#‘Celtic inspired’ fantasy

[pearlofthewoods]

I’ve just watched this video discussing the issue of contemporary fantasy novels using/appropriating Welsh culture as well as other Celtic cultures.

And I would really recommend watching it to anyone thinking of writing fantasy set in or inspired by Wales, who is hoping to do so sensitively and respectfully.

I thought this might also be particularly useful for those of us in the Marauders fandom who love Welsh Remus and want to incorporate Welsh folklore/mythology/modern day culture into the world building to compliment his backstory.

There is a way to do these things respectfully and a way that there is not.

As someone with Welsh grandparents and family who live there, I can assure you that Wales, while beautiful and magical in its own way, is also a thoroughly modern nation with the same issues we all face in the modern world. Wales is not some fantasy nation stuck 1000 years in the past.

Welsh culture is also not in any way limited to its mythology. There is such a rich culture including, but not limited to, things like sport (e.g rugby), the arts (much of the bbc is based there) and so so much more.

There is also a very rich and important modern history in Wales that many people entirely bypass. For example, the mining industry has a huge importance and impact in Wales’ history, among many other things.

And very very importantly, if you choose to utilise the Welsh language in any way, make sure that you ask a Welsh speaker politely to read it over for you.

Because Welsh is NOT a fantasy language. It is a living, modern language, and is some people’s first language. We should treat it with the respect it deserves.

[miraerufu]

THE GREEN KNIGHT

[adhd-merlin]

delirium

Written for the May 2024 round of @merlinmicrofic, for the prompt: "It's you." Merlin & Arthur, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, 537 words

He’s hot. He’s too hot.

“Put it out,” he pleads, because there must be a fire in the room. Right next to his bed.

He’s going to burn. He never imagined it would be like this.

Something wet and shockingly cold touches his forehead and he hisses through his teeth, turning away. He tries to ask for it to stop, but all that comes out of his mouth is a pitiful whimper.

“Will he be all right?” Arthur asks.

Merlin doesn’t know whom Arthur is talking about. Perhaps it’s him. He cannot hear Gaius’s reply. There might not be one. Merlin sighs and sleep falls upon him, dragging him under.

It’s not a fire in the room. He’s burning from the inside. Like the dragon.

“What dragon?” a sweet woman’s voice asks him.

What a strange question. His mother was the one who first told him the story – she should know. The dragon who swallowed the sun when it fell off the chariot and only spit it back out when the thunder-god hit him with one of his bolts.

“The sky dragon,” Merlin wheezes.

His mother starts crying.

Oh. He must be dying. He tries to offer her a few words of comfort but he’s too weak to speak, or even open his eyes.

His mother wipes his brow with a cold, wet cloth.

Merlin has reached a strange sort of acceptance in the hazy space between dream and death. He licks his lips.

“Mother?” The hand on his brow pauses. Merlin finds that, with some effort, he can string a few words together. “The dragon song. Will you sing it to me?���

There’s a moment of silence. He half-expects his mother to start crying again – instead, she starts humming. It’s a deep hum, which doesn’t seem to follow any particular tune – it certainly sounds nothing like the song Merlin requested – but it’s still comforting.

He sleeps.

What feels like days later, Merlin wakes. He opens his eyes and looks right into Arthur’s face.

Arthur stops humming.

“It’s you,” Merlin croaks.

Arthur touches Merlin’s forehead with the back of his hand and peers into his eyes. “Merlin?”

Merlin clears his throat. “Yes. Hi.”

Relief floods Arthur’s face. “You look better. We weren’t sure–” He stops suddenly and takes his hand away.

“Was Gwen here?” Merlin asks, remembering a woman’s voice. 

“She was, yesterday,” Arthur says. “She needed some rest.”

“She was crying.” Merlin squints at Arthur. “And you… you were singing to me.”

Arthur looks down, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. “You must’ve dreamt that.”

“Humming,” Merlin amends.

“I made noises at you,” Arthur says, his cheeks pink. “You seemed to find it soothing.”

“It was. Thank you.”

“Yes. Well.” The lack of teasing from Arthur is a disturbing confirmation of just how sick Merlin was. Arthur drops the wet cloth in a bowl and stands up. “I’ll go get Guinevere. She’ll want to see you.”

“I’ll wait right here,” Merlin says, with a smile that pulls at the cracked skin of his lips.

Arthur shoots him a look, as if Merlin were being very odd, and he leaves.

Before Gwen returns, Merlin falls asleep, dreaming of cloud-dwelling dragons and an old childhood song.

[paperconsumption]

>opens celtic inspired fantasy

>

>oh shit she wasn’t lying

[alridpath]

Another batch! 📯

[cjdevlin]

Rónan

Ro • nuhn

Rónan is the heir to The Ancient Ones, his father Cìocal ( kee • oh • cull ) leads a gritty and vicious people in their lands. The Ancient Ones are cruel and are willing to cheat, fight, and kill to get what they want.

So Rónan finds his own solace in his lighthouse. Settled on the shore of The Emerald Isle, Rónan has kept himself out of the limelight, until he hears word of a new arrival. A young girl who bears the one power that can bring his father down.

With the help of his brother, Ultán ( ul • tan ), Rónan plans to help the girl survive, especially when he meets her and realises she's the most beautiful girl he's ever met.

Can he find a way to save the girl he quickly falls for without risking his father finding ojf and costing both of their lives and the lives of those at risk with the brewing war?

----

(Please know that Rónan is based on a mix of gods from Celtic mythology and is not meant to represent any one person. Therefore, some details/facts have been altered or changed. He is not meant to be 100% accurate to the history/mythology.)

~ Caitlin 🌿

[mysticalblizzardcolor]

Listen/purchase: Fantasy Journey |Celtic Collection| by BrunuhVille

[viscericorde]

incredibly petty pet peeve i have is when writers recycle names from ancient or medieval civilizations for their fantasy kingdoms w no regard to if the cultural inspirations even match up. it's like an unspoken assumption that if they've never heard of these names before yoinking them from wikipedia then surely no one else has. such flat and disappointing worldbuilding

[mushroom-boar]

One of the best portrait stuff I've made <3

[hanvanmusic]

Celtic Tavern Melodies: Relax & Focus | Serene Instrumental Ambience for Clarity #tavernmusic

Step into the enchanting realm of Calming Celtic Tavern Melodies, and immerse yourself in the soothing instrumental ambience that promises relaxation and focus. Let the harmonious blend of gentle melodies and atmospheric sounds transport you to a medieval tavern, where serenity and clarity await. Lose yourself in the mesmerizing strums of the Celtic harp, the tender plucks of the lute, and the rhythmic beats of the bodhrán drum. Allow this captivating musical journey to guide you towards peace of mind and improved concentration. Join us in the most inviting tavern of the land, where the warmth of the hearth and the laughter of friends surround you. As the golden light of lanterns flicker in the twilight, indulge in the enchanting sounds of Calming Celtic Tavern Melodies. Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share this video with fellow adventurers, and let the soothing sounds be your key to relaxation and focus. #CelticTavernMelodies #RelaxAndFocus #SoothingAmbience #SerenityAndClarity 🎵 Parts List: https:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyCzCWN9gRLzbtm7zf7BNfoy_1jv9iv7f 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you can be notified of new videos! 🎧 Enjoy this video and please give your comments and thoughts. It is important for us to communicate with you!

[jessiec-writes-fantasy]

New chapter of my fantasy story!

Have you heard anything about druids lately? (ch10)

Synopsis: After cleaning up a river spring, Madga and Ress decide to travel to Wrysal for the Last Harvest of the year celebrations. Madga is nervous, not only because many years ago Wrysal was one of the tribes who blamed Gwae for the death of the sun, but also because Suuroo and Wrysal are now at odds with each other. And the colour of their hair will surely give them away as the enemy.

General Lost Roads tumblr post

[retellingthehobbit]

Retelling The Hobbit Chapter 16: The Song of the Lonely Mountain First chapter / Previous / Next

To view full comic: Webtoon/A03 / Tumblr post with links to all chapters

Other blogs: TikTok/Instagram/Tumblr Sideblog

*crumbles into dust after finishing this* Thank you for reading! This The Hobbit webcomic adaptation thing takes a lot of effort to put together and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate every comment. I also really appreciate the people who’ve spread the word of this comic to their friends! <3

And finally, we’re at the Song of the Lonely Mountain! Within Tolkien’s canon, The Hobbit is an in-universe book that was “written” by Bilbo Baggins, who occasionally lies/embellishes/exaggerates things. The tonal differences between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are explained by Bilbo and Frodo/Sam being different kinds of storytellers, with different relationships to “the truth.” This idea is the core of how I’m adapting the novel!  Bilbo is an unreliable narrator who is literally ‘drawing’ from his own limited experiences;  the different art styles reflect the different perspectives of other characters.   The “dwarf art style” in this chapter is inspired by stonework/metalwork in general— but especially by a mix of art deco, Celtic art, and European folk art. 

The central tension of the comic is between Bilbo and Thorin, who each have wildly different ideas about what kind of  story they’re in. Thorin is in a grand fantasy epic, while Bilbo is in a lighthearted children’s book adventure.  The tragedy is, obviously, that only one side of the story ever gets to be fully told.

On a sillier note, a few years ago I had my first gay crush on a lesbian who sang while playing the piano. This chapter is dedicated to the piano lesbian. I hope they’re doing well, wherever they are. XD

I think I might need a bit of a break but I’m hoping for the next chapter, titled “Dawn,” to arrive on January 13th. And your comments/support really do help motivate me to get more done! ^_^

[moiraimyths]

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) | Official Trailer

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven historical fantasy visual novel inspired by Irish mythology and Celtic folklore. Play as a tenant farmer from mid-19th century Ireland, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined in fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape and return home with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

🍃 STEAM 🍂 ITCH.IO 🍃PATREON 🍂DISCORD 🍃

Eager to play? Certain route content is available NOW in early access on Steam and Itch.io! For more information, click below👇

Meet the Cast

Facts & Questions: The Game

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a Kickstarter-funded project currently in development. Due to the scope of the story, we will be releasing it serially over several years to Steam and Itch.io, and discounting it while in early access. The earlier it's bought, the cheaper it will be overall, and you'll only need to buy the game once!

🍂 Not all routes are currently available! As of Nov. 1, 2024, you can play half of Shae and Maeve's routes; both approximately 50k words. If you're not sure about paying for an unfinished game, feel free to check out our free demo first. It consists of Vol. 1, Book of the Traveller (the pre-route content). Differences between the demo's Vol. 1 and the paid game's Vol. 1 are marginal following our August 1, 2024 re-release of the demo.

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) has a recommended reading order (Vol. 1, then 2, then 3, etc.), which will correspond to the release order of the routes. For more information on our reasoning behind this, click here.

🍂 Due to its setting, The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) will occasionally feature instances of characters speaking in Gaeilge, i.e. the Irish language. All instances of Gaeilge are linked to an internal translation tool, which is voiced by Nigel McKeon, a Gaeilgeoir.

🍃 The main character is yours to shape. At minimum, you must choose a nickname, pronouns, and one of four default appearances, the last of which can be your own artwork (instructions are included in the game's files). You may also choose to discard the True Name…

🍂 All routes, both current and upcoming, will have both romantic and platonic choice options. If you're uninterested in romance, feel free to make friends instead! No matter the nature of your relationship, you will still be able to reach the good end. (Want to learn more? Refer to this post!)

🍃 Our cast consists of two men, two women, and two non-binary characters. All are romancable no matter the MC, but some characters are asexual or on the aromantic spectrum, which may impact aspects of their romances.

🍂 If you are a Mac user and are having issues launching the game via the Itch direct download, refer to this guide for troubleshooting before sending us an ask. We strongly recommend purchasing the game through Steam instead of Itch if you are a Mac user; it is the best way to avoid issues with launching the game.

🍃 NDM is very intentionally set just prior to the onset of the Great Famine, which is both thematically and textually relevant to the leftist, anti-imperialist story we're aiming to tell. If you would like more insight into this, refer to this post.

🐎 There are secrets to be found in this game, with more yet to come. Prepare yourself for a lot of horse related shenanigans. 🐎

Facts & Questions: The Company

🧵 Moirai Myths is a five-person company based out of Canada. The core devs/founders go by Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. All writing and programming are done by this collective, i.e. the Fates.

🪡 Moirai Myths has a two person in-house artist team consisting of Kazane, our Character/UI Designer, and Melinoe, our Environmental Designer. In addition to them, though, we have had a number of guest artists assist us with the creation of sprites, CGs, and an assortment of other materials. If you'd like to meet them, check out our about page on our website!

✂️ Moirai Myths stands with the people of Palestine 🇵🇸

Disclaimer: This description will be updated periodically. If you're reading this in a reblog, you may want to check our current pinned post for potential changes.

[1800naveen]

SJM fans who go "It's just fiction." when you point out a flaw in her writing are a pain in the ass. When a author wants to write about fantasy, they'll take things from REAL LIFE to put into their stories. There are authors out there who will write their ideologies into their books and SJM is one of them.

Feyre dismantling the spring court out of petty revenge? Colonization.

The inner circle not allowing ANYONE from hewn city to enter Velaris and if they did, they would be treated horribly? Segregation.

SJM describing her POC as not striking, not beautiful compared to her main characters? Racism.

Hybern being based on Ireland and Prythian being based on Britian? The portrayal and demonization of Celtic culture? Do you know what the other name for anti-Irish sentiment is? Hibernophobia. That is a one letter difference.

"Hybern's geography closely resembles that of Ireland, while Pryhtian resembles Britain. Sarah J. Maas took inspiration from both countries to create the two locations." That's from the trivia section of the wiki page for Hybern.

The fae enslaving humans for hundreds of years? And Rhys has the audacity to say both sides are wrong.

I AM NOT AT FAULT FOR POINTING OUT THESE KIND OF THINGS. FANTASY CAN BE AND IS A REFLECTION OF REAL LIFE!

[sealinredshoes]

Big Four Month Day 1 : Origins

I'm late for the Big Four Month but here we go. Here are some of my headcanons for a Big Four first meeting because my life is a little shitty righ now and I don't have the time to write this as a one shot

Let's be honest, the time line for the RotBTD crossover is way too complicaded. So you know what ? May the RenFair setting be upon you.

Merida is in her best medieval dress but there is a viking boy staring at her from across the food stand like the autism creature so she leave toward the dance area

They are playing songs from ages long forgotten. Music that makes her feel alive, make her feel like if her body is bigger than her bones, spreading freely toward the sun and the sky like if she had already walked this Earth before and know all of its secrets.

Suddently, boom, she end up dancing with Hiccup kingdom dance style and even if they are weirded out, it feel so natural to keep dancing , because there are old souls in young bodies and an old soul know another

Hiccup eventually apologize for staring at her earlier because he is not a creep he just wanted to steal her Mor'du's pin.

"Dude you know Mord'u ?" "Of fucking course I know Mor'du, it's a classic tale !" "Bro, litteraly no one know Mor'du, there is like nothing made around this tale !" "Bro, I know, that's such a shame !" "My life is in shambles bro." "Mine is meaningless without this pathetic bear king !" "He is such a wet cat." "The stinky"

They keep infodumping over celtic tale and legends, Hiccup explaning why trolls are a matriarcal society, Merida making theories about King Arthur's return. They go buy crepes and keep talking with their mouth full, being use as a bad examples for the kids around them.

The Mor'du pin is actually just a wooden bear pin Merida customized. She agree to bring Hiccup back to the stand, because this old lady make such cool things.

There is mostly bears, but also some fantasy book pins, and because I like to think Hiccup would be a Terry Pratchett fan, and that selling Discword inspired art is now illegal, he is very happy to find a beautiful Librarian carving, the only one of his kind.

Wouldn't be a shame if some white haired sheperd just came out of nowhere wainting to buy it too ?

It's time for some roast battle with Merida as a back up (making weird faces behind him) (she is very bad at back up) until they suddently realise the pin isn't here anymore and that a girl in a purple princess dress is ready to pay for it and putting it on her bag.

"Okay, no, you have to fight for it like everyone else !" "*gasp*Is this some kind of mexican standoff situation ?" "What ? No ? I don't no shit about cinema theory ?" "Mexican standoff is a cinema stuff ?" "Anyway, when will you three gonna fight ?"

Of course they are not going to fight right here over the old lady stand so they just walk around the Ren fair for seven minutes to find some Hnefatall board to set it up.

The party is so long, everybody is screaming, Rapunzel is pulling the biggest cheating move without knowing it, Jack contemplate his life with horror and Merida is so frustrated some time that she just move the pieces herself.

At some point, they are not just playing anymore, they are making silly scenario about the pawns and pretending to be merciless gods and causing chaos. It's being hours. People hate them because they doesn't share the board. The old lady is gone.

They end up being forced to leave the board to other kids and go find some food, enjoy the fair, spend to much money over costume pieces. Laughing all the way.

Slowly the sun is getting down, they don't think in matter of time anymore, they watch the acrobatic spectacles from affar. Jack is showing of his backflips skills. They found one of those climbing polls at the children area where they can pretend to be knigh in training. There is no kids anymore, they have it all to themselves. Someway Rapunzel end up at the top of the poll.

"Okay, how do I get down, know ?" "How do you get on this on the first place ?" "I don't know okay ?" "I'm sure we can use her hair to help her down." " How exactly, like by knittting it ?" "Or braiding it, like this girl on tiktok, you know ?" "Okay but will this be enough to hold her weight ?" "Guys, can you shut up and just help me ?"

She fall down on them and they are screaming so loudly they end up being kicked out of the fair

The nigh is young, they souls are old, they feel bigger than their bodies, today is meant to never end, they get lost on the parking lot, drip down on the mud, fall all the way down a small hill.

They are tired, and messy, and covered in dirt. This is the best nigh of their lives, they feel like they were born again this night

I hope I will catch up on the list tomorrow, I didn't even have the time to check everyone else work.

[englishotomegames]

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe)

Release date (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Steam) English (early access): November 1st, 2024

"The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven historical fantasy visual novel inspired by Irish mythology and Celtic folklore. Play as a tenant farmer from mid-19th century Ireland, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined in fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape and return home with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?"

This is a commercial visual novel by Morai Myths! It is currently in early access. You can buy it or try the demo from itch.io here, or from Steam here.