#childhood of Bacchus

[mary-maud]

National Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

[astrocafecoffee]

Synastry observation ( part 1) 🎐

✨ For entertainment purposes only, enjoy ���

Let's go!

🍓 Eros conjunct karma :

intense attraction with karmic undertones, powerful sexual chemistry, higher purpose in terms of fulfilling karmic contracts or agreements made in past live.

🍓 Boda in 10th house overlays:

Partnership/ marriage with this person is somehow in public eye. Your person's connections or involvement in certain industry may open up career opportunities or avenues for professional growth for you.

🍓 Anteros ( 1943) conjunct Boda and briede asteroid:

Anteros is related to unrequited love. This alignment invites both partners to confront any unresolved issues stemming from past experiences of unrequited love, fostering open communication and understanding to heal emotional wounds and strengthen bond between them. Both partners may share a vision of building a life together.

🍓 Boda conjunct saturn :

Long term planning and future goals within the relationship. Strong desire for stability and permanence , especially in the context of partnership/ marriage.

🍓 POF in 10th house overlays:

Again public attention/ growth opportunities in career after you marry/ date that person.

🍓 IC in 1st house overlay:

This person's home and family dynamics play a significant role in shaping your perception of self. You may find that your own identity is intertwined with their family background or domestic environment in some way.

🍓 MC in 7th house overlays :

Same , public recognition in the relationship.

🍓 Amor (1221) conjunct nn :

Profound soul connection between both of you. This relationship may have been destined or fated to occur in this lifetime. Meant to meet. Amor's influence indicates a deep and unconditional love between both of you. Soulmate indicator.

🍓 Union ( 1585) conjunct moon :

Strong emphasis on empathy, compassion and understanding within your relationship. This partnership feels like home to both of you.

🍓 stellium in 6th house:

It's so underrated, 6th house stellium is in important in romantic synastry , as your partner may encourage you to adapt healthy habits in your daily life.

🍓 Juno conjunct Jupiter:

Marriage placement., As in Roman mythology juno is considered as the wife of Jupiter ( the Roman equivalent of Zeus in Greek mythology) .

🍓 Born ( 13954) conjunct nn :

Fated encounter. You are meant to support each other on your respective paths of growth and evolution.

🍓 lisitsa ( 8064) conjunct juno:

Again fated , long-term commitment/ marriage., Karmic bond.

🍓 Bacchus ( 2063)conjunct Bacchus:

Strong mutual attraction between partners, often characterized by a magnetic pull and deep appreciation for each other's physicality.

🍓 Pythia(432) in 7th house synastry :

Intuitive fated connection. They may share common interest in mystical or esoteric subjects and may engage in spiritual practices together to deepen their bond and connection.

🍓 Pythia conjunct Hera ( 103) :

Divinely guided relationship, this conjunction suggests this is a relationship that honours tradition and values long term commitment. Both individuals may feel a strong sense of loyalty and dedication to each other.

🍓 Moon in 4th house synastry:

Deep emotional connection, moon person feels comfortable and secure when with the house person, perhaps tapping into a sense of familiarity and safety reminiscent of their own childhood environment.

🍓 Juno conjunct Chiron :

Both individuals may share similar wounds or vulnerabilities in the realm of partnership. They may understand each other's pain and struggles on a deep level , which can foster empathy and compassion within the relationship ( healing through partnership)

🍓 Groom(5129) square briede(19029) :

Despite the challenges/ disagreements/ conflicting desires this aspect presents an opportunity for growth and understanding within the relationship. By addressing and working through the areas and conflict or tension, the couple can deepen their connection and strengthen their partnership over time.

🍓 Karma (3811) conjunct descendant:

Both the individuals may feel a strong sense of destiny or fate drawing them together in a partnership or relationship. They might believe that their meeting was predestined or that they have important karmic lessons to learn from each other.

🍓 Moon conjunct saturn:

This aspect can indicate a strong sense of responsibility and commitment between the individuals. But there may be a tendency for both individuals to hold back their feelings or to approach emotional matters with caution and reserve.

🍓 Groom in 1st house synastry:

It suggests that your partner may identify strongly with the role of the groom or husband in your relationship.they may see themselves as a partner who takes on traditional husbandly roles or embodies qualities that you associate with the concept of a groom.

🍓 Cupido (763) conjunct nn :

Fated , strong emotional alignment, transformative and potentially life changing love connection/ karmic lessons in love.

🍓 Sappho (80) in 12th house synastry:

Intuitive understanding or unspoken connection between partners, there may be a sense of yearning or longing for an idealised romantic Union that exists beyond the constrains of the physical world.

🍓 Lust(4386) on 1st house synastry:

Passionate and dynamic connection between partners characterized by intense physical attraction ,sexual energy, and a strong focus on the physical aspects of the relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

( post based on poll)

End......

Thank you!!

~piko 🌹

[supernovasilence]

narnia au where their parents were with them at the train station during the beginning of Prince Caspian. To say goodbye to them. Their parents being a little bit clingy(ptsd and overprotectiveness) wanted to both see them off on the train. The parents accidentally end up in Narnia with them. Shenanigans abound. Just imagine these two proper British parents having to deal with the fact that a magical talking lion made their children Kings and Queens, and they were for 15 years in Narnia, Narnia in general, watching their children fight and command armies, Caspian, and the fact that their kids are not really children anymore. Also Mrs and Mr Pevensies having to rely on their children in this unfamiliar place.

ooh yes, there is definitely untapped potential in Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie ending up in Narnia. They would struggle so much with everything. Why are there talking animals and trees and water. Why won't our children listen to us. Who gave our tiny daughter a dagger. Why are her siblings acting like Lucy having a dagger is fine.

Also, if they tag along from the start of PC, they would quickly meet Trumpkin, and I'm laughing so hard at the thought. Because he's also a pretty skeptical person, but they'd have different ideas of what counts as reasonable.

Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie: a real dwarf? How is he here? How did we get here?

Lucy: oh, Aslan probably summoned us.

Trumpkin: the magical king lion? don't be ridiculous. everyone knows there haven't been talking lions in Narnia in centuries

Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie: but other animals talking is normal

Trumpkin: obviously

Also the battle at the end? There are very serious thoughts to be had about the parents seeing their children all grown up, and realizing how capable they are (and mourning a little at how much responsibility they've obviously had to shoulder so young. they sent their children to the countryside to give them as much childhood as they could, and instead war found them. war and greater burdens than they would have had back home), but I keep getting distracted trying to decide which would be funnier, the book or the movie version.

Movie:

Mr. and Mrs. P: Lucy's not riding into battle! None of you should, but especially her!

Peter: don't be ridiculous

Peter: she's riding alone into the forest to find a lion

Or there's the book version of events, where Peter, Edmund, and Caspian fight in the battle while Susan and Lucy are off riding around on a lion, and literal Bacchus shows up with Silenus and a bunch of maenads and they conjure grape vines and wine everywhere.

(askfjdl and then Edmund eats dirt. The dryads are eating dirt at the victory feast and Edmund eats some because it looks like chocolate and imagine his parents. They've just started accepting their children actually are grown up and capable and royalty--and then their youngest son eats dirt.)

Also, maybe Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie look at Caspian and go "oh, another child carrying way too much responsibility. oh, you're an orphan and your uncle tried to kill you? okay, we have five children now"

[xoxochb]

semaine de la mode

idk if you'd do this, but can i request jason grace x praetor!daughter of bacchus to lacy?

reader and jason have been friends for as long as they could remember (aka since they were five years old) and she's got this biggest crush on him, but no one knows about it, even jason.

skip to when he vanishes, she looks for him day and night, like she vowed not to stop looking for him.

and then, he comes back with piper as his gf

basically “you've got the one thing that i want,” is reader kinda telling piper? idk if that makes sense.

long story short, reader decides to join the hunters of diana/artemis bcs she can't handle the heartbreak anymore. but, piper had already broken up with jason bcs she knows bro is in love with reader, he just forgot about it (aphrodite kid skillz)

pls make it a happy ending 😭

⋆·˚ ༘ * lacy

warnings: angst with resolved ending pairing: jason grace x praetor! daughter of bacchus a/n: this really isn’t my best work I’m sorry 😭

you would have to disagree when people said childhood crushes never last because in your case you feel it may never end. your undying love for the son of jupiter started when you were five the moment your eyes settled on him, his blond hair and electric blue eyes captivating. for as far back as your crush you had been best friends, always. did you not give enough signs? or was jason grace an oblivious idiot?

oh how you wish he would know. nobody knew. you were left to suffer silently with your feelings. praetor duties had to come first, if you were to confess your feelings and be rejected it would make your life at camp more difficult than it already was, you’d have to suppress your love for the rest of your life. both you and jason being praetors would have made things worse, you would see him all the time! you couldn’t live with the awkwardness of that

one day you awoke to find that your very crush had gone missing, no trace of anything left behind. the first day was a shock. missing? you knew jason, which is why you knew exactly that he would leave like this. the second day you began an investigation, collecting information from his peers. where did you see him last? what was his demeanor? did he have a reason? was he forced?

you were left with many unanswered questions meaning you had to work yourself. day and night you searched every inch of camp jupiter, twice a day until you suspected he wasn’t at camp anymore. you then took it upon yourself to check the nearby premises of camp, checking lakes, forests, streets, anything you could find. even if your friends at camp insisted you take a break, sleep, eat, anything deemed healthy you refuses to give up looking, you couldn’t do anything until you knew jason was safe

“y/n I am begging you please sleep you’re going to kill your self” reyna sprawls along your bed, asking you for the millionth time to take a break

you learn back against the headboard of your bed. “I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to”

“eat something at least”

“I’m not hungry”

reyna sits up to face you. “you’ve got to be, you haven’t eaten in weeks”

you shrug and reyna sighs, standing up. “I’m going to get you something to eat and I’m going to stay here until you finish it”

you watch as the praetor leaves, only hoping she won’t keep her words

ੈ✩‧₊˚

a week later you receive the greatest of news that jason had returned to camp and almost ecstatic you rush to the crowd, only to find him looped arms with another girl- a beautiful girl you would have to assume she was one of venus’ children. your heart breaks into tiny pieces when you realize you spent all your time searching for a boy who found love in another girl

does she know she has the one thing you’ve always wanted? probably not

you leave to your cabin, yet again being left with your relentless thoughts. did he forget about you? about how you were best friends? did he purposely get a girlfriend? of course he liked her she was probably more put together than you ever were- silly daughter of bacchus nobody would want to date you. rambunctious, filled with energy, jason had every right not to chose you

later that night you received a knock on your door. and of course it was just as you were falling to sleep for the first time in forever. sleepily you answer it, facing the very boy occupying your thoughts. should you hug him or should you slam the door in his face?

“hey” you mutter, almost awkwardly.

“can I come in?”

no.

“yeah, sure”

you lead jason to your bed, both taking seats. the silence you once thought comforting you wish wasn’t there

you play with the edges of your blanket. “why did you leave?”

“it wasn’t by choice. I got all my memories wiped”

“then what?”

jason sighs. “I woke up on a bus. piper was there. so was leo. I didn’t understand anything, I’ve never met them in my life but they claimed to know me so I assumed I did. over time my memory started coming back slowly, I started remembering you, my best friend. I couldn’t wait to come back to see you”

you discard you blanket and bring your legs up to your chest, resting your head on your knees. “she’s your girlfriend? a daughter of venus perhaps?”

“aphrodite”

“she’s pretty. I’m happy for you”

jason stays silent for a moment, you assume trying to think of the right words because what the hell are you supposed to say to someone after being gone for weeks?

“I missed you y’know?”

you feel tears threaten to escape your eyes, thankful for the darkness of the cabin.

“I missed you too” you whisper

“do you want me to stay over tonight? like old times?”

“I don’t think your girlfriend would like you laying with another girl”

jason nods, respecting your wishes. “will I see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be busy”

oh how you hated lying to him. disappointment fills his senses, you can almost feel it radiating off him. jason takes this as a hint and leaves, allowing you be alone

the sleep you were about to get was replaced by tear filled eyes, staining your pillow

ੈ✩‧₊˚

was love worth the tears? was a boy worth the tears? it couldn’t have been. a big decision awaits you as the hunting goddess stands before you

“are you sure this is what you want?” asks diana

you nod. “I think, yes”

diana sighs. “as much as I hate love I don’t think you should join just because of one boy. Immortality is a serious decision, not something you’d do over a silly situation. I will come back in a few days and ask you the same question, I want you to think about this thoroughly”

you obey her words. was this too soon? you visit the lake, skipping rocks on the water. one, two, three, four, five, six… it falls down into the water

“I didn’t know you were a professional rock skipper” a voice says behind you, a voice you know all too well

you turn around to face jason grace. “what are you doing here?”

jason walks towards you, picking up a rock and skipping it, not making it nearly as far as yours

“I wanted to talk to you”

“about what?”

“you- uhm, me. us?” he sighs before continuing, “last night, our talk… it made me realize something. well actually piper made me realize it. I always thought of us as best friends, our friendship was always something special to me but I thought it was just because we were friends. but when you said I couldn’t stay over at your cabin it made me think maybe we were always closer than I thought. after I left I was talking to piper about you, and you know her being a daughter of aphrodite she seems to know about this love stuff. she told me she felt that I liked you and I told her about how close we were and about how we’ve always been friends. she made me realize that we’ve never been just friends”

“what are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say that I like you and I’ve been too stupid to realize it”

“you’re not stupid, jason”

“I am. I’m really stupid and I feel awful that I never acknowledged your feelings and let you think I just thought of us as friends all this time”

“are you sure? you’re not just saying this to make me feel better?”

“of course not, y/n/n. if you still like me and you don’t think I’m a complete idiot I would love to be your boyfriend”

you might’ve shed a tear or two. pure relief floods through you. happy tears flow from your eyes and jason pulls you into his chest, allowing you to let your tears out. he runs his hand up and down your back in a comforting notion until you calmed down

you lift your head up to look at him for the first time since he’s got back, making you realize how much you truly missed him

“I still think you’re an idiot” you mumble

“I’m fine with that, I deserve it”

you laugh. “jason?”

“yeah?”

“I’d love for you to be my boyfriend too”

jason smiles. the same one he’s always reserved for just you. “would it be okay if I kissed you?”

with the close proximity you were in any other boy would’ve went for it regardless of what you wanted. but you knew jason grace. he was the same boy that always made sure your comfort and needs came before his

“of course”

without another thought he leans in to capture your lips. for the first time, and hopefully never the last

[whencyclopedia]

Dionysos

Dionysos (Roman name: Bacchus, also known as Dionysus) was the ancient Greek god of wine, merriment, and theatre. Being the bad boy of Mt. Olympus, Dionysus was perhaps the most colourful of the Olympian Gods.

Son of Zeus

In Greek mythology, despite being the son of Zeus and Semele (the daughter of Kadmos and Harmonia), Dionysos did not receive the best start in life when his mother died while still pregnant. Hera, wife of Zeus, was jealous of her husband's illicit affair and craftily persuaded Semele to ask Zeus to reveal himself to her in all his godly splendour. This was too much for the mortal and she immediately expired; however, Zeus took the unborn child and reared him in his thigh. Most accounts then attribute the satyrs and nymphs as the carers of Dionysos in his childhood and the wise Silenus as his chief educator on Mt. Nysa, far from Hera's wrath.

Homer describes the god as the 'joy of men', and Hesiod likewise describes him as 'much-cheering'. This is no doubt because Dionysos is credited with giving man the gift of wine. The god gave Ikarios, a noble citizen of Ikaria in Attica, the vine tree. From this, Ikarios made wine which he shared with a group of passing shepherds. However, unaware of the stupefying effects of wine, the shepherds thought they had been poisoned and so swiftly took revenge and killed the unfortunate Ikarios. Notwithstanding this inauspicious start to the wine industry, wine became an extremely popular drink in antiquity. The Greeks usually drank wine diluted with water (one part wine to three parts water), mixed in a large krater vessel. Wine was drunk at banquets, festivals, and private parties, in particular, at a symposium, a kind of informal, male-only drinking session where guests reclined on a couch (kline) and engaged in conversation on topics ranging from gossip to philosophy.

Continue reading...

[anotheroceanid]

Could you explain to me some points from your fanfiction - for example, the infertility of the Romans and the Bacchus plague.

Ofc!!! We’ll develop all of those in the fic too, but I can give a quick explaining.

The Roman infertility: a little after the attack on CHB, when that generation of Roman’s started having their own kids, Aphrodite/Venus cursed their offspring with a lot of sicknesses, so even those who survive their early childhood still have a hard life regarding their health. Alongside with that, she made the romans have a lot of problems conceiving and keeping a pregnancy, so very few babies are born.

This affects necessarily Roman’s who are descendants of gods, so demigods and legacies, mortals in the Roman territory aren’t affected.

-

Bacchus Herba is a plant created (a type of vine) during Pollux and Dakota’s fight at the end of the war. They lost control of their powers, resulting in multiple side effects, especially in the area in which they fought. It has a very strong and enticing scent, which attracts insects and animals (even humans), which increases the spreading of the plants through biotic pollination.

Once consumed, the plants toxin infects whatever ate it. And so it goes. Example: if an animal eat the plant, he also becomes poisonous to the animal who will eat him, too, and so it goes. So the toxin accumulates throughout the food chain, but also magnifies itself across the food chain because bigger animals eat more than small animals and can consequently consume way more of the toxin than the smaller individuals. (This is based off bioaccumulation and biomagnification, which in our real world refer to non biodegradable substances in our organisms, but here it refers to whatever magic thing there is in the plant and I also did a few creative choices).

The term Bacchus’ herba and Bacchus plague are interchangeable in everyday talk, but the herba causes the plague. (I hope this is making as much sense in your mind as it does in yours).

The main problem of it all, is that tbe “toxin” is a very strong hallucinogenic that drives people and animals crazy really fast, and in some case creates very gruesome situations.

But contrary to the infertility, the plague wasn’t created by Dionysus/Bacchus. My boy Dio has NOTHING to do with whatever his kids did in that fight.

[mask131]

The myth of Dionysos (4)

The Dictionary of literary myths does not have just one article about Dionysos… But two! And since I translated the first, let’s journey through the second: it is titled “Dionysos: The evolution of the literary myth”, and it was written by Ann-Déborah Lévy-Bertherat.

According to the imagery of the Ancient Greeks, Dionysos is supposed to be a young god – he is often depicted as a teenager, sometimes even as a child. This perhaps explains why his Greek name was thought to be the counterpart of the Phrygian “Dioskouros”, “the boy of Zeus”. However, it seems more plausible to link Dionysos’ name to Nysa, both nurse and homeland of the god. But no matter which of these explanations is right: both highlight and insist on a foreign origin for the god. A foreign origin that we know to be purely mythical rather than historical – indeed, the Mycenaean texts proved that the cult of Dionysos was implanted in Greece since a very, very old time, and was not a “recent importation” as classical Greeks believed. But then, why make Dionysos a “foreign god”? Maybe because, in a symbolic way, it is important for Dionysos to be a god that “comes and goes”, a “god that arrived” – or maybe, it was a much needed element to explain his strange, bizarre and frightening character.

I/ Births and rebirths of Dionysos

Semele, a mortal woman loved by Zeus, died because of Hera’s jealousy: she asked her divine lover to appear before her in all of his glory, but this resulted in her death struck by his lightning. Removing the child she was bearing in her womb, Zeus placed the unborn into his own thigh, where the baby completed his growth. As such, Dionysos knew a double-birth, and his cult was deeply marked by this. One of the Dionysiac rites is the ritual of the liknites (child in crib) – where a child has to disappear and be searched by women in vain, for he will only reappear one year later.

The Passion of Dionysos: The myths of Dionysos’ childhoods and wanderings depict him as a persecuted god. One time he is dismembered, boiled and devoured by the Titans before being resurrected by Demeter. Another time Hera curses with madness Semele’s sister, Ino, first nurse of the god. In a third tale pirates kidnap the child to sell him as a slave. Homer, in the Iliad, retells of how Lycurgus, armed with an axe and a desire to kill, hunted down Dionysos and his nymph-nurses – the child had to throw himself into the sea, where he was saved by Thetis. The true “passion” of Dionysos (in the Christian meaning of the term) always suffering, always dying, but always resurrecting, seems to be a symbol of the vegetal cycle. As a result, it is no coincidence that the four great holidays of Dionysos are all placed between the end of December and the beginning of April – aka, between the winter solstice and the arrival of spring.

Ivy and vine: Legends insist on the ties between Dionysos and other vegetal deities, such as Cybele or Rhea – two incarnations of the great Earth-mother, two deities that shield Dionysos from Hera’s revenge. There are the agrarian nymphs that constantly surround the god; there is his lover, Ariadne, that was originally a Minoan goddess of vegetation; and there is of course Demeter, to which he is tied through the Mysteries of Eleusis (and Pindar even goes as far as making Dionysos and Demeter a couple). Dionysos is also called Bacchus (a named which, according to Euripides, comes from “bacchos”, the “branch” the “bough”) ; he is said to be a “ploutodotes”, a “wealth-giver” ; he was believed to give strength to plants and to help them grow ; and among his numerous attributes, his most prominent ones are the ivy (of which he is crowned) and the grapevine (which he offered to the world). These two plants have always a savior role in his myths. It was said that the child Semele bore was protected from the lightning by ivy ; the pirates were frightened when ivy and vine started growing around their ship’s mast ; a nymph hunted by Lycurgus turned herself into vine to choke the murderous king… And yet, these two plants are such a contrast they can only make the god ambiguous: ivy is coldness and sterility, where the grapevine is warmth and generosity. Dionysos is almost most famed as the god of wine: it is the wine that symbolizes the presence of the gods during festivals; during the Lenaia festival (January-February) the new wine is offered to the god (symbolized as a bough-decorated mask). Dionysos “polygethes” (joyful, happy) is said, according to Euripides, to have the power to “laugh and put to sleep all our problems”.

Fertility and fecundity: This god, friend of the nymphs, who found a home with Thetis at the bottom of the sea, whose statue is ritually plunged in water at Halai, who was said to have entered Athens on a naval chariot, has too many affinities with water and humidity (an universal symbol of fertility) for his power to limit itself just to plants. Indeed, let us take a look at his cohorts and parades: w find in there donkeys, goats and bulls, usually painted in an ithyphallic position; and he is surrounded by Satyrs and Silenes whose lubricity and lust are meant to parallel the chastity of the Maenads. Dionysos himself, during the Anthesteria festival (February-march) knows a physical and sexual union with the Basilinna, and by doing so ensures one year of fecundity for all of Athens. The exaltation of fertility in Dionysos’ cult is most expressed through phallophoria – but the particularity of Dionysos is that he depicts a complete and “full” fecundity, with both its masculine and feminine attributes. Dionysos, in his myth like in his cult, is surrounded by women: Aeschylus calls him “effeminate”, explaining his youthfulness (he hasn’t grown a beard or body hair yet), and his clothes (he usually wore the women’s peplum). Some even depict him as an androgynous figure, and the ambiguity of his sex reminds the one of the hermaphrodite and their “ideal fecundity”. The French poet Baudelaire will even interpret the thyrsus, a long, leafed staff held by the followers of the god, as the union of the masculine symbol (the straight staff) and the feminine one (the curvy boughs wrapped around it). Dionysos is “polygethes” and “ploutodotes” – but reducing Dionysos to this sole role would be removing from him his “dark side”, the eviler part of his power. For Homer calls him “mainomenos”, the “demented one”. He is a god that disturbs, he is a god that break the order.

More about this next time, in “The Frenzied God”!

[light-of-delphi]

How Their Energies Feel

When Apollo checks in, which is frequent, he feels very warm. He feels like the perfect warmth on a summer day. Not too overwhelming, unless I haven't noticed him yet. He feels like the soft embrace of a lover, telling you that everything is going to work out in the end.

When Bacchus checks in, which is mostly in times of distress or hysteria, he feels a little unhinged. Like a slightly impulsive friend who you feel like you should keep an eye on but you know has your back. He feels like your friend who offers to key your exes car after a nasty breakup.

When Neptune checks in, which is rather infrequent, he feels like a confused, oddly hip uncle. He doesn't keep up with the current trends, references don't land and he is strictly business. But he's also a fan of the occasional joke or lighthearted conversation.

When Mercury checks in, which is infrequent, I feel a rush. It's like when you and your best friend meet up and you know shenanigans are going to occur. Lots of energy. But he can snap into a rather serious demeanor at the drop of the hat if needed.

When Venus checks in, which is usually when I do my makeup or do my curls, she feels like a friend on Facetime. Like I could tell her anything and she would be understanding. She feels like a childhood friend. Judgement-free, zero off-limits topics.

When Hypnos checks in, which I'm finding is nightly, it feels like I'm having a sleepover. Both of us sleepy, exhausted even, fighting off he temptation of sleep to stay up and talk. Talk about life, and philosophy. And then I fall asleep and he keeps me safe.

[writingmia]

In defense of Jason Grace

I have seen many people through the years say they hate Jason, that Jason is their least favourite character in the series, etc. and all of their reasoning is because he's 'boring'. I admit, when I first read those books, I was feeling the same way. I wasn't the biggest Jason fan and I didn't think I would be. I even judged my friends for liking him, when there were other 'obvious' choices for favourite characters. Now, years later, I'm no longer 12 reading those books for the first time and I see Jason in a completely different perspective I would like to share.

Jason Grace was a child without childhood. He was taken from his family at two years old and taken to the Wold House, where he couldn't show weakness because then he would be seen as food - you cannot show weakness when you're being trained by Lupa. Which immediately strikes us with a, frankly horrifying, thought - Jason's first memories won't be of his mother, who wasn't the greatest parent anyway, or his sister Thalia, who loved him so much. It would be of what he was taught in a life-or-death situation, that you cannot show weakness. That's important to remember for later.

Jason also has had to carry an incredibly heavy burden since he first joined Camp Jupiter - he's the son of Jupiter, the King of the Gods. We have experienced first-hand what it felt like for Percy to have to go through being a child of the Big Three, but please keep in mind that when that happened, Percy was already 12 and he was a child of Poseidon. I'm not trying to say one of them had it harder than the other, because context is very important, but simply putting things into a perspective - Jason, a child who can't remember his family is put on a pedestal because of who his father is, with expectations being placed upon him immediately, as a, presumably, young child who has just been taught that life is either be strong or die.

And then, despite all of that, he decides that he will join the Fifth Cohort because he wants to write his own destiny, and because he wants to restore their honour. He's not only going against what others would expect from him, including his father, but he's also claiming a goal others perceive as impossible just to prove a point. Not a very boring thing to do, is it?

To continue adding to the list of things that Jason has done to prove that he isn't the prince-like, spoiled boring white guy some people in the fandom see him as, I want to talk more about the things Jason cannonically does at Camp Jupiter. He becomes friends with the 'least popular kids' because everyone else expects they would have to treat him like royalty, he goes on small quests that don't mean much because he doesn't want to be that hero and savior that's expected of him. He follows rules as to not appear spoiled, and even with his rule-following he appears to be 'unconventional' by Roman standards. He's the son of Jupiter, who's doing everything in his power to not conform.

And despite all that, he still manages to use his status to do what he thinks is right. Despite his efforts, he still ends up being the undoubted leader while everyone else is a follower. He listens to all sides, he tries to mediate to the best of his abilities. In his attempts to make everyone else an equal, he puts himself above them and makes them look at him for mediation and decision-making. For the twelve years he spends at Camp, he has eyes constantly on him, judging him, expecting things from him.

Now remember when I said that Jason tried to go to meaningless quests? Yeah, you can guess that didn't really work for him. Canonically, he has gone to many quests, including some that had been appointed to him by gods, such as Bacchus, so he was fairly unsuccessful there as well. And remember when I said that he was raised by a wolf to not show any weakness? I feel like at this point it should be pretty clear he internalized that, a lot.

I get why the debate 'who's stronger, Jason or Percy' happens in the fandom, but it doesn't mean it annoys me any less. Because most of the time, the only arguments are pointing out Percy's strengths and we're forgetting that Jason does some pretty incredible things as well. Jason, like Percy, also fought a Titan single-handedly, and won. What we know from canon about it, it's that he did it with sword-fighting and, interestingly, hand-to-hand combat, which is what the books mainly focus on when talking about his feat. Jason went up against a Titan and smacked him with his bare hands enough times that he won. And in the entire fight, Jason using his powers is not mentioned once. Which is a pretty constant thing, if I might add, but I'll delve into that more later.

Again, a common mischaracterization I see in the fandom is that Jason is this strictly rule-following, rigid, stick-in-his-ass guy, when he really isn't. One of the main things about him is that he's too relaxed for Camp Jupiter. After the war, when he tried to change things about Camp, he was unsuccessful because Camp Jupiter is too traditional and Jason's ideas weren't conforming to that.

And of course, it was Jason who welcomed the two kids of Pluto (Hades for Nico but you get my point) to Camp. I feel like it should be pretty clear to you why at this point, but let me repeat - Jason knows the pressures of being a child of The Big Three, and Jason isn't afraid to be friends with the 'not cool' kids, with the people who are looked at as weird or that are treated as outcasts. He does some of it out of spite, yes, but he was what, fourteen? Thirteen? At the time. That level of emotional maturity for a barely teenager is surprising as is.

Also, can we note that Hazel describes Jason as closed-off, hard to read and 'more of a legend than a man'. This thirteen/fourteen year old? This should be enough to tell you how Jason was treated and raised and why he is the way he is. 'Boring', because this child needs to be an example for an entire camp that has placed him in that position he didn't want in the first place but felt guilty and responsible to take. When Percy was thirteen-fourteen, he was being an ass to Tyson (which he later regrets, yes) and fights with Thalia (which they stop doing, yes) and Camp Half-Blood still sees him as more of an annoyance than a hero at that point. That doesn't change for Percy until The Battle of the Labyrinth. Jason never had that. He was spotlight leader from the second he was at camp.

He also didn't have an Annabeth and Grover, at least that we're explicidly told about, and his closest person was Reyna, who also had a crush on him, so who was Jason's platonic best friend in Camp that he could rely on for anything? We don't know. Maybe because he didn't have one? I'm just putting that idea out there.

Now, I will try to be more brief on Jason in the series, but with the speed with which we're going, that is kind of unlikely. First and foremost, Jason is an amnesiac who never gets his memories fully back. I want to focus so much of your attention on this. Jason wakes up and he doesn't remember, excuse my swearing, jack shit. He doesn't know who he is, what's his favourite colour, what music he likes, nothing. Nada. He is then told, again, he's the son of Zeus, he is sent on a quest with people who don't actually know him but have expectations for him, while he still doesn't remember anything. He is also fifteen. He is a child that people are judging for being 'too boring' of a character. Well excuse him for not having any memories so he can have a proper personality!

Excuse me, I'm getting a bit heated here. I feel I'm making valid points though. Because Jason's story keeps repeating - he goes to Camp, people start looking at him like he might become the new Percy or some variation of that, he has these friends with false memories of him, he is also trying to save the world in the meantime. I'm very sorry he doesn't have time to figure out his personality in the meantime.

This is what I think is the most tragic about Jason's character - he doesn't have the time to figure out who he is truly is because he's too busy helping everyone else, even if what he's helping with is stopping the end of the world. He is a hero of the Great Prophecy, which again links with his destiny and how there's no escaping it and he, again, doesn't have any choice in what happens. He was unconventional for Camp Jupiter because of his disregard for tradition, but he's not fully accepted in Camp Half-Blood either because he's still a Roman demigod.

And then the Burning Maze happens and we don't talk about it because Uncle Rick hates us. I refuse to read that book because if I don't, then Jason is happy and alive.

We should note, though, that Jason and Piper have broken up. And I believe the only reason they ever dated was because Piper had that expectation of Jason, and we've already established how he was raised. He is a people-pleaser because that's what he's had to be for his entire life. He can't disappoint people, because then he would feel guilty, and so I believe he gaslit himself into thinking he liked Piper romantically because otherwise he would have to hurt her. And I do believe Leo and Piper are the first real friends Jason has made, at least those who see him as truly human, and so he didn't want to lose Piper. So, he made her and himself believe he liked her and started dating her. I think he would've done the same with Reyna if he'd remained in Camp Jupiter, for the same reasons - expectations. He also has raging abandonment issues, so. Double fuck there.

In summary, because of his personality and parentage, Jason has never had the choice to put himself first. He hates the framework in which he's put by being the son of Jupiter, but he swallows that for the sake of others.

Well that was quite the rant. I have more to say, but this is already too long. After this post, I have become a Jason Grace stan. If, one day, he has no fans, it's because I have died. Jason Grace is my son and he's very much alive, thank you (not you, Rick Riordan. I don't thank you). Anyway, please like this post? I would super appreciate it. I would also love a discussion! - mia

[chadlesbianjasontodd]

celebrate YOUR post-christmas mid-hanukkah pre-newyear liminal space by reading the fanfic i have poured all my childhood feelings and adulthood thoughts about c.s. lewis' chronicles of narnia into! particularly those about mid-century british fantasy orientalism!

around the primordial tower

Desperate, he prayed to Bacchus; to Diana, god over all the wild lands of Tirian's own wild country; and finally to his distant relatives the stars. He received no sign at all: not a brush of wind, not a twinkle of light. And finally, as the rosy fingers of the false dawn began to touch the sky, he called at last upon the devil-god of the southern countries, whom he had been warned since his childhood was the source of all evils in the world.

Here, at last, he was not abandoned.

[everythingnerdyxoxo]

That Text - Gruvia - Fairy Tail

Summary: It had been 8 years since they last spoke until out of the blue he contacts her. Modern AU

Pairing: Gruvia

Chapter Three

They went to one of the local pubs. It was a place they both attended regularly when back in college but never together. Juvia remembered watching Gray and Lucy from across the pub many a time when she would go out with Gajeel and Levy. They were always her biggest supporters.

It brought up some raw memories for her, but as she looked across the table at Gray who was looking back at her with a kind smile those memories ceased to affect her.

The alcohol continued to flow, they laughed and reminisced about old times. Gray spoke about his experiences in the army and Juvia spoke about her nurse training and about her job working with people with disabilities. Gray admired her for it.

They were mid flow with their conversation when their table was approached.

‘Look whose here! I wasn’t expecting to see the two of you together tonight!’ Cana and her boyfriend Bacchus had approached the table, Bacchus looking sheepishly as Cana drunkenly sat in the chair next to Juvia.

Juvia had fond memories of Cana; she was always lovely to her back in high school. She remembered her being a good friend of Lucy’s but a childhood friend of both Gray and Natsu. Bacchus however, she was unsure of. She knew of him, but she never really engaged with him back in school.

‘Cana! It’s been a while; I haven’t seen you since our last Christmas party.’ Gray trailed off his last sentence, trying to avoid eye contact with Juvia all of a sudden.

‘Oh yeah! Great party! Not such a good ending from what I can remember of it… But look at you Juvia!’ Cana wrapped an arm around Juvia pulling her close. ‘It’s been so long! You got hot! Look at the boobs on you now!’ Cana hiccupped between words as she spoke. Juvia blushed at the statement, the alcohol was heavily affecting her at that point, and she felt fuzzy with her thoughts.

‘I could say the same thing about you Cana! I haven’t seen you since the end of high school.’ She smiled kindly to her, gaining a smile back.

‘God high school! How long ago was that now! Can you believe were in our late 20s now! You remember Bacchus of course! He was in a different form to us, but you might have shared some classes together!’ Bacchus gave Juvia a wave, he was clearly intoxicated as well, a drunken blush to his cheeks.

‘What brings you guys together tonight? I didn’t even know you guys were still in contact from high school! The two of you were always the ones I thought were gonna be end game! Funny how things turn out eh?!’ Cana held Juvia steadfast in her grasp as she laughed.

Juvia looked bashfully at Gray, who wore a blush on his cheeks. ‘Were on a date.’ He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he spoke. Juvia felt like she was going to pass out from happiness as he said it out loud. The butterflies in her stomach, almost erupting from her in response.

‘A date!? Oh my gosh amazing! I always shipped you guys together; thought you were a much better match!’ Cana leant across the table, grabbing Gray’s arm in encouragement.

A deep blush showed on both Gray and Juvia’s cheeks as she said that.

‘Glad to hear it mate. Real shit what happened with Lucy and Natsu, couldn’t believe it when I found out! I was completely oblivious at the Christmas party.’ Bacchus put a reassuring hand on Gray’s shoulder. Gray’s eyes dropped to the ground, a serious and sad look on his features as he did so.

Juvia glanced at him, she had been cheated on previously, she knew the pain but never with someone she had been with that long. She hoped that she could perhaps heal him from that pain. But there was a niggling fear in her, what if her Gray-Sama wasn’t completely over Lucy, they had been together for so long, what if she was the rebound?

[inspofromancientworld]

The Building of the Argo and its Ancient Origins

By Schorle - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7027254

Gaius Valerius Catullus, more commonly known as Catullus was a Roman poet who lived from 84-54 BCE. In his short life, he wrote 113 poems, many of which are still read today. He was born in Verona to a prominent family, so much so that his father entertained Julius Caesar when he was the proconsul. They also had a villa near modern day Trivoli, near a resort there. His status allowed him to meet many other poets and orators and he dedicated and wrote poems about them. He was even able to lampoon Julius Caesar and was invited to a dinner with Caesar the day he apologized. He wrote several poems about a woman he called 'Lesbia' (a nod to Sappho) who had 'no fewer than five lovers in addition to Catullus'. It is thought that the woman Lesbia was based on was Clodia Metelli, whose husband died under mysterious circumstances in 59 BCE. Though Catullus burned with passion for Clodia, she was indifferent to him. His response to this can be found in his poems, from devout passion to bitter scorn. He spent a year, from summer 57 BCE to 56 BCE on the staff for Gaius Memmius at Bithynia. There are also poems that speak of a boy Juventius, not named, but someone he likely knew in his childhood and went to Rome with him. His poems also reflect his ongoing relationship with whomever Juventius was meant to be.

Catullus' writings style was influenced by Greek poets such as Callimachus and Homer, as well as Sappho. He's also part of a group that are considered 'moderns' or 'new poets' because they sought to create a new type of poetry that reflected their contemporary time, focused on personal and intimate themes rather than heroes and gods, and when there is focus on the actions of heroes and gods, the focus tends toward the personalities rather than the actions.

By Unknown author - Scanné de Coureurs des mers, Poivre d'Arvor., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3510397

Jason, leader of the Argonauts, was the husband to the sorceress Medea, granddaughter to Helios, the Greek sungod, rightful king of Iolcos. and great-grandson of Poseidon. His father's half-brother wants to take over Thessaly, which pushes the newborn Jason into hiding to be raised by the centaur Chiron, with his mother claiming to have had an affair with Chiron the whole time. His uncle goes to an oracle, who tells him to watch out for the one-sandaled man. Years later, Jason shows up to royal games wearing a single sandal after having lost one helping Hera (wearing an old woman's guise) across a river. Jason's uncle, thinking he was clever, said, 'To take my throne, which you shall, you must go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece.' Jason accepts and assembles a bunch of heroes, including Heracles, Orpheus, and Argus. They build and sail the boat.

By Sebastiano Ricci - The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158307

The Building of the Argo is part of Catullus 64, which is a 'little epic' and Catullus' longest poem. Though the poem purports to be about the parents of Achilles being married, a lot of the poem is about Theseus deserting Ariadne. In the original myth, Theseus never looked at Ariadne, but in the poem there is the implication that they interact, were even in love and how Ariadne even turned to Bacchus in her pain. The poem as a whole is a reflection on better times, when gods came to weddings, as it was written during the Roman Civil war.

The portion that details the building of the Argo starts '[w]hen Argos' sons, the golden fleece to gain/That hung in Colchis, dared the briny main'. The '[f]air Amphitrite's [goddess of the sea, consort to Poseidon] crystal bosom taught/To bear the work her magic hands wrought:/Scares its swift prow through the cleaved ocean flew'. Those on the Argo '[d]aily the enormous structure they beheld,/To mortal eeyes their naked frames revealed', referring to the structure of not only the Argo, but also the sea itself, so that eventually, 'full to view, emerging from the flood,/Their swelling breasts and shapes half-human stood.'

The Building of the Argo can be found here. The entire of Catullus 64 can be found here.

[lordhermesworship]

What I am made of

My freckles and moles make the constellations of the gods, my tongue has been seen by the silver gods and my soul from the golden gods, my body made from the trees and love from the sea, my eyebrows from sea foam and my hair from vines and my fingers from tree bark of Odin, my words from the swift god chuckling, my skin from the lighting of Zeus and tears from water shared between glasses of Ganymede, my heart from star-crossed lovers who are forbidden from the arrows of Eros, my eyes from oracles that have passed bearing the curse of no sight but of the blessing of prophecy, my ears from the whispers of Bacchus who loves me spite my schizophrenia, my nose from my mother who is my humanity, my wrinkles from Aphrodite who loves me even tho I am not blond nor blue eyed pale, my wounds from Ares who still reminds me love is in the blood from your ancestors even if obtained through fighting, my emotions are the sails on the boats that sway from wind spirits playing, my teeth from the wolf who loves back even if it was betrayed by a loved one, my nails from the huntress in the woods having to protect her and myself from men even if it means keeping her nails sharp like daggers, my feet from nymphs who dance on their toes for Apollo, my judgement from Athena who knows of my linage yet still cares for me, my memory’s from Hera who loves even if my childhood was locked from me and she still sent me cars and people to see from windows, and my kindness from psyche to remind me bugs shouldn’t be squashed simply from the crime of being small, and my smile from the fey to remind me that their is love in gifts, and I myself am made of love.

[hildegardavon]

Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny, 1798-1871

[Nymphs of Nysa] The childhood of Bacchus (sketch), n/d, oil on canvas, 40x59 cm

Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts Inv. Bx E 447 bis

[classicschronicles]

Hi lovelies,

Today I thought I would tell you the myth about Ariadne and Dionysus literally because I saw a nice painting of them! The painting is called The Marriage of Bacchus and Ariadne and is by Pierre-Jacques Cazes.

Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, King of Crete. There is little to be said about her childhood with most of her story materialising after the arrival of Theseus in Crete, following her father demanding 7 young men and 7 young women from Athens as tributes to the Minotaur.

One of the arrivals to Crete was the Athenian Prince, Theseus. It was a case of love at first sight for Ariadne, and so when Theseus entered the Labyrinth she promised to help him. Yada yada you all know the rest. Although, it’s worth mentioning one part of the myth that is often missed out, and that is that Theseus promised to marry Ariadne in return for her help.

Once Theseus had defeated the Minotaur, he gathered up Ariadne and the other Athenians and set sail from Crete. The journey was long and so they stopped off on the island Naxos. On the island, Theseus abandoned the Cretan princess. There are multiple different mythological stories to justify his abandoning her and they span all the way from Theseus was a dick, to the intervention of Dionysus.

If we take the latter to be true then the myth goes as follows. Dionysus saw the beautiful Ariadne and decided that he wanted her to be his wife and so he came to Theseus and told him to leave Naxos without Ariadne.

The most romantic version of the story tells us that Dionysus married Ariadne as soon as Theseus left. Although, I don’t really think she got a say in the whole affair so I don’t know that it really is that romantic.

There are, however, slightly more realistic- although far more dark, retellings of the myth. Once version tells the story of Ariadne hanging herself after Theseus abandoned her, whilst others say that she was killed by the goddess Artemis, at the behest of Dionysus, because Theseus and Ariadne had done the dirty in a cave that was sacred to Dionysus. Now, if Ariadne did die, then there are some myths that tells the story of how Dionysus descended into the underworld and brings Ariadne back to the world of the living. If we presume that Ariadne and Dionysus did marry then the myth suggests that Zeus granted her immortality.

In case you hadn’t noticed, this myth has about 100 different variables and there is literally no set version of it. So you can take the happy one, the sad one, or even the fucked up one as your head-cannon! But whichever one you do choose, I hope you all enjoyed reading about Ariadne and Dionysus and hopefully I’ll see you all next week <3

~Z

[scotianostra]

The young King James VI made his first official visit to Edinburgh on September 30th 1579.

James VI had spent his childhood at Stirling Castle. Now he came to Edinburgh to begin his adult rule. aged 13.

Born in 1566, he was the product of Mary’s ill-fated marriage to Henry, Lord Darnley. Darnley’s assassination in early 1567, and Mary’s subsequent over-hasty marriage to one of its perpetrators, Lord Bothwell, triggered events that led to Mary’s downfall.

James VI became king of Scotland in 1567 when Mary was forced to abdicate.

According to the writings of David Moysie, James VI left Stirling on 29 September 1579 despite a storm. He had lunch at Dunipace and dinner at Linlithgow Palace where he stayed the night, and came to Holyroodhouse the next evening. The town lined the road with men in armour and a salute was fired from Edinburgh Castle. The streets were cleared of beggars, executed criminals were removed down (from their pikes on the tolbooth) and the streets thoroughly cleaned.

His entry to the town was marked by a ceremonial Royal entry. James arrived from Dalkeith Palace. The processional route went from the West Port, to the Overbow, to the Tolbooth, to St Giles Kirk, the Mercat Cross, the Salt Tron, the Nether Bow, Canongate Cross, and Holyrood Palace

The gates of the town, the tollbooths of Edinburgh and the Canongate, and other buildings were painted white with limewash, called "calk". Householders along the route were asked to hang the external stairs with tapestry and "Arras works".

At the West Port the king was met by 32 burgesses of Edinburgh, whose names are recorded, who carried a canopy made of purple velvet. John Shairp gave a speech in Latin. There was a tableau vivant of the Judgement of Solomon. At the Overbow Cupid gave James the keys to the town. Cupid was played by a boy who descended in a globe. At the Tolbooth four maidens (probably played by boys) represented Peace, Justice, Plenty and Policy, a scene relating to the four Cardinal Virtues. At St Giles Dame Religion invited the king to hear a sermon on the duty of kings and Psalm 21 was sung. . Afterwards, at the Mercat Cross Bacchus shared out wine. At the Salt Tron the genealogy of the Scottish monarchy was presented, perhaps using portraits. The king's horoscope was presented an actor playing Ptolemy at the Netherbow Port. At the Canongate Cross a scene represented the abolition of the Pope's authority in Scotland.

At Holyrood Palace a new lodging was prepared for the king's favourite Esmé Stewart next to the royal apartment. A course or tournament ground made of sand for "running at the ring" was laid at Holyroodhouse. Celebrations continued at Dalkeith Palace, hosted by the former Regent Morton.

Similar pageantry was used in September 1561 when Mary, Queen of Scots had made an Entry, and in May 1590 at the Entry and Coronation of Anne of Denmark.

A short account of the events occurs in the chronicle, The historie and life of King James the Sext, written in Scots;

At the Wast Port of Edinburgh, he was ressavit be the Magistrats of the toun under a pompous payle of purple velvet. That port presentit unto him the wisdome of Solomon, as it is written in the thrid chapter of the first buik of the Kings : That is to say King Solomon was representit with the tua wemen that contendit for the young chylde. This done, they presented unto the King, the sworde for the one hand, and the scepter for the uther.

And as he maid forder progres within the toun, in the streat that ascendis to the castell, thair is an ancient port, at the whilk hang a curious globe, that opnit artificiallie as the King came by, wharin was a young boy that discendit craftelie, presenting the keyis of the toun to his Majestie, that war all maid of fyne massie sylver; and thais war presentlie ressavit be ane of his honorable counsall at his awin command. During this space, Dame Music and hir scollars exercesit hir art with great melodic. Then in his discence, as he came foment the hous of Justice, thair shew thayme selfis unto him, foure gallant vertewous ladeyis; to wit, Peax, Justice, Plentie, and Policie; and ather of thayme had an oraison to his Majestic.

Tharefter, as he came towart the chief collegiall kirk, thare Dame Religion shew hirself, desyring his presence, whilk he then obeyit be entring the kirk; whare the cheif preacher for that tyme maid a notable exhortation unto him, for the embracing of Religion and all hir cardinall vertewis, and of all uther morall vertewis. Tharefter, he came furth and maid progres to the Mercat Croce, whare he beheld Bacchus with his magnifik liberalitie and plentie, distributing of his liquor to all passingers and behalders, in sik apperance as was pleasant to see. A litill beneth is a mercat place of salt, wharupon was payntit the genealogie of the Kings of Scotland, and a nomber of trumpets sounding melodioslie, and crying with loud voyce, "Wealfayre to the King".

At the east port was erectit the conjunctioun of the planets, as thay war in thair degreis and places the tyme of his Majesteis happie nativitie, and the same vivelie representit be the assistance of King Ptolome : And withall, the haill streits war spred with flowres; and the forehowsis of the streits, be the whilks the King passit, war all hung with magnifik tapestrie, with payntit historeis, and with the effegeis of noble men and wemen : And thus he past owt of the toun of Edinburgh to his palice of Halyruidhous

Note the last words on the description, “ his palice of Halyruidhous “ A couple of years ago someone question my use of the wording “Holyroodhouse” saying she had never heard the Palace being called that before, well this confirms that over 300 years ago that this was being used, rather than Holyrood Palace, as is often used.

The king was given a cupboard of silver gilt plate made by the Edinburgh goldsmiths Edward Hart, Thomas Annand, George Heriot, Adam Craig and William Cokky. It was valued at 1000 English marks. This included a basin and a laver, two flasks, six cups and covers, four candle holders, a salt, a silver salver, and dozen silver plates. William Fairlie was asked to oversee the gilding of the silver on 8th October and assist Henry Nesbit make an account of the expenses. The wealthy merchant and "Customar" of Edinburgh Robert Gourlay, a supporter of Regent Morton, complained to the Privy Council of Scotland when he was asked to contribute £30.

An account for repairs and building work at Holyrood in August and September 1579 survives. The works were supervised by William MacDowall, the royal Master of Work. Mention is made of slating the roof of a "Dancing House", carpenters who made a great chest for the king's pantry, glazing the chamber for "Lord Lennox", and a pavement in the chapel. New rooms were made for William Murray, and for Jerome Bowie, Master of the Wine Cellar. George Wallace or Vallance and his workman plastered the old hall, the chapel and the gallery, and painted the council house with chalk distemper paint. Women worked cleaning chambers in the tower, the old hall, the forework, and the gallery, and the inner close or courtyard. Their wages were two shillings a day.

The visit by James was a huge success. Everyone was delighted to see their king and with the excitement of once again having a royal court in Edinburgh.