#Lithuania - Kingdom of Dragons

[psychicreadsgirl]

Pick a Novel: Keywords/prominent themes in your life

Pick the novel that draws your attention the most. If you can't decide between two, then look at the 2 readings. This is a general reading, so not everything will apply. Please take what resonates and leave what doesn't behind!

#1

Keywords: love, lust, passion, fun, temperament, cafe, sweet, bicycle, pen, books, music, loyalty, winter, sofa, furniture, thoughts, light, intuition, soulmate, art, obsidian, cake, carbonated water, skincare, socks, cooking

Celebrities/Public Figures: Audrey Hepburn, Min Yoongi, IU, Claude Monet, Angela Merkel, Andrew Carnegie, John Johnson, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Howard Schultz, Sam Walton, Amancio Ortega, Queen Elizabeth I, Jane Austen, Jennie Kim

Countries: Italy, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Greece, Madagascar, Qatar, Sweden, Zambia, Taiwan, Solomon Islands

Numbers: 11, 1, 5, 9, 80, 888, 6

Brands: Hermes, Tiffany, Apple, Instagram, Taobao, Lamborghini, Deloitte, Microsoft, Chopard, Givenchy, Patek Phillipe, Chloe, Alaia, Kraft,

Kpop songs: Young Forever by BTS, Shine by PENTAGON, Me Gustas Tu by GFRIEND, Run to You by DJ DOC, Love Lee by AKMU, Deja vu by TXT, Back Down by P1Harmony, Love shot by EXO

#2

Keywords: economy, job loss, new opportunities, play, drama, anger, frustration, lost, compass, computers, battery, feet, head, brain, summer, pearl, avocado, junk food, fried chicken, challenge, frugal

Celebrities/Public Figures: Grace Kelly, Billie Eilish, Keanu Reeves, Rosé, Jung Hoseok, Salma Hayek, Pablo Picasso, Princess Diana, Thomas Edison, Sergey Brin, Mary I, William Shakespeare, Lee Nayeon

Countries: New Zealand, USA, Maldives, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Lithuania, Nepal, Portugal, Poland, Lebanon, Mali, Netherlands

Numbers: 4, 99, 101, 33, 13, 14, 0

Brands: Masion Margiela, Amazon, facebook, Shein, PWC, Missoni, Moschino Couture, Toyota, citi bank, Chaumet, Polene, Pizza Hut,

Kpop songs: Love Dive by IVE, Shangri-la by VIXX, Sweety by Clazziquai, I NEED U by BTS, The Chaser by Infinite, Magnetic by ILLIT, My House by 2PM, ICY by ITZY

#3

Keywords: tales, gossip, lies, funny, movies, theatre, cell phone, cool, kpop, magenta, ancient, history, claws, cats, tiger, fall, jealousy, games, aquamarine, lemons, makeup, pencil, groceries

Celebrities/Public Figures: Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Morgan Freeman, Kim Seokjin, Jang Wonyoung, Matt Damon, Napoleon Bonaparte, Shinzo Abe, Steve Jobs, Voltaire, Kim Jisoo,

Countries: Ethiopia, France, Russia, Ireland, Argentina, Afghanistan, Libya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Pakistan, Morocco, Malta, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Iraq,

Numbers: 2, 7, 69, 25, 55, 79, 1182

Brands: Saint Laurent, miumiu, Starbucks, Mercedez-Benz, Nestle, Oracle, Tod's, Bulgari, Rolex, KFC, SUBWAY, Carrefour, Kellog's

Kpop songs: Supernova by aespa, Maestro by seventeen, Not by the moon by GOT7, Alone by Sistar, Hip by MAMAMOO, Good Day by IU, Bite Me by ENHYPEN, Work by ATEEZ, The Feels by TWICE

#4

Keywords: foreign, spicy, peppery, rice, no, objection, resistance, control, storms, thunderstorms, shower, tension, crush, pop, paper, mango, legs, fragrance, emerald, clothing rack, tomatoes, defeat,

Celebrities/Public Figures: Judy Garland, Margot Robbie, G-Dragon, Jeon Jungkook, Pharrell Williams, Emmanuel Macron, Bill Clinton, King Charles, Warren Buffet, Cleopatra, Kim Mingyu

Countries: South Korea, Philippines, Scotland, Spain, Albania, Guatemala, Malaysia, Iran, Romania, Honduras, Georgia, Croatia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Gambia, Guinea

Numbers: 31, 75, 412, 43, 486, 640

Brands: Chanel, Prada, Bentley, Gucci, Samsung, Disney, BMW, Hyundai, cisco, Van Cleefs & Arpels, Dior, Loro Piana, Shake Shack

Kpop songs: Gee by SNSD, If you by BIGBANG, Antifragile by LE SSERAFIM, Up and Down by EXID, OMG by NewJeans, Lion by (G)I-DLE, Hello by TREASURE,

#5

Keywords: death, mystery, mirror, reflection, shadow, black, grey, white, funeral, video, sprint, pool, gym, streets, metro, subway, chocolate, broken, knees, moon, ruby, surgery, teeth, race

Celebrities/Public Figures: Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama, Kate Winslet, Kim Taehyung, Aamir Khan, Marie Antoinette, Elon Musk, Robert F Kennedy, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Edward VIII, Charles Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, Park Bogum,

Countries: North Korea, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Germany, India, Israel, Laos, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Mongolia

Numbers: 3, 97, 17, 19, 52, 98

Brands: Ralph Lauren, Celine, Ferrari, Huawei, Uber, intel, UPS, Calvin Klein, Piaget, Guerlain, Berluti, Pepsi, Cadbury

Kpop songs: Shut down by Blackpink, Seven by Jeon Jungkook, God's Menu by Stray Kids, Love Love Love by Epik High, Very Nice by SEVENTEEN, Birthday by Jeon Somi, Psycho by Red Velvet,

#6

Keywords: travel, toxic, break away, departure, memory, dreams, truth, unveil, diary, journal, coffee, jacket, shoes, hands, social media, news, competition, autumn, diamonds, electricity, TV, cheat, fashion

Celebrities/Public Figures: Jane Birkin, Kim Jiwon, Gigi Hadid, Charlize Theron, Park Jimin, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Maximilien Robespierre, Bill Gates, Queen Elizabeth II, Vladimir Putin, Henry Ford, James Joyce, Lalisa Manobal

Countries: Japan, Australia, Mexico, Iceland, Finland, Eritrea, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Bolivia, Botswana, Bahamas,

Numbers: 8, 646, 152, 37, 49, 22

Brands: Louis Vuitton, Lexus, Tesla, Fendi, Walmart, Nike, Siemens, Google, Cartier, Burberry, Ferragamo, Burger King, Unilever

Kpop songs: ROCKSTAR by LISA, Cherry bomb by NCT 127, Move by Taemin, Dramarama by MONSTA X, Love Scenario by iKON, Get a Guitar by RIIZE, Replay by SHINee, Candy Sugar Pop by ASTRO, Mr. Simple by Super Junior

[joffyworld]

The dragons are hungry for the blood of tyrants

The motherland has dragons protecting the borders.

[forgottenroderick]

OOC | The Twelve Conquered Kingdoms & the Formal Style of the Emperor

antilla -- HOUSE OF RODERICK'S STEPMAMA, im sort of picturing a spain/portugal mashup || taken from a medieval iberian legend abt a mystical land founded by some visigothic bishop (antillia)

vinetta – think lithuania, latvia, poland, germany, etc || a mythical city at the edge of the baltic sea (vineta)

kvenheim – i was sort of envisioning norse scandinavia || the icy otherworld which the forst giants rule meets a mysterious lost island from medieval and norse legend (kvenland + jotunheim)

kolchis -- HOME OF HOUSE CALAINON, think medieval byzantium/greece || taken from greek mythology, the homeland of medea, the golden fleece, and the cholchean dragon (cholchis)

malakarta – the sun-soaked deserts of the middle east || an invisible realm meets the toll house located between the realm of light and the earth (malakut + matarta)

aarnu -- think egypt: a fertile river running through vast deserts || also known as the field of reeds, the sacred paradise ruled by osiris (aaru)

argadara – a whole country of vast mountains in the fantasy!himalayas || a legendary land located at the core of the earth meets a sacred mountain in the puranas (agartha + mount mandara)

xangadu – the most hospitable part of china basically -- their governing body was called a blogring ;D jk jk no but fr s/o to xanga rip || the mythologized summer capitol of kublai khan, used to represent opulence and splendor (xangdu/xanadu)

aotepo -- sort of pictured a chain of tropical islands! which is also interesting bc i feel like roderick's navy is kinda. ehhh so they def got a work out w this one! def think this was one of the more recent conquests too! || the polynesian realm of light meets its realm of darkness and the ancestors (ao + te po)

alytar – HOME OF HOUSE VASILIEVA, think medieval russia || taken from slavic myth where it is the navel of the earth, a rocky and sacred place, marked w ancient runes and endowed with healing powers (alatyr)

affaraon -- tis scotland ;D and, as such, i was thinking this was possibly a neighbor to astaira? || also known as the immortal land and the 'city of higher powers,' and the 'ambrosial city,' it is the legendary home of a sect of druids dedicated to metallugry and alchemy and is said to be located somewhere in scotland (dinas affaraon/ffaraon)

astaira -- HOME OF HOUSE STAFFORD, &c.

you will note that the og varmont nation is not included on this list, and that is purely bc he did not conquer it but, rather, inherited it. also, except for kolchis and astaira, ofc, these are all place holder names but [ i stole most of them from world mythologlies ] and sort of jostled them about a bit: for exmaple, xanadu aka xangdu is now XANGAdu for reasons ;DDD

INFORMAL STYLE OF THE TRUE EMPEROR

His Imperial Majesty, Roderick the First of His Name, by the Grace of the One True God, of the Great and Holy Empire of [Varmont] and Astaira and of His other Realms and Territories One True Emperor, Conquer of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and God’s Own Champion

FORMAL STYLE OF THE TRUE EMPEROR

His Imperial Majesty, Roderick the First of His Name, by the Grace of the One True God, of [Varmont], and of Antillia, Kolchis, Alatyr, Aarnu, Vinetta, Kvenheim, Aotepo, Argadara, Xangadu, Malakarta, Affaraon, and Astaira, and of his Dominions beyond the Seas, One True Emperor, Protector of Vyrajj, God-King of Kolchis, Archduke of the Two Isles and of the Shimmering Seas Overlord, King-Elector of the Astairans, Lord of the Two Lands, Sun-King of the Hauren, Divine Emperor of the Iddenese, the Freefolk, and the Cockaignians, Evenstar of Astaira*, Conqueror of the Twelve Kingdoms, Defender of the Faith, and God's Own Champion

*i hc that that's just the title of the ~lord of stafford~ but roderick still isn't quite taking in the whole premise of elected kings and so he's like 'obv that is the title of the ruler of astaira' and...its not so astairans hear this and they just like 'why that one county??? and why not malconaire or lorcan or smth too?? but ok' alkdjfkljdsf bc i love to laugh at roderick

[racefortheironthrone]

How... hm, how to put this... how aware were rulers of regarding other nations in the medieval and early modern periods? Like, would the ruler of Portugal know who the Timurids were? Or what was going on in Muscovy at the time? Like, how far east and south did their knowledge go before it turned into "Here Be Dragons" legend and rumor? Did they know who the Mali and Songhai were?

The answer is that it depends, largely due to differing geographies and trade patterns and time periods. For example, the ruler of Portugal might well know who the Timurids were - if it was after Vasco de Gama's "discovery" of the Cape Route to the Indian Ocean, because it's just a quick jaunt up the Indian coast to get to the Persian Gulf.

I doubt the King of Portugal would have much to do with the Tsar of Russia, but Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I of England definitely did - because the English government had chartered the Muscovy Company in 1555, which ferried diplomatic exchanges between Ivan IV and Elizabeth I along with the huge cargo of wool for fur and fur for wool.

And certainly the monarchs of western and central Europe would have been familiar with the kingdoms of eastern Europe, because they were all fucking inbred relations of each other.

For example, Louis the Great was King of Hungary, Croatia, and Poland, but he was also of the House of Anjou and his brother was the Duke of Calabria who married to the Queen of Naples, who also was the Countess of Provence and the Princess of Achaea. - and after his brother was assassinated, Louis invaded Naples and claimed the title of King of Naples, Sicily, and Jerusalem!

Similarly, Henry III of France was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in order to keep out the Hapsburgs, and Henry's mother was Catherine de Medici. So there was probably a lot of knowledge of different countries just from family letters...

As for Mali and Songhai, the Portuguese and the Dutch "traded" extensively with West Africa in the 15th-17th centuries. So they certainly would have traded with the Mali and then the Songhai Empires. But I doubt the Tsar of Russia would have known much about them, and so it goes...

[aphfanficwriters]

Monthly Members' Fics — Sep 2024

Portbra Confession by FangsofLightening (Brazil/Portugal) There was one last thing Brazil had to do to finish celebrating his independence. However it ended, it couldn't be left unsaid any longer. Title says it all really

It Was Always You — Chapter 1 by Delgumo (America/Canada) Matthew visits Alfred's apartment to drink on his birthday. Alfred confesses his feelings in a way that will change their relationship forever. Matthew, distraught, denies his advances but Alfred refuses to give up.

On the Cusp of Blooming by smuttyandabsurd (Indonesia/Netherlands) Netherlands surprises Indonesia with an unannounced visit.

Breaking the Dragon Head — Chapter 5 by NashTea (Fishandnear) (China/Russia) Set against the backdrop of illegal and deprave scientific advancement, where debauchery runs rampant; Ivan Braginsky, inner circle member of a secret criminal organisation dubbed as "World Meeting" have finally made his move onto the founder, Wang Yao. Ivan seeks to crack apart everything Wang Yao strive to hide and destroy in his past, haunting him as the ghost he have forgotten. Disgruntled associates forcibly recruited under Ivan's team have started stirring too, waiting for just the right time to bring Ivan down.

The Convocation of Kings — Chapter 8: The After Years by ChibiDashie (England, America, China, Germany, North Italy, Japan, Austria, Hungary, Russia, France, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Original Characters, Minor Characters) A followup to "The Joker's Dreadnought" Time has passed since the great razing of the Spades Kingdom, which killed hundreds, if not thousands, of her own citizens and tore a hole within the hearts of the ones chosen by the Gods and their people. Despite this, the Spades have rebuilt what was lost to them from this great catastrophe. One day, the Spades invite their neighboring kingdoms for a great fête to celebrate the kingdom's recovery while honoring those lost in the calamity. Little do they know that one of the most revered idols of the Spades, the Faerie Queen Titania, traveled to the Spades as a messenger on behalf of the Dragon King, Bahamut. When the nobles convene to diplomatic talks between man and beast, there are so many more mysteries unraveled within the meeting, that even the noble ones chosen by the Gods begin to question the knowledge passed down to them for generations. Who is right? Who is wrong? What is a truth and what is a lie?

Stolen from a movie by Anonymous (America, Germany) (The idea, the idea was "stolen"). It happened out of nowhere; not everybody came back.

Sunder — Chapter 20 by Delgumo (America/Canada/Russia, America/England, Lithuania/Poland) Serial killers Alfred and Matthew just want to elude capture and remain free to commit their ghastly crimes. The arrival of a new killer into their New York territory gets them noticed by some of the area's nastiest organizations and their comfortable life is harshly shaken.

[flagwars]

Dragon Flag Wars: Round 1

There are so many amazing flags featuring dragons out there, so this tournament will have a wide variety of dragon flags! Because there are so many, each poll in Round 1 will feature four or five flags. Thank you for everyone for your submissions, and I hope you’re excited to see which dragon will reign supreme in this ultimate battle! Let me know which flag you’re rooting for in the comments! The tournament will begin on Friday.

Round 1:

1. Somerset, England vs. Plain Blue Banner vs. Hattingen, Germany vs. Lukova, Czechia

2. Slochteren, Netherlands vs. Dragon Banner (The Wheel of Time) vs. Craig-y-Dorth, Wales vs. Trégor, France vs. Kazan, Russia

3. Michalovice (Havlíčkův Brod District), Czechia vs. Wales vs. Garwolin County, Poland vs. Plomelin, France vs. Łańcut, Poland

4. Strzyżów County, Poland vs. Wessex vs. Nemenčinė, Lithuania vs. Potěhy, Czechia vs. Ljubljana, Slovenia

5. Contrada del Drago, Siena, Italy vs. Cardiff, Wales vs. Litobratřice, Czechia vs. Ingolstadt, Germany vs. Líšný, Czechia

6. Korea (1856) vs. Evenley, England vs. Malta vs. Dlouhá Třebová, Czechia vs. Empire (Yōjo Senki/Saga of Tanya the Evil)

7. Manipur Kingdom vs. House Targaryen vs. Yegoryevsk, Russia vs. Biała Podlaska, Poland vs. Wachtberg, Germany

8. Bořitov, Czechia vs. Bhutan vs. Warszawski Zachodni County, Poland vs. Stjørdal, Norway vs. Yellow Dragon Flag (황룡기)

9. Myanmar Royal Dragon Army vs. Suchohrdly, Czechia vs. Mladějov na Moravě, Czechia vs. Navès, Lleida, Spain vs. Erpužice, Czechia

10. Presidential Standard of Georgia vs. Flag used by Du Wenxiu vs. Štichov, Czechia vs. Royal Standard of Henry VII of England vs. Heide, Germany

11. Babice, Czechia vs. Royal Standard of the Suebi dynasty vs. City of Brussels, Belgium vs. Canton of Chinese Dragon from the Imperial Chinese Navy Fleet vs. Mírová, Czechia

12. Novoorlovsk, Russia vs. Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine vs. Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Spain vs. High Valyrian (Duolingo) vs. Y Wladfa

13. Qing Dynasty vs. Order of the Dragon (Manasija Monastery) vs. Amestris (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Łańcut County, Poland vs. San Giorgio Bigarello, Italy

14. Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan vs. Presidential Standard of South Vietnam vs. Somerset County Council vs. Moscow, Russia

15. Dolní Čermná, Czechia vs. Beesel, Netherlands vs. Y Ddraig Aur (royal standard of Owain Glyndŵr) vs. Vietnamese Monarchist flag (proposal)

16. Y Ddraig Ddu vs. Mikhaylovka (Volgograd oblast), Russia vs. Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey vs. Garter Banner of Sir David Brewer

[cumberbatchedandproud]

Songs (tagged)

Hi everyone !!

Thanks for the several songs tagging during the summer @mctna2019 @rhaenys-queenofkhyrulzz and @pashminabitch :) (and so I'm sort of replying to all of you at once?)

I'm generally more into soundtrack/classics than songs and I don't really use spotify but make my own MP3 playlists for in the car (i'm so old), so instead of the usual spotify shuffle i'm giving you the top 5 instrumentals I listen the most to lately? -Time of JungHyuk for Seri (CLOY OST / Nam Hye Seung, Park Sang Hee) -River Flower / Garden of God / The Warrior / Kingdom / Sword of the stranger / Lost Castle / My Country / Battlefield, selfmade mix with my favourites cut bits (i prefer listening to the whole titles whenever I can, but without the quiet parts you can't really hear above the engine/traffic noises is just better suited and safer when driving without having to fumble with the volume all the time) (MCTNA OST, Rain Wolff - and then choose the tracks) -The Day and My Love and… (TKEM OST 1 2 / Lee Geon Yeong, Gaemi) -Moonlight Sonata I & III (Beethoven) -No Time for Caution aka Epic Docking Scene (Interstellar OST, Hans Zimmer)

But if you actually want to know about actual SONGS, I'd go with those 'character meta-ish' songs in my MCTNA folder (which is the one I currently listen the most to, so...) -Shake it out, Florence & The Machine -Nothing, The Vassar Devils - thanks to that perfect @nubreed73 MCTNA vid -Dynasty, MIIA (MCTNA vids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-inZf-p1dE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fozuKNpv8sc) -Train Wreck, James Arthur (MCTNA vid) -Believer, Imagine Dragons (MCTNA vid) (And special mention for the crackiest yet meta-ish crack vid I always come back to whenever I need a laugh (even though I cry at the end), even if I do not listen to the song in the car - again and forever, thank you so much for this golden one, always @nubreed73 :))

But to be honest again the actual SONGS i might have heard the most lately are those from our family Eurovision best of folder my kids didn't stopped asking for on repeat on our drive back home from holidays :) -Alessandra - Norway - Queen of Kings 2023 (btw we voted for Lureen this year (because she was in our opinion the best singer (there is POWER in her voice, okay) - tumblr, don't hate us, please), but this one was a huge favorite song too. third (and atypical winner of the year in our hearts indeed) was Finland Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha) -The Roop - On Fire - Lithuania 2020 -Italy - Mahmood - Soldi 2019 -Alexander Rybak - Fairytale - Norway 2009 (still such an iconic catchy tune) -Iceland - Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra 2019 (each year we give a special award out of our own - 'atypical winner of the year') (PS: any european pretending not to enjoy eurovision is a liar who lies :) (or not - anyone is free to like it or not of course i'm just joking, but in my family it is actually a year milestone tradition: that's how i grew up and that's what i passed on to my kids : gather all in front of the tv with snacks, and someone keeps the votes of everyone on a chart song by song:))

Tagging EVERYONE as usual and please tag me back so I can see it all :)

[eileentothestars]

A RANDOM AMERICAN’S THOUGHTS ON 2023 EUROVISION SONGS

Albania -- I never know what Albania is doing but they always look so interesting while doing it

Ukraine -- I feel like I’m kicking a puppy for saying this but I couldn’t quite get into it. I think the skips in the music kept throwing me off

Belgium -- Took one look at the person’s costume and could not hit play fast ENOUGH

Norway -- Is it the banana wolf song? No. Do I support it and She Queen of the Kings 1000 percent? You bet.

Slovenia -- I can dig it

Spain -- I like the vibe and the aesthetic more than the song

Czechia -- 1) What 2) This is Toy but grim and gritty 3) What

Latvia -- They just slapped a bunch of sounds together, stole Elena Kagan’s hair, and called it a day

Denmark -- I’m a sucker for retro stuff but that autotune is making me violent

Croatia -- 100/10, completely deranged, will listen again

Romania -- Why is that person wearing Beetlejuice pants at a kinky strip club

Malta -- Epic Sax Guy 2.0

Estonia -- I am now launching the Estonia Don’t Be Boring challenge

France -- Didn’t know I was into the 1930s disco steampunk aesthetic

Lithuania -- C’mon, you gave us the Roop and now this is your entry?

Italy -- So brave of this guy to sing a ballad as aliens are about to abduct him

Australia -- They aren’t bad this year???

Finland -- Didn’t need you to tell me this was Finland’s entry, we could all tell

San Marino -- I see they’ve decided to be subtle this year

The Netherlands -- Kind of a mood actually

Poland -- Low-energy Ariana knockoff, no thanks

Germany -- “Blood and Glitter” should be Eurovision’s new motto, I can’t believe Germany did something right this year

Serbia -- Did I say the Netherlands was a mood? I meant THIS is a mood

Austria -- This is the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Just give them the prize now, please. “What the heck is this about” indeed

Ireland -- Getting heavy ‘80s soundtrack vibes, which is to say I like it more than it probably deserves

Israel -- I’m curious to see how she turns into a centaur onstage. Also, ma’am, with all due respect, who dressed you this morning

Switzerland -- This is the same person from last time but with a deeper voice

United Kingdom -- Oh that ‘dai dai dai’ got old real fast

Moldova -- Perfect as always 10/10 no notes

Latvia -- Thanks I hate it

Iceland -- Never quite came together for me, but I do like her energy and the ‘80s chorus

Cyprus -- Thanks for the Imagine Dragons impersonation

Sweden -- Dang Sweden brought out the big guns

Portugal -- So glad Harley Quinn made it to Eurovision this year

Greece -- “Sad boy angsting in leaking basement” is not really my thing

Azerbaijan -- Now that is how you ascot

Armenia -- Did absolutely nothing for me

Georgia -- She looks like she’s wearing milk. I don’t know how to explain it other than that.

[residentraccoon]

Eurovision 2023 Top 37 (updated)

1. Latvia - robbed, underrated, slept on and other similar adjectives, I love this song so much and you know this already, moving on

2. Moldova - I cannot not sing the chorus without doing the T pose dance, thanks Pasha 💖

3. Slovenia - like I said before their performance makes me smile like an idiot every single time, their joy is infectious

4. Serbia - bro is a whole mood the whole performance, I love his stage presence a lot

5. Portugal - retro upbeat folk song my beloved how can I not love this

6. Czechia - yes my girls sing it bring the girl and slavic power

7. Australia - dad electro rock let's go

8. Finland - me yelling cha cha cha eyyyyy everyday had become part of my routine ever since the ESC season

9. Estonia - so proud of the top 10 result idc if it's a bAlLaD this was a gorgeous moment

10. France - a chanter la grande franceeEEEEEEEE-

11. Malta - I'm in this song and I don't like it

12. Georgia - It's just so powerful. Thing is known

13. Austria - someone please get poepoepoe and zero dot zero zero out of my brain thanks

14. Iceland - girl is a huge ray of sunshine man how I wish I was this energetic 🥲

15. Spain - 10/10 vocals and such a moment

16. Lithuania - prosciutto tuto yea I know it's such a stupid joke but I can't not make it

17. Armenia - how does she know what I want in a future lover? Bc SAME

18. Norway - she really is the queen of kings

19. Germany - last place?? smh

20. Azerbaijan - this was so sweet and underrated, and I'm so happy that Azerbaijan chose something that's not artificial and safe for once

21. Belgium - yooo the bop, I especially love how at the beginning he got so much shade but in the end he got top 10, yes dude prove the haters wrong

22. Netherlands - preferred the old version, the new one sounded so...dead

23. Cyprus - sounds very Imagine Dragons-ish but I like it, yeah

24. Sweden - I really have no strong emotions about this but I acknowledge Loreen's amazing showmanship and voice. It just doesn't stick with me for some reason sorry :(

25. Romania - he was done so dirty #justicefortheodor

26. United Kingdom - a very competent girl bop that I could enjoy a lil, to my surprise. But those vocals just weren't it...

27. Ukraine - yo that stage show was actually sooo good!!

28. Albania - Turkish soap opera intro let's go

29. Switzerland - okay bro I got it you don't want to be a soldier

30. Italy - lovely voice but does it fall flat for me after a while...

31. Israel - yeah no I don't want to see you dance sorry

32. San Marino - ngl I do find myself humming this at times I have to admit it ain't THAT bad

33. Denmark - Dude was really struggling with those notes, it was a pleasant moment and that's about it

34. Greece - it was just good

35. Croatia - grew on me JUST a bit. Still won't listen willingly to this but I don't feel like I dislike it as much as I did a few months back

36. Ireland - the performance was so...empty

37. Poland - now you're better so low lol

[retrourbanism]

Europe

Hercynia:

Iberia:

Seats of Power: Toledo and the Kingdom of Castille, Abode of Three Faiths

Seats of Power: Santiago de Compostela and the Kingdom of Galicia, Jerusalem of Iberia

Seats of Power: Pamplona, Trifecta of Strife, and Unity

Seats of Power: Oviedo, Raging Embers of Christendom

Nordica:

Italy:

Seats of Power: Venice and the Italian City States, Serenity afloat in Opulence

Balkons:

Seats of Power: Pliska and the First Bulgarian Empire, Contendor of Byzantium

Seats of Power: Preslav and the First Bulgarian Empire, Cradle of Orthodox Slavdom

Seats of Power: Turnovo and Second Bulgarian Empire, The Third Rome

Seats of Power: Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire, Crown of the Ecumene

Visegrad:

Seats of Power: Krakow and the Kingdom of Poland, Majesty Ascent in the Plains

Seats of Power: Esztergom and the Kingdom of Hungary, Equestrian Valor imbued with Catholic Glory

Sarmatia:

Seats of Power: Kernave and the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania, Pagan Might of the Balts

Seats of Power: Vilnius and the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania, Mountain of the Iron Wolf

Caucuses:

Seats of Power: Ani and Bagratid Armenia, Where the Angels Nest

Celtic Isles:

Seats of Power: Scone and Medieval Scotland, Throne of Ascension and Sovereignty

Africa

Sahel:

Seats of Power: Timbuktu and the Mali Empire, Mother of Knowledge, Faith, and Wealth

Nile:

Seats of Power: Soba and the Kingdom of Alodia, Verdant Grail of Treasures

Seats of Power: Cairo and the Fatimid Caliphate, Babylon on the Nile

Maghreb:

Seats of Power: Kairouan and Medival North Africa, Mecca of the Magrehb

Guinea:

Seats of Power: Ile Ife and the Medival Yoruba State, Origin of Mankind and All Creation

Swahili Coast:

Seats of Power: Kilwa and the Swahili City States, Merchant Crown of the Coast

Seats of Power: Mogadishu and the Swahili city States, White Pearl of the Indian Ocean

Horn of Africa:

Lake Complex:

South African Plateau:

West Asia:

Arabian Peninsula:

Seats of Power: Medina and the Rashidun Caliphate, Bastion of the Holy Prophet

Levant:

Anatolia:

Iranian Plateau:

Mesopotamia:

Seats of Power: Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate, Beating Heart of the Ummah

South Asia:

Indus River Valley:

Ganges River Valley:

Deccan Plateau:

Ghat Coast:

Southeast Asia:

Coastal Lowlands:

Seats of Power: Thang Long and the Dai Viet, Where the Dragon Rises

Seats of Power: Angkor Wat and the Khmer Empire, The Divine Temple City

Shan Plateau:

East Asia:

Tibetan Plateau:

Seats of Power: Lhasa and the Tibetan Empire, Heart of the Supine Demoness

Korean Peninsula:

Manchuria:

Japanese Archipelago:

Seats of Power: Kyoto and Medieval Japan, Tranquility adorned in Flora

Coastal River Basin:

Seats of Power: Chang'an and the Tang Dynasty, City of One Hundred and One Cities

Central Asia:

East Asian Steppe:

Seats of Power: Otuken/Ordubalik and the Gokturk Khaganate, Where All Power and Authority Derives

Shangjing/Lihuangfu: Imperial Splendor of the Half Barbarians

Desert Basin Complex:

Seats of Power: Loulan and the Tocharian Cities, Golden Silk Oasis

Seats of Power: Qocho

Central Asian Mountain Complex:

Turan Basin:

Seats of Power: Merv and the Medival MiddleEast, Rendezvous of Great and Small

North America:

Northeast Woodlands:

Seats of Power: Cahokia and the Mississippian Culture, Spiritual Nucleus of the Great River

Central America:

Seats of Power: Tenochtitlan and the Aztec Empire, Prickled Crown Sprout from Blood

South America:

Andes:

Seats of Power: Chan Chan, Solar Glory of the Chimu

[kardas65]

My thoughts on Eurovision 2023

Redo of last year’s winning song sadly misses al lot of the energy that made it so good last year. What a shame. Also don’t know who half of the cameo artists here are. The live version is once again excellent tho.

Some fun af outfits in that flag parade. High hopes this year.

Austria: Quoth the Raven: What. The. Fuck. 7/12

Portugal: Yeah, this thing isn’t very exciting. Waste of a fun artist name. Costume gives me The Suicide Squad Harley Quinn vibes. 5/12

Switzerland: Switzerland used watergun! It’s not very effective… Given the background dancers I was expecting something more gothic. This sounds like something Imagine Dragons would write. 3/12

Poland: We haven’t had a Britney Spears ripoff in a while! 2/12

Serbia: Cool concept., flawed execution. I enjoy the mecha tho. 5/12

France: Hey someone brought back the volcano dress from idk what Eurovision year. Was it from the Romanian opera dubstep vampire? Idk. Song is tepid. 6/12

Cyprus: Ah, another Imagine Dragons ripoff! Come on guys, there’s way better stuff to rip off! 2/12

Spain: Kind of interesting? But also too repetitive. 6/12

Sweden: Yeah that’s classic Eurovision stuff. 9/12

Albania: I guess big female vocals starts are in this year. The brother guy looks so no thrilled to be there. Song is just kind of there. 6/12

Italy: Good pipes. Song isn’t really my thing though. 7/12

Estonia: Self-playing piano is not as interesting as a burning one. I am quite uncomfortable with all of this camera staring. Song oddly reminds me of what the Netherlands sent out last year. 5/12

Finland: Eurovision discovered Rammstein!!! This is a bop 11/12

Czechia: The braid gimmick is really weird. Song isn’t bad though. 8/12

Australia: Fun chorus! And was that an actual death growl and breakdown??? This gets better as the song goes on. Very 80s though. 10/12

Belgium: Aaand this is very 90s. It’s kind of fun though. 9/12

Armenia: Well the good song streak had to end sometime eh? 5/12

Moldova: I guess Moldova wants whatever Go_A was doing. But it’s fun. I do hope the guy with the flute and helmet gets inducted into the Eurovision canon. 9/12.

Ukraine: Doing their best not to win twice in a row I see. Dull. 5/12

Norway: I didn’t know Netta was also Norwegian! The melody is very familiar. Something Rhapsody of Fire wrote I think. Or some type of shanty or folkish song. Disappoint. 5/12

Germany: BLOOD AND GLITTER??? This is all I want in my Eurovision. Rammstein is truly been discovered by Eurovision. It could be heavier though. And I don’t like that he ripped off Bruce Dickinson’s catchphrase. 9/12

Lithuania: I thought we were finally rid of the boring ballads. 4/12

Israel: Who sent a wrestler to Eurovision? Not a big fan of the yelpy vocals. 4/12

Slovenia: The bass guitar sounds nice. But the song is alright. 6/12

Croatia: Well I’m glad that we’re still getting weird as hell crap for Eurovision. This thing is like three songs brute forced into one. 8/12

United Kingdom: Well that’s a tepid way to end the evening. 5/12

My top 3: Finland, Australia, Germany

The new Sam Ryder song is pretty okay 7/12

[vladdocs]

From the Order of the Dragon to Dracula - Constantin Rezachevici [Professor Constantin Rezachevici is chief researcher at the Nicolae Iorga National Institute of History, a member of the Romanian Academy, and Professor with the Faculty of History at the University of Bucharest. He is author of The History of the Neighbouring Countries and the Romanian People in the Middle Ages (1998).] ___________ The name “Dracula” has witnessed periods of both brilliance and fame. It became famous in the second half of the fifteenth century through the actions of Vlad Tepes (Dracula), ruler of Wallachia (1448, 1456- 1462, 1476).i It has continued to exist, although less known, through his legitimate descendants, the noble family Dracula of Sintesti and of Band, established in Transylvania between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. Families that originated from Vlad’s marriage to a close relative of the Hungarian King Matias Corvin in February of 1462 can provide an explanation of the Szekely ancestry wrongly attributed to Vlad Tepes and his literary metamorphosis the vampire Count Dracula. As a result of the novel of Irish writer Bram Stoker, the name “Dracula” has obtained universal fame during the modern epoch. The origin of the name “Dracula” has a very interesting history, very different from what has been commonly believed. For a long time, many theories have existed about its genesis, ranging from the claim by Grigore Nandris that it was the genitive Slavonic form meaning “the son of Dracul” (Vlad Dracul was the ruler of Wallachia from 1437-1442 and 1444-1447) to the false connection with a coincidentally similar Romanian word “dragulea”, meaning the dear one or lover.ii All these theories are connected to the starting point of this name exclusively for Vlad Tepes, until this popular name, meaning “son of Dracul” became confused with the Romanian word “Dracul”, meaning “the devil” (Andreescu 149-50). To clarify matters, Dracula (Draculea) has represented from the beginning a new popular Romanian form (from the name Vlad Dracul) applied to Vlad Dracul’s famous son Vlad Tepes (Andreescu 156, Stoicescu 201), while the nickname given to Vlad by the Turks was “Tepes”, the Romanian word for impaler. Even before Vlad Tepes’ reign in Romania, the boyar Albu had called Vlad Dracul (which was a nickname known outside of Romania), simply Draculea (Andreescu 150-51), the popular exclusively Romanian name. The Venetian messenger Bartholomeo de Jano and his contemporary Greek chroniclers Leonicos Chalkokondyles and Critobul of Imbros have also called him Draculea (Andreescu 154-55). Even Iancu of Hunedora, who executed him, made mention on December 17, 1456, of “infidelem Drakwlam wayvodem” (Documenta 461). In the end, the Turkish chronicler Asakpasazade, referring to the year 1442, calls Vlad Tepes “Dracula” instead of “Draculea” (Cronici 88), while the Serb janissary who wrote from 1496 to 1501, called him “voievodul valah Dracula” (Calatori 125), which in English means the Wallachian prince Dracula. It is clear that Draculea (Dracula) was a popular nickname for Vlad Dracul, meaning a person belonging to the Order of the Dragon. For his son, Vlad Tepes, the name “Dracula” became through affiliation an alternative, not only a nickname, with the side effect of increasing his bad reputation, with its diabolical meaning, even though originally, in his father’s days, “Dracul” did not have a malevolent meaning. Vlad (the father) had obtained the nickname “Dracul” in connection with his receiving the Order of the Dragon from Hungary’s king Sigismund of Luxembourg, at Nürnberg around February 8, 1431. The German name for this order was “Drachenordens,” and in Latin “Societatis draconistarum.” The Order of the Dragon, which some confuse with a decoration, was really an institution, just like the other chivalric orders in medieval times.iii As a model, Sigismund of Luxembourg took

the Order of St. George (Societas militae Sancti Georgii) created by the king of Hungary Carol Robert of Anjou (1308_1342) in 1318. Its statute from 1326 requires the protection of the king from any danger or plot against him; the symbol of the Order of the Dragon was a red cross on a silver field and a black mantle. With the exception of the last object, these are also found in the new order. In a battle with the anarchical Hungarian nobles and in the background of the other battles for the possession of Bosnia, Sigismund of Luxembourg and the queen Barbara Cilli created the Order of the Dragon on December 12, 1408, mainly meant to protect the king and his family, with the help of a big part of the Hungarian nobility, led by the families of Gara and Cilli. The statute of this Order of the Dragon, elaborated by the chancellor of the Hungarian court, Eberhard, bishop of Oradea, maintained only in a copy from 1707 and published in a Hungarian edition in 1841, has remained almost unknown, even to the investigators of this problem. The analysis of this important document shows that the order aimed at defending the cross and at the destruction of its enemies, symbolized by the ancient Dragons (Draconis tortuosi) with the help of St. George. The battle was against the Turkish pagan armies and the husits, who were outside the Orthodox nations who were faithful to the cross and to King Sigismund (Romanians etc). Barons, priests and leaders of the kingdom gathered below the sign of the dragon, submitted to the cross and proclaimed loyalty to King Sigismund and the queen. The members who founded the order were 24 nobles of the kingdom, led by the despot Stefan Lazarevici, the leader of Serbia, among whom were Nicolae of Gara, the Hungarian prince, Stibor of Stibericz, the prince of Transylvania, Pipo of Ozora, the Ban (local ruler) of Severin etc, in general great local noblemen. They were all engaged in serving with loyalty no matter the price, the royal couple, their family and their friends. The symbol of the order was, after the statute of 1408, a circular dragon with its tail coiled up around its neck. On its back, from the base of its neck to its tail, was the red cross of St. George, on the background of a silver field. According to the first Medieval encyclopedist, Isidor of Seville, it was a “serpens,” a dragon that lives on land. As the years went by, the Order of the Dragon expanded, including two classes, a superior one, whose symbol was a dragon being strangled with a cross stretched out on its back, which, especially from the late fifteenth century to the seventeenth century surrounded a family coat-of-arms. Sometimes foreign members were allowed in, but only as allies, who did not have to take the oath of eternal loyalty to King Sigismund of Luxembourg, for example, the king of Poland, Vladislav Jagiello, his former brother-in-law Vitautas (Witold), the great duke of Lithuania, King Henry the fifth of England, the members of the Italian families Carrara, della Scala and leaders of Venezia, Padova and Verona. During the life of King Sigismund, from 1408 to 1437, the Order of the Dragon became the most important noble political association in Hungary, loyal to the king, the main political force in the kingdom, second to the king. Immediately after being established, it served as a model for the setting up in 1409 of the Spanish order of Calatrava. Into this prestigious European chivalic institution, which was symbolized by the dragon, was admitted the aspirant to the Wallachian throne, Vlad (Dracul) in February 1431, in his position of vassal of Sigismund of Luxemburg, according to the statute of the Order. Admission was into the superior

class of the order. The symbol of this class evolved up to 1431 in two phases: the first one, as it has been reminded earlier, was a dragon with a cross drawn on his back, between its wings, from the base of the neck to its tail and lasted from 1408 to 1418; the second one, until the death of Sigismund of Luxembourg, was completed with another cross perpendicular to the coiled up dragon, having on the equal sides of the cross the writing “O quam misericors est Deus” (vertical) and “Justus et paciens” (horizontal). This sign was worn on a sash, like in the portrait of Dichters Oswald von Wallenstein in 1432. The necklace of the order was made of two gold chains joined by the sign, a Hungarian cross with a double bar above the coiled up dragon. But on the seal, another dragon was represented, with a big body, with dented wings, not coiled, only two feet with a free tail, with a very small Greek cross on its chest. Sigismund of Luxembourg himself introduced in 1433 the seal for the Order of the Dragon of this type, one of the last seals he made as a Roman-German emperor. Unfortunately, the symbol that Vlad Dracul had wasn’t kept. But the elements of the symbol of the Order of the Dragon on his royal seal of 1437 clearly show that Vlad Dracul was the possessor of the Order of the Dragon necklace: the Hungarian double cross, instead of the Latin cross; the dragon illustrated on the reverse of the six silver and bronze coins that were beat by Vlad at Sighisoara in Transylvania (or after his occupation of the Wallachian throne) is similar to the dragon in Paolo Uccello’s picture, St. George and the dragon; and the coat-of-arms from the episcopacy built by him at Curtea de Arges. Furthermore, he transformed the dragon from the seal to his personal coat-of-arms, not directly but as an original heraldry composition. This coat-of-arms was carved from stone, and represented the dragon attacking a lion, the headed snake, the dragon, emerging victoriously from this battle, therefore illustrating metaphorically Psalm 90 (“You will step on lions and on vipers and walk over lion cubs and snakes”). This phrase’s purpose was to symbolize the victory of Christianity and that of Vlad Dracul over his enemies. In this case the dragon was a benefic symbol, and the picture of Vlad with his name (Dracul, Draculea-Dracula) had a positive meaning which was only common in Wallachia during his reign. The spreading of the image of the dragon by Vlad Dracul through the large circulation of seal, small coins and heraldic stone carving had a powerful impression on its Romanian subjects. This was increased by the Order of the Dragon necklace, which no other Romanian ruler had worn, and even more so the ceremonial costume of the Order of the Dragon knights - red garments and green mantle. Thus, Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad Tepes, has forever remained in a bond with both versions of his nickname. This paradox has been interpreted incorrectly. The dragon of the order with the same name was not an evil element during the fifteenth century, but a positive symbol of knighthood. The dragon choking itself with its own tail, which in Occidental St. George heraldry and iconography, from where it originates, represented the defeated Satan, becomes, in the absence of the saint and of the cross, a Christian chivalry order of positive significance. The circular dragon, strangled by its own tail, is represented on the coat-of-arms of many noble families in the Hungarian kingdom who were the descendants of some of the knights who were part of the Order of the Dragon during the reign of Sigismund, until the seventeenth century. This supports the fact that the Order of the Dragon enjoyed great prestige throughout the first half of the fifteenth century. In Transylvania, it also appeared in the coats-of-arms of the families

Bathory, Bocskay, Bethlen, Szathmary, Rakoczi and many others, even though the Order of the Dragon had lost its importance after the death of Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1437 and it practically disappeared with the demise of the members who had been admitted by him. Over five millennia of the dragon’s universal existence, it went through many transformations until the fifteenth century and it was known as a fabulous creature, sometimes with the head of a vulture, other times like the animal represented on the Order of the Dragon, with the body of a snake and the wings of a bat. The European Dragon had a lot of sources: Greek mythology (dracon), Roman_Greek tradition, Celtic mythology, the Bible, the Apocalypse, the lives of saints and Oriental influences. During pre- Christian times, the dragon often had a beneficial meaning (often connected with fecundity) and perpetuated in folklore until the late Middle Ages. However, in literature, culture and clerical Christianity, starting from Bibical text, it takes on a different role, and in the fifth century it becomes a symbol of Satan -- “draco iste significat diabolum” (Le Goff 58). This dragon, identified with Satan, was defeated and was dominated by spiritual forces but was not killed; rather, according to the symbolism of Celtic folklore, at some extent, “they even became allied with it” (Le Goff 45), by numerous saints and bishops of the Occident. In the art of Roman influence, the crutch of the bishop often has a defeated and twisted dragon at its tip. Both St. Michael and St. George, whose cult began to spread from the Bizant during the eighth and throughout the tenth, and respectively eleventh centuries, defeated the dragon physically in a fight. In Occidental heraldry, the physical strength of the dragon was said to have been in his head, but also in its big and strong tail, which in the nineteenth century was considered the illustrative element of the dragon. All this European clerical and folklore heraldry, strengthened in a millenary existence (from the fifth century to the fifteenth century) can be identified in the basic illustration of the Order of the Dragon, the snake-like dragon that is strangling himself with his own tail, which, according to tradition, is twisted three times around the dragon’s neck, signifying that he had been subdued by means of Christian spiritual powers, and the dragon with big paws and wings was the symbol of the one who was defeated by the Saints Michael and George. However, we must also remember the fact that, despite the fact that it had been defeated and subdued, the snake-like dragon and the flying dragon still were evil and the symbols of Satan. In the Romanian space to which Vlad Dracul and his son Vlad Tepes belonged, the dragon, named “balaur”, a thraco_dacian word, or “zmeu”, a slavonic word, had its roots in geto-dacian antiquity, whose military flag was representing a snake with the head of a wolf, included the large category of dragons used as flags, which one finds from the times of the Greeks and Romans until the fifteenth century. This divinity represented on the “geto-dacian” flag, became known in the time of the Roman ruling of Dacia as “draco” (in Romanian “drac” (meaning devil). Along with Christianity, it spread all throughout Europe, and came to symbolize Satan. However in pagan terms, as the Romanian historian Vasile Parvan observed, “out of all the Romance languages, the Romanian language was the only one in which ‘draco’ has the meaning of an evil spirit, demon or devil, whereas in others, the word only has the meaning of snake or dragon” (228-30). In Romanian folklore, even the snake, which in certain conditions, has the ability to turn into a dragon, has a strong malefic meaning. If “Dracul” and “Draculea” have a positive meaning in connection with the Order of the Dragon during Vlad Dracul’s time and later on during

Vlad Tepes’ reign, the same words have an exclusively negative, diabolical meaning, synonymous to the Romanian word “dracul” (the devil), without doubt in connection to the bloody and law_enforcing character of Vlad. In 1459, the aspirant Dan III, accused his rival “Draculea” (Vlad Tepes) of collaborating with the Turks, aided and guided by the devil (Tocilescu 71-2), and in 1460 mentioned “the law-offender and barbaric tyrant, unfaithful and the devil that is Vlad Voievod” (Harmuzeki 53). During Vlad Tepes’ captivity in Hungary (1462-1475), the representative of the pope in Buda, Nicolaede Madrussa, declared that he saw “their tyrant Dracul, a name which they [Romanians] use for the Devil” Papacostea (164). In 1486, the author of the Novel about Dracula voievod, translated in Russian, referred to “Dracula in Romanian, and in our language - devil, that’s how evil he was” (Panaitescu 200, 207). Although Vlad Tepes and his descendants have never used the symbol of the Order of the Dragon, he has inherited the nickname of his father Draculea/Dracula, which has become a family name (outside the country). And his successors in Transylvania, the Dracula (Draculea) family kept this name until the seventeenth century, settling in the sixteenth century among the “secui,” not far from the place where in 1897, Bram Stoker, located the setting of his novel and the Transylvania castle of “Count Dracula.” This way, over a long period of time, from the name of a small pagan deity (Greek, dracos, Latin draco), by means of the name of the Order of the Dragon (in German Drachenordens, Latin Societas draconistarum) to the fifteenth century Romanian nickname of Dracul/Draculea from which the nickname and then the family name, Dracula, comes and was used in 1897 by Bram Stoker, at the suggestion of the Hungarian Jewish orientalist, well known scholar of his time (Florescu & McNally 142-3). If the Order of the Dragon did not exist, with all its symbols and its being awarded to a Romanian Ruler, the name “Dracula” would not be famous today. _____ Works Cited: Andreescu, Stefan. Vlad Tepes (Dracula) intre legenda si adevar istoric. Bucharest, 1976. Calatori straini despre tarile romane. Bucharest, 1970. Cronici turcesti privind tarile romana. Bucharest 1966. Documenta Romaniae Historica. Bucharest, 1977. Florescu, Radu & Raymond McNally. In cautarea lui Dracula. Bucharest, 1992. Harmizachi, Eudoxiu. Documente privitoare la istoria romanilor. Bucharest, 1911. Le Goff, Jacques. “Cultura ecleziastica si sultura folclorica in evul mediu.” Pentru un alt evmediu, II. Bucharest, 1986. Nandris, Grigore. “A Philological Analysis of Dracula and Romanian Place-names and Masculine Personal Names in -a, -ea.” The Slavonic and East European Review. 36 (1959): 370-77. Panaitescu, P P (ed), Cronicile slavo-romane din sec. XV-XVI publicate de Ion Bogdan. Bucharest, 1959. Papacostea, Serban. “Cu privire la geneza si raspandirea povestirilor despre factele lui Vlad Tepes.” Romanoslavica 13 (1966). Parvan, Vasile. “Contributii epigrafice la istoria crestinismului daco-roman.” Studii de istoria culturii antice. Bucharest, 1992. Stoicescu, Nicolae. Vlad Tepes. Bucharest, 1976.

[bluekaddis]

Today is 11/11 which marks 101 years of Poland regaining independence and I thought it is a perfect time to publish a post that I’ve been working on for a while. 

Ferelden from Polish Perspective aka Why We Can Relate to Dog Lords So Much. 

This is a sort of compilation of my own thoughts I had while playing the games and various talks with my Polish friends. It is not supposed to force any ideas or teach others how to interpret the game. I just thought it could be entertaining for anyone interested in history and culture. I was trying not to elaborate too much on the subject here but it still ended up being A Very Long Post TM. To make this post a little neater to read, I divided this post into 4 sections:

1. History

2. Fashion and Food

3. Politics

4. Relationships with Other Countries

I will be very happy if you find a minute or two to read some of my points. If you have any additional questions or comments feel free to leave me a message :)

And once again - enormous thanks to @aeducanka​ for proofreading. I would be a poor mess without you. 

DISCLAIMERS

1. Yes, I know that Ferelden is based mostly on Anglo-Saxon England and I have no problem with that. True, I may be a little disappointed that the game includes references to so many European cultures and countries (France, Byzantine Empire, Venice, Roma culture etc.) and yet practically ignores Central and Eastern Europe completely, BUT this post is not meant to be a “Where is my representation?!” rant. If I wanted a game with Slavic culture vibes, I could always play the Witcher trilogy again. We are doing alright. 

2. I am in no way an academic specialist on culture or history, even these of my own country. I did some research, but most of facts and figures can be easily found on wikipedia. You can treat this as just some observations and headcanons of a 29 y/o Polish woman, who has grown up and lives in Poland. 

3. The main focus of this post is Poland in different moments of history. However, when talking about fashion and political system I will mostly refer to Polish culture between the 16th and 18th century. During that time Poland and Lithuania formed a dual state known as The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. So, whenever I refer to this particular period, I will use the term “Commonwealth” instead of “Poland”. 

PART 1 – HISTORY

The country’s name origin

Ferelden means „fertile valley” in Alamarri tongue [WoT vol. 1], Poland most probably comes from the Slavic word „pole” meaning „field”. They both refer to land that can be cultivated.

History of unification

Ferelden lands were divided between many tribes until they were unified by Calenhad Theirin. He fought and defeated other Alamarri tribes’ leaders, proclaimed Andrastianism as the new official religion of his kingdom and started the Theirin dynasty.  

A similar story can be told about Mieszko I of Poland – the leader of the Polans tribe (one of many Slavic tribes of that time) who, by means of war and diplomacy, united many Slavic tribes and created the Polish country in 965. In the same year he was baptised, abandoning native paganism in favour of Christianity. Mieszko started the Piast dynasty which ruled Poland for over 400 years. He never officially became a king, though – his son, Bolesław, was crowned king in 1025.

Also, Ferelden is a relatively young country compared to countries like Orlais or Tevinter. Even if Poland has over 1000 years of history as a country, it has to be noted that some Western European countries have a longer history (eg. the Carolingian Empire or the Visigothic Kingdom). Polish lands have also never been a part of the Roman Empire. 

Fun fact – the half-legendary sword of the first king of Poland, Szczerbiec, was stolen by Prussian troops during their invasion on Poland in 1795. Calenhad’s sword, Nemetos,was lost during the Orlesian invasion on Ferelden [WoT vol. 1].

Ostagar

Now, I will tell you a story. It is about a young king (in his twenties), a little reckless, wanting to be the leader who stood against the great invading threat to his country, a little blinded by the perspective of glorious victory. Just before the battle one of his allied forces betrayed him and did not provide the promised aid. The enemy army was too strong, too large. The king’s army was defeated, the king was killed in battle and his body was taken by the enemy. The king did not have children and his younger brother had succeeded him.

No, I’m not talking about Cailan, this is the story of Władysław III of Poland.

PART 2 – FASHION AND FOOD

Fashion

All cultures in Thedas have their own style and fashion. Ferelden is supposed to be this “We like fur and warm fabrics” culture, opposite to the extravagant Orlesian style. However, I have few problems with how Fereldan fashion is shown in the game.

1. It is too early-medieval looking. I know, it is a fantasy, you can mix ancient Egypt with steampunk and nobody should care. But we see, from cultural and technological perspective, that Thedas in Dragon Age is more renaissance/baroque than your typical medieval. Heck, some elements, like the infamous Formal Attire, look like clothes from 18th or even 19th century! In comparison, outfits like Arms of Mac Tir or Robes of the Pretender (though good looking) look like something from the Vikings era.

2.  We do not see many good looking Fereldan outfits in the games. I like Alistair’s royal outfit and some of Fereldan armors and clothes from DA:2 but remember this?

Or this?

Yeah, Dog Lords can do better :/

And that’s why I like to headcanon Fereldan fashion as something more resembling the Commonwealth fashion between the 16th and 18th century. It was an interesting mix of European and Asian influences and I think it would work perfectly with canon Ferelden because:

1. People LOVED fur elements in their clothing. Fur lining on coats, fur caps decorated with feathers, pelts of wild carnivores (lions, wolves, bears, etc.) on armour  - fur was everywhere.

2. It is simple but regal. The quality of materials and patterns were more important than volume and the number of layers. A typical male noble outfit consisted of a long garment (żupan), a long, ornate sash, one of two types of cloak (delia or kontusz) and a fur cap decorated with feathers and jewels. If you compare it with the baroque fashion from France it is less extravagant and more practical. No wigs, no flounces, no man tights. 

Compare these two dudes – the older one is dressed Commonwealth style, the younger – in French style. 

The Deluge, 1974

Of course some wealthy noblemen who spent a lot of time in France or other Western countries tended to adapt their style, but from what I know it was not that common. Women, on the other hand, tended to dress more similar to their Western counterparts (especially when they wanted to look fashionable) but their everyday dresses were not that much elaborate. They also wore kontusz (though the female version was shorter) and fur caps when outside. 

Below I post some more costumes to better illustrate my point. They all come from Polish movie adaptations of H. Sienkiewicz’s novels (I looove both the books and the movies).

With Fire and Sword, 1999

The Deluge, 1974

Fire in the Steppe, 1968

And I could not NOT to mention the wonderful interpretation of Fereldan armor and clothing for my OCs drawn by @ankalime​ - I still can’t get over how beautiful they look :3

Food

From what we know, Fereldan food is very similar to traditional English cuisine (lamb and pea anyone?), HOWEVER, I can totally see some traditional Polish dishes on Fereldan tables. Let us look at this part of Alistair’s banter with Leliana:

“Now here in Ferelden, we do things right. We take our ingredients, throw them into the largest pot we can find, and cook them for as long as possible until everything is a uniform grey color. As soon as it looks completely bland and unappetizing, that's when I know it's done.”

Dishes like bigos, flaki or goulash (mostly associated with Hungary but also present in various forms in Slavic countries) totally fit this description. Tasty and hearty but I know some foreigners see them as totally unappetizing :P

Poland is also culturally more into beer than wine  (high five, British Isles!), so Fereldan ale fits this image, too.

PART 3. POLITICS

When I first played DA:O and heard about choosing the new queen/king on Landsmeet I was like “omg, they have wolna elekcja!”

The canon Ferelden is a feudal country, however, there seems to be less focus on the king's absolute power – instead, the nobles can choose the king they like, the hierarchy inside this particular social class is also less striking than one can expect. 

And this brings me to the concept of Golden Liberty. (I will quote Wikipedia here, I am not that smart to explain this well in English on my own).

The Golden Liberty was a unique political system of the Commonwealth – a mixture of monarchy, oligarchy and democracy. The most distinctive elements of that systems were:

- All nobles regardless of rank or economic status, were considered to have equal legal rights (and you did not have to own a town or two to be considered a noble – a large part of the nobility owned nothing more than a farm, often little different from a peasant's dwelling, and some did not even have that much). The rights were, for example:

-  Neminem captivabimus ("We shall not arrest anyone without a court verdict").  

- right to vote – every nobleman, whether rich or poor, could vote. Of course if someone was rich, they could bribe others to gain more political influence, but it is the same as today. 

- religious freedom – unlike many other European countries of the time, people in Commonwealth were legally free to follow any religion. The Commonwealth became a common refuge for people who were persecuted for religion in their homelands. The religious freedom was not restricted to nobility but to all social classes. 

- rokosz - the right to form a legal rebellion against a king who violated nobility freedoms.

- the monarchy was elective, not hereditary, and the king was elected by the nobility. That “democracy” was not, of course, perfect, as only male noblemen had the right to vote and elect the king. However, it was still between 10-15% of the population who could vote. In comparison, “in 1831 in France only about 1% of the population had the right to vote”

The Landsmeet in DA:O is basically the free election (well, maybe minus the duel :D) and I would say the Fereldan nobility does not feel obliged to be obedient 100% of the time. 

PART 4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

Orlesian occupation

We know from the game that Orlais invaded Ferelden in 8:24 Blessed and occupied it for decades. The Fereldan forces were rebelling against the occupant and finally, under the command of Maric Theirin, they won their freedom.

Again, it is a huge topic, so to summarize: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth suffered a similar fate in 1795 as it was conquered and divided between Habsburg Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire. For 123 years Poles have been trying to regain their country, have started several uprisings and lost many lives in their fight for independence. Finally, at the end of WW1, independent Poland reappeared on the map of the world. Then came the WW2, probably the most tragic event in Polish history – the cities were razed to the ground, a vast part of national heritage destroyed or stolen, and over 6 million people (1/5 of the pre-war population) were killed.

So yeah, a country invaded and occupied for decades by its neighbour sounds way too familiar to be ignored. 

Ferelden in the eyes of Orlesians

The Fereldans are a puzzle. As a people, they are one bad day away from reverting to barbarism. (...) They are the coarse, wilful, dirty, disorganized people [DA:O Codex Entry: Culture of Ferelden].

Yeah... this, unfortunately, sounds familiar. I fear that the stereotype of a drunk, stupid, poor, thieving Poles (and other Slavic nations), which originated from WW2 propaganda, is somehow still alive in the West. I will not dive deeper in this subject because I want to believe my followers have their own brain cells and I do not need to explain how hurtful and offensive those stereotypes are.

My point is – I could identify easily with a fantasy country that is located east from the “centre of culture and civilisation” and is unfairly believed to be more barbaric.

So – for all two of you who bothered to read the whole thing - thanks for coming to my TED talk.I really appreciate the time you spent here :)

[tmblrvision]

Tumblr, Start Voting NOW!

That was all 41 songs of the 2020 Tmblrvision Song Contest!

We hope you enjoyed tonight’s show. In case you missed it, you can rewatch the show with no spoilers here. A list of songs will be provided at the bottom, as well as links to YouTube and Spotify playlists.

Now it’s time to vote!

Jury Vote

Each Head of Delegation must vote for their ten favorite songs. Scores will be assigned Eurovision-style to each song, with 12 points to the top favorite all the way to 1 point to the 10th favorite. Two alternates (11th and 12th place) must also be provided in case of DQs. If you do not submit your votes on time, you WILL be disqualified, and all votes for your entry will be nullified! The form requires a password, which will be posted in the HoD announcement channel on Discord. If you’re not on Discord, send a message to @eurenvision​ to get the password.

The jury voting form is here.

Audience Vote

Every Tumblr user (whether you’re a Head of Delegation or not) can vote once in the audience vote! You have 30 votes to spread around, but you can only vote for a song a maximum of 6 times. If you vote for any song more than 6 times, your ballot WILL be thrown out. When filling in points, please DO NOT place a zero on songs you are not voting for, as this screws up the statistics and adds more work for me!

The audience voting form is here.

You have until Monday, 3 August 2020, 2000 CEST to vote in both the jury and audience vote!

Recap

Here’s a video recap to remind you of the songs. Many thanks to @mukario​ for once again providing us with the recap!

All Songs

Here’s a list of all 41 songs and links to their YouTube videos:

01 - Cyprus - Κρυφτό (Krifto) - Charis Savva - https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=qmfeIUrl7-I 02 - Belarus - Vbyla myloho - TAKAYA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t87JvC4Jfro 03 - Slovakia - Fallen - PACE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCu0IDLFoTY 04 - Norway - Free To Go - Seeb, Highasakite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyQ9gSMwopg 05 - Israel - VIEWS - Noga Erez ft. ROUSSO & Reo Cragun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od8LTTBY5E4 06 - Egypt - Barrio - Mahmood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fmpz-wIkPY 07 - Montenegro - Pusti Probleme - Sergej Ćetković feat. Who See - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_17aac3m7E 08 - Denmark - Reset - Kate Hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXxu1yDJ0QA 09 - Finland - Sweet True Lies - Beast in Black - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4waVZXKE0GU 10 - Moldova - Atikapatum - ATIKA PATUM - https://youtu.be/aY3Op_NNodA 11 - Albania - Hallucinate - Dua Lipa - https://youtu.be/qcZ7e9EOQTY 12 - Switzerland - Babi - Gjon's Tears - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riBXh7XOKDM 13 - France - Goliath - Woodkid - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tEfYvY3bAg 14 - Morocco - Breath of Roma - Meryem Aboulouafa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjDfGPqGby0 15 - Germany - Astronaut - toksi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Faos5t1MyVg 16 - Australia - Sending Me Ur Loving - The Jungle Giants - https://youtu.be/FjE1G80l6Ow 17 - United Kingdom - XS - Rina Sawayama - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2c06p6m5w 18 - Italy - Sirene - Levante - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImZ1eEuFeOo 19 - Netherlands - Lange Vinnen - Eefje de Visser - https://youtu.be/NIN7_m2omQw 20 - Bulgaria - ГРЕХОВЕ (Grehove) - Magi Djanavarova - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVyVTOyzeoU 21 - Sweden - Told You So - Ignore The Elephant - https://youtu.be/hcaQM9g_eDU 22 - Lithuania - Kai muzika baigias - Ieva Narkutė - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIc4mePOlJE 23 - Serbia - Slobodno Me Rani - Edita Aradinović - https://youtu.be/a4BmhdVrXtg 24 - Romania - Not My Baby - INNA  - https://youtu.be/vEYUDCaS4xs 25 - Spain - Lasai, lasai - Huntza - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3QPzUVx3Ps 26 - Russia - Я не боюсь (Ya Ne Boyus') - Sergey Lazarev - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzlivwyggUI 27 - Ukraine - Zenit - Onuka - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27J4HUj6Ko0 28 - Poland - Szampan - sanah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sN-cFhwuk 29 - Kazakhstan (Special Guest) - Caramel - Kamshat Zholdybayeva - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWztQHWBZN8 30 - Turkey - Varım - Nova Norda - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad2CJHBhh6s&feature=youtu.be 31 - Belgium - La fille sur le toit - Alice on the Roof - https://youtu.be/Q9KEpZrSOPg 32 - Armenia - Yarkhushta - Sevak Amroyan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q13BMlWKZWU 33 - Estonia - Somewhere - Ewert and the Two Dragons - https://youtu.be/ZWHY3xzTB5I 34 - Tunisia - Boogieman  - Ghali ft. Salmo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7lqGbIE3aM 35 - Algeria - Leila - El Dey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zmZa2bNbPc 36 - Iceland - Engin Miskunn - Hatari - https://youtu.be/CZH96P71ak0 37 - Ireland - Beautiful Madness - Michael Patrick Kelly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_eCNMMyL_Y 38 - Luxembourg - Playground - CHAiLD - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lODZELQOAoo 39 - Latvia - Ieroči - Loreta Reide & Klāvs Ozols - https://youtu.be/F3ZrleOTBPs 40 - Czechia - Lovers Do - Lenny - https://youtu.be/VSeRviSTuqU 41 - Croatia - Kad si ti u pitanju - Lorena Bućan - https://youtu.be/c3pJ-O95K5w

Playlists

As always, playlists are provided so you can listen to every song from start to finish! Here’s the YouTube playlist:

And here’s the Spotify playlist:

Unfortunately, the entries from Kazakhstan and Algeria are unavailable on the Spotify playlist.

Thank You!

Thank you for keeping Tmblrvision alive for its fifth edition! I’m thrilled that some of you keep coming back year after year to participate, and I’m also thrilled to still somehow be welcoming new Heads of Delegation! Once again, special thanks to @mukario​ for the awesome recap!

We hope you join us on Sunday, 9 August 2020, 2000 CEST for the live results show to find out which song will win Tmblrvision 2020!

TUMBLR, START VOTING NOW!

[st-just]

But honestly, my two main reactions were

-Dany has a significant fraction of a religion empirically capable of casting true resurrection who view her as a Messiah. She was stabbed once, no other injuries, and only one person saw her body. Her loyal and loving dragon immediately took her body and set off towards parts unknown. As soon as things start going to shit, the King Under the Mountain/Arthur in Avalon myths literally start writing themselves.

-There are exactly two people left on the continent with any shown talent for administration, and one just fucked off with her entire kingdom. Bran is on record as saying he ‘doesn’t really want things anymore’, which doesn’t bode well for active rulership. Succession being determined by an election among the great magnates is a custom basically purpose built to empower the aristocracy and lead to a civil war every couple decades. 

The only real question is if the entire system goes to shit as soon as Tyrion dies, limps along until Bran bites it and a new dynasty establishes itself after a civil war, goes full Poland-Lithuania, or collapses into the Sengoku period but for white people (in which case I’m on record for the ikko-ikki/Faith Militant).

[raindragonwing]

Can you recommend me some books? Thank you!!

Ahhh!!! Books!! Here we go! (If I mention something that I should have known that you’ve read, I’m sorry :) )

Literally anything by Brandon Sanderson? My most recent book obsession is with his Cosmere, but the other books I’ve read from him are fantastic too. He works with amazing worldbuilding and really cool magic systems. The link goes to his website and his recommended reading order for Cosmere, which I would alter slightly since characters from Warbreaker show up in the Stormlight Archive and you should build some trust in his worldbuilding before you commit to the Bible-sized Stormlight books. The original Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker, or Elantris are all good starting places, depending on what you want to read! This post gives some more explanation of the Cosmere and reading order! If you don’t want to dedicate yourself to the entire cosmere, each book/series can be read independently from the others!

Cosmere starting points:

Mistborn: the Final Empire: This is where I started (this is book one of a trilogy), and it’s pretty great! From his website: “Heist story about a young woman recruited into a gang of thieves, trained to use magic and to imitate a noblewoman, then used in a plot to try and rob (and hopefully overthrow) the immortal emperor of the world. One part Ocean’s Eleven, one part Lord of the Rings, one part Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, one part My Fair Lady.” (x)(x)

Elantris: Sanderson’s first published work. I read it after I’d gone through most of the other books and it’s awesome to see how far he’s come as a writer. Elantris follows a prince who got turned into a zombie (essentially), his fiancee who is stuck with the title of his princess and the mess of politics that he left behind, and a priest who is questioning his own religion. (x)

Warbreaker: If you can’t get any of the other books at the moment, Warbreaker is available for free on his website! Siri, the youngest princess, unexpectedly gets sent to try and stop a war in a distant city of color and Returned gods. Vivenna, her older sister, follows her to attempt a rescue. Both find a web of politics that go back centuries and plots to gain power.

The Emperor’s Soul: This is a novella set on the same planet as Elantris. If you want a gateway drug to Sanderson’s writing, this is it. After an accident has left the emperor in a coma, supporters offer a thief with magic they despise her life in a desperate attempt to revive him.

Skyward: His most recent novel, not cosmere. It’s the boy and his dragon story, except with a girl who hears the stars and a spaceship.

Other books!

His Majesty’s Dragon, by Naomi Novik: first in a series of nine. Napoleonic War but with dragons, featuring William “Neckcloths!” Laurence and his book hoarding social justice dragon. You can read the first book and leave the series there if you wish, or you can go on and read the rest of them and join the small but perfect fandom

Uprooted, also by Naomi Novik: This book is one of my absolute favorites. It’s a reimagination of Polish fairy tales Novik grew up hearing. It follows Agneishka of Dvernik as she is chosen to serve the resident wizard called the Dragon, who protects Agneishka’s valley from the evil Wood.

Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik, again: A reimagination like Uprooted, Spinning Silver is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin and Novik’s father’s family’s experiences as Jewish people in Lithuania. The plot is driven by three amazing and diverse women and I love them all.

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin: the first of six books that only get better as you go. A Wizard of Earthsea is the story of Ged, a young wizard whose arrogance releases a very big problem that almost kills him, but that he has to fix anyway. The next five books focus on different characters over the next several decades, expanding the world, the magic, the history, and the tensions between humans and dragons. Another of my favorite series! All six are amazing, you just have to look for them. For years I thought that the series was only a trilogy (and they all have separate plots, so they can survive on their own), then I found the others and read them in one sitting. And cried.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo: There’s a trilogy in this same world that isn’t a requirement to read the duology. The trilogy is about the chosen one and has a love triangle and everything like that. It’s good. But I like the duology better, which is about the people who aren’t the chosen ones. They’re just pulling off a heist of a high-security military base and then defending each other. And there’s a bit of we gotta save the world, too.

The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien: I found out that reading this isn’t a rite of passage for every family, so. I love Tolkien, and if you haven’t read his work, you really should.

Happy reading! And let me know what you think of them once you’ve read them! Thanks for the ask!