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gachats · 8 months ago

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Gods of ancient slavs: Perun and his imaginary friends

Let's deal with what gods in Ancient Rus' were, and what were not.

The gods of pagan nations are a rich and interesting topic. Their images, in some ways unique, and in some ways similar in different nations, inspire many modern authors. Including in the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and magic realism.

Back in the 19th century, attempts were made throughout Europe to reconstruct ancient beliefs and understand what gods were worshipped by ancestors. And, of course, the myths of ancient Greece were taken as a model.

The only thing is that we were usually talking about non-written cultures, which left behind very few sources. And if the Scandinavians, for example, had the Eddas, written down already by Christians, but quite early, as well as inscriptions carved in stone, then with the Eastern Slavs everything did not work out so well. We have no recorded epic stories about the gods, and we have to rely on fragmentary evidence in chronicles and denunciations against the pagans, as well as scanty archaeological data. That is why there is so much speculation and outright fiction about the gods of the Eastern Slavs.

In this text, let's try to figure out what we really know about them, what we can assume, and what is quite far from the truth.

The Pantheon of Knyaz Vladimir

The most famous source of information about the gods worshipped in Ancient Rus is the enumeration of idols installed by Knyaz Vladimir in Kyiv, from the "Tale of Bygone Years":

"And began to reign Vladimir in Kyiv alone, and put idols on the hill, outside the palace yard: wooden Perun with a silver head and golden whiskers, Khors (and) Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargl and Mokosh."

Vladimir puts idols of gods in Kyiv. Late 15th c. Radziwillov Chronicle, Library of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

It should be kept in mind that Vladimir pursued quite specific goals: he tried to unite Rus around Kyiv through a single set of beliefs. That is, it would be wrong to say that the erected idols are an exhaustive list of gods or that all popular gods got there. For example, we are talking, apparently, about Slavic gods, and on the territory of ancient Rus lived also Finno-Ugrians, Turks, Balts.

In addition, it is important to understand that any paganism (even Greek) at the level of practice looks not as the veneration of a once and for all definite pantheon, but as the worship of numerous local deities - patrons of rivers, hills, forests, cities. People turned to them for any reason: for good luck in war, for a rich harvest, and for protection from evil forces. Different gods could merge in one area, and in another, on the contrary, one god was divided into two characters or more.

We do not know on what principle idols were selected in Kyiv. For example, Veles (Volos), often found in other sources, is not mentioned among them. In addition, the "Tale of Bygone Years" was preserved in lists XIV-XVI, not in the original, and the lists were often made with errors. And Nestor did not aim to accurately convey the pagan ideas. But we have what we have - there is nothing to choose from.

So what do we know about the 5 (or 6) gods mentioned in the Tale?

Perun

We know relatively much about Perun. He is often mentioned in various sources, he was worshipped by the Western Slavs, about whose customs we know a little more. He is also close to the Baltic Perkunas, and many of his features and related legends were attributed to Ilya the Prophet and remained in this form until the Revolution.

Perun is a thunder god. The very word "Perun" in Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian is used as an obsolete and poetic name for lightning. This was an important god for the inhabitants of Ancient Rus, commonly known and honored. He may well be considered the supreme god, if it is necessary to emphasize such a figure. The Byzantine Procopius of Caesarea wrote back in the 6th century that the Slavs (it was about the South Slavs) above all venerate an unnamed thunder god to whom they sacrifice bulls. The connection of Perun with warriors and militancy, oaks, weapons - all this is characteristic of the gods-thunderers - looks quite plausible.

Worship of Perun among the Muscovites. Engraving from the book by G. A. Shleizing "Ancient and New Religion of the Muscovites", 1698

Later sources mention rituals in honor of Perun. For example, Novgorod fights were described, which were associated with the commemoration of Perun. There is also a mention of the rafting of Perun's idol down the river, similar to the description of the overthrow of his idol from the Tale of Bygone Years. Some researchers suggest that the chroniclers simply incorrectly conveyed the regular ritual. The motif of such funeral-conductions is rarely associated with thunder gods, it is more characteristic of the gods of the sun and fertility. This may mean that Perun had such functions as well.

Various assumptions about Perun's family ties, specific features of his veneration, sacrifices, temple construction, etc. should be treated with caution: they are based on controversial scientific data.

The overthrow of the idol of Perun in the painting "The Trampling of Old Russian Gods" by E. Shtyrov

But one can look at the peculiarities of popular veneration of the "formidable saint" Elijah the Prophet. His image began to converge with Perun even before the official baptism of Russia, as pagan and Christian legends converged (such a merger is more than characteristic of the pagan picture of the world). Most likely, this is what made Ilya one of the most revered saints in Rus'.

It was believed that the prophet rode across the sky on a golden or fiery chariot and struck devils and various creeps with lightning arrows. In some regions it was believed that Elijah should pray in a thunderstorm all the time, so that a demon would not enter a person, because then the prophet would strike him with lightning. Caution should be observed on Ilya's day at the end of the harvest (August 20): on this day it was forbidden to work in order not to anger the saint. In addition to striking devils and people with lightning, Ilya also sent down rain and drought. These legends about the saint probably go back to the image of Perun.

Elijah the Prophet on his chariot

Various Peruns by lugvelesasrz, A. Klimenko, Mikado13

Mokosh-Makosh

Makosh by Viktor Korolkov

Mokosh is the only female goddess in Knyaz Vladimir's pantheon.

The romanticist researchers largely invented her cult from the folk veneration of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, associated with weaving and needlework. From weaving made the transition to the threads of life, and Mokosh turned into the goddess of fate. The problem is that unlike Perun and the prophet Elijah, we do not know anything about Mokosh at all, except that she was a woman. For example, we have no data that she was depicted with a spinning wheel. So there is simply nothing to draw parallels between her and Paraskeva.

Sometimes the figure of Mokosha is brought closer to such a folklore character as Mother raw earth. This is a common image in bylinas and fairy tales, and we can conclude that in the Slavs' ideas the earth occupied a very important place. But it is hardly worth talking about the personification of the earth in the form of a goddess. Most likely, the earth as a living element was meant, which reminds ancient religious ideas, for example, the Chinese. However, it is possible to correlate Mokosh with Mother raw earth. This is much less of a stretch than many other theories about the Slavic gods.

Who else could be the only goddess included in the new unified pantheon? For example, the goddess of women, patroness of childbearing and women's crafts. Or the goddess of fertility, possibly acting as wife of Perun. Or maybe a warrior goddess like Ishtar, the embodiment of power and luck in battle. Such a woman could well be on the princely hill, where, judging by the "Tale" did not take the "cattle god" Volos, despite his great importance. Historical data in no way limit the flight of our imagination.

Mokosh by BirnaAlicja

Khors-Dazhbog

Khors by Igor Ozheganov

The further things are worse. Between the names of Khors and Dazhbog in the "Tale" there is no union, but between the other names there is. This may be a reproduced mistake of the scribe. Or it may be an indication that these are two names of the same god (Khors-Dazhbog). In other sources both gods appear separately, but are never mentioned together.

In the "Conversation of the three saints" there is such an answer to the question where lightning comes from: "There are two thunder angels: the Hellenic elder Perun and Khors the Jew - these are the two angels of lightning". What it means and why these national epithets - who can tell. Some researchers believe that this is an indication that the cult of Khors came to Russia from the Jewish Khazaria, but this is a controversial statement.

Khors by Andrey Shishkin

There are also questions with lightning. This is the only mention of Khors with its functions. But there is a popular theory about the etymological connection of Khors with the Iranian-language root "khur", "khvar", meaning "sun". Linguists dispute this point of view, but so far it remains dominant, and the idea of connection of Khors with lightning, which does not fit into this concept, is often rejected.

In the "Tale of Igor's Campaign" there is an ambiguous phrase: "in the night trotting wolf: from Kyiv to Tmutorokan kurs, to the great Hrsovi the way was broken". Interpreting "Hrsovi" as "Khorosovu", romantically inclined researchers conclude that the "Khors' way" and consisted in "trotting wolf". And so Khors was actually connected with wolves, werewolfism and acted as a dark god of wild beasts and witchcraft. But it should be remembered that the only direct indication of Khors' functions is connected with lightning, and in the "Tale" it is quite possible that he was not meant at all.

In short, the god Khors was, but what he was doing - we will never know.

And what about Dazhbog? Let's see what Wikipedia calls the most informative source about him - "Chronography" by the Byzantine John Malala. He wrote, however, about the Egyptians, and the name Dazhbog was used to translate the name of the sun god Helios mentioned there, which in turn symbolized Amon Ra. From this we can conclude with some tension that the translator associated Dazhbog with the sun god. Also the word "Dazhbog" is mentioned in Ukrainian songs, including as the one who ends winter and begins summer. This also confirms the solar version.

In "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" knyazs or all Rus' people are called "Dazhbog's grandsons". Although there are different opinions about what this means, perhaps it is about the fact that Dazhbog was perceived as the forefather, the god-grandfather of the nation or humans in general.

Dazhbog by Andrey Shishkin

Stribog

Stribog by Igor Ozheganov

Stribog is another character about whom we know nothing. Practically the only mention - in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" it is said about the winds as "Stribog's grandsons", who direct arrows against Igor's army. On the basis of this not even a passage, but a sentence, theories were built that Stribog is the god of winds, as well as an evil god, an opponent of men, who was opposed to Dazhbog (mainly because both words are arranged in the same way).

From here went the identification of Stribog with St. Kasyan - a very curious character of folk Orthodoxy, evil, hostile, crooked (oblique) in one eye, guarding hell and sending winds and diseases. Kasyan deserves a separate story, but the grounds for his correlation with Stribog are very shaky.

Worship of Stribog at the Muscovites. Engraving from the book by G. A. Shleizing "Ancient and New Religion of the Muscovites", 1698

Simargl

Semargl by V. Korolkov

And the most mysterious character of Vladimir's pantheon is Simargl. In the "Word of a certain Christ-lover and zealous for the right faith" there is a quote: "believe… in Sim and in Rjgl (Erjgl)". But in other manuscripts Simargl or Semargl is written in one word. Who this person or persons were, what they did, is unknown. At some point his name was correlated with the Iranian Simurg on the basis of the similarity of the words. Simurgh is a mythical king-bird whose image probably (probably!) derived from Senmurv, a half-bird half-dog. The odious researcher Rybakov suggested that it was the half-bird-half-dog that stood on the hill in Kyiv, that he was the messenger of the gods, and was also associated with fertility and much more. All this does not stand up to criticism from a scientific point of view.

Simargl by Irdeorum-III

Who wasn't taken to the hill?

Volos / Veles

Veles by baklaher

Volos, judging by frequent references in sources, was a popular god of Ancient Rus. His name was sworn along with the name of Perun. He is often called the "cattle god", i.e. the patron of cattle, and therefore of wealth. That is, we even know what functions he had.

"The Tale of Bygone Years" does not mention Volos among the idols of Knyaz Vladimir's "pantheon". Much later "Kyiv Synopsis" mentions, but there and all the rest of the list differs, except for Perun. And in "The Life of Vladimir" it is said that the idol of Volos was thrown into the river, where in the "Tale" the idol of Perun was thrown. And here it is not clear: the idol of Volos was, but stood separately, as some researchers claim - for example, at the market? Or stood together with all, and Nestor did not mention it? Or some of the gods described by him is actually Volos?

Veles by Milica Cvetic

All information about Volos besides the fact that it was an important god of cattle looks extremely shaky. There is a theory that he was an opponent of Perun. It is based on the correlation of Volos with the Baltic Vels and Velnyas, a spirit connected with the underworld and cattle, and the opponent of Perkunas the thunderer. However, it should be realized that the sources telling already about this character are rather late and of ambiguous authenticity.

When contrasting Volos and Perun, it is sometimes said that Volos was the earthly god of gold and the common people (apparently, farmers), and Perun was the heavenly god of war and the rulers' retinue. This idea is based largely on the text of the oath, which mentions both Perun and Volos, as well as gold and weapons: "let us be cursed by the God in whom we believe, Perun and Volos, the cattle god, let us be as yellow as gold, and let us be cut with our weapons".

But, first, there is no obvious distinction here. Secondly, gold is mentioned in the context of yellowing of the skin and speaks rather of disease. It would be more accurate to conclude that these were powerful gods ruling over life and death. Hair was indeed most likely associated with wealth, but expressed primarily in livestock . And the possession of wealth is not very peculiar to the "common people" who are usually poor.

Perun fights with the serpent by A. Fantalov

The further development of the idea of the enmity between Perun and Volos turned him into a serpent, because the motif of the battle between the thunderer and the serpent is archetypal and is found in many peoples. The opposition of heavenly birds with earthly snakes, "creepers", in the culture of the Eastern Slavs occupies a very important place. But there is no reason to believe that it goes back to Volos.

"The Tale of Igor's Campaign" contains an indirect reference to Volos. Bayan, the legendary narrator, is called Veles' grandson. This can be understood as an epithet referring to his gift of words. And on this basis Veles is sometimes considered the god of poetry.

Veles by A. Klimenko

A more creative interpretation says that it refers to the gift of sorcery or volkhovanie. The idea of Veles as a god of wisdom, as well as many of his other attributes, entered popular culture from the "Book of Veles", a forgery from the 50s of the 20th century. For sure we can only say that there was such an important god Volos, and he had power over cattle, and thus welfare.

Veles by Andrey Shishkin

Svarog and Svarozhich

Svarog by Igor Ozheganov

Svarog is mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years", in the above described "Chronography" of John Malala. There, I remind, we are talking about the Egyptians, and the word "Svarog" is used to translate the name of Hephaestus (which is called, apparently, Khnum). Other sources mention Svarozhich, and it is probably the same character. Svarozhich was honored by the Western Slavs and was associated with fire. Whether he was honored in Ancient Rus is unknown.

Even if he was, a fire god is not always the same as a smith god, as Svarog is usually represented in popular culture. A fire god can be a god of hearth and sacrifice, a mediator between gods and humans, like the Indian Agni.

All others

Rod by Maxim Kuleshov

For example, Trojan is the demonized emperor Trajan. His image is found in the folklore of the South Slavs, but it is more of a fairy-tale character. In "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" Trojan is also present, but there it is said about "time" or "trope" of Trojan, so it is not very clear whether it is about some ancient ruler-man, mythological character or deity, or whether there is some mistake of the copyist or translator.

It is also known as Dyj or Diy. Sometimes it is mentioned among the gods worshipped by pagans, but more often it is used to translate the name of Zeus in the retelling of ancient myths.

Pozvizd by Andrey Shishkin

Rod and the Rozhanitsy are not infrequently mentioned. But usually in the same lists, where in addition to gods it is said about the worship of vilas, ghouls, bereginas. Which, undoubtedly, were important characters in Slavic folklore, but they are rarely called gods, singling them out as a separate category (like nymphs, alves and other spirits). How far this is actually legitimate - the question is debatable, but this is the tradition. And it is quite possible that under Rod and Rozhanitsy meant the worship of ancestors and patron spirits.

The "Kyiv Synopsis", compiled very late, in the 17th century, gives an alternative list of idols erected by Vladimir. In addition to Perun, called the god of thunder and rain in human form, Volos, the god of cattle, as well as Pozvizd, Lado and Kupalo are mentioned.

All of them are associated with the book tradition: the authors of later sources, in imitation of the Greeks, invented gods themselves and then copied them from each other. Sometimes they relied on parallels with the same ancient mythology, sometimes - on grassroots folklore, folk rituals and festivals. And when odious researchers began to study such sources, Lado or Uslad, appearing in several later sources in the male gender, turned into the goddess Lada. That is, here we see layers and layers of fiction.

To such a mythology invented by scribes belong also Lel, Lelya and Polelya. The last three are chants like "la-la-la-la-la" deified in a desperate attempt to find some pagan gods.

Marena was hardly a goddess either, no matter how attractive her image in popular culture as a strong woman who commands winter and death. In fact, she is a ritual character, an effigy or tree burned when winter is spent, like Maslenitsa - or ritually mourned in later spring, like Kostroma. The latter connects it with the death-rebirth cycle: it is a metaphor for the sowing of seeds into the ground ("funeral") and their subsequent germination ("rebirth").

The second reason for the appearance of the image of the goddess of death is the similarity of the name Marena to the Latin root mor: "death", i.e. the fact that Christian authors and early researchers were engaged in folk etymology (this is when words are attributed a similar meaning because they sound similar, a headache for any linguist). But of course, the gothic ice maiden is beautiful.

Another popular image popularized by Gaiman's American Gods is Chernobog, the malevolent god of evil. The character is also very spectacular, moreover, most likely, really former god. It is described, however, in the Baltic Slavs, but in Russia and Ukraine there are toponyms referring to this name. We do not know much about him, except that because of the ominous name of Chernobog very much loved Christian authors, boldly writing him in the devils.

Often he is mentioned together with Belobog, his antagonist and embodiment of good. But in recent times, the opposition between Chernobog and Belobog has been attributed to the fantasy of authors impressed by Manichaeism (a dualistic religion that asserted that evil and good were equally powerful).

Chernobog and Belobog by Maxim Shukharev

As for Chernobog himself, if he was not invented by Christian authors, it is not a fact that he was such a villain. Black color does not always mean something bad, it can be associated, for example, with black soil - fertile land. It is not excluded that the black god could be called different characters depending on the area or specific idols made of black stone or wood.

Of course, it is a pity that we are not left with at least our own Edda to learn more about the gods worshipped by the Slavs in the territory of Ancient Rus. But this is not a unique situation - in many countries, ideas about the pagan past are also based on romantic speculations, controversial etymological constructions and Christian or Roman sources.

And if you want to learn more about mythological representations of Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians - turn to the rich grassroots folklore, folk orthodoxy, fairy tales and songs. There you can find a lot of beautiful and interesting characters, images and themes that are undeservedly overlooked in attempts to find gods like those of the ancient Greeks.

Original by Maria Solntseva Translated by me :)

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virtchandmoir · 2 years ago

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Wickenheiser, Virtue among 42 former Canadian Olympians banned from entering Russia

333 total Canadians banned in response to sanctions imposed by federal government

April 12, 2023

Hayley Wickenheiser, Tessa Virtue and Clara Hughes are among dozens of former Canadian Olympians banned from entering Russia for signing a statement encouraging the removal of Russian athletes from next year's Paris Olympics amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was closing its borders to 333 Canadians, most of whom are politicians, in response to the Canadian government periodically imposing sanctions against Russia.

The list includes a group of 42 retired Canadian Olympians who signed a statement last month urging the Canadian Olympic Committee to reject the idea of allowing Russians to participate in the 2024 Games unless Russia withdraws from Ukraine.

The Canadian government was also among a group of 35 governments that released a statement in February saying that, without clarity on a workable neutrality model, "we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition."

The COC said in a statement last month that it supports the exclusion of athletes representing Russia and Belarus from international sport as long as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues.

The International Olympic Committee has not yet made a decision on whether or not Russian and Belarusian athletes will be banned from the Paris Games, saying last month the decision will be made at the appropriate time. The IOC did, however, recommend that individual athletes from both countries who do not have links to the military be allowed to return to competition under neutral status.

—CBC

#tessa #off ice #press #saw this coming

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theneverendingshow · 3 months ago

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Nana via Metart

#metart #nana #belarusian model #beautiful woman #beautiful women #beautiful face #great legs #beautiful feet #toes #beautiful smile #her smile

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mortheim · 3 months ago

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Vseslav of Polotsk: The Enigmatic Prince of Ancient Rus

Vseslav of Polotsk, known as "Vseslav the Sorcerer" or "Vseslav Bryachislavich," is one of the many Rurikoviches. Born around 1039, he was the son of Bryachislav of Polotsk and ruled the Principality of Polotsk for 55 years. Vseslav's life and reign were marked by both typical and unusual elements of princely rule during the era of Kyivan Rus.

Vseslav inherited the throne of Polotsk around 1044, a region located along the Western Dvina River, which was vital for trade routes connecting the Baltic and the Byzantine Empire. Polotsk was one of the principalities within the loose federation known as Kyivan Rus.

Vseslav's epithet "the Sorcerer" is one of the more colorful aspects of his legacy. Medieval chronicles, including the Russian Primary Chronicle, attribute his nickname to his reputed magical abilities. There are basically two explanations as to why he got that nickname: first attributes it to a birthmark, and second - to a caul that he covered him when he was born and which he wore as an amulet. His contemporaries believed he could transform into a wolf and traverse great distances at incredible speeds.

Like many rulers of his time, Vseslav was both a warrior and a politician. His reign was characterized by continuous conflicts with neighboring principalities. In 1067, he launched a bold attack on Novgorod. Capturing Novgorod was a significant achievement, although his hold on the city was brief. When he went to discuss peace with his enemies - 3 sons of Yaroslav the Wise - he was captured and thrown into a prison in Kyiv. But, later, those sons were defeated by the Cumans. So people in Kyiv demanded that Vseslav should be freed and given control of their military forces. At this point, some of the advisors suggested that Vseslav should be killed, but they were out of time - soon a revolt happened and Vseslav was freed. He became a Grand Duke of Kyiv for seven months.

Despite his martial pursuits, Vseslav also contributed to the cultural and spiritual life of Polotsk. He founded the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Polotsk, modeled after the great St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, symbolizing Polotsk's importance and his ambition to elevate the city’s status. At least five cities were founded during his reign. Polotsk Principality became one of the strongest Rus principalities.

Vseslav's legacy is preserved in various sources, from the Russian Primary Chronicle to Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Russian folklore. In Belarusian culture, Vseslav is often celebrated as a national hero, a symbol of the country's deep historical roots and its early medieval statehood.

And this is just a short article about him, yeah. He isn't the most well-researched of the Rus princes, but there is still enough information to learn more about him if you desire.

#history #mythology #vseslavichi #mythology and folklore #medieval history #europe #article #preparation

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dischordantcerebralballistics · 4 months ago

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More beautiful Kate Vaselinok pictures. My favourite Belarusian. And she supports Man Utd. What more could a man want.

#sexy #beautiful #models #beauty #long hair #Belarusian girl #Manchester Utd #Kate Vaselinok #Crush

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face-claims-central · 7 months ago

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Zhenya Katava - Belarusian, 1994

#face claims #female face claims #face claims central #belarusian #belarusian models #european #eastern european models #wattpad #fancast #fan cast #female models #beautiful girls #character inspiration #models #eastern european #white models #white female face claims #brunette

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neutrallyobsessed · 2 years ago

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OH MY GOD! STAND USER!AU

i was suposed to put the text underneath the images but i love this arragement?? and i guess it could work better to catch your attention so mucho texto y un poco de lore under the cut lel

「STAND MASTER」: Ten Cents 「STAND NAME」: Recovery Ship

Ability: Ferrokinesis. Can lift double his weight on metal by itself and triple if holding it with his body. He can manipulate it to a distance of 2 meters. As seen in the picture, he can make himself fly if he's over something made of metal

Namesake: Song by P-MODEL. And it's a remix of the Guts theme so that's pretty epic, more upbeat and fun ^^. I think recovery ships are actually for recovering spaceships that comeback to Earth and land on the ocean but damn it, it does sound like a synonym for tugboat right? kinda? anyways i hc TC as a Susumu Hirasawa fan 'cause yeah

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「STAND MASTER」: Big Mac 「STAND NAME」: Supernatural

Ability: Detect bad luck. That's it xd

Namesake: Album by Santana. Pretty simple stuff, it is a supernatural ability after all and has Smooth, a fav song :)

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「STAND MASTER」: O.J. 「STAND NAME」: Molchat Doma

Ability: Creating force-fields. Up to 10 meters of diameter on any solid, so nothing on open air (for now)

Namesake: Belarusian post-punk band. They made Sudno. It means boat. I was running out of ideas ok? and then remembered bout this song and its translation and i was like :000 perfect.

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「STAND MASTER」: Top Hat 「STAND NAME」: Englishman in New York

Ability: What do you mean irl railway tugs don't actually move its wheelhouses like Top Hat? I thought that it was based on something real that happend. Well, he can do that now, raise it up 50 meters una cosa asi.

Namesake: Song by Sting. Top Hat🤝Miles Edgeworth -> californian guys who want to be british lol

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「STAND MASTER」: Warrior 「STAND NAME」: Soldiers of the Wasteland

Ability: He just has the tugboat :P

Namesake: Song by DragonForce. C'mon, it has reference to his name and his job, it's perfect. And I think it fits Warrior, this band also made Through the Fire and Flames

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「STAND MASTER」: Hercules 「STAND NAME」: Big Brother

Ability: He can fuse with his tugboat and become this big, strong and fast af, hovering, can walk on water, robo-man and and it's really cool! uhhh ranges of all these metrics tba xd

Namesake: Song by P-MODEL. Self-explanatory and it was named by Ten Cents for obvious reasons. P-MODEL is Hirasawa's band lel

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「STAND MASTER」: Sunshine 「STAND NAME」: Blondie

Ability: Ya bet a guy called sunshine is going to have a high-temperature stand. Up to 1000 kelvin without damaging himself

Namesake: American new-wave band. He's blond, that's all I got, wanted some variety and not name everything after a song :v

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「STAND MASTER」: Grampus 「STAND NAME」: Midnight Crusin'

Ability: He can dive as far as a midget submarine can go, as long as either the human or sub are on the surface.

Namesake: Album by Kingo Hamada. It's where the Machi no Dolphin song is. City Dolphin. Grampus is a dolphin. Dolphin of Bigg City. It fits so well and so does the song ^^

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「STAND MASTER」: Zorran 「STAND NAME」: Yesterday

Ability: Viewing the past recorded on reflective surfaces. The amount of centimeters determines the amounnt of seconds it has recorded. (a 45cm window has 45 seconds of footage, for example)

Namesake: Song by The Beatles. It is clear that main antagonists in Jojo tend to have time-based abilities and what better Zorran to have an ability like that, referencing that theory of playing Beatles songs backwards gives proof that Paul died~ wish I could use one of those songs, but nothing fitted so whatev, obvious reference :P

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「STAND MASTER」: Zebedee 「STAND NAME」: ???

He probably has something other than the tugboat, but it's too afraid of exploring his abilities due to fear of not being able to control the power and feels that having a mf talking boat is enough for him. Also religious trauma, ofc~

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「STAND MASTER」: Zak 「STAND NAME」: Smoke on the Water

Ability: Creating and controlling dark smoke that comes out of his mouth. Doesn't need to smoke to do so, but he'll do it anyway. He has a problem but won't die from it, so he'll continue

Namesake: Song by Deep Purple. Again a very obvious one :v

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「STAND MASTER」: Zug 「STAND NAME」: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Ability: Morph his body into sharp objects

Namesake: Japanese Alt-Rock band. Is the band that did Parasyte's OP, his ability is a direct reference to that. Let me Hear is the name of the song but like it didn't fit? The band name, on the other hand, goes pretty well. They also made Kaiji's 2nd OP, just another banger to listen to uwu

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「STAND MASTER」: Zip 「STAND NAME」: Sussudio

Ability: Phase through walls and any other horizontal solid wall-like things, so not floors nor ceilings. He can make others (living or inanimated) to go with him if he's touching them. His hands are the expection, they can go through anything at his will.

Namesake: Song by Phil Collins. Did you know that sussudio means absolutely nothing? I think that it fits Zip pretty well, a word that he made up on the spot. And I like the song.

#this is tugs #bigg city port #tugs au #tugs ten cents #tugs big mac #tugs oj #tugs top hat #tugs warrior #tugs hercules #tugs sunshine #tugs grampus #tugs zorran #tugs zebedee #tugs zak #tugs zug #tugs zip

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nando161mando · 6 months ago

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Importante articolo della croce nera bielorussa su come dogmatismo e ideologia hanno fatto dimenticare un principio fondamentale dell'anarchismo e dell'internazionalismo ad alcuni presunti compagni europei, la solidarietà

"Dopo l’invasione su vasta scala dell’Ucraina da parte della Russia, la situazione è cambiata notevolmente. All’improvviso, all’interno dei movimenti anarchici e antifascisti, sono apparsi “esperti” delle realtà dell’Europa orientale, che negavano completamente i fatti a favore di un modello semplificato del mondo. Molte discussioni sulla guerra come conflitto tra NATO e Russia o sul regime fascista a Kiev ignorano fondamentalmente i fatti oggettivi. In questo testo vorremmo discutere di come questo atteggiamento influisca sullo sviluppo della solidarietà internazionale e di come alcuni anarchici scelgano di distorcere la realtà nella lotta per la superiorità ideologica...."

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Important article from the Belarusian Black Cross on how dogmatism and ideology have made some alleged European comrades forget a fundamental principle of anarchism and internationalism, solidarity

" After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the situation changed significantly. Suddenly, within the anarchist and anti-fascist movements, “experts” of Eastern European realities appeared, who completely denied the facts in favor of a simplified model of the world. Many discussions about the war as a conflict between NATO and Russia or about the fascist regime in Kiev fundamentally ignore the objective facts. We would like to discuss how this attitude affects the development of international solidarity how some anarchists choose to distort reality in the struggle for ideological superiority... "

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ldagence-celbs · 7 months ago

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Olga Sorokina - Belarusian Model -

#Olga Sorokina #model #breast flasher #personality #celeb

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beardedmrbean · 2 years ago

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A new law comes into effect in Lithuania on May 3 that legalizes so-called pushbacks. As Jurate Juskaite, the director of the Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights explains: "Border guards will be allowed to legally push back irregular migrants, and no independent and individual evaluation [as to whether] these people need asylum or not will be done."

It enshrines in law the Lithuanian authorities' practice of sending migrants back over the border immediately after they have crossed. Lithuania has already been doing this since the summer of 2021, when there was a sudden increase in the number of migrants crossing into the Baltic country from the authoritarian state of Belarus. At the time, the Lithuanian government saw itself as under attack from the Belarusian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko.

The EU also described the situation as a "hybrid attack," and suspected an attempt to destabilize the bloc. Many more migrants were also crossing from Belarus to Poland and Latvia. The accusation was that people from third countries were being lured to Belarus in order to get across the external border into the EU — and that the Belarusian state was helping them do it.

The Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reports that the new law is intended for application in exceptional circumstances. According to the country's Interior Ministry, it will also make a clear distinction between natural and instrumentalized migration.

Deployment of civilian border guards

Lithuania has an almost 680-kilometer (423-mile) border with Belarus. It has responded to the situation by installing a border fence along approximately 550 kilometers of that length. Four meters high and equipped with barbed wire, the fence is intended to prevent migrants from entering the European Union illegally. In future, under the new law, the border will also be patrolled by so-called civilian border guards.

Nongovernmental organizations are highly critical of this. The human rights activist Jurate Juskaite says the entry threshold for this job is very low. There is concern about the fact that, under the new law, these border guards are allowed to use force.

Julia Zelvenska is the head of legal support at the European Refugee Council, an umbrella organization of 110 nongovernmental organizations. She warns that this will normalize the use of force, and will lead to migrants being criminalized.

Lithuania is not the only EU country with an arrangement like this. Zelvenska says Hungary also employs civilian "border hunters" — and Hungarian law is regarded as the model for Lithuania's.

On Friday, a European Commission spokesperson pointed out that current EU law contains provisions on border security. These include a rule that border guards must be properly trained, specialized professionals.

Lithuania's law is not unprecedented

The accusation that people are being pushed back across the EU's external borders is not a new one. NGOs and journalists have already documented many instances of this happening. Fabrice Leggeri, the former head of the EU border agency, Frontex, resigned last year over media reports that the agency itself was involved in pushbacks.

The accusations are often accompanied by allegations of physical abuse. The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) is one of the organizations that has reported on this. It issued a press release that primarily described people being beaten — with slaps, fists and batons — when they were arrested by the police, border guards or coast guards. Will legalizing pushbacks open the floodgates for this sort of abuse?

Zelvenska points out that similar measures had already been applied before the introduction of the Lithuania's new law. "In general, this was quite a widespread situation at some point in various EU member states," she explains, "when they adopted usually short-term temporary measures announcing a state of emergency, also announcing that there will be some sort of limitations to the right of asylum." She cites the example of Greece. According to the Germany-based nongovernmental aid organization Pro Asyl, a rudimentary form of such regulations is also in place in Poland and Hungary.

EU border protection must comply with fundamental rights

Last week, a spokesperson for the European Commission said it was currently examining the law, which has not yet come into force, and was in close contact with the Lithuanian authorities. Concerning pushbacks, the Commission referred to its position that border protection must always be carried out in full compliance with fundamental rights.

Karl Kopp, the director of European affairs at Pro Asyl, doubts that the European Commission is fulfilling its task of ensuring that fundamental rights are protected. "As the guardian of the Treaties, the European Commission is obliged to enforce EU rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights — to monitor, and also to impose sanctions when violations occur," he says. "As to whether it is fulfilling this role — we have doubts." Kopp is critical of the Commission. He says it lets a lot of things slide, and is failing to impose sanctions for human rights violations.

Border officials to make case-by-case decisions?

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has already had to address Lithuanian asylum rules, last year. In a ruling on the state-of-emergency legislation in force at the time, the court made clear that it is a contravention of EU law if the imposition of a state of emergency effectively means that migrants have no access to any asylum procedure. Along with the possible use of force during pushbacks, denial of a formal asylum procedure is the other particularly difficult issue.

Lithuanian MPs have said the new regulation makes legal provision for border guards to evaluate cases on an individual basis, and to make decisions based on that, says Juskaite. However, in her view, border guards are not qualified to make such a decision. "We saw children being pushed out; we saw people who, during winter time, [were] pushed back to the woods with no shoes. We saw people who died in the forest in Lithuania,” the human rights activist told DW.

Council of Europe says pushbacks must stop

Last Tuesday, Lithuania's interior minister, Agne Bilotaite, said the country has to defend itself. The news agency AFP quoted the conservative politician as saying: "When it comes to national security and human rights, there are no easy solutions, but also there are no alternatives." Furthermore, the Interior Ministry claims to have intelligence that Belarus is negotiating an arrangement for new direct flights from Iran and Iraq.

Justifications like these are likely to fall on deaf ears at the Council of Europe. In late March, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture called on European governments to end pushbacks, in particular at the land and sea borders of the EU.

CPT President Alan Mitchell pointed out that even the complex situation at the border did not mean states could ignore their human rights obligations — and repeated that pushbacks are illegal.

EU states are required to act in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, which is overseen by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. According to Juskaite, it seems that, as a first step, Lithuanian NGOs intend to apply to this court and sue Lithuania there. They will also report incidents to other international bodies, such as the United Nations.

In principle, the European Commission could initiate infringement proceedings as well, if it considers that the new Lithuanian regulations constitute a violation of EU law. Right now, though, the Commission is presumably still assessing the situation.

#nunyas news #nice

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