#King Dagda

[magicveiled]

THE GODS OF THE SEELIE COURT & THEIR FCs // pt. 1

Balor - High King / Leader of the Fomorians/enemies of the Tuatha dé Danann

FC: Ian McShane from American Gods

Territory: all of Dubnos - AKA “the Hells”

Manannán mac Lir - Warrior King / God of the sea

FC: Jason Mamoa

Territory: Mag Mell & Emain Ablach ( island paradise of the Otherworld )

Aengus - God of youth, summer, love, and poetry

FC: Aneurin Barnard

Territory: Tír na nÓg

The Dagda - Chief/General of the gods

FC: Magnus Bruun Nielsen from The Last Kingdom

Territory: Mag Mell - land of greatness achieved through honorable death in battle

The Morrígan - Goddess Queen of war, magic, & death

FC: Anya Chalotra from The Witcher (main) Linda Cardellini (alt)

Territory: Mag Mell - land of greatness achieved through honorable death in battle

Lugh - Warrior King & God of the sun & arts

FC: Henry Cavill from The Witcher

Territory: Mag Mell - land of greatness achieved through honorable death in battle

Danu - High Queen of the faeries / head of the Tuatha dé Danann ( the people/children of the goddess Danu)

FC: Charlize Theron from Snow White and The Huntsman

Territory: all of Albios - AKA “the Heavens”

Brigid - Goddess of Healing, Fertility & Protection

FC: Elle Fanning from Sleeping Beauty

Terriroty: Tír na nÓg - paradise / “the land of youth, health, and beauty”

[burntears]

If I ever had to explain the path I followed in figuring out inspiration . . .

[alchemisland]

Tara of the Kings

Smoking joints in the trenches surrounding Tara Barring Yank crowds and cawing crows no sounds Snakeless pre and post-Patrick, Catholic mythmaker Using shamrocks to illustrate Christian hat tricks Patron saint of patience waiting on eighths High samhraidh on Tara’s hills, Dowth-surrounded Bizzarre visions, ancestral visitations, cognitive invasions Solar placement, erection without…

[monstrsball]

screaming shaking crying LAGLER I WILL AVENGE YOU. what the hell. what the hell. why did people vote easthies over lagler. don’t even look at me. i’m distraught (didn’t know this tournament existed until five minutes ago)

[sweetsummerboi]

Colum's Excalibur

[greenwitchcrafts]

June 2024 witch guide

Full moon: June 21st

New moon: June 6th

Sabbats: Litha/Summer Solstice- June 20th

June Strawberry Moon

Known as: Aerra Litha, Birth Moon, Blooming Moon, Brachmanoth, Dyad Moon, Egg Laying Moon, Green Corn Moon, Hatching Moon, Hoer Moon, Honey Moon, Lovers Moon, Mead Moon, Moon of Horses, Moon of Making Fat, Partner Moon, Rose Moon & Strong Sun Moon

Element: Earth

Zodiac: Gemini & Cancer

Nature spirits: Sylphs & Zephyrs

Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Bendis, Cerridwen, Green Man, Ishtar, Isis, Neith & Persephone

Animals: Butterfly, frog, monkey & toad

Birds: Peacock & wren

Trees: Maple & Oak

Herbs: Dog grass, meadowsweet, moss, mugwort, parsley, skullcap & vervain

Flowers: Lavender, orchid, tansy & yarrow

Scents: Lavender & lily of the valley

Stones:  Agate, Alexandrite, cat's eye, chrysoberyl, emerald, fluorite, garnet, moonstone, ruby & topaz

Colors: Gold, green, orange & yellow

Energy:  Abundance, balance, change of residence, communication, decision making, education, family relations, full & restful energy, love, marriage, prosperity, positive transformation, prevention, protection, public relations, relationships, responsibility, strength, tides turning, travel & writing

While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance.

• June's full Moon is typically the last full moon of spring or the first of summer. The June Full Moon will be extraordinary. For the first time since 1985, Full Moon happens precisely on the summer solstice, when the Sun is highest up. Because the Full Moon is always opposite the Sun, this year, you will see that the Moon is 10 widths lower on the horizon than the Sun ever is. 

This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.

Litha

Known as: Alban Heruin, Summer Solstice & Whit Sunday

Season: Summer

Element: Fire

Symbols: Besom, fairies, God's eyes, sunflowers & symbols of the sun

Colors: Blue, gold, green, orange, red, tan & yellow

Oils/Incense: Cinnamon, frankincense, heliotrope, lavender, lemon, lily of the valley, mint, musk, myrrh, orange, orange pine, pine, rose, saffron, sandalwood & wisteria

Animals: Cattle, crab, horse & octopus

Birds: Goldfinch, kingfisher, meadowlark, owl, robin & wren

Mythical: Fairies

Stones: Bloodstone, diamond, emerald, jade, lapis lazuli & tiger's eye

Food: Ale, bread, cheese, edible flowers, garden fresh vegetables & fruit, lemons, meade, milk, oranges, pumpernickel bread, summer squash & wine

Herbs/Plants: Anise, basil, betony, cinquefoil, copal, elder, fennel, fern, frankincense, galangal, hemp, ivy, larkspur, lemon, lemon balm, mistletoe, mugwort, mullien, nettle, orange, orpin, plantain, rue, saffron, sandalwood, St.John's wort, thyme, verbena, vervain, wild thyme & ylang-ylang

Flowers: Carnation, chamomile, daisy, heather, heliotrope, honeysuckle, lavender, lily, marigold, orchid, rose, wisteria & yarrow

Trees: Elder, holly, laurel, linden, oak & pine

Goddesses: Amaterasu, Aine, Anahita, Dea, Cerde, Dag, Dana, Eiru, Fenne, Gwydion, Kupala, Mabd, Phoebe, Skhmet & Sul

Gods: Apollo, Baal, Balder, Bel, The Dagda, Donnus, El, The Green Man, Helios, Huon, Jupiter, Llew, Loki, Lugh, Maui, Mithras, Oak/Holly King, Ogmios, Ra, Surya, Thor & Zeus

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Agriculture, changes, divination, ending, fertility, life, light, manifestation, power, purpose, strength, success & unity

Spellwork: Fire & water magick

Activities:

• Charge and cleanse your crystals in the solstice sun

• Make Sun water

• Create crafts with natural elements such as flowers

• Burn a paper with things that no longer serve you or that you are trying to let go

•  Invite friends & family over for a bonfire and/or feast

• Gather & dry herbs for the upcoming year

• Clean, decorate & cleanse your altar with summer symbols

• Brew some sun tea

• Take a ritual bath/shower with flowers

• Make your own sun dial

• Craft a door wreath out of flowers & herbs

• Enjoy some sunrise/sunset yoga

• Volunteer at a food kitchen or animal shelter

• Plant trees (especially ones that may provide fruit or berries to feed the wildlife)

• Watch the sunset & say a blessing to nature

• Make flower infused anointing/spell oils

• Eat fresh fruits & berries

• Participate in a handfasting

• Create shadow art

The history of Litha reveals its deep connections to ancient agricultural societies & their reliance on the sun's power. Celebrated as part of the Wheel of the Year, Litha symbolizes the balance between light & darkness. Throughout history  customs such as bonfires, herb gathering & the construction of sunwheels have marked this festival. Today, Litha continues to be celebrated by various communities, with gatherings at sacred sites & private rituals in natural settings. It serves as a reminder of our connection with nature and the cycles of life.

• The traditions of Litha appear to be borrowed from many cultures. Most ancient cultures celebrated the summer solstice in some way such as the Celts celebrated Litha with hilltop bonfires & dancing. Many people attempted to jump over or through the bonfires for good luck. Other European traditions included setting large wheels on fire & rolling them down a hill into a body of water.

Litha is often associated with Midsummer, a celebration that extends beyond the pagan and Wiccan traditions. Midsummer festivities are observed in many cultures around the world, including Scandinavian countries where it holds a prominent place in their cultural heritage. Midsummer dances, bonfires, & feasts are integral parts of these celebrations, often accompanied by folklore and traditional rituals that honor the sun's energy and the abundance of nature during this time.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year & in some traditions, Litha is when The Sun(The God) is symbolically at it's peak time of power & the World will soon be ripe to harvest. It is also when The Goddess is pregnant with The God who is to be reborn at Yule.

• In the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. It marks the start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In contrast, the June solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky, marking the start of winter.)

Some also believe the history & spirit of Litha revolve around two deities, The Oak King & The Holly King. In Wiccan and Neo-Pagan traditions, each King rules the Earth for half of the year. From Yule to Litha, the Oak King rules. On Litha, the two battled for the crown and it is then that the Holly King triumphs. The Holly King will rule through fall until Yule, and the cycle will begin again.

Related festivals:

• Vestalia- June 7th -15th

Was a Roman religious festival in honor of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth & the burning continuation of the sacred fire of Rome. It was held from 7–15 June & was reserved as a women's-only event. Domestic & family life in general were represented by the festival of the goddess of the house & of the spirits of the storechamber — Vesta & the Penates .

On the first day of festivities the penus Vestae (sanctum sanctorum of the temple of Vesta which was usually curtained off) was opened for the only time during the year, at which women offered sacrifices. As long as the curtain remained open, mothers could come, barefoot and disheveled, to leave offerings to the goddess in exchange for a blessing to them and their family.

For the last day, the penus Vestae was solemnly closed, the Flaminica Dialis observed mourning & the temple was subjected to a purification called stercoratio: the filth was swept from the temple and carried next by the route called clivus Capitolinus and then into the Tiber.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[isephierreo]

Details and analysis of 3H outfits

There is a reflection of the house color in the uniforms of students. Although the examples presented in the image are non-recruitable characters, when you recruit students, the color of the reflection in their uniforms will change to the color of your chosen house.

The Byleth academy uniform concept is based on the concept of student uniforms in modern japanese media. Such as the female uniform, which is based on a japanese female student uniform in terms of a hairband, short skirt, andwhite stockings. The male uniform is based on a uniform from the Taisho period.

Female summer clothing is based on the Patra's uniform with the color scheme reversed, the reason may be due to Petra's nature that adapts to hot weather. However, male summer clothing is based on Felix's uniform🤔

The evening wear consists of an Aiguillette which symbolizes honour, and a stylized design of Pellegrina which has a rhombus (males) and heart (females) shape on its edges, with a standard CoS pattern on the males sleeves and females skirts. The female skirts specifically are the same design as the nun's which both contain the pattern of Sothis' dress. Since the evening wear is intended to celebrate Garreg Mach's establishment, it is only natural that the design combines a formal uniform with CoS clothing.

Duscur

The children wear clothing similar to ancient Egyptian clothing, but the clothing of the man and woman closely resembles those of northern europe. (However, I may be wrong, so feel free to add to this post if you know more about the type of clothing of the Duscur people)

All clothing of the Duscur people of this feature a pixelated pattern, and color schemes of teal, light orange, vanilla, and red cords.

The design of their jewelry appears to be a mixture of wing symbols from cultures such as American Indians, Egyptians, and Persians.

Almyra

This man from the VW end mural wears clothing similar to Nader's, and with a color scheme similar to Claude's and the color purple, which symbolizes royalty in persian culture, he is very likely the king of Almyra.

What I found interesting is that although Almyra is inspired by Persian culture, Nader and king's clothing is similar to Tibetan clothing. However, this is not a problem, there is no shame in drawing inspiration from a number of different cultures to make a culture in a fantasy story, as is the case with Duscur.

Dagda

From the clothing of the man on the camel and the helmets of the soldiers, Dagda appears to be inspired by Ottoman culture.

The reason I believe they are from Dagda is because there are many Shamir's design elements at their design.

Well, my statement that "there is no shame in drawing inspiration from a number of different cultures to make a culture in a fantasy story," this is an example of the opposite.

This man from the CF end mural wears the emblem of the kingdom, but his clothing style is that of the alliance. Why🤔

To know the difference between the clothing style of Fodlan countries, read this.

[blackcrowing]

Important Facts about Samhain from an Irish Celtic Reconstructionist

Pronunciation

SOW-in or SOW-een ~NOT~ Sam-han, Sam-win etc.

Dates

Most reconstructionists celebrate Samhain on Oct 31-Nov 1, however some may choose to celebrate on Gregorian Nov 13-14 as this would match the Julian dates of Oct 31-Nov 1. Some also believe that it was a three day festival spanning Oct 31- Nov 2 on which Nov 2 is specifically devoted to ancestral veneration, but there is no specific evidence of this, only possible extrapolation from more modern practices.

Following the Celtic method of days beginning at sunset, regardless of the specific dates you choose to celebrate on your festivities should begin at sunset and end at sunset.

Importance in the Mythos

Ná Morrighan has a strong connection to this time of year thanks to the story of Cath Dédenach Maige Tuired (The Last Battle of Mag Tuired) in which she is found depicted as the ‘Washing Woman’ (sometimes washing herself in the river and other times washing the bloodied armor of the soldiers that would die that day), on the eve of the battle which is also Samhain. The Dagda approaches her and couples with her (creating the ‘Bed of the Couples’ along the bank of river and granting Dagda her blessing in the battle to come). This encounter seems to over emphasize the liminality of the encounter by taking place during the changing of the year and with the couple each standing with ‘one foot on either bank’ of the river.

She and her sisters (Badb and Macha) then use various forms of magic to rain destruction on their enemies (in the form of fire and blood). After the day is won Morrighan speaks a prophecy that describes what is taken by some to be the end of days and others to be the events which will later lead to the Ulster Cycle.

Beneath the peaceful heavens lies the land. It rests beneath the bowl of the bright sky. The land lies, itself a dish, a cup of honeyed strength, there, for the taking, offering strength to each There it lies, the splendour of the land. The land is like a mead worth the brewing, worth the drinking. It stores for us the gifts of summer even in winter. It protects and armours us, a spear upon a shield Here we can make for ourselves strong places, the fist holding the shield Here we can build safe places, our spear-bristling enclosures. This is where we will turn the earth. This is where we will stay. And here will our children live to the third of three generations Here there will be a forest point of field fences The horn counting of many cows And the encircling of many fields There will be sheltering trees So fodderful of beech mast that the trees themselves will be weary with the weight. In this land will come abundance bringing: Wealth for our children Every boy a warrior, Every watch dog, warrior-fierce The wood of every tree, spear-worthy The fire from every stone a molten spear-stream Every stone a firm foundation Every field full of cows Every cow calf-fertile Our land shall be rich with banks in birdsong Grey deer before Spring And fruitful Autumns The plain shall be thronged from the hills to the shore. Full and fertile. And as time runs its sharp and shadowy journey, this shall be true. This shall be the story of the land and its people We shall have peace beneath the heavens. Forever

(based on the translation by Isolde Carmody)

It is also mentioned in Echtra Cormaic that on this festival every seven years the high king would host a feast, it was at this time new laws could be enacted. (but it seems that individual Tuathas or possibly kings of the individual providence may have done this for their territories at Lughnasadh).

It seems to be a time considered especially susceptible to (or of) great change as it is the time which the Tuatha de Danann win victory over the Formorians and take control of Ireland, the invasion of Ulster takes place at this time in Táin bo Cúailnge, in Aislinge Óengusa Óengus and his bride-to-be are changed from bird to human and eventually he claims kingship of Brú na Bóinne at this time of year.

Celebration Traditions

Samhain is the beginning of the “dark half” of the year and is widely regarded as the Insular Celtic equivalent of the New Year. The “dark half” of the year was a time for story telling, in fact in this half of the year after dark is considered the only acceptable time to tell stories from the mythological and Ulster cycle (the Fenian cycle being assumed to be no older than the 12th century based on linguistic dating). Traditionally anything that had not been harvested or gathered by the time of this festival was to be left, as it now belonged to the Fae (in some areas specifically the Púca).

This was also an important time for warding off ill luck in the coming year. Large bonfires would be built and as the cattle were driven back into the community from the pastures they would be walked between these bonfires as a method of purification (the reverse custom of Bealtaine where the livestock were walked between the fires on their way out to the summer pastures). Assumed ritualistic slaughter of some of the herd would follow (though this perhaps had the more practical purpose of thinning the herd before the winter and creating enough food for the feasting). In some areas the ashes from these fires would be worn, thrown or spread as a further way to ward off evil.

Homes would be ritualistically protected from the Aos Sí (Fae or ‘Spirits’) through methods such as offerings of food (generally leaving some of the feasting outside for them), carving turnips with scary faces to warn them off (we now tend to do this with gourds), and smoke cleansing the home (in Scottish saining) traditionally with juniper, but perhaps rowan or birch might be an acceptable alternative. It is likely these would be part of the components used in Samhain bonfires as well, for the same reason.

Lastly based on later traditions as well as links in the mythology this is a time where divination practices or those with the ‘second sight’ were regarded to be especially potent.

Art Credit @morpheus-ravenna

[tainbocuailnge]

it sucks that all the knight parts of arknights ch11 are just not great. i think they're very good at writing the struggles and resistance of ordinary people through the salvation corps and people like miss golding and feist's grandma, and also at like the terror of facing powerful sarkaz in battle and amiya briefly experiencing the ancestral suffering of existing as a sarkaz and stuff like that, so from one scene to another the tension is maintained well enough even if i think the pacing isn't great. except when it's about the glasgow gang. when it's about them there's just suddenly nothing happening.

and it's not unclear what they're supposed to be contributing to the story here: victoria had been falling apart under the selfish greed of its nobility long before the sarkaz occupied the city, and to save victoria requires having a vision of how you want to define victoria, of what parts of victoria can and should be saved. the culture of victoria built much of its sense of honor and justice on the image of its (steam) knights so there is a message in the steam knights being missing and the heir to the throne and her knights being a street gang. what is worth swearing loyalty to as a knight when the difference between the throne and the people, between the concept and the lived reality of victoria is so vast? these are classic knight themes and very easy to work with because of how timeless they are. there is potential too in the contrast between victoria's lost knights (as an ideal warrior that fights to defend its homeland) versus the sarkaz mercenary soldiers (the reality of warriors fighting to reclaim and avenge a lost home) and how people like horn straddle the line. they touch on it briefly when golding laments that the play about the steam knights that she hoped would teach the kids knightly ideals only cements the image of the steam knights as a bludgeon against their enemies.

but every time the focus is on the actual royal heir and her knights they keep telling you the same shit. vina is an important figure. vina has an important choice to make soon. vina has much responsibility on her shoulders. vina has many people putting their trust in her to make an important choice soon because she is important. shit dude we've known that since the game released, we were all waiting for the main story to go to victoria and finally let her do shit, and now 2 chapters of 20+ stages in victoria later she's still not really done anything at all except stand around and have other people tell you how important she is and how she's definitely gonna do something important any moment now. all this effort to get her hands on the royal sword with hardly any indication of siege's own capabilities or convictions as a ruler. everyone in glasgow gang keeps gassing her up and she's just standing there.

so you end up not buying any of the knightly ideals they're talking about because for every time dagda or indra or morgan say they're protecting victoria and its future by sucking up to siege there's a factory worker risking it all and building a doohickey to actually make a stand with. and when you finally find the sword of victoria's kings your path is barred by the last steam knight who still moves through pure strength of will to protect the one thing he can still truly say is "the victoria he fought for", and you're not even obligated to actually fight him. man, what are we even doing here then.

[joydoesathing]

Names for the F03 Nightmare Residents (for my Genderswap AU)

So a reblog from @gabbbyyyyyyyyyy has prompted me to go ultra-nerd mode and search up genderwapped names for the 3rd floor nightmare residents

(i find them the most interesting since they're named after various chthonic gods from different mythological pantheons)

So just to preface, most (but not all) of the names of the residents are going to be very, very different from the og but i do have a basis and explanation (most of the names are either names of other earth/life and/or death gods of the same pantheon or figures related to the original namesake)

So here's what I thought up:

F03-01

Yan Luo would still retain the same name since the namesake character is already a male being on the kings of the Underworld in the Chinese pantheon

Orcus Dis Pater => Kore Despoina

Explanation: Both names are epithets of the goddess Persephone/Proserpina, Queen of the Underworld in the Greek/Roman pantheon and wife of Hades/Pluto (kinda like how "Orcus" and "Dis Pater" are alternate names of Pluto)

F03-02

Ishtar Ereskigal => Tammuz Nergal

Explanation: Tammuz and Nergal are the primary consorts of Ishtar and Ereskigal respectively in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Nergal is one of the gods of the Underworld and Tammuz is a fertility god like Ishtar, who later gets dragged down to the underworld after upsetting her for not properly mourning her suffering in the underworld at the hands of Ereskigal.

F03-03

Teutates Taranis => Erecura Andrasta

Explanation: Both names are names of goddesses in the Gaulish and Brittonic pantheon. Erecura is the goddess of death and fertility while Andrasta is the goddess of victory in war (i was going for a deity with the same "protector of people" vibe like Teutates)

Ah Puch Xibalbá => Ix Tab Xibalbá

Explanation: Xibalbá still gets retained here since that's just the name of the Underworld in the Maya pantheon. Ix Tab is the goddess of suicide by hanging and acts as a psychopomp to those who died by that method.

F03-04

Dagda Crom Cruach=> Dana Mor Rioghan

Explanation: Both are names of goddesses in the Irish pantheon. Dana is the hypothesized mother goddess that's also tied to agriculture. The Morrigan or Mor Rioghan is a goddess that rules over aspects of life and death (also the wife of Dagda)

Izanami Yomi => Izanagi Yomi

Explanation: Yomi is retained since it's just the name of the Underworld of the Japanese Shinto pantheon. Izanagi is one of the creator gods and brother/husband of Izanami, who descends into the Underworld to find his wife .

so that's all for nerd hour 🤓

[adracat]

Law of Casuality Write-Up (Pt.1?)

Warning!!: the following contains self-indulgence to the likes you’ve never seen before

Law of Causality: The proposition that everything in the universe has a cause and is thus an effect of that cause

Happy Sulemio week! Since it’s Fantasy Day, I decided to finally get cracking on this freeform analysis of my G-Witch series— Law of Causality. I’ve mentioned before this may be my favorite thing I’ve ever written. I was in a manic ADHD-fixation trance while writing this series. If you want the literary version of a triple-layer myth cake, this may be for you. I was considering an essay-style dissection but that’s taking too long. So here are my loose insights into this series as a whole!

Art by my friend Tay, or @TaruhtQarineXiV on Twitter

As Above, So Below: Where it all began. I’ve mentioned in the A/Ns that this was spawned from my deep looks into what the show was taking inspiration from (imo). It’s my little love letter to Sulemio and gwitch, which quickly grew into something more.

Queen in White/King in Red—Beyond the alchemy, I wanted titles that sounded fairytale-esque while also hinting toward another mythos. Hastur or the King in Yellow (Signalis and True Detective enjoyers know that name) The initial King in Yellow appears in Haïta the Shepherd as the benevolent god of shepherds; a domain Hastur shares with Mercury. The short story is about the impermanence of happiness and how it can only be found once you stop seeking it. It’s a theme I ran with for the entirety of LoC, particularly Elnora. The later incarnations of Hastur are malicious eldritch figures. Suletta vs Prospera 😊

On Faerytales: LoC is obsessed with cycles and the rhyming of history. To me, fairytales embody that perfectly. The oral traditions of them are never the exact same, flavored with variations throughout the years. It’s how we got mythology to local folklore to Brothers Grimm to Disney renditions. That’s why I used Eros and Psyche and Sleeping Beauty for Suletta and Miorine (I’m convinced the show does this too but ymmv)

The latter is inspired by the former with Psyche placed under a sleeping torpor Eros breaks. In Sleeping Beauty, the offending curse is a spindle and she’s barricaded by a witch in the form of a dragon. The Hawthorn serves as Mio’s ‘spindle’ as she suffers depression and isolation in the wake of her mother’s vanishing. Prospera (coded as witch Satan) is the dragon. Notrette is the fairies bearing gifts. In a twist, Suletta wakes her with Love as Anteros in the place of Eros. Yes I layered this cake excessively. It’s probably still confusing; I’m sorry.

Tldr; I used Sleeping Beauty alongside Greek myth.

Chaos and Night: Paradise Lost twisted into a toxic witch romance. One of the most insane ideas I’ve had, but I adore it to bits. Both Prospera and Notrette are vested to the teeth with mythology and theology.

Notrette: Besides Thelema’s Nuit/Babalon and cuing her as ‘God’, as a being of creation, opposed to the Devil, I fit so much into her character. She’s Lilith, Pandora, Circe, Ceres, Virgin Mary, the Morrigan, Ariadne, a deconstruction of the Mother Goddess from neopaganism, and the capricious Queen of Elphame from folklore.

Another figure I styled her after is White Boann, the Dagda’s mistress and wife to Nechtan (cognate with Nuada or the silver-hand) which is where you get the hazel tree link. Boann names her son Aengus because the Dagda was her ‘one desire’.

Circling back to Paradise Lost, she also plays the willing Eve who falls to Satan’s temptation in place of Miorine. There’s likely things I’m forgetting; I was so normal plotting her character.

Elnora: What can I say about this glorious wreck that wasn’t in the text? Venus, The red dragon Satan, the Beast from revelation, pagan Horned God, Neptune to Ceres, Theseus and Bacchus to Ariadne, Prometheus to Pandora, every Phosphoros, etc I’d be here all day. She’s coded as Orion the hunter who’s undone by Gaia and also the Teumessian fox to Suletta’s Laelaps. I mentioned she’s the riders of the apocalypse at the end too. White Rider is Suletta but her mom fulfills the rest; ‘Riding’ Vim as War, Riding Belmeria as Famine while wielding the ‘scales’ (Notrette as Libra) Finally, she wears the visage of death to bring Pestilence to the kingdom. I squeezed in the other omens of revelation with symbolism such as the crown of wormwood (Revelation 8:11)

When it comes to her role as Prometheus, I coded both Delling and Mio as birds of Venus (swallow and dove respectfully.) It’s meant to symbolize the ‘eagle’ devouring her was primarily herself all along. She was the architect of her ruin, lampshaded by Notrette from the beginning.

Remember Haïta the Shepherd? In the story, there is a maiden whom embodies the ephemeral nature of happiness. Notrette is Elnora’s transformative destruction into cathartic acceptance/happiness. In Paradise Lost, Satan succeeds at banishing Eve and Adam from the garden but similarly fails when he’s turned into a snake. She’s lucky I was more metaphorical.

I liberally used Revelation 12, the woman and the dragon, as well. Look at me shipping crackships from the Bible. This is mostly self-explanatory, ofc Christ is genderbent and a role shared by Sulemio. Mio’s allergy to iron doubles as a nod to this, since she doesn’t take her father’s kingdom in this universe.

There is more, such as Dionysis/Bacchus being a many-faced god with younger and older versions paralleling the Horned God’s dual aspects and the Dagda’s relationship to Aengus which led to me pitting Suletta as a lighter mirror of Elnora. But I’ll leave it here for now.

Writing this all out has me questioning what I was on, and how I can reproduce it. If you got this far, thank you for humoring my unabahed love for this world. Happy Fantasy Day, Sulemios! ❤️

[magicveiled]

You are my wife. My QUEEN. Act like it ! I may be your wife. But you will never be my KING.

[whencyclopedia]

The Mórrigan

The Mórrigan (also Morrighan, Môr-Riogain or Morrigu), usually referred to with the definite article, was a great warrior-queen goddess in Irish-Celtic mythology. She was most associated with inciting war, then stirring up the fury and frenzy of battle, and finally, as the bringer of death. The goddess was able to take any form of living creature she wished and she helped bring about the demise of the hero-warrior Cú Chulainn after he spurned her many attempts to seduce him as different animals. Her coupling with the Dagda, another major warrior-god, was an important part of the Samhain festival which the Celts celebrated to mark the beginning of a new year.

Names & Associations

The name Mórrigan, which may have several variations of spelling, means 'great queen', 'phantom queen', 'queen of nightmares' or, more literally, 'mare-queen'. She may have evolved from the ancient territorial goddess Mór Muman who was associated with the sun and kingship in southern Ireland. She is a war-goddess, and she is particularly associated with the fury of war, hence her 'demonic' nature and another name by which she is sometimes known, the 'queen of demons'.

Mórrigan is closely associated with two other war-goddesses: Badb and Macha (or alternatively Nemain). This trio is collectively known as the Mórrigna. Some scholars suggest that the trio of goddesses are simply different aspects of the Mórrigan as the triple aspect of gods is a common theme in Celtic religion which emphasises the potency of deities. Appropriately, then, all three goddesses are the daughters of Ernmas, the great mother deity, and their father is, in some tales, the sorcerer god Cailitin. The Mórrigan has one son, the evil figure Mechi, who has three hearts, each of which contains a serpent. Mechi's father is not named.

The Mórrigan has a terrible appearance, and it is this and her aggression which have a strong psychological effect on whoever she chooses during a battle. At the same time, the goddess can be sexually attractive. Consequently, the Mórrigan is both a symbol of destruction and fertility. The goddess has certain powers such as being able to predict the future and to cast spells. Even more impressive, she can change her form at will and become a beautiful young girl, the wind, or any animal, fish or bird. The creature she is most connected with is the crow or raven, which the Celts associated with war, death, and inciting conflict. This aspect of the Mórrigan may well be the origin of the banshee, a female fairy that figures in later Irish and Scottish mythology. The banshee foretells death in a household by letting out a loud plaintive wail and, though she is rarely seen in physical form, when she is, she is an old woman with long white hair.

Another figure from Celtic folklore (in Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany) associated with the Mórrigan is the 'washer at the ford'. This figure, sometimes envisaged as a young and weeping female, at others, an old and ugly woman, was considered an omen of death as she would make certain clothes being washed in a river ford the colour of blood. Whoever's clothes were thus marked was thought to be in imminent danger.

When dwelling in this world, the Mórrigan's home was thought to be a cave in County Roscommon in northwest Ireland. This cave was known as the cave of Cruachan and the 'Hell's Gate of Ireland' since it was believed to be a passage to the Otherworld. In one myth, the Mórrigan lures the woman Odras to her cave by having one of her cows stray inside. The goddess then changes the hapless mortal into a pool of water. Cruachan was regarded as the seat of ancient kings of Connacht and has been identified as part of the group of archaeological sites at Rathcroghan in County Roscommon.

Continue reading...

[talonabraxas]

Brigit, Druid Goddess Brigit is a ‘pan Celtic’ goddess, who was worshipped by both the Goidelic and Brythonic Celts in the British Isles and beyond. She is a solar deity, who once hung her mantle on a sunbeam. In Celtic mythology, Brigit is the daughter of the Morrighan and the Dagda, the Good God and Chief of the Tuatha de Danaan, the ancient fairy race of Ireland, and the sister of Ogma, who invented the Ogham alphabet. She was the wife of Bres, King of the Fomorians (who were at war with the Tuatha de Danaan). Brigit was said to have been the mediator of peace between the two ancient warring tribes. She was the mother of the Three Gods of Danu – Ruadan, Iuchar and Uar. These three Gods were said to have married the three princesses of Ireland – Eire, Fodhla and Banbha. In other sources, Brigid is the daughter of Boann, the Goddess of the River Boyne in Ireland. Boann (bo fhionn) means ‘white cow’, an association she shares with Brigid. Brigit is primarily the patron Goddess of poets, healers and smiths. She is also a patron of other womanly arts – midwifery, dyeing, weaving and brewing, and the guardian of children and farm animals – particularly cows. The island of Ireland itself is said to be the green mantle of Brigit. She is also said to be the patron of travellers, sailors, and fugitives. She is specifically a patroness to the Druids in her aspects of poetry (Bards), healing and prophecy (Ovates) and blacksmithing (Druids).

[gabbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

Little nicknames I would give the Nightmares because im very normal. Normal about them.

Xezbet: Bert on crack, Xaos’s even worse cousin, Gargamel.

Drugia: Droogie-woogie, Blue raspberry, Fluttershy. Blueretty

Barbatos: Durian, Bambam, Batos, Peach Cobbler, Barbie toes

Exael: Pinhead, Mayor of Frowntown

Abducius: Will Wood, Abdomen, Magnephobia (fear of magnets), Abdy,

Lilith: Lily, Lit, Birdbox

Anazareth: Annie, Oh Ana, Ballerina,

Chaugnar: King Babar, Chauga-Chauga-choo choo

Nyogtha: Frankie stein 2 mine.

Shub: Medusa, Snake eyes, ma’am? sorry ma’am?sorry ma’am? sorry

Zoth: Earthworm Zothy, Wyrm

Yog: unattractive ill-favored hideous plain plain-featured plain-looking unlovely unprepossessing unsightly displeasing disagreeable horrible frightful awful ghastly gruesome grisly unpleasant foul nasty grim vile shocking disgusting revolting repellent repugnant grotesque monstrous reptilian misshapen deformed disfigured homely not much to look at short on looks as plain as a pikestaff as ugly as sin fugly no oil painting huckery the guy from Twilight

Quachil: Quail egg, Angel of Darkness, Miss fortune, Little misfortune, Fukouya no Musume, 9 eyes

Yan Luo: Princess of Death, Kuchisake-onna

Orcus: Willy, Springtrap, Freddy five bear, purple guy #1

Ishtar: pesto, ratatoing, Remy, Ratatouille, Boogeyman, Notcha, tartare sauce, Tar-tar, “Unknown Specimen 5”

Teutates: Teutitties, Tates, Tutes, Teutsie roll/pop, “Monster 6”

Ah Puch: Sans undertale

Dagda: Dags, Daggy, Rags, Ragdolly, Strasheela, doll, dollface, Dagdy, Dagds, Raggedy Ann/Andy, Dog-da, good boy

Izanami: Izzy, Izzy Nami, Zanami, Izzyzz, Ring girl, TV lady Zazanami, Yang, She-who-invites,

[slotumn]

One thing that personally bugs me about certain fan interpretations wrt Almyra and 3H world beyond Fódlan: I think some fall into the trap of making Fódlan way more important than it actually needs to be/is implied by the game to be.

Such as, by connecting a bunch of other things in the world, including negative things, all back to Fódlan. Or for more specific examples, claiming Almyra/Almyrans as a whole (not just Almyrans in Fódlan or Almyrans who live near the border) are oppressed or victimized by Fódlan, in an overcompensating inversion of the "Almyrans are barbarians victimizing Fódlan" thing Fódlanis espouse in-game.

But the thing is, Claude already alludes to stuff in Fódlan being kinda insignificant relative to rest of the world in his support with Leonie:

and Almyra appears to be based off of Persian Empire and/or various other West and Central Asian empires; those empires were, historically, pretty damn strong, and the superpowers of their time.

Meanwhile, not only is Fódlan based on Europe in an era before their global dominance, it appears to be very long ways from being able to even attempt that in-universe due to factors like the isolationism/technological stagnancy. So I'd argue that it really doesn't make sense for canon-era Fódlan to have caused the types of problems colonialist Europe does/did in real life, or for the power dynamics between Fódlan and Almyra(/other lands) to be anything like their approximate real-life equivalents in recent history. And yeah Fódlan does bully Brigid/Duscur/Sreng, but this is the kind of bullying and subjugation you can see anywhere in the world at any point in time, not just in a world during and after European colonialism.

Plus nothing says that the historical development of 3H world post-canon has to resemble ours in any way— and I'd argue that things have already diverged significantly in the 3H world. Dagda, which appears to be the approximate equivalent of Americas, apparently knew of Fódlan much earlier than the irl equivalent (probably due to Elites fleeing there, Brigid, etc) and even invaded them a few times. Fódlanis did try a counter invasion on Dagda in the 700s, but again, this pretty explicitly failed, and as far as we can tell, they haven't tried it again since. (They just settled for beating up the nearby Brigid because it's the easy target rip)

But anyway, back to Almyra. While the Almyran playable characters we see in the game are affected by the Fódlan-Almyra border issues, they're probably the exceptions, not the norm. Whole reason Cyril got caught up is because he was originally from a border village, aka the periphery/fringe. Claude is a mixed kid. That's why it affects them, but for the vast majority of Almyrans who probably aren't in such circumstances… why would they care? Even if they're aware of it, there's a good chance there are many other problems that have nothing to do with Fódlan that they consider to be of equal or higher priority.

As for Almyran NPCs: Nader probably only cares about Fódlan due to his relationship with the king and queen and Claude, and Shahid appears to see Fódlan as a cheap punching bag for fast military/political valor (plus some personal shit related to Claude) which is literally the opposite of considering them a significant player in any way. Granted Shahid is arrogant and dumb but still, if Fódlan was considered a serious concern/threat on a general nationwide level, I'd think others in Almyra would have stepped up before this stupid prince dragged an army over. Like man the Almyran government really does not care what goes on at the Fódlan-Almyra border lol. If they did Cyril wouldn't be in the situation he's in (as he points out himself).

We do read about the invasion at Fódlan's Throat in the 900s, but because we only get records from the Fódlani POV, there's no way to tell how serious the Almyrans were about it, how significant their losses were by their own standards, how the failure of that specific invasion affected their assessment of Fódlan, etc. But considering the Almyrans still go raiding at the border at the time of canon for shits and giggles... I'm guessing they still do not see Fódlan as a significant threat. (And I'd say they're right to, if you look at wtf is going on in Fódlan during canon)

Combine this with, again, their real-life motifs and other tidbits in-game (apparently Almyra has the budget to just send over fleets to Leicester at the drop of hat), I think it's pretty likely that: 1. Almyra far overpowers Fódlan in most measures of national/regional power and it's not even close 2. Almyra might be pretty important to Fódlan (as a threat) but Fódlan is not that important to Almyra, and 3. in Almyra Claude (+maybe his dad?) is probably the odd one out for caring that much about Fódlan-Almyra relations.

In conclusion: Fódlan is clearly rife with problems and assholes, the game itself makes that clear. But what I think is a massive stretch is canon-era Fódlan being the most important place in the 3H world, including in negative ways, where they're responsible for problems in places we canonically have no evidence of them having significant influence in. Imo that's both contrary to what the game wants to say and makes the 3H world/setting less compelling; I think the sense that other lands have their own problems and agendas independent of the place that's the main focus is part of what makes this world feel grounded and rife for exploration, and it's a disservice to discard all that in favor of making everything revolve around Fódlan.