (fl. 1071)

She was the queen consort of King Sancho II of Castile. She is known only from two documents. The origins of Alberta are unknown. Two modern Spanish historians have argued that Alberta was, in fact, the daughter of William the Conquerer of England. Beyond the sources already given, they have adduced the testimony of William of Poitiers that Sancho and his brother García of Galicia were rivals for her hand, but Sancho prevailed after defeating his younger brother in early 1071. Unfortunately, the defeat of García by Sancho did not occur in 1071 but in 1072. Moreover, William I of England did not have a daughter named Alberta but rather one called Agatha. William of Poitiers was roughly a contemporary of the events he narrated, but there is another tradition of about the same antiquity that relates a different tale. This is the anonymous vita of Count Simon of Crépy, who died at Rome, after having become a monk, between 1080 and 1082. Here the contenders for the hand of William’s daughter are Alfonso VI of Leon and Robert Guiscard. It is this tradition that seems to have been accepted in the first half of the twelfth century by William of Malmesbury and by Ordericus Vitalis, who make Alfonso VI the suitor but agree that Agatha died before she could be married to him.

The name Alberta is unusual for 11th-century Spain and it is probable that she came from abroad. Her marriage to Sancho would have brought him prestige that his unmarried brothers did not yet possess. Her foreign origins would have allowed him to remain outside of the network of aristocratic kin groups and aloof from their disputes. Bernard F. Reilly suggests a connection between the name Alberta and Audeberta, a name used in the family of the Earls of Perigord and La Marche. The royal couple did not have descendants. She presumably survived Sancho, who died in 1072, but her ultimate fate is unknown.

(x)(x)