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theamazingloki · 2 years ago

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Headcanon: The Battle of Jotunheim

The tale about to be told won’t be found in any of the tomes detailing the history of Asgard, nor that of the realms over which it presides. What is about to be put down into words, by order of Odin, exists only in the memories of those few survivors who lived it... and, with old lives, old memories fade, distort, and vanish entirely.

Once upon a time, Odin had but one heir, his daughter Hela. By the laws of Asgard, writ when the universe was new and Ymir’s blood recently shed (or so the stories claim), she was only to inherit the throne should no male heirs follow her. However, the Goddess of Death’s mother had died in childbirth and so there was little chance of a (legitimate) heir following her. Odin’s finest general, she spread fear throughout the realms and painted the stars red - even her own armies were not safe from her rage, when battle was lost or even won with merciful blade. The royal advisors loathed and none but her Beserkers had any desire to see her, one day, rise to the throne. Worse, her influence made the sitting king yearn for more worlds under his domain, more subjects, more worshippers.

So, when Hela’s thirst for blood had her in a long battle on a far off realm, the advisors to the king met one night in secret and came up with a daring but simple plan. They introduced Odin to the Lady Frigga of Vanaheim.

Within the perspective of gods, it was a whirlwind romance. By the time Hela returned from her long siege, crowing of her victory, her father was wed and expecting a child with his new wife. A child, the seers said, would almost certainly be a son. In the months that followed, there happened to be several attempts on the queen’s life, foiled all by her wit, and though Hela denied all involvement, tensions between her and her father increased with his suspicion.

On the night that Thor was born, Hela led a small contingent on the palace. The wailing prince was secreted to Midgard with his mother, and the golden halls of the palace of Asgard marked the first battlefield of a war between father and daughter. There were many to follow. Those who had long resisted Aesir rule, the Jotuns first among them, fell in with Hela. She forged a close alliance with the king of Jotunheim, Laufey, and together they hashed a plan to fight Odin on the battlefield he had chosen. The ancient laws.

In accordance with the inheritance laws of Asgard, male heirs are primary in the succession, with the eldest born son expected to take the throne should something befall a king. However, should a daughter be born first, she is not forgotten. A son born of a princess would, like turning the course of a river, bend the lineage back along her line. So, with magic aiding their unlikely union, the Goddess of Death set out to create a life for her own purpose, a prince of Asgard that the legions of Jotunheim would gladly follow.

However, law also dictated that, while living, Odin could name his heir. So, giving up her search for the infant prince - still hidden away on Earth and, now ten years old and a bubbly toddler, never even seen by his warring father - the fallen princess turned her sights to her father. Meanwhile, Odin’s spies - for, oh, he had many then and many now - had told him of his grandchild and of Hela’s plans to turn him into little more than a path to the throne she coveted. In a final battle, set upon the ice of Jotunheim, each fought for blood of a different sort. It was in that battle that the, supposed, last of the Valkyries fell.

One dying Valkyrie managed to return to Odin’s side. She had set eyes on the dark princess, she told him, and Hela led her army of monsters against the Aesir forces. And, though their battle plan had been to take the pregnant Hela back to Asgard, so that her child might be delivered safely there and kept from his plotting mother and father both, she was no longer with child. Of all of his forces, the most senior of the Valkryies were among the few who knew their true purpose there. Odin’s focus turned to banishing Hela to a realm from whence, he hoped, she could never return and to finding his newborn grandson.

Let’s go back a bit... Hela went into labor in the beginning of that final battle. There’d been many spells that went into Loki’s making, for a Jotun would otherwise kill an Aesir just by touching her, let alone joining with her in such a way. When he was born, Hela’s midwife, one of her shieldmaidens, set the blue child into his mother’s arms... and, instantly, in the innocence of a child seeing his first face, took a form like hers. As soon as Laufey was admitted in and set eyes on the child, he insisted that no Jotun would ever follow him - even in his natural form, he was far too small for them to ever respect, and in the form he took when any but the Jotuns held him, he was nothing more than one of their oppressors.

He ordered the child sent to the temple to await sacrifice, as was then the practice of both sides. Perhaps that, he dared think, would turn the tide of a failing battle. Besides, with the prince so easily passable as Aesir, he could just as easily be raised as an Asgardian prince to rule over Jotunheim and crumble what little of their culture remained. Hela gave little protest - something about the child had revolted her from the moment he was set in her arms, their natures at odds. Despite the protests of her attendants, she returned to the battle.

So the newborn infant, new to the world and expecting only to be held, was left in the temple, awaiting a priestess who, slain in the spreading battle, would to his fortune never come. His mother, who quickly cast new life from her mind as she walked among the dead, was cast into the realm that would take her name, and his father and the remaining Jotun soldiers were forced to surrender as Hela’s warriors, fearing execution rather than the death on a battlefield for which they yearned, fled or slew each other.

In search for the prince, Odin’s most trusted Einherjar tore what remained of Jotunheim apart. Finally, one called for Odin - the child had been found in the rubble of the most holy of Jotunheim’s temples. Odin followed him and knew instantly that they had found the right child when, as he had done with his mother, the infant reflected a form like his back at him, begging acceptance, pleading love. Those few who knew who Loki truly was were sworn to secrecy, but as the Norns would have it, even those seemingly uninjured died of their battle wounds soon after.

Hiding the now shivering baby under his cloak, he returned to Asgard and, finally, bid Heimdall to cast his eyes upon the realms and discover where Frigga had hidden herself and her son away. To this day, Heimdall is the last surviving of Odin’s court, with the exception of Odin and Frigga, who knows the truth, too valuable to have killed and well trusted. It was an easy thing to pass the new child off as an Odinson - all the needed to say was that Odin hadn’t been at all ignorant of where she had gone. Asgard had lost its princess - no one minded at all - but had not one prince but two. And, while Odin always saw something of that fallen princess in his grandson, Frigga’s heart was quite large enough to hold love for both the son she’d born and the one she’d been given.

#The Mythos: Headcanons #pregnancy tw #war tw #based on long-standing headcanons and more recent discussions with dr-foster

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natromanxoff · 5 years ago

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Queen live at City Hall in Newcastle, UK - December 11, 1975

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A recording from this show reportedly exists, done on a reel-to-reel tape recorder from the projection room.

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Fan Stories

“In late 1975, Queen recorded and released A Night at the Opera, which was at the time, the most expensive album ever produced. The album was a massive success, and featured the hit single “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which was No 1 in the UK charts for nine weeks and is the third-best-selling single of all time in the UK. This propelled Queen to megastar status, their late 1975 tour sold out in record time, and they were No 1 in the charts at the time of the concerts. For some crazy reason I didn’t get tickets for the City Hall gig, but as the day of the Newcastle concert approached, I became more and more determined to go. So on the night of the gig I turned up outside the City Hall determined to blag a ticket somehow. Now I had done this several times, and had always managed to buy a ticket, sometimes paying a little more than face value. But that night was different. Demand had been huge, and no-one was selling any tickets. No touts and no spares. A group of us were hanging around with the same idea, all desperate to get in to the show. Time was passing and we could hear the support act, Mr Big, take the stage. Soon they finished their set, and things were getting desperate. Then one guy had an idea. He spotted a ladder around the back of the venue, and looking around, he also spotted an open window. So he climbed up the ladder and squeezed through the open window. A couple of us followed. The window was tiny, but I managed to squeeze through, finding myself above a sink in the upstairs ladies loo. Luckily there was no one in the ladies 🙂 I quickly sneaked out, and found myself in the circle, just as Queen took to the stage, exploding into Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen were amazing that night, although I must admit that my enjoyment of the gig was hampered to some extent as I remained on edge throughout the concert, in constant fear of being approached by a steward, and ejected from the venue. I stayed upstairs standing at the side throughout the gig. Luckily everyone was standing, so I easily blended into the crowd. The crowd went crazy for Queen that night; they had now actually become stars; it seemed to me that they always knew they could and would.” - x

“After seeing Queen appear on TOTP (Seven Seas of Rhye?), couple of friends & I became devoted fans. When the late 1975 tour was advertised, that vey day we rushed down local travel agents - who sold tickets & organised a coach to Newcastle, for the princely sum of GBP 3.50. Come the day we all trooped down to the coach depot & made good time to Newcastle & glory be, bearing in mind that none of us (15 yr olds) had ever been to a concert before, concert programmes & badges where on sale!!! Even better... as we where the 1st people to buy a ticket, our seats where dead centre 3 rows or so from the front of the stage. (I think the tickets went on sale a couple of weeks before BR was released - then everybody wanted one. We where the envy of school.). Mr Big supported. We where impressed by the fact they had two drummers & we sat all the way through the set, not wanting to miss a moment. The actual concert itself, well what can I say? Writing this some (nearly) 35 years later I can clearly remember the lights going down, a mounting sense of excitement rippling through the audience & the (taped) opening sequence of Bohemian Rhapsody booming through the speakers. What caught us all by surprise was that the middle section was cut; the band launched into the last section - in an explosion of lights & volume. City Hall went beserk... my friends & I where floored by the fact that our heroe's where little more than feet away & playing for us. A truly magnificent concert, the band played for the audience & "put on a show to remember" (the amount of times I subsequently went to see (quite often big & famous) bands who went through the motions so to speak...). Alas... things where never quite the same after that. I never really got into Night at the Opera & a year or so later heard the Pistols & the Clash for the 1st time. But hey! They may have gone onto bigger & better things, but as far as us 15 yr olds where concerned on the coach back home, 11th Dec 1975 was the night Queen truly ruled the world.” - Mark Newbury

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts

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anannd-morrighan-lus-mor-blog · 7 years ago

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Why I call the Morrigan “Mother” (Please Hold Your Hate Mail Until the End)

You know, I think when most people are speaking of the Morrigan, even the aspect of the Morrigan that they work with, something like this is what first comes to mind.

(The Morrigan, artist unknown)

And this is both right, and fine. Because no matter whatever other aspect you work with her in, or whatever constellation of the Morrigna has called to you, the Morrigan is a war goddess (or spirit, as I have heard others say, but this post here will offend you enough...we’ll get to that in another post...), and very likely her biggest focus is war, all aspects of war. But especially victorious, bloody war. She is not a soft goddess. She is not a tender touch. She rains fire and blood on her enemies (literally, read the lore), her battle scream incites her favored side to rage and strikes fear into the hearts of those who oppose her. She is the death of Cu Chulainn, one of the greatest heroes of Ulster, because he unknowningly offered her extreme disrespect. She is still, despite her growth in popularity, one of the more feared and respected goddesses in the modern pagan world along with Hekate, Kali (when we appropriate her from Hinduism, that is) and Hel. She is Weapon, she is the Weapon of Weapons, as she is Leader and Beserker and Strategist, the worst atrocities of war and the best, most bloody results. At the end, she is the gatherer of Macha’s Acorns: the heads and souls of the slain. (The head was the spiritual seat in the Celtic World.) She is bloody death smiling at you at the end of a spear point, and the crow calling out your name.

Which is why so many people look at me like I’ve grown a second head whenever I call her “Mother” and insist that motherhood is one of her little known areas.

And the images that come to them are likely something along these lines...

Happy, lovely, fluffy mother who loves us all and will heal our boo boos and make the earth bloom with flowers and unicorns! (This is “Gaia” by an unknown artist, by the way.)

Well, no, mostly no.

Or they think of this one!

Fecund! Fertile! Bursting with life! The all-source of life that serves as Mother to All and that is her only REAL function! (Venus of Willendorf that we all know and love.)

Erm, no. Again, mostly no. I mean...no.

She’s a Maiden, Mother and Crone since she’s a triplicate! Of COURSE she’s a mother since it’s a part of the...

...I can’t even finish that. Good Heavens No!

(I think this sculpture is by Maxine Miller, who actually did a very nice Morrigan statue.)

Okay, and since I am who I am, I am going to get this out of way now...

She’s the peaceful, pacifist, loving mother! In her heart! She secretly wants everything to be all peace and all good and she wants to do nothing but watch over us and pray for us...

Again. No. No no no no no.

Have we got that out of our systems, now? All the ridiculous assumptions that are often made when connecting the Morrigan with the word “Mother”? Good. Let’s talk about how the Morrigan IS a Mother, and how the Morrigan accomodates such a role, and how limiting our gods/spirits is just as bad as making them out to be everything for everyone.

---Why we can’t limit her to lore, why we can’t rely only on UPG---

The lore is all we have to get culturally significant information on the Morrigan and concerning the Tuatha De Dannan. Notice I didn’t necessarily say “accurate”- the Celts did not keep much in the way of written records, at least not for the time period wer’re looking at... for materials that speak of a pre-Christian age, most of them were written down by Christians from the twelfth century onwards. While the great cycles of Irish Mythology have been recorded for us to enjoy, they were not exactly copied down by people without motive or who did not change the texts to suit their own religious views. This is not to say that everything, or even the majority, was changed to demonize or ridicule the old gods, but we’re pretty sure it happened. An example is the appearance of the Dagda being described as “gross”, with a tunic that barely covers his stomach or backside (depending on who you ask) and a penis that drags the ground in a comic display. We all know the Dagda as a great King, mighty Warrior and Father god who had a voracious appetite for life, women, mead and porridge. We know that Christians sometimes twisted the appearance or characteristics of the pagan gods to make Jesus seem better by comparison. We also know that fertility gods and humorous appearances (especially extra large genitals) go together like peas and carrots, and if you don’t believe me, google “Sheela Na Gig”. There are places where it is really hard to tell!

Further, it’s likely safe to say that the lore we have is likely not all of it. There are myths from many cultures that have been lost to time, and it is a possibility that important myths of the Morrigan are included in that group.

However, the lore is what we have, and through it, we are able to glimpse the stories and mythos of the Tuatha De Dannan, because much still survives that pulses with the life from before the first century. While this should be our first source, we must also keep the other points in mind.

Sometimes, the Morrigan will grant us UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis). Sometimes, this is something meant for you and the Morrigan only, and this is fine. Sometimes, UPG might hearken back to lost lore, and the best way to judge that is to see how many others end up drawing the same conclusions...like following a thread. You can’t prove it, but something about it rings with authenticity. And...sometimes you’re just hearing what you want to hear. We all do it. I can usually tell this happened to me or someone else if the UPG fizzles fast, or if someone clings to it for dear life. If there is something to it, the UPG will stand for itself. Don’t discount your UPG, but don’t run after all your UPG...compare it to the lore.

A good example...why do so many of us assume the Morrigan’s hair is black? I mean, yeah, she loves her ravens, but there aren’t a lot of references to the Morrigan with black hair. The majority of the lore states the Morrigan has blazing red hair, red eyes brows and in one instance, “9 undone tresses” which means her hair is likely very, very long! Or full. She even appeared to Cu Chulainn in mostly head to foot red: hair, eye brows, dress, cloak. I have even seen references to her eyes being red. There are even references to her being “white” or “brilliant in color!”

And yet...so many of her representations are primarily dressed in black, adorned with black hair, with the head of a raven, with raven’s wings...and she is pleased! It’s because this UPG has become part of her presentation, and since it does not conflict with her nature, she is pleased by it, can be connected with by it. Is it explicitly in the lore? No. But it works!

Finally, keep in mind that the Morrigan may choose to change (even more than a hairstyle), and while we would still have her past forms still valid, there are also new forms that may or may not make themselves known. Brigid is an excellent example of this: She was/is Brigid the goddess of poetry, smiths and midwifery (among other things), she was/is St. Brigit, also called Mary of the Gales and proved to be mostly, if not entirely based on Brigid, and she is also Mama Brigitte, one of the few white lwa (in Voodoo, wife of Baron Samedi) and a result of the comingling Haitians and Irish (I think especially in New Orleans, but I could be wrong). (The more romantic story is the Baron fell in love with Brigitte, seduced her and brought her from Ireland to Haiti.) The same life runs through these figures, and each form is powerful, true and alive in it’s own right. Each form is still accessible without taking from them other, through the story still moves forward.

And yes, the above is my own UPG. Tear it apart later, there is more.

---The Morrigan is MY Mother---

Just like so many have matron goddesses, tutelary spirits and others that take a motherly role, the Morrigan has taken a motherly role with me. I address her as mother. Even over the years when I pursued other interests, she has always been there as my mother. And now, she has gone from being in the background to taking me in hand. Since then, she has not only acted as my High Queen, my High Priestess and my Lady, she’s been my mother, too.

This is solely a personal part of our relationship. I’ve seen her come to others this way, and I’ve seen her come to others a different way. It doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, but this is actually the number one reason I call her mother.

That’s it. That simple.

---The Morrigan is a mother, and no, it doesn’t necessarily make her a Mother---

I’ve not often seen references to the Morrigan’s children, though they do exist and I will mention them briefly.

1. Meche, sometimes said to be in the form of a drakkon, sometimes not, definitely said to have a heart, or three hearts that were filled with three serpents that would devour all of Ireland. He was killed by Dian Cecht.

2. Sometimes she is said to have Danu’s triplet sons who were smiths, their names escape me. (I’m writing most of this off the top of my head.)

3. Sometimes she is said to have 20-30 sons and 20-30 daughters (or even 50 of each!)...a testament to her fertility and strength, surely.

Being a mother doesn’t necessarily make her a Mother goddess. But to deny her motherhood in this way is insulting to Herself. To borrow from another mythos, Nephytys was the mother of Anubis but NOT considered a Mother goddess. To outright say, “Just because she gave birth doesn’t make her a mother” is really blasphemous, and the same goes for the Morrigan.

Even if you never agree that the Morrigan is a Mother, she is always mother.

(The Morrigan by Unknown...see blog in water mark)

---The Morrigan’s Many Faces---

There are honestly so many ways to see the Morrigan, so many ways she can appear, that it makes your head spin...part of this is because she’s a shape shifter and can pretty much appear the way she wants. This is made abundantly clear in the Tain, when she and Cu Chulainn are making their respective animosities known to one another. So already, we have a goddess who can appear as she pleases and who, by her nature, takes up many aspects.

The Morrigan very obviously oversees death and war and sorcery, which I think we’ve covered above. She also oversees prophecy (as evidenced by the prophecy she gave at the end of the war with the Formorians...) and poetry. Not the same kind of poetry as Brigid, but specifically poetry linked to prophecy or war. Nevertheless, I doubt that skill in the craft is lost on her. She oversees sovereignty (likely through her association with Macha) and guardianship of the land...some say she IS the land (hang on, we’re getting there), and fate, and I’ve even seen some people insist upon rebirth since she is so intimate with death. Same with performing the role of psychopomp, being compared to Norse Valkyries. Perhaps we are straying from lore, but some of this is relevant. I have even seen that the Morrigan represents the full circle of life, to represent water and overflowing emotions (and boy, is THAT another post!) and, finally, that she is indeed a mother, and a fertility goddess. Which is appropriate, since she’s also a goddess of sex, sacred sex and the marriage with the land in particular (see the Dagda). She is also associated with ghosts, with the Sidhe and witchcraft, usually of the darker or negative kind. Livestock was also a big part of her guardianship, as are storms, which can be linked back to the rain of fire and blood mentioned before. Some of this, we will return to.

So, wither or not we can find this in the lore (and most of it we can), we can certainly see where a lot of this comes from. I’ve heard a lot more over the years, but I’ve only included a short variety of what I personally give credence to. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay. But let’s continue into briefly talking about the Morrigna.

The Morrigan is often simply listed as a singular entity, The Morrigan. And as any of us know, the Morrigan can be seen to seen to be a name or a title: An Mhor Rhaign, usually translated as “The Great Queen” or “The Phantom Queen”. Seeing this, I’d say that Queenship and Sovergnity, along with Identity with the Land, go hand-in-hand with this. Just sayin’!

She is often associated, or identified with other goddesses with their own identities, termed the Morrigna (or as I heard before, each Morrigna is like a piece of the whole Morrigan...don’t know how I feel about that, but I thought I’d include it anyway). Sometimes, the Morrigna as seen as sisters of the Morrigan, or as sisters that make-up the Morrigan.

Many of the Morrigna are as follows...I’ll leave their Wikis rather than do a lot of writing and distract from the article:

Badb: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badb

Macha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macha

Nemain:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemain

Fea: Sorry, she doesn’t have a wiki, but you can find her online.

Anu:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anu_(Irish_goddess)

Most often, you will see references to Badb, Macha and the Morrigan. This is the primary triplicity in the lore.

Sometimes, you’ll see Badb, Macha and Nemain or Badb, Macha and Anu. I’ve even seen 3 Badbs or 3 Nemains. I’ve seen UPG combinations. The list goes on.

But let’s go back to the primary triplicity...this one is found in the lore, I might mention. The listing is for Badb, Macha and the Morrigan, whose name is Anand. Which, in case you didn’t know, is one of the cognates of Anu.

Now, we can look at this two ways:

1. So this just means that Anu is one of the goddesses associated with the Morrigan. Anu, who everyone probably associates with all those pictures of mothers that I posted to be antagonizing. Who personifies the land, might be the same as Danu (who IS Mother of the Tuatha De Dannan, IS a Mother Goddess)...who is all about all those life and rebirth and fertility things I mentioned...

2. Anannd is the Morrigan. Which means Anu and the Morrigan are the same goddess in different aspects. What about Danu? Which means Anu REALLY isn’t who we think she is, at least personality wise.

I really have doubts about #1. For the simple fact that the other goddesses are associated with her, and Anu was said to BE her, outright. So that really leaves us with #2...which we should look into further.

--- Anu and the Morrigan---

Some information on Anu...Anu is mostly known for being a bounteous Earth-mother type, associated with the wealth and abundance of the Earth. Morpheus Ravenna (Pg.101) also suggests alternative definitions of the name, such as womb or vessel. Hmmm! Her breasts are immortalized as the Paps of Anu (and I do believe the Morrigan has a similar monument): two mountains in green and lovely Ireland in the shape of breasts, with expertly placed cairns on the top and center. While she doesn’t have any known myths herself, she has been described as “the one who nursed the gods”, and she has often been put in the shadow of, or completely identified, with Danu (more in a minute). To quote Ravenna, again, “...once we have disentangled her from the shadow of Danu, we can more easily recognize her own maternal identification as a territorial land-goddess and provider of wealth and plenty through the land itself...Anu is mother not in the sense of primal creatrix, but in the sense of one who nurses, nourishes and sustains.” (Pg.106) A goddess of the Earth, of the fertility of the land.

As I will say below, there is more than one way to Mother.

(By the way, “Book of the Great Queen” by Morpheus Ravenna is my absolute favorite out there, and is worth every penny to get it. I heartily suggest you get your own copy.)

Okay, fine: I’ve pointed out that the Morrigan and Anu are equated and I’ve talked a bit about Anu. It sounds like they have nothing in common and we should leave Anu and Danu together and forget this whole mess.

Well...except that Anu and the Morrigan DO have some pretty important things in common.

- not only is she equated with the Morrigan several times (yep, several), she is listed, with Macha and Badb, as a daughter of Ernmas.

- She is EXPLICITLY IDENTIFIED with the Morrigan, as the goddess bearing the name as a title. Morrigan, who is Anand could be read as “The Great Queen, who is Anand”, using the name Morrigan as a title.

- They both intimately identify with the land and fertility and they both have similar monuments, i.e. the Paps.

- Both are linked to poetry.

-Anu, like the Morrigan, is thought to be one of the wives of the Dagda.

-Sometimes, Anu is said to bear three sons who are smiths, similar to the Morrigan.

On the surface, they are very different. But underneath, through the cult of the land, fertility and sovereignty, they link intimately. The lore we have to identify with even identifies the two as one. You CAN’T get more explicit as that!

(Ravenna, Pg. 102-105)

However, that leaves the question of Danu. Some like to say that Anu was absorbed by Danu, and that the two are one divinity. They certainly seem to have more in common.

Except that scholars and pagans are split over wither or not Danu existed in the ancient world. Unlike with Anu, Danu’s existence may be purely literary as even her name is a reconstruction from the name of her people. Many of the traces we do find of her can be attributed to either Anu or the Morrigan. She and the Morrigan have the same father and again, Danu is the mother of the same set of triplets.

However, I would like to say that the Tuatha De Dannan would not be the same without Danu, and whatever her origins, she is a living, vibrant goddess now! (Perhaps, evidence of UPG gone right.) As opposed to Anu’ s earthy fertility, Danu has become a Mother in the way of Divine Creatrix, an ancestral figure, a maternal source of secrets, strategy and wisdom...the personification, if you will, of the divine waters of creation.

And while I leave it up to you to make up your own mind, I do not equate the two. I think of them (The Morrigan and Danu) as sisters with tastes in common, but who are different enough as they wouldn’t be mistaken one for the other. Perhaps the absorption of Anu’s cult, at whatever time, has done this? Finally, I do not equate the two since it is not in the lore, and is not at all mentioned.

And so, Anu/Anand and the Morrigan are one...Anu gives the Morrigan a whole different presence, the Morrigan gives Anu a different vibe. Perhaps both names fit the same complex, savage, loving, wonderful goddess.

This is actually why I call myself Anand Morrighan- in homage to my mother as a Mother of Life, as the land upon which I stand that feeds me, helps be get stronger, shapes me and then will eat my bones and drink my blood when I am placed back in her arms.

(Yes, I am aware that my Irish is terrible. I’m working on it. In the meantime, it is what it is!)

Because of course your Land shapes you. Where you live. Where you’re from. Where you’re going. Where you will rest. It’s a two-way relationship, though we don’t know it anymore.

---So, what kind of Mother IS the Morrigan?---

Well, to draw from other cultures, she’s not Demeter. She’s not Isis. She’s not the Coatlicue or Gaia and she’s not any other you can think of. Although, these mothers also have their terrible aspects.

But considering everything, and using the Wiki definition (since it’s there and easy to get to), “A mother goddess is a goddess who represents, or is a personification of nature, motherhood, fertility, creation, destruction or who embodies the bounty of the earth”...The Morrigan can MORE than add “Mother” to her titles, based on this alone.

Let me ask you one question...why assume an Earth Mother is soft? Is Gaia soft? Would Uranus call her soft, who loved him and them had him castrated? How about Coatlicue, who wore a necklace of human hearts, hands and skulls, and was depicted as a loving mother and insatiable monster...still a mother? Is Demeter always soft, who would have let creation die unless her daughter was returned to her, who still lets the world freeze, in some parts to death, waiting for Persephone? I’m sure you can think of other examples.

But don’t worry, the land is a brutal mother, and she has to be- I am not saying that the Morrigan is a fluffy, sugary mother. Quite the opposite. Because, well, what is life, if not war?

In our cushy lives, we’ve forgotten that survival is not a guarantee. Some places in the world truly know this. The same land that lifts up the crop devastates it, or withholds it all together. Storms run through and our blood feeds the earth, just as the same storm cleanses the junk we’ve stuffed the land with. She, as the fertility of the earth, makes the buds blossom and as the land in blight, makes them wither. Livestock flourish, as if cradled, and then fall to disease. The weak and feeble among the newborn do not survive the winter. The same hand that blesses, chastises.

The Morrigan is the mother who would fight to the death to defend her children, who would sacrifice our of her own self to nourish us and watch us thrive...but she’s still the same mother who would cull the pack, leave behind who couldn’t follow and, without hesitation, fatally wound to ultimately cure.

Because life is war, in the end. And the Morrigan is a goddess of war. All aspects of war. But especially victorious, bloody war. And life is a bloody endeavor from the beginning.

Our Mother is a good mother...but she’s a brutal Mother, too. I believe the term often used is “Dark Mother”? She is strong, warlike and uncompromising, even in her tenderness and her love. But having her love is more than worth it.

(Mother by Someone really awesome)

#Morrigan #Celtic #faery magick #celtic reconstructionism #Celtic Shamanism

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tamamonomaes · 4 years ago

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While I like to see actual discussion of themes and narrative in the fandom, in a franchise as convoluted as fate, berating people for not only not being caught up with source material, but expecting people to be caught up with content not yet officially translated, then jabbing their interpretion of media and with "how can anyone think this?" seems incredibly unfair. A few months ago I recall the entirety of the fandom calling Wodime evil and now we are shutting down discussion in the NA fandom for theories and facts without the whole narrative present at the time? A large theme of Nasu's writing tends to be, here's an antonginst, here's why you should sympathise with them to invoke feeling's of confliction, and with heroes like Kiritsugu, while I can't say I've read Beserk, I can't say this idea of a more morally skewed Wodime would seem unreasonable as Nasu himself has even said he hates the trope of heroism and the criticism of saber's matrydom in FZ. (Although it's interesting that Wodime's martyrdom seems to come from the core elements of human nature while saber's seems to be because she lacked it) Parallels in media can also be similar characters who take completely differently routes with their ambitions, or writers taking an idea presented in amother franchise and expanding on it differenty. Comparing a character to another doesn't mean saying they are the exact same; Saber in Kiritsugu both want to "save" humanity, but their methods and personality vastly differ, yet both end with death, destruction and despair from shouldering such a burden. While you don't have to agree with it and can even argue against it, I'm really not for mocking people's interpretations of media, especially with something as complicated as Fate. If you paid attention in English you'd know you can still be marked correctly for a non standard or even incorrect analysis so long as you can justify it with evidence from the text. Media exists to be interpreted and Nasu's work specifically seems to aim to present characters as neutral and divide readers. It is okay and disagree and provoke discussion, or even correct people so long as you're not coming from a place of superiority, but I wouldn't like people to feel discouraged from sharing their thoughts in case someone tells them it's wrong.

Please explain to my simple brain on why Wodime is basically Nasu's Griffith over how and why Wodime is exactly like Griffith as written by Nasu? Are you saying Nasu is a griffith apologist??

Oh no, not by any means, Wodime is pretty consistently depicted as a villain, regardless of how “noble” he holds himself.

The core idea is that Wodime, like Griffith, is a man defined by ambition above all else. His goal, while outwardly heroic, is not driven by a desire to help others but to grant his own wish.

He carries himself like a hero, and shows compassion and loyalty…right until it’s convenient not to. He has friends and loved ones, but their lives are ultimately second to his ambition. Just like how Griffith was willing to sacrifice the Band of the Hawk to ascend to the Godhand, Wodime is prepared to sacrifice humanity and kill the Crypters to achieve his perfect world.

Wodime says he loves humanity and wants to create a better world for them, but plans to do so by exterminating humans and replacing them with “better” humans in a world of his creation. Griffith says he wants to be an ideal king and usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity, but does so by subjugating the world using his army of demons and protecting his self made nation from the hordes of monsters HE unleashed by trapping them inside the walls of his perfect city.

…There’s also the fact that they’re both genius prodigy blondes that wear mostly white, driven by a seemingly “heroic” ambition, are supported by a group of close followers that admire and idolize them in the extreme, and have a plan centered around using a giant “tree of fantasy” to return the world to an age of mythology.

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serensama · 7 years ago

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The Mystic Messenger squad in the Dragon Age universe

Some quick notes on my personal impression of what they would each respectively be, their affiliations, combat classifications, etc and where they originate from in Thedas, just speculation! EDIT FROM SERENSAMA: Putting most under the cut as it’s an awesome but long post! Jaehee

- Warrior class - Uses a two handed sword - Reaver/beserker - Her unnervingly calm and collected state out of combat scares the shit out of people because of the complete switch in demeanor - Acts as a personal guard for Jumin - Born in and living in Tevinter - Born to slaves owned by Jumin’s family whom were killed during an attack on their household by Qunari - her natural combat prowess and professional/neutral attitude toward Jumin after saving his life in the above scenario influenced him to make her his personal bodyguard - Human

Jumin Han

- Mage - He primarily uses Entropy to confuse and disorientate foes, ice magic is favored too - Born in and lives in Tevinter - From a wealthy family - Father is an established exports business man and mage among the tevinter governing body - His existence proves his father’s inability to control himself in an extramarital sense - Bastard (Half human and elf) - The result of an indiscretion between and elven servant and his father - His magical prowess and intelligence encouraged his father to take notice of him favorably over legitimate children whom aren’t magically inclined to the same degree - Used to people viewing him as either an eye sore or an opportunity to earn favor with his father - Because of this, he doesn’t trust easily and values Jaehee’s indifference to his position and her loyalty

Yoosung

- Warrior - Sword and shield + archery - Elven - Ferelden born and resides in Denerim’s alienage - Began training to be a templar - Despite the racial limitations of elves generally not being granted permission to arm themselves, his conviction and passion enabled him to accepted for training by the knight commander (and Jihyun’s vote of confidence) - He was determined to join the order to protect people like Rika and by her own suggestion due to his good nature regarding people and magic - However conflict with the other members of the order taking offence to his race and position, and Jihyun after Rika’s disappearance he drops out of training, losing faith and drive in the cause - When he was young he tried to find the Dalish in order to help Rika from being taken away by the templars but was unsuccessful - He initially felt a lot of anger towards the helplessness as she was given up to the templars by a chantry sister whom witnessed her healing a minor injury Yoosung sustained from protecting her - Feels responsible for her capture - Has a bit of a chip on his shoulder due to these things - Sympathetic to mages, dislikes the Templars and Dalish

Zen

- Human - Also a bastard (hates that he has it in common with Jumin) - Result of his mother’s younger sister and his father doing the do after an intensive argument between him and his wife - family of academics in Kirkwall - Parents *hate each other by the time he strikes out on his own, they remain together so as not to ‘tarnish’ the family’s reputation further after Zen’s birth - Brother is a treasurer for the viscount, used to be close to Zen but grew distant and bitter due to parents constant fighting - Father is senechal - Devout Andrastian family - Rogue - Albino appearance caused him to easily stand apart from other human children, - When he was little he would be teased for having elven looking features - He left home early (18) and upon meeting with various smugglers happening to celebrate in his tavern of choice - His natural allure allowed him to be picked up by their smuggling ring - He was primarily used to sweet talk people/marks into paying up their ‘protection money’ among other things, good at picking locks etc - Robin hood vibe, give to the poor and steal from the wealthy - Enjoys the rebellion from the ‘white collar’ stance of his family and its fakeness - Bow and arrows and subterfuge are his primary choice in combat situations - travels around and doesn’t have a 'home’ - born in Kirkwall and lived there for a while due to the smuggling opportunities after breaking away from his family - He eventually left the ring, wanting to improve himself and move forward in building something for himself

Saeyoung

- Eldest twin - Mage - Human - Orlesian but due to his ability to speak many languages and his travels as he grows, he has an unplaceable accent - Mind manipulation elements of blood magic are used, pyromancer - Apostate bastard of an Orlesian lady and an elven bard (so many bastards) - Used to, and talented at maneuvering the game despite his mother’s inept attempts to gain power and standing - Was picked up by a network of bards due to his ability to play the game when young (and father’s influence) - He’d primarily gather information on their clients’ rival’s private matters - He was tutored by the bard network to use his magical abilites keep under wraps - Has many code names - Became a devout andrastain after breaking away from mother’s grasp, wanted to retain something good despite all the darkness - Used his earnings and abilty to maniplaute people to keep his brother safe from a distance, having to cut ties due to the bards - The bards placed him in the care of Rika whom to their knowledge was still herself

Saeran

- Rogue - Human - Feels the need to prove his skills in combat and information gathering despite lacking the magic his brother has - Taken in by Rika and Jihyun due to Saeyoung’s bard influence - His mind left in tatters due to manipulation Rika’s as he grows up - Endures conditioning and torture - Ends up becoming Rika’s violent and mindless attack dog - Dual blades + assassin abilities - Enjoys the 'intimacy’ of killing a mark up close - hunts down Saeyoung despite Rikas orders due to feeling abandoned (partially rika’s doing) - Able to rehabilitate after Rika’s manipulation and control ceases after her death due to her manipulation being in large part blood magic use - Becomes quiet and melancholy after he’s saved and rehabilitated - Devout Andrastian like his brother, faith gives him peace as do the chantries he visits

Rika

- Circle Mage - Fereldan - Elven - Spirit healer - Lived alongside yoosung in the denerim alienage in a merged family unit after her parents were killed in a purge - She used to be a healer that was granted permission to leave the circle to heal soldiers during war time - She mutually fell for Jihyun as he was responsible for watching her and they’d known one another for a few years in the circle - Her harsh life experiences keep besting her and her mental health begins to deteriorate, no matter how much good she tries to do bad things are still bound to happen - The trauma causes her to become vulnerable to spirits and she ends up possessed over time and losing the battle for control over her body

Jihyun

- Warrior - Sword and Shield - Fereldan born - Templar Officer - Was originally responsible for keeping Rika’s situation under wraps after she becomes dangerous and violent - Was stationed in the circle around the same time Rika was brought in - He fell for her quickly during her time in the circle and in the field while he was keeping watch over her - He eventually helped Rika to leave the circle and fled with her - Runs a sanctuary alongside Rika in the wildlands in Ferelden for any whom need it - The spirit possessing Rika eventually kills him and she loses her mind becoming a fully fledged abomination - He was the contact the bards relating to Saeyoung asks to relocate Saeran

@ellieartcave honey how awesome is this!!!! This is so damn great! For anyone else who loves Dragon Age, do you agree with her or disagree and why? I personally agree with everything except for V’s death… in my head, in every universe- V lives!!!! Perhaps a spirit of compassion finds him and helps him heal- I DONT CARE. LET MY PASTEL PRINCE LIVE!!! TT__TT

#not my work #submission #dragon age x mystic messenger au #mystic messenger #dragon age #au #thoughts?#ellieartrcave

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xottzot · 7 years ago

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2017-11(NOV)-30th---Thursday--BEFORE NOON--ABOS ON THE STREETS AGAIN.

10:40am......there's been a LOT screaming and yelling and shouting in Kalara Way street, and it's been going on for quite some time. - I've tried to totally ignore it because I know what shit it is. The SAME shit that NOBODY wants to know exists. The shit that breds disease and criminals.

Do YOU know what it was?

I happened to see that......abo school-aged kids (who NEVER EVER) go to school, were out ON the road of Kalara Way street and playing ON the street, including an abo toddler ONLY wearing a shitty diaper, and they were playing with the the Swan Shire Council verge rubbish dunped on the street verges and beng thrown about and spread all about by THEM, and being 'toys' for them to play with ON the roads.

I've told you before...this SHIT has ben goong on just like this FOR YEARS. - Do NOT blame any swan Shire Council for anything. They are not to blame. It's the criminal aboriginals of Kalara Way, Koongamia, Western Australia of the abo criminal ghetto.

Do NOT blame Koongamia primary school. Depsite it literally being just acros the road from the ghetto, most of the criminal abos NEVER go to school there. The school is only a place for them to prey upon, as are many students.

A shitty, high-powered black sedan came along from being at the Koongania shops area and was about to roar down the road but then had to suddenly slow down and weave around including driving on the wrong side of the road, doing that to weakly avoid running over the criminal abo's on the street. - It had two useless looking young men in the car. -- The priamry cause of all ths shit is the useless abo's ON THE ROADS...PLAYING ON THE ROADS...PLAYING WITH THE GARBAGE AND REFUSE THE ABOS HAVE DRAGGED OUT ONTO THE ROADS.

All THIS has happened before EVERY FUCKING YEAR about this hellhole.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET THEM BE RUN OVER AND KILLED.

BUT THEN......false calm all of a sudden.

Rubbish & stuff is just left abandoned in the street ON the street of the ghetto.

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I am left wondering if THAT was the earlier reason why there was the criminal adult abo's arguing and yelling. Were they also arguing at an innocent neighbour earlier at Ms New Age's picketted fence which has had MASSIVE repairs done to the fence to stop criminal abo's and VERY criminal abo kids wantonly invading that place for the 3rd year running? - Were they yelling and threatening the innocent occupants because they REFUSED to (crazily) allow criminal abo's to wander in THEIR yard and property? - The criminal abos DEMAND anything no matter how crimnial to be their 'rights'. (their 'rights' is the new popular excuse for criminal abo's to threaten people with)

The level of shit about this hellhole goes like this.....you MUST let all our kids go beserk in YOUR private yard and let them smash YOUR house and smash any and EVERYTHING they like. They're just 'little kids' and don't mean no harm. They're innocent. We were told that by aboriginal affairs departments. So if YOU don't do let us do what we want then YOU'LL SUFFER!

And in reality, all the innocent playground equipment (for the house occupants ONLY) that existed in Ms New Ages place, it had been so heavily destroyed by criminal abo's that it has for months long ago been ripped down and carefully literally burnt and destroyed. There is nothing left.

But I'm sure the abo's don't care about reality at all. They care absolutely NOTHING about private property and peoples posessions of any type.

Awhhhhhhh fuck off! Our kids our innocent lttle darlings! Just because we love them we let the play on the roads and in road traffic...because it's 'traditional' and has been long before Captain Cook came to Australia and then afterwards. Our glorious mythical mein Fuhrer Waggle decreed it and protects us.

So go on departmentals....is over to YOU uselss fucks AGAIN now....as it has been going on FOR YEARS. For you to cover up and pretend to all others that nothing is going on, and to REWARD the criinal abo's yet AGAIN and AGAIN, and AGAIN...... no wonder so many millions of dollars are completely wasted and unaccountable for, for so many YEARS.

And of course the departmentals will be roaming about again, and covering their eyes, and being blind to everything even as THEY too drive along the roads past and through it all. I pretty much very suspect that they no longer even bother walking about the hellhole streets because BECAUSE THE PAST YEAR OR SO has them instead driving around in little white anonymous air-conditioned vehicles just as I have seen them doing with my own eyes so many times rather be walking about. (and risk being attacked by vicious abo's)

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And one more thing before I forget.....YESTERDAY one of the newest neighbours who has moved in to one of the places that has been targetted by criminals and fellow criminal abo's for so very long before they moved in, THEIR home burglar alarm went off and was going for awhile. -- Criminal abo kids were roaminng about everywhere on the streets and utterly feral.

Perhaps those neighbours have eventually realised now why that house was such a bargain (to buy or rent) in an apparently very pleasant place, close (within just a few houses distant) to the Koongamia corner shops (inlcuding a liqour store), public buses, and a school across the road........ of course the rampant criminals and criminal aboriginals would not have ever been spoken of or mentioned to them beforehand lest it put them off. (depsite the VERY house the newest neighbours living in having it's kitchen windows (and more?) smashed in, and a hole in the very body of the house wall itself (which is STILL there), smashed in by the kitchen window...all of which happened and all except the hole was quickly repaired just days before they moved in.

AND.....last night after dark......a small motorbike tearing out from the pedestrian walkway at the end of Kalara Road, that motorbike or scooter which went past them, then shortly later (after being at the Koongamia liquor store?), it tore back again and regularly once more went through the pedestrian walkway.

Welcome to summer criminal shit at this hellhole area.

But it hasn't really even begun yet. This is all just 'regular' EVERY YEAR shit.

Still to come are, illegal fireworks in the streets, West Australian Police in MANY vehicles pulling up just outside the criminal abo households to deal with yet MORE riots and shit, shitty cars tearing all about leaving burned black tyre marks all about like ski marks in snow, roaming roaving abo riots of MANY abo's in the streets, illegal unlicensed unlicensable motorbikes tearing all about at any time of the day or night ridden by abos of ANY age and ridden by others who are not abos but are of all the same shittyness and criminal, the stolen shit being checked by Police at the abo criminal houses, the quick-look-or-you'll-miss-it lightning raids by Police as they hunt down trying to capture criminals at abo criminal households, the streets erupting with crying abo kids who then go about smashing any and everything within their sight and that includes people too, the VERY LOUD 'parties' that go on at the abo criminal households that attract still more like flies around shit piles who spread out everwhere and cause crime....

Oh yes, the Xmas 'festive season' and deathly summer is about to begin tomorrow onwards about this hellhole area......to make hell even more intolerable and shitty....as if it's not enough already.....

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Let me remind everyone what dear Fliss actually wrote to me in 2015 with her saying, "My mind is broken...all the hate on every side....."

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I love you dearest Fliss. - Please also give dear Cath (of Queensland) a caring hug for me to let her know she's not forgotten or abandoned as it seems as though I am by YOU dear Fliss. - I love you dear Fliss and deeply want to be with you. And I REALLY need to be with you for my sake too.

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