#Italian merchant

[unbfacts]

[aq2003]

since you're the resident shakespeare enjoyer can i ask you, what's the deal with so many of his plays taking place in italy? i find it really flattering (<- italian) but i've read his biography and i can't find anything to explain this weird phenomenon.

did a little digging, here are some explanations

political commentary - it's been highly speculated that shakespeare had to change up some of the elements of his plays in order to not piss off the current leaders of england (i.e. having Some Random Guy kill richard ii even though there was a whole scene focused on aumerle and his parents trying to appease henry after aumerle's plot to assassinate henry got uncovered). thus having a setting outside of england would've dodged some of the flack he could've gotten for criticizing the leadership

italy weeb - italy was seen as this place of both romanticism/glamor but also treachery/scandal, basically a "Less Stuffy More Drama Anything Can Happen" sort of environment esp compared to england. it would've been a familiar enough setting to be recognized by the audience but also foreign enough to provide a sort of escapism, both in terms of making it more heightened/exciting but also just Different In Some Way

influence by other italian writers/artists - self-explanatory, this was during the renaissance and works by italian writers would've become a lot more accessible to the english. supposedly shakespeare drew a lot of his ideas from italian novella (though nobody can tell me which ones specifically **)

(there's a reddit comment that goes WAY more in depth here, it talks about venice's diversity and verona's church/state conflicts + cites further/more official reading on the topic)

[katriniac]

Silvio hates your wedding customs.

... not all the customs. Just one:

The DOLLAR DANCE

Picture it:

Silvio and Emma emerge from the wedding ceremony and go straight to the reception. It's all taking place in Rhodolite, because she told asked him.

That means Rhodolite customs are taking place.

When the emcee announces the "dollar dance", Silvio is at the open bar getting his drink refilled, so he doesn't take much notice.

Until men begin lining up to dance with the bride. His bride.

Silvio stares in disgust as the first man has the gall to slip paper money into her sleeve at the wrist. They begin to waltz.

"What. The. Fu--?? Hold my drink. Nah, on second thought --" He slams the liquor back, crassly wipes his lips, and stalks towards the dance floor.

Now the next man in line is putting a rolled-up bill under Emma's hem at the top of her shoulder.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

A few tumbled chairs, many foreign swear words, and one broken wrist later, Emma is explaining at the top-of-lungs what this wedding custom is all about.

Silvio matches her volume and stubbornness in refuting the fact that the custom is "stupid" and that she should know "no one gets to throw money at you except me".

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Amid the quietly stunned guests , Clavis gleefully puts a wad of cash in Nokto's palm.

Luke: " Why're you so happy to be forking over cash? Didn't you just loose the bet that Silvio would go ballistic over the dollar dance?"

Clavis: "Ah, yes, yes. I took that bet gladly, and raised the ante so high that Nokto couldn't refuse. I knew if this much money was on the line, he'd make certain the dollar dance would be at the reception."

Nokto: "A pleasure doing business with you."

Luke: *confused baby bear*

Clavis: *shrugs, guffaws* A nice, normal wedding dance is boring. Boring, boring, boring. The bribe -- er, I mean friendly wager -- was a way to ensure the occasion would hold some excitement!

[postcard-from-the-past]

Jewish merchant from Salonica, modern-day Thessaloniki, Greece

Italian vintage postcard, mailed in 1918

[peaches2217]

Fun Italian fact! "Grazie," which English speakers tend to pronounce "GRAHT-see," is actually pronounced "GRAHTS-yeh." I only figured that out because I went to Italy for Spring Break in college, and when I boldly and apparently incorrectly thanked a convenience store cashier, she slowly repeated it back with the correct pronunciation.

I wonder if she still thinks about that sometimes: that American who somehow ended up in an area with absolutely zero English speakers, taking her hint and realizing they'd been saying it wrong and then thanking her one last time with the correct pronunciation. 'Cause God knows I think about it every time I come across that word. 😆

[katiajewelbox]

The couple Dryden Fassa and Princess Millerna Aston from the anime Vision of Escaflowne have a very complicated shared path in life thanks to royal politics as well as Hitomi's interference with fate. Are they too opposite to ever attract, or are they really a strong match due to their differences complementing each other? This pair go through a lot of changes in their relationship over the series, but I hope they get a happily ever after one day whether it is together or apart.

My Picmix portrait features official animation stills from the series along with a painting of Venice by Canaletto.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"FRUIT STORE OWNER SLUGGED, ROBBED," Toronto Star. March 5, 1934. Page 20. --- Assailants Open Vicious Attack Before Escaping With $4 ---- Slugged over the head from behind by two bandits before he had a chance to obey their command to "stick 'em up," Dominic Lamantia, 36, proprietor of a fruit market at Parliament and Carlton Sts., was robbed of $4 as he stepped from his truck at the rear of his home, 45 Pерlar Ave., East York, a.m. at 1 yesterday. Mr. Lamantia suffered a deep scalp wound and injuries to his fingers which were hurt when the robbers tramped on him as he fell.

Three or possibly four men drove up in a car behind Mr. Lamantia as he returned home with his truck, according to information given East York police by neighbors. Two men alighted from the car as Mr. Lamantía turned in his driveway and the robbers' car continued a short distance up the street with its lights extinguished.

"I heard footsteps as I stopped my truck to open the garage doors and I knew what they were after," Mr. Lamantia told The Star later. "One of them shoved a gun into my side and said 'Stick 'em up, but before I could step off the running board the other fellow smashed me over the back of the head. I can remember pulling out $4, all I had. I had hollered when I was struck and the noise attracted Russell Smith, my neighbor, who came to the back window. That frightened them. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had just taken my money, but to hit me on the head without warning makes me mad."

Police think the thugs followed Mr. Lamantia from his store expecting him to have the Saturday's cash takings on his person.

[mapsontheweb]

Spread of the Black Death, 1346-1353. It arrived from Central Asia & quickly traveled on merchant ships carrying grains & furs from the Italian Black Sea colonies Tana & Kaffa, moving west along the dense, interwoven trade networks and eventually causing ~ 50 million deaths.

(Credit: Simeon Netchev)

[nightmaremonarch]

jojo’s bizarre fantasy au BECAUSE I LOVE PART 5 AUGHHHHHHHHH

i rewatched the entirety of part five in the span it took to make this. Details about the lore and characters below the cut ^_^

Ok. I will be separating this based on character… in an attempt to be more organized. Included will also be my friend’s description that she gave for each character upon seeing the drawing.

Giorno Giovanna — Race, half vampire. Stand name, Gaia. Unfortunately lost his silly victory rolls, which have been replaced with donut shaped curls. Has a dream of usurping the Crimson King and ending his oppressive reign.

Friend’s Description: “‘pink is still manly for this era guys trust’”

Trish Una — Race, human(?). Stand name, Spice. I like to think she tries to maintain an air of elegance and superiority, but she’s just a kid who doesn’t particularly want to be in the situation she’s in. The princess of an underground kingdom? No way. She just wants to be Trish.

Friend’s Description: “Noblelady”

Guido Mista — Race, human. Stand name, Coitus Cluster (good god the creative juices are NOT flowing). Best archer, like, ever. Probably enjoys animal furs but is too broke to get any. Stinky loser.

Friend’s Description: “Robin hood.”

Pannacotta Fugo — Race, elf. Stand name, Purple Death. Former nobleman and still dresses like it. Had to limit the holes in his clothes because he is, unfortunately, not immune to being sunburn.

Friend’s Description: “totally not a vampire”

Bruno Bucciarati — Race, human. Stand name, Strings of Fate. I love him. He’s the love of my life. I may or may not have put the most effort into his outfit. He’s so beautiful. No notes. Also, since zippers weren’t invented till like… mid 1800’s, rather than zippers, he uses strings!!! Tugs on ‘em the way you would a loose hem…

Friend’s Description: “Italian nobleman”

Leone Abbacchio — Race, drow. Stand name, Rewind. It takes the form of a snake!! Because Moody Blues had them.. neck thangs. I don’t know. Anyways. Abbacchio coulda been drippier, but at the time of drawing I was running low on brain power.

Friend’s Description: “TOTALLY NOT A VAMPIRE”

Narancia Ghirga — Race, human. Stand name, Pheonix. Due to the fact that airplanes did NOT exist prior to some point in the 1900’s, Narancia’s stand is a bird. Probably breathes fire and can detect carbon dioxide… cannot come back from the dead though. Sorry buddy. Also, his left eye is blind from his eye infection. Sorry again buddy.

Friend’s Description: “peasant working on a merchant ship”

AND FINALLY:

Diavolo — Race, Demon. The Crimson King. He took FOREVER to draw. Especially those tattoos. I tried to make his color scheme salvageable, but seeing as I was working with Diavolo’s actual color scheme… it is not the best. Diavolo used to have wings as well, but after an incident that prompted him to go underground, they’re gone. He hides in the body of a halfling named Vinegar Doppio… though they are two completely separate entities.

Friend’s Description: “Dante’s homosexual Inferno”

idk if ill elaborate more on this au. depends on the reception of this…!! this is all just for fun… goofs and gaffs… love u sorry for only posting wips for months before this

also in this au i think stands would be called spirits/be spirits ok that’s all fr now bye love u

[uhbambii]

Soup Days

The lighthouse was quieter than usual, its warmth a stark contrast to the damp chill that had seeped into their bones during their trek through the Hossberg Wetlands. Rook sat bundled on the couch by the aquarium, her cheeks flushed—not from her usual sharp-edged confidence, but from the fever that had crept up on her after hours of trudging through muck and freezing rain. She sniffled miserably, rubbing at her sore throat, and glared half-heartedly at the bowl of soup Lucanis Dellamorte had just placed in front of her.

“I didn’t trek through miles of swamp just to be defeated by a cold,” she muttered hoarsely, her voice gravelly.

Lucanis, standing beside her with arms crossed, raised a sardonic brow. His dark eyes gleamed with humor as he crouched to her level. “Mia cara, it’s not a cold. It’s a warning from the Maker Himself to let me cook for you more often.” He gestured to the bowl. “Italian penicillin. Eat, and you’ll survive to see another day. Maybe even two.”

Rook huffed, her lips twitching into a small smile despite herself. Lucanis was impossible to argue with, especially when his quick wit came wrapped in that rich, sonorous voice. His dark hair fell loose around his face. It softened his sharp features in a way that made Rook’s heart stutter, even in her current, pathetic state.

She picked up the spoon reluctantly and tasted the soup. The warmth flooded her chest immediately, soothing the ache in her throat. Garlic, lemon, and just the right amount of spice.

“It’s good,” she admitted, her tone begrudging.

Lucanis grinned, leaning back on his heels like a smug cat. “Of course it’s good. Amore mio, when have I ever done anything that wasn’t perfect?”

Rook snorted, wincing as the effort aggravated her throat. “Let me count the ways—”

Before she could finish, Lucanis reached out and placed a hand on her forehead, his touch gentle. His fingers were calloused from a life of fighting and command, but now they were soft against her fevered skin. He frowned, the teasing momentarily replaced by a flicker of genuine concern.

“You’re still too warm,” he said quietly. Then his smirk returned, though it was softer this time. “And all this because you couldn’t let me take the lead for once. Really, tesoro, you’ve faced down ogres without so much as a scratch, and here you are, bedridden from a little weather.”

Rook tried to glare, but it lacked any real venom. “If you’re just going to mock me, you can take your soup back.”

“Oh, no, no, no. The soup stays. As does my company.” Lucanis moved to sit beside her, draping an arm over the back of the couch. His warmth was an instant comfort, even more effective than the blanket Rook had wrapped herself in.

Rook shifted, leaning her head against his shoulder. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

“Sempre,” he murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “But you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She sighed, contentment settling over her despite her earlier complaints. The fever and soreness faded into the background as Lucanis started recounting an exaggerated tale of how he once sweet-talked an Orlesian merchant into selling him an entire crate of imported wine for half the price. His voice, rich with humor and charm, was better medicine than anything else.

As the evening stretched on, the lighthouse grew even quieter, the world beyond its walls fading into the hush of the fade. Lucanis’s fingers absently traced soothing patterns along her arm as she began to drift off, her head still nestled against his shoulder.

Just before sleep claimed her, she heard him murmur, so soft it almost seemed like a dream: “Ti amo, mia luce. Rest now.”

—————————————————————————

Okayyy, yall are eating up the Lucanis Fluff!!

same tho

[fdelopera]

America owes its independence to Haym Salomon, a Sephardic Jewish Patriot

A Jewish American Hero

by Yosef Kaufmann

October 17, 1781. An eerie silence takes hold over the battlefield outside Yorktown, Virginia. After weeks of non-stop artillery shells and rifle fire, the rhythmic pounding of a drum is all that is heard. Through the wispy smoke that floats above the battlefield, a British officer can be seen waving a white flag. General Cornwallis has surrendered Yorktown, ending the last major battle of the American Revolution. The surrender of Yorktown and the nearly 8,000 British troops convinced the British Parliament to start negotiating an end to the war. On September 3, 1783, the treaty of Paris was signed. The war was over.

If not for Haym Salomon, however, the decisive victory at Yorktown never would have happened.

Haym Salomon was born in Leszno, Poland, in 1740. In 1770, he was forced to leave Poland for London as a result of the Partition of Poland. Five years later, he left London for New York City, where he quickly established himself as a broker for international merchants.

Sympathetic to the Patriot cause, Haym joined the New York branch of the Sons of Liberty, a secret society that did what it could to undermine British interests in the colonies. In 1776, he was arrested by the British and charged with being a spy. He was pardoned on condition that he spend 18 months on a British ship serving as a translator for the Hessian mercenaries, as he was fluent in Polish, French, German, Russian, Spanish and Italian. During those 18 months, Haym used his position to help countless American prisoners escape. He also convinced many Hessian soldiers to abandon the British and join the American forces.

In 1778, he was arrested again and sentenced to death for his involvement in a plot to burn the British Royal fleet in the New York Harbour. He was sent to Provost to await execution, but he managed to bribe a guard and escape under the cover of darkness.

He fled New York, which was under the control of the British army, and moved to Philadelphia, the capital of the Revolution.

He borrowed money and started a business as a dealer of bills of exchange. His office was located near a coffee house frequented by the command of the American forces. He also became the agent to the French consul and the paymaster for the French forces in North America. Here he became friendly with Robert Morris, the newly appointed Superintendent of Finance for the 13 colonies. Records show that between 1781 and 1784, through both fundraising and personal loans, he was responsible for financing George Washington over $650,000, today worth approximately over $13 million.

By 1781, the American congress was practically broke. The huge cost of financing the war effort had taken its toll. In September of that year, George Washington decided to march on Yorktown to engage General Cornwallis. A huge French fleet was on its way from the West Indies under the command of Comte De Grasse. The fleet would only be able to stay until late October, so Washington was facing immense pressure to lead an attack on Yorktown before then.

After marching through Pennsylvania, with little in the way of food and supplies, Washington’s troops were on the verge of mutiny. They demanded a full month's pay in coins, not congressional paper money which was virtually worthless, or they would not continue their march. Washington wrote to Robert Morris saying he would need $20,000 to finance the campaign. Morris responded that there was simply no money or even credit left. Washington simply wrote, “Send for Haym Salomon.” Within days, Haym Salomon had raised the $20,000 needed for what proved to be the decisive victory of the Revolution.

Haym’s chessed continued after the war. Whenever he met someone who he felt had sacrificed during the war and needed financial assistance, he didn’t hesitate to do whatever he could to help.

He was also heavily involved in the Jewish community. He was a member of Congregation Mikveh Yisroel in Philadelphia, the fourth oldest synagogue in America, and he was responsible for the majority of the funds used to build the shul’s main building.

He also served as the treasurer to the Society for the Relief of Destitute Strangers, the first Jewish charitable organization in Philadelphia.

On January 8, 1785, Haym died suddenly at the age of 44. Due to the fact the government owed him hundreds of thousands of dollars, his family was left penniless.

His obituary in the Independent Gazetteer read:

Thursday, last, expired, after a lingering illness, Mr. Haym Salomon, an eminent broker of this city, was a native of Poland, and of the Hebrew nation. He was remarkable for his skill and integrity in his profession, and for his generous and humane deportment. His remains were yesterday deposited in the burial ground of the synagogue of this city.

Although there is little proof, many believe that when designing the American Great Seal, George Washington asked Salomon what he wanted as compensation for his generosity during the war. Salomon responded “I want nothing for myself, rather something for my people.” It is for this reason that the 13 stars are arranged in the shape of the Star of David.

[ptseti]

"THERE IS NO GROUP THAT EVER CAME INTO AFRICA THAT MEANT ANYTHING GOOD FOR AFRICANS" -Dr John Henrik Clarke.

“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” - From 'THINGS FALL APART' 1958, written by Chinua Achebe and was translated into Italian, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, Russian, Swiss, Flemish and other languages.

According to historian, Dr John Henrik Clarke, "every group of people that came into Africa meant nothing good for the Africans… and the very first thing each and every one of these groups did was to declare war on African culture…" What followed was the bastardization of African spirituality and ways that held the societies together for millennia before there was a Greece or Rome or before "the first European learnt to wear a shoe or live in a house that had a window." Or as Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan put it, "Before there was Rome, Greece, Jerusalem or Mecca… Before there was a Jehovah, Jesus or Mohommet" (Muhammad ibn Abdul'Mutallib).

It most be noted that the first Hebrew to ever come into existence was a Chaldean from Ur, known as Abram in 1675 BC. Before then, their was no concept of a Jehovah or Jesus, whatsoever, and no Hebrew as a tribe, the world over, from as far as history revealed. By this time, the 82 pyramids in Kemet, and the over 203 pyramids in Meroe, the smaller Nsude pyramids in Udi highlands were already built. The Africans had their own spirituality through which they connected to the non-material world, through which they learnt science like iron smelting, as well as which herbs could heal what sort of disease, agricultural practice, astrology, alchemy, mining for useful minerals from the earth and so on.

Most of Africa were connected to the worship of a deity, Ptah. This was over 5000 years before the first Hebrew came into existence, it was thousands of years before Greece or Rome came into existence and before any Abrahamic religions (which are Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity and Islam etc) came into the knowledge of anyone at all. Abram, the father of it all had not even come into existence.

In kemet, there was a belief that if one died far away from the Nile, one would not resurrect in the afterlife. Hence Kemet became the place of high culture for all tribal nationalities along the Nile from its source through modern day Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia Sudan etc. Abydos was a city of pilgrimage where most Africans, who could, travelled up the Nile, through the Sahara (Which was not a desert until about 5000 years ago, as archeological discoveries indicated), to worship and commune with other Africans. Osiris later become the god in Abydos while Memphis became the home for Ptah, after several foreign invasion from across the Mediterranean and the sands of Arabia.

Most of the magicians in Kemet came from Gao, a city-state of the Soudan(west Africa then). African regions and cities had their own gods and it was necessary to pay homage to the god of a land when visiting or passing through as a sojourner, merchant or gypsy. By this time, Arabian peninsula was the colony of Africans (Study from 'From Babylon to Timbuktu', 'The African Origin of Major Religions, Herodoctus, and Strabo's geographica).

{[IMAGE: The 'inner circle' of the Mossi people. Not every king on the throne rose to the societal status, necessary to attend this gathering. The first shattering effect on this 'inner circle' began when the Arabs arrived west Africa in the 7th century CE, while extending the trans-saharan trade routes through the desert.]}

[enchanting-chit-chat]

Beetlejuice's Backstory and the Black Plague 💚🕷️🥀💀 PART 3

Good evening! As promised, here’s Part 3 of my series on Beetlejuice’s past and movieverse. Today, we dive deeper into historical fashion, analyzing the outfits of Beetlejuice and Delores to uncover their personal stories.

If you missed the earlier parts, check out PART 1 and PART 2.

Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (2024)... and many, MANY speculations.

Quick recap: In Part 1, we discussed the Plague. In Part 2, we delved into Beetlejuice’s past, questioning the claim that he died over 600 years ago.

I wondered: is that really true? Why does his clothing reflect the Baroque style, then?

That's right! In Part 3, I confirm my previous point: there are several clues suggesting that Beetlejuice most likely lived during the Baroque era - a cultural movement that began in Rome at the end of the 16th century and faded around 1750. Here is the list of the clues I noticed:

The lace neckband around BJ's neck.

His three-piece wedding suit.

Delores off-the-shoulder neckline and puffed sleeves.

The bird masks used by Delores and the undertakers.

AliveBeetlejuice first outfit (when he's stealing from corpses): specifically, the pirate shirt and the type of shoes.

Keep in mind that most of these elements were revolutionary novelties of the 16th-17th century. Here is proof for every. single. one of them.

The Lace Cravat

A behind the scenes still of Michael Keaton in 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' vs. the portrait of Jacob de Witte, Lord of Haamstede (Netherlands). The artwork was made by Jan Mijtens in 1660.

The first cravat, the predecessor of modern neckties and bow ties, originated in France during Louis XIV’s reign as a political and fashion statement. (Although the early idea comes from the Ancient Roman focale, used around 200 CE). The King was inspired by a particularly eye-catching necktie wore by Croatian mercenaries as part of their uniform. The new article of clothing quickly became a fashion staple for high-ranking men across Europe.

In its use, it represented the evolution of the common handkerchief, already popular in the 1500s as a practical tool, a flirty decoration, and a status symbol. I believe the variant Beetlejuice is wearing in the picture is called ‘jabot,’ and is one of the older, simpler versions.

Lace, often used in cravats, highlighted the wearer’s wealth. Italian lace, especially from Venice, was highly sought after by the European elite since the 15th century, when ruffs and collars were in vogue.

This detail suggests two possibilities:

Beetlejuice might have been an impoverished aristocrat (or a rich merchant) clinging to his title until the end. This could also explain the ring on his index finger, symbolizing power or family ties. Or both.

Alternatively, he may have been someone who strongly wished to be part of the elite.

Jacket and Breeches

Aristocratic fashion, 1630 (Victoria & Albert collection) vs. What Beetlejuice wore in the wedding scene.

Another standout innovation of the Baroque period was the introduction of the three-piece men’s suit, known as the ‘Habit à la française.’

This ensemble included a tailcoat (a calf-length jacket), a coat (a long waistcoat), and knee-length breeches. Like the cravat, this fashion was adopted across Europe. As you can see, Beetlejuice is perfectly embodying this fashion, which evolved and remained popular until the 19th century. Interestingly, one shoe is missing.

Pirate Shirt

Originating in the 16th-17th century, the ‘poet shirt’ or ‘poet blouse’ remained popular through the Romantic era. These multi-purpose shirts served as both underwear and nightwear, featuring long tails that reached mid-thigh or knee. The body and sleeves were gathered at the collar and cuffs, creating a full, loose fit.

Delores' Outfit

For comparison, I’ve included an illustration of noblewomen’s fashion at the court of Louis XIII (died 1643). His successor, Louis XIV, made France a cultural and fashion beacon for the next two centuries.

In the movie, Delores wears two nearly identical outfits: long dresses with puffed sleeves ending just below the elbow, a corset, and an off-the-shoulder neckline. This style aligns with 17th-century trends when fashion became more comfortable and relaxed.

The black color suits her character’s personality and role in the film, possibly hinting at a connection to the late Renaissance and the Spanish Court.

In fact, during the reign of Charles V (1500-1558) and his son Philip II (1527-1598), Spanish aristocracy particularly favored the black color, as it represented austerity and power for both men and women. Additionally, a deep shade of black was particularly difficult to achieve with the dyeing methods of the time, making those fabrics quite expensive to make.

However, The Spanish style was quite the opposite to what France later proposed: it consisted in a severe and somber luxury, which increased in opulence as the time passed. As Spain happened to be the beacon of fashion before Louis XIV came along, it's only natural that black rapidly became quite popular all around Europe as well. The color was particularly appreciated by the members of the middle class in Protestant nations and, apparently, in Italy as well.

Finally, keep in mind that 'Delores' is a variant of the more common 'Dolores'. Both names have Spanish origins and means 'sorrows'.

So what do we think? Was Beetlejuice from a rich family? Was Delores a Spanish witch?

Who knows! But I’m willing to dream and speculate!

Until the big reveal from Tim Burton himself in the now teased but not confirmed yet sequel, have a fantastic week!✨

[anli-rambles]

I can't explain how incredibly funny I find that Spanish cheese merchant scene from Forsaken. Haytham strolls into a mansion with a stolen brick of cheese all confident in his plan just because he speaks Spanish fluently, but then he gets busted at the door by the first person he talks to and has to lie that he's actually Italian and somehow it works until he speaks again and immediately gets clocked as an Englishman by his target who also recognizes the cheese Haytham stole bc Haytham was wholly unprepared and unable to sell his act (man knows nothing about cheese) and just trying to bullshit his way through this mission, like if this isn't proof enough that he's 100% Edward's son idk what is

[ancientcharm]

The Mouth of Truth (Italian: Bocca della Verità) Massive ancient Roman marble mask. Rome, Italy. Photographed by Sailko in 2021.

It has been called "the mouth of truth" since medieval times, when it was believed that if liars put their hand there would be bitten.

In the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, it reads: << Next to the Church of Santa María de la Fontana is the Temple of Faun. This image spoke to Julian, the emperor known as 'The Apostate' and deceived him. >>

In all likelihood it represents the Titan god Oceanus. The sculpture dates back to around the 1st century.

Historians aren't quite certain what the original purpose of the disc was. It was possibly used as a drain cover in the nearby Temple of Hercules Victor, which had an oculus—a round open space in the middle of the roof, similar to that of the Pantheon. Hence, it could rain inside

The Temple of Hercules Victor, in the Forum Boarium. Built in the mid-2nd century BC.

Photo: ChromosomeGun-CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED-Wikimedia Commons

It is also thought that cattle merchants used it to drain the blood of cattle sacrificed to the Demi-god Hercules. In the thirteenth century the disc was probably removed from the temple and placed against the wall of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin. In the seventeenth century it eventually moved to its current location inside the portico of the church. The Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, at the Piazza della Bocca della Verità, it is the site of the ancient Forum Boarium (the ancient cattle market).