#The book of gods and devils

[baladaenmediodelacaceria]

Paraíso, Charles Simic

En un barrio alguna vez llamado «Hell's Kitchen» donde un mendigo decía estar tocando el violín de Nerón mientras la ciudad ardía en el calor del verano; donde una peluquera que se hacía llamar Cleopatra esgrimió las tijeras del destino sobre mi cabeza amenazando con cortarme las orejas y la nariz; donde un hombre y una mujer caminaban desnudos en una de las oscuras calles laterales al amanecer.

Debo estar soñando, me dije. Fue como encontrarse a una pareja de esfinges. Esperaba que tuvieran alas, cuerpos de leones: él con su pecho salvajemente tatuado; ella con sus enormes senos colgando.

¡Pasó tan rápido, y hace tanto!

¿Conoces esa hora justo antes del amanecer cuando uno anhela acostarse sobre sábanas frías en una habitación con persianas cerradas? La hora en que los hermosos suicidas tendidos uno al lado del otro en la morgue se levantan y caminan hacia la primera luz.

Las cortinas de los hoteles baratos vuelan por las ventanas como gaviotas, pero todo lo demás está quieto… Vapor ascendiendo por las rejillas del metro… cuerpos brillantes de sudor… ¡Locura, y bien podríamos decir, paraíso!

Versión al español: Brianda Pineda Melgarejo Incluido en El libro de los dioses y demonios (1990)

Paradise Charles Simic

In a neighborhood once called «Hell’s Kitchen»

Where a beggar claimed to be playing Nero’s fiddle

While the city burned in mid-summer heat;

Where a lady barber who called herself Cleopatra

Wielded the scissors of fate over my head

Threatening to cut off my ears and nose;

Where a man and a woman went walking naked

In one of the dark side streets at dawn.

 I must be dreaming, I told myself.

It was like meeting a couple of sphinxes.

I expected them to have wings, bodies of lions:

Him with his wildly tattooed chest;

Her with her huge, dangling breasts.

 It happened so quickly, and so long ago!

 You know that time just before the day breaks

When one yearns to lie down on cool sheets

In a room with shades drawn?”

“The hour when the beautiful suicides

Lying side by side in the morgue

Get up and walk out into the first light.

The curtains of cheap hotels flying out of windows

Like seagulls, but everything else quiet…

Steam rising out of the subway gratings…

Bodies glistening with sweat…

Madness, and you might even say, paradise!

included in The book of gods and devils, published in 1990.

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Frances Hunter - The Devil Wants Your Mind - Hunter - 1979

[oldbutchdaniel]

daniel was so enthralled and delighted seeing louis' fangs, was fascinated with the knowledge that armand can read minds, that it stands to reason he would go balls to the wall insane to find out armand can fly. in the 70s he'd ask armand to do it all the time and armand would always do it so daniel would cheer for him and get all excited again. so in dubai in 2022 when armand is revealing himself as the ancient vampire and not the servant boy, i like to think he was like "well, there's one surefire way to make sure this reveal makes daniel's eyes bug out and makes him freak out and go crazy and realize how cool and hot and powerful i am." and then he just. starts fucking flying

[e-vasong]

ive seen a lot of people talking about armand following daniel around trying to keep him safe on the down low because daniels book and also his general existence (which itself violates like two of the great laws) put him at risk. and to be clear i DO love that and could read a million zillion words of it (please and thank you). but at the same time i think its worth noting that daniels "violations" are also armand's, thanks to armand being the one who turned him. and i think the funniest possible armandiel reunion is daniel getting a vampire subpoena to armands vampire trial. and he convinces himself he doesnt care and is just gonna say his piece at the trial then leave. but takes one look at armands pathetic little face and is like. fine i guess im his vampire lawyer now. your honor he did all that shit but seeing as the jury is also composed of serial killers, im gonna suggest that vampires in glass houses dont throw stones. bye.

[whereismyhat5678]

I have a confession to make.

And you can bash me all you want about it. BUT I STAND FIRM ✊✊

*clears throat*

I’ve had a crush on all of these men.💀

Edit: HOLD YOUR HORSES- I forgot at least 2 ✌️ I fixed it now!

[karamazovanon]

presented without comment

[dude-could-you-be-more-gay]

Armand has literally never beat the odd and off-putting allegations

[fanfictionroxs]

"What is a mediocre star to a 514 year old vampire?"

Guys, I don't think Armand knows how old the Sun is 😭 He was born so long ago, maybe he still thinks the Sun revolves around Earth? Does he even know what the big bang theory is or does he still believe the universe was created by some fish's farts or something?!

[plutosheaven]

i wonder if Charles ever chanced upon a book at boarding school with initials scribbled in the corner of a page and wondered, just for a moment, about the story behind them.

[sixxxer]

"I can't feel my body" WHO PUT THIS MUCH YAOI INTO THE BOWL

[breezeoddity]

And what you hear is not silence It's just the trees waiting to hear what next you'll hum

Inkpot gods by The Amazing Devil

[sleepngirl]

[notthiscoolkid]

Im drawing rn characters from my book and Flora looks kinda like book Yennefer at this sketch. Maybe if hair was more curly and black. But still. I will blame it on fact that they are both witches and hot as fuck.

The ref pic is from band The Amazing Devil. Awesome band btw, my current obsession to listen over and over and over. I want to draw Jaskier one day also from band pic cuz Joey Batey has so much Jaskier energy (pff just wondering why)

Anygays, wish me luck in drawing guys! It is war, between me and my artblock🤺

Update: i finished and here is final art.

[oldbutchdaniel]

What if Daniel’s turning mirrors the dialogue in DM?

“You’re dying.” Armand said softly. The twenty third Psalm. “Shall we bother with the particulars?…there is almost nothing you enjoy.” “Except talking to you now and then…” Unbearable thought, but if that’s so why have I been running away? …”what is this? Tears? You’re going to weep over me?”

…”damn you Daniel.” 😭

god i always forget how crazy this dialogue is. nothing daniel enjoys except talking to armand now and then ... armand is going to weep over him ... I NEED TO SEE ARMAND WEEPING OVER HIM

[carmine-golde]

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GUYS. GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS—

What could this mean ??!?!!

[idylls-of-the-divine-romance]

Your thoughts on demons?

Thank you for the ask <3

Absolutely real. Demons and The Adversary are absolutely real and absolutely have an affect on our lives. We see this 2 ways in particular in the Gospels and the Letters. In the gospel accounts we see demonic possession, which is something I do believe happens (my friend's mother, tho she doesn't like that word). In the letters however, this is not what is discussed. Rather in both the gospels and the letters there is another demonic influence: oppressive political powers.

Paul speaks of "powers and authorities" behind political entities (because "flesh and blood" are not our enemies). Jesus says the the hour of his arrest belongs to "you (the religio-political leaders) and the powers of darkness (the demonic forces behind them)". This revelation has completely changed the way I think of demons and politics, because I am not firmly convinced that spirituality and politics cannot be separated. But that when we see a nation that worships sex and money and (military/national) power, we are seeing a nation that is being energized by dark spiritual powers. Not that the demons conquered the government or something, that's not what I'm saying. Rather that those in power (and, sometimes, us as citizens) have unknowingly allied themselves with a dark spiritual reality, whether or not they even believe in one.

The list I've arrived at for recognizing a nation allied with demons (which I and the Bible term "Babylon") is: slavery; nationalism; oneness at the cost of diversity; the murder of the innocent; oppression of the immigrant, women, children (esp orphans), and the poor; extreme opulence for a select group of people; idolatry of money, sex, and power.

So, yeah, I unfortunately live in Babylon. We all do. This is why we "exiles scattered across the world" must pray for our nations.

I've talked before about the "horror of abandonment" and how it's not that God abandoned us, but that we abandoned God. Demons are a good example of this. Nations and individuals come under the influence of dark spiritual powers when they separate themselves from God's love and light. When the people built Babylon and elevated themselves to the roll of gods, Yahweh scattered them and handed them over to the rebel spiritual beings. When Saul continuously and arrogantly and cowardly (I really don't like Saul lol) disobeyed and disregarded Yahweh's instruction, Yahweh allowed him to be afflicted by an injurious spirit (whether this is a demon, rebel spirit, or not is actually complicated and I'm on the fence but the point stands). When the nation of Israel left Yahweh, their God, to marry foreign women, worship the gods of other nations, and enter into alliance with them, they were conquered by Babylon, the archetype of the city aligned with dark spiritual powers.

I am not sure if the Family of God cannot be possessed or not (I've seen people say that but I've yet to come to a thought on it) but I am positive that the longer you stay away from Jesus, the more you open yourself to that influence.

That said I also agree with C.S. Lewis that one can go too far in the recognition of dark spiritual powers. Yes demons are real; no we should not be terrified of them, nor should we be speculating about their names and whatnot (yes, people do this T-T). But we should be aware of their influence in the world, and firmly stand against it.

This was a lot so summary:

Demons and The Enemy are real and have power.

They are rebel spiritual beings and have rebelled quite often in Scripture, usually alongside a human rebellion (Gen 3; Gen 6; Gen 11; Ps 82).

The only power and influence they have is that which 1) God allows them and 2) we allow them. And thus we should not fear them. Rather we should "resist the accuser and he will flee".

Basically all of our countries have given themselves over to the worship of demons, though in the subtle forms of sex, money, and power. Thus it is our job to "seek the shalom (peace; wholeness; well-being) of Babylon" but also to call out the nations for their crimes against God and humanity.

One day all the nations will come to worship King Jesus and all spiritual powers will be destroyed and those humans who, in the end, chose to align themselves with them will be cast into Outer Darkness.