#XVIIIth century

[lesbianarthistory]

Carlo Giuseppe Ratti – Allegory of the thirteen values of the republic: the Peace embracing the Justice (after 1783)

[vintage-ukraine]

The Hours of Christ's Suffering by Unknown Artist, painted in the early XVIIIth century in Korsun, Cherkasy Region

[mauvais--sang]

Liebst du das Dunkel Tauigter Nächte? Graut dir der Morgen, Starrst du ins Spätrot, Seufzest beim Mahle Stößest den Becher Weg von den Lippen? Liebst du nicht Jagdlust Reizet dich Ruhm nicht Schlachtgetümmel Welken dir Blumen Schneller am Busen Als sie sonst welkten Drängt sich das Blut dir Pochend zum Herzen?

— Karoline von Günderrode (1780-1806)

[eyes-of-laura-mars]

[puntointerrogativo]

Went for an haircut today and requested something that would look good 1) under a hat and 2) slicked back with wax - with honestly no idea where she’s go with that. Probably short?

I was not expecting her to take it as a challenge, meticulously cutting the cleanest angled bob I’ve ever seen that magically sleeks back into the illusion of a men’s cut. Gotta love that woman.

[bishopsbox]

source: @lcrdbyron

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755-1842)

Autoportrait à l’âge de 16 ans

[subiysu-chan]

❛  when i get out of here, i’m going to kill you. i promise you that.  ❜ (Madeleine to Subyss)

Crimson eyes shone with sadistic glee at the young women verbally lashing out at him.

To her threat, he seemed quite unafraid. "You wouldn't be the first one to try and murder me. And I'm still here. Besides, it'll be rather hard to hold a knife if I decide to stretch you."

It was years since he had the opportunity to actually stretch the rack, now mostly used as a flogging surface.

He leaned back to make sure her bounds were secure (and he did tie quite strongly, nearly cutting off circulation), before slowly removing his jacket and loosening his shift to allow her to see his chest. A large scar stretch around were his heart was, stretching up his stern and pectoral muscles, with some more from the removal. Above it was a tatooed a small cross, much smaller than his scars. He removed some more clothes, baring his upper body, and turned around to let her see the large hedgehog tatooed accross his shoulder palid shoulder blades.

"If this didn't kill me, why do you think you can ?"

Discreetely, he moved forward, allowing himself to do a first crank. Not nearly enough to damage anything, but it kept her muscles and skin taught.

"Now, why don't you behave a little bit. Then, I won't dislocate anything, and settle for a whipping. But be warned, I can change my mind any minute."

[frenchy-wino-jerkface]

So, I was a queer teenager about fifteen years ago. Fifteen years doesn't seem like much, but in TV History, fifteen years is not even BBC Sherlock times yet. So, in Queer TV History, it's basically like comparing modern times to the XVIIIth century : there was the beginning of an idea of equality and justice, but we were clearly not there yet.

The sort-of-gay pairings I saw on TV didn't end up together, or only in some niche content I couldn't get my hands on on national television - and that was where we watched shows at the time. Sometimes they were gay-coded, but what happened most of the time was : the queerest one of the pair ended up alone, living his best quirky-lonely life, while the most straight-passing found a spouse and a respectable straight marriage.

At the same time, I was falling in love with my very queer best friend. These were scary times, we were kids. When she ended up rejecting me and running off, not speaking to me again and going into straight relationships, I felt like I deserved it. That experience, plus the way I saw myself on television, shaped the way I saw my love life. Like I couldn't truly get one.

Now, shows have changed. Shows are queer, and watched by everyone. There isn't just one sort-of gay relationship on the screen, there are several in the same show! And they fall in love, and kiss, and break up, and get back together, and are shown being gentle and loving and couples! Actual couples. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. Before they get together, and despite the entire show screaming at me that it's gay, I still feel like I'm getting queerbaited. I brace myself, I wait for the unavoidable rejection and pain and loss. And yeah, sometimes it's dramatic. But it's always real now. They kiss. They love each other. There's no shame in that anymore.

Damn.

I wonder what it would have done to me and my best friend if we'd seen these shows fifteen years ago. How different I'd be today. I'm a bit sad that I didn't get that, that I was shaped so differently by contents that wanted to make me feel like I didn't quite belong, that I didn't quite deserve to be happy.

I'm sure excited for you younger lots, though. Have fun <3

[lonely-parrot]

Ok, i have this thing floating in my mind and i have to share it! (This is my brain rotting between history and the marauders)

So, imagine, we're in the XVIIth/XVIIIth century, and Sirius and Remus live in a little town, where they don't have much money. At this time, mirror where like, super expensive and super rare, so not a lot of people got to admirr their faces

So (this is where it gets interesting!) imagine Sirius and Remus who want to know what they look like!

If Sirius asked his family, they'd told him to look at his brother, and he'd known. But Remus looks at him, truly, and tell him the exact shade of his eyes (like the sea before the storm, deep grey, full of promises and unknown), he describes the face he spent too long admiring in all it's little detail! (Like the mole under his lips, which Remus, i quote, always found fascinating)

And Sirius described Remus, not saying a single bad thing about the scars on his face (he was attacked by a dog as a kid, he was lucky to survive), and he tells him how he loves the scar on the bridge of his nose that always brings Sirius from Remus' lovely eyes (they're like autumn leaves, and the colour of the walls of the home that keep them warm) to his plump lips, and thd little skin that Sirius wants to feel under his skin (since Remus always bites his lips, he's just doing it, as Sirius tells him that)

Anyway, two teens, discovering who they are through the love of the other, kissing in a meadow, on a Sunday afternoon, after havinc heard of the importance of love

And they do love, they love each other so much

And as old men, they continue to describe their faces to the other, even when their eyesight diminishes, because they know the other's traits forever

Two boys who can't access mirrors, and who will find themselves prettier than if they ever had access to it

[talonabraxas]

Aten - Sun God, Solar Disk Talon Abraxas

The Cult Of Aten The God And Disk Of The Sun, It's Origin

Amongst all the mass of the religious literature of Ancient Egypt, there is no document that may be considered to contain a reasoned and connected account of the ideas and beliefs which the Egyptians associated with the god Aten. The causes of his rise into favour towards the close of the XVIIIth dynasty can be surmised, and the principal dogmas which the founder of his cult and his followers promulgated are discoverable in the Hymns that are found on the walls of the rock-hewn tombs of Tall al-'Amarnah; but the true history of the rise, development and fall of the cult can never be completely known. The word aten or athen is a very old word for the "disk" or "face of the sun," and Atenism was beyond doubt an old form of worship of the sun. But there were many forms of sun-worship older than the cult of Aten, and several solar gods were worshipped in Egypt many. many centuries before Aten was regarded as a special form of the great solar god at all. One of the oldest forms of the Sun-god worshipped in Egypt was HER (Horus), who in the earliest times seems to have represented the "height" or "face" of heaven by day. He was symbolized by the sparrowhawk, the right eye of the bird representing the sun and his left the moon.

[stellavesperis]

I hope your are doing better :)

I found these notes of Tolkien's in Nature of Middle Earth and thought of you :

"Language we must suppose was a specifically Elvish gift, not possessed by the Valar even until they found the Quendi ; a gift of Eru inherent in their nature, so that from their Awakening they immediately began to try to communicate in speech with one another. Men had a similar gift, but less marked and less skilled, as they were less skilled in all artistic matter : language being the primary art ; hence their ruder tongues were much improved by contact, later, with Quendi". (italics are Tolkien's) (Vaguely Chomskian undertones ?)

This from a note on the chronology about the Awakening of the Elves, in which he states : "Also, which is important, time to invent the beginnings of the Primitive Quentin language."

This is how further away he imagines the "discovery of language" (as told in a legend, though) : "Imin, Tata, and Enel awoke before their spouses, and the first thing that they saw was the stars, for they woke in the early twilight before dawn. And the next thing they saw was their destined spouse lying asleep on the green sward beside them. Then they were so enamoured of their beauty that their desire for speech was immediately quickened and they began to "think of words" to speak and sing in."

This one made me think of Rousseau's (as, in the XVIIIth century Swiss philosopher) theory of the origin of language (not supported by modern linguistic theory, I bet !) : he thought that at first, humans were solitary creatures, who lived on their own, and that they just met to mate, which is how language first evolved, in the form of songs : songs to woo and seduce a mate (like birds).

I'm doing a little bit better! Thank you for checking in. And thank you so much for thinking of me!!! :DDDDDD Wait, that's so interesting-- so even the Valar did not know language before the Quendi? That makes sense-- I suppose the Music itself was its own means of communication for the Ainur. But yes, vaguely Chomskian undertones of UG-- clearly, the Elves were born either with the capacity to create language or with innate knowledge of it. I love that music still plays an important role in the creation of language in Tolkien's world, that they needed words to sing, not just speak. (For my part, I do agree that there is a universal capacity and desire for language in all humans, so in that sense, I lightly subscribe to Universal Grammar, but certain theories that get tacked onto it cause me to be a fair bit more skeptical XD). Interesting theory on the origin of language! It seems a bit off on an anthropological perspective, but it definitely does seem similar to how it emerged in Arda. I'm actually not super versed on theories regarding the origins of the first language, but I knew someone who was researching this pretty recently, and I might ask them more about it because it is very fascinating. My understanding is that it's 90% speculation XD; it may be better to explore the origin of languages from a biological, anthropological, or evolutionary psychological perspective. But I do remember music being somehow linked to porto-language, if my memory serves correctly.

[lesbianarthistory]

Unknown Artist (French School) – Two Women (18th c.)

[vintage-ukraine]

The Nativity by Unknown Artist, 1729

A fresco from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

[cripplecharacters]

Do you have an idea of disability as part of redemption arc ? Let's say, I have a character who's a professional executioner, from a dynasty of professional executioners, XVIIIth century. He was a real person, who eventually became paraplegic. Since, I want, for my historical novel to redeem him...He started torturing people at fourteen, maybe younger, and killed for the first time at age 18. He's 33 when the story started, and became hemiplegic/paraplegic (documentation isn't clear on this) at age 35, and was in a social circle of executioners and torturers since birth. Realistically, maybe, he would have little to no sense of belonging beyond that of executioner, unless maybe as head of house, which is again, liked to his position as executioner. He's a third class citizen, but an absurdly wealthy one, and no longer being able-bodied doesn't mean he can stop depending on the executioner buisness, it just means his son has to start killing at 15.

How do you think a man who worked for 13 years as master executioner of Paris, but officially because one at age 7, insuring his wealth but also the envy of his colleagues, would cope with being hemiplegic/paraplegic. Also, one of his potencial rivals was a man who in all likelyhood beated his mother, and probably him and his brother when they were at least teenagers. That master executioner was aged 35 when he lost his mobility to a stroke. The Mémoires of the Sanson family also described him a proud piller of his community, delivering charitable medical care to those in needs and one who enjoyed rough horse riding.

Thank you for your ask! This sounds like a case of redemption through disability, which is a trope that should be avoided. A disabled character can get redeemed, but it should be entirely separate from their disability.

Along with his disability not redeeming him, you should also make sure it doesn’t make him spiteful or cruel. Basically the disability should change what he can physically do, not who he is.

As for the second part of the ask, I first want to note none of our mods are parapalegic/hemiplegic, so we can’t speak for coping with these disabilities specifically. I’d recommend looking for first hand accounts of people with these conditions, or preferably seeing if you can find someone with them to ask or act as a sensitivity reader.

I don’t know much about 18th century French medicine, but physical & occupational therapy will be important as he re-learns tasks that were once easy and figure out ways to complete tasks he can no longer do. Studies show horseback riding can help stroke survivors with their recovery, though he’ll need to ride gently at first.

Have a nice day!

Mod Rot

I just want to say real quick, adding on to the case of redemption through disability, that the reason we want to avoid it is because moralizing disability is something that very much happens to real alive people every day.

Tying disability to morality often is 'disability is a moral failure' type of situation, but another way it affects people is the assumption that 'suffering' through a disability somehow makes you more 'pure' or 'better.' Like when you see some grumpy mean character get an injury and Suddenly They Understand Hardships of Others and they become a better person — sort of a mix between 'disability as punishment' and 'disabled people are innocent.'

This kind of seems like what you're doing here. There's a lot of historical fiction out there that uses real life counterparts. If you choose to do that and redeem a bad person, I can't exactly stop you. But I want you to examine why you think what's going to redeem him is the onset of his disability, rather than an understanding of what he did and attempts to do better.

Hope this helps,

– Mod Sparrow

I agree completely with what has been said and just want to add that even disorders like traumatic brain injuries and strokes that can sometimes affect not only function but also personality should not be used as a moral thing, as mentioned earlier. More realistically impacts of a stroke on personality and mood are depression (this was my main symptom even with minimal other symptoms and damage), some impulsiveness or irritability, and mood swings. The disability, again, should not make them a better or worse person inherently.

-Mod Bert

[eyes-of-laura-mars]

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

Jesień - tańcuj

Autumn - dance!

[lyrics, my translation]

Come out, bridesmaid, come out, it's time for the wedding

There will be violins, drums and bass playing for us

And who won't eat and who won't drink

Shall be given two sticks*, shall be doused with slop.

*A quote from old Polish drinking song dating back to XVIIIth century with lyrics from XIXth century, here it jokingly implies that whoever refuses to drink to the health of the newlyweds will be beaten.

[chorus]

The wedding news is flying out into the world

Dance and go wild like the untamed autumn wind

To love, drink once, drink twice, the best of love

Drink to love, brother, to love, bottoms up.

Hey, dance with us here, till the floor becomes splinters,

Hey, dance with us up here, feet up,

Chase after me and I will give you honey, sweet

Grab my hips and kiss me without second thought*. (x2)

*Original lyrics „całuj mnie jak z nut” are a play on the Polish expression „kłamać jak z nut” meaning to lie brazenly and without hesitation (lie through your teeth).

When the day burns out and fades into darkness,

When the dark night comes, guests, guests come home,

Play, play, musicians, give us a strong rhythm

Put your legs to this dance, dance untill the dawn.

Don't cry, mother, don't cry, I’ll be alright

You were like a guardian angel to me, but now I have him

Cups to cups, heels to the floor,

The whole room is pounding, a choir, leg to leg.

Everyone beats the same rhythm, don't stand here, move,

The legs are tearing, another sip and a whirlwind of lonely souls,

Dance, let the world spin, forget the bad,

Let us rejoice now, Lord, thank you for this day.

[chorus]

The wedding news is flying out into the world

Dance and go wild like the untamed autumn wind

To love, drink once, drink twice, the best of love

Drink to love, brother, to love, bottoms up.

Hey, dance with us here, till the floor becomes splinters,

Hey, dance with us up here, feet up

Chase after me and I will give you honey, sweet

Grab my hips and kiss me without second thought. (x2)