#JORGE JUST MADE A VIDEO

[hana-loves-bumblebees]

EPIC THE MUSICAL’S OCEAN SAGA RELEASING DECEMBER 25TH LESSGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LESSFUGGINGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[batsplat]

Jerez 2008: Dani Pedrosa talks to Casey Stoner - but walks away when Jorge Lorenzo enters the room.

[missdarhk]

I will never forgive YouTube for taking out the feauture that allowed you to make subtitles for other people's vídeos 😭😭

I want to show epic to SO MANY FRIENDS who can't speak english and I would kill to be able to add subtitles to everyone's animatics. Bc yeah I could technically just show lyric videos but ITS NOT THE SAME

[abearthatwrites]

A Brief Rundown of the IRL Ithaca Saga (to the best of my memory, in probably not chronological order)

jorge (creator, odysseus) decided it'll be cool to celebrate the ithaca saga with the epic cast via a trip to ithaca, greece

surely nothing can go wrong

mico (telemachus) seemingly found out about the trip with the rest of the fandom. he proceeded to plot a trip to ithaca

the epic cast dealt with multiple broken vans and missed a ferry by one minute. they had to cancel a stream because they were too exhausted

mico made it onto a plane

ithaca got hit by a typhoon, forcing them to move another stream indoors

mico got banned from tiktok. it was reversed

mason (tireseas) asked luke (zeus) to stop the rain. luke refused

the crew hiked up to odysseus' palace. they ran into a roadblock. mason looked into the future and did not see a way around it. (they found a way around it)

the crew found a well and sang their epic songs into it. except jp (crew) who just sang happy birthday

janani (aphrodite) also sang "royal we" into the well

anna (penelope) made it onto the plane to fly out to ithaca

hermes (troy) decided to take a plane to ithaca like a normal human instead of teleporting. he got side-eyed by a woman at the airport as he slept sprawled out in a chair. this quickly became a meme

hermes arrived in ithaca to the delight of everyone except jorge. mico also appeared in his videos. mico still had not updated anything after getting on the plane

anna's connecting flight got cancelled, leaving her stranded in a fancy hotel. she struggled to find the toilet in her hotel room

mico finally updated, claiming he was stuck in munich. mason appears in the video and gives him a water bottle, proving he is lying

the fandom believes mico anyway

mico is forced to post another video revealing he had been gaslighting us basically the entire time and was just delayed in getting to ithaca, that was all

troy and talya (circe), in character, talk about tea. troy says the tea tastes like her father's approval. earle (ares) then asks for 1000 cups and breaks down crying as luke cuts the camera

jorge posts a video apologizing for mico's absence, encouraging him to fly to ithaca, new york. mico appears in the background of this video

mico posts a video saying that he's finally in ithaca, but the crew is in ithaca, new york. jorge appears in the background of this video

jp films a behind the scenes video, calling out "some random guy" who just showed up asking if anyone knows jorge. it's mico

janani sings "royal we" again, but after she says "troy was breached" troy comes out screaming in pain. mico appears in the background of this, filming the video from two points above

it's time for the ithaca saga livestream... except it gets cancelled because the connection is bad and jorge's devices are dying

TL;DR: the gods saw the epic crew in ithaca and went "do you guys think it'll be really funny if we just. recreated the odyssey"

[gigizetz]

I just saw the open arms video reacting to the visuals! In the comments you said that Jorge didn’t want them to kiss.

Did he told you why or are you allow to tell us why???

it's because he thought it was too delicate of a moment to make them kiss immediately and yeah I agree

I never made them kiss in any of my drafts, but there was one version where I drew them smiling to each other and acting a bit more romantic on the final close up shot. He asked me to change that into a more emotional, crying facey scene (which is the version you guys saw) and to stay away from anything that'd hint into a more spicy undertone.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

el caso rubiales: headlines from day 3, in which we heard from misa, jenni's brother, and jenni's friend about rfef pressure and vilda's threats to ruin jenni's career (and the judge continued to call out everyone on their bs!)

today we heard testimony from the following:

chema timón, ex chief of staff for luis rubiales

rafa del amo, president of the national committee for women's football

rafa hermoso, jenni hermoso's brother

vitoriano martín, jenni hermoso's friendm

misa rodríguez

also note rubiales' attorney announced that his daughters will NOT testify. they were originally scheduled to speak on 10 february. and this is further proof of my point that just because witnesses are listed in a trial doesn't mean that they will be called and a lot has to do with the discretion of the attorneys!

so back to the trial. timón spoke first and denied being present at the time of the alleged coercions during the return flight of the national team. he was not aware that jenni was told that it would be "convenient" for her to appear in the video and he said that the content and script of the video was made by rubiales. but he suggested that rubiales should do it.

he also contradicted a statement made by jenni when she testified she was taken aside in sydney by rfef officials to talk about the kiss. timón said they asked jenni about ibiza and artists to perform at the celebration in madrid and not about the kiss.

timón said that he refused to participate in the "integrity" meeting that was discussed by the other witnesses and confirmed that luis de la fuente was present at rfef headquarters on 23 august but he stopped by to say hello.

rafa del amo went next and spoke of his conversations with rubiales in the aftermath of the kiss. he told rubiales that it "could be fixed if he apologised." rubiales refused and said that the kiss had been by mutual agreement. he confirmed he saw the initial statement by rfef on the incident and "didn't like it."

rafa del amo admitted that he saw pressures and felt the players were pressured but he did not personally see rubiales, de la fuente, or vilda speaking to jenni or jenni's brother on the plane. but he did see ivana andrés cry and said that someone told him that they were asking ivana to make a video. 

rafa hermoso then testified about jenni's being affected after the kiss and that he "saw her out of place and angry." he also said that jenni told him they were pressuring her to make a statement and that misa told her jorge vilda was going to talk to her.

rafa talked about vilda coming to him on the plane and trying to pressure him to talk to jenni. vilda asked about the kiss and focused everything as if it were no big deal, 'look, a spoiled kiss and the hype they are giving it.'

he confirmed that vilda said: '[rubiales] sent me to talk to you to see if your sister can appear in a video with her downplaying the kiss'. he told rafa it was the best for everyone. vilda told rafa about how bad rubiales' daughters were, that if jenni couldn't do it for them and for the president, that she could lose her position and to remember how well the federation has behaved with jenni and the favours they have done for her. rafa didn't know what he meant by that. and finally, vilda told rafa to take into account all the personal and professional consequences that all this could have on my sister.

rafa also talked about how their family had to leave madrid because of the media burden and they felt like they were in danger. and how horrible a feeling it was for jenni not to be called up after the world cup.

finally, rafa also said that he was wrong in downplaying the kiss during an interview with "el chiringuito" but that he was trying to protect his sister.

next, vitoriano testified and confirmed rafa's account of what happened with vilda on the plane. he testified that vilda said: "if [jenni] gives in, as she has little football left, rfef could have a deference with her, as if implying that she could have a position there. and if we didn't agree, it could also have consequences and not good ones...if it goes on the good side, good consequences, if it goes for the bad, it can have other consequences."

misa was the last witness for the day, who said clearly: "at no time did jenni tell us that the kiss was consensual." she saw jenni crying on several occasions when rubiales was talking to her inside the plane. there were several talks with rubiales, rafa del amo, vilda and four or five other people who she don't know their name, including a vox politician saying that 'the kiss doesn't matter'. misa remembered seeing de la fuente but doesn't know when. she also confirmed vilda spoke to jenni's brother on the plane.

when shown the video of the girls celebrating after the win and allegedly joking about the kiss, misa acknowledged that there were some jokes about the kiss until irene paredes said 'guys, this is very serious', and then they calmed down and realised how serious it was. and then they saw jenni "in a state" and it hit them.

misa also testified about what happened in ibiza after the win and said that jenni told her that albert luque was pressuring her. misa found it strange find it strange that a person who had nothing to do with the team was in ibiza because he wasn't at the world cup. and she testified that they did not enjoy [ibiza].

for misa, jenni had been the best on the team and "it was incomprehensible that he was not in the next call up."

postscript: marca's coverage of this trial is disgusting, so if you are following that news source, just stop! 😤

watch this video from the quiero ser como girls instead.

[alotofpockets]

Eyes on the future | Lucy Bronze x Barca!Reader

Where watching Lucy interact with her nephew and niece makes you think of the future

Woso masterlist | Words: 1.2k

-----

The crowd around you was still buzzing as the pitch you had just won the Champions League title on, was now filled with gold confetti. With the gold medal around your neck, and your girlfriend’s arm slung over your shoulder, you were looking around, still in disbelief.

“We did it!” Lucy said, proudly looking down at her medal. “I still can’t believe it.” Your girlfriend placed a kiss on your forehead, “Maybe this big trophy will help you believe that we did.” She said as the two of you were handed the trophy to pose for a couple of pictures.

When Lucy handed the trophy back, she saw her brother entering the field. “Look who it is!” Your eyes followed in the direction was pointing at, and you saw her brother put down his kids on the field. 

Lucy jogged towards them as Freddie sprinted her way. She caught him and spun him around in the air, his giggles filled your ears. You watched the pair full of love in your eyes, and saw Zizi finally making her way over to her auntie. She placed Freddie down and lifted Zizi in her hip.

You had met Lucy’s family plenty of times before, but this time it felt different. The thought of wanting kids of your own, had often been on your mind. You hadn’t told Lucy yet, but watching her interact with Freddie and Zizi brought the idea right back. A family. You Lucy and a kid, it all looked perfect in your mind.

Freddie had spotted you and ran up to you with his arms out. “Auntie y/n!” You snap out of your thoughts and pick up the boy. “Hey bud!” He admired the medal that was hanging around your neck. “Do you want to put it on?” His eyes widened and he nodded his head enthusiastically. You set him down on the grass and kneeled down to his level to place the medal around his neck. 

From the corner of your eye you saw Zizi running towards you. You let her run into you and pretend she tackled you to the ground. “Wow, you’re so strong!” Zizi giggles as you feel her arm muscles. 

Zizi was still laying on your chest, when Lucy and Jorge made it to your side. Freddie got up and showed off the medal to his dad, while Lucy extended her hand to help you up. “You two look to be having way too much fun without me.” You grab her hand and try to get up, but with a child on your chest, that was a little harder than normal. 

“I think you’ve got yourself a little koala, who isn’t letting you.” Lucy teases. “I wouldn’t mind it.” It seemed like Zizi wanted to stay with you, but that changed the moment she saw her brother playing with the big pile of confetti. “I wanna play!” She said, trying to wiggle out of your arms. “Go have fun.” 

The two of you sat down on the podium, not far from where Freddie and Zizi were playing with the confetti. Lucy’s brother filmed the joy his kids were having. Lucy nudged your shoulder, “You’re good with them.”

Her words made you feel warm inside. “They are great kids.” You said with a slight blush on your cheeks. Before Lucy could notice though, Freddie called her over. “Auntie Luce, look!” He grabbed a handful of confetti and threw it in the air.

Lucy made her way over to the kids and played in the confetti with them. Seeing Lucy with them made your baby fever very strong and you were sure that later there would be plenty of videos of you online watching them with nothing but love in your eyes.

It wasn’t long before Lucy noticed you were staring. She walked over and sat with you again, “What’s up?” Now was the moment to tell her, even though you didn’t know how to yet.

“I eh, I was just thinking.” Your voice was soft, and laced with a level of nervousness that Lucy couldn’t quite place. "How am I supposed to go on this trip to Portugal and see you with the kids every day? Lucy, it’s killing me."

Lucy’s brows furrowed for a moment, clearly confused what you meant, and then it hit her. Her smirk grew, “You’ve got baby fever, don’t you?” In response your cheeks turned red, and Lucy just started laughing. 

“Hey, it’s not funny!” You playfully pushed her away. “It’s not, but it is very cute.” 

You knew by the still present smirk on her face that the teasing wasn’t over yet. "I can’t wait to see how flustered you’ll get watching me with the kids in Portugal." With a shake of your head you sigh, “You’re impossible Luce.”

She laid her hand down on your leg and gave it a soft squeeze. “Darling, after watching you with the kids, my baby fever is all over the place too.” You searched in her eyes for any sign of her joking around again, but all you found was a hint of seriousness. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I can’t wait to start our own little family.” Her confession made your heart skip a beat. For a moment all the buzz around you faded away, and it was you and Lucy sitting on the podium.

“I thought it was just me.” You admitted. Lucy shook her head, “Not just you darling, it’s been on my mind for a while now too.” She looked over to Freddie and Zizi chasing each other in the confetti. “Spending time with them, just makes it all feel so real, you know? Like with them around, I can totally picture us doing this.”

You couldn’t believe how far Lucy had actually thought about this idea. “Do you think we’re ready?” You asked quietly. “I think that together we can figure that out along the way. All I know is that when we are, we’re going to be amazing at it.” 

Now it was your turn to look over at the kids. “Well, maybe Portugal will be a good test run.” You joked not expecting Lucy to see it as an opener to start making fun of you again. “Yeah, if you can watch us interact without turning into a tomato or melting.”

You rolled your eyes, “Watch it Bronze.” The two of you laughed at how the topic that was so serious, flowed back into light banter. While you were laughing the kids ran up to you, Freddie plopping down in Lucy’s lap and Zizi in yours, making the moment even more perfect. Jorge snapped a couple more pictures before he met up with his wife on the sidelines again. He shows the pictures to Charis, “Oh they’re so cute.” He puts his arm around her shoulder, “Yeah, I can’t imagine it will take long before we have more little Bronze’s in our midst. 

-----

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[katerinaaqu]

Have you seen the new epic saga, it's something alright lmao

Of course I haven't seen it given that I never followed the live streaming to begin with not even in the first two sagas that I genuinely liked, much less now but a friend wanted to fill me in and since you asked and I wanted to be accurate, I tormented myself for almost 16 minutes to listen to the plot changes that I was told there would be and I am like

WHAT THE FUCK DID I HEAR?!!!!!!!!

I am sorry but again speakig purely on plot of course because honestly the music is really solid as always and the singers were amazing to transfer the emotions they wanted to transfer. Loved some of the melodies given, for example the intro of Charybdis was my favorite part I think but I am like HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ALMOST ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF THE FREAKING ODYSSEY IS IN THIS SAGA?!!!!!! Like he just kept the bare minimum again!

Sorry for the runt but yeah here goes:

"Not sorry for loving you"=> After all that backlash that song got even from the most loyal Epic fans he still kept it. I mean I admire his loyalty to his ideas but like he should have known that the song was not a good idea. I mean it was almost clear from the song's ideas that Jorge would dodge the subject of SA and that he would leave his fans guessing (smart move gotta give him that) at first given the suicide attempt Odysseus make but now it seems almost clear that he would want to dodge the subject just like he dodged the Circe thing it is just that right now he couldn't do it as blatantly because Calypso was an infamous moment of the Odyssey And of course the "I love you" Odysseus said...I said it before and I say it again it reminds me a blunt way to translate the reconsiliation of Odysseus and Calypso in the Odyssey. Okay even Odyssey was interesting in that (see my other analysis) even Homer uses the phrase "they rested by each other's side enjoying their closeness" so in one way even Homer seems to be implying that Odysseus forgives her and even tries to see it from her point of view but honestly what else could he do? Hold a grudge? A day before he would be FINALLY given the tools to make a raft? I think not. It almost felt like Odysseus felt sorry for Calyspo for one second in the Odyssey, when Calypso, a literal goddess, compared herself to his wife. It was an almost pity move on his part at that moment. Dunno what the musical wanted to do with this but this was not the way to do it! All the context of their talk and all was lost! If anything he tried to use a made-up thing, AGAIN to show some compassion for Calyspo. Calypso was already a lonely deity. That tragedy was enough for her. She didn't need any more tear-jerking stories for people to feel for her more in my opinion (kinda like whatever PJO did if I am not mistaken...either way yeah...)

"Dangerous"=> You know...at this point I am not even surprised that he made Hermes and Odysseus interract....like that would be my least of my problems. He does make Odysseus interract with all the gods under the sun in the musical even if Odysseus only interracts with is Hermes at Circe's island ONLY and Athena in the Odyssey and that after he has been through everything! Either way of course we would have Hermes there but like again with all the things we have from "video game logic" or whatever he wants to do...Hermes gives him another bag?! like I have no idea what is going on here! The only thing I would praise here is the emotional preparation for a possible reunion with Athena given how Hermes doesn't tell Odysseus who helped him so maybe he has an emotional load there.

"Charybdis"=> Okay for starters.....WHAT THE FUCK?! What is Charybdis doing AFTER Ogygia?! Not even a flashback!? (and I was wondering where the "Hermes told me" thing came from in that preview) Like where is that damn desperation of Odysseus having to face Charybdis right after he lost everyone?! Alone and hungry in the sea after a terrible storm that took away his men?! I also love it really how everyone thought originally that at least Charybdis would be accurate to the text and everyone was making their analysis and "look how fighting he is here compared to after when he wants to throw himself in the sea in Ogygia" and now it is clear that this thing came AFTER Ogygia for some reason. Like I am not even surprised anymore that some of the most iconic moments of the Odyssey were twisted. It almost seems deliberate at this point like "yeah let's change exactly the most iconic parts" that's why Circe was changed, Sirens were changed, Skylla was changed, Charybdis was changed...even the storm after the Helios island... The intro slaps no lie there but honest I have expressed my opinion on that before and got in trouble but I think that moment of desperation shouldn't be a fucking epic song. It was a man hanging for dear life from a tree! Trying his best not to die! (made also one small thing here) And like I get it, if someone sees that escape as "epic" for being so dramatic and impressive, I get it. have epic music in the background but what on earth with the lyrics? Like "destroy you"?! Really? or "bring it on!" like the last thing Odysseus wanted in the Odyssey was Charybdis to...bring it on! Lol! You may as well speak on the "I'm still fightng here" thing, I totally get it why, but to actually challenge the beast seems totally random. But then again I guess it fits more with THIS context given how he thinks he is now favored by the gods? In the Odyssey he was alone abandoned by all and everything with no hope left so I guess...

"Get in the Water"=> Like okay I have seen this in more replays than I can count from the very beginning from the demos till now. Ironically out of this whole thing it could be lowkey my favorite! Lol! Mainly because it fits the Odyssey PARTIALLY (yeah again Poseidon never wanted to kill Odysseus. That was written straight out in the freaking Odyssey! Even 1997 version that was inacurate as hell in many things did that right!). I would have loved it if this song was Poseidon having a monolog and Odysseus having his cries like "oh no!" or prayers as a second monolog. Like not actually interracting but have two parallel monologs! This trope is not used much and I wish I saw it more. Like Odysseus praying to Poseidon but Poseidon doing his thing alone and the two not having a dialog to each other. Apart from that the song was as we expected so far. Maybe the last part had me a bit iked but again I feel like it would be massively fixed if the two characters had parallel monologs and not actually interracting. I also love it how casually we have Odysseus accuse Poseidon in this saga for destroying his men while he CONSCIOUSLY killed the last of those himself.

"600 strikes"=> I'm sorry but....WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?! Like I am sorry never felt like good music was so wasted in my entire life ever since the Siren fiasco! Like the song is amazing musically but what the hell did just happen?!?!?!?!?! For starters the underworld has a bus service apparently and all come up... I feel like Jorge uses this as a pattern at this point. When scenes like the underworld attracted so much fans and emotions from people who praised his choice to bring the ghosts and the voices up he wants to use it every time to focus on emotional load in a similar manner (like I said never followed him for real so I am not sure how much of it was planned before and how much of it was done on the way). But yeah of course we would expect the appearance especially with the hype at Love in Paradise. But excuse the fuck out of me WHAT!? Odysseus beating up Poseidon with his FUCKING TRIDENT with the power of friendship?! LOL! I have no idea what to take of this! We do know humans fought gods before (Diomedes looking at you) but ironically to my knowledge NEVER THE BIG THREE! Like you know...fucking ZEUS POSEIDON AND HADES?!? The three main pillars of the world (Heaven Earth Underworld)?! I don't think I ever loved a lyric so much (Odysseus admitting what he became from his trip) and so cringe at the same time (Fucking POSEIDON begging for mercy?! and calling him "monster" for fighting back?!" I am not sure to which to cringe first). Is this supposed to be the part where Odysseus redeems himself against Poseidon?! To dodge the fact that Tiresias DIDN'T give him instructions to break the curse?! So basically Odysseus redeems himself for what he did...by stabbing a fucking god?! Like...remember how Diomedes was cursed by the narrative for stabbing fucking Aphrodite after fucking ATHENA ordered him to?! Yeah right that works! What the hell?! And the final part was supposed to be some sort of redemption from the pattern "All I hear are screams"?! Like "how will you seel at night?" and the response "next to my wife"?! Is that supposed to be the last of the "all I hear are screams" pattern?! Is this supposed to be the ultimate "monster move" of Odysseus or something?! And of course we had to have an encore from the previous bag of winds scene as well like yeah once more the god Poseidon the fucking literal god of seas and land inhabited by humans, the guy who has the epithet Προσκλύστιος (Prosklystios)= the one who strikes against (to imply the waves) was taken down by a bag of winds?! I mean yeah makes total sense!

You know...it almost feels like Jorge read my fanfiction with his men supporting him against the Trojans! Looooool just kidding I just am too shook by the random things that come out of that magic hat! Like yeah Odysseus swimming, literally SWIMMING for two days in a fucking storm to reach Scheria was not epic enough apparently...we needed some sort of final boss god fight here...like Hades game or something like yeah...what's next?! Odysseus will shoot fucking ZEUS with his bow with the blessings of Athena to get even in thenext saga?!

Also of course we have sped up plot again because screw the Phaeaceans, the very reason Odysseus even TELLS HIS STORY! The one we could have his redemption, his cry and the move of compassion from them (not to mention it makes so much more sense than someone traveling on a freaking RAFT from Calyspo's island all the way to Ithaca since the Phaeaces gave him a ship and all) unless they somehow pop up later which I doubt... I also heard that the storm or whatever is signifying Penelope the coming home of her husband? Not sure again not following but yeah

To conclude as always music-wise really solid work very good harmonies and by n large very good intros

Plot wise

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Again I deeply apologize on the Epic fans out there and even to the creator himself if I sound harsh! I know but still...I just cannot anymore...the plot is like killing me!

and these are my PERSONAL OPINIONS! If you love it good for you guys! I just had enough of it really. Is it impressive? HELL YEAH is it creative ABSOLUTELY!! is it good? To me absolutely not! Honest never expected to say that but I think the "Get in the Water" is the song that makes the most sense out of it.

PS: I am sure the animators did a FANTASTIC JOB in their work too! And I believe I will see impressive stuff from now on! The same good job as the singers did!

[icaruslamenting]

why am i seeing so many hateful posts about a bunch of super cool retellings??

i personally like a bunch of greek mythology retellings. it makes me kinda sad seeing people hate basically everything i like

retellings are of greek mythology. mythology. we can’t be like “no, we don’t follow the mythology!! that’s not what the gods are really like!!” and then get all offended when other people use it. we don’t want it, right?? so why are people getting pissed that people are using the mythology and making retellings of it??

yeah, i don’t like how the gods are portrayed in percy jackson, but it’s a retelling of the mythology and it’s not even supposed to be close to realistic. yeah, i don’t like how epic isn’t super true to the odyssey, but it’s also a retelling of the odyssey that jorge has said is supposed to be very video game/anime based and he’s even made videos talking about how epic should not be referenced as a reliable source because it’s a retelling. yeah, i don’t like some character portrayals in madeline millers books, but they’re retellings based off of the mythology.

they are retellings of greek mythology, not hellenism.

if you don’t like that content, instead of checking it every few weeks, stop interacting with it. don’t want to hear about epic the musical? avoid it. don’t want to see more of what madeline miller wrote? set down the book. don’t want to hear the pjo gods be talked poorly about? stop interacting with posts that talk about it. it’s not for you.

idk. this is just my opinion. everyone is entitled to their own opinions and i can’t change those. but just remember to be kind and respectful. what you’re insulting is something that a lot of people enjoy, it’s something that someone put a lot of effort into making and is proud about.

say what you wish, but try to be empathetic first. try to understand where other people are coming from and how, maybe, they aren’t trying to offend you. maybe we all just need to learn and grow a bit. idk though, just my thoughts.

(if i could verbally say everything in this post, none of it would’ve been said in an angry tone. i just want to make sure this doesn’t come across as me being mad or anything)

[ramen8008]

I wanna know what Hermes meant by the line,

"We went through so much to get this" [talking about the wind back]

Because sure with any other media I wouldn't think much of it. But with Epic made by Jorge? HA nothing is impossible.

Does Hermes show up after the whole God games fiasco?

Do other Gods stand up for Odysseus and Athena?

Does Hermes help Athena? Does he give the idea for the wind bag?

Is Hermes more a part of this whole thing and we just don't know because OF COURSE Jorge Rivera Herrans would do something like that? Right??

I don't know but I really hope that's the case

Edit: Okay so with Jay's newest video this was referring to Hermes and the winions retrieving the wind bag. But he also said he might make a small musical about that as of itself so there's that omg

[sp4ceboo]

Theead was getting LOOOOONNNGGG in the comments but!! To answer your questions:

Re: Epic the Musical

BOO WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE 😭😭 I have my favourites from each saga but I'm so indecisive 🫠 I think the ones I listen to most recently are Odysseus, Monster, and Done For?.... but I genuinely love all of them 🥲

Also!! Off topic but recently I've been watching this series of youtube videos on a channel called "MadsNBooks" (or smth like that) where this woman who's apparently been MARINATED in greek myth from a young age reacts to Epic and it's SO interesting. I had no prior knowledge with greek mythology so I really got to enjoy Epic as a story purely its own, completely divorced from any other context. But it's still so interesting to learn about the changes Jorge made from source material, and how historical/cultural context shapes elements of the story I never even thought about.

Re: crochet

A lot of things XDD but lately I've been making a lot of tops! I'll post pics of my latest completed projects later~

frrrr im such a yapper especially when it comes to books 😭

omg odysseus gives me chills EVERY SINGLE TIME i swearrr (also i love all the ones with hermes in them)

hmm this is interesting, i studied a bit of classics when i was in school but i did more aeneid and less odyssey so i should defo check it out - listening i did notice some things like odysseus did not stay loyal in the og myths 💀 but then w greek myth there's always something that makes u go ew which is why it's actually so interesting to see different takes on them

(idk if u know about orpheus and eurydice but the common view is that he accidentally turned around and hence sent her into the underworld but i've seen a few interesting takes about how maybe she wanted him to turn around bc the underworld gave her more freedom than if she'd returned with him which is sooo interesting - also there's another thing about medusa but i digress)

also naturally this led me to more book stuff haha but have you read either a) song of achilles or b) circe (both by madeline miller) because those books also have beautiful prose - song of achilles is the more widely popular but circe is really dear to me and has a bit of the odyssey in it soooo

oooh crochet tops!! i need to get around to making clothes bc i think i've finally got the ability to get right tension level in the yarn that my stitches are even, normally i just make small things (my irl friends get showered in them on their birthdays)

[cowboys-tshot]

A Beginner's Guide to Epic: The Musical

Are you new to Epic: The Musical and overwhelmed by four years worth of content to go through? This is for you! (Note that this is a work in progress post that will be added to in the future as new information and Sagas are released).

LAST UPDATED: 09/01/24

*There will be some spoilers in this! The Odyssey is thousands of years old, but Epic: The Musical is an adaptation, meaning things are different. I recommend listening to all the songs in Epic before reading this, as this guide is intended to clear up misunderstandings/confusing moments and provide context.

**All of the underlined bits are links to whatever it is I'm referring to, just in case I'm making no sense. I will try to include sources for everything, or at least indicate where I got certain information from if there's no link available.

General Info:

*This is basic information about Epic: The Musical as a whole. This includes where to find new information and content, BTS things, etc.

• First of all, here's a quick rundown by the creator himself. There'll be some overlap in terms of what I cover here.

• Epic: The Musical is created by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, often referred to as "Jay" or "Mr. Jalapeño" by his fans. This is who writes the songs, casts the characters, and voices Odysseus himself!

• Epic: The Musical was originally (pre-Ocean Saga) produced under Blair Russell Productions, but Jay has never been paid the royalties from the songs released under them (and they have yet to give back control of the Epic social media accounts), so Epic is now produced under Jay's own company, Winion Entertainment LLC. (source)

• Jay is most active on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. All videos that he posts to these platforms are generally the same, so don't worry if you can't follow him on all of them. He talks about several Epic-related things, including release dates, BTS, animatics, details about the music/story, snippets of released and unreleased songs, and also plenty of funny videos. He is very active within the fanbase, and you're likely to find him (and other cast members) leaving comments on posts by fans!

• Here are Jay's other links, including the Epic: The Musical Discord server. In my experience, the Discord server and Tiktok are the best places to get information as quickly as possible.

• Epic is still in progress. As of the latest update to this guide (09/01/24), the Wisdom Saga has just been released last week, leaving only two more sagas before the end. The songs are all part of a concept album, and there is currently no stage adaptation.

• Jay takes many creative liberties with The Odyssey for the sake of this adaptation of the story. He made a video recently explicitly saying to NOT use Epic as a basis for your knowledge of The Odyssey, at least when it comes to academic settings. Many of the things that occur in Epic DO NOT occur in the original story, and some parts of the original story have been cut out. Here is a video where Jay explains the purpose of Epic as an adaption. (I won't be including a list of differences in this post, but I might make a separate one if anyone's interested.)

• Although Epic takes a lot of these creative liberties, there are several little easter eggs sprinkled in among the actual plot points from The Odyssey. (I'll go into these later.)

• Jay will usually do a recap video before each new saga, going over all the events of the previous sagas for any newcomers.

• When a new saga is released, Jay will hold a LIVE listen-through. I highly recommend being there for these events, because they include lots of cool and important things such as:

official animations, animatics, and artwork, all of which provide insights into character design and events within the songs

Jay's live reactions (his facial expressions and little dances/lip-syncs are delightful)

details about the events within the songs that aren't made clear within the music itself (like what a character is doing, what is happening around them, etc)

Jay's comments in the LIVE chat, which includes details/easter eggs, BTS stuff, jokes, headcanons, and LOTS of love and praise for the actors and fans!

• Seeing as there is no stage adaptation for Epic, a lot of the visual elements come from artists and animatics/animations. Jay actually works with several of these artists for official trailers, artwork, and animatics/animations! Some of these artists include: Ainhoa Velasco, @wolfythewitch, @gigizetz, @_mircsy_, @drawing_angie, @anniflamma, Scilla_nimation, el_crafts, samantha_artt, and Giulia Toneatto. These people are all incredibly talented and deserve all the love from the Epic fanbase!

Info About the Music:

*I am not musically adept at all, and this post is already very long, so I am not going to list much specific information—just general common themes and some examples of them. Most of this information has been confirmed by Jay, in videos that I've linked below.

• If you're having trouble understanding the lyrics and/or the meaning behind the lyrics, Genius lyrics has the entire album and is full of helpful notes about the context within the musical. A lot of lyrics get misheard, so even if you think you understand what's being sung, I'd recommend checking just in case lol.

• The Troy Saga and The Cyclops Saga have been rereleased under Winion Entertainment LLC! This includes new vocals, altered music, etc. These were released alongside The Thunder Saga, along with new cover art. It's preferred that you listen to these versions of the songs, and NOT the originals, because Jay only gets royalties from the current ones.

• Many characters have their own musical motif, or even multiple motifs. There are also other motifs that are more general, like the "Danger is Nearby" motif.

• Many important characters have their own instrument that plays an integral part to the songs they're in. You can typically tell which instrument accompanies each character by listening to what is most prominent in a song that focuses on that character. (ex. Hermes with harps and the lyre, Athena with the piano)

• If you hear a character's musical motif or associated instrument in a song they don't play an integral part in, that can mean a few things (listed below). With the more general motifs, they have their own separate meanings outside of the characters.

That character is present, even if they're not singing. (ex. Hermes in "Puppeteer," signifying that he's listening to Odysseus' speech, which is brought up at the beginning of "Wouldn't You Like")

That character is related to whatever event/conversation is occurring. (ex. the same musical motif in "Ruthlessness" and "Storm," signifying that Poseidon is the one that sent the crazy storm)

The kind of instrument being played can indicate the emotion or tone of a scene. This is scene primarily with Odysseus, where the use of a nylon or acoustic guitar indicates that he is not being ruthless (source).

• When background vocals are accompanying a mortal, there is always a physical, in-universe source for those voices (ex. Odysseus' crew as background vocals in most of his songs). When background vocals are accompanying a god or other powerful being, there does not have to be a physical source for those voices—gods can basically summon a choir of voices at will (ex. "Ruthlessness"). (video explanation)

• Background chanting specifically is a common element in Epic songs. Typically, this chanting consists of the names of characters present/focused on in the song (as seen [heard?] in "Survive," "Ruthlessness," and "King").

Unclear/Vague Moments Explained:

*Some of the plot points, characters, etc. in Epic can be confusing on the first or second listen. So, I'll clear up some of the common things people (including myself) didn't notice or understand at first.

• The deep voice at the end of "The Horse and the Infant" is Zeus, voiced by Luke Holt. Zeus shows Odysseus a vision of Astyanax, the infant son of Hector, and tells him to kill the child.

• Odysseus drops Astyanax from the walls of Troy at the end of "Just a Man." Many people didn't catch this until the callback in "Monster" at the end of Act 2.

• "Warrior of the Mind" is quite confusing to those that don't have context. It is a flashback to a younger Odysseus, when he first met Athena and took her as a mentor.

• Athena has an ability called "Quick-Thought," which lets her have telepathic conversations with someone within milliseconds by pulling their mind into another dimension.

• Polites dies at the end of "Survive." He is the voice saying "Captain...". (I didn't realize this for a good while when I first started listening to Epic.)

• The voice telling Odysseus to wake up in "Keep Your Friends Close" is Penelope, not Aeolus.

• The lil' guys in "Keep Your Friends Close" are called winions (they're also the Lotus Eaters in "Open Arms"). Jay describes them as "little wind creatures that dance when they get excited and then float away uncontrollably." They don't actually exist in The Odyssey, but they're pretty cute!

• At the end of "Ruthlessness," the line "remember me" is said by Poseidon, who's basically sending his voice through the ocean fog (since Odysseus is very, very far away from him now).

• In "Done For," the yelling you are hearing in the background is essentially a Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh battle between Circe's chimera and the monster Odysseus summons using the moly plant given to him by Hermes. There is an animatic by mircsy to serve as a visual aide, which I find very helpful!

• In "There Are Other Ways," Circe was holding a knife and planning to stab Odysseus as she tried to seduce him. When he pulls away and rejects her, she quickly hides the knife.

• In "The Underworld," shades (souls) are in a constant loop, repeating whatever they were thinking when they died. Tiresias is an exception to this rule, seemingly because of him being such a powerful prophet. (confirmed in "The Underworld Saga" LIVE listen-through)

• I feel like this is fairly clear, but for those that aren't familiar with The Odyssey, I'll say it anyways. (Spoilers? I guess?) The prophecy in "No Longer You" is SUPER heavy on the foreshadowing. I won't go into it here, since many people already have, but let's just say the Greeks were big on self-fulfilling prophecies.

• As mentioned previously, background chanting is a big thing in Epic. In "No Longer You," the background chanting also serves as a prophecy detailing the future events of Odysseus's journey. Currently, only part of these lyrics have been confirmed by Jay: "SIREN SONG - SCYLLA THROAT - MUTINY - LIGHTNING BOLT." This leaves two lines that are not confirmed.

• In "Mutiny," after Odysseus is stabbed, he is tied up and knocked out before the crew sails to the nearest island. Right before he says to get to the boat and row away, he manages to untie himself.

Fun Facts/Easter Eggs:

• Circe is voiced by Jay's girlfriend, Talya Sindel.

• When Poseidon kills off most of Odysseus' crew in "Ruthlessness," he says that there are only 43 men left. But in "The Underworld," the souls of his crew say that 558 men died under his command. Considering Odysseus started off with 600 men ("Full Speed Ahead"), this math doesn't add up. This is because in The Odyssey, when Odysseus and his men party with Circe for a year, a man in his crew named Elpenor woke up drunk on Circe's roof and proceeded to walk off the roof and die from the fall. He actually has a cut song.

• Jay messed up the amount of years in "There Are Other Ways." It had not been 12 years, but 10. This little screw-up is referenced in "Different Beast."

• Odysseus' mother is voiced by Jay's actual mother.

• If you see people commenting "rawr rawr rawr" or "🦖" on Jay's videos, they're referencing his April Fool's prank this year. He made a video saying he'd completely changed the Act 2 closing song, "Monster," and proceeded to play a happy-go-lucky sounding song going "I am the monster, rawr rawr rawr."

• In every single saga, Odysseus says "what." in an absolutely bamboozled manner (or "huh" in The Troy Saga, and he does it twice in The Ocean Saga). It happens in "Open Arms," "Polyphemus," "Keep Your Friends Close," "Puppeteer," and "No Longer You." Occasionally, this "what" will be said by a different character (Poseidon in "Ruthlessness," the siren in "Different Beast")

• Perimedes (another man in Odysseus' crew, who lives all the way until "Thunder Bringer") and Elpenor were best friends.

[a-bottle-of-tyelenol]

Speaking of how Odysseus sees Eurylochus (could be seen as a part two to this post), I often think about this video Jorge made about Eurylochus where he talks about how Eury almost seems lost and like he can’t find his way due to how inconsistent his instrumental is.

I think it also implies something super interesting from Odysseus’ perspective too.

Eurylochus, as far as I can tell, only really has his Luck Runs Out motif that we almost exclusively hear paired with the rest of the crew. It’s something that he leads on, yes, but there is a moment where the crew uses it on their own (in Mutiny, when Perimedes stabs Odysseus) and therefore it feels like something much more dedicated to the crew as a whole. This could be something showing how much Eurylochus puts into the crew and how much of his life is dedicated to them, or it could also be something that shows how much more similar he is to the crew than to Odysseus (lumping himself in with them and further leading to the separation between Ody and the crew that I talk about in this post— can you tell I yap a lot about Eurylochus?).

But I think it’s interesting to look at it in a more meta way. EPIC is primarily told from Odysseus’ point of view, only changing after Eurylochus dies. So, every moment we have with him is strictly from Odysseus’ perspective and, therefore, the lack of distinction in Eurylochus’ music could easily be attributed to that.

Most of Eurylochus’ arc is implied— specifically when it comes to how he changes from Circe’s island to Mutiny and that’s led to a lot of interpretations from people that aren’t necessarily wrong due to the fact that nothing about him is very clear. And I don’t just mean people who view him as a selfish hypocrite, I also mean opinions that I hold too.

I, for example, strongly believe that there’s a real possibility Eurylochus wasn’t the only one who opened the windbag. He was definitely there and probably apart of it, but there are real implications in the show that he might not have done it alone and simply took responsibility out of guilt. It doesn’t absolve him of all wrongdoing, but it is something to consider when it comes to the discussions about his self-preserving nature versus how he prioritizes the wellbeing of the crew. That being said, these implications aren’t what’s directly in the text, through lyrics or music, so I could be totally wrong.

And that’s exactly my point; there isn’t a whole lot to Eurylochus to decipher, musically. Jorge likes to use the music to give the audience background information on characters (like how he uses Athena’s ensemble in Warrior of the Mind to tell us that Athena is amused by Odysseus fangirling over her or how we can sometimes hear Circe’s motif in regards to Scylla, both things he’s revealed on TikTok). This is the type of information that Odysseus might not necessarily know but that we get told through the music.

Eurylochus doesn’t seem to have anything like that.

Unlike pretty much every other character that has some level of distinction to them and how they interact with our primary perspective, Odysseus doesn’t have anything to connect with Eurylochus other than the rest of the crew. There’s nothing that is specifically tied to him and this carries on throughout the entire show, where he takes on other melodies and instruments depending on the context. While perhaps not intentional, Eurylochus being musically lost not only leaves a lot of his actions and motivations up to interpretation for the audience, but it also highlights just how out of sync he is with Odysseus.

Their primary conflict revolves around their inability to understand one another and it’s very clear that they both have views on the other that is incorrect. Odysseus believes Eurylochus to be too ruthless and yet too cautious to actually effectively use the philosophy and Eurylochus sees Odysseus as too arrogant, playing foolish games with the gods that will only get the crew killed. They’re both right, to a degree, but their inability to understand or even empathize with the other’s position is really what destroys them— something we see even in the very beginning. There is no musical tie to them and nothing musically surrounding Eurylochus to signal any other meanings to the audience— Eurylochus is just his Luck Runs Out melody, that again is intrinsically tied to the rest of the crew which makes it less distinctive to him as a character than, say, Open Arms for Polites.

And then comes Mutiny— where Eurylochus is the most musically distinct and yet, none of it is truly his. In the beginning, he hijacks Odysseus’ electric guitar (possibly a hint that he understands Odysseus more than Odysseus has, thus far, understood him) and, in the second half, the melody he sings is that of Survive— which was potentially the first time he truly doubted his captain in ten years— to a beat of The Horse and The Infant (that’s what my friend and I hear, anyways)— which is mostly just a tool used for foreshadowing Thunder Bringer. Then, the script flips and Odysseus is in Eurylochus’ position for the Luck Runs Out melody, possibly signaling that he’s finally beginning to understand Eurylochus for the first time since the start of the story. And, instead of going back to the lyrics of Luck Runs Out, Eurylochus turns to the specific use of the word ‘suffering’.

Because Eurylochus is so vague in his instrumentals, prioritizing the crew over his own well-being and identity, the times where he does falter into other melodies, particularly ones involving Odysseus, are very loaded with implications that you can interpret— like how Odysseus uses the concept of suffering as a motivator, associating it with Penelope and her ability to make everything worth it. Eurylochus, on the other hand, associates it with his loss of the will to survive, which is why I think it follows that song’s melody too.

But even then, Eurylochus is still followed by the voices of the crew with a melody that has never been his alone because Eurylochus, as a character, is defined by what he does for other people and, since Odysseus simply cannot understand being in that position, Eury’s music reflects that.

I just find it interesting that the character with the second most screen time has little to show for it musically, and I think that’s a good thing for showing Odysseus’ inability to see things outside of his perspective (or outside of a magical perspective; as in, he can’t relate to regular men), especially given that this is a flaw Eurylochus has as well. It could’ve been really easy to give Eurylochus a bass— which is known for being paired with guitars— or maybe a specific drum and call it a day, symbolically, but Jorge chose to keep him as only the voice of the crew with one mention of a bass and snare in Luck Runs Out.

Something about that intrigues me idk

[magicaguajiro]

Resources for Cuban and Caribbean Folk Magic 🇨🇺

Disclaimer: Cubans are not a monolith so when we say ‘Cuban Folk Magic’ its like saying ‘American Folk Magic’ in the sense that it is a BROAD term that includes multiple different cultural threads and traditions. Start by researching your ancestors and where they were from as a jumping off point.

Also, many of these resources are not Cuban themselves, but they either share the same practices or are academic or general sources. I have made it clear when a source isn’t Cuban. For this reason, I have expanded it to be the Cuban AND Caribbean Folk Magic List.

The List

Creators:

Irka Mateo - Taino - Insta 🇩🇴

Religion.Ancestral.Taino - Insta 🇵🇷

Sancista Brujo Luis - Espiritismo/Taino-Youtube | Blog 🇵🇷

OkaniLuna - Brujería/Taino - Youtube🇩🇴

Juliet Diaz - Brujería/Taino/Author - Instagram 🇨🇺

Sancista 7 Espadas - Espiritismo - Insta 🇵🇷

Odofemi - Regla de Ocha - Tumblr 🇺🇸

Eve the Medium - ATR/Espiritismo - Youtube 🇩🇴

Yeyeo Botanica - ATR/Espiritismo- youtube 🇺🇸

Botanica Candles & More - Great Podcast!! - youtube 🇨🇺 🇺🇸

Connecting w/ Guides and Goals by Adunola - youtube 🇺🇸

Hatuey Museum of Archaeology, Baracoa, Cuba - Taíno archaeologists photos and blog - Link

Florida Memory - Photos and Articles on Folk History of Florida and surrounding areas - Link

Articles

San Lazaro - Wikipedia - Novena - Yeyeo Botanica

Caridad del Cobre - Wikipedia

Orisha and Palo Herbs Directory- Website

Ewe (Herbs) Photo Guide - Website

Pueblo Originario Taino Section - Website

Taino and Agua Dulce essay by Jorge Estevez - Link

Memoir of Florida’s Indigenous People by Hernando Escalante de Fontaneda - Link

Tacachale: Essays on Indigenous Floridians by Milanich and Proctor - Link

Huellas Indigenas en Cuba - Taino Spirituality in Cuban Folk Magic Article - Link

Juracán: The Sacred Meteorology of Swamp and Storm by Jazmin Calderon Torres

Books:

Taino Library* - Amazing resource for books of all kinds, many books about Taino and Caribbean Spiritualities, Folklores and Songs! Multiple books on Cuban Myths and Folktales! Highly recommend - Website 🇵🇷

Espiritismo by Hector Silva🇩🇴

A Year in White by C Lynn Carr

The Modern Art of Brujería by Lou Florez(VERY BASIC just as a general introduction to what alot of modern Folk Practices look like)

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross 🇲🇽🇺🇸

El Monte by Lydia Carbera 🇨🇺

Palmetto Country by Stetson Kennedy - Link

Movies and Videos:

Cecilia (1982) - Youtube

Las Profecias de Amanda - Youtube

Susie Jim Billie, Medicine Woman Interview - Link

Proyecto Cuba Indigena - Link

Miguel Sague, Taíno Spirituality - Link

Free Folk Magic PDF Library

**This list will grow as I find more resources that are reliable enough to share. If you have recommendations or would like to be added, please reach out.

Luz y Progreso 🕯️

(I also have included a Research Guide below the Cut!)

Guide to researching based on your ancestry:

If your family has African roots, you can seek Ocha/Lukumi, Palo, Arara, Cuban Vodou and other African Traditional Religions and Practices. Please approach elders within these respective practices to further your connection to them, rather than using books to create a practice for yourself. These are ancient, community based and are lifelong commitments, not just trendy powerful spells for you to get what you want.

If your family has indigenous roots, research Taino spirituality and modern practices , but also know that there were other tribes in the western and centeral parts of Cuba, with their own languages and traditions you can still learn about like the Guanahatabey. You may also consider joining a Yukayeke, but this isn’t required. Reconnecting and decolonizing is a separate and important topic that is not inherently witchcraft or folk magick-y… HOWEVER, researching and informing yourself with these practices can help you to see their influence within modern folk practices.

If your family has Asian roots, research the buddhist cults and folk practices throughout Cuba! Believe it or not, we also have people of Middle Eastern descent in Cuba who brought with them their own Hindu and Arabic Folk Traditions, which can be found throughout Cuba and the Caribbean as a whole.

If your family has Spanish roots, research some open practices like Espiritismo and Folk Catholicism! Look into the Patron Saints of Cuba, La Virgen de La Caridad del Cobre and San Lazaro. These also tie in to many of the other cultures who were forced to adopt certain elements to ensure survival of their traditions! You can also look into Brujería. Much like modern witchcraft, modern brujería has been commodified to hell and back, but there is still some great knowledge and power to be found there.

The fact of the matter is, that most of us can fit ourselves into two or more of these categories, and this crossover is where Folk Magic is often born. Its also important to note, in alot of these traditions you shouldn’t learn or share certain things at certain times, so some sources who share too much about Ocha and other ATRs should be avoided. Also, I can’t stress how important it is to talk to your family! Ask them about folklore or legends and stories! Also research history and folkore of the specific areas in Cuba your family is from. A-lot of folk magic is incorporated into stories.

Bendiciones, good luck on your Journey!🦎🐊

[microwavesaferat]

This is a different topic than my usual stuff, but I was relistening to Epic: The Musical and wanted to talk about my personal interpretation of Calypso's character both within and out with the musical.

So a couple things to consider when going into this:

The original material and the biases/lense that it was created through

The long game of telephone that has moulded the current view of her character

The changes made from the Odyssey to Epic

In the original material, Calypso is trapped on the island of Ogygia for supporting her father, Atlas, in the battle between the Titans and the Gods. When Odysseus washed up on her shore, she took a fancy to him and proceeded to attempt to court him. She did not take no for an answer and in fact cast spells on him through song to force herself onto him. It is noted that, later in his stay on the island, Odysseus would spend most of the day crying on the shore before being forced into bed at night.

TLDR: in Greek Myth, Calypso is a horrible person.

In Epic, some liberties are taken for a multitude of reasons:

Dramatic effect

Narrative flow

Thematic storytelling

Making it more 'PG'

The big one here is the last point, although Epic covers a lot of violent acts and tough topics, but some aspects do need to be cut in order to not make the musical too graphic. For example, in the original myth, Odysseus and Circe definitely have sex, in fact, she has a child with him. So Jorge trimmed down the complicated relationship Odysseus has with Calypso, that is perfectly fine, in fact, it probably works better in the medium than being 100% accurate.

To talk about the version of Calypso in Epic; she was cast away as a child and naively fell in love with the first person she saw. My interpretation lies somewhere in-between these versions. I believe she was isolated on the island (something present in both), but I do not believe she was entirely well meaning yet harmful.

Calypso, at least in my eyes, became obsessed with the first contact she has had in a century and did, like a school-child, gain a naïve crush. But I believe she was cruel and manipulative to Odysseus and is not free of blame for what she did.

Based on the lyrics present in Paradise, she does not reveal her Godly nature until after Odysseus threatens violence if she does not leave him alone, this is a threat to him. She will play nice as long as he does, but she always has the upper hand. She also uses his friends' words against him to manipulate him (open arms), plus she almost completely ignores everything he says during the song to continue her fantasy of a perfect couple.

In Not Sorry for Loving You, she sings a very half-hearted apology that sounds like a YouTuber apology video where she apologises for how he interpreted her behaviour (I'm sorry if my actions offended some people), she blames her actions on her own problems (I've been having a real hard time you guys and wasn't thinking straight). My interpretation is that, she is (as she says) not sorry and is fully aware of what she did, just hoping he would believe that she was simply trying her best and that he would choose to stay.

An important factor that stops Calypso from being 100% awful is that she is a goddess with a skewed interpretation of mortality and of human emotions. She doesn't understand why this is such a big deal to Odysseus to be faithful and get home soon, they have all the time in the world. 7 years is merely a moment in her lifetime. It is also important to note the general reception to Calypso's actions at the time of the Odyssey. It was common for mythological characters to take war brides and the like in many Epics, even Achilles has a bride given to him as a spoil of war. The use of an action like sex in the Odyssey is to demonstrate a power imbalance and a sense of ownership. Calypso takes Odysseus like a spoil of war because he has lost and the Gods have won. In the Odyssey, Calypso does not do this because she is a horrible person, but because Homer wanted to demonstrate the loss Odysseus has faced.

I also find it weird that Calypso is brought up so much surrounding the topic of consent when, in the original myth, Circe does the same exact thing. In fact, it's like her main thing. She turns Scylla into a monster for being with a man she likes, she turns a king into a beast for noting accepting her courtship and has sex with Odysseus in exchange for help home, giving him a child.

The changes for Circe in Epic work because Circe's job in the story is to demonstrate Odysseus's wit and his devotion to Penelope, so she can still help him after he proves he's 'not like other men' (he's a monster rah rah rah). With Calypso, you cannot make it so that she respects his choice, or that would make for a pretty chill 7 years.

TLDR: In both the Odyssey and Epic, Calypso is more important as an idea than as a character. She serves to show how far Odysseus has sunk, lost the war and has been taken as a spoil, defeated and broken.

[tuul1p]

GUYS I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY AWFUL (GOOD AWFUL) ABOUT THUNDER BRINGER!!

SO Jorge was saying how in Ruthlessness, Poseidon created the voices of the dead crew in the background to taunt Odysseus, with them singing lines such as “when does man become a monster”. In that video, it’s established that (almost) everything sung is spoken in-universe, but that gods could create fake voices for their songs to help make their point. THIS BEGS THE QUESTION of what was going on in Thunder Bringer.

Because when he was posed with The Choice™️, the voices of Odysseus’ crew+Penelope began to sing, almost making this decision even harder!! Clearly Penelope wasn’t there, and maybe it’s just me but it seems weird for the soldiers in that moment to begin asking what makes a man a monster. So those voices are weird!!! right??

THEREFORE I think that ZEUS MADE THOSE VOICES HIMSELF!!! It wasn’t just odysseus imagining it or whatever, Zeus was manifesting those lines to taunt and haunt him.

honestly even if it wasn’t fully the intention I would still want to believe this because the idea of Zeus intentionally playing with Odysseus via the same tactics Poseidon used, turning his own words against him AGAIN?? insane.

maybe this is a basic post or common knowledge, but I just had to get this out of my system.