#ana-lyz

[hollowed-theory-hall]

How does the protection magic that Lily's sacrifice placed on Harry work? On that note- how do the blood wards placed on the Dursley household operate?

Like- does the latter act as a notice me not/ fidelius of its own? Protecting Harry's location from other magicals? (It would have been easy for another Longbottom tragedy to occur after all) from what I remember the blood wards have no affect on the protection cast by Lily's sacrifice, and instead sort of extend the effect to the household???

Also on the topic of the protection- we saw the end Quirrel met. And... I just wondered- why didn't this sort of reaction extend to all the people - the Dursleys included- who laid their hands + spells on Harry with the intent to harm? By all means the blood wards should have fallen the moment The Dursleys tried to physically harm Harry. Can't see a protection powered by Lily's intent, extending to people who mean her son harm.

Unless of course the magic and the wards are targetted at Riddle specifically. Which brings the question- why didn't it set on fire/ harm anything considering even the traces of Riddle's presence/ influence. Eg. The people with the death Eater brands, the horcruxes, the soul shard inside Harry himself??

Ugh. Just so many questions.

Ps. Could the blood wards have been transferred/ worked in a residence comprising of the people Harry considered as his family and who reciprocated this sentiment? (based on the importance of intent to keep the spell going)

Wow, @ana-lyz, just like with the veil and death asks, I just started drafting a post about Lily's blood protections and what Dumbledore says about them. So...

Lily's Love Protection and Dumbledore's Blood Wards

Alright, strap in...

Okay, so let's start by seeing what we're told about the blood protections and whether we can gather something cohesive that makes magical sense out of it.

We have Voldemort's statement on this piece of magic:

“...I wanted Harry Potter’s blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago . . . for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too. . . . “But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy’s future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy’s protection as long as he is in his relations’ care. Not even I can touch him there. . . .

(GoF, 657)

Notice there is the lingering protection from Lily's magic and the ancient magic Dumbledore invoked. These are, I believe separate spells.

Dumbledore's statements:

“But why couldn’t Quirrell touch me?” “Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign…to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good.”

(PS, 215)

“But I knew too where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you. She gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day. I put my trust, therefore, in your mother’s blood. I delivered you to her sister, her only remaining relative.” “She doesn’t love me,” said Harry at once. “She doesn’t give a damn —” “But she took you,” Dumbledore cut across him. “She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother’s sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you.” “I still don’t —” “While you can still call home the place where your mother’s blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years.”

(OotP, 835-836)

Here again, Dumbledore mentions the ancient magic he made the decision to protect Harry with as a separate thing from the lingering protection from Lily.

And (as per this post) the Dumbledore Harry hallucinates statement:

“He took my blood.” said Harry. “Precisely!” said Dumbledore. “He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily’s protection inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!”

(DH, 598)

And then we have what happened to Quirrell:

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell’s face — “AAAARGH!” Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn’t touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain — his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse. Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off — the pain in Harry’s head was building — he couldn’t see — he could only hear Quirrell’s terrible shrieks and Voldemort’s yells of, “KILL HIM! KILL HIM!”

(PS, 212)

What we know from this

Well, from the above quotes we can divide the magical protections on Harry into 2 different spells as I mentioned above:

Lily's sacrificial love protection - the intention magic Lily cast by protecting her son. This is the magic that blocked the Killing Curse and killed Quirrell.

Dumbledore's blood ward - this is the spell Dumbledore cast that (supposedly) protects Harry in his relatives' home. Voldemort says Dumbledore invoked this magic, and Dumbledore also mentions it's a ward he left that built upon Lily's protection, but it's not a spell Lily left.

So, what can Lil'y Sacrificial Love Protection do:

Makes the Killing Curse not kill Harry.

Returns the Killing Curse back to the sender.

Continues to hurt that initial "sender" whenever he tries to kill Harry.

What about Dumbledore's Blood Wards what do they do:

Nothing.

Dumbledore and Voldemort say this magic exists but it never does anything. We never see it active, it never protects Harry from anyone, neither his relatives nor Death Eaters. So, we don't know what it's supposed to be doing since it doesn't do anything in the books.

Voldemort says it won't allow him to touch Harry in his relatives' house.

How I think these spells actually work

I'll start with Dumbledore's Blood Wards:

I simply don't think this ward actually exists.

Dumbledore isn't very consistent with how this protection works. He says Harry needs to return for a bit to live with Petunia for the magic to work, but if that's all the requirement, why long weeks? Couldn't he return for a shorter time? And each year he spends a different amount of time at Private Drive? Couldn't he always be sent back just for the minimal required time? At first, the ward was about love but then it isn't, he says this: "While you can still call home the place where your mother’s blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort."

Harry didn't think of Private Drive as a home:

Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he’d already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had.

(PS, 123)

“I believe he had several reasons, though he confided none of them to Professor Dippet,” said Dumbledore. “Firstly, and very importantly, Voldemort was, I believe, more attached to this school than he has ever been to a person. Hogwarts was where he had been happiest; the first and only place he had felt at home.” Harry felt slightly uncomfortable at these words, for this was exactly how he felt about Hogwarts too.

(HBP, 431)

Harry never considered Private Drive and the Dursleys his home. Hogwarts was his first home.

If there is no love and it isn't a home, even if Dumbledore did cast a blood ward based on Petunia and Lily's sacrifice it won't actually be active. But personally, I don't think this ward actually exists.

Dumbledore needs a reason to keep Harry with his relatives.

Dumbledore needs Harry malleable, low on self-esteem, and lacking in a support network. Because he knew since October 1981 (but probably before) that he'd likely need Harry to die. He suspected Harry was a Horcrux from practically day 1:

Under a tuft of jetblack hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. “Is that where —?” whispered Professor McGonagall. “Yes,” said Dumbledore. “He’ll have that scar forever.” “Couldn’t you do something about it, Dumbledore?” “Even if I could, I wouldn’t. Scars can come in handy...

(PS, 13-14)

And being raised by the Dursleys ensured that when the time came, when Dumbledore needed Harry to die to destroy Voldemort, Harry would be willing. Because Harry would not put much worth in his own life. Because of that, I think it's not outside the realm of possibility Dumbledore would lie about this ward to have an excuse to keep sending Harry to the Dursleys.

(Sure, Dumbledore would've preferred not to kill Harry if it could be avoided, but he had been preparing for the situation since October 1981)

It's not like he did anything to better their treatment of Harry until book 6, when he needed Harry to start trusting him more...

And like I mentioned above, even if the ward was there, it would not be active because Private Drive was never a home for Harry. And after year 4, when Voldemort took his blood, any protection from any blood-related magic would be moot. Because Voldemort would not be counted as a threat by the ward.

So Dumbledore sending Harry back to the Dursleys after he knew the wards he left (if they were there at all) were gone, proves to me Harry's placement at the Dursleys was never about the wards to begin with. Because if the blood wards are gone, literally anywhere else around wizards who could protect Harry would be safer than at the Dursleys, even when thinking of Death Eaters and Voldemort as the only threat. If they came to find Harry at Private Drive, nothing would've stopped them (except Harry himself).

I could guess wards like this, if they actually were active, would have been an extension of Lily's protection and stopped Voldemrot from being able to enter the Dursleys' residence. From what's said, it seems this ward seems to target Voldemrot specifically, and no one else. But, as I mentioned, I don't think it's really there.

Lil'y Sacrificial Love Protection:

I mentioned in the past how intention and emotion mean a lot for magic in the HP universe. Lily, a witch who we are told repeatedly was powerful, intelligent, and talented, could very well cast a powerful protection out of her love and intention to protect her son. That is 100% possible with what we see magic is capable of and how magic seems to work.

That being said, the fact this never happened before suggests to me Lily did something different than just having a very strong wish for her son to survive. Dumbledore says it's because she had a choice, and in a way it is, but not because Voldemort gave her the option not to die, but because she chose to die instead of Harry.

I'll try to explain it, bear with me.

“Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!” “Stand aside, you silly girl. . . stand aside now.” “Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead—” “This is my last warning—” “Not Harry! Please . . . have mercy. . . have mercy. . . . Not Harry! Not Harry! Please—I’ll do anything—” “Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!”

(DH, 297)

This is the "spell" Lily casts — the incantation. This is her wish moments before her death: "Not Harry, kill me instead," that's what she says, that's her promise, that's her wish, that's the magic.

Lily's protection only works on Voldemort because her spell essentially made a bargain with Voldemort (that he didn't agree to). that he'd kill her instead of Harry. Once he killed Lily, he couldn't kill Harry because that was the protection she left him, and Voldemort won't be able to kill him because she died in his stead.

That's why we don't see the same thing happen after James dies to buy Lily and Harry time, why when others die to protect someone they aren't protected from the killing curse. What Lily did is a combination of a few extraordinary circumstances coming together:

She's an incredibly powerful witch (shown by her childhood magic that was very controlled and advanced (not unlike Tom Riddle) and Slughorn's boasting)

She loved Harry dearly. Loved him enough to power an accidental spell.

Chose and intended to die instead of her son. She had intent when making her plea, intent required for any spell.

So what essentially happened is that Lily created a situation where Voldemort physically can't kill Harry because Lily died in his stead. If, for example, Quirrell touched Harry without intending to kill him (like he did when they shook hands in Diagon Alley or when he pulled Harry to stand in front of the mirror) the protection won't activate. All it does is stop Voldemort from killing Harry because he already killed Lily in Harry's stead.

So, Voldemort, as I mentioned in the past, wants to kill Harry, this is his only ambition in the 2nd war. So he takes Harry's blood into himself so the protection won't work anymore. And we see it doesn't in the woods when Voldemort casts the killing curse and it doesn't rebound back on him (which would've happened otherwise).

This love protection from Lily doesn't require anything to stay active. It was cast because Voldemort killed her and Harry doesn't need to do anything to keep it active. Staying with the Dursleys wasn't for the sake of Lily's spell but for Dumbledore's ward.

As for Lily's spell not protecting Hary from anything else, like I mentioned, the bargain was that Voldemort would kill her instead of Harry, it would only protect Harry from being killed by Voldemort. If Voldemort just asked a random Death Eater to kill Harry it still wouldn't have worked, but that won't be because of Lily's love magic, but because of Harry pretty much always being the Master of Death.

Basically, Voldemort was doomed because he had no chance of killing Harry. Ever.

But what about when Harry died in book 7 and said he cast the same sacrificial love?

Well, I don't think Harry cast the same sacrificial love. His feelings and intentions were completely different. In his case, I think he just took the mastership of the Elder Wand so it wasn't performing as well for Voldemort afterward.

Conclusions

There are actually two different and distinct spells referred to by the characters when it comes to the protections Lily left for Harry.

The first is Lily's Sacrificial Love Spell which worked like a bargain. She pleaded with Voldemort to kill her instead of Harry and after he killed her, he could no longer kill Harry because he was protected.

Voldemort taking Harry's blood does indeed circumvent this spell and allows him to kill Harry in the woods (if temporarily).

The second is the Blood Ward Dumbledore talks about that is supposedly placed on the Dursleys' home. This spell was invoked by Dumbledore and is not part of Lily's spell.

It's supposed to build on and strengthen Lily's protection from what's implied.

this second spell would've stopped its activity the moment Harry stopped considering number 4, Private Drive his home (which happened quite young, as he doesn't remember ever considering it a home)

Personally, I don't think this blood ward ever existed, but even if it did, it was moot from the get-go and never done anything.

Voldemort taking Harry's blood in year 4, circumvented this ward too.

Basically, Dumbledore kept Harry at the Durselys less because of the wards and more because it suited him to ensure Harry would become the martyr he needed him to be (something I should write a full post about eventually).

[fullscoreshenanigans]

I have been wondering...who gives the children their names? Are the names given by the Mothers of the Farms? Wouldn't it be counter productive? U know with the sentiment that when you name something/one you get attached.

Why not just refer to the children by their IDs? It's not like the children themselves would know that this is fucked up. What with them being raised the way they were.

Copying a chunk of my answer from this post, but Shirai's given us conflicting information on this.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 Q&A)

I default to the bonus comic being the most accurate to simultaneously keep any sisters in HQ from potentially getting attached to the infants by giving them official names and to make the moms more endeared and caring toward the children they named themselves.

(A reward for scoring high on the official site's IQ test, reprinted in The Promised Neverland Art Book World; one of the few times we get to see them with their short sleeves for warmer weather.)

That doesn't mean that all the sisters adhere to that protocol in private, though.

Why not just refer to the children by their IDs? It's not like the children themselves would know that this is fucked up. What with them being raised the way they were.

Maybe for a bit when they've very young, until they learn how to read and start noticing none of the books from the human world address people by numbers.

They already have the identification markers visibly on their necks as opposed to how the other farms place their labels on other body parts that can easily be covered and out of sight, out of mind more often.

(Chapter 27)

Drawing attention to it further would go against one of the two policies of Grace Field that allows them to maintain the veneer of playing house.

[shostakobitchh]

Hey, just to start- I love your work and the way you have depicted Ariel and Snape's relationship in Aim and Ignite. It's such a constant push and pull lol, not to mention i can feel Hermione's anxiety all through.

Just had a question- how exactly would have Ariel and Severus's dynamic gone if the latter had gotten Ariel's custody right after the night tm or when Ariel was still between 5-8?

It's already a struggle for this man, and while I am loving every second of it... The thought of this happening to a much younger Ariel...does leave me a bit uncertain ig? I do know there would be a lot more self loathing on his part though lol.

Clarifying question - did Lily romantically love Severus in Aim and Ignite? Had The entire prophecy killer ng shit not happened would she have actually gotten with Snape- the way Ariel saw in the mirror of erised?

thank you much 💖💖💖 really glad you enjoyed the story and ariel and snape’s relationship, even if it’s it’s a rollercoaster. we’re getting there, though!!

my heart just broke at your question 😭 i don’t think snape would’ve been able to take care of a baby if he found out ariel was his after lily’s death. he would’ve tried to forget about her until she came to hogwarts and then it probably would’ve gone very similar to how the story had gone so far.

however, if he’d found out when ariel was younger, like 5-8 as you mentioned I think it would’ve been better. she would’ve been so much harder to hate, I think, bc kids that age are so innocent and naive and trusting. she would’ve been like, “you’re my dad? COOL” and followed him around everywhere until he finally broke down, said something terrible, and then when the little magic bubble around her popped he’d try so hard to repair it but it’s gone. he would’ve found it WAY harder to force himself to ignore that, maybe because she would’ve been truly alone? there’s no ron and hermione so he’d suck it up and try until it became real.

alternatively: ariel calls him “daddy” like 4 days after meeting him and he hyperventilates for an entire evening and then accepts this is how it’s going to be because he Feels Things.

lily and snape: great question! i think she had the beginning of feelings but she was so young and I don’t thinks she ever truly came to terms with what it was. fun fact: i think lily had feelings during SWM, that’s why it got so heated and she lashed out. after she got pregnant there must’ve been moments where she thought about What If but it was too dangerous - and snape remembered nothing.

if lily had told snape she was pregnant I believe she would’ve survived. he would’ve gone to dumbledore and offered to be a spy in exchange for hiding lily and the baby. neville becomes the BWL, ariel is safe. happily ever after, the end. snape would’ve been WAY better father if it had gone down that way.

[calciumcryptid]

Heyyy just read some of your bnha posts and now I am extremely curious to know... What are ur thoughts on Tomura and his entire character arc till now???

To be honest, I never particularly paid attention to Shigaraki and his storyline.

It's not that I didn't care for him, but a lot of the other LoV were just more compelling to me than him. Not to mention, Horikoshi loves dragging his feet when it comes to storytelling so by the time we got information about him I was kind of burnt out with Boku No Hero Academia.

So I have no feelings either way, but it does bother me that he is another abuse victim in a long line of abuse victims to be vilified (but at least Midoriya seems interested in saving him last time I checked).

[pocketramblr]

I am not sure if this has been done before but- hitting Present mic or Nezu with the DFO stick?

Nedzu yes, but I don't think Mic yet? Why not

Uhhh we could combine it with that (formerly?) popular traitor Mic au, orrrr

Mic as a very rebellious teen, hence the punk look and leather jacket and hero school attendance, and the rebellious streak continues past his father's attempts to reel him back in- Hizashi likes being a hero sure, but he also enjoys teaching English and running a radio show, so heroics is a little bit out of spite. So is him sticking close to Aizawa- or as close as Aizawa lets him, it's a good backup to have in case Hizashi's dad or dad's employees try to come pick him up, and it has the double advantage of keeping his friend safe with the chance of him as collateral this time being too high to keep attacking to try and get erasure. Hizashi uses his high int stat frequently to keep away from AfO, and his phobia of bugs isn't even stronger than his spite against his dad- AfO once tried to use a big quirk to herd Hizashi back to him, and once Hizashi realized he easily flipped right around to make that plan pointless

[rayshippouuchiha]

Oh my God Ray Check her out!

https://www.tumblr.com/ana-lyz/727433895530905600/uzumaki-nana-co-from-in-sound-judgement-by

I mean I usually imagine Naru as someone wild?? But she is definitely rocking this energy!!!

The eyes are so pretty!!

She's adorable

[burst-of-iridescent]

Send this to ten other bloggers that you think are wonderful. Keep the game going, make someone smile!!! <3

ANA MY DARLING LOVE HEHEHE MWAH MWAH I LOVE U

ILYSM LYZ MUAH MUAH <333 YOU ARE SO DEAR TO ME

[callmeyuri]

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[hollowed-theory-hall]

Any thoughts on the mystery behind the Veil of Death and the three brothers?

ana-lyz: So... What does it mean to be the Master of Death in HP universe? And like what does being MOD mean specifically for Harry?

Okay, funny thing is I got the first of your asks like an hour after I added to my drafts a post titled "Master of Death", so I was just thinking about it. And then I started answering it and you sent the second ask, so, great minds think alike, I guess.

Long post ahead:

The Veil, Death, and its Master

I'm going to cover what we know from the books, my opinions on it, and some of my evidence-based headcanons, since there is a lot of speculation on my part.

The Afterlife and the Veil

So, I wanna talk a bit about death, as it appears in the Harry Potter books. We know an afterlife exists in the HP world both when Harry dies and when he speaks to Nearly Headless Nick after Sirius dies.

I want to start with the scene in Deathly Hallows in the King's Cross limbo. Specifically these few sections:

Barely had the wish formed in his head than robes appeared a short distance away. He took them and put them on. They were soft, clean, and warm. It was extraordinary how they had appeared just like that, the moment he had wanted them. . . . He stood up, looking around. Was he in some great Room of Requirement?

(DH, 596)

“Where are we, exactly?” “Well, I was going to ask you that,” said Dumbledore, looking around. “Where would you say that we are?” Until Dumbledore had asked, Harry had not known. Now, however, he found that he had an answer ready to give. “It looks,” he said slowly, “like King’s Cross station. Except a lot cleaner and empty, and there are no trains as far as I can see.” “King’s Cross station!” Dumbledore was chuckling immoderately. “Good gracious, really?” “Well, where do you think we are?” asked Harry, a little defensively. “My dear boy, I have no idea. This is, as they say, your party.”

(DH, 601)

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry’s ears even though the bright white mist was descending again, obscuring his figure. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?

(DH, 610)

I don't think this place Harry was in is the Afterlife, or even connected to the Afterlife. I think it is in Harry's head. Harry having complete control over it, actually calling it out as behaving like the Room of Requirement, Dumbledore not knowing where they are until Harry knows where they are, etc. All this doesn't fit with it being a limbo on the way to death and the figure there being the real Dumbledore. Dumbledore, throughout this scene, acts kind of strange, way more helpful and finally says all the right things Harry wants to hear.

Not-Dumbledore himself tells Harry he already knows everything he explains to him:

“Explain,” said Harry. “But you already know,” said Dumbledore. He twiddled his thumbs together

(DH, 597)

So, I truly believe it isn't really happening. That this isn't death and it isn't Dumbledore. throughout the scene, Dumbledore doesn't actually give Harry new information Harry couldn't guess on his own. He's just going over things Harry already knew and creating a nice narrative out of them. At some points, he asks Harry what he thinks, and only starts explaining once Harry knows the answer (or what he wants the answer to be). I think this is Harry's subconscious coping and not actual death.

Additionally, there's the disturbing baby Voldemort thing. Now, the real Voldemort is still alive, so contrary to what Not-Dumbledore says, it isn't actually Tom Riddle:

“Oh yes!” said Dumbledore. “Yes, he destroyed it. Your soul is whole, and completely your own, Harry.” “But then . . . ” Harry glanced over his shoulder to where the small, maimed creature trembled under the chair. “What is that, Professor?” “Something that is beyond either of our help,” said Dumbledore

(DH, 598)

What I believe it is, is the soul in the Horcrux in Harry. Separated from Harry's own soul within his mind. That's the only thing it can be, in my opinion. I don't believe the soul shards in the Horcruxes could pass into an afterlife, or even to limbo. They were created to be bound to life and passing away is against their very nature (unless, maybe, if you throw them through the veil).

Besides all these oddities in the scene, it just doesn't make sense for Dumbledore to be there. Nearly Headless Nick gives some insight about death and the Afterlife:

“He will not come back,” repeated Nick quietly. “He will have . . . gone on.” “What d’you mean, ‘gone on’?” said Harry quickly. “Gone on where? Listen — what happens when you die, anyway? Where do you go? Why doesn’t everyone come back? Why isn’t this place full of ghosts? Why — ?” “I cannot answer,” said Nick. “You’re dead, aren’t you?” said Harry exasperatedly. “Who can answer better than you?” “I was afraid of death,” said Nick. “I chose to remain behind. I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn’t to have . . . Well, that is neither here nor there. . . . In fact, I am neither here nor there. . . .” He gave a small sad chuckle. “I know nothing of the secrets of death, Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead. I believe learned wizards study the matter in the Department of Mysteries —”

(OotP, 861)

From the way Nick speaks, ghosts are caught between life and death, part of them remains among the living while the rest moves on. Ghosts live in limbo, unable to be alive or dead. From his words, it also implies the properly dead, those who chose to move on, stay dead. They stay gone.

If that's the case, how could Dumbledore come to greet Harry in limbo? He's dead, truly gone, and death has no exceptions. There is no reason Dumbledore could speak to Harry in limbo and his parents won't. Once you're dead, you reach the afterlife and there you stay.

So I don't think the white King's Cross in Harry's death vision was connected to the afterlife, nor was it the real Dumbledore there. So, what is the actual afterlife?

Well, we don't really know. But, I can cover what we do know about the nature of death in the HP universe.

From Nick's words, the afterlife is the better option, than becoming a ghost. Nick describes ghosts as imprints left behind, but imprints of what specifically?

I talked about this already when I discussed how to make Horcruxes, but in alchemy, everything is comprised of three things:

Sulfur - soul

Mercury - spirit (that binds the body and the soul)

Salt - body

A ghost doesn't have a body, and we know all that moves on to the afterlife is one's soul. Therefore, it stands to reason ghosts are an imprint of a soul, while the spirit leaves at the moment of death. That's what an Avada Kedavra does, it removes the spirit, the connection between the body and the soul. That's how it kills instantly and without a trace.

So, when someone passes into the afterlife, it's their soul that passes away.

What about the echoes of Harry's parents and Cedric in Voldemort's wand during the duel in the graveyard?

Well, they're dead, they moved on, so it can't be their soul. The figures aren't even described the same way as ghosts or diary Tom, figures we know are made of souls:

and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemort’s wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke. . . . It was a head . . . now a chest and arms . . . the torso of Cedric Diggory. the dense shadow of a second head, If ever Harry might have released his wand from shock, it would have been then, but instinct kept him clutching his wand tightly, so that the thread of golden light remained unbroken, even though the thick gray ghost of Cedric Diggory (was it a ghost? it looked so solid) emerged in its entirety from the end of Voldemort’s wand, as though it were squeezing itself out of a very narrow tunnel . . . and this shade of Cedric stood up, and looked up and down the golden thread of light, and spoke.

(GoF, 665-666)

Their bodies are buried, and Cedric's is just lying there, neither are they physical enough to be bodies. I believe this is their spirit. Remember what I said about the Killing Curse just now, it severs the tie, and as such, it keeps the spirit. So, Harry is speaking to his parents' spirit, the echoes of their lives, not souls.

Now, let's talk about the veil. The veil is one of the most fascinating things introduced in the books, and the way it is introduced is fascinating on its own, but that's for later. The veil is a physical archway into the world of the dead.

The concept of such an entrance exists in multiple mythologies. In Greek mythology, many heroes (Odysseus, Orpheus, Heracles, Theseus, etc.) all travel through the underworld in one way or another, this is why the hero's journey goes through the underworld, it's very common. In Mesopotamian mythology, Gilgamesh and Ishtar both travel to the underworld. The point is, a gateway into the afterlife you can travel through, is a concept humanity has been toying with for millennia.

What's interesting is that, like Thestrals, those who've seen death (Harry, Luna, and Neville) can hear whispers from it. They experience it differently from others who haven't witnessed death (Ron, Hermione, and Ginny) who feel unnerved by it (although, Neville and Luna react differently from Harry, but more on that later). Not much more can be said about it, except that unlike all these gates into the underworld from myths, the veil is meant to be a one-way ticket.

In general, the afterlife in the Wizarding World is a one-way passage. Once you're gone, you're gone. Hence the closest thing to proper necromancy they have is creating inferi, which are soulless since the soul can't be pulled back from the afterlife.

The veil was also there before the Ministry of Magic, which was built around it. My guess is that some ancient wizards made it, and how or why were forgotten over time.

As the Peverell brothers were born around the 1210s and the Ministry of Magic was founded in 1707, it's possible, that the same Peverells from the story have built the veil. I actually think it's quite likely.

Death Himself

The idea of death personified is just as old and prevalent in many myths and cultures as a gateway leading into the afterlife. Whether Death, as a being, exists in the Wizarding World, I'm uncertain, but I don't think it's likely.

God-like spirits like Death feel out of place in the world in a way. Like, having a pantheon of gods feels wrong for the world of Harry Potter. It feels out of place with the established lore and magic. We don't see any evidence of wizarding society having any kind of unique religion in which such beings exist. Death, in the tale, is also described as similar to a dementor, making the idea that the author based Death's appearance on that of a dementor plausible.

That being said, Death's similarity to dementors could be the other way around. As in, the dementors look like death because of their connection to him. And, Death from the Tale doesn't really act like a god. How he behaves and is spoken of in the Tale of the Three Brothers reminds me a lot of a fae-like creature. Like, a powerful being who's a trickster that twists your wishes into something that he can use against you.

However I look at it, I still don't feel a being like this would fit in the world of Harry Potter, it feels wrong to add gods (or fae) in there. We don't see any hint that such beings might exist, which makes me feel they don't. So, I don't really think a personification of Death as appearing in the tale actually exists, but they do have an afterlife, as established above.

The Peverells and the Hallows

So we all know the legend about the three Peverell brothers who cheated death and received his gifts. Dumbledore (the one Harry imagines in his death fever dream) is certain it went down a little differently. That the tale is to explain incredibly powerful magical artifacts made by extraordinary wizards:

“Oh yes, I think so. Whether they met Death on a lonely road . . . I think it more likely that the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating those powerful objects. The story of them being Death’s own Hallows seems to me the sort of legend that might have sprung up around such creations.

(DH, 602)

While it's not really Dumbledore and more Harry's own mind, I agree with him the Peverell brothers were probably no run-of-the-mill wizards, and I agree it's unlikely they've met Death, as I don't believe he exists.

Now, all the Hallows have a sentience to them beyond just any magical artifact. Even the wand is more sentient than any other wand, which are already quite sentient ("the wand chooses the wizard").

The wand of the first brother is a Hallow I already wrote about how it chooses its master. It is a wand intrinsically connected with death, having a core of Thestral hair. (I wonder if a core from a Thestral would agree to work for a wizard who hasn't seen death, but I digress)

This wand is actually the least impressive Hallow, in my opinion. Even though it said to be unbeatable:

Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor

(DH, 352)

Its user is beaten quite often, that's how the wand changes owners, after all. This wand's tendency for even more sentience than other wands is what is particularly unique about it. How it chooses its master repeatedly, and sometimes even decides it prefers another over its current master, something unheard of for any other wand.

The Resurrection Stone has the supposed ability to pull a soul imprint from the afterlife:

“Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered.

(DH, 352)

Something that I just discussed above should be impossible. Once dead and in the afterlife, nothing comes back out. Harry uses it as well for the same purpose and describes them as being similar to Tom from the diary:

They were neither ghost nor truly flesh, he could see that. They resembled most closely the Riddle that had escaped from the diary so long ago, and he had been memory made nearly solid. less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts, they moved toward him, and on each face, there was the same loving smile.

(DH, 589)

Because that's what the stone brings back, echoes of souls, but they aren't what Tom Riddle was in CoS.

“We are part of you,” said Sirius. “Invisible to anyone else.”

(DH, 590)

This line, made me believe the resurrection stone does something different than its name suggests and more similar to the lie Tom in the diary told Harry. They aren't souls, they're memories, echoes from within Harry himself. "Memory made solid"

Magic, in the world of Harry Potter, can't bring back someone who has moved on to the afterlife. It's a one-way ticket, as I've established before, once your soul moves on, that's it (if you try to resurrect someone immediately after they died and their soul hasn't yet moved on it's a different story). So I think, these shades are based on Harry's memories, and not actual souls brought back. It'll make more sense magically since his thoughts and memories are there, but the souls have gone on.

It also makes the tale of the second brother make more sense. He suffered because it wasn't really his wife that came back, but a shade based on his own memory. The tale said that she suffered, but I think it was Cadmus who suffered, not truly having her back. However, depending on how she died, her suffering might've been his memories of her that the stone resurrected, or the tale made it all up just like it made up Death.

The stone is just as picky about its master as the wand. It does not seem to have worked for anyone other than Cadmus Peverell and Harry himself. We don't hear of any Gaunts who used the stone, nor do we hear from Dumbledore he succeded in using it (I don't think it's actually Dumbledore in the conversation in King's Cross as I mentioned above). Regardless, I think the real Dumbledore probably did try to use it, and I will hazard a guess he failed. Since the stone didn't choose him.

The Cloak is unique in many ways. Lasting centuries, way longer than any invisibility cloak can, passing from parent to child for generations. It also does a better job of concealing you than another invisibility cloak, if, it still has its limits:

“...We are talking about a cloak that really and truly renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it. How many cloaks have you ever seen like that, Miss Granger?”

(DH, 354)

The cloak is similar to the other Hallows in how picky it is regarding its master. The cloak wouldn't belong to anyone who just possesses it, it's not enough. It has to be passed willingly on the owner's deathbed, as they greet death as an old friend. It means that in the books, no one but Harry could be its owner.

All artifacts are powerful, but they aren't capable of anything that breaks the laws of nature (as the stone doesn't really resurrect), they are also sentient and picky, but it isn't something beyond the capacity of wizards. Why, we know of four wizards who made three sentient magical artifacts already — The Hogwarts founders.

The four founders enchanted the sorting hat together, but more relevant to the discussion of the Hallows are the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance.

At the precise moment that a child first exhibits signs of magic, the Quill, which is believed to have been taken from an Augurey, floats up out of its inkpot and attempts to inscribe the name of that child upon the pages of the Book (Augurey feathers are known to repel ink and the inkpot is empty; nobody has ever managed to analyse precisely what the silvery fluid flowing from the enchanted Quill is). Those few who have observed the process (several headmasters and headmistresses have enjoyed spending quiet hours in the Book and Quill’s tower, hoping to catch them in action) agree that the Quill might be judged more lenient than the Book. A mere whiff of magic suffices for the Quill. The Book, however, will often snap shut, refusing to be written upon until it receives sufficiently dramatic evidence of magical ability.

(from pottermore)

The idea of multiple sentient, powerful magical artifacts that need to agree is something wizards are capable of. And that, I think, is the secret to becoming the Master of Death — having all 3 Hallows pick you. Just like the book and quill need to agree a student should be admitted to Hogwarts.

Master of Death

Or more specifically what does that actually mean and why I think even if someone retrieved all 3 Hallows they wouldn't have become the Master of Death if their name isn't Harry James Potter.

This is definitely more in the headcanon territory, but the first scene that really made me think about it is the one in the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries. Because I think Harry and death always had a weird connection, it might've been around before the failed killing curse, and it was definitely around before Harry mastered all 3 Hallows.

So, why do I think Harry was always bound to be the Master of Death, and even if Dumbledore or Voldemort had all the Hallows it wouldn't have helped them?

There, are a few things that led me to this conclusion.

First, as I mentioned above, the cloak can not belong to anyone other than Harry in the books. It means that no one but Harry could master all of the Deathly Hallows, regardless of what they did.

Second, This first scene in the Death Chamber with the veil. I'll copy parts of it below and ask you to note, as you read, that Harry, Neville, and Luna are the only three who can see Thestrals and therefore should react more to the veil:

“Who’s there?” said Harry, jumping down onto the bench below. There was no answering voice, but the veil continued to flutter and sway. “Careful!” whispered Hermione. ... He had the strangest feeling that there was someone standing right behind the veil on the other side of the archway. ... “Let’s go,” called Hermione from halfway up the stone steps. “This isn’t right, Harry, come on, let’s go. . . .” She sounded scared, much more scared than she had in the room where the brains swam, yet Harry thought the archway had a kind of beauty about it, old though it was. The gently rippling veil intrigued him; he felt a very strong inclination to climb up on the dais and walk through it. “Harry, let’s go, okay?” said Hermione more forcefully. “Okay,” he said, but he did not move. He had just heard something. There were faint whispering, murmuring noises coming from the other side of the veil. “What are you saying?” he said very loudly, so that the words echoed all around the surrounding stone benches. “Nobody’s talking, Harry!” said Hermione, now moving over to him. “Someone’s whispering behind there,” he said, moving out of her reach and continuing to frown at the veil. “Is that you, Ron?” “I’m here, mate,” said Ron, appearing around the side of the archway. “Can’t anyone else hear it?” Harry demanded, for the whispering and murmuring was becoming louder; without really meaning to put it there, he found his foot was on the dais. “I can hear them too,” breathed Luna, joining them around the side of the archway and gazing at the swaying veil. “There are people in there!” .... “Sirius,” Harry repeated, still gazing, mesmerized, at the continuously swaying veil. “Yeah . . .” ... On the other side, Ginny and Neville were staring, apparently entranced, at the veil too.

(OotP, 773-775)

The interesting to note:

Luna, who can see Thestrals, also hears the whispering. I assume Neville does too.

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are mesmerized but unnerved by the veil. Ron and Hermione seem to fight this memorization in their fear for Harry as he nears the veil.

Harry is the only one who is drawn to the veil He is the only one that moved, the only one whose feet take him against his will to the dias with the veil.

Harry thinks of it as oddly beautiful.

He has an urge to pass through that no one else does. All of them are frozen in place.

Harry is so affected he needs to be reminded twice that he's there to save Sirius before he can draw himself away from the veil.

Third, later in the book, after Sirius fell through the veil, there's this part:

He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out again. . . . But as he reached the ground and sprinted toward the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back. “There’s nothing you can do, Harry —” “Get him, save him, he’s only just gone through!” “It’s too late, Harry —” “We can still reach him —” Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go. . . . “There’s nothing you can do, Harry . . . nothing. . . . He’s gone.”

(OotP, 806)

Harry's instinct to go through the veil to get Sirius out is so odd. The way he thinks that he himself can pull him out, not anyone else, but he... I don't know, but, this scene is interesting. It almost makes me feel Harry could pull Sirius back out. He defied death already once and will defy it again in the 7th book, so why not? Why wouldn't he be able to pull someone back from beyond the veil if they fell through just now (the timing is relevant, I don't think Hary could pull, say, his parents out).

My headcanon is that in that very moment if Lupin let Harry pull Sirius out, it would've worked. Caused a pandemonium about the fact Harry can apparently resurrect the dead (even if it's not really what he did), but that it would've worked. (I actually really want to write a fic like this)

Fourth, throughout the 7th book, once Harry finds out about the Hallows, he can't let the thought go. He knows his cloak is one, he is convinced the stone is in the snitch Dumbledore left him, way before he opened it. He just has a sense about it, and a fixation on it that's almost instinct:

Dumbledore had left the sign of the Hallows for Hermione to decipher, and he had also, Harry remained convinced of it, left the Resurrection Stone hidden in the golden Snitch. Neither can live while the other survives. . . master of Death. . . Why didn’t Ron and Hermione understand? “‘The last enemy shall be destroyed is death,”’ Harry quoted calmly

(DH, 374-375)

So, these are my reasons why I believe Harry is the only character in the books that could or would be the MOD. It's just that he always was, in a way. The Hallows already chose him before he ever held any of them.

But what does it mean to be the Master of Death?

“Well, of course not,” said Xenophilius, maddeningly smug. “That is a children’s tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognize that the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death.” ... “When you say ‘master of Death’—” said Ron. “Master,” said Xenophilius, waving an airy hand. “Conqueror. Vanquisher. Whichever term you prefer.”

(DH, 353)

We don't really get much besides this. Along with what's written on James and Lily's grave:

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

(DH, 283)

Harry believes all phrases, along with the prophecy are connected and lead him to believe he should become the Master of Death:

Three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death. . . Master. . . Conqueror. . . Vanquisher. . . The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. . . . And he saw himself, possessor of the Hallows, facing Voldemort, whose Horcruxes were no match. . . Neither can live while the other survives. . . Was this the answer?

(DH, 369-370)

So what can the Master of Death do? Death isn't a personified deity, what is defeating or contouring death mean? Does it mean immortality?

I don't know if I'll say full immortality, I think the Master of Death can die the same way Ignotus Peverell did. I think Ignotus Peverell was the first Master of Death, in a way, he at least represented the concept:

And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life

(DH, 352)

He was death's equal, he could escape it and live a fulfilling life, before choosing to meet Death on his own terms. I think that's what it means, that Death won't find Harry until he is ready to move on, and when he finally chooses to move on, Death would greet him with open arms.

The crux of it is the choice. That death can't touch you until you choose to allow it. And those who become Masters of Death, would always eventually choose to greet death, as these are the type of people the 3 Hallows would choose. It's all about choices.

(For the record, yes, I think there could be more than one MOD, I think Ignotus was until his death, and then in the books, Harry is)

And considering how much emphasis is put on choices and intentions in the magic of this world, it seems only right to be so relevant here too.

Like with the Mirror or Erised, which only let someone who wanted to have the Philosopher's Stone but not use it, have it; the Hallows won't choose a master who wouldn't, eventually, be willing to accept death. Because mastering death, isn't only not dying, it's understanding it, and accepting it. Both the deaths of others and eventually your own.

Also, as I mentioned above, I headcanon that Harry could pull Sirius out the moment he fell in through the veil. I don't think anyone but Harry could. I believe, as a Master of Death, Harry is the only wizard (well, being) that can go into the afterlife, walk past the veil, and come back out. A Master of Death is the only one who the afterlife isn't a one-way ticket for.

(Although, I think it's possible that if you wear the invisibility cloak you might be able to pass into the veil and come out even without being the MOD, but, I wouldn't bet on it)

Summary of my thoughts

The afterlife exists in the Wizarding World and nothing that passes beyond the veil can return. It's a one-way ticket.

The scene in Deathly Hallows with Dumbledore in King's Cross station limbo didn't actually happen.

Death, as a deity of sorts most likely doesn't exist.

The Peverell brothers were powerful wizards who made the Deathly Hallows and perhaps the veil too.

The Resurrection stone can't bring a soul back from beyond the veil so it does the next best thing — reviving an illusion of a memory.

All 3 Deathly Hallows are very sentient magical artifacts like the sorting hat. Each of them is very picky when choosing its own master.

When all 3 Hallows choose the same master, this person is the Master of Death.

Being the Master of Death means the MOD won't die until the time of their choice. But the MOD will always choose to die eventually because that's the kind of person the Hallows would pick.

There can, over time, be more than one MOD (not at the same time though). And it's possible Ignotus Peverell was one, in a way.

The MOD might be the only person who can go into the veil and come back out.

The invisibility cloak might also allow you to make a trip into the veil and then back out.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Just curious but were there any other reasons besides them being 11, and Ray finding Emma's everything exhausting that caused him to be more teasing with her? (Aka him calling her and idiot, bonking her and what not in ss1)

At most I can see is that- much like Norman Ray also admired Emma. But unlike Norman, Ray who knew the truth, could only see Emma as this naive kid who he needs to protect. He might have been freaked out by her sunshiny personality lol. And maybe started to see her as dependable/ his equal after she saved him and they all escaped.

Explicitly stated reasons, no, but Emma is a very physically affectionate person, so in addition to this:

(Chapter 93)

I chalk it up to being a reciprocal thing, in a similar way to how Norman only shows his impish, calculating side to Ray at Grace Field. Each dynamic of the trio has their own rapport they've established.

(Love the little smile he gives them in "Touch off" mirroring the one he gives her in chapter 14)

Also going to cite this post by @lightningflash55 that I appreciate:

God, I love how when Emma’s a bit slower to pick up on something that Ray wants her to get he doesn’t crack jokes or get frustrated but instead calmly rephrases himself in a way she can understand?  Like he’ll tease her over silly things but when it comes to the important stuff he’s not the same, he’s really patient and gentle about it  --- #Ray is SOOOO good at gently prompting her to understand something or when trying to push her to follow her ideals #they just work so well as a team il their dynamic a lot #Ray for all the times he’s edgy and dramatic or easily gives up has EVEN MORE redeemable qualities #he’s such a good boy he truly is #and Emma’s also not dumb at all she just has a different way of thinking #so il that he recognizes this ugh just THESE KIDS

Ray always respected and valued Emma as an equal. Even if he found her naivety frustrating for how he saw it as actively working against her chances of survival beyond the wall

(Chapter 4)

she and Norman were both there to comfort him in any way they could, even when they couldn't understand what was upsetting their friend so badly and he couldn't articulate to them what was wrong.

(Chapter 181.1)

(2020 Exhibition Interview)

Ray believes if they can just get Emma to let go of this fantasy of taking everyone with her on the escape, she and Norman can make it in the outside world. He knows how capable they both are in their different methods of approaching things, has seen how well they complement and balance each other out. Norman will keep Emma grounded in the realm of possibility and temper her hopes, while Emma will push him to think beyond limitations and save him from completely succumbing to cynicism.

It's why he's so pissed and riddled with worry when Norman acknowledges his plan is more sound but actively chooses to follow Emma's anyway.

(S1 Episode 2)

After Grace Field and having her and Norman shift his entire world view, humbled isn't quite the right word since he was never haughty about this, but he was willing to trust Emma's methods more now that he knew hoping "for a future that is like a dream" wouldn't be another blow to his heart and that striving for an ideal was genuinely viable.

[diariodocarioca]

MAR que mata a sede do Rio

A exposição “Casa carioca” confirma o Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) como uma das instituições mais importantes em funcionamento na cidade e no país. O MAR completa cinco anos neste mês de março de 2021 oferecendo entrada gratuita a todos os visitantes às quintas-feiras*, e reiterando o desejo de ser, a um só tempo, um museu aberto e um museu abrigo. Como conciliar a amplitude ruidosa e necessária a um equipamento cultural cosmopolita, que leva o nome “do Rio”, com o aconchego cálido de um lar, que nos oferece conforto e o convite para voltar? O MAR tem respondido a essa questão de maneira muito direta e igualmente complexa: representatividade.

Desde a sua fundação, quando era dirigido por Paulo Herkenhoff, até o momento atual, sob o comando artístico de Marcelo Campos, o museu se preocupa constantemente com o estabelecimento de diálogos: com a classe artística, mais do que com o mercado de arte; com criadores de diversas procedências e gerações, e ênfase nos mais jovens e periféricos; com os educadores, que formam público e podem ser vetores para a reincidência de visitantes; com outras linguagens artísticas; com atravessamentos sociais, políticos e econômicos que precisam perturbar a arte. Sim, o MAR parece entender que a arte precisa ser perturbada, para que se desencastele e assim ganhe o mundo, passando a ser vista como relevante por um conjunto mais amplo da população.

“Casa carioca”, com curadoria de Campos e da arquiteta Joice Berth, evidencia essas conversas e sua natureza barulhenta e perturbadora. No MAR, a estratégia parece ser mesmo o ruído, e não a ordenação lacradora e de marketing que vem orientando de modo inócuo várias frentes do setor cultural. A exposição sobre a história social da casa e os modos de morar também chama a atenção para os castelos reais e simbólicos da cidade. Em meio à pandemia, momento em que ter teto e ter chão foi mais necessário do que nunca, a dupla de curadores expõe as feridas do morar como privilégio, mas também a esperança dos quilombos que residem nos corpos e nas lutas da população do Rio e do país.

“Casa e corpo articulam entendimentos sociais diversos. Discursos que, mesmo em silêncio, gritam sobre ausências e presenças, sobre lugares de exclusão e descaso, sobre hierarquias e subalternidades”, escreve Joice Berth no texto de apresentação, e é realmente lindo ver como a curadoria tenta subverter uma lógica hierárquica que também está cristalizada no modo de fazer exposições.

Pintura de Heitor dos Prazeres presente na mostraElisa Mendes/Reprodução

“Casa carioca” reúne obras de grandes artistas que já têm um lugar assegurado na história da arte brasileira, caso de Adriana Varejão, Beatriz Milhazes, Abdias do Nascimento, Ivens Machado, Heitor dos Prazeres, Luiz Zerbini, Laura Lima, José Rufino, Rubens Gerchman, Arthur Bispo do Rosário, Guignard, Lygia Clark e Djanira, e também grandes artistas e coletivos em estágios diversos de amadurecimento, como Opavivará!,  Mulambö, Rodrigo Torres e Geraldo Marcolini. Chamam a atenção grandes artistas em início de carreira ou ainda poucos expostos em museus e galerias, muitos egressos da formação universitária e de regiões periféricas do país, caso de Gilson Plano, Alberto Vieira, Alan Oju e Diambe da Silva. Outro dado impressionante é a quantidade de grandes criadoras mulheres cis e trans de diversas gerações e procedências: Brigida Baltar, Patrizia d’Angello, Martha Niklaus, Regina de Paula, Ana Hortides, Agrade Camíz, Elisa Mendes, Luiza Baldan, Cristina Salgado, Lyz Parayzo, Andrea Nestrea, Barbara Copque, Cinthia Marcelle, Laís Mirrha, Aleta Valente, Daisy Xavier, Priscila Resende, Rosângela Rennó, entre muitas outras.

Vista da mostra, com trabalho de Martha Niklaus em primeiro plano e obras de Xadalu e José Rufino (direita) ao fundoElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

A repetição e o grifo na palavra “grandes”, no parágrafo anterior, visa destacar um aspecto importante sugerido pela montagem: uma equivalência de grandezas nos processos de criação e nos resultados plásticos, reunidos numa espécie de cosmogonia modulada a partir de eixos temáticos – a casa e a relação com a cidade, com o trabalho, com o lazer, com a esfera íntima, com a arquitetura moderna, com a favela. As obras de arte de períodos diversos são mescladas a fotos históricas, vídeos e documentos; os artistas são expostos “juntos e misturados” a registros de projetos arquitetônicos e de construção como o Concreto Rosa – coletivo de mulheres que atuam como “faz-tudo”, subvertendo uma lógica machista -, e o BBB (Boa, bonita e barata), que constrói habitações populares “da favela para a favela”. O projeto expográfico, a cargo dos arquitetos Valdy Lopes, Gisele de Paula e Laís Marques, tira partido de um sem-número de revestimentos (amianto, cimento, madeira) que cobrem as paredes de cada trecho da exposição modo distinto. Este ruído que vem da aposta na heterogeneidade é acompanhado pela identidade visual, assinada pelo Estúdio Cru. A passagem entre um bloco e outro do prédio é feita por uma das obras comissionadas, Intermédio (2020), de Maxim Malhado. Tudo é pensado para que o espaço do museu, geralmente tratado com a máxima neutralidade, seja também uma casa, lugar onde os objetos se acumulam seguindo uma ordem de uso afetiva e orgânica. E ela até pode ser funcional, mas dificilmente obedece à lógica antisséptica do “cubo branco”.

Um compromisso com as brasilidades

Pintura de Abdias do Nascimento no módulo que apresenta o corpo como casa e quilomboElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

A arquitetura e a montagem não hierárquicas e um processo curatorial que se organiza pelos aspectos simbólicos e sociais da imagem fazem parte da história do MAR e, mais do que isso, evidenciam a importância do primeiro diretor do museu, Paulo Herkenhoff, no processo de formação da geração de curadores da qual Marcelo Campos pertence. Cada passo dado no percurso de “Casa carioca” é também um avançar na direção do reconhecimento das brasilidades, assim mesmo, no plural. Se hoje é possível vermos uma exposição em que Adriana Varejão, Beatriz Milhazes e Efrain Almeida são alguns dos artistas mais experientes em atividade, isso se deve a atuação de Herkenhoff na implosão de uma vergonha elitista que se negava a olhar para o Brasil, a potência de seus saberes populares e a importância que patrimônios como o carnaval, os cultos religiosos e as soluções visuais vindas da periferia tinham para os artistas chancelados pelos museus e galerias. No Rio, Herkenhoff e figuras como Fernando Cocchiarale e Marcus Lontra e as curadoras e professoras Glória Ferreira e Viviane Matesco foram fundamentais para a ampliação dos modos de pensar o trato com a arte e para a percepção de que é possível fazer exposições, livros e projetos que não levem em conta apenas os aspectos formais das obras.

Olhar para o Brasil de modo despudorado ainda é um desafio e exige novos saltos, que “Casa carioca” procura dar com bastante profundidade e coragem. Como o já citado texto de Joice Berth evidencia, são muitos silenciamentos e ausências, tanto na distribuição de poderes quanto no imaginário formador de uma nação. A artista e pensadora Grada Kilomba definiu de modo preciso o Brasil como “um projeto colonial bem sucedido”, e percorrer a exposição do MAR é entender que o acesso à casa foi negado a uma maioria, justamente ao gigantesco grupo descendente dos reis e rainhas africanos escravizados pelo tal projeto colonial. Foram eles os que ergueram todas as moradas e todas as cidades com o seu trabalho; foram eles os expulsos da urbe, aqueles que até hoje são obrigados a viajar por muitas horas todas as manhãs em trens superlotados até o trabalho. E até hoje são eles, no fim das contas, que não têm a opção do “ficar em casa” para preservar a saúde durante o já tão estendido período pandêmico.

A mostra tem qualidade em seu conjunto, combina com muito engenho a necessidade de mobilização, inclusive pela revolta, do visitante com certos “respiros” líricos. Mas alguns pontos me chamam a atenção.

Terra e trabalho

Pintura da série “Mártires da terra”, de Denilson BaniwaDaniela Name/Reprodução

É belíssima a forma como a curadoria investe na memória dos saberes arquitetônicos dos povos originários do país, em especial através das construções ribeirinhas recuperadas por Martha Niklaus. É ainda mais desconcertante ficar diante dos trabalhos de artistas indígenas como Xadalu Tupã e Denilson Baniwa – e em especial na série Mártires da terra, deste segundo, ler escrito sobre a tela: “Eu sirvo de adubo para minha terra, mas dela não saio”.

Importante ainda o diálogo entre os trabalhos de Bruno Portella, José Rufino e Gilson Plano – o primeiro lidando com a ideia de recalque histórico e antimonumento, Rufino repensando forma e função dos facões da lavoura (ferramentas, armas de luta?), e Plano tentando tangenciar o invisível, do que falarei adiante. Somados à força de um conjunto de obras de Arthur Bispo do Rosário, esses trabalhos trazem para o centro – físico e simbólico  – de um dos segmentos da mostra a noção de que, no campo e na cidade, foram corpos negros os que construíram este país. Esse núcleo estabelece rico diálogo com as obras de Ivens Machado e Andrey Zignatto, e em especial com as de Adriana Varejão (Ruína modernista II) e André Griffo (Instruções para administração das fazendas 2), dois artistas cujo raciocínio pictórico tem sido posto a serviço de uma subversão das histórias de poder do Brasil Colônia.

A Aldeia Maracanã fotografada por Elisa MendesElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

Desapropriações, reintegrações

Outros pontos importantíssimos da exposição formam uma espécie de pêndulo: de um lado fotos, vídeos e documentos sobre as desapropriações da cidade – do incêncio até hoje suspeito do Morro do Pinto à Vila Autódromo – às reapropriações e reinvenções como a Ocupação Evaristo da Veiga e a Aldeia Maracanã, esta última fotografada por Elisa Mendes.

Morador resgata seu cavaquinho depois do incêndio no Morro do Pinto, até hoje investigado como criminoso. A destruição pelo fogo deixou centenas de desabrigados nos anos 1960 e possibilitou a construção do condomínio Selva de Pedra, no Leblon. Reprodução de Alexandre GomesAutor desconhecido/Reprodução

Celebrações: a liberdade insistente

Se por um lado a exposição não recusa o peso das nossas omissões históricas, por outro abraça com prazer os momentos de superação dessas desigualdades com uma “felicidade guerreira”. As lajes e cumeeiras, com a arquitetura posta a serviço das rodas de samba, feijoadas e, mais recentemente, dos vídeos para o Reels e o IGTV,  é festejada pela obra de artistas como Heitor dos Prazes, Mulambö e Sérgio Vidal. Em outro segmento, as soluções arquitetônicas da periferia aparecem nos Pornobancos do Opavivará! e nas esculturas de Agrade Camiz, entre outros trabalhos. Por fim, a noção de “barracão” – o do carnaval, o do candomblé, alicerces de nossas manifestações populares – é lembrada em núcleo ancorado pela exuberância de Beatriz Milhazes.

Gerchman e a multidão

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É muito notável a presença de Rubens Gerchman e a força dos trabalhos selecionados no conjunto da exposição evidencia o quanto o artista e seus parceiros mais diretos de geração, em especial Antonio Dias e Carlos Vergara, foram importantes para pensar o crescimento urbano, o aparecimento de uma ideia de multidão e como essa população multiplicada foi impactada e impactou o imaginário da nação a partir de referências de uma cultura – cultura esta que não é chamada de “popular” por acaso: ela vem da turba, de uma massa gigantesca, e por isso tem tanto poder.

“Supernanny Brasil”, de Alberto Pereira, e a série “Das sombras”, de Rosana PaulinoElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

Papéis da mulher

A domesticação da mulher é um ponto crucial. Se artistas como Patrizia d´Angello subvertem o “bela, recatada e do lar” que segue como expectativa e imposição de uma sociedade patriarcal, a presença das obras de Rosana Paulino, e dos jovens Priscila Rezende, Alberto Pereira e Millena Lizia falam mais especificamente dos papéis destinados à mulher negra como trabalhadora doméstica. Em um país como o Brasil de uma quase escrava doméstica, como mostra Supernanny, de Pereira, e Faço faxina, de Lizia, em que ela ofereceu seus serviços como faxineira através do anúncio e documentou tudo o que ouviu e experimentou nas casas dos contratantes.

  O poder do invisível

O artista goiano Gilson Plano oferece um caminho muito fértil para as intenções da curadoria e da mostra. Em um dos ótimos textos reunidos no catálogo e na expografia (além dos curadores, escrevem autores como Thiago Fernandes e Pollyana Quintella), Marcelo Campos lembra os egunguns, e uma “casa” representada pela ancestralidade, pelo invisível, e apontam para o corpo que subverte violências como uma possibilidade de quilombo. Plano exibe dois trabalhos arrebatadores que sinalizam essa trilha: em Fundação, o artista apresenta vergalhões que dão estrutura às construções unidos delicadamente por cordas de sisal e as grandes miçangas conhecidas como “firmas”, que arrematam as “guias”, cordões usados pelos iniciados na umbanda e no candomblé. Não há neutralidade na linguagem, e são as “guias” e “firmas” um instrumento de ligação do fiel com o seu “fundamento”, a maneira de ligar o plano terreno aos egunguns ancestrais que flutuam em outras dimensões.

“Fundação”, de Gilson Plano: alicerce nas “firmas” de miçangaElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

No outro trabalho, O sol depois, Plano incrustou 152 pérolas na parede da rampa de saída do museu. A instalação foi documentada em vídeo, que o público assiste em tela instalada na mesma parede onde estão as pérolas. Esse tesouro invisível remete ao ouro e aos ossos de africanos escravizados encontrados nas escavações recentes nas cercanias do MAR na região portuária do Rio, ponto de chegada de nossos ancestrais arrancados de sua terra pelo tráfico de pessoas. A obra lembra ainda que acreditar no invisível pode ser um ato de resistência e de fé, um abrigo para o corpo exilado. Aqui, foi e é.

  Erupções poéticas

Obra de Ana Hortides na exposiçãoElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

“Casa carioca” enfrenta com vertigem e coragem todas as contradições que envolvem o direito ao habitar no Brasil, mas não se furta a inundar o fluxo narrativo da montagem com obras de intensa carga lírica e poética. Chamam a atenção, nesse sentido, os trabalhos de Laura Lima, Renato Bezerra de Mello, Ana Linnermann, Brigida Baltar e todo o núcleo formado pelo imaginário da casa própria, com Ana Hortides, Regina de Paula, Jacques Fang e Randolpho Lamonier.

Estrutura aparente

Uma escolha poética e política da curadoria foi destacar, nos vídeos documentais, a “prata da casa” – mediadores e pesquisadores do MAR oriundos de favelas e de conjuntos habitacionais, caso de Fernando Porto (acima). Eles dão seus depoimentos sobre as diferentes formas de morar no Rio, tornando aparente uma estrutura coletiva e fundamental que realiza os projetos de exposição ao lado de artistas e curadores. Maravilha.

Por fim e por princípio: a força das águas

“Máquina de fazer chover no molhado”, de Daniel MurgelElisa Mendes/Arquivo pessoal

Mas é na Sala de Encontro, em piso mais próximo à saída, que algumas obras comissionadas trazem um desfecho e novos começos para a mostra, neste segmento se debruça “sobre as águas” de uma cidade que é Rio. Apena 3% das águas existentes no planeta são doces e potáveis, e o direito à água é uma questão fundamental para o habitar. Lembram disso através da poesia ou da ação três trabalhos impressionantes: em Máquina de chover no molhado no. 2 – Telhado borboleta, Daniel Murgel retoma sua reinvenção da arquitetura e faz com que a água escorra por sobre um tipo de ordenação de telhas que é histórico no Morro da Conceição, vizinho ao museu e lugar do Ateliê Sanitário, mantido pelo artista em parceria com outros criadores. A água escorre, cai num tanque e é rebombeada,  novamente “chovendo no molhado” e nos lembrando dos ciclos da vida, nem sempre favorecidos pela lógica das cidades.

Um belo conjunto de backlights registra em fotos, como numa nuvem de vaga-lumes, o projeto Lave as mãos, Maurício da Hora instalou bicas de água potável em todo o Morro da Providência, e junto a elas recipientes com sabonete fabricado por sua família. Cria do morro, Da Hora subverteu expectativas e estatísticas e realinhou seu destino com uma atuação cidadã e artística em sua comunidade. O Lave as mãos ofereceu contribuição decisiva no combate à Covid-19 na Providência.

Outra intervenção na cidade, esta criada a partir do próprio museu, parece ser uma espécie de pororoca entre os fluxos da exposição em cartaz e a história do MAR. Criado pelo gru.a (grupo de arquitetos), Bica é o que o nome diz: uma sequência de torneiras na área externa do museu, fornecendo água filtrada com a qual os passantes e a população em situação de rua pode lavar as mãos ou encher garrafas e copos. O encanamento que fornece água para o lado de fora foi criado a partir de um circuito que cria um desvio nos reservatórios da instituição. Com isso, ela passa a cumprir na prática o que já vinha fazendo num plano simbólico: é um MAR que mata a sede do Rio; um museu da regeneração e do acolhimento em meio a tempos tão difíceis.

“Bica”, criada pelo g.rua, grupo de arquitetos: museu fornece água potável para passantes e população em situação de ruaDaniela Name/Arquivo pessoal

+++

*Aline Motta faz individual desconcertante e incontornável no MAR. Ao visitar “Casa carioca” seguindo todas as prevenções sanitárias seguidas pelo museu, não deixe de mergulhar no universo da artista e veja ainda a exposição sobre o arquiteto Paulo Werneck organizada por Claudia Saldanha e parceiros.

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CidadeCidadeCovid-19: o que eu devo fazer para saber se a vacina me deu imunidade?

Beira-MarBeira-MarCovid: ‘Se não parar, o Rio estará em calamidade em 30 dias’, diz Mandetta

Beira-MarBeira-MarHá dez anos, Caetano Veloso estacionava no Leblon: ‘Momento histórico’

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[pocketramblr]

Have we hit Manuel or Hawks with the DFO stick??

Yes

And yes

[tamafes]

Sound & Word Network (Applicant: Francesca Le Lohé)

The Sound & Word Network is an international collective of “sound artists” (e.g. composers, makers of sound art, improvising performers) and “word artists” (e.g. writers of all genres, spoken-word performers/poets, visual artists using text). The network was founded in August 2020 by composer Francesca Le Lohé and writer Charlotte Wührer with the aims of fostering new connections, inter-cultural exchange and exploring different ways of working and collaborating. “Chain of Works: 1” features the work of the following sound artists (s) and word artists (w) in alphabetical order: Laura Attridge (w), Sara Caneva (s), Elizabeth Ditmanson (s), Ana Gnjatović (s), Haruka Hirayama (s), Francesca Le Lohé (s), Neil Luck (s), Taylor Miles (w), Altair Hernandez Martinez (w), Makoto Nomura (s), Lyz Pfister (w), Lynette Quek (s) Gurmeet Singh (w), Sarah Wenig (w), Charlotte Wührer (w).

[tiny-katara]

ana u shut ur mouth rn ur so fucking smart don't make me come over there and i tried to keep my list to people ana didn't mention even tho ily all too

1. @soopersara sara i just really love your fics and how spot on the characterization is for everyone. i appreciate how level-headed and kind you are and it's just very nice to have you around 💙

2. @night-owlery64 alanna whenever you slide into the CAZ i grin it's so lovely to see you. you are so sweet and your taste in p&p and spot on and like yes pls roast the bingley proposal in the 2005 version. you are so fun to have around and ily 💙

3. @wevemadeitthisfar cassie my beloved i love seeing you in my reblogs and you are so sweet and the one fic you've written is so pretty and lovely and you're just a wonderful swiftie to have around and talk about swiftie things with and i swear i will write that speak now zk thing in your honor someday 💙

4. @susiesundrop BLAAAIIIRRRRR you are so funnnyyy and you are very smart like you just know a little bit of everything and its so fun to talk to you and this is just kinda random but your voice is very nice 10/10 voice 💙

5. @indigostars SARAAHHHH ilysm you are so fun and you have the absolute best taste you like all the good things. i hope someday we can get expensive but delicious ice cream together someday 💙

6. @azmonic ASSSHHHHH you are so talented and ilysm and you are so sweet and nice and your art is magnificent and you craft skills are astounding and i just love you idk 💙

7. @termaitz maz you are so chaotic and troublesome but in a magnificent way. you are so fun to talk to and the cursed shit you send is entertaining despite how deeply scarring it is and its kind of ironic bc your art is so beautiful and stunning but ilysm and i am glad we are besties 💙

8. @drakonic LYZ you were my very first tumblr mutual and i love you oh so dearly and you are so funny and you make me smile and you are super cool and caring and kind and deserve the world even tho you don't think you do for whatever stupid reason. you are wonderful 💙

9. @muddied-waters LAURAAA ilysm and you're so funny and i love how creative you are and it's so fun to talk to you and it's just a good time and we are besties and ilysm that's all i don't have anything productive to say i just really love you lmao and we are so iconic ilysm my crusty twin 💙

10. @burst-of-iridescent WIFEEYYYYYY ILYSM there is simply too much to say. You roast antis to a crisp and you write beautiful fic and you run around causing chaos and spreading that one image of a certain ship that shall remain nameless whenever possible. you write the best zk metas and fics and i love your blog so much and i have a screenshot on my computer of tumblr suggesting my blog is similar to yours bc that's such an honor and idk if i truly deserve it. i wish you the joy of ratatoomuch in all your days biwi 💜💙❤️

zutara christmas positivity tag

merry christmas zutara fam! to celebrate this festive period i thought it would be nice to do a positivity tag and celebrate our wonderful little community <33

rules: tag 10 zutara blogs (blogs that aren’t for zutara alone but ship zutara are fine!) and tell them something you love about them or their blog!

of course, i’ll start us off:

1. @stars-and-darkness-main ella my beloved your posts are always a slay. i love all the cool tidbits of information i get from your blog and of course, your taste in ships is *chef’s kiss*

2. @theotterpenguin bestie your metas are so well thought out and eloquent that i honestly don’t even need to read them to know they’re an instant reblog. if you’re not following el then… what are you even doing with your life? 

3. @kaligraphy my sweet child i adore your lovely headcanons. you singlehandedly made me a kuzaang and rozin shipper, and we all know atla would be so much better if you were in charge of it. 

4. @night-heron-writes as much as you slander me, darling lea, i love how incredibly knowledgeable you are (as your many AUs will prove) and for being the calm, level headed rock of the cillana family! 

5. @ilovegirlsgeneration dear jehona, thank you for your amazingly unique blend of chaos, and your talent at memes. even when i shake my head in concern, i can’t help but laugh at your antics. 

6. @thevictorianghost i love how much we share in common, and the wide array of media and topics we can chat about! i always look forward to seeing your messages in my DMs <3

7. @solborealis darling sol, where would we be without your cool headcanons and your heartwrenching angst (let alone setting up our wonderful server)? zk fandom truly has so much to thank you for. 

8. @katara-stan-club air, your blog just has everything a person could need. whether it’s zutara fanart, important information, or telling terfs to fuck off, i know i’ll always love your posts! 

9. @wingchunwaterbender i always look forward to your tags on my posts! the zutara content you post slaps every time, and i also love how much you discuss issues of social justice and use your platform for good. 

and of course, saving the best for last: 

10. @tiny-katara my beloved wife, i can’t even list just one thing i love about you and your blog because i love it all. from the way you slay anons to your wonderful taylor swift series that began our friendship to your excellent metas, your blog has everything a zutara stan could ever want. if anyone isn’t following cilla yet, do it rn because trust me, you’ll never regret it <333

[wineanddinosaur]

A New Wave of Small Craft Breweries is Redefining Midwestern Beer Culture

As the American writer Willa Cather wrote in “My Antonia,” “The only thing very noticeable about Nebraska was that it was still, all day long, Nebraska.” The same could be said about a Budweiser: The only thing very noticeable is that it is still, all day long, a Budweiser.

Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Style: These beers hail from the Midwest, a region characterized by its infinite horizons, idyllic farms, and red brick factories. Beer brands like these are America’s bread and butter, known for their economy and approachable flavor profiles. But they and others like them — Schlitz, Miller Lite, and so on — are more than crowd-friendly thirst-quenchers for the football tailgate. These mass-produced lagers reflect much of the country’s perception of the Midwest itself: constant, reliable, and unremarkable.

Now, amidst MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch, and Pabst Brewing Company, younger, smaller breweries are embracing their regional history while expanding and experimenting in new directions. In a region that resists definition, these small breweries capture the spirit of what makes the Midwest so unique: They are paying tribute to their regional heritage while creating some of the most creative, flavorful brews in the country.

Barrels at Guardian Brewing Company. Photos courtesy of Guardian Brewing Company.

Guardian Brewing Company strikes this balance between regional pride and new directions. Operating out of a historic farmhouse in Saugatuck, Mich., the brand is not what one might expect of a Midwestern microbrewery: It has a gluten-free and vegan-friendly food menu, a management roster of mostly women, and a range of boisterous, eclectic beers.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Kim Collins, Guardian’s co-founder and head brewer, says. “But this place just screams Midwest to me,” she continues. The draft menu is diverse, ranging from “Nessie,” a gin and tonic-inspired imperial double dry-hopped IPA with Mosaic hops and blue juniper berries, to the “MiCo Medio,” a cream ale brewed with hatch chiles that set fire to the otherwise soft palate.

This type of creativity exists in many small breweries in the region. Jaipur Brewing Company of Omaha, Neb., is an Indian restaurant that brews its own Jalapeño Ale, a local favorite and the most requested on the brewery’s menu, according to the company website.

Worth Brewing Company of Northwood, Iowa opened brewing 10-gallon batches (only around twice as much as the average homebrewer makes), but it packs bold flavors into its “Snug” English Stout, which is served on cask nitro and has notes of stone fruit and chocolate.

At Minneapolis’s Sisyphus Brewing, “The Banana Boss,” a hefeweizen that tastes like banana and tapioca, invokes a crisp, wheat taste so inviting that the brewery claims, “once you have one, you’ll want bunches.”

Despite America’s perception of the Midwest as a featureless paragon of normalcy, craft breweries show that variety is central to the Midwestern experience. At the same time, the juxtaposition of these flavorful, experimental ales with the conservatively flavored light lagers of yore is representative of a bigger picture: This region is complicated.

And although the Midwest is often stereotyped for its whiteness — and indeed, racial segregation was built into Chicago’s infrastructure — Midwestern cities are some of the most diverse in the nation. In 2017, immigrants comprised a greater share of the Great Lakes Region’s working-age population than their U.S.-born peers. The people who live in the Midwest aren’t identical and neither are the beers they enjoy. And while craft breweries enjoy the fans and communities their creative beers have cultivated, they are not trying to push the Budweiser drinkers away. In fact, they embrace them.

“[In the Midwest,] I think there’s a resistance to the imposition of any sort of value judgement that one thing is better than another,” says Lyz Lenz, a columnist at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and author of “God Land,” a book about faith in America and Midwestern culture. “A lot of the things made for mass consumption are actually really enjoyable. A nice bottle of Miller High Life, when you’re standing on a porch all day, is great.” Small-batch Midwestern breweries know this, and they’re not afraid to flaunt it.

A beer flight at Lion Bridge Brewing. Photo courtesy of Lion Bridge Brewing.

In the spirit of Midwestern inclusivity, nano- and microbreweries almost always have something slightly familiar on the menu. At Lion Bridge Brewing in Cedar Rapids, this type of accessibility is at the forefront. “Bridge Beer,” a light golden ale, is meant to be a “bridge” between craft and domestic ale and lager. “We’ll have [wedding] rehearsal dinners here where the couple that is hosting is really into beer, but their grandparents might not be,” Ana McClain, the brewery’s co-owner and business manager, says. “Those are the people who get the Bridge Beer.”

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Lion Bridge’s beers are both unconventional and accessible, providing crowd-pleasing options for the community while encouraging exploration for those willing to expand their palates. The same is true for Guardian, Jaipur Brewing, Worth Brewing, and Sisyphus: All offer some variation of a sessionable golden ale or lager, a throwback to the beers that made the Midwest famous. There will always be an interesting set of drafts, but you can always find an option that sticks closer to the region’s nostalgic roots.

There’s a lot of economy in drinking these mass-produced brews, an important factor for a region whose median household income is nearly $2,500 less than the national average. But beyond frugality, there’s also a shared nostalgia that remains central to the Midwestern experience.

In paying tribute to these mass-produced beers while continuing to experiment, small breweries strike at the heart of what it means to be Midwestern: They’re community-oriented and inviting, but they also push the boundaries of taste and flavor. Importantly, they make their beers accessible to everyone who visits the taproom, regardless of personal preference.

By resisting ill-spirited competition, Midwestern breweries focus on accessibility, openness, and creativity. “There’s nothing that makes Midwesterners coalesce more than a reason to rise up and prove everybody wrong by doubling down on something,” says Lenz. “The only way to unite people in the Midwest is to tell them to change.”

The article A New Wave of Small Craft Breweries is Redefining Midwestern Beer Culture appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/craft-breweries-redefining-midwestern-beer-culture/

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A New Wave of Small Craft Breweries is Redefining Midwestern Beer Culture

As the American writer Willa Cather wrote in “My Antonia,” “The only thing very noticeable about Nebraska was that it was still, all day long, Nebraska.” The same could be said about a Budweiser: The only thing very noticeable is that it is still, all day long, a Budweiser.

Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Style: These beers hail from the Midwest, a region characterized by its infinite horizons, idyllic farms, and red brick factories. Beer brands like these are America’s bread and butter, known for their economy and approachable flavor profiles. But they and others like them — Schlitz, Miller Lite, and so on — are more than crowd-friendly thirst-quenchers for the football tailgate. These mass-produced lagers reflect much of the country’s perception of the Midwest itself: constant, reliable, and unremarkable.

Now, amidst MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch, and Pabst Brewing Company, younger, smaller breweries are embracing their regional history while expanding and experimenting in new directions. In a region that resists definition, these small breweries capture the spirit of what makes the Midwest so unique: They are paying tribute to their regional heritage while creating some of the most creative, flavorful brews in the country.

Barrels at Guardian Brewing Company. Photos courtesy of Guardian Brewing Company.

Guardian Brewing Company strikes this balance between regional pride and new directions. Operating out of a historic farmhouse in Saugatuck, Mich., the brand is not what one might expect of a Midwestern microbrewery: It has a gluten-free and vegan-friendly food menu, a management roster of mostly women, and a range of boisterous, eclectic beers.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Kim Collins, Guardian’s co-founder and head brewer, says. “But this place just screams Midwest to me,” she continues. The draft menu is diverse, ranging from “Nessie,” a gin and tonic-inspired imperial double dry-hopped IPA with Mosaic hops and blue juniper berries, to the “MiCo Medio,” a cream ale brewed with hatch chiles that set fire to the otherwise soft palate.

This type of creativity exists in many small breweries in the region. Jaipur Brewing Company of Omaha, Neb., is an Indian restaurant that brews its own Jalapeño Ale, a local favorite and the most requested on the brewery’s menu, according to the company website.

Worth Brewing Company of Northwood, Iowa opened brewing 10-gallon batches (only around twice as much as the average homebrewer makes), but it packs bold flavors into its “Snug” English Stout, which is served on cask nitro and has notes of stone fruit and chocolate.

At Minneapolis’s Sisyphus Brewing, “The Banana Boss,” a hefeweizen that tastes like banana and tapioca, invokes a crisp, wheat taste so inviting that the brewery claims, “once you have one, you’ll want bunches.”

Despite America’s perception of the Midwest as a featureless paragon of normalcy, craft breweries show that variety is central to the Midwestern experience. At the same time, the juxtaposition of these flavorful, experimental ales with the conservatively flavored light lagers of yore is representative of a bigger picture: This region is complicated.

And although the Midwest is often stereotyped for its whiteness — and indeed, racial segregation was built into Chicago’s infrastructure — Midwestern cities are some of the most diverse in the nation. In 2017, immigrants comprised a greater share of the Great Lakes Region’s working-age population than their U.S.-born peers. The people who live in the Midwest aren’t identical and neither are the beers they enjoy. And while craft breweries enjoy the fans and communities their creative beers have cultivated, they are not trying to push the Budweiser drinkers away. In fact, they embrace them.

“[In the Midwest,] I think there’s a resistance to the imposition of any sort of value judgement that one thing is better than another,” says Lyz Lenz, a columnist at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and author of “God Land,” a book about faith in America and Midwestern culture. “A lot of the things made for mass consumption are actually really enjoyable. A nice bottle of Miller High Life, when you’re standing on a porch all day, is great.” Small-batch Midwestern breweries know this, and they’re not afraid to flaunt it.

A beer flight at Lion Bridge Brewing. Photo courtesy of Lion Bridge Brewing.

In the spirit of Midwestern inclusivity, nano- and microbreweries almost always have something slightly familiar on the menu. At Lion Bridge Brewing in Cedar Rapids, this type of accessibility is at the forefront. “Bridge Beer,” a light golden ale, is meant to be a “bridge” between craft and domestic ale and lager. “We’ll have [wedding] rehearsal dinners here where the couple that is hosting is really into beer, but their grandparents might not be,” Ana McClain, the brewery’s co-owner and business manager, says. “Those are the people who get the Bridge Beer.”

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Lion Bridge’s beers are both unconventional and accessible, providing crowd-pleasing options for the community while encouraging exploration for those willing to expand their palates. The same is true for Guardian, Jaipur Brewing, Worth Brewing, and Sisyphus: All offer some variation of a sessionable golden ale or lager, a throwback to the beers that made the Midwest famous. There will always be an interesting set of drafts, but you can always find an option that sticks closer to the region’s nostalgic roots.

There’s a lot of economy in drinking these mass-produced brews, an important factor for a region whose median household income is nearly $2,500 less than the national average. But beyond frugality, there’s also a shared nostalgia that remains central to the Midwestern experience.

In paying tribute to these mass-produced beers while continuing to experiment, small breweries strike at the heart of what it means to be Midwestern: They’re community-oriented and inviting, but they also push the boundaries of taste and flavor. Importantly, they make their beers accessible to everyone who visits the taproom, regardless of personal preference.

By resisting ill-spirited competition, Midwestern breweries focus on accessibility, openness, and creativity. “There’s nothing that makes Midwesterners coalesce more than a reason to rise up and prove everybody wrong by doubling down on something,” says Lenz. “The only way to unite people in the Midwest is to tell them to change.”

The article A New Wave of Small Craft Breweries is Redefining Midwestern Beer Culture appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/craft-breweries-redefining-midwestern-beer-culture/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/190273143244