#Jonatan Lionheart

[madebypointlesswords]

I read this book when I was about 8 years old, I think. Maybe 9. Bottom line is: I was young when I read it.

This fucking book, y'all.

It's so beautiful, so sweet and heartwarming. I related to both Jonathan and Karl so deeply as a neglected eldest child.

I cried so much at the end of the book. This might have been the first book I really cried with. The bittersweet ending had me in tears for days on end.

I swear on my tiddies, if you haven't read this book yet, please for the love of god do yourself a favour and read it immediately.

Since I earlier talked about the Varjak Paw books I loved, I wanna talk more about books I've loved when I was younger and still do.

The Brothers Lionheart is a 1973 Swedish children's fantasy book written by the around-here very famous Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren.

The story is about two brothers, one more young and timid and doesn't feel he can do much, while the older brother he admires is very beautiful, brave, charming, kind and popular–very much a hero and like a prince from a fairytale, deserving of the name Lionheart.

It's an interesting story, as most of it is spent in an afterlife that is like a world of its own where people live very much like they do in the living world, and where it turns out things aren't all happy and honky dory. This is another case of a children's book with dark stuff in it. It is even a bit controversial.

The story starts in Sweden during the early 20th century, in the house of a poor dressmaker whose husband was lost in the sea years ago, and now her young boy Karl Lion is bedridden and suffering from tuberculosis. One day, the customers talk and because they assume Karl is asleep, they mention that the boy will die soon.

Karl is obviously distraught, but is comforted by his older brother Jonathan Lion, who affectionally calls him Rusky, because he loves dry rusk biscuits and especially loves his younger brother, though Karl cannot really understand why as he considers himself quite ugly and dumb. Jonathan tells him stories about Nangijala, a world beyond death, a land of campfires, fairytales and adventures where his little brother can play free. He comforts Karl by reminding him that one day he will be with him in Nangijala and he wouldn't have to wait for long even if Jonathan lives super old, because time works differently in Nangijala, and the dead can visit from Nangijala in the form of white doves.

One day, there's a housefire and Jonathan saves his sick younger brother by lifting him on his back and jumping out of the high window, the older boy sadly dying from his wounds caused by the fall. Jonathan's mournful teacher writes about him on the newspaper, reminiscing how they had read about the brave Richard the Lionheart and how the boy deserves that name as well.

Quite soon afterwards, Rusky feels his death approaching fast and writes his mom a note "Don't cry, Mother. See you in Nangijala," the similar words he felt he had heard from Jonathan right before he had died from his wounds. That night he succumbs to his illness and dies, and arrives to Nangijala where he reunites with his brother (just try not to think about their poor mom losing all her children, husband and house.)

At first, the Cherry Valley of Nangijala seems like a beautiful paradise surrounded by mountains and filled with cherry blossoms, where people live in peace, kind of like an idealized version of an older time village and nature.

The two brothers do some cottagecore shit, fishing and living in a little house of their own (which even had the sign "The Lionheart Brothers" before they arrived.) Rusky is even able to swim and ride his very own horse despite not being able to do so in life and of course he's no longer ill. They have pet rabbits, too!

The villagers chat in the Golden Cockerel Inn and help and give to each other according to what each one needs. A woman named Sofia is very well-respected and seems like the leader of the village–she raises the special doves that can fly anywhere and borrow their feathery form for those who wish to visit their living relatives. How nice!

But turns out the neighboring Wild Rose Valley has been taken over by a cruel tyrant named Tengil of the Ancient Mountains, who wants to rule all of Nangijala. The people aren't free to leave the valley or even move outside their homes at certain times of the day, death sentences are very common and some are forced to hard work and slavery to death, so they obviously hate the guy. But they don't dare to oppose him–why?

Because he has an absolutely massive black dragoness on his side, who loves to snack on humans and weapons cannot harm her. If that wasn't bad enough, Katla the dragon's flames don't seem like your usual fire–her dark flames seem more like some sort of cursed poisonous fire that soon enough either kills or paralyzes everything it touches. People fear her so much that the words "Katla is coming" will make just about anyone lose their fighting spirit.

But a resistance is secretly growing and the brothers become a part of it...

There's also a movie made in 1977, which follows the story well, except for one character-specific scene I think they should've included and the ending portion with Katla that's sadly changed and didn't include the really cool scene in the book (likely because of budget reasons.)

Also, I'm now gonna talk about MAJOR SPOILERS regarding the ending of the book and what the author had to say about it:

So, Lindgren has stated that the adventures in Nangijala are Rusky’s dreams on his deathbed after he fell unconscious and Nangilima which he enters at the end of the book is the true afterlife, and like heaven as it is a truly good place with no evil unlike Nangijala. The controversial ending is more Rusky accepting and no longer fearing the unknown of death as he finally dies in real life. However, Lindgren doesn’t want this to spoil the fantasy of the book and very much supports children’s interpretations of it, saying that “If any of you ever tell this to your children, I will kill you” lol. She wrote a short “happily ever after” chapter to children who really wanted to know what happened next (which I just learned about,) which included the boys reuniting and living with their adoptive grandpa Mattias and their horses in the Apple Farm in Nangilima. A wild dog decided he wanted to come to people and became Rusky’s pet. The bad people like Tengil went to a place called Lokrume (described as not exactly a horrible place, but a one where they can no longer continue doing evil and have influence over others; though apparently it’s super awkward whenever Tengil and Jossi happen to pass by each other there) and no one knows where Katla and Karm went, maybe a mysterious place called Sorokaste. The boys’ mother went to Nangijala at first and Sofia took care of her. Eventually they both arrived to Nangilima and live together in a nice little house close to the Apple Farm, Sofia becoming kind of like a second mother to the boys, as they visit the women every day. The end.

[mustapartart]

No, Jonatan didn't kill Katla. Karm did. And Katla killed Karm as well. 🩸

::

This work has been on my mind for almost a year whoops. 💀 The Brothers Lionheart is hands down one of my fave books ever, so I just needed to draw something inspired by it!

[solittles]

ten characters/ten fandoms/ten tags

thank for the tag, my friend @caleblandrybones 🌟

in no particular order

1. david shepherd - kings (2009)

2. marius pontmercy - les mis

3. ronja - ronja the robber's daughter

4. solomon tozer - the terror (2018)

5. steve rogers - captain america

6. jonatan lejonhjärta - the brothers lionheart

7. bunny corcoran - the secret history

8. harriet cleve dufresnes - the little friend

9. ennis del mar - brokeback mountain

10. cecilia algotsdotter - the crusader's trilogy

tagging friends: @dundys @stolperzunge @etherealmontilyet @crowappreciation @somanywords @georges-chambers @yikesmoon 💖 (no pressure tho!!)

[evilwriter37]

To be honest I never really remember a time when I would not have been into whump, or even like when I realized I was into whump, though I didn't learn the term until like late 2017 or so. I don't think the people around me noticed, either, since while I played some pretty dark stuff, I frequently got fantasy and other adventure stuff where injury and death, or at least the threat of them, were kind of part and pracel of it, read to me for bedtime stories from a young age, about from the age I could begin to understand and enjoy adventure-heavy stuff. Also like older children's books, such as Astrid Lindgren's ones, which didn't shy away from the concept of serious illnesses, injuries, and even deaths. (Just to give a few examples of Astrid Lindgren's books; I haven't actually read Emil of Lönnbergas for a long time so I don't remember which of these it was, but I distinctly remember that in one of them one of the more central supporting characters, one of the farmhands or such, cut himself while working and got serious infection and it really was treated as life-threatening. Or Brothers Lionheart, which begins with the titular brothers dying (first Jonatan, saving Skorpan from a fire, then Skorpan, from some unspecified illness), then the main plot takes place in an afterlife which is being taken over by an Evil Dark Lord, so the brothers join this undercover resistance, but there's a traitor in the resistance and for some time no one knows who it is and there's all that stuff, and then there's the Big final battle and stuff, and it all ends with the brothers committing suicide together due to Reasons. And that's still a happy ending they got, by the way.)

So overall, if while playing with my toys someone overheard me playing that some darker stuff happened, I think they probably assumed it was just reflecting or inspired by some story that I had been read. They would probably have been right assuming that, too, tbh.

Then when I got into fanfiction (way before I first even heard of let alone made an account on tumblr), well. Didn't take me much time at all to navigate into the darker stuff, find the fics labeled "angst" or "hurt/comfort" and I took to those immediately and never looked back. If you'd've asked me why at the time, I think I would have told you it was a safe way for me to vent my frustrations and negative feelings, by reading about bad things happening to characters I liked and their friends or loved ones helping and comforting them. That would have been the truth, too, I think.

And then I discovered the whump community on tumblr a few years back, and here we are. And if you asked me now what makes me like whump, I would answer that both of those points I mentioned above, but even more importantly, because I just happen to enjoy it, I guess.

-@erdarielthewhumper

Yeah! People enjoy whump for a load of different reasons, and they’re all super valid. I simply enjoy it, though part of it may be from trauma and the need for catharsis. Like, as someone who’s in pain all the time, it’s refreshing to me to see characters in pain, because then I can actually relate to them.

(Also, those books sound super cool.) I also read a lot when I was younger and read darker stuff because my dad let me. Honestly, my dad helped so much in nurturing my love of reading. He let my sister and I read darker stuff, but said we could go to him if we ever had any questions. (My dad also enjoys whump, but would never admit to it, lol.)

Basically, yeah, liking whump from a young age seems to be a common thing, which is really cool. I wish people would do psychology studies on this stuff!

[copias-cape]

I recently rediscovered this interview with Tobias that was translated by TotalJunkRat on Reddit where near the end Tobias speaks as though he’s talking to his brother. (He cries, you guys, it’s emotional. My heart.)

It makes me weep every time, so that’s your warning, but his sentiments really were so beautiful I decided to post the part about his brother, and I highly recommend checking out the whole transcript.

“And Sebastian - It was as if he still was just a phone call away and could encourage the whole thing and share this with me...“

The rest below the cut.

“I could hear his voice beside me, which communicated and said "Let's rock - The train is on the station and about to go, now.. It goes now! Take the chance now, when you've finally gotten it!" - and I did so, I did it so fucking hard - and I didn't stop.

I yet haven't stopped, since that day. I'm not going to do so either, until it's for real is has reached an end - Do you hear me, Sebastian? I did it at last.. It took some time.. and it was very sad that we didn't get to experience this thing together. It would be great if you could've come out on some tour and visit.. But, sometimes it actually feels like we meet, on different locations around the world.

I found some discs I know you loved, that you played on the stereo, I find discs everywhere in the world.. Sometimes with Crass, Adverts, Allsköns punk.. And I'm thinking of you. I'm watching movies, that I know I watched with you when I was young. Some of them are fantastic, some of them are beyond bad and not at all like I remember it.. Fun House, for example.. What a crappy fucking movie. I remembered it as very scary, despite you telling me that it wasn't for real.

Not long ago me and Mino saw Aliens, the second one that is, when she was with me in the touring bus and.. she was sitting in my lap, like I was sitting in your lap when we saw the first movie.. We laughed and had a great time.. When the blood splattered.. Because we told each other all the time that it was all faked.

We have agreed on watching the real movie next time, the first movie, that really is so much better. A really really spooky movie.

I sometimes meet some of your old idols, Steve Jones interviewed me in his radio show and he was actually exactly that punky-cool one can imagine, and he actually liked Ghost. I've gotten to know those in Metallica.. I have James’ number and we speak at times.. You didn't see that one coming, ay?

Who would've thought that when we went to see them in Stadion '93, and by the way - thank you for letting me sit on your shoulders then.. It must've been heavy.. It was a quiet long concert.

And I've just come home from a 7-week tour with Iron Maiden.. Grasp that.. We're playing on icehockey-arenas, people cheered.. We apparently have something very fucking large going on "over there" as one says.

We just need to record a new album now and then.. In spring we can go on tour again and then it's another years and a half on the roads, you see.. No rest for the wicked. No calm, and no rest.. I told you I'd work my ass of if I just got to work with what I wanted.. You remember?

Did I tell you about the Grammy, by the way? I got one of those.. about a year ago. We were in LA and went on a celebrity party, it was very big.

Mother is very proud, and tells everyone who I am, even if it's supposed to be a secret. But fuck that now, I suppose.

I look for books that I know you loved and always told me that I should read. And I still miss some of those Sture Dahlström-books that you cheered for, but I'm keeping and eye out.. I'm always looking for them. The problem is that I can find them in Sweden, and.. I very much want to have the original-editions and not new...

I still re-create your disc-collection in my own and I often feel closer to you when I listen to music to I knew you liked. Wherever I look, I see things that you've shown me.. It feels like you're always walking besides me.. I still go hand in hand with you.. On our way from the city, home to Tannefors.. Home to Tegelsbruksgatan.. I'm still the 5 year old who jumps around in the couch at our home, dressed in your and mothers clothes with make-up, rocking.. To hard rock. I'm still the 5 year old that you cheered for when I did something bad, that you'd encouraged me to do.. I'm still the 5 year old who have a bad language in front of you and your laughing friends.. It's a few more people who laughs nowadays.. And applaud they do as well, and that's very fun.

It feels like you're with me everywhere, and we're happy together about everything that happens.. And one thing you must know.. I'm still your biggest fan.. Thank you for everything, my beloved brother.

See you in Nangijala.*

My name is Tobias Forge. I'm the man behind the mask in Ghost.

Thank you for listening.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*I don’t know how many people already know this but I had to look it up. I found out that Nangijala is from the storybook, The Brothers Lionheart, written by Astrid Lindgren,

From Wikipedia:

“In an unnamed Swedish city, ten year-old Karl Lejon has found out that he is going to die from tuberculosis. His adored big brother, 13-year-old Jonatan, calms him down and tells him that in the afterlife, all men will go to a land known as Nangijala, a land in "the campfires and storytelling days".

One day, a fire breaks out in the Lejon home. Jonatan takes Karl on his back and jumps out of the house's window to save him, but dies himself in the fall. Karl is crestfallen over his brother's death, until, just before his own demise, he receives a sign which allays his fears of death, and when he wakes again, he finds himself in the Cherry Valley of Nangijala, where he is happily reunited with Jonatan.“

[lillahimmel]

Astrid Lindgren

I haven’t made a list about other materials in a while, so I thought I’d list some Swedish literature. Keep in mind that I’ll start with children’s books. 

Masterposts are too heavy so I’ll make a series instead! 

(2) is here | How to buy from Bokus

Last edit: 2020 05 02

Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking)

“Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!” 

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

✨

Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn (The Children of Noisy Village)

“In the tiny hamlet of Noisy Village, there are three properties, North Farm, Middle Farm and South Farm, and six children live there: Lisa and Lars and Pip and Britta and Anna and Ollie. They play and play, and have fun nearly all the time. It’s wonderful sleeping in the hay, getting dressed up and going to school – and having fun on the way there and back!“ 

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

✨

Nils Karlsson Pyssling

A collection of short stories about children and how in some of them they meet new friends in a fantasyworld. 

Except Nils Karlsson Pyssling, the book contains the tales I skymningslandet, Allrakäraste syster, Ingen rövare finns i skogen, Peter och Petra, Lustig-Gök, En natt i maj, Prinsessan som inte ville leka och Mirabell.

I skymningslandet (In the Land of Twilight) 

“Göran has an injured leg and he gets bored spending so much time in bed. But when his mother turns out the light at dusk, Mr Lilyvale knocks on the window and takes him to the Land of Twilight. Göran and Mr Lilyvale walk and fly around Stockholm when people from the daytime world are sleeping. Göran drives a tram and a bus. It doesn’t matter that he has a bad leg in the Land of Twilight. They eat candy that grows on trees in the park, play with bear cubs and meet a moose. They even visit the King and Queen in the royal palace. At the end of their journey each night, Mr Lilyvale takes Göran home just before his mother comes in and turns on the light.“

Buy English copy 1 | 2

🍄

Allra käraste syster (Most Beloved Sister)

“Barbara has a secret friend who lives in the garden. It's her twin sister, Ylva-li, and Barbara doesn't have to share her with her papa or mama or brother. What's even better is that Ylva-li calls Barbara her "Most Beloved Sister." Together, the girls bravely ride their horses through the Great Horrible Forest, where the nasty Frights live, to visit the Kind Ones in the meadow. The Kind Ones always give them cookies and caramels. And best of all, Barbara and Ylva-li go to the Most Beautiful Valley in the World, where the trees and the flowers sing.“

Buy English copy

🍄

Mirabell (Mirabelle)

“Six-year-old Britta very much wants a doll, but her parents can't afford one. One evening an odd little old man arrives driving a horse and cart. Britta opens the gate for him, and he thanks her by giving her a little yellow seed, with instructions to plant it, water it, and she'll see something very funny. To her astonishment, a doll begins to grow in her garden After harvesting, Britta learns that her new doll is much more special than she could ever have guessed.”

Buy English copy

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

✨

Mio, min Mio (Mio’s Kingdom)

“With help from a genie, young Karl Anders Nilsson travels by day and night, beyond the stars, to reach Farawayland. There, his father the King, who has been searching for him for nine long years, tells him his true name is Mio, and lavishes upon him the loving attention he never received from his foster parents back in Stockholm. Mio learns of a prophecy that has been foretold for thousand of years. With his best friend Pompoo, and his horse with the golden mane, Miramis, he must travel into the darkness of Outer Land to battle the cruel Sir Kato.”

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Lillebror och Karlsson på taket (Karlsson on the Roof)

“Imagine Smidge's delight when, one day, a little man with a propeller on his back appears hovering at the window! It's Karlson and he lives in a house on the roof. Soon Smidge and Karlson are sharing all sorts of adventures, from tackling thieves and playing tricks to looping the loop and running across the rooftops. Fun and chaos burst from these charming, classic stories.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy  

✨

Rasmus på luffen (Rasmus and the Vagabond)

“Dreaming of a home of his own, Rasmus runs away from the orphanage and meets Paradise Oscar, a remarkable tramp who takes Rasmus along on his travels, where they encounter adventure from both robbers and police.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Sunnanäng 

A fairytale collection, contains four short stories.

Sunnanäng (The Red Bird) 

“Two very different orphans, Matthew and Anna, are sent to live with the stern farmer in Myra. The work is hard; the food is scarce; the days are cold. But then Anna and Matthew follow the red bird to Sunnymead, where they find hope, sunshine, and in the end, freedom.”

Buy English copy

🍄

Spelar min lind, sjunger min näktergal (My Nightingale is Singing)

“Maria finds a miraculous way to bring beauty and joy into the lives of the poor and elderly who live in the poorhouse and to share some of her own love of nature with others.“

Buy English copy

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Madicken (Mardie)

“Seven-year-old Mardie lives with her family; her Mum, Dad, little sister Lisbet and their housemaid Alva, in a big, beautiful house called ‘Junedale’, in a Swedish provincial town during the First World War. Mardie wants to be a good and well-mannered girl, but it isn’t always easy. The world is just so full of exciting things to do, try and explore.

Mardie is fearless and she often ends up in somewhat sticky situations that she has to use all her wits to get out of.  She climbs trees, flies aeroplanes and jumps off roofs. But more than anything Mardie is sensitive and has a big heart. From her privileged position she observes the world and notices all the suffering and injustices. She has an endless capacity for empathy and kindness. In that regard she practises what her Dad, the radical newspaper editor, writes about in his paper – solidarity with the poor and vulnerable.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Lotta på Bråkmakaregatan (The Children on Troublemaker Street)

“Look out -- here comes trouble! Jonas, Maria, and Lotta Nyman don't mean to make trouble, but because their idea of fun is to stick salami on the windows, keep the water running from the kitchen faucet until the sink overflows, and lower meatballs down through the chimney, trouble just seems to follow them.... With the Nyman kids around, anything can happen!“ 

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Emil i Lönneberga (Emil of Lonneberga)

“Whether he's teaching his pet pig to dance, being chased by a mad cow or wrestling a robber, Emil's adventures never stop. Hens, dogs, little sisters - and adults - all flee his path. But Emil doesn't mean to be bad, it's just that trouble - and fun - follow him wherever he goes.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy 

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Vi på Saltkråkan (Seacrow Island)

“The four Melkerson children are a little bit worried on reaching Seacrow Island, where their father has rented a cottage for the whole summer without even setting eyes on it. On the boat a man told Pelle, the youngest Melkerson, that the cottage’s roof leaks. They disembark in the pouring rain. Seacrow Island, however, turns out to be full of all sorts of wonderful surprises. Pelle loves animals, and here he finds Bosun, the most gigantic dog he’s ever seen, along with his irrepressible owner, Tjorven. Johan and Niklas meet Teddy and Freddy, two girls, as it turns out, who know all about boats and exploring. As for nineteen-year-old Malin, she falls in love for the first time. By the end of the summer, all four children and their father know that Seacrow Island is home.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Bröderna Lejonhjärta (The Brothers Lionheart)

“The two main characters are two brothers; the older Jonatan and the younger Karl. The two brothers' surname was originally Lion, but they are generally known as Lionheart. Karl's nickname is Skorpan (Rusky) since Jonatan likes these typical Swedish toasts or crusts. In Nangijala, a land in "the campfires and storytelling days", the brothers experience adventures. Together with a resistance group they lead the struggle against the evil Tengil, who rules with the aid of the fearsome fire-breathing dragon, Katla.”

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

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Ronja Rövardotter (Ronia, the Robber's Daughter)

“Ronia, who lives with her father and his band of robbers in a castle in the woods, causes trouble when she befriends the son of a rival robber chieftain.“

Buy Swedish copy | Buy English copy

[selkie-elf]

Brothers Lionheart Au

Was this whole AU born out of the way I draw Magnus’s hair and keep calling him Magnus Lionmane?”

So have you all read Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren? Well, if you have not, I strongly recommend, but still, I hope you can enjoy this small Au I made up. If You are planning to read the book, mild spoilers I think? This is just blabbering and throwing ideas in to the air, nothing serious.

- Magnus = Jonatan, Angus= Karl

- Magnus is Angus’s big brother (adopted or biological, it doesn’t really matter.) in his late teens and very much being the one who takes care of Angus, who is very sick. He tells him stories about the life after death and comforts the little brother. He also comforts him by saying that ten years in their world is merely a day in the afterlife, so Angus doesn’t even have to wait that long for him. And when Magnus is going to die, there is going to be a white dove that will help Magnus to find his little brother again. 

- Like in the book, one day their house catches on fire, and Magnus and Angus have try and jump from their window to get away from the flames. Magnus makes himself a shield,softening Angus’s fall. Magnus dies on impact, leaving Angus is alone. 

- Angus dies soon after due of his sickness, seeing the promised white dove from Magnus’s stories as he falls asleep. 

- Angus is a bit confused at first when he wakes up in Cherry Valley, but following the dove, quickly being reunited with Magnus. 

- Magnus jokes about how it took Angus so long, and how they have so much to do. All the nice stuff, like fishing and horse riding happens. 

-On Cherry valley they meet Lucretia, the dove keeper (= Sofia in the original story. I mean it fits Lucretia so well!)

- The Golden Rooster has now turned in to the Golden Spider and is being run by Magic Brian (=Jossi).

- Angus and Magnus learn about things going on Rose Thorn valley. About a man called John, keeping the valley in the state of fear with the power of the Hunger, a big horrendous dragon said to be made of only eyes and dark matter, that you can’t escape from. But no one really knows, no one has come back alive. 

- Magnus says that he is going to go and fight with the rebellion. Angus however follows him, after a bad dream. And since he still is the world’s best detective, he  can follow on his tracks. 

- On his way to find his brother again, he finds out that Brian is a traitor as he meets with some guards of John. Getting caught by the two of John’s soliders (people taken over by the Hunger itself or maybe other taz villains? Edward and Lydia could work!)

- He lies, that he got lost and that his grandpa lives in Rose Thorn valley. 

- The elves lead the small boy to the heavily guarded Rose Thorn Valley, and Angus starts hugging the first grandfather he sees on the streets. 

- Thankfully, the old man plays along, tho he is a bit annoyed by the situation. Old man Merle (Mathias in the original story) helps Angus to get away from the guards. 

- Back at Merle’s house Angus finds out that Magnus has been living in Merle’s cellar, and is getting some attention as a hero of the rebellion. But Angus is more happy to just see his brother alive. 

- Merle reveals that he too is part of the rebellion, and so is Lucretia, her white doves working as message carriers for the rebellion. 

- Magnus tells about their plans of saving the leader of the rebellion called Davenport, that has been captured by the John and locked to the cave of The Hunger. Angus, though he is small, he wants to fight too. And become a true rebel. And so the brothers start planning their rescue mission.

I am really sorry but I just can’t really find a way for Barry or the twins to fit in to this au? Maybe they are all still well and alive living in 1960 fantasy Stockholm.

Also yes Karm is the Purple worm.  

[jonathanlejonhjarta]

7 12 19 49

thank you :–) 

7. What is a book that you feel glad for not reading?the m*rtal instrume/nts. i just know i wouldn’t enjoy that series, so glad i didn’t waste my time :–) 

12. What book do you passionately hate?hate is a very strong word and at first i thought that there is no book i really hate, but then i remembered the existence of lolita. so that’s my answer 

19. Have you read a book set on another planet? What is it?sci-fi and stuff are not really my thing,, like i’ve listen to the fiction podcast the penumbra podcast and that’s the closest i’ve gotten to sci-fi and other planets n stuff.. so the answer is no :–(

49. What book has inspired you?ronja the robber’s daughter & the brothers lionheart have always been there and they means so much to me. the author astrid lindgren not only tells amazing stories but also was a rebel and a strong woman and i just. she means so much to me. ronja was my hero when i was younger and jonatan lionheart is a rolemodel. when i grow up, i’m going to be like him. 

[trans-elrond]

The Brothers Lionheart (1977) dir. Olle Hellbom: Brothers Jonatan and Skorpan lead a revolution against the tyrant Tengil in the magical afterlife land of Nangijala.

Stills & synopsis from imdb

[flyingassassin]

Favourite Unmade Movies   |  The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren

Carl is sick and he knows he is going to die, but he isn’t afraid. His older brother Jonatan had told him that when he dies he will go to Nangijala, land of endless summer nights filled with bonfires, adventures and the scent of cherry blossoms. A land where Carl will be able to walk again, even run and swim.

“You won’t even have time to miss me.” Jonatan had said, stroking Carl’s sweaty brow. “But I’ll have to live all my life without my baby brother.”

Jonatan had been wrong, though; The fire had seen to that. Jonatan had picked Carl up and jumped out the window, saving Carl, but dying himself from the fall. Now Carl is the one left behind, but he won’t have to wait for long, because there is a white dove on his window sill and Carl can almost smell the cherry blossoms.

[scoutbokmal20]

This gave me some feelings.

In the Swedish children's book Brothers Lionheart, after having reached Nangijala (basically the afterlife, here a fantasy world where it is still the time of stories and campfires) the brothers Jonatan and Karl Lejon (Lion) take on the last name Lejonhjärta (Lionheart). This last name also has another connotation, but I don't want to spoil overly much.

Anyways, I can really recommend this book, even to adults. As is usual for Lindgrens books, she had a tendency to tackle heavier topics than is usual for the genre; such as death, tyranny, suicide, betrayal etc.

[ebaeschnbliah]

Astrid Lindgren on her desk ..... in Vimmerby, Sweden

Jonatan: "You know I can't kill another man."

Orvar: "Oh Jonatan, if everyone thought like you, Evil would have prevailed a long time ago."

Skorpan: "If everyone thought like Jonatan there wouldn't be no evil."

Brothers Lionheart

Thank you @loveismyrevolution for this lovely gift and reminding me once again of one of my most favourite books.  :))))))

[tolkienenthusiast]

The Lord of the Rings | Similar Books (Children’s Fantasy)

The following are fantasy children’s books that were introduced to me during my own upbringing. Although they are categorised as children’s books, I have no doubt that (young) adult readers will get just as much pleasure out of reading them. I feel that they are very much in the spirit of Tolkien as both incorporate elements such as folk tales and poetic narratives.

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter (1981), by Astrid Lindgren

Set in early-medieval Scandinavia, in a woodland filled with mysterious folkloric beings, it tells the story of Ronja, the daughter of the robber chief Mattis. Ronja is born on a stormy night on which the fortress of her father is split in two by a lightning stroke. The years go by and on her many excursions to the forest, Ronja comes to befriend Birk, the son of the robber chief Borka—her father’s archenemy. The two soon develop a friendship that eventually blossoms into a brother-sister bond.

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter is a beautiful yet simple story about forbidden friendship, feud and, eventually, forgiveness, set in a mystical world inspired by Nordic folklore that is sure to appeal to any Tolkien-reader.

The Brothers Lionheart (1973), also by Astrid Lindgren

Perhaps Lindgren’s darkest book, The Brothers Lionheart follows the story of two brothers: Karl and his older brother Jonatan. The beginning of the book is set on Earth, in an unnamed city somewhere in Sweden. Karl has been sick and bedridden for a long time and it seems very likely that he is going to die, and the thought of it scares him. One night, when the fear takes over, his older brother Jonatan, with whom he has an inseparable bond, comforts him. He tells Karl of a place called Nangijala, where you go after you die. A medieval place of bonfires and adventures to be had every day, located somewhere beyond the stars. Karl is eased for the time being, but the thought that he should have to arrive alone in Nangijala before Jonatan troubles him dearly. Not long after, there is a fire in the building. Karl is stuck in bed upstairs. Before anyone can stop him, Jonatan rushes up to his brother’s aid and, with Karl on his back, jumps out the window—the only escape route. Karl survives the fall; Jonatan does not. Karl is devastated over the loss of his older brother, though he too passes away shortly after, and the two brothers are happily reunited in the Cherry Valley of Nangijala. Karl, however, soon comes realise that all is not as well as it seems in that land. The adjacent Thorn Rose Valley, located across the mountains, has been taken over by an evil tyrant Tengil, who controls a fire-breathing dragon named Katla. Jonatan, being part of a resistance movement, must travel over the mountains to restore their only hope; Karl, in the meanwhile, is left alone at home but soon follows after his brother.

The Brothers Lionheart is a beautifully written story about platonic love between two brothers. It is also a story about death, rebellion, betrayal, tyranny, pacifism and hope. Its medieval context and the battle between good and evil correlates to the same themes that run through Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and just like it, it is a book that stays with you long after you read it.

(*Disclaimer: Seeing that I am Nordic myself, I have only read these books in my native language and therefore am not sure how the names of places and characters mentioned correspond with the English versions.)

[seatats]

I was tagged to do this by the lovely @chocolatechippotts, thank youuu!  😍

Rules: tag 20 followers you want to get to know better

Name: Claudia

Nicknames: Dia is the only one that I’ve heard some people use, the rest of the nicknames I’ve had came from my surname

Star Sign: Leo ♌ 

Height: 5′6 which is like 169cm? something around that

Sexual Orientation: I’m not going to be original here but I like really really really would love to marry Kristen Stewart. Or Ed Sheeran. Or anyone who’s Irish actually. OR NOEL FIELDING if anyone knows who that is omg. I could go on but yeah my “sexual orientation” whatever that even is is a bit chaotic right now.

Hogwarts House: I heard there is a way to check on-line but I’ve never done that so I don’t know if it’s actually true but I would say probably Gryffindor just because I can be really annoyingly righteous sometimes. I just don’t like injustice man idk

Favorite Color: honestly, the color of Louis Tomlinson’s eyes. except for clothes, for clothes I like black

Favorite Animal: any type of dog and cat, also lions because fierce and any type of wild cats tbh. and elephants, elephants are great and I wish I had their chill personality

Time Right Now: 01:24

Cat or Dog Person: I honestly can’t chose, because I kind of have both

Favorite Fictional Character: I can’t name just one. I answered this the other day so I’ll just repeat those and add some I forgot last time. So like I said any character from the HP books though Sirius, Bellatrix and Lucius were my favourites, apart from that Jonatan from the Astrid Lindgren book “The Brothers Lionheart”, also Holden from “The Catcher in the Rye” AND last time I didn’t realise it didn’t have to be just books which opens a whole world of TV shows to discuss which you do not want me to do so I’m just going to say HERNANDO FROM SENSE8 I LOVE YOU 

Favorite Singer/Band: This is a complicated matter because I like most music that isn’t techno. So my favourites are a really weird bunch of completely different types of artists: Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Ed Sheeran, Rage Against The Machine, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Joy Division, Flume, Disclosure and One Direction... yeah.

Dream Job: Um... I’d very much like to be a war correspondent or just a reporter who gets to travel a lot and do crazy shit that could potentially get me killed, that’s the dream. Or a writer so I can just imagine all that crazy shit and write about it.

When Was This Blog Created: it’s just like 6 months old, I’m a baby blog 👶

Current Number of Followers: Idk why but I think it’s like faux-pas to give your follower count so I’m not going to say but I’m so grateful for each and every one of you, come talk to meee  😍

What Made You Decide to Make a Tumblr: I ask myself this question every single day

Why Did You Pick Your URL: well Cristiano and Ricardo are the power couple of the football world so I think it’s self explanatory. also, it kind of fits Larry too because HUSBANDS and because Louis loves football and I LOVE football Louis

I tag @78669 @cricky-renaldo @leons-goretzkas @matheror @crickiesthalochild @angeliclp @youfuckingloosah @loveglitteryangelstudent @somanythoughtsandno1curr @flouisboyante @thegirlinthemirrorposts @calums-ass-louis-sass @dunkirkcurls @hugsandlove @the-magnus-effect @youthfulouis @crickyandme @crickyislove Ignore this if you’ve done it already! Also, if you feel like doing this and I didn’t tag you then literally just tag me as the one who tagged you lol I’m basically tagging everyone is what I’m saying okay bye 💕

[erdarielthewhumper]

I don't remember any particular movie or book that I'd have enjoyed as a kid because of whump, but I can tell you that whenever I played with barbies/Little Petshop toys/legos/whatever alone, I always managed to fill the stories with violence, even outright whump. When I played with someone else, sure enough it was all fun and nice and the sort of thing kids play in advertises, but on my own... well, suddenly the barbie missing a leg and the mangled part-melted astronaut lego figure mum had found outside (our best guess is someone at some point strapped it into a fireworks rocket and that's why it's like that) suddenly had very Dark backstories always. Evil Dark Lords and bad Queens and all kinds of things appeared in the tales I told myself with those.

Of course I and probably anyone else if anyone knew, assumed that it was because mum had read me fantasy as bedtime stories about as long as she thought I could take it, and a certain amount of violence is... well, not inherent, but very typical in fantasy. And Narnia, Hobbit, Chronicles of Prydain all were read to me before I was 10. As were Tolkien's non-Middle-Earth children's fairytales. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents was read to me at a fairly young age too. As was The Dark is Rising (though for that I might've been a little older). I started reading Harry Potters when I was nine or ten too. Tiffany Achings -books (minus Shepherd's Crown which was only published later) - I might've been ten. Throw in the regular fairytales of course too. Oh, and Astrid Lindgren's Ronia the Robber's Daughter, Mio My Son, and Brothers Lionheart (I mean, seriously, Brothers Lionheart kicks off with both the brothers dying and going to afterlife, there joining an underground resistance against an Evil Dark Lord, uncovering the traitor in the resistance, and literally ends with the boys dying again, as Jonatan is paralyzed by the dragon's fire and asks Skorpan to help him die, and Skorpan's obvs not gonna get separated from Jonatan again, so he takes Jonatan and jumps off a cliff into a river far below... and I'm exaggerating absolutely nothing in this. And in Mio My Son, Mio is transported into a magical land threatened by the Evil Knight Kato, and eventually goes off to face him. And is captured, and I honestly can't describe how absolutely frightening the last few chapters of it are to me even now years later, and he's only saved by magical items, and let's not discuss how Fucked Up the scene where Kato dies is, that was just... always so sad to me, despite Kato being scary as fuck.)

And all those tales contain, well, I'm not sure if all have violence, and certainly not whump-scale violence, but there's at least a threat of violence or death in each, in some characters actually get hurt, in a few of those, some characters even die (although Maurice and Dangerous Beans or whatever his name was don't really count since Maurice has more than one life and bargains with Death to use an extra life to save Dangerous Beans). And above all, there's magic and scary dark stuff to overcome. So I guess that has heavily influenced my tolerance (and enjoyment) of fictional violence. Of course only when I discovered fanfiction when I was I think 12 or 13 or something did I start to read angst and hurt/comfort for their own sake, rather than as a part of a story, and seeking out specifically it rather than any other fanfiction genre. And only some year and a half ago did I discover the term whump. But I definitely enjoyed characters getting hurt and being in danger even as a kid, so no worries, you're not weirder than any of us!

I feel kind of like a freak because I've been into whump ever since I was a small child. Like, six years old kind of small child. Is there something wrong with me?

No, most whump lovers realize they like whump without knowing the name. Plus a lot of us rewatch our favorite movies like “ohhhh now I get why I liked rewatching this certain scene over and over!” Plus, like someone explained, whump is just about fiction.

[boneless-mika]

Fav book and fav song?

I can’t believe you took time to send me a question, I feel loved. 

My favorite book is The Brothers Lionheart, it’s a Swedish children’s book about these 2 brothers called Jonatan and Karl Lejon (lejon means lion btw) who die, and the older brother, Jonatan, has told Rusky (that’s Karl’s nickname, it’s ”Skorpan” in Swedish) about this land, Nangijala, that you go to when you die, then Jonatan dies(I won’t tell you why bc spoilers) and after that Rusky dies from tuberculosis, and the book is about their adventures trying to overthrow a tyrant in Nagijala. I didn’t mean to tell you this much, but I literally can not stop talking if you ask me anything about this book. 

My favorite song is Bullet by Hollywood Undead!