thescarletlibrarian

[thescarletlibrarian]

What makes the 17th century so much worse than, say, the 15th century?

@publiusmaximus

If this is costume-related (I've been off Tumblr for a while and have no idea when this ask came in), the answer for Europe is ruffs and lace.

If this is about The World, the short answer is Death.

It's SO shitty it's referred to as The Crisis of the 17th. c.

The longer answer is climate change, and general shittiness culminating in Deaths from Famine, Plague, and War.

As well as a lot of Miscellaneous Death from fires, witch hunts, massacres/mass murders, Inquisitions, the Dutch East India Company, and expansion of global slave trades (which is Generally Shitty, but associated with a lot of Death.) Most of the "bad things" people associate with the Middle Ages are much, much worse in the 17th c. shitstorm.

Multiple "Great Famines," even more Just Regular Famines (death toll multiple millions)

Multiple "Great Plagues," even more Just Regular Plagues, and some epidemics (including the general epidemic of new diseases wiping out the Americas).

List of 17th c. Health Disasters

LOTS of wars

(including the most religious warfare ever seen in Europe, the Ming-to-Qing transition in China (just a ton of people over most of the century), the troubled expansion of the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb until it surpassed even the Qing economically, all kinds of shit in the Americas, the Ottomans vs. the Holy Roman Empire and Poland and Russia and the Safavids and whoever else was available that week, and various revolts, rebellions, uprisings, resistance movements, etc. pretty much everywhere.

(Source)

And some miscellaneous deaths.

General Crisis of the 17th c. (details of climate change and the Little Ice Age)

Witch Hunts

Fires

Massacres and mass murders

The Dutch East India Company

Global Slave Trades (which involved a lot of Death, as well as General 17th c. Shittiness)

Link goes directly to Qing China, because there's a LOT, but there have always been forms of slavery throughout Asia (like the rest of the world).

And finally, Russia didn't go "full serfdom" until 1597.

In short, the 17th c. sucked. Everywhere. For everyone.

[thescarletlibrarian]

Mummy fandom, no one will be surprised by this.

Just grieved there are no pictures of either of them.

[thescarletlibrarian]

I died! Source (X)

[thescarletlibrarian]

Full points for the white pantsuit and the jaunty walk in it.

Fredensborg Castle. 15.04.2021

Official pictures of Prince Christian of Denmark's confirmation.

Fotos oficiales de la confirmación del Príncipe Christian de Dinamarca.

Foto: Det Danske Kongehus

[thescarletlibrarian]

Several episodes later I am extremely disappointed that the 10 year time jump skipped over what had to be a hilariously and adorably awkward courtship.

Many years ago mother gave me into married and sent to Egypt. That day, I left not only my family, but everything else too. My joy, my laughter, my happiness.

[thescarletlibrarian]

Godzilla is definitely the baby, big “little” bro everyone absolutely dotes on.

Godzilla: *Destroys city*

Mama Liz: Oh, look at him, he just loves to help his big brother out at work! Such a sweetie!

Geico: Good job, Zillito, this company would go under without my favorite business partner!

[thescarletlibrarian]

You don’t actually believe lead can be turned to gold, right?

SEE HERES THE THING

IT CAN

ALCHEMISTS HAVE HADRON COLLIDERS NOW

[thescarletlibrarian]

Humashah Sultan hitting Zulfikar like a freight train is the best ship launch.

Following it up with a “make him throw up poison with charcoal” as a second date is weirdly fitting, although thinking about it must have made want to die of embarrassment.

Many years ago mother gave me into married and sent to Egypt. That day, I left not only my family, but everything else too. My joy, my laughter, my happiness.

[thescarletlibrarian]

Nerd savagery is best savagery

Stolen from Facebook but I love this

[thescarletlibrarian]

Also not fav, or actually SOs, but Bohemond and Anna Comnena.

Imagine your favorite historical figure sending dick pics to his significant other…

[thescarletlibrarian]

I love that the younger girls in MC always get pink and light blue sparkly getups, just like little princess dresses. It’s cute, if you asked a lot of little girls to draw a Turkish Princess Dress, that’s what you’d get.

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Hümaşah’s light blue gown in 4x18

[thescarletlibrarian]

Legit the most academic thing I’ve ever read.

Only a few days before his death, [Protestant theologian Melanchthon] had written a note which gave his reasons for not fearing death. On the left of the note were the words, “You will be delivered from sins, and be freed from the acrimony and fury of theologians.” (wikipedia)

The theological reason to not fear death is that it’s an escape from Discourse.

[thescarletlibrarian]

Life tip: Do not let historians find out you don’t want them to know or write about something. They will be ALL OVER that shit.

“In 1404, King Taejong fell from his horse during a hunting expedition. Embarrassed, looking to his left and right, he commanded, “Do not let the historian find out about this.” To his disappointment, the historian accompanying the hunting party included these words in the annals, in addition to a description of the king’s fall.“

LMFAOOOOOO rip to that guy

[thescarletlibrarian]

“Winter’s Tale”

Pallas’s cat in the Mongolian grasslands

Photographer: Valeriy Maleev, Russia

LUMIX People’s Choice Award

[thescarletlibrarian]

MLA is not Chicago.

This is all anyone needs to know.

Thank you, McSweeneys. Everything you need to know about the new MLA… lol

[thescarletlibrarian]

Already SO GRUMPY

“When Mother Says Run” by Shanyuan Li 

 This rare scene of playful Pallas’s cats took six years to capture. Hiding opposite an old marmot hole in which a family of cats had built its lair, Shanyuan waited. Hours of patience were rewarded when three kittens emerged to play while their parent kept a lookout. Upon the sighting of a Tibetan fox nearby, the youngsters were swiftly ushered back inside.

Wildlife photographer of the year 2020 winner, category “Behaviour: Mammals”

[thescarletlibrarian]

BOOM

“The definition of an academic subject was what could be examined, and since English was no more than idle gossip about literary taste it was difficult to know how to make it unpleasant enough to qualify as a proper academic pursuit. This, it might be said, is one of the few problems associated with the study of English which have since been effectively resolved.”

— Terry Eagleton, “Literary Theory” pg 25 (via shitacademicswrite)