xanthiasonadonkey

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Imagine having to knowingly plan a war that will destroy one of/your favourite city, and on top of that you cannot openly be on the side you want to, so you act where you can but mostly have to leave intervention on your favoured side to the gods that are on that side.

You care so much about the son in that war (and another man who isn’t even your son) so you want to literally destroy the human fate of death to avoid it, and no, you don’t do that just because you can. You get reminded it would be a bad idea and would have other gods do the same, so you back down.

Yeah, you shit-talk your least liked son to his face but you still immediately get him medical attention when he comes to you, hurt. (That same son, by the way, has his mother tell his sister to go fuck him up. Which she does. Violently.)

You (possibly against your better judgement) purify a dude who killed his own father in law for terrible reasons, because you are a god of this sort of thing, and you even take him up to your house for it. Then this dude decides to hit on and wants to sleep with your wife (he can’t even, like, do this OUTSIDE or something*).

You, as the last bastion of everyone’s safety, gets summarily abandoned when facing the single greatest threat to the order since you and your siblings defeated your father and his forces, get mutilated (your son does come and help you get back on your feet) and then have to fight this monster again. You win, sure, but at what cost?

Your wife has drugged you to sleep. Twice. And basically dosed you with aphrodisiacs once**.

Your son thinks it’s a smashing idea to feed you, and the rest of the divine family, your grandson. As a test. And then that family keeps fucking up in the impiety department…

Someone ELSE thinks it’s a smashing idea to feed you their son to test if you’re an all-knowing god who will be able to tell he’s eating human flesh. You turn him into a werewolf and destroy the whole city.

It is entirely possible you haven’t had a choice when it comes to a number of your extra-marital escapades, because Eros and his arrows might have been involved. Or Ananke***.

Lastly, you want to dunk on Zeus? Do it elsewhere. I’m not interested.

(*We’re not discussing the question of consent and sexual assault here, but basically all the young women the gods get with are unmarried (yes, even Alcmene), and the tryst happens outside the woman’s father’s house for a reason. **Look, I think “Hera gussies herself up and gets Aphrodite to loan her a piece of garment that will make her irresistible and then distracts Zeus with sex” is absolutely hilarious, but like. He can’t say no to her in that situation. That’s the point of loaning that piece of garment from Aphrodite. ***See the giants, and the fact that they needed a mortal to fight with them, and Heracles got prophetized that he was the one to help. Hence his existence is Necessary, which leads all the way back to Perseus.)

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Hannibal

Let's see you make a way where there is none - says Fate; Through ice, through storms, through iron, blood. It's not too late - Settle down. Be a good boy. Let them have what they want so much. They might trample you last, and you'll get gold shackles - It's a good trade, worthy of Hanno, so play nice. Nobody likes a warmonger - don't trust your eyes, Nor your ears. The wolves can be reasoned with. Just obey, And learn to call thralldom peace, like a well- fed slave. Losers get pity, at least. Fight - and you are the villain, Named traitor by traitors, cruel by those who grind Nations to dust. Is Qart Hadasht worth it? (Yes, it is.) The winds Change - any sailor will tell you. Those who resist Are salt, are ash, are crow dinner - they fall: tragic. Don't court Aiskhylos. You never liked him anyway. catch it - The current. Guess it can take you somewhere; who cares - Well, besides you. Is victory worth eve- rything? An eye, sleepless nights, scars... say, where are your brothers? It all ends in poison. But Cannae still thunders - Laughter in inevitability's blank face, Something greater even than Qart Hadasht (It hurts, That name.) You would still go to the ends of the earth For the idiots. Here is an ancient secret I guessed: You would still do it all over again.

[xanthiasonadonkey]

 Thank you for tagging me. There’s so much to talk about…

* The Gods Themselves. Learning about Them, feeling Their presence, the absolute inscrutability and familiarity. What the stories and depictions we have tell about Them, all the things we can only try to piece together.

 * The freedom, of course. Whether one prefers structure or spontaneity, a single tradition or eclecticism, looking for community or not bothering with it, ancient traditions or newwr approaches - just create your own path, mate.

* The other pagans, mostly. We’re a colourful bunch, aren’t we? Not that people in general aren’t, but lemme be biased, ok?

* UPGs are such a wild ride, even when they make me go “whaaaaa??”

 * The small ways in which the Immortals reveal Themselves every day, the small ways in which humans try to touch Them. 

Update: if you haven’t done this yet, consider yourselves tagged!!!

Pagan tag game: list 5 things you like the best about your spiritual practice, then tag 5 people or send them anonymous message.

Honestly, all my reasons can be summed up in one word so I’ll kinda roll with that: 

the freedom. 

@thequeerdionysian, @sisterofiris, @bayoread @honeyedteeth @parantajanpolku

If you guys are more creative than I am. 

[xanthiasonadonkey]

(by Mostafa Ammar)

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Artemis

Arrow-strait, arrow-swift, Taut as a bowstring. Goal: set, Path: clear, Obstacles must disappear. Don't wait, Aim true - This is where She makes the rules. Loud, loud - Make some noise: Maids in chorus, Baying hounds. Bright shafts of moonlight, Black stalking shades - Howling, oh, howling, Singing to Her: Scream at the top of your lungs What you wanted to whisper - This is no time to be tame. Unchained, unnamed - All the wild things are having a blast. Such a vast world free from man's yoke - Keep that shape-shifting cloak close around your shoulders. Cold mountain summits and hidden lakes, Where old spirits play - Hey, don't become prey: Are those teeth just for show, Are those legs naught but rust? Might as well be. But that's all we've got. Still, all we do is run. Surrender? Not yet. But It's too late to think mortal strength is enough. She - glowing silver in darkness, She - soothing shade at noon... The wounded seek healing, the strong-limbed Can't help but wound. Follow the greatest of she-bears, Find Her in caves and among long grass, In constellations, in road dust; Further than the moon, closer than your skin, Where no path can reach all tales begin. Feet and soul - all bare, Wrong place to be scared, Right place to bark, screech and growl. She - garbed in saffron and strength, and Mysteries - She still smiles. Wild Lady, Beastmistress, protect Your cubs!

[xanthiasonadonkey]

The Hittites were basically the first historians, they went searching through old texts to find out what was wrong… Except it was for dumb reasons, like ‘why are the Gods angry’.

Hey, academics. You need to stop doing this.

This quote was overheard at a recent conference, but I’ve both heard and read countless variations of it. Ancient beliefs, especially those related to polytheism and polytheistic practises, are all too often called “dumb”, “irrational” and “primitive” (or more diplomatic variants thereof, but the underlying judgement is clear) - and this is apparently acceptable because the people who believed them are no longer alive.

First things first, these beliefs are still alive, not only in revived ancient religions like Hellenic polytheism, but also, and especially, in the numerous polytheistic traditions around the world. That said, even if they weren’t, the absence of concerned people should not be an excuse to make rude comments. Prejudice is prejudice, regardless of whether someone is there to hear it.

But more than that, I would argue that this attitude is a hindrance to good scholarship. If you approach the civilisations you study with the assumption that their beliefs are “dumb” and “primitive”, you are putting yourself in a position of judgement, not of study, and looking at the situation with an outsider’s eyes. Contrary to what I’ve heard argued - that not being a polytheist, or even religious, makes you objective by nature - this perspective is subjective: it is modern, Western, and culturally monotheistic. This is a bias that needs to be acknowledged.

This does not mean that you need to be a polytheist yourself to understand polytheism. You don’t need to believe in the Gods to understand why the Hittites might search through ancient texts to find out why they were angry - but you do need to put yourself in the head of a Hittite and explore how this belief could function. This also involves acknowledging the complexity of the religions at play. Ancient attitudes towards the world were not a simple case of “Hittite man dumb, no understand how plague work, assume Big People in Sky are angry”. These people were smart, and while they may not have had the scientific knowledge we do, they developed elaborate systems in order to make sense of the world.

The role of the scholar is not to establish the truth of those systems. It is to understand them, in order to understand the civilisation from which they were born. Dismissing them instead is throwing away the key to a locked door because it doesn’t look like your own key, then being surprised when you can’t enter.

TL;DR: Stop calling ancient polytheisms stupid. It’s rude, and counterproductive to good research.

(via sisterofiris)

Oh this is so perfect.

Also: many... ahem, scholars, don’t know how to treat another worldview as valid simply because they are so used to treating their own worldview as the only valid one that those who think differently seem like a) idiots b) funny c) irrelevant to them. That’s why visibility of minorities is so important. That’s why the biases of the majority need to be called out - no matter how touchy a subject religion is, there can be no understanding of polytheistic societies without acceptance of the fact that polytheism is as much of a real faith as the monotheistic religions - and if those faiths get to be treated with basic respect, why not the beliefs of the Hittites?

Not to mention the approach to the Gods as mighty, harsh but fair judges Who can be argued with and convinced is incredibly rational and progressive    

[xanthiasonadonkey]

*Confused Paris noises*

Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda F/W 2019

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Two deer at Miyajima

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Athena from Vienna , photo by Alexandros Maragos

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Went on a mini-adventure today to see this incredible mural in Denver. Painted by PichiAvo as part of the city’s “Crush Walls” event– I’m in love.

[xanthiasonadonkey]

The House of Tablets and its mistress.

Heyheyhey, @sisterofiris has a birthday today, and that deserves a ni~ce celebration. Because she’s amazing. 

I am so lucky to know you, dearest lady scribe. Keep rocking, and thank you for everything. I hope the world gives you plenty of warmth, sweetness and colour in return for all the good you do. May the roads you travel be as kind as you are.  

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The Elder Sister walks through the House of Tablets, She teaches the hand that trembles to carve its own course Steadily and with purpose: back straight, eyes alight. And the too impetuous learn patience: - Hey, Ikaros, don't let your wings burn! How can a touch so light leave a mark so deep? She knows so much and yet hunts for more Always. Elusive wisdom leads her on a merry chase Through worlds, times, tales - strange and familiar. Follow her, but try to not get lost - After all, this place has so many doors: One smells of the ocean, all salt and wild winds, Another - a place built of clay, question marks and memory. Tall mountain peaks gleam behind the next threshold, Or a forest of cedars and pines where untameable things dance. There is a passage to a place of temples and pure springs, And one to a city pretending it has no past. Or - a door to a hall where warriors feast with shepherds, Where kings listen to scholars, and men to women, And someone is always trying to sell bad copper. They all have stories to tell; listen, while you stride through, To words harsh, soft, melancholy and joyful. Let the scribe speak the names right, awaken them for a while, And, once the journey is done... but how can that happen? There are always more doors, the dim lamp can be lit again, And the keys are heavy, but safe in her hands. May her dreams be light - for even a sorceress Needs protection sometimes. Let her not go without it: A cloak in a storm, reasons to laugh and sing, Cinnamon, honey and bright, warm colours, Hair braided with flowers, understanding, shared (in)sanity In the vastness of time and space that seem so indifferent,   But if that is true - living hearts reflect entropy And engrave "beauty" and "meaning" where there should be none. Big sis has enough love for a million miracles - moon, sun and lightning; We call it magic. She just knows which locks to keep open.  

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Greek mythology from A to Z:

[D] - Dionysus (Διόνυσος) was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He had a dual nature; on one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine. 

[xanthiasonadonkey]

bring back homeric epithets. call people brave-hearted, swift-footed, laughter loving and loud thundering. view the world with its rosy fingered and saffron robed dawns, its wine dark seas. make your own, walk across kiln fired earth and moss soft as sea sponges. be dew-eyed and soft-cheeked and silver-souled, deft-fingered and bright-tongued. gaze up at the many-storied stars and feel the warmth of the ancient sun, father of gods and men, as it beats down on the shimmering world, soft spun like caterpillar silk

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Details : Dancing Fairies, 1866, by August Malmström.

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Artemis, Iphigenia, and Agamemnon

3 Layer Screenprint on 15x11 Stongehenge

[xanthiasonadonkey]

Alcibiades: So, Socrates, just wanted to double check. How do ethical philosophers feel about murder?

Socrates: It’s frowned upon.

Alcibiades: Okay. What if the reason you want to murder someone is to make your life easier? That’s okay, right?

[xanthiasonadonkey]

For the poets

Sing in them, Muse, but not too much. Place their hands on the lyre, and breathe. Then listen. Let them weave their own song. We have had enough Homers, enough Vergils, enough Sîn-lēqi-unninnis so let them be them – the broken, dreaming mortals who never knew heroes, the boy with the grass-stained knees, the girl watching for birds at dusk, the redhead with a clever smile, the dark-eyed traveller at sea. Never lift your fingers from theirs. Give them your skill, your endlessness, your names for men long-gone. Tell them which Gods need prayers, honey-sweet, brightly sung, but let them not be Sappho, or Horace, let them not be Enḫeduanna but let them be them – and let us listen, children at their feet, as they hum your melodies anew. Trust them: they will be true. Calloused skin can also shape something golden, undying.