rrcraft-and-lore

[rrcraft-and-lore]

This is a picture of an Indian executioner in full ceremonial outfit complete with all the belts, spikes, and intimidating armor features to show case what a grim and dark affair this is/was.

He's not just any executioner though, he is the High Lord Executioner of what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, but was once called Rewa--a princely state . This photo was taken by Bourne & Shepherd, a legendary studio created in 1863 and became the largest most successful for a time film/image studio in India.

This image was taken for Britishers to get more tastes of exoticism out of the Indian colony because, first, the title High Lord Executioner doesn't and wouldn't have existed both linguistically or culturally - and given the history/time and diversity of India, many roles/titles and languages have played a role in defining this job.

During Mughal occupation, the term Jallad, from Arabic (to torture or execute) became associated with the role. Then remember, regional differences, language changes, and different kingdoms/rajs, and princely states over time.

*Hand colored version of the same picture - this one is from 1921 - same studio. Original black and white version is 1898*

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Bein' an author like.

I promise you there's someone out there with a review like:

BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD 3/5!

Lol.

And I'm sure there are plenty with amazon 1 stars for: the shoes I ordered are the wrong size. 1 STARS a book instead randomly cuz...people be like that.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Stop feeding the state surveillance sloppy content generation machines. All they do is also generate slop and poison wells.

I get it, who among you doesn't love a little sloppy. But this kinda sloppy is a big sloppy mess. That's right. And the people who produce slop, Sloppers, well they love it.

Because when sloppers slop it up, everything gets slopped, and its hard to find all the wonderful gems that come from you all, real people and artists putting yourself into your work and art.

When Sloppers (ai users) generate slop, its like pigslop, and it slops up the land--now they love rolling in slop, slopping harder so sloppily their sloppy slopp slopps up the whole pool like in pinterest till no one can see anything different. WHEN SLOPPERS SLOP UP THE POOL , EVERYTHINGS SLOP SO NOW YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN, THEIR SLOP REIGNS AMONG SLOPPY SLOPP!

As you can see, this model benefits the sloppers who just love sloppily sloppin' slopp around.

But when a slopper slopps their way to the sloppiest top of all slopperdom, what then? well, the inevitable, another slopper slops their slop rather sloppily and then a sloppy fight breaks out in sloppville - we've seen some BIG (chortle) sloppers get angry in sloppyville when another slopper slopped the slop. they talked about the sloppery involved in their prompting, i mean slopping, to slopp.

but what happens now? now slop dot tm machine is also being a snoop. idk about you, but snoopy sloppers is a whole nother level of losery sloopish snoop behavior.

that is all

[rrcraft-and-lore]

This is very true. I can go find a thread I did on this for those who are interested.

Hijra: They are the transgender, eunuch, or intersex people in India who are officially recognized as the third sex throughout most countries in the Indian subcontinent. The trans community and history in India goes back a long way as being documented and officially recognized - far back as 12th century under the Delhi Sultanate in government records, and further back in our stories in Hinduism. The word itself is a Hindi word that's been roughly translated into English as "eunuch" commonly but it's not exactly accurate.

Hijras have been considered the third sex back in our ancient stories, and by 2014 got official recognition to identify as the third gender (neither male or female) legally. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India have accepted: eunuch, trans, intersex people & granted them the proper identification options on passports and other government official documents.

But let's get into some of the history surrounding the Hijra community (which for the longest time has been nomadic, and a part of India's long, rich, and sometimes, sadly, troubled history of nomadic tribes/people who have suffered a lot over the ages.

Hijras and intersex people are mentioned as far back as in the Kama Sutra, as well as in the early writings of Manu Smriti in the 1st century CE (Common Era) - specifically said that a third sex can exist if possessing equal male and female seed.

This concept of balancing male/female energies, seed, and halves is seen in two places in South Asian mythos/culture and connected to the Hijra history.

First, we have Aravan/Iravan (romanized) - who is also the patron deity of the transgender community.

He is most commonly seen as a minor/village deity and is depicted in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Aravan is portrayed as having a heroic in the story and his self-sacrifice to the goddess Kali earns him a boon. He requests to be married before his death. But because he is doomed to die so shortly after marriage, no one wants to marry him.

No one except Krishna, who adopts his female form Mohini (one of the legendary temptresses in mythology I've written about before) and marries him.

It is through this union of male, and male presenting as female in the female form of Mohini that the seed of the Hijras is said to begun, and why the transgender community often worships Aravan and, another name for the community is Aravani - of/from Aravan.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

One of the coolest things of this time I'm so grateful for is seeing all the wonderful cool fiction Indie and Trad I never saw growing up.

I started indie, never leaving that behind, publishing says it's in a great place atm, that's a loaded thing to say - I'll not touch it.

what I'll say is this, though. Im so glad there's space for everyone and people are showing that, not taking no for an answer, not jumping to chase validation, making their bank (however it be - web serials, patreon, kofi, youtube, indie novels, combination, trad, hybrid).

All I want and am happy to see is more power for all creatives regardless of your background. My first books, indie. The greatest passion and skill craft chasing project i'll ever do will have to be indie cuz traditional will never be able to handle the logistics as i see how things change. but, ive got trad books. I'll still be doing that unless theyre like the heck with you.

I've done an indie comic, working on my second. I've got something else entirely new as well in the arts i didnt...think would happen and was just a dream - thats in the works.

I finished my first game script for an indie game company, had it praised by the narrative director and ceo, got brought back on to write a short story for the game (coming later this year), and...more. :) The arts are awesome, and you all make it awesome.

Remember that. All of you. All.

Wherever you come from. All of you. Thank you (whatever you do, make, whatever) for doing it, and putting it out there - cuz it ain't easy. Some days that shit be hard, scary, tiring, w.e. So, thank you. Cuz I get to see it, and so do others, and you never know how much your art means to others.

Some art's saved my life. Some artists have.

Art is powerful

But it's only that because of you.

Never forget that.

And never forget you belong in it - in the arts, if that's where you wanna make a place.

I have fucking spoken!

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Rewatching Blue Mountains but this time introducing my mother to it.

Utterly beautiful film set in himachal pradesh, places like this are what inspired Ghal and the climate you see around the Ashram in Tales of Tremaine.

A lot of people still don't know/understand the level of diversity in India.

Across the breadth of what the word can mean. How we look Foods Microclimates Architecture Languages 22+ spoken Religions Local regional and larger customs Bio diversity

And so much more

It's a subcontinent by size because it's still touching Asia.

If it werent ...it'd be a continent.

Think how diverse continents are. You have a continent in a country, a country that's a continent by most regards but being separated from the rest of the land.

Also this is just a beautiful indie film that shows more of what Indian filmmaking does and can do apart from the idea of what some might imagine as mainstream only Bollywood (nothing wrong with that), just that there are so many things happening in the art scene too.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

You've heard of the 300 spartans, but have you heard of the 21 Sikhs who fought to the last man against 10,000 Afghans in the Battle of Saragarhi?

Sept. 12 1897

Led by Havildar Ishar Singh - he and the other 20 Sikhs fought to stave off the opposing army - knowing it was a doomed prospect, but reinforcements were coming.

They knew that much would happen, but they wouldn't likely come in time.

Not one Sikh soldier fled, turned coat, they died against the 10,000 but…held them off long enough for reinforcements from the British Indian.

The Forts in the region were restored somewhat and reconsolidated as the region was once developed by the first king/Maharaja of the Sikh Empire - Ranjit Singh.

_________________________________

For those who get this...if you haven't checked out my story Reed Lions, originally published in the amazing @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social , you might see some nods.

Courtesy and thanks to/of Elizabeth Tabler of GDM.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

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They'll tell you that the arts and humanities aren't practical and then read poetry at funerals and weddings, cry over films and search for meaning in ancient philosopgy. Surviving is one type of practicality, knowing why we bother is another. - On the Importance of the Arts & Humanities

The Career Archetypes by Joel Uili

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Tsampa

What is it?

Well, consider it one of the OG himalayan cliff bars (kinda literally): It was used along the silk road, and most especially in Tibet and along the himalayans as a quick boost power food you can travel with.

It's usually a kind (or up two) of flour, but mostly barley, mixed with seeds at times, some fruits like apricots, salt, yak butter, tea or butter tea. You can dissolve it, or just eat it as is once it's solidified and or chilled.

<chilling wasnt...hard when you live in those mountains.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

I don't want ai summaries that don't even read the thing they're summarizing (don't want them at all but come the fuck on).

I don't want a sea of ai mediocre art in an ocean fucking storm's worth of quantity that it drowns out people are and people, being people, slowly acclimate to it like buying anything else, because it might be cheaper, but because it's crap.

But I fear we're heading to gross mediocritization because...it's easy.

That right there. Easy.

I'm starting to think all the "little inconvienences of life" are important lessons. Learning to take time for nuance, getting interrupted, learning flow, pauses. Taking time to do little things like mail a letter or cut something out. Or watch a video how to learn something rather than enter, return results and go, yeah that must be it. Good enough. All the little steps.

I was listening to Rick Rubin's book, and he gave a little example of a man drawing water from a well old school (bucket and chain) but never wasted a drop cuz he took his time and learned how to do it his way.

Someone comes along and tells him a motorized system will work better. But the old man goes: i like my way better, yours might be faster but do you drop water?

I don't. I don't waste a drop.

And that meant something to him, because it's his well, his water, his bucket, his time. If he doesn't want to waste a drop, and all that? Okay. But it was something quietly powerful about the quiet confidence and mastery that old man in the story had with his bucket and his well.

Idk. Just...i see more and more ai crap daily, it's tiring, it has no soul - it just doesnt. I can feel it doesnt. it's not a conscious thought process.

It's just...i see it, feel empty, the end.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

I don't buy AI art for a second of quality - it's garbage.

I was brought up on fucking anime.

I was there when people (somehow?!??!?!) hand animated fucking Super Saiyan 3 Goku vs. Janemba - that BY HAND?

All those colors, transitions, that fucking fight and movie??

It still holds up. And no AI will ever replace Sean schemmel's roar as Goku. or his kamehameha's.

That's like getting a bot to replace Kevin Conroy as batman.

You actually go to hell for that shit.

I know, I asked. Hell. You go straight there. The bad place. And it's filled with people who chew with their mouths open.

People who like peeps.

People who use the thumbs up emoji (who actually uses that???), and people who drink la croix.

Also. Bad people.

But I've made my point.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

[Image text]

"Maybe the journey isn't about becoming anything.

Maybe it's about unbecoming eveything that isn't really you, so that you can be who you were meant to be in the first place."

- Paulo Coelho

[rrcraft-and-lore]

There is something so weirdly fucking fun and healing in writing this side novella for my patreon in pieces set in the Reed Lions universe that Grimdark Magazine first published in novelette form with Reed Lions.

I get to go deeper with Sikh/Punjabi characters too.

A lot more of all South Asian etymology, lore, respect, love, mythology, history nods, ideas, spirituality, weaponary...

I GET TO USE TRISHULS.

NGL it's weird as fuck though logging on insta, seeing all the racism against Indians while at the same time everyone's like omg, sari's...then that whole OMG IT'S REALLY European fucking bullshit i saw...to the everyone like oMG GADA training is great, and everyone rushing out to buy and train with Indian maces (also featured in Reed Lions :) ) [also tool of Hanuman], in fitness/wrestling IG.

Like...nani de fuq?

Anyways, fuck off for a few seconds so i can use Trishuls in this story and show some cool ass fucking shit in this grimdark military south asian fantasy world im building out of little vignettes and soldier povs. lol

Some of the brilliant artwork as well GrimDark was so fucking amazing to have made.

Little review for you

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Did you know that the Vikings traveled and traded with not just with the Native Americans, or even the middle east as in Ibn Battuta's travelogue, the Ibn Fadlan, but also ancient India?

In River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandanavia to the Silk Road, Dr. Cat Jarman - discussed the archaeological find of Indian gemstone beads (specifically from what is known as Gujarat Example here of a carnelian bead found in the Viking grave in Repton England (a raider's grave).

But yeah, if you read old history youll see amazing stuff of accounting and trade records and complaints (usually one guy bitching he got done dirty in a trade while....the other guy is doing hte same -- we aint ever change) records of philosphy and trade between the Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Norse, Chinese especially.

They got on damn well for a VERY VERY VERY LONG TIME. the old world so so much more fucking interconnected that you realize. stories, myths, food, travel, weapon's tech (yeah look into how that shit traveled)

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Watch, then get back to me _ also research like this is what's been going into a WIP I have about old Indian architecture, localized spirit belief, our waterways and Portuguese colonization and inquisition.

Learn you something about the rest of the world, break your biases (aimed at people in the industry :) -- not authors - yeah some of you in power absolutely are: ignorant, racist, stupid af - I've overheard you at cons, I've heard you talking to clients and others.

Learn.

Especially about an underrepresented group/culture in western arts that come from a civilization that has contributed so much to: science, health, spirituality, religion, art/storytelling, music and more, we can get into how many of your favorite rappers and musicians sample classic indian music then tweak it (happens its part of the gig) but then you never fucking know. SO MUCH

miss me with your gentirified BOX BREATHING OMG GURL pranayama, you goof. miss me with your sun salutations now that you think its cool. Miss me with using chakra, avatars all that crap then ripping it away from the people/cultures without a hint of nod or representation.

Freaking goofs. Today, i got nothing for y'all.

Go learn.

Inspired by the mouth breathers today i had to talk to and should have slam dunked but priorities and people to care for.

So, this thread. Toodles.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

This is true and shows up in a few cultures (not the whale bit) but do not name certain things for you'll summon them - mostly famously, bears. The word bear is actually the word for brown, because you wouldn't say the actual name, that'd summon it, and to the Norse for example, you wouldnt want a fuckin' bear showing up to your house...so you'd warn others by giong, HOLY SHIT I SAW A HUGE FUCKING BROWN in the woods (and everyone would know the big fucking brown is a brown (word for bear))and like ope. nope.

Also another beautiful bit that comes from that Nordic culture and tradition -- certain kennings like the Norse: "Whale bone road," which is kinda obvious what they mean about that when they sail it. But anyways, language and myths and folklore are all beautiful af and cool.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Staff pick at Petersfield Waterstones UK back in May <3