#ask demon princess astarte

[obsidian-dovahkiin]

Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind. (For @ask-demon-princess-astarte)

Hermaeus Mora's selection of a new successor was met with much celebration. The passing of his late champion Miraak had caused much anxiety and unease amongst his closest devotees. For many, however, they were uncertain he even had a champion. Their Prince of idolization was highly secretive. But even they could feel something changed in the endless library they called home. The air seemed colder than usual, and the inhabitants much more irritable.

The legacy of the Last Dragonborn spread to even the quietest halls of Apocrypha, the worshippers honouring his fine choice. What a prize she was indeed. The other Daedric Princes bickered and fought when her mortal time was over. They all rushed to his realm, clamouring to present their case, but none could produce any definitive proof of her faithfulness. Obsidian's devotion was evident to all who looked at her. Her elaborate tentacle tattoos writhed across her skin, the mark of her Prince like a brand on her lower back. Her house was filled with forbidden tomes, and various fetishes of a tentacled god were integrated into her decor. Even her own voice had begun to match his own intricate dictation. The Princes swore they would seek revenge in the future and returned to their domains in a temper.

At least a few hundred years had passed, and Obsidian began to throw herself into her new duties. Being Mora's right hand was never easy. He spoke in riddles that could take hours to decipher his true meaning, and he would ask her to do mind-boggling tasks she couldn't determine. But as time passed, she became more accustomed to her Master's way of thinking. Now she didn't have to spend time deducing what he meant and could complete requests with ease. She was now a part of the realm and thus, a part of her Prince. She settled into a routine, each "day" being the same. Her Master allowed her a private corner of Apocrypha, as a token of her unwavering loyalty. Obsidian was given complete control over how it looked, and what was inside. With limited resources at her disposal, she had constructed a house, almost identical to her one in Skyrim. When Obsidian was not exploring, or following after her Master, this was where she would spend her time. She would often spend it writing letters to and from Mora's patrons on Nirn, or her connections across the realm. She had practically never stopped working after she was bound to Apocrypha. However, for a soul as energetic as hers, this life was quickly becoming dull. If it wasn't for her Dremora husband swearing allegiance to Mora upon Obsidian's passing, it would be a lonely one too.

There was a quiet knock on her door, and then the clicking of his armour as he walked wasn't enough to tear her eyes from the letter she was reading. The desk she sat at was another gift from her Master. It was abnormally large to match her towering height and made from the finest wood from the distant forests of Apocrypha. The iconography of her Master decorated the legs, the detail so fine that one would have to view it for hours to truly take it in. Many letters and tomes were scattered across the tabletop, Obsidian now quickly scribbling upon a blank piece of paper. He moved a book to make room for her teacup, shaking his head at the mess. All the books looked the same, with the dreary cover of brown and no title to be found. How she could tell them apart was maddening to him.

"Can you believe this Hefdet? He's demanding another audience with our Master. Why will he not take no for an answer?" She muttered, putting down her pen amongst the mess. Obsidian greeted him with a deep kiss, before reaching for the teacup. It was a deep green colour, with golden patterns painted onto the side.

"Mm, this tea smells different. Another one from your adventures?" She delicately sipped, becoming accustomed to the bitter flavour. as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He nodded in response.

"I've been told it's an acquired taste. Made from a Nirnroot. Do you remember what a Nirnroot is love?" Obsidian scoffed. "Of course, I remember what a bloody Nirnroot is. As if I could ever forget its piercing screech. It tastes…bitter. But it reminds me of those old adventuring days. What a time that was. How dull it must be for the bards: The great Last Dragonborn, slayer of Alduin and student of the Daedric Arts dies because a lurker launched her across a room. How was I supposed to know they didn't like being pet?" she chuckled slightly, as he began to massage her shoulders.

"I know you miss it Obsidian but you're doing an excellent job here. I've never seen someone serve a Daedric Prince like you before. And it isn't as if Mora keeps you in confinement. You are free to explore all of Apocrypha to your heart's content. Your deal was just no other Daedric Realms without permission and no Nirn. Here is where you will stay, but if you wish, I can accompany you to Cipher's Midden? I hear that you haven't visited in many days now. They're worried about you."

Obsidian sighed, resting her head back upon his torso. She didn't answer his question. The two remained in this position for some time, until a new letter fell down into her chute across the room. This is where all correspondence with her would be received, but also where she could send her own letters across the vast postal networks of Apocrypha. She never realised just how complex this realm was until she called it home. Their eyes flicked across it for a moment, Hefdet quickly dismissing it and returning to look down on Obsidian. Her attentive eyes noticed something different about the letter.

"Why…why is the paper a different colour?" She asked, standing up from her chair. Obsidian's footsteps were not as loud as his, as she no longer wore armour. No harm could happen to her in Apocrypha, so she would wear a various selection of robes, handcrafted by servants of the Great Eye.

"Perhaps it is a new batch of paper? Maybe it is the lighting, or lack thereof in here. I have no idea how you sit here and read-"

"It's not from here." She interrupted him, examining the letter in her hands. The piece was soft, and was white in colour, unlike the murky yellow hue of the paper Apocrypha produced. She ran a finger across it, almost as if she was determining its reality. Rushing back to her desk, she retrieved a letter opener and cut open the unmarked wax seal.

"It's from Coldharbour?" She asked uncertainly, her hungry eyes reading on. "From a Xivkyn named Kridia. She says there are rumours of him talking of invading Apocrypha! I cannot stand by and let this happen!" She cried out, gathering her possessions for her satchel.

"Wait, Obsidian we have to talk about this first! It could be a lie, we don't even know how this letter got here! Master doesn't let anything pass through his realm he doesn't check first and you know he wouldn't give you a letter from another realm. And it's not like he will let you leave to deal with it," he cried, trying to stop her from running out of the room.

"Not unless I ask for permission, which is exactly what I'm going to do! I am not passing up the chance of escaping here for a while, even if it is to Coldharbour. And no one hurts my Master. Now come on!"

[volzaannir]

Signe with number 3 "Defeat(ed)" please

This one was short, but fluffy!!

3. Defeat(ed)

              “Just admit I won already.”

              “No, because you cheated!”

              The Dragonborn and her companion argued teasingly back and forth as they cleaned up their makeshift camp, having finished a brief sparring match. And like most of the matches between the Nord and her Dunmer lover, it ended up becoming a wrestling match filled with snickering and face-fulls of dirt or ash.

              Teldryn’s age, as much as he hates to admit it, tends to get in the way of his full hand-to-hand combat potential. Signe, on the other hand, was young and filled with boundless energy – not to mention she had the muscles of an ox, like a Dragonborn should. But this spar was different… Because it was Teldryn who was victorious this time.

              “I did not cheat,” Signe could practically hear the eyeroll in the others tone. “If anything, you let me win. You allowed your own defeat.”

              The Nord woman huffed as she brushed the soot and ash off her pants. “Okay, fine. Maybe I did. But it was because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

              “Aw, is it because you love me so much?” Teldryn grinned, tossing an arm around her shoulders as they began to head in the direction of their destination. Signe gave him her own eyeroll before jabbing a finger at his side, in a part that was exposed between his chitin armor, making the Dunmer grunt out a sound close to ‘ack!’

              “Yes, but mostly because I didn’t want to crumble your bones to dust,” she teases back. “Your voice is already rough from the ash, we don’t need your bones joining it.”

[the-videodame]

sketch commission for @ask-demon-princess-astarte of their khajiit Azirina! she was so fun to draw, and im super happy with how it came out. thank you so much for commissioning me!

---

follow me on twitter!

commission info!

[multifandomfix-recs]

All Time Favorite Fics By Character Name (A-M)

Hello, everyone! Here is my list of my all time favorite fanfics I’ve come across. I’ll be tagging the authors to credit them for their wonderful work. If you find your fic on this list and would like it removed for any reason, all you have to do is ask.

Addison Montgomery

Asking Addison To Be Your Roommate by @luminousxdoom

Alfie Solomons

Under My Protection by @vintunnavaa

Alma Peregrine

Dating Alma Peregrine Headcanons by @multimilfs

Kiss Me More, We've Got Nothing To Lose by @n0thing-is-real-exe

Anne Lister

Always Yours by @deliasbabygirl-blog

Anthony Bridgerton

At The End Of The Day by @iliveiloveiwrite

Card Games And Cocktails by @iliveiloveiwrite

Distraction by @shelby-love

Proud Hearts by @vintunnavaa

Archie Hopper

Catch My Drift by @meganlpie

Arthur Shelby

Big News by @fandom-puff

Part Of The Job by @merakiaes

Rustle And Tussle by @lotsoffandomimagines

Bellatrix LeStrange

Imagine Bellatrix being strangely fascinated by you, a muggle by @carters-coffee

Imagine Bellatrix finding out you’re a muggleborn by @carters-coffee

Brienne Of Tarth

Beautiful by @severusminerva

Carol Denning

F Is For Favourite by @athena-dear

Castiel

Disliking Angels And Falling For Castiel by @randomfandomimagine

Cersei Lannister

Jealousy's Not A Good Look On You by @peachesandlesbians

Constance Langdon

It’s Not Fashionable To Love Me by @sassicaismysupreme

Crowley (Supernatural)

Protecting You by @noforkingclue

Donna Noble

Matchmaker, Matchmaker by @kisstherainwriting

Eleventh Doctor

Come Through My Window by @fabulouspotatosister

Distracting Kisses by @fabulouspotatosister

Fiona Goode

Yours, Always by @chaoticlesbiab

Frederick Chilton

Inquiry by @sass-and-suspenders

Gil Grissom

Imagine Grissom accidentally confessing his feelings toward you by @chaostheoryy

Gwaine

Blissfully Unaware by @make-me-imagine

Hawkeye Pierce

Bitter Kisses by @welcome-to-writers-haven

Good Enough by @make-me-imagine

Hela

Only Death May Take You by @wristic

Prisoner Of Love by @peoplesgraves

Hilda Spellman

Enough by @hallospaceboyy

Jack Sparrow

Lost Moment by @make-me-imagine

Jethro Gibbs

Flirty Stranger by @simpforcrimeshows

Judge Turpin

A Bookclub From The Bench by @ilikefandom

A Cup Of Tea by @ilikefandom

Larissa Weems

Alarm by @milfswriter

Leonora Lesso

Not Jealous by @iamnotoriginalphil

Stubborn Little Princess by @horeformilfs

Lilith

Solitude by @multimilfs

Martin Whitly

Come Again Soon by @one-fanfic-writers-demons

Melissa Schemmenti

Stairway To Heaven by @multimilfs

No Kiss For Cupid by @multimilfs

Michael

Imagine Michael constantly rebooting his experiments because you’re falling in love with someone else and not him by @imaginesbymk

Missy

Addiction by @hallospaceboyy

Dating Missy Would Include by @zafirosreverie

Vault Night by @isis-astarte-diana

Why Can’t I Be You by @kisstherainwriting

[rottenborb]

🌺send this to ten bloggers you think are wonderful. keep the game going🌺

Ah, thank you @ask-demon-princess-astarte! I generally don't do ask games, but I appreciate it ^^ And would send one back to you

[skyrim-crossing]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Skyrim, Elder Scrolls Online, Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online Summerset Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Obsidian/Serana, Obsidian/Hefdet, Serana/Hefdet, F!Dragonborn/Serana, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Daedra Character(s)/Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Obsidian/Aranaga Characters: Obsidian Dovahkiin, Serana (Elder Scrolls), Hermaeus Mora, Original Dremora Character(s), Original Male Dremora Character(s) (Elder Scrolls), Female Dunmer Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Female Dunmer Vestige, Male Altmer Vestige, Molag Bal, Boethiah (Elder Scrolls), Ashlander(s) (Elder Scrolls), Lord Harkon, Volkihar Vampire(s), Azirina, Female Khajiit Dovahkiin | Dragonborn Series: Part 1 of Obsidian Dovahkiin Summary:

This is the backstory and general story of my OC Obsidian Dovahkiin. Aranaga belongs to @warlockin-asimplealtmer and Azirina belongs to @ask-demon-princess-astarte

[skyrim-crossing]

Yeah @mothkingtv @ask-demon-princess-astarte @confusedyonko it's us 😂😂

Sorry to all my friends on Discord

[ask-rune-priest-ulfric]

11, 21, 22 and 43

11- Best friend:

“You know, that’s hard to say, I love all my pack mates and my friends that I’ve made while in service to the Lady Inquisitor. But out of all the astartes I’ve met beyond my chapter the one i would consider a close friend would be @chapter-master-darius of the Revenants space marine chapter. He beat me in a drinking contest and we’ve been comrades ever since.”

21- What I love most about myself:

“This could easily fall into self indulgence, but I’m happy that i haven’t fallen into ignorance about my own abilities unlike my fellow rune priests” 

22- What i want to be when i get older:

“Remain active in combat, leading my great company as best i can. Hopefully I can provide wisdom to the new generations and leave my mark before my saga inevitably comes to an end.”

43- Sexiest person that comes to mind immediately:

“well shit, okay so first off all there is the Lady Inquisitor herself @ask-ephraelrhiannon . I love her dearly and I’ve never met another individual quite as beautiful as her. But if we are just talking about pure sex appeal then there are two others who come to mind as close seconds. There is a demon princess of Slaanesh I’ve fought before, though her beauty is corrupting in nature. Then.... there is that one @jackass-biomancer who although I consider her a good friend, she has still made me feel..... flustered...... many a times now. *Blushes*”

[livmoose]

Salomania: paradigmatic archetype shift

The narrative of Salome is widely known today: the princess of Judea dances to please her stepfather and asks in return for the head of John the Baptist served on a [silver] platter. But the understanding of underlying implications by modern audiences do not correspond to the initial story.

Henri Regnault ‘Salome’, oil on canvas, 1870

In the Bible, the dancing daughter is a twelve-year-old girl without a name. Not only that, but she is not even the hero (or rather the antihero) of the story; her mother, Herodias is.

Obviously, the character did a 180 throughout the years. Salome acquired her name, her sexual awakening, and even half a dozen years to fit the ideological framework of ever changing Christian mythology. A fascinating change.

After the year-long persistence of my friend, I finally got to reading Wilde’s ‘Salome’ followed by our discussion of the play. What piqued my interest was the difference of how each of us perceived the title character: I saw her as a conscientious seductress but my friend argued she was an innocent 14-year-old caught in the web of her desires. It turned out, neither of us was wrong.

Salome’s character is terrifyingly charming, ambiguous and open to interpretations. Wilde wrote her within the dual framework of a virgin whore (a patriarchal dream). In the play, she is on many occasions compared to the moon, the duplicitous symbol on its own. It’s beautifully chaste and divinely pure - thus the connection to virgin goddess:

[Salome] The moon is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin, she has a virgin's beauty. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men, like the other goddesses.

Oscar Wilde ‘Salome’

But it is also deceptive and threatening, undoubtedly pointing at its explicit sexuality:

[Herod] The moon has a strange look to-night. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky.

Oscar Wilde ‘Salome’

The moon symbolism is pervasive in the story, appearing in three states and three colors, white, red and black. Each of these leads to the interpretations of Salome as a goddess manifestation:

virgin: Artemis or Cybele who refused to lose their virginity - chaste and pure (white) moon;

whore: Aphrodite/Astarte/Ishtar in charge of love and sex - passionate and seductive (red) moon;

death: mysterious and scary Hecate - malignant dark moon (covered by clouds).

Though this is not a popular interpretation, I still like how flowing it is, especially given that each of the goddesses named has her own relation to the moon.

There’s a curious detail that empowers such a viewpoint. Salome’s dance as devised by Wilde is obviously a striptease - the seven veils that are dropped one by one. He probably developed this idea from one of the contemporary poets:

She freed and floated on the air her arms Above dim veils that hid her bosom’s charms... The veils fell round her like thin coiling mists Shot through by topaz suns and amethysts.

Arthur O’Shaughnessy ‘The Daughter of Herodias’

Striptease, however, was not a new concept (although I like toying with the idea Wilde, the flaming homosexual came up with the ultimate entertainment of a heterosexual man). The goddess Ishtar is known to have dropped her robes and jewels one by one seven times before every gate of the underworld when she was searching for her husband Tammuz. Seems like Wilde went heavy on symbolism here.

Furthermore, there’s a comparison between Herodias and Cybele that (given the similarities between Salome and her mother I’ll be addressing later) finely plays into the whole goddess thing:

Herodias appeared, her coiffure crowned with an Assyrian mitre, which was held in place by a band passing under the chin. Her dark hair fell in ringlets over a scarlet peplum with slashed sleeves. On either side of the door through which one stepped into the gallery, stood a huge stone monster, like those of Atrides; and as Herodias appeared between them, she looked like Cybele supported by her lions. In her hands she carried a patera, a shallow vessel of silver used by the Romans in pouring libations.

Gustave Flaubert ‘Herodias’

Foreshadowing in this short story is nothing but gorgeous.

Biblical story

At the beginning, there was a word. Not a single word - but the mention of Salome in the Hebrew Bible is still scarce:

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

Matthew 14:6-11

The general outline of the story is the same: the girl dances before Herod and asks for John’s head on a platter. But the focus is completely different, the main player here is Herodias. The girl doesn’t yet have a name - that will be a later development, when, in one of the texts not talking about John the Baptist’s demise, the name of Herodias’s daughter is identified as Salome.

Mark gives a similar account with much the same details:

And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.’ And he swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!’ Then she went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ And Herodias answered, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’

Mark 6:22-24

Nothing in these accounts indicates the sexual dimension of the girl’s character. That changes in the Middle Ages.

Medieval interpretations

Disclaimer: this is where I enter the realm of guesses and speculations. Counter-arguments accepted.

As the Roman Empire fell and before the Renaissance struck, Christianity had its rule indisputable and undeniable. Establishing power over the populace through social events such as Crusades and subjugation of various functional institutions, the young religion rapidly developed its mythology. As part of its strategy of executing control, different groups of population were oppressed (everyone who was not a white male, basically), women among of them.

This is what I assume might have happened to Salome’s narrative: at some point, dance became associated with pagan cults and, as such, not exactly prohibited but condemned and looked down upon along the lines of ‘legs are given to us by God to walk the path of piety not to dance’. As a result, Salome’s dance suffered a blow that changed the character substantially. Here is the sophist argumentation behind the shift:

It is hard to imagine that Herod was so impressed by her footwork or enamored of her execution of dance moves. This dance had as its object the same as most dances - the arousal of sexual desires.

Jacob Hudgins ‘Expository Files 15:5’

The bias behind the argument is immensely, deliciously enjoyable. Besides, it flows quite naturally into the modernist and decadent interpretations of Salome’s story.

There is also a feminist spectrum for this narrative shift. I’m not particularly fond of it as it is tainted with the radical context. Still, it is a viable argument:

Let us be careful of the influence women can have over men.

Jacob Hudgins ‘Expository Files 15:5’

The author also hilariously binds the story of Samson into this. After Delilah tricked him twice already, Samson still trusted her with the secret of another of his weaknesses because of the ‘foolish reasoning of the man focused on fulfilling sexual desires rather than thinking straight’.

In order to exert control over women, they were reduced to two archetypes: a chaste maiden (embodied by none else but Virgin Mary) and a whore (naturally empowered by God’s antagonist and manifested through various characters, especially Jezebel).

As Salome’s dance ended with John the Baptist’s beheading, she could not be viewed as a virtuous character. Instead, she was merged with the vicious attributes of her mother, Herodias, the true villain of the story. This added the sexualized aspect to her dance, whether Salome seduced her stepfather at the direction of Herodias (earlier explanations) or on her own accord (later interpretations).

In favor of this argument is the fact that both Herodias and Salome at some point were associated with Jezebel:

‘Ah! Is it thou, Jezebel? Thou hast captured thy lord’s heart with the tinkling of thy feet.’

Gustave Flaubert ‘Herodias’

Jezebel is the figure of the Hebrew Bible so vile and despised that she became the powerful archetype in itself and later migrated to the New World as part of the ideological framework of slavery. She was associated with false prophets and, through her use of cosmetics, with ‘painted women’ (aka prostitutes). Notably, according to Flaubert, Herod (prior to being introduced to Salome) was seduced by Herodias in a similar manner - an argument in favor of the merging of the two characters.

So, at this point, Salome already possesses her name and the sexual aspect that was nowhere to be seen in the earliest accounts. Modernist view further enriches her character and adds the aspect of control that Salome lacked.

Decadence and character development

In XIX century, Salome crosses another threshold and that’s when the fun begins.

At first, she is still the instrument of her mother. In Flaubert’s short story, Salome is nurtured with quite the demonic intention of seducing Herod:

The dancer was Salome, the daughter of Herodias, who for many months her mother had caused to be instructed in dancing, and other arts of pleasing, with the sole idea of bringing her to Machaerus and presenting her to the tetrarch, so that he should fall in love with her fresh young beauty and feminine wiles. The plan had proved successful, it seemed; he was evidently fascinated, and Herodias felt that at last she was sure of retaining her power over him!

Gustave Flaubert ‘Herodias’

Salome obviously dances an overtly sexual dance, and she knows what she’s doing as the desire of the spectators does not escape her; on the contrary, she enjoys it:

Her round white arms seemed ever beckoning and striving to entice to her side some youth who was fleeing from her allurements. She appeared to pursue him, with movements light as a butterfly.

[...]

Her arms, her feet, her clothing even, seemed to emit streams of magnetism, that set the spectators’ blood on fire.

Gustave Flaubert ‘Herodias’

She is also trusted with carrying out the instructions given to her prior. It seems like Salome knows what Herodias wants from her and has no problem delivering it - however, it still is not her own intention:

[...] she leaned over, smiled upon the tetrarch, and, with an air of almost childlike naivete, pronounced these words:

“I ask my lord to give me, placed upon a charger, the head of—” She hesitated, as if not certain of the name; then said: “The head of Iaokanann!”

Gustave Flaubert ‘Herodias’

With this, the next step is obvious. Transforming from an innocent, even victimized pre-teen girl into an experienced seductress, the possibility of conscious effort has the ability to introduce Salome as the new villain of the story.

Gustave Moreau ‘Salome and the Apparition of the Baptist's Head’, watercolor, 1876

No longer was she merely the dancing-girl who extorts a cry of lust and concupiscence from an old man by the lascivious contortions of her body; who breaks the will, masters the mind of a King by the spectacle of her quivering bosoms, heaving belly and tossing thighs; she was now revealed in a sense as the symbolic incarnation of world-old Vice, the goddess of immortal Hysteria, the Curse of Beauty supreme above all other beauties by the cataleptic spasm that stirs her flesh and steels her muscles, – a monstrous Beast of the Apocalypse, indifferent, irresponsible, insensible, poisoning.

Joris-Karl Huysmans ‘À rebours’

This was the citation that got me digging deeper into the whole Salome story.

Driven by the hype around the subject inspired by the artistic tradition from Renaissance to Enlightenment, Oscar Wilde takes his turn in elaborating Salome’s character, taking the narrative even further. He gifts Salome with depth by applying decadent makeup to her character. Previously being merely a pawn to Herodias, ordered or manipulated into seducing Herod and demanding the prophet’s head, Salome obtains her own voice. Through giving her power of manipulation, Wilde sculpts her into a contemporary icon of femme fatale.

Wilde turns [Salome's] beauty from an object of inspiration to an object of horror.

Carmen Trammell Skaggs ‘Modernity’s Revision of the Dancing Daughter: The Salome Narrative of Wilde and Strauss’ 

Still, it is arguably relevant to regard his Salome as a spoiled child, a princess who knows no boundaries to her desires and cares little for the price of human life (hence her negligence toward Narraboth, the Young Syrian who kills himself before her eyes, devastated by her interest in Jokanaan and ignoring his advances).

Despite this naivety that stems from Salome’s youth and royal status, she is a figure of impending doom, in accordance to the ambiguity of the moon as her primary symbol in the play. After fascinating Herod with her beauty and seducing him into getting what she desired - Jokanaan’s head and getting a forbidden kiss from it, she scares the tetrarch to the point where he orders to ‘kill that woman’.

Aubrey Beardsley ‘The Climax’, pen and ink drawing, 1893

The motive of Salome’s gruesome death is not unique to Wilde. Cavafy takes a different approach to the character’s development, even though he still focuses the narrative around her unrequited love:

Upon a golden charger Salome bears     the head of John the Baptist     to the young Greek sophist who recoils from her love, indifferent

The young man quips, “Salome, your own     head is what I wanted them to bring me.”     This is what he says, jokingly. And her slave came running on the morrow

holding aloft the head of the Beloved,     its tresses blond, upon a golden plate.     But all his eagerness of yesterday the sophist had forgotten as he studied.

He sees the dripping blood and is disgusted.     He orders this bloodied thing to     be taken from him, and he continues his reading of the dialogues of Plato.

Constantine Cavafy ‘Salome’

This poem lends yet another dimension to Salome’s character, paralleling the insanity that Wilde’s play establishes. For decadent Salome, her own death is nothing if it serves the purpose of fulfilling her desire.

Notably, Wilde adds another magnificent detail that further enhances the narrative and serves as the marker that, starting from his play, modern audiences viewed this Biblical story through the lens of his ingenuity: the Dance of the Seven Veils. This little particularity that is not commented on in the play whatsoever is arguably the most recognizable element of the narrative today (Richard Strauss’s opera of the same name, strongly inspired by Wilde’s play, is famous specifically for this dance). Even the truncated prophet and his head on a silver platter is not as unique - Titian’s ‘Salome’, for example, is still sometimes viewed as Judith with the head of Holofernes.

Tiziano Vecellio ‘Salome’, oil on canvas, circa 1515

Modern interpretations

Salome is still as popular today as ever. Naturally, the story migrated to the screens, and there are a few notable screen versions (one of them being 2013 staging by Al Pacino; Jessica Chastain is absolutely terrifying as Salome, it’s really worth watching).

But the one that is actually really different and displays the character in response to the time context is 1953 film with Rita Hayworth.

Rita Hayworth as a title character in ‘Salome’, 1953

The film is truly ridiculous. Hayworth’s Salome is virtuous ad nauseam, the embodiment of the contemporary female ideal. She is beautiful - all men have their heads turned as soon as she enters the room. She is strong-willed when she tries to seduce the tetrarch to save Jokanaan. She defies her mother, refuses to obey Herod and actually turns to Christianity by the end of the movie. This is the most Out Of Character Salome to imagine: she is neither the little girl, an instrument of her mother’s political game, nor is she the experienced seductress pursuing her voluptuous desires. (By comparison, in 1961 production ‘King of Kings’, Salome - amusingly portrayed by 17-year-old Brigid Bazlen - is completely villainous with not a word trying to redeem her.) But, undoubtedly, she is the product of her time, which probably demonstrates the major feature of this and any other popular character: adaptability.

This film also starts the tendency of establishing political relevance of Salome. Herodias pursues John the Baptist because he defiles her - but her reasoning is to secure the throne to Salome. Similarly, in most recent interpretations of Wilde’s play, political commentary is not uncommon. According to these, Salome seduces Herod not only to get the head of Jokanaan, but also to get closer to the throne. To reinforce the idea, the focus of Salome while she dances seems to shift from pleasing Herod and his guests to the tetrarch alone - an intimate and subtly calculated move of a fine manipulator. To be honest, I personally still enjoy the dimension of Salome deep in the pit of her insanity more.

Modern poetry also has its take on the story. The focus is more or less dependent on a feminist point of view, with a touch of women empowerment achieved through exacting revenge on men who abused them:

Women are told to keep their legs shut. Women are told to keep their mouths shut. Some women are kept silent for so long, They become experts in the silent theft of power. The fifth veil has dropped.

Clementine von Radics ‘Salome Redux’

And talking about interpretations and weird turns they take. Skaggs discusses in her essay the possible homosexual subtext of Wilde's play. She specifically points to one instance in the play when Salome promises Narraboth a flower, a signal of homosexuality in Wilde’s time. Skaggs and other critics argue that Salome’s sexuality is presented as typically masculine, which makes the relationship between her and the Young Syrian border on homoerotic.

It's a big thing in representing Salome up to the point of the part being played by a male actor in recent stagings. Case and point: ‘Salomé’ by Royal Shakespeare Company. And then there’s Ken Russell’s 1988 film ‘Salome’s Last Dance’. The dance itself is not dropping 7 veils precisely, but is surely is unveiling - with a surprising twist. My jaw certainly dropped. Although I think this interpretation is going a bit overboard, Wilde would have ironically appreciated the critical effort. 

Conclusion

Salome’s narrative is nearly paradigmatic as it is exemplary of adaptability of many stories and characters that suffered similar changes through the ages (think Arthur, Robin Hood, and don’t even get me started on ‘The Iliad’). It is not a bad thing (oh no, just look at the beauty of Wilde’s ‘Salome’, which would not be possible without the initial shift). But it does show how myths intertwine with human psyche, how we use them to intensify the ideas and deliver them to our audiences, and how these myths reflect the contemporary questions people ask and values we seek. It’s an infinitely glorious thing, and I am deeply fascinated by it.

Bonus

Salome today is an undeniably tragic character. But there’s also this.

[mrslittletall]

Angel Sanctuary Re-Read Volume 10

I am writing this after already having read half the volume, so excuse me if stuff is confuse. So, we had three cliffhangers. The one with Setsuna and Arakune gets solved right away. Arakune is exposed as the traitor and flees, Setsuna and Noise wander on until they find Mad Hatter. He drops that Arakune isn't Kurai's cousin but her big brother and also that she is lost and proposes a game of them going to search her. The one with Mika-chan and Raphael is rather short. Mika-chan learns from Rafie-kun that Jibril got reincarnated as Sara on earth and that was the reason her soul could possess the arch angel. At the same time, a three winged angel is wrecking Michael's troops on earth! Setsuna?! Heck no, it's Kato wearing Setsuna's face. Good to see him again ^^ Most of the volume focused on Kurai so far. She met the demon Astarte who is pregnant and lets her listen to the baby, but warns her from her brother. When he arrives, she pushes Kurai away and once Kurai gets a look, she sees they are twins. Earlier, she hard how her brother stole the baby out of her stomach... yikes. So Kurai is in trouble now, because Astaroth, Astarte's brother is not fond of her and he hates his sisters, spews she can't get children and stuff. Kurai gets saved by Astarte taking over, because she and Astaroth are sharing the same body. But it only gets worse for our little ogre princess. Astarte is stark raving mad and the "baby" in her stomach was a girl she vored. Kurai once again gets saved, this time by Abbadon who bit his own hand off to escape his chains. The both of them flee and Mad Hatter approaches Astaroth, noticing that Astarte broke their curse of sharing a body, giving her own life in the process. Kurai reflects over god and the angels and how his actions turned angels to become as twisted as these demons. Okay, I took a break and read the rest. So, back in Anagura Kato meets Kira and sees Setsuna's body. Kira, having the feeling that hell is calling him, is jumping down there and asks Kato to look after Setsuna's body. Of course Kato steals the body and takes it to Earth, where he manages all four arch angel to meet. Uriel asks or more forces Raphael to revive Setsuna's body. He will do it, for a kiss of Sara. Has he gone soft? Just Michael is there being like "Are you all CRAZY?!" In hell, Setsuna confronts one of the arch demons, Asmodeus, to find out where Kurai is. It turns out that the guy doesn't have her, but he is very interested in Alexiel and also wants to settle a score with Mad Hatter, so he accepts to smuggle Setsuna to the wedding. We then get some exposition about Arakune. Noise is taking prisoner by him so that Setsuna plays by the rules and he tells her his tale. As Mad Hatter said, he is Kurai's big brother and always believed that he would inherit the power over the god dragons. But it was all a trap. Assasin's came after him and killed his servant that always believed in him, but in truth Kurai was the real heir and he was put up as the hair only to fool the assassins. He got saved by the demons and got send far away, where he killed his cousin and took his place. There we also learn that he isn't trans, but a crossdresser, doing the whole thing so that nobody recognizes his face. Though I think a part of him is an egg. Well, okay, so for some reason he saves Noise instead of killing her and says he awaits her revenge. We are cutting to the wedding and when Kurai sees what looks like the dead body of Alexiel, she is screaming in terror, summoning Abbadon who is wreaking havoc on the wedding. Setsuna uses this opportunity to save her and they run away. Only to stand in front of Satan which has the face of... Kira?! Now that is a twist! Oh, also, Noise kills Arakune and it turns out he still loved Kurai in the end, pretty much he has let himself strike down on purpose. This is nothing but a tragedy...

[obsidian-dovahkiin]

With friends like these

The two moons shone brightly in the cloudless, starry sky. Obsidian could see her warm breath swirl in the air in front of her. The cold sent a little chill down her back. She was walking around the marshland near Solitude, not too far from her newly built home. She was glad she decided to move to this part of Skyrim; the views were captivating.

She started to hop from rock to rock, like a child playing a game. She felt so peaceful, she couldn’t quite place why though. It was quite early in the morning, so she assumed that she wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. Laughing slightly, she hopped down from the rock and began to walk towards Solitude. She didn’t want to go in, just wanted to look at it. 

She decided to walk down the road, as she didn’t want to get her new armour too messy from the mud and sludge that surrounded the area. The only life that was around her was fireflies dancing in the air, a few deer curiously prancing around and a few sleeping horkers. 

Obsidian was in her own little world when she heard a slight cry of pain and then coughs coming from the forests surrounding her. Panicked, she went to investigate and came across a young, female khajiit who was clutching her side, taking short breaths.

“My dear are you okay?” she inquired. She looked at the grassy earth surrounding her. “That’s a lot of blood you’ve lost. Can I be of any assistance?” 

[volzaannir]

Signe with 17 for the draw your oc please.

17. Sick

signe hates being cooped up for too long, but hates it even more when she feels like absolute garbage KJSDHFDSF

[sortiarius65-blog]

New Post has been published on https://worldofamulets.com/product/powerfull-aluminium-pendant-of-the-kings-of-hell-for-invocation-and-protection/

Powerfull Aluminium pendant of the Kings of Hell for invocation and protection

The Powerfull Aluminium pendant of the Kings of Hell is used for invocation, protection and favors of the great kings of hell. These particular Daemon have proven to be at service of men. Their special symbols have been placed inside a magical circle to ensure the protection of the user. Their power is incredibly strong and can cause damage to the user if not protected properly like iwith this amulet. The amulet let’s the bearer invoke each of them and ask their favor to accomplish the goals stated to the daemon. This is the most powerfull amulet ever made for invoking daemon powers.

To invoke any of them just say it’s name 3 times followed by: I, (your name) invoke (name of the daemon) to serve my goal. After this you clearly and precisely state your goal to the daemon and finish with: “Go out there and do my bidding”.

The Daemon in this pendant are:

Satan in the Center

His Day is Monday. (best day to invoke him) His Colors are Blue, Red, and Black He is the Sumerian God EA, also known as ENKI which means “Lord of the Earth.” He is also known as Melek Ta’us. Animals that are sacred to him are the Peacock, the Serpent, the Goat, the Dragon and the Raven. His numbers are 13, 666 and 4. [666 is perfection and everlasting life] His Zodiac Signs are Aquarius, the Water Bearer and Capricorn, the Goat. [The Age of Aquarius is the Age for the advancement of humanity] His Planets are Uranus and Venus [the Morning Star]. His Directions are both South and East His most Important Day of the year is December 23, when the Sun is one degree into Capricorn. The day following the beginning of the Winter Solstice is his Personal Day

Beelzebub (Baal-Bael) en el sur

BEELZEBUB is also known as BAALZEBUB, ENLIL, BEL, “PIR BUB”* BAAL ZEBUL and BEELZEBUTH He is also known as the Goetic daemon “BAEL”

Zodiac Position: 0-4 Degrees of Aries March 21st-25th *[March 21-30] Tarot Card: 2 of Rods [From Azazel] Candle color: Black Plant: Fern Planet: Sun [From Azazel] Metal: Iron *[Gold] Element of Fire Rank: King Bael is a Day daemon and rules over 66 legions of spirits. Those who are close to Beelzebub know he is Enlil. This is from him personally. Enlil was the original “Bel” which later evolved into “Baal.” “Baal” means “Lord,” “Master” “Baal the Prince.” Beelzebub/Enlil was a very popular and well-known God who had cities named after him with the prefix “Baal” all over the Middle East.

Astaroth – East

She was known to the Canaanites as ASTARTE, to the Sumerians, she was known as INANNA, to the Babylonians, she was known as ISHTAR to the Assyrians and the Akkadians, ASHTART, ASHTORETH, ASHERAH, and ASTORETH, to the Egyptians, ISIS, ASHET AND ASET, to the Phoenicians, she was known as TANIT-ASHTART and ASHTAROTH. Her Ugaritic name was ANAT.

Zodiac Position: 10-20 degrees of Capricorn December 31st-January 9th Tarot Card: 3 of Pentacles Planet: Venus Candle Color: Brown or Green Animal: Cobra or Viper Metal: Copper Element of Earth Rank: Grand Duke of the Western Regions of Hell; Crowned Princess Astaroth is a Guidance Councilor for both daemons and humans. She deals in mostly human affairs Astaroth rules 40 legions of spirits and is a Day daemoness Astaroth is also The Treasurer of Hell Astaroth is a very ancient Goddess. She has been with humanity, as have Satan and Beelzebub, since the beginning. Astaroth is Satan’s daughter. She did not want this to be known until recently [October 2016]. She has always been very popular, much loved and revered in locales where she was worshipped. Because she has been with us since the beginning, she has been known by several different names, as she has been the Chief Goddess in many different areas and cultures. She has been known as a Goddess of fertility, love, and war.

Azazel-Second South (smaller Circle)

AZAZEL aka ZAZEL, SAMYAZA, SAMYAZAZEL, SHAMGAZ, SHEMYAZA, SHAMYAZA, SHEMIHAZAH, SHAMASH (Babylonian), UTU (Sumerian; The Shining One),* SAMAS (Akkadian), BABBAR (Sumerian), Ashur (Assyrian), SHAMIYAH (Hathra), SEMJAZA

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn/Aquarius (both 1-10 degrees) Tarot Card: Ace of Swords Planet: Saturn, the Lunar South Node (Dragon’s Tail) Candle Color: Blue, Black Metal: Lead Element of Air Symbols: The Eagle and the Scorpion; the Faravahar Number: 20 Rank: Chief Standard Bearer of the Infernal Army Azazel works directly with Satan He is in charge of top security in Hell.

Asmodeus – Left top

Rank: King, Manager of the Gambling Houses in Hell. Asmodeus was of the order of Seraphim and he carries the title “King of the daemons.” He governs the many realms of pleasure. He prefers to be summoned bareheaded [without a hat or head covering] and he teaches the arts of astronomy, arithmetic, geomancy, and craftsmanship. He answers all questions, discovers and guards treasures and gives the ability to read the thoughts of others. He confers invisibility, and can break up marriages/relationships. Asmodeus has a human Mother and his Father is a God. He has jet black hair with a braid down his back, and has an olive complexion. Asmodeus is extremely courteous and very much a gentleman. He is soft spoken with a smooth voice. Asmodeus is a very pleasant daemon.

Fleruti – Top Right

Rank: Lieutenant General Fleruty has the power to perform any labor during the night. He can also cause hail stones to fall in any place. His subordinate daemons are: Bathin, and Eligos

Fleruty has a golden aura with gold-gilded wings with white feathers. He is muscular with a fair complexion. He has long curly blonde hair that is below his shoulders

Satasnachia – North

Rank: Commander in Chief Satanachia has profound knowledge of all the planets. He has power over all women and girls and he provides animal familiars. His subordinate daemons are: Prulas, Amon and Barbatos.

Lucifuge Rofocale – Mid Right

Zodiac Position: 20-24 degrees of Libra October 13th-17th Tarot Card: 4 of swords Candle color: Black Plant: Wild Rose Planet: Mercury Metal: Mercury Element: Air Rank: King Focalor is a Night daemon and rules 30 legions of spirits He has power over the winds and the sea and causes ships to sink and cause death by drowning. He will not hurt anyone or anything, if asked not to. He appears as bald, with a robe that has bright shining silver and gold highlights. His wings when he shows them are covered with glitter like his robe. Lucifuge Rofocal is patient, polite, and soft spoken.

Belial – Left Botom

Zodiac Position: 5- 9 degrees of Pisces February 24th- 29th Tarot Card: 8 of Cups Candle color: Orange Plant: Mullein Planet: Jupiter/Neptune Metal: Tin/Neptunium Element of Water Rank: King Belial is a Night daemon and governs 80 legions of spirits Belial distributes presentations and titles. He reconciles friends and enemies, and provides familiars He can assist one with job promotions and helps to gain a higher position. He can bring favors from others, even one’s enemies. Belial was Prince of the Order of Virtues. Belial is thin, smaller than most of the other daemons and has platinum blonde hair

Decarabia – Right bottom

odiac Position: 10-14 degrees of Pisces March 1st-5th Tarot Card: 9 of Cups Planet: Moon Metal: Silver Element: Water Candle color: Black Plant: Lunaria Rank: Marquis Decarabia is a Night daemon and rules 30 legions of spirits He knows all of the properties of and the powers of plants and stones, and provides birds as familiars. He has short curly black hair with fair skin and black wings with red stripes. He has a blue aura that gives off a lot of heat.

  Necklace with Round Pendant 1.25″ Pendant is made of aluminum and features a polished-scallop edge 18″ Brass necklace (with electroplated nickel, silver

When ordering spells or seals, our spellcasters or seal creators will contact you in 24 hours to get the details for your order. Some state the requirements in the description or the note you get after ordering.The spellcaster will stay in touch with you and keep you updated on the progress and expected results before, during and after the job. All seals are different as they are made only for 1 person. The delivery is is digital form. JPEG or PNG at 300 dpi so you get a high quality impresion. The delivery time and price of the seal depends on the person and the type of seal. Some seals can only be made 2 or 3 times a week, month or even year. The has a big impact on the price. Seals for crops or affairs of the heart are more difficult to make than seals for protection against negative energies.

All seals must be personalised. Only personalised keys and seals produce the desired effects. Don’t use them as the effect they produce in you might be nothing, or the seals can harm your health. You are warned !!!

@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) .wtycx5bdc615e3feb0 display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) .wtycx5bdc615e3feb0 display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) .wtycx5bdc615e3feb0 display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) .wtycx5bdc615e3feb0 display: block; @media screen and (max-width: 767px) .wtycx5bdc615e3feb0 display: block;

#Angels, #Arcangels, #Asmodeus, #Astaroth, #Azazel, #Beelzebub, #Belial, #Decarabia, #Demons, #Fleruti, #KingsOfHell, #LucifugeRofocale, #Satan, #Satasnachia, #SilverPendantAsmodeus, #SilverPendantAstaroth, #SilverPendantAzazel, #SilverPendantBeelzebub, #SilverPendantBelial, #SilverPendantDecarabia, #SilverPendantFleruti, #SilverPendantLucifugeRofocale, #SilverPendantOfTheKingsOfHell, #SilverPendantSatan, #SilverPendantSatasnachia, #Spellcaster, #Spells

[moffkyng]

I was tagged by @ask-demon-princess-astarte

My lock screen:

The last photo I took:

The last song I listened to:

I don't have anyone to tag because nobody else that I know uses Tumblr, but if y'all wanna do this help yourselves 💛

[skyrim-crossing]

Obsidian Dovahkiin’s backstory

This is the backstory of my Elder Scrolls OC, Obsidian Dovahkiin. Azirina belongs to @ask-demon-princess-astarte and Aranaga and Korillia belong to @warlockin-asimplealtmer

Obsidian was born on 2nd Rains Hand 4E 24 in an Ashlander tribe on Vvardenfell. Her parents, along with her tribe, had recently returned from mainland Morrowind before she was born, due to the devastation caused by Red mountain. The tribe was devoted to their religion, but they mainly worshipped Boethiah. Her mother Reyla was a priestess and her father Madsu was a hunter. As a child, Obsidian's name was Aerie, taking her current name later on in life.

As a child, she was obsessed with all things Daedric and magical. She would spend many days practising her magic if she wasn't helping her parents. Her hair is purple due to her being able to use illusion magic for long periods in time. In actuality, her hair was white, but her eyes have always been purple. When she was around 114  a Daedric cultist made contact with her tribe as she had a felt a  strong magical presence. When the cultist found that it was coming from Obsidian, she made an offer for her to teach Obsidian further magic and introduce her to the prince she served. Obsidian accepted and spent many weeks practising more magic. Obsidian was able to pick up conjuration instantly and finally met the prince the cultist served: Hermaeus Mora. From then on, she incorporated him into her worship and tried to get her tribe to do the same. Naturally, they refused and wanted her to continue her life as usual. However, her father had recently begun to serve Molag Bal, as well as Hermaeus Mora, and promised to stay with Obsidian. After many weeks of arguing with her mother and tribe, she decided to leave to join the other cultists who made their home in northern Elswyer. The cultists of both Princes made a truce a few years before that point so they could travel together. She didn't feel like worshipping Molag was right, but she ignored the cultist's actions for the most part. However, after a few years, she couldn't handle what she had seen the cults do to people, so she escaped to Cyrodil to start again.

In Cyrodil, she joined the Vigilant of Stendarr, as she knew how Daedric Cults worked. She was extremely ashamed of her past, and she felt like that was the only way to receive forgiveness. She spent the next 30 years with the Vigilants until a group began to form and eventually break off from the others. These people studied all things Daedra, rendering them Daedrologists. As she had extensive knowledge into the daedra, she knew that this would be more beneficial in the long run. They made their base in Bruma and worked under the guise of Vigilants still. Here was where she truly began to love daedra, despite her previous negative encounters with them. However, some people didn't fall for it and placed a Dark Brotherhood contract on them. Only 5 of the original 40 were able to escape, one being Obsidian. In her desperate escape, she illegally crossed the border to Skyrim and was captured by Imperials. She tried proving she was a citizen of the Empire, but they refused to listen.

From here, she was taken to Helgen to be executed. While a dragon razed the city, she was able to flee thanks to the help of Hadvar. After a few years of being in Skyrim, she had become the Dragonborn and slew nearly all threats to Skyrim. The civil war was still in full swing, but she made a vow to stay out of politics. During her adventures, she found all of her old Daedrologist friends and found love with Serana and a Dremora called Hefdet. Hefdet was an unbound dremora she summoned while at the College of Winterhold, further practising her magic (mainly restoration). When she had proven her strength, he admired and respected her greatly so began to assist in her adventures. Obsidian and Serana had already been together for a few months after they stopped her father. When Obsidian began to fall for Hefdet too, they chose to all be in a relationship mutually. Obsidian became a hero of Skyrim and Morrowind too. She had met again with her mother, asking for her forgiveness (which she gave).

After she killed Miraak, who was the last threat she disposed of, nothing posed as a problem anymore so she decided to work on her Daedrology and family life. She had also made amends with Hermaeus Mora, serving him once again. Alongside her partners, she built a home in Morthal and focussed on getting her studies finished. While she was walking to Solitude to gather more decorations for her house one day, she found an injured Khajiit who would later be her best friend. This Khajiit called Azirina was involved with the cult she had left long ago. Obsidian couldn't believe it and was determined to help her. Sadly, Azirina didn't get away so easily like Obsidian and was being tracked down by Molag himself. She did her best to help, but she ended up being taken to Coldharbour.

Obsidian was distraught and tried going there to bring her back, summoning her like she was a Daedra etc. Nothing worked. She had built up such a connection that she would stop at nothing to save her. Hefdet and Serana both tried to reason with Molag, but he refused to give her back. In her anger, she asked Mora what she could do. One of her possible options was to try and kill him. When she told him that she would most likely end up dying, Mora wanted to show her how she could achieve this. By doing so, he sent her soul back in time to the 2nd Era. Disorientated and confused, she believed she was still in the 4th Era so didn't think much of it at first.

Being herself, she travelled around the beautiful province helping people. Thanks to the townsfolk of Shimmerine, she soon learned she was in the 2nd Era. Tne guards of Shimmerine tried to test her on her knowledge and etiquette of Altmer society which she managed to pass. She began to work at an Inn not too far from Shimmerine while she figured out what to do. One day, she met an Altmer named Valsirenn who met her with a proposition to save Summerset. Obsidian accepted instantly and Valsirenn revealed her affiliation to the Psijic Order. Valsirenn travelled with her to Artaeum after a few weeks of silence on her part.

When she began helping them, Valsirenn introduced her to Aranaga, the hero names the Vestige. She was to work with him bring an end to the threats of Summerset. Despite not truly being over the loss of Hefdet and Serana, over time she found herself falling for him as they worked together. It wasn't that long after that until she found herself marrying him on Artaeum, surrounded by all of her new friends.  She knew she would never forget her former partners, but she knew they would want her to be happy.

She lived an extremely happy life with him and his two children, Elenwen and Esterdel and gave him another son called Reyln. She couldn't have asked for anything more. She had a wonderful husband, children and an amazing manor in Alinor. She became best friends with his cousin Korillia and found herself going on adventures with her as well. More threats arose outside of Summerset which she dealt with alongside Aranaga. For as long as they appeared, they tackled them together.

Hermaeus Mora made contact with her one day, while she was sat at home. He asked her if she had learned enough to defeat Molag and wanted to go back to which she declined. Obsidian felt guilty, but she hoped that her old friend could wait. She knew she could probably go back and help but that chapter of her life was not yet complete.

[dijeh]

For whoever’s still interested (anyone..hello? echo?), I got bored last night and decided the best thing to do at 2 am is translating things about goddesses of beauty and love and trying to decipher the Japanese understanding of the term “Orient”. The first one was much easier. Without further ado,

Thirteenth Topic: Inanna and Myths of the Orient

Previous topic: Napaea and Fairy Tales. More translations here.  (ko-fi)

The world’s oldest myths written in cuneiform

stories about the great flood in the world’s oldest culture, Sumerian, were also touched upon in Topic 11;

the Epic of Gilgamesh remains as a collections of writings translated into the language of the Akkadian Empire, successor of the Sumerian civilisation, these translations leading to some name changes, like Inanna -> Ishtar;

Ishtar also has rather important roles in SMT II (Astaroth as a fusion between Ashtar and Ishtar) and SMT IV (turning Astaroth back into Ishtar quest), these events being based on the demonisation of certain pagan gods in the Old Testament (Ishtar -> Astaroth);*

why the use of the term ‘Orient’?*

Orient オリエント can mean either Touyou 東洋* or Touhou 東方 (Eastern Direction);

currently ‘Orient’ means Chuutou 中東 (Middle East) or Chuukintou 中近東 (Near and Middle East), all from the POV of Europe (meaning: ‘East of Europe’);

in ancient times it meant ‘East of Rome’, since the term was of Latin origin;

‘Orient’ can thus include anything from Eastern Europe to Persia, India, China or Ancient Egypt;

in that case, applying the term to myths of Sumerian origin might miss the point but the historical custom is useful and easier to use in order to put together myths of Sumerian, Akkadian or Babylonian origin;

the general term for the ancient civilisation in that region = Mesopotamian culture or mythology;

the ancient Sumerian, Akkadian or Babylonian civilisations of the Middle East are equivalent to one of the four great ancient civilisations, the Mesopotamian civilisation;*

the first to rise was the Sumerian civilisation which was overturned by the Akkadians coming from the north, which later split into Assyria and Babylonia;

both Sumerians and Akkadians had their own languages, so Inanna became Ishtar;

both Sumerian and Akkadian had their writings inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets;

the Epic of Gilgamesh was also written on this type of tablets, but since they are quite fragile, we only have about half of it left although some missing parts have been discovered in the past few years;

Inanna and Ishtar in Myths of the Orient

in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ishtar falls in love at first sight with the hero and wants to marry him, but is rejected; she resents that and asks her father, the sky god Anu, to exact revenge on him, leading to Enkidu’s death;

this episode, written on the 6th and 7th tablets, can be read almost identically in the older Sumerian poems (Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven episode), where Ishtar was Inanna;

her negative role in the narrative both brings out one of her human like facets, but can also be considered one of the factors of her being later identified with the demon Astaroth;

Inanna was worshipped in the southern city of Uruk and was popular after the Akkadian period as well, so she appears in other stories besides the Epic of Gilgamesh;

a particularly well-known one is about her descent into the Underworld in which she visits her older sister, Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Underworld, to attend the funeral of Ereshkigal’s husband;

however, in order to enter the realm, she is ordered by the gatekeeper to strip off her clothes and jewellery, but she still breaches the rules of the Underworld by being alive, so in a fit of anger, Ereshkigal kills her;

Inanna’s servant and the water god Enki revive her, but in order to be able to return from the Underworld, she has to leave someone in exchange (her husband, the god of agriculture Dumuzid, in Akkadian, Tammuz);*

the story of gods descending into the Underworld and then coming back symbolises the setting and rising of the sun, its disappearance and reappearance during eclipses, but also the cycle of grains turning from seeds to crops, being harvested and then becoming seeds once more, a common motif encountered in mythologies all over the world, of gods of harvest, symbolising death and rebirth;

in Japanese mythology, there is not only the story of Izanagi descending to the Underground because he wishes to see his dead wife Izanami, but also the sun goddess Izanami hiding inside the cave 岩戸 (iwa to rock door) symbolising the death of the sun and her subsequent return (Amanoiwato 天岩戸 heavenly rock door);

there’s also Ookuninushi who got killed and dismembered, later revived with his mother’s help, then went on and conducted kunitsukuri;*

Inanna’s story also resembles the story of the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the young man she loved, Adonis, also loved by the queen of the Underground, Persephone, who spends the year travelling between the Underworld and the world above, but also that of Persephone herself who was kidnapped by the ruler of the Underground, Hades, and who ended up travelling between the two realms after eating a pomegranate from the Underworld;

moreover, Inanna is identified with Aphrodite, and it is considered that her legend was transmitted to Greece;

Inanna was also worshipped as a goddess of war and there are opinions that her descent into the Underworld was actually done with the intent to conquer it;

her worship as a goddess who offered her power to warrior kings can also be related to her falling in love with and proposing to the brave Gilgamesh;

statues and bas-reliefs of Inanna portray her with angel-like wings and just like Aphrodite, she is associated with the morning/evening star (Venus) leading to a demon rather than angel association and recalling Lucifer;

myths inscribed on clay tablets were found in the ancient city state of Ugarit, depicting the fight between the chief god, the harvest god Baal and the death god Mot;

the former is slain, but is later revived by his younger sister Anat;

Baal appears in the Old Testament as a pagan god and is later considered to have become the demons Bael and Beelzebub;

Anat is identified with Ishtar and considered to be an alias for Asherah, once more revealing the deep connection between Oriental myths and Judeo-Christian tradition;

in SMT Devil Summoner there was a fictional kingdom in ancient Japan ruled by Princess Inaruna who refused to obey the Yamato court and was subjugated (based on Inanna);

Inaruna was someone who refused to submit*, thus she was subjugated and subsequently erased from history.

*more like Astarte, the Phoenician equivalent of Ishtar, the Babylonian equivalent of the Summerian Inanna, to be fair;

*as you may have noticed, the title simply has the katakana form of Orient オリエント ;

*wiki has these neat maps with the broad sense of Touyou, the current meaning of East, as well as what Touyou meant in relation to Japan (’Oriental history’ introduced as a school subject in the later half of the 19th c., mostly concerned with East Asia; same thing happened in the Korean Peninsula), to China (Touyou = Japan, both as location and as name) and Vietnam (Đông Dương = Touyou = Indochina; in a strict sense it means the former countries of French Indochina, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia; in a broader sense, those three plus Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar);

*guess he's only talking about the Old World here;

*the Internet tells me it was 'Du'zu' in Akkadian and 'Tammuz' in Hebrew;

*topic 8 actually dealt with this;

*the term used for ‘submit’ (まつろわぬ matsurowanu) is interesting because in Japan’s case it can be used for the Ezo people, touched upon in topic 10; the whole situation is similar to Inaruna’s story.