#Meter Theon

[royal-wren]

Eagerly, I celebrate the Mother of All, Rheia Antaia Delighting in the mountains, among the trees and animals Grass yielding beneath your feet, rejoicing as you dance Queen of Beasts, adoring revelry with the cries, and harmony of music You sing without a care, carrying on like the buzzing bees, Just like your attendants who wordlessly followed your orders It seizes you as it flows through you and your rich tresses sway An unforgettable image I mustn't delay in singing my many praises, All for the wild and enthusiastic Kretan goddess of the earth Far-famed, enthroned, always near your most dear children in worship

[satyrmagos]

Cybele / Kybele is the Phrygian Mother of the Gods, syncretized and identified with the Greek Titan Rhea, and worshiped in Rome as Magna Mater. It is her cult into which Dionysos was initiated to cure him of the madness inflicted by Hera. She is famous for the frenzied dancing and drumming of her rites, and for her gender-deviant priesthood – who may have included transwomen and/or eunuchs.

On the front of the talisman the goddess is shown on her throne, flanked by lions. She holds a pomegranate in one hand and a frame drum in the other. On the back is an image of two pine trees, like that found at her shrine in a temple of Aesclepius.

This talisman was commissioned by author Ariana Serpentine as a part of her personal devotional work, made available to the public by her astounding generosity, and included in this year’s Pride line at her particular request. You can find Ariana’s book, Sacred Gender, wherever fine books are sold.

* Talisman is one inch in diameter with an image on each side.

* Available as a pendant with an upeye suitable for a 3mm chain or with three rings suitable for stringing as a rosary piece.

* Available in sterling silver or red bronze.

This piece is not consecrated. That is your responsibility to do in accordance with your tradition or gnosis.

[thea-in-the-abbey]

Hail Meter Theon, celebrated most on high. Come with rattling drums and fervent accompaniment. Panthers, vultures, bears, lions, bees, and the worms of the earth; all come to the sound of your ringing voice. Come with madness in your midst and also with Liber, and your devotees. Come with your shining stars and Attis crowned in your mysteries. Mountain Mistress the Earth. The Seas, and all the Heavens circle your mural crown. You oh Mother, named for where you dance: I name you Appalachia. I name you Blue. I name you Green. I name you with the names of my lineage, and all the gods, and all the names of the divine and the heavens. I name you Madness and Reason. You are the Initiate and the Initiator. The great Mother and Granny Found Deep in Pines thickets. On soft padded paws you come. With glowing amber eyes you come. With sharp teeth and blood running down your thighs you come! Of mother of mystery, oh mother of the cosmos; engulfed in rapture you come. You who is the cosmic soul- you are and you are not. Oh sweet madness- from what is rational, from what is binding and oppressive-you release your devotees; and from our lips we sing eternal your shinning name.

[theanic-devotion]

I noticed there wasn’t much information out there about the Magna Mater, so I put something together. Partially for my own use, partially to help others.

Note:

This is not everything about her. My sources are mostly Theoi.com and Greek Religion by Walter Burkert.

[meirimerens]

can't find any video of the singing of the Orphic Hymn to Cybele (translated as Meter Theon/Mother of the Gods) why live

[tylermileslockett]

Atalanta#8 "Aphrodites Revenge"

The marriage between Hippomenes and Atalanta proves strong and true, and Hippomenes doesn’t stifle his wife’s wild independence. On the contrary, he loves her the more for it. Many days they hunt together in the forests, and before long they have a son, Parthenopaeus. However, Hippomenes made an unforgivable mistake. He forgot to honor and sacrifice to Aphrodite for helping him win the foot race. The Olympians do not forget such things easily, and the goddess plans her revenge. One day the pair rest inside a cave dedicated to the mother goddess Cybele, where Aphrodite bewitches the two with lust, and they lay together within site of the gods. Furious at the blasphemous act, Cybele turns the lovers to lions, and put them under the harnesses of the Goddesses chariot.

Atalanta and Hippomenes son, Parthenopaeus, has his own epic life and story, as he goes on to be one of the captains in “The Seven Against Thebes” play. The third in a trilogy by “the father of Greek tragedy”, Aeschylus, the play concerns the two sons of King Oedipus of Thebes, Eteocles, who refuses to relinquish the throne, and Polynices, the other son who leads a revolt army led by seven Argive (from city-state of Argos) captains.

Cybele, a mother goddess of fertility, motherhood, and wilds, has her roots in Anatolia (Turkey), also knows as Asia Minor, in the kingdom of Phrygia. Using the title of Meter Theon, or “Mother of the gods,” the Greek equivalent would be Rhea. The goddess was born a hermaphrodite, but the other gods, fearing this duality, cut of her penis and discarded it. Later, when her mortal lover, Attis, spurns her, she drives him crazy and he amputates his penis and bleeds to death at the base of a pine tree. Thus, Cybele’s cult was run by transgender eunuch priests; the Galli. The orgiastic rites of the cult of Cybele share similarities with the cult of Dionysus. Apparently the priests and other followers, in honor of Cybeles castration, would work themselves into a frenzy, and mutilate and bleed themselves upon violets (representing Attis blood) adorned on a sacred pine tree.

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[overthinkingpolytheist]

Monthly Cycle of praise

Each day, depending on the number of the month, you may praise a god, goddess, or minor theoi associated with the number. This cycle allows for the learning of Greek myths daily and a deep connection with all of the pantheon. The cycle is based on Hesiod's works.

Notes:

Days which are associated with Horkos may be difficult

Hekate is praised at the end of the month. In short months, simply praise her on a new moon

Praising the gods listed in this list is not necessary, but as these days are sacred, it builds bonds. It's great to praise every God in this religion. It is polytheism, after all!

The cycle

Noumenia, Apollon

Dæmon, Zeus

Athena

Hermes, Aphrodite, Eros

Horkos

Artemis

Apollon

Poseidon, Asklepios, Hephaistos, Hygeia

Dionysus, Misa, Semele

Gaia, Pan, the Nymphs, Horae

Uranus, Aether, Phusis, Nephelae

Demeter, Antaea, Meter Theon

Athena

Kronos, Rhea, Titans

Horkos

Artemis

Dionysus Bassaraeus, Dionysus Licnitus, Dionysus Pericionius

Hera, Zeus of Thunder, Hephaestus

Heracles, Ares, Curetes

Apollon

Zabazius, Ippa, Lysius Lenaeus

Curetes, Corybas

Athena

Trietericus, Amphietus Bacchus, Silenus, Satyr, Bacchae

Horkos

Leucothea, Palaemon

Thalassa, Nereus, Nereids, Proteus

Mnemosyne, Themis

Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus

Hekate and the dead

With this, Orphic hymns are used. However, any hymns, personal prayers, or offerings can also be used.

[superkooku]

Dionysus' iceberg (part 3)

Here's part 2 (+ the bonus about animals and a link with part 1).

I'm back for a new part of this little essay series about Dionysus !

In part 1, I explained how underused he is. In part 2, I talked about him as a nature and theater god.

Today, since Halloween is coming up, I'll specifically focus on Dionysus' spookier aspects. Because his duality is rooted in both his festive nature, but also darker parts. Because Dionysus is also associated with madness, conquest, death and rebirth.

Before that, just a reminder that a non-negligeable part of my informations come from the Dionysiaca, which is a very late source. I'll try to use other versions as well.

1. The god of madness

Ok, so when a god is given a title, just know it isn't there as a decoration. It's such an important part of said god that it deserved to be highlighted.

This is probably the longest subsection of my essay, so I'll divide it in two (again).

A) Experiencing madness

Dionysus always had an intrisic bond with madness. It all began with, well, his childhood. After a unique birth, Dionysus was sent with multiple tutors : the first was Rhea, mother of Zeus and Hera and Dionysus' grandmother. Then, he lived with Ino, Semele's sister and her husband, Athamas, a Beoetian king.

Disguised as a little girl, Dionysus lived with mortals in order to stay hidden from his divine stepmother : Hera. And... that didn't work.

Hera stroke Athamas with madness, probably as a punishment for sheltering Dionysus. The poor man went in a murderous rage and killed Learchus, one of his sons, thinking he was a stag.

Ino barely saved herself, Dionysus and Melicertes, her other son.

According to the Dionysiaca, Ino herself was struck with insanity beforehand and Apollo had to heal her. What a mess...

So, even in this early part of life, Dionysus' presence caused madness and despair among mortals, despite Hera's undeniable involvement.

Now found, the young god was quickly sent to live with the satyrs (see part 2). Problem : Hera didn't let go so easily.

This time, instead of targetting someone like Silenus, she went straight to the point and struck Dionysus himself.

Contrary to Heracles or Athamas, Dionysus didn't brutally slaughter his entourage. Instead, he left them and spent years aimlessly wandering around Earth.

It was only after seeing Rhea, his grandmother, that he could recover his sanity. Nonnus explains that she gave him an amethyst that allowed him to heal and made him unable to get drunk. The word "amethyst" itself means "the absence of intoxication".

Other sources claim it was the phryigian goddess Cybele that cured him (she herself is closely associated to Rhea, Gaia and Demeter, even sharing the title "Meter Theon" with Rhea).

Rhea was another one of Dionysus' caretakers as a child and will also be involved later on in his life, like a godly teacher.

Ironically enough, Hera also fulfills that last role despite all her efforts to terrorize him. Because after experiencing her madness for years, Dionysus took it as his own domain...

B) Inflicting madness on others

This subsection contains more interpretation than the previous one. Yes, there were a lot of myths showcasing Dionysus' power over mortal minds but I'll be more general here.

Dionysus' madness is a bit different from Hera's. Whereas the queen of gods occasionally used it with the sole goal to punish, her stepson's is rooted in this same duality between festivity and violence.

On one hand, it's a feeling of liberation and fun. Dionysus' followers aren't tied down to social conventions and inhibitions anymore. They can just... do whatever they want. There is no king, no law, no husband (hence the insistance on women in the cult, who were imposed even more limitations).

There is only Dionysus and fellow party animals... and literal wild animals too.

The god invites them to celebrate, to dance, to sing or to partake in sexual activities. Of course, that sense of freedom attracted a lot of people into Dionysus' cult in mythology. That translated in real life as well, through orgies but also various festivals honoring the god (like the City and rural Dionysia or the Lenaia).

One the other hand, Dionysus could also force this madness on people. He wins the control that they lose. And no matter how hard one would resist, they'd immediately succumb.

Dionysus could either make his targets docile and obedient, or frantic and enraged. Whatever suits him best, he does. He could make anyone hallucinate, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy and fight for him.

He uses madness in a unique way, with various nuances. Other gods are capable of this as well, but not with as much nuance and precision as Dionysus. Because it's his domain.

We could compare the Dionysian madness to his own creation, wine. It induces an addictive feeling of relaxation and pleasure, but also a loss of control and reason, plus an agressive behavior, that only gets bigger with the dosis.

This madness obviously is a particular concept that can't be tied down to one substance or drug, much less to how we understand mental illnesses today (though I suppose Dionysus could influence all of that).

It pretty much encompasses everything wild and beyond order or thought. Even the most down-to-earth, "normal" logical person has a bit of this Dionysian madness in them. And the god knows exactly how to release it.

One main instance of this is seen in Euripides' "The Bacchae". While it focuses on Dionysus' wrath against king Pentheus and his mother Agave, (and how he affects both of them differently), it also mentions that same feeling of freedom, insanity and the cult surrounding it.

2. War and conquest

I said it before, but the sheltered peaceful Dionysus agenda needs to stop NOW. You'd think I'd like seeing one of my favorite gods portrayed in a gentle light. But it just makes him lose his claws, his power and his cunning.

Because yeah, mr. "I can turn people mad and submit them to my will" doesn't always take the pacifistic approach to introducing his cult.

So get prepared for more wine, blood and revenge in this part !

I already mentioned that Dionysus, while in his maddened state, traveled the world. Well, even afterwards he didn't stop. Except this time, it wasn't aimless wandering, but a crusade to spread his cult and prove his power to... basically the whole world !

It began after Rhea healed Dionysus, when he requested his father to join the Olympian gods. And Zeus agreed... under the condition of earning his place.

Since Dionysus was a young god, no mortal worshipped him yet, and that needed to change.

And he understood the assignment very well.

Dionysus continued his travels around the whole world, but this time, he was a man with a plan. Everywhere he went, he introduced winemaking and tried to make himself worshipped.

He was known as the foreigner god, never establishing himself in a set place, always coming to new cities as a stranger with his exotic procession and unique practices. He went in Syria, in Egypt, in various parts of Greece too.

While he was often welcomed with open arms, some notable exceptions required him to be more agressive.

In India : seeing that the Indians were impious, Zeus sent Dionysus to invade the land. The conquest was confirmed by multiple sources like Pausanias or Philostratus, but the most detailed account is the Dionysiaca.

Rhea comes back and plays a huge role in supporting Dionysus and his army. And guess who helps the opponents ? That's right, Hera ! If she wasn't there, the victory would have surely been instantaneous.

This war also prompted a divide among the Olympians in a way that's eerily similar to the Iliad (there were even fights among the gods with the same pairings for opponents...). Again, Nonnus' tale was a late source, so maybe he took inspiration from it.

On Earth, there was a massacre : satyrs and maenads slaughtering the Indians. It only stopped when Dionysus pitied them. He stopped the war and invited his then-adversaries to drink wine (initially water from the Astacid Lake). Then he captured them, ending the war on a complete victory for the god.

In Athens : this is part of a lesser-known myth but honestly, it proves how ruthless Dionysus can be. In the beginning, everything was fine. Dionysus was welcomed by a man named Icarius (not Penelope's dad).

Icarius gave wine to his shepherds and enjoyed the god's persence. Unfortunately, since the shepherds weren't used to the wine, they thought the intoxication meant they were poisoned. So they murdered him without letting him a chance to explain themselves.

Furious, Dionysus took a page out of Apollo's handbook and inflicted a huge plague on Athens. Additionally, he turned every unmarried woman insane and made them hang themselves (like Icarius' daughter, Erigone, did out of grief).

In Argos : there, Dionysus and his maenads met king Perseus. Yes, the same Perseus who killed Medusa. It was mentioned in many sources, like Pausanias' Description of Greece.

And since Argos was Hera's city and Dionysus was there, of COURSE she is involved. She encouraged Perseus to fight back. Another war took place and we'd think it would end like with the Indians. But this time, Dionysus... lost.

In fact, he lost pretty bad. Many maenads are killed, including Chorea, the leader. Ariadne, his wife, is turned to stone. Perseus was the clear winner in this.

(I saw in a book that Dionysus himself died, then was thrown in a spring something I talked about multiple times on Tumblr. This really solidified Perseus' victory.

Here's the quote : "Perhaps the oldest of these tales was that{871} in which Perseus killed him and threw him [Dionysus] into the deep spring of Lerna."

But neither Theoi nor any other source I found mentions this small yet crucial detail. It's weird.

The book refers to this as a source :

Which source has this abbreviation?

@nysus-temple or @margaretkart , do you have an idea ? )

Maybe I misunderstood it. That would be a bit embarrassing, but hey, everyone can be wrong. I don't want to spread misinformation and if it's wrong, then I'll edit everything.

Point is : Perseus won, Dionysus lost. But then, on Hermes' request, they settled on a compromise. Perseus keeps his land and full control of it, but Dionysus' cult isn't banned and fallen maenads are honored.

In Thrace : Actually, Dionysus went there twice.

The first time is mentioned in the Iliad, for example. A young Dionysus goes to spread his cult. Unfortunately, he's quickly chased down by the king, Lycurgus.

He made the Hyades, nymphs and Dionysus' nurses, run away, killed one of them with an axe (Ambrosia). Then he forced Dionysus and his allies to jump from a cliff and into the sea. He almost drowned (or did) but was rescued/resurrected by Thetis.

And according to Nonnus, guess who turned Lycurgus against Dionysus ? It's interesting how everything Dionysus went through can be traced back to Hera.

Of course, the man who terrified Dionysus shouldn't just roam free without punishment.

Dionysus came back to Thrace a second time, angrier than ever. Lycurgus' punishments varies from source to source.

According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, Dionysus turned Lycurgus insane. He killed his son Dryas with an ax thinking he was cutting vines Dionysus installed. Then, he cut his own arms and legs. THEN, as if it wasn't enough, Dionysus made the land sterile and only agreed to change it if Lycurgus died. So, his people left him in the forest to be eaten by his own horses.

Other sources state that Lycurgus was hated by the gods in general and punished by Zeus himself.

Anecdote : Sophocles depicts Lycurgus as a beer drinker to highlight his opposition to the wine god. Idk it's a fun detail. Lycurgus being like "Wine ? Tastes awful. Imprison him."

(also, what if the ax that he used to kill his son was the same as the one that struck Ambrosia ? It wouldn't surprise me)

In Thebes : Thebes was Dionysus' final destination... and his family's city. There, his maenads and him were granted by angry guards, led by Dionysus' cousin : Pentheus. Like others on the list, he rejected the cult. As a punishment, Dionysus made every woman in the city insane, then tricked Pentheus until a crazed Agave (Pentheus' mother) led an army of maenads and they dismembered and beheaded him. For more details, go read the Bacchae from Euripides.

3. Death and rebirth

Surprisingly, this part will be very short, mainly because I already talked about Perseus and Lycurgus. Here is a post I made that talks about the subject

I'll elaborate more about Orphism and his relationship to gods and mortals in part 4.

Conclusion :

That was probably the longest part I wrote. Mainly because of the examples and the hours of research (I wanted to make sure everything I said was accurate).

Yes, there will be a part 4. I'll hopefully wrap up the essay series by talking about Dionysus' duality and relationships with gods, mortals. About enemies, family, lovers (mainly Ariadne but also others like Ampelus).

Then I'll make a definitive conclusion. Let's hope I'll finish it before 2025 :3

(dividers from @sister-lucifer )

[talonabraxas]

Meter Theon - High Priestess Talon Abraxas

The Great Mother, called Meter Theon in Greek and Magna Mater in Latin, is the Mother of the Gods who co-reigns with Zeus-Helios. She is the Goddess who births the Intellective and creative Gods, co-reigning as both the mother and spouse of mighty Zeus-Helios. She is the forethought of the Intelligible Realm, and She is the one we pray to in perfecting theurgy. She is many named, also being called Hekate, Rhea, Gaia, and Deo.

Chaldean Oracles

The Chaldean Oracles describe Her as an intermediary between the Sensible World—the world of matter that we perceive with our senses—and the Intelligible Realm—the world of Ideas we perceive through pure reason. As such, she is the soul of the world, or World Soul, because the soul itself serves to link these two realms in the Psychic Realm. Thus through theurgic rites, She serves as a doorway into the Intelligible Realm, and with that is the one who grants us henosis.

[lostpeace]

Meter Theon, Rhea-Cybele

[royal-wren]

My Devotionals Masterpost

Aphrodite:

Love for what's broken, Gentle and Mighty, Indulge, Aphrodite Psithyristes, Infinite-faced, Queen of the people, Ever-green, Red petals

Artemis:

Under the moon, Molpadia, Wild of Heart, Far-shooting Phoibê, Light Bearer

Athene:

Nimble-fingered Goddess, One with metis, Of the Eyes

Demeter:

True delight in warmer weather

Ereshkigal:

Lady of rot

Hades:

Shadow work

Hekate:

Hekate Atalos, Abronoê Kore, Keep me sharp

Hemera:

Initiator of day

Hermes:

God of Silence, Mercurius: Giver of Hunger, Among the graves, The Inspiring One, Acceptance, Words: your greatest strength, Teacher, Giver of Joy, Hold My Tongue, Of Earth, the Dead, and Death, God of Memory

Hera:

Queen of Heaven

Hestia:

First and last

Inanna:

Prince of Venus

Leto:

Gentlest on all Olympos, Seen and Unseen

Loki:

Live honestly

Maia:

Mountain Maia

The Mousai:

To the most elegant Nine

Nemesis:

Keeper of Balance

Peitho:

Persuasion's call

Rheia:

Meter Theon (Mater Theia/Meter Megale)

Selene:

In full sight

Styx:

Keeper of Oaths

General Devotionals:

Hail to spring 1 & 2, Their many hands on me, Motherly, Gender: A connection to the Divine, The dichotomy of Hekate and Hermes, Pride of Athene and Hermes, Madness: the call of Aphrodite, Dionysos, Hermes, and Artemis, Apollon and Hermes as opposites, Primordial Mothers, Brief embrace of Mother Night and Daughter Day, Haunting Music, Beneath the sky, Divine Inspiration, Love me while I become something new, I flourish with you, Night-wandering Duo: Hekate and Hermes, Most Worshipful and Dear: Hestia and Hermes, Gods of Rain: Zeus, Hera, Maia & the Pleiades and Hyades, Inheriting Sky and Storms: Athene and Hermes, Guides at Night: Artemis, Demeter, Dionysos, Hekate, Hermes, and Selene, Heralds of the Seasons: The Pleiades, Language as a Danger: Hermes and Athene

Godspouse/partner writing:

Under the dogwood, Flowers gathered, Your beautiful mind, Vulnerable, Never enough words, Wrapped up in daydreams, Addicted, Blurred lines, Midnight eyes, My Delight, Lean on me, Cast Away the Dark, Another day with you, Conversations, My Rock

Modern Myth:

The Cornelian Cherry Tree, Penelope, the cunning, As one season is traded for another, Just another night between two lovers, Beloved of Athene, Hermes, and the Raven (How the Raven perfectly mimics) (WIP), Mother of Architecture (Hestia myth WIP), An Apple for your Love (Hermes and Aphrodite)

Last Edited: 6/29/24

[satyrmagos]

Fourth in my 2023 Pride line is the image of Kybele, the Great Mother, Mother of the Gods.

Cybele / Kybele is the Phrygian Mother of the Gods, syncretized and identified with the Greek Titan Rhea, and worshiped in Rome as Magna Mater. It is her cult into which Dionysos was initiated to cure him of the madness inflicted by Hera. She is famous for the frenzied dancing and drumming of her rites, and for her gender-deviant priesthood – who may have included transwomen and/or eunuchs.

On the front of the talisman the goddess is shown on her throne, flanked by lions. She holds a pomegranate in one hand and a frame drum in the other. On the back is an image of two pine trees, like that found at her shrine in a temple of Aesclepius.

This talisman was commissioned by author Ariana Serpentine as a part of her personal devotional work, made available to the public by her astounding generosity, and included in this year’s Pride line at her particular request. You can find Ariana’s book, Sacred Gender, wherever fine books are sold.

* Talisman is one inch in diameter with an image on each side.

* Available as a pendant with an upeye suitable for a 3mm chain or with three rings suitable for stringing as a rosary piece.

* Available in sterling silver or red bronze.

This piece is not consecrated. That is your responsibility to do in accordance with your tradition or gnosis.

[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 46 BRAN VI (pages 599-608)

Summer has a bad time climbing trees, and Theon makes some bad life choices, but he does succeed in taking over Winterfell. Mikken leaves the party.

-

... I love these wolf dream POVs, they're just so... atmospheric? I guess is the word? Just the vibes and way the description style changes? so good.

Locked, something whispered. Chained. ... There is, the whisper came, and it seemed as if he could see the shadow of a great tree covered in needles, slanting up out of the black earth to ten times the height of a man. Yet when he looked about, it was not there. The other side of the godswood, the sentinel, hurry, hurry...

Oooohhh, Summer is 'hearing' Bran! Sharing his memories, or the impressions of them at least.That's so cool.

Yes Summer! Go! Go! Go-ohhh, nooo. Bugger, Summer was doing so well at tree climbing despite the lack of opposable thumbs.

...there's probably a good pun in there somewhere about timber wolves.

"I sent four men over the walls with grappling claws and ropes, and they opened a postern gate for the rest of us. -" ... "They swam the moat. Climbed the walls with hook and rope. Came over wet and dripping, steel in hand."

This is a horrifying betrayal by Theon (though expected and understandable in terms of things) but I just need to take a moment to appreciate how badass this was. The walls of Winterfell are like, ridiculously tall. (80 feet/24 meters at the outer wall, 100 feet/30 meters at the inner wall, which doesn't sound like much... when it's horizontal, but that's taller than an 8 story building.) I also have questions about whether or not the moat is heated like the hot-springs that litter Winterfell, and whether or not it contains fish and/or eels. (And if the moat is just an artificially enlarged hot-spring, just a trench connecting several dozen, does the mineral content of the pools flavour the fish? marinade?)

One of the ironmen went before them carrying a torch, but the rain had started again and soon drowned it out.

Aww, shame. you know what might have prevented that?

✨🏮Enclosed Lanterns 🏮✨

... poor emoji selection is poor

Poxy Tim wept inconsolably, and Beth Cassel cried with fear.

Beth! hi sweetie. I feel like we haven't seen her since early GoT, but maybe I'm just forgetting mentions of her?

...I see Theon's attempting to max his stats in asshole for his new role.

Mikken's being a boss though. Oh No! RIP Mikken.

... Urgh, knowing how loyal Reek was to Ramsay it probably would have been better if they'd just killed him here and- hang on. wait a minute.

So, I know from the show and from fics and from the wiki that Ramsay survived passed the "arrow in the back for a wedding gift" thing (unfortunately) but I've been trying to figure out where the deception is, was the wound just not as fatal as believed and all that.

I think I just... this "Reek" is way too glib. be honest with me.

Is this Reek/Heke fella actually Ramsay in disguise?

"M'lord Greyjoy!" Osha stepped past Mikken's body. "I was brought here captive too. You were there the day I was taken" ... "I've had a bellyfull of it. Put a spear in my hand again."

Now, I also know that show!Osha and book!Osha are supposedly a bit different, but what I do know of her book story line... I'm not going to call this a complete betrayal just yet, I'm going to assume it's a case of 'she's saying what she has to, to get herself into a better position for a true loyalty/preference reveal later' type thing.

... D': Hodor!!! How dare you hurt him you monsters!!!

[deliciousexpertbasement]

Aigio lawan Speed Di Daezalus sebuah pintu yang berbeda terbuka. Warna pusaran gelombang itu bukan yang biasa. Warna tusukan udara pedang Kyai Wesi biru pualam atau birumarmer. Warna yang dihasilkan berbeda, seperti beningnya air yang beriak. Tapi muncul pada posisi sama dengan yang biasa hasil gerakan langit para pendekar pemegang Kaivax. []

アイ��オ vs スピード Daezalus では別の扉が開きます。 波の渦の色は普通のものではなかった。 キヤ・ウェシの剣の空気突きの色はアラバスターブルーまたはマーブルブルー。 結果として得られる色は、まるで透き通った波打つ水のように異なります。 しかし、それは、カイバックスを操る戦士たちの天体の動きの通常の結果と同じ位置に現れます。

Aigio lawan Speed Di Daezalus sebuah pintu yang berbeda terbuka. Warna pusaran gelombang itu bukan yang biasa. Warna tusukan udara pedang Kyai Wesi biru pualam atau biru marmer. Warna yang dihasilkan berbeda, seperti beningnya air yang beriak. Tapi muncul pada posisi sama dengan yang biasa hasil gerakan langit para pendekar pemegang Kaivax.

Namaku Zarg, orang memanggilku Dr. Zarg. Aku tinggal di sebuah goa di bawah bukit tidak jauh dari danau raksasa Tirth. Rumahku ada di dekat goa itu, berjarak seratus meter dari mulut goa lain yang saling terhubung dan bagian bawah tanahnya terhubung ke mulut goa itu. Salah satu dari kakek moyangku yang membuat lubang penghubung dari rumah itu ke goa. Aku tidak pernah tahu alasannya untuk apa, tapi sejak si tua Hakar Eh Likic merebut rumah besar itu dari ayahku dan membuatnya sebagai gudang pada masanya goa itu menjadi tempat terbaik untuk perlindungan dan rencana paling strategis perebutan kembali tempat kenangan itu. Hakar tidak tahu menahu terhubungnya rumahku dengan goa.

Theon si harimau berkaki dua, ia menolongku mewujudkan rencana itu. Kami berhasil mengusir Hakar dan rumahku kembali ke tanganku. Pertahanan area dekat rumah semakin kuat sejak munculnya Speed. Anak muda itu membantuku menghadapi sepak terjang anak-anak keturunan Audadait Likic. Audadait memang sangat membenci kakek moyangku yang menurut cerita pemuka desa sebelum Dam menjadi kota besar dan Nagark Al Harami menjadi negara yang cukup ternama di Daedalus.

Sebenarnya keinginanku bukan menjadikan situasinya penuh kekerasan. Tapi baik Santoso Yusuf atau Hakar Eh Likic bersikeras menginginkan kota ini sebagai wilayah kekuasaannya. Mereka adalah sumber kekacauan kota. Hakar Eh Likic terang-terangan membangun gudang lagi di barat kota. Gudang segala barang ilegal, polisi sulit menemukan gudang itu. Tapi aku dan Speed telah menemukannya.

Kami telah memusnahkannya. Kami melakukan itu untuk peringatan bahwa bermain hakim sendiri itu hal yang sangat berbahaya. Bukan karena sudah terlalu muak dengan kerekatan pemimpin seperti Santoso Yusuf dengan Keluarga Likic yang punya banyak bantuan dari berbagai pihak di Nagark Al Harami.

Hal yang kami lakukan, memulai perlawanan terhadap mereka. Kami lakukan karena kami mampu. Dan ini sekadar membuat perubahan, kami juga tidak merugikan beberapa orang ketika memusnahkan tempat yang berisikan barang-barang ilegal seperti narkoba, minuman keras dan persenjataan itu. Semua karena kami sudah muak dengan perbuatan-perbuatan yang dilakukan Patnir Likic, cucu Hakar Eh Likic yang terang-terangan mengedarkan barang ilegal tersebut.

Seperti yang kusebutkan, cara ini sangat berbahaya. Tapi kami tidak bisa membiarkan situasi seperti ini terus menerus. Kami mengambil beberapa persenjataan untuk bisa kami gunakan di situasi darurat. Hal ini berubah menjadi perang, ya itu sudah tidak terelakkan lagi. Kami berperang melawan mereka yang sungguh jahat. Speed pernah jadi korban Patnir Likic.

"Saya tidak akan pernah menganggapnya upaya membalas dendam, pak." Sahut Speed. Dia duduk di hadapannya, dengan pedang kayunya. "Saya sudah seperti bapak dan Tuan Theon. Saya muak karena Patnir pernah mengganggu Nona Burangwaja."

Anak gadis yang pernah minta tolong kami. Ketika suatu hari ia tanpa alasan dikuntit dan diteror oleh salah satu anak buah Patnir Likic, seorang dukun bernama Sambu Makar. Sambu pernah memintanya untuk jadi istri kesepuluh. Burangwaja menolak, Sambu bersikeras mendekati Burangwaja sampai Speed turun tangan mencoba menemui Sambu. Sambu alias Ki Sambu berusaha memberikan Speed kutukan tapi entah mengapa gagal.

Burangwaja sudah sejak lama diburu Ki Sambu. Kami tidak punya alasan jelas sampai saat ini mengapa dukun ilmu hitam itu menginginkan gadis seperti Burangwaja. Tapi dugaan kami ialah karena Burangwaja memiliki rahasia yang disembunyikan kedua orangtuanya selama ini. Gadis itu tinggal di Dam sejak kecil, Ki Sambu mengenal kedua orangtua Burangwaja.

Ki Sambu pernah dekat dengan ibu Burangwaja. Kami menyelidiki masa lalu Ki Sambu waktu itu. Di masa muda, ibu Burangwaja juga salah satu perempuan yang dikejar Ki Sambu. Sama seperti alasan ia mengejar Burangwaja, kami masih mencarinya. Seperti kami kesulitan mencari di mana Ki Sambu berada.

Kami mengira dia berselisih dengan Patnir Likic. Sama seperti yang telah terjadi pada Speed. Kami, bukan. Bukan kami, aku yang menduganya begitu. Dia mati atau kalah dan menyingkir dari perhelatan yang barangkali lebih besar dari yang bisa kubayangkan. Tentang alam lain dan kekuatan yang ada di dalamnya. Seperti yang Theon pernah sebutkan. Semua misteri dijaga dan patut dijaga. Oleh siapapun yang mengetahuinya.[]

Hari ini hari kedua sejak ada yang bercerita tentang legenda itu. Namanya Chen, datang ke rumah di atas bukit. Lagi-lagi tentang nenek moyangku. Chen Kakeru, seorang ahli pedang dari Seberang.

Dia berharap bisa menemui Kamenride Speed. Tapi Speed sedang ke Lockzod bersama Mahaguru Ong. Sejak ia dan Theon dipanggil untuk menemui raja dari Madwor itu aku terpaksa meminta tolong Chen dalam berusaha mempertahankan rumah ini.

Keluarga Likic masih berpikir kalau berdasarkan legenda. Tentang harta karun Kaivax, yang disembunyikan oleh nenek moyangku Zan Luc. Harta itu masih ada di rumah, mereka sejak dulu berusaha mencari ketika tempat ini masih menjadi gudang segala kejahatan. Hal yang begitu banyak mereka simpan dan rahasiakan.

Tapi aku sendiri masih bingung. Kupikir harta itu pedang yang dijaga Theon selama ini. Nenek moyangku dan harimau itu pasti menyimpan semua misteri bukit ini sebagai cara dari menjaga alam semesta.

Lalu ketika makhluk-makhluk Ghalots berhasil membuat pintu sendiri dari serpihan Khuld. Mereka datang dan memberitahu sedikit dari rahasianya. Bahwa di bukit ini, tidak jauh dari rumah. Tepatnya di bawah tanah, ada satu dari berbagai hal yang dirahasiakan.

Legenda Kyai Wesi atau dengan nama yang pernah disebutkan Chen, nama-nama berbeda itu datang dari satu. Serpihan Khuld yang orang Seberang menyebutnya Batu Api Kaivax.

Bukan sembarang batu. Batu yang berasal dari reranting, akar atau apapun yang jatuh dan terpisah dari pohonnya. Pohon Khuld di Lockzod yang dijaga Raja Kera Primatea Mahaguru Song Ong.

Di bukit ini, keluargaku juga ikut menjaga rahasianya. Menjauhkan dari kejahatan dan mendekatkannya kepada kebaikan. Dan memelihara keseimbangan dengan rendah hati.[]

Burangwaja Amaraningtyas duduk di sampingnya. Ia melihat ada yang berbeda. Dr. Zarg muncul bersama Chen saat itu. Speed duduk terdiam, lama ia dalam diam itu. Burangwaja menarik tangan Speed.

Speed terhenyak, "maaf ya datang ke sini susah payah. Tempat tinggalku sekarang di sini."

Chen menyapa Burangwaja. "Dia kaget, pasti melamun."

"Tidak, sejak ketemu kera raksasa itu dan pergi bersamanya. Dia sering begini." Sahut Burangwaja, sengaja menarik lengan Speed.

"Apa yang kalian inginkan?" Tanya Speed, ia tersenyum pada keduanya. Mereka datang ke rumah Burangwaja. Speed sering berada di rumah itu. Sejak ia diselamatkan dari danau. Sejak ia menangkap Patnir Likic dan membuka dunia tentang kejahatan keluarganya. Lalu bertemu Song Ong, pergi ke Lockzod. Sejak saat itu semua berubah.

"Kami tidak menginginkan apapun, pertanyaan itu maksudnya apa?" Tanya Dr. Zarg dengan sorot mata tajam. Tajam karena heran, ada yang berubah di penampilan Speed.

"Maaf, saya juga tidak tahu. Sepertinya terlepas begitu saja pak." Speed tertunduk. Ia merasa tidak nyaman dengan sikapnya sendiri. Ia juga merasakan banyak hal mengubah dirinya. Pertemuannya dengan Song Ong di Lockzod mengubah drastis kehidupan.

Tidak perlu lagi dipikirkan, sebenarnya peristiwa-peristiwa di Lockzod itu hanya bagian dari perjalanan.

[winterapocalypse]

Winter Apocalypse 54

The Potion

The footsteps of a gigantic beast answered her. Appearing from who knows where, an enormous creature resembling a huge turkey nine meters long entered the garden, with a huge cauldron in its beak. It was Pallina the Gigantoraptor of the Jogos Nai steppe, the pet of Aston and Dennis' equally enormous older brother, Ken, who followed her around. Ken was wearing his usual gray cap that had belonged to his grandfather from Lys, and one of his many jackets which, worn by him, seemed of normal size, and then abandoned on a chair where he often left them they looked like the size of circus tents . He wore shorts even in the harsh Northern winter weather, and sneakers even in the snow, but he didn't even seem to notice the cold. Perhaps he was too big even for the cold of the True Winter.

"Hi guys, Aston told me you need me!" Ken said brightly, with a pair of cups in his big arms, the ones fixed with Aston cup cement.

Pallina - so called because, Ken says, when she hatched from the egg she was just a little ball of feathers, but that had been at least twenty years earlier, when Ken was a baby and Aston and Dennis hadn't even been born yet. The Ravenclaw Quidditch coach placed the large cauldron on the ground, and Cesaro and Emily, who loved magical potions, did their utmost to help Ken prepare that mysterious potion.

"It's called 'prodigious tears of the Goddess of Lys', it's a potion widely used in Lys, where our mother comes from." Ken explained, as he explained to Cesaro the order of the ingredients, and to Emily the dose of them to put in the pot, and he calmly mixed. "This potion helps a lot with headaches and hangovers, and I think after yesterday's evening it will help you! You drank a lot, eh? But it was fun."

"Why, were you there too?" muttered one of the Hardy brothers, the one who could at least talk.

"Yes, I crashed. It's my specialty."

"How do you sneak in and not be noticed, big as you are?"

Ken shrugged.

Aston passed Dennis's hair to her older brother and he threw it into the mixture which was bubbling on its own, without fire, from the strength of the ingredients within it. After a few minutes of mixing, instead of the slop there was now a nice light blue transparent liquid, with the inviting scent of deodorant.

With the three cups that he had brought with him, he filled the cups and passed them to the boys, but not before taking a sip of his own from the first cup. "Just one sip!"

Rhea, who came from Ulthos like Riddle, helped him take a sip, because the poor boy couldn't even lift his head. As soon as his lips touched the rim of the cup and he sipped the inside of his mouth, he jumped up fresh as a daisy and tossed his slippers, laughing happily and energetically as ever.

Theon did without. "We in the Iron Islands are used to drinking so much, we don't need these potions." he said, all proud of himself. Chavo took two sips, though he had been told to take only one, and belched so loudly that blue smoke came out of his mouth and everyone laughed, much louder this time.

Chavo passed Eddie the cup, but he didn't take it. He was staring into space, his gaze very strangely worried and focused on some thought of his. Since when Eddie thought about anything serious???

"For bad thoughts, better if you take two sips." the kind Ken advised him, patting him on the back - but his hand was so big that it almost made Eddie fall down the stairs where he was sitting. Ken passed him a cup, and Eddie drank. He felt much, much better after that blueberry gatorade-like stuff, except it didn't taste like blueberry but like sweet deodorant. It was good, but strange. Thoughts about Rey and what was written in the Red Witch's book slowly dissipated, replaced by how beautiful Emily's birthday party had been, and how exciting the thought of witnessing the Intercontinental Team's battle and match was!

Now all the Slytherin and Ravenclaw boys were lively and noisy again, and some of them started throwing snowballs at each other.

Dennis, still aching for his precious hair, tried to throw a large magical snowball at his sister, but not only did Aston, with impressive speed, draw her magical sword and cut the snowball in half, but she also succeeded to throw a bigger one right in his face, making Dennis' makeup drip everywhere. Aegon and Rhea laughed at him.

There was no snow in Sothoryos and Ulthos, so Chavo and Riddle enjoyed building impressive snowmen in the shape of monsters that inhabited the forest of Sothoryos and the desert hinterland of Ulthos.

"We should give Randy some too." Sheamus said as he looked at the liquid left in the cup he had just drunk. "He's been very ill lately, no one understands what's wrong with him, and he doesn't even want to tell us anything…"

[tylermileslockett]

Atalanta#8 "Aphrodites Revenge"

The marriage between Hippomenes and Atalanta proves strong and true, and Hippomenes doesn’t stifle his wife’s wild independence. On the contrary, he loves her the more for it. Many days they hunt together in the forests, and before long they have a son, Parthenopaeus. However, Hippomenes made an unforgivable mistake. He forgot to honor and sacrifice to Aphrodite for helping him win the foot race. The Olympians do not forget such things easily, and the goddess plans her revenge. One day the pair rest inside a cave dedicated to the mother goddess Cybele, where Aphrodite bewitches the two with lust, and they lay together within site of the gods. Furious at the blasphemous act, Cybele turns the lovers to lions, and put them under the harnesses of the Goddesses chariot.

Atalanta and Hippomenes son, Parthenopaeus, has his own epic life and story, as he goes on to be one of the captains in “The Seven Against Thebes” play. The third in a trilogy by “the father of Greek tragedy”, Aeschylus, the play concerns the two sons of King Oedipus of Thebes, Eteocles, who refuses to relinquish the throne, and Polynices, the other son who leads a revolt army led by seven Argive (from city-state of Argos) captains.

Cybele, a mother goddess of fertility, motherhood, and wilds, has her roots in Anatolia (Turkey), also knows as Asia Minor, in the kingdom of Phrygia. Using the title of Meter Theon, or “Mother of the gods,” the Greek equivalent would be Rhea. The goddess was born a hermaphrodite, but the other gods, fearing this duality, cut of her penis and discarded it. Later, when her mortal lover, Attis, spurns her, she drives him crazy and he amputates his penis and bleeds to death at the base of a pine tree. Thus, Cybele’s cult was run by transgender eunuch priests; the Galli. The orgiastic rites of the cult of Cybele share similarities with the cult of Dionysus. Apparently the priests and other followers, in honor of Cybeles castration, would work themselves into a frenzy, and mutilate and bleed themselves upon violets (representing Attis blood) adorned on a sacred pine tree.

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