#christ myth theory

[divineperceptions]

I'm planning to start writing short articles, or discussing memes on various gods and posting them here. First I want to express my hatred for memes like this.

To start, judging from the dates, they are conflating Mithra and Mithras. Mithras is a later Roman version of the Indo-Iranian Mithra. They are using (false) claims about Mithras that also were not true about Mithra so that the date can be pushed back further. The date for Dionysus is also wrong. He is mentioned in Mycenaean inscriptions from centuries earlier, though he was thought to be a later arrival for a long time before this was discovered. These probably aren't deliberate since they get repeated often, but yet more shoddy research.

Every deity on this list had a miraculous birth, but only Jesus is said to have been born of a virgin. Horus was conceived after his mother Isis temporarily raised Osiris from the dead and slept with him. Mithras emerged fully grown from a rock. Krishna was conceived normally to a couple imprisoned by an evil king and released divine light which knocked out the guards and swung the prison doors open so he could be smuggled out, and Dionysus was conceived when Zeus slept with the mortal princess Semele, so not a virgin. Hera then tricked Semele into seeing Zeus in all his glory, causing her to burst into flame. Zeus saved the unborn child and sewed him into his thigh until he was ready to be born.

Neither Mithras or Dionysus have any date recorded for their births.

Krishna's father was a prince and his foster-father was a cowherd, not a carpenter.

Neither Horus or Mithras were ever said to have died. Krishna did die, but his resurrection and return to heaven is believed to be strictly spiritual.

Mithras did not have twelve disciples.

Horus never walked on water, and while Egyptians did pray to him for healing the same can be said of pretty much every god ever. There are no stories of him doing so in the same way as Jesus is said to have.

Dionysus never turned water into wine, though he did grant the princess Oino the power to turn anything into wine. He also was never called "holy child."

There was no Star in the East for any of them except Jesus, though Mithras and Krishna were both associated with the constellation Taurus.

Mithras and Krishna DID perform miracles! Like all gods.

Everything on here is either wrong or irrelevant. The truth is the Victorians just liked making things up.

[creature-wizard]

The "Jesus was a wholly mythical figure, actually" position only makes sense if you never read anything in the New Testament beyond the four gospels. Like, once you get into the epistles, it's pretty obvious that a bunch of key players in the early Christian movement did in fact know this guy personally.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: 5 Symbols

for your next poem/story (pt. 5)

EGG

The egg is as powerful in its symbolism as it is potent as a life-force.

The World Egg is a ubiquitous symbol for the egg from which the Universe is said to have hatched, an idea that appears in creation myths from all parts of the world: The Celts, Hindus, Egyptians, Greeks, Phoenicians, and many more all agree about this idea.

The form this cosmic hatching takes is variable though:

Often, the egg rises from primeval waters and is incubated by a bird; in Hindu belief, this is the Hamsa, a goose.

When the egg hatches, the yolk and the white become Heaven and Earth.

The Shinto tradition says that the Universe resembled a giant hen’s egg that broke open, with the heavier parts becoming the Earth and the lighter, the Heavens.

There is also a theory that the entire Universe is contained in a huge egg that stands upright.

The egg is a symbol of new life, and this idea is borne out with chocolate eggs at Easter, which in itself is a celebration of the pre-Christian fertility Goddess, Eostre, who also gives her name to the hormone estrogen.

The subsequent celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection meant that the egg kept its significance as a symbol of new life and hope.

Archeologists have found clay eggs in Russian burial sites, reinforcing the belief in the egg as a symbol of immortality and of rebirth.

In alchemy, the Philosopher’s Egg symbolizes the seed of spiritual life, and depicts the place wherein a great transformation takes place.

The ancient riddle of what came first, chicken or egg, was deftly if disappointingly answered by Angelus Silesius, who said: The chicken was in the egg and the egg was in the chicken.

FEATHER

The Egyptian Goddess of truth, Ma’at, has the ostrich feather as her attribute. There is a very specific reason for this:

Because the ostrich is a flightless bird, the design of its feathers is different to those of other birds where one side is larger than the other.

The ostrich feather, however, is perfectly balanced and symmetrical, and so is a fitting emblem of justice.

Its symbolism is closely aligned to that of wings and birds. They stand for ascendance, flight, communication with the spirit realms and the element of air.

Shamanistic use of feathers is for all these reasons;

the feathers enable the soul to become as light as the feather and transcend the boundaries of gravity, time, and space.

Shamans of all nationalities wear feathers as a part of their ritual apparel.

The eagle feather is the most valuable of all feathers:

In some parts of the world, this feather, synonymous with all the power of the bird, is considered so sacred that only card-carrying Native American tribal members may own them. Those found in the wrong hands are the cause of heavy fines.

The swan’s feather appears in the cloaks of druids; because the swan is the bird of poetry, its feathers magically confer these powers on the bard.

Used at the end of the arrow as a “flight,” feathers have a practical as well as symbolic use.

Additionally, feathers are a symbol of sacrifice:

This is because, when chickens and other birds were ritually slaughtered, all they left behind was a few feathers, fluttering to the ground.

The other major symbolic meaning of the feather associates it with vegetation and with hair, primarily because of a similarity in appearance.

HOURGLASS

The function of the hourglass is to mark the passing of time, as sand trickles through the narrow waist in the middle of the transparent glass container that is the same shape as a figure of eight.

Therefore, it is often used as a motif to show the inevitability of death.

However, the shape of the hourglass, as well as being a visual symbol and a word used to describe the figure of a shapely woman, is a lemniscate, or infinity sign.

That the hourglass can be turned upside down to start the cycle all over again makes it an optimistic symbol of rebirth.

PHURBA

This is a sacred knife, used only in ritual practices by Tibetan Buddhists.

Like the Athame of the Western tradition, it is employed to create the sacred spaces that are used for rites and ceremonies.

Its design is based on a stake used in ancient times to tether sacrificial animals, and it is used to describe a magic circle in the same way as a compass.

Can only be owned or handled by initiates.

THYRSUS

The thyrsus was a sacred implement used in rituals and festivals during the time of the Ancient Greeks.

It was a staff, standing about as high as its owner, made from a giant fennel stalk topped with a pine cone and wrapped with vine leaves.

As a phallic symbol, it was combined with a goblet or chalice, symbolic of female energy and used to counterbalance the staff.

As well as being a symbol of male energy, though, staffs or long poles of some description have a universal use as a sacred instrument to connect the Heavens to the Earth, a conductor for the divine spirit.

Source ⚜ More: On Symbols ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[milkiisss]

Sylus NSFW-ish Ramble

(with a very short NSFW Xavier ramble at the end as well)

This isn't a story or anything - more like a random ramble/rant about him? (also a headcanon)

!Spoilers Ahead!

Okay, so for a long time now I've been seeing a lot of stories and posts talking about how rough Sylus would be in bed, and don't get me wrong, I agree,

Somewhat.

Sylus adores Mc, like he would giver her the world. This is like literally proven during so many different parts of the story, and one of the main points in his recent myth is that she was the only person who didn't see him like a monster. He LOVES her, and as the story progresses, this manifests in so many ways, most specifically how gentle he is with her.

Now, I'm personally a huge fan of the theory that Sylus was actually resurrected (which by the way is a whole other theory because I genuinely do not think Sylus is the actual villain of the story - especially now with the insinuations in the latest myth, but I digress) whilst MC was reincarnated, and I especially like the idea that he wasn't expecting her to be a reincarnation.

So imagine Sylus's shock when the only person who saw him for who he was, the one woman he only ever loved, was repulsed and disgusted by him.

Ouch.

He must have been utterly devastated and extremely hurt, especially knowing that this probably meant she had no recollection of who he was.

So obviously he's forced to start from ground zero, which leads me to my main point.

He must be terrified of losing her.

Which is why he's so cautious with how he treats her. He's rough in the beginning, yeah, but I honestly think this is just because of the frustration he has. He was so eager to resonate with her, literally trying everything, and as soon as he was told that it would hurt her, he stopped instantly.

I think this also is what causes him to realize that she isn't his MC, like yeah, she looks exactly like her, but she has none of their memories, and although they are still soul bound (im assuming because of their Evol linkage) it will take a while for her to remember what actually happened.

Which is why he's so PATIENT!!!

He is a huge tease and he plays all this shit up, but he cares for her in such a way that seriously leads me to believe that he would treat her as if she was made of glass when they first have sex.

He would want to savor it, make sure she felt good, relish in every single movement and sound, all the while being super gentle with her.

So yeah, the first time with Sylus, in my mind, is EXTREMELY vanilla. There would be tons of kissing, touching, pleasing you, and making sure you're ready - and he strikes me like the type to relish missionary or giving you control because he needs access to your lips after so long. (also he gives me some serious doggy vibes, but again, only if his mouth can be on yours the entire time.) He would want to make it special, mostly because I'm not quite sure him and mc ever had the chance to in their last life together, and even if they did, he missed her.

HOWEVER.

Let's be real.

He will always put your comfort first, even if you were to say that you only ever wanted to do gentle, slow and sweet vanilla sex for as long as you both lived, he would be more than happy to give you that slow and gentle sex for the rest of your life.

But the second you moan for him to go harder? Or ask if he can do it rougher????

My brother in christ you are COOKED.

Because that man will NOT hold back.

He will give you exactly what you asked for, and more.

So call sick to work beforehand, because you will not be able to walk the following day.

Anywho, yes, thats my Sylus ramble. It's pretty random, but I was starting to grow tired of constantly seeing people say that he's a man incapable of gentle or vanilla sex. Like he 100% loves a hot steamy slow makeout session while grinding into you and you can NOT change my mind.

He's def the type to make you use a safeword when you guys do start exploring though ;)

I also think that Xavier is very often misinterpreted, because I've seen so many people saying that he would be the softest and most delicate and inexperienced and submissive and finish the quickest blah blah blah-

And to that I will simply say.

HAVE YOU SEEN HIS CARDS??? THAT MAN IS A MENACE!!!

AND his character is associated with a bunny.

you know what bunnies do??

fuck.

A LOT!

that man is definitely not a saint...

LMAO anyways I'm done because this post is already extremely long, but I am FILLED with headcanons for all of the boys as well as mounds of theories and lore, so if you would like to hear more feel free to ask.

I can ramble all day long I fear.

And as a quick end note! I am in no way shape or form throwing any sort of shade to people who do believe the headcanons that I mentioned earlier! This is just my opinion, and you are totally free to have your own.

In fact-please do, because I would be lying if I said I didn't devour the fanfics with rough Sylus and soft Xavier anyways. 🤭

© milkiisss 2024. Please don’t plagiarize or feed my works into ai.

[hestella]

Hannibal Lector x reader: A new face part. 2

A/N: Someone teach Tumblr to me. It's too complicated. I'm not done watching Hannibal cause it's too hard to watch and I'm not smart enough!

Warning: Blind reader, depiction of violence, sexual violence, cannibalism, well it's Hannibal, A lot of mistakes, etc, etc.

Part 1

“Humans have constantly, somehow, throughout the entire history, made some being, or even beings, that were superior than themselves and called them God. The existence of a ultimate power has been created in all known civilizations that sustained long enough to have a written language, and for even those we don’t know had a language, we assume, that there was some type of god within their society, only they couldn’t afford writing it down.” 

Y/N’s voice echoed around the lecture hall. She was wearing a classy, somewhat antique 3-piece suit that had a dark blue color, which went well with her leather shoes too. 

Hannibal sat in the corner, watching and listening to her lecture. He didn’t see himself as much as a philosophical guy, but to be honest it was quite interesting. Her aura and her appearances made it more interesting, more mysterious along with the fact that she was lecturing about philosophy.

His thoughts were similar to others. Other students seemed to be fascinated by the subject. There seemed to be students of all backgrounds, one wearing a lab coat, one who looked like an art major, he even saw some older people who looked like other professors too.

She did not walk around the room like Will. She stood still in a podium, not even using a slideshow to teach. 

“but then, how, one might wonder, and why, could all these pre-historic people collectively think to make ‘god’? Perhaps, it has something to do with evolutionary theory?” She paused. “Any guesses?”

A few students raised their hands, but Hannibal internally tilted his head, how could she possibly see who raised their hands?

“..wow, nobody? I must be blind,” she made a joke, causing the students to laugh. “Don’t be afraid to speak out, please, I may not be able to see, but my hearing’s fine.”

“Apologies, professor. I..I think the essential part of that question is whether or not the pre-historic people knew what they were making was a real God. It may have started from scratch, like, you know, the things adults tell children to explain natural disasters and so.” A student, a bright girl, said. 

“Great. And your name is?”

“Marissa Schurr, professor.” She answered.

“Marissa, do you have any personal beliefs? I’m not asking about religion, just anything.” Y/N looked towards Marissa, her white eyes staring at her. 

“..I..I don’t know, professor, well I’m an atheist, but probably,” 

Y/N smiled faintly. “I understand. Who believes the ‘3 second rule’ here? Or even, who believes the number 13 as unfortunate or, related to death? 7 as the lucky number?” She asked the whole. 

The vast majority of the people whispered among themselves and nodded, few raised their hands.

“I assume most of you guys do believe those. None of those ‘beliefs’ I mentioned are true, we know that, but why do we believe in it?” She paused once more. 

“It’s because us, as humans, and other intellectual animals, find comfort in things that make sense. Myths can be seen as complete lies, but they are logical, sometimes because the majority of the people say it’s logical. For example, the number 13 was the amount of people that had the last supper with Jesus Christ the night he was betrayed, according to the Bible. That is why we think 13 as bad, or unlucky.” The students nodded and jotted down notes as she spoke.

“If I were to say, the reason why it rains is because someone living in the sky cries, and the rain is their tears falling, most of you will obviously, not believe me. But, if you were primitives, and knew nothing about how rain falls, you would have believed me, and the person in the sky would be your God.” 

“Would it, though, professor? I mean, just because you’re a primitive doesn’t mean you’re stupid, or dumb,” another student pointed out. 

She smiled. “To be honest, we don’t know. Why? Because we’re not primitives. We can’t unlearn what we learned. So, I’ll give you a project to find this out. Everyone take notes on this.” 

Everyone shuffled to get their papers. 

“Find a young human, a child, or someone, that doesn’t know how it rains, and also an atheist. Explain and persuade them that it rains because of some other reason, involving a deity of some form, and tell me how it goes. I’ll cold call anyone, so be prepared.” 

She held her hands together. “And that’s the end, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else in the middle, see you next time.” 

All the students stood up, thanking her. She nodded and waved everyone good bye, reaching for her white cane, which was folded inside the podium. 

Hannibal waited until everyone was out, and headed towards her, purposefully making little noise. 

“That was an impressive lecture, Ms. Y/L/N, or should I say professor?” He suddenly spoke. 

“Dr. Lector! I felt someone familiar,” she looked towards him, a light chuckle coming out.

“How did you know it was me?” Hannibal asked. 

“It’s hard to forget a charming yet profound voice like yours, doctor,” she gave him a smile.

“Ah, you flatter me, Ms.Y/L/N.“ Hannibal’s eyebrows were raised at the unexpected compliment.

“What do I have the pleasure of hearing it again? Another case?” She asked, packing her simple bag.

“Not quite. Agent Crawford wants me to evaluate you too. Take a close eye.” Hannibal said, everything not entirely truths, but also not a lie.

“Ah. Crawford.” She muttered as she held her white cane. 

“I wish that’s okay with you?” Hannibal asked. 

“..Agent Crawford seems quite desperate for my help,” she muttered. “..don’t you think? I’m just not sure if I can be that much of help, despite having you analyze me,”

“You don’t think you’re worth a eval?”

“I don’t think I’m worthy to use taxes, to be exact. The payment is from the FBI, no? Funding of the FBI is from taxes…” she tapped her walking cane as she got off the podium. 

“You’ve done plenty, maybe more than plenty for the FBI in return, Ms. Y/L/N. And not every fund from the government necessarily comes with a return, either.” Hannibal followed her from a respectable distance. 

“Will, maybe. Me? I don’t think so.” she chuckled lightly. “It’s somewhat unethical, you know, wasting money. Especially the money collected by the government, from the people of this country…” 

Hannibal listened to this elongated philosophical rant, about the duties of a democratic country. She was more talking to herself rather than talking to him, not letting him get the upper hand of the conversation. 

Autism? His mind thought of it. But she didn’t seem to have trouble communicating. ADHD? maybe. 

Or, she just was ranting unrelated stuff to avoid him analyzing, not knowing he just did.

She tapped her cane to began to leave the lecture hall, except that there was a slight height difference between the podium and the floor, causing her to stumble. 

Hannibal rushed over and gently placed his hands on her arms to steady her. 

“Careful.” He said. 

“Thank you, what is it?” She asked, feeling the floor with her feet. 

“There’s a step down between the carpet floor and the podium.” 

“..there wasn’t one on the other side,” she muttered, slowly stepping down. 

“Yes, there wasn’t. Must’ve been a mistake,” Hannibal confirmed. 

“…well, thank you again. But I have another lecture to give today, unfortunately,” she said facing Hannibal. 

“No worries. I’ll book your session whenever you’re comfortable, Ms. Y/L/N.” 

=-=

“Wildlife hunters tend to hunt within a narrow limt. They don’t hunt the younger ones, or their parents, they don’t use extensive traps to find them, and they don’t kill endagered species. If they do, they tend to honor their bodies, at least to pay for the nature’s lose and its effects.” She told to the people performing autopsy on Cassie Boyle. 

“Since when did you become a wildlife expert?” Beverly Katz asked. 

“Last night,” Y/N shrugged. “The point is that this isn’t what the Shrike would have done to his victims. This is simply disgrace. He even put the last victim’s body back as an apology. That man would take the girl’s lungs while alive and stick her body to deer antlers? I don’t think so.”

Will nodded, satisfied that she was able to back up his point. 

“Then who do you suggest did this?” Jack asked. 

“Why are you so afraid of admitting there’s a copycat?” She asked. 

There was silence. The people who knew Jack felt their own hair stand up at her question, sensing some sort of nervousness.

“Oh, I’m not afraid, it’s just that there’s 2 killers out there instead of one!” Jack replied with heavy sarcasm.

“The copycat won’t kill another like this one. It’s a…one-time thing.” She answered. 

“And how do you know that, exactly?” Jack asked, clearly annoyed. 

“If the copycat wanted to kill to confuse the FBI into thinking there was only one killer, they would have done it already. But it’s too different, and they know it.” She replied calmly. 

“Why would they do that?” 

“…curiosity,” she replied. 

“A dare,” Will answered. 

“Hold on, you two are telling me that the copycat killed a person just to try it out?” Jack looked at them both weird. 

“..that’s what I think,” she muttered. “The timing’s strange. It’s right after the case was posted on tattlecrime, the copycat might have been interested.” She shrugged. 

=-=-

It was very early in the morning when she heard a ring on her door. 

She spent the night with Will at the motel in Minnesota, and she had to go back to Baltimore to continue her job. She just had the time to change and sleep a few hours before having to wake up and go give a lecture again. 

She stirred awake, not entirely sure if the doorbell was her imagination or not. 

But the bell kept ringing, so she reluctantly got up from the couch and grabbed her robe from where she remembered she had put. She leaned on the door. “..who is it?” She asked in a quiet voice.

“Y/N? It’s Hannibal.” 

At first she thought of who this ‘Hannibal’ was, then she realized and quickly opened the door. The scent of the morning dew and a faint smell of raw meat was the first thing she felt. 

“..is, is it not,” she touched her wrist braille clock to check the time. “..4 in the morning?” She asked, confused. 

“It is, Ms.Y/N. I came with breakfast. Thought it would be a good way to start.” 

She was still processing. “..okay, come in,” her mouth moved, however.

He stepped in, looking around. Her house was clean, nothing on the ground or visual accessories. 

“…why, um, why did you come here, again?” she asked, still sumbfounded. 

“I brought you breakfast, a little ‘get together’ time. I cooked it myself.” 

“You cook?” she muttered and hurried to turned on the kitchen lights and get out forks and knives. 

Hannibal comfortably sat on one side of the island table, taking out the things he brought. “I take extra caution on what I put in my body. A simple salad, with eggs and roasted salmon to cover the protein.” 

“..oh, actually, um..” she hesitated to say. “..I’m quite strictly vegan, so I don’t think I can eat it,” she said. “…I’m truely sorry,” 

“Are you know? That’s unfortunate. Luckly, I’ve made a simple vegan Ceasar salad too,” Hannibal took out another container and gave it to her. 

She looked surprised but got the container anyways, her nature being unable to refuse. “o,oh?” she studdered. 

In reality, it was Hannibal’s plan to test her. He wanted to see if she was really vegan, and how strictly she was vegan, acting like he didn’t know her appetite at all. The ceaser salad wasn’t even vegan, it had anchoive, well, which she didn’t have to know that.

“Please, feel free to eat it,” Hannibal insisted, not giving her time to refuse. 

She reached for her fork and hesitantly started to eat it. “…it..it’s good. Delicious,” she admitted. 

“My pleasure,” Hannibal said. “..forgive me for my curiousity, but do you cook? And if so, is there anything different, considering that you’re visually impaired?” 

“I don’t really cook, not really. If I used to cook before…before I went blind, I probably would have continued, but…I just never found food to be that worthy of spending my time.” She replied. 

“Ah. Do you drink, then?” Hannibal asked, planning what kind of wine he should give her in case he wanted to invite her to a dinner party.

“uh, I drink water, that’s all. Not really…alcohol,” she replied. 

There was silence, and then a laughter. 

“Sorry, I just…I’m so sorry.” She laughed, eating the salad. 

“Don’t be, it’s not like all people drink,” Hannibal didn’t smile, but Y/N, who could only hear his voice, assumed he was smiling. 

“I do have wine, and some whiskey, I think, if you want them.” she cleared her throat. 

“Why do you have wine if you don’t drink?” Hannibal asked. 

“Well, I get gifts, even though I tell them I don’t need them at all,” she muttered, standing up and heading towards a wine celler. 

“Really? They send you wine gifts?” Hannibal asked, while he took out a vile of GHB from his pocket and covered the sound of it unscrewing with the sound of him clearing his throat. 

“Yeah, I guess it’s what they can give to me without getting awkward, you know?” She chuckled. 

He made a chuckling sound, but his face was still. He reached over to her salad and spread the clear GHB equally on it, before she returned with a wine bottle. 

“Do you know what this is? That’s the newest one, I believe.” She said, handing him the wine.

“A Chianti, italian wine, One of the best. I’m surprised you have it,” he looked at it, observed with quite genuine amazement. 

“Is it? Oh well, that’s my gift for this amazing salad,” she smiled and sat back down.

Hannibal stared intently at her, seeing her every movements when eating the salad with the extra ingredient he just put, GHB. He couldn’t help a smile creep up his lips as he saw she ate, her plate getting empty each second. Sep.24 edit: Asperger’s —> ADHD

Tag list:

@wolfgirl-205

(the urge to just write non-plot smut.....is the way I know I'm ovulating)

[aikoiya]

LoZ Theory - Hylia = Amaterasu, But What Does That Mean?

Now, this theory is mostly just for fun, okay? So, keep that in mind when reading this.

Anyway, I'm sure that we've all realized to some degree that Hylia has some very obvious parallels to Amaterasu of Shintoist theology. At least, thematically speaking.

However, that brings into question as to who would take on the thematic roles of Tsukuyomi & Susano-o?

Interestingly, Hyrule itself doesn't really seem to have any gods of the moon & while wind & sky & even water gods have appeared throughout the games, the only one who you could feasibly refer to as a "storm god" really wasn't up to the same level as Hylia & I'd thus argue that he couldn't really be called a Susano-o parallel.

However, there was 1 divine entity that did appear in at least 1 game & had cameos in a couple of others. One that appears to bear some sort of connection to the moon.

The Fierce Deity. (Yes, he is actually, canonically, a Kishin, who are known for being compassionate protectors despite their viciousness in battle, however, I'm talking thematic roles here & therefore, he doesn't need to be a perfect representation of Tsukuyomi. At the same time, Hylia doesn't just parallel Amaterasu, but in some ways Danu, an Irish mother goddess, & even Christ to a degree. So, I don't understand why FD couldn't also have multiple influences.)

Not to mention, did you know that wolves, rabbits, & fairies all have some sort of connection to the moon? Like, I'm sure most of us know the wolf connection, but also there's the legend of the Jade Rabbit & I remember reading somewhere that the full moon was a portal to the realm of the fae. So, even in that respect, the Links still have some faint connections to the moon.

But if Hylia = Amaterasu & Fierce Deity = Tsukuyomi, then that still leaves Susano-o's Hyrulean mirror.

However, maybe we can figure this out by working through the game characters that Hylia & FD are most associated with, which are Zelda & Link.

And, as I'm guessing you're realizing, they too have a third: Ganondorf. And what seemingly divine entity is he most associated with?

The Bringer of Demise. Who happens to call down lightning in battle, as does Ganondorf. You could even make an argument about how his hatred could mirror the indiscriminant destructive power of a storm. Natural disasters, if you will.

Now, what I find interesting is what this implies about the 3 Hyrulean divinities in question. Because Susano-o had fallen from grace & been cursed into the body of a mortal for his misdeeds until he earned back his spot among the gods.

Is it possible that Demise had also been a true deity before committing some act that caused him to be cast out & become an... Akuma?

In fact, one of the things Susano-o did to get thrown out was that he destroyed his sister's crops. Specifically, it appears that he & Amaterasu both had 3 rice fields each, but whereas her fields were fertile, his were dry & barren, which in his jealousy, he destroyed her fields. (Which, itself, creates a bit of an interesting parallel between not just Susano-o's relationship with Amaterasu & Demise's with Hylia in SS, but also between the godly siblings & Ganondorf's relationship with just Hyrule, in-general. At least, if you trust WW Gdorf's words.)

One possible issue I see is a bit of discrepancy in the myths. In some depictions, it's Susano-o who kills Ōgetsuhime after his banishment, but in others, it's Tsukuyomi who kills Ukemochi. Which are simply 2 different names for the same goddess. Not only that, it was for the same reason. In order to serve them food, she produced it via some very unsanitary means, so they killed her for it.

As for Tsukuyomi, he seems to be regarded as an evil god, but at the same time, he only seems to appear in 2 myths. The myth of he & his siblings' birth & the myth of him killing Ukemochi.

Beyond that, personality wise, Tsukuyomi was described as cold & reserved, as well as having been noted to value things such as order, justice, & etiquette a great deal, to the point where it's said that he was willing to kill to maintain it despite murder not being condoned. In this way, he's seen as violent. Which could well fit with Fierce Deity, considering his portrayal as a Kishin with a few tweaks.

On the other hand, FD is referred to as a Kishin, which are inspired by the Buddhist Pāla or Protectors, a.k.a. Wrathful Gods. And though they are fearsome in battle & terrifying to behold, one of their core qualities is that they are compassionate, ultimately benevolent, & visit just vengeance upon those who wrong the innocent.

However, the only reason for Tsukuyomi being referred to as an evil god was his murder of Ukemochi. So, how does it change his character in a situation where the one to do so was instead his brother?

Are there other things he's done? It doesn't seem like it, which kinda paints Amaterasu in a not-so-great light considering how Susano-o does a lot more terrible things, yet later, she still forgives him.

Hell, remember he basically commits the exact same crime as Tsukuyomi. So, why is it that Susanoo gets a pass despite all the other shit he did, but Tsukuyomi doesn't despite technically having only 1 mess-up?

Is it because he hasn't apologized yet? Because he didn't get her some super powerful gift? Honestly, it makes me wonder what Amaterasu's reaction to Ukemochi's hostess skills & how she produced the food would've been.

Furthermore, either Tsukuyomi killed Ukemochi, Susano-o killed Ōgestuhime, or Tsukuyomi killed her, she revived, & then Susano-o killed her again later.

In the case of the last one, it brings to question why she hadn't learned her lesson? At that point, she only has herself to blame.

However, it's also possible that the story of night & day & Susano-o killing Ōgetsuhime could possibly be one in the same, just told from 2 different perspectives. Keep in mind that Susano-o was able to transform a woman into a comb even after being banished. It wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that he could transform himself as well. Hell, shouldn't taking on the visage of another person theoretically be much easier than literally turning another person into an inanimate object?

If I'm right, then the situation would unfold like this: Susano-o was banished, Ukemochi held a feast & invited Amaterasu, she couldn't come & sent Tsukuyomi instead, Susano-o heard of Ukemochi's grand feast, & took on his brother's appearance. Susanoo-o as Tsukuyomi asked Ukemochi to provide him with food, then upon seeing how she did so, he killed her before leaving, & that's when Tsukuyomi came upon the scene. However, this left Tsukuyomi to be blamed for her death because other partygoers witnessed the not-Tsukuyomi's crime, which resulted in Amaterasu & the real Tsukuyomi separating, thus creating day & night. (Not that this is actually what happened in myth, but it's just a thought.)

However, even if he did do it, if this was the only instance of Tsukuyomi behaving in such a manner, then it honestly seems very unfair to have him automatically slighted as evil.

Though, what I find interesting is that if my interpretation of the story were correct, then it'd somewhat create another parallel between Tsukuyomi & FD. The misconception that dark automatically means evil, which has led to both being demonized. In FD's case, pretty literally due to unfortunate translation association.

Sorry, I just found this possibility to be very freaking interesting.

LoZ Cultural Masterlist 1

[rayspookyhistory]

๋࣭ ⭑⚝FRIDAY THE 13TH!!! ๋࣭ ⭑⚝

Friday the 13th is widely recognized as a day imbued with superstition, mystery, and unease. Over time, it has come to symbolize bad luck, but its origins are rooted in a complex blend of religious, cultural, and numerological elements.

The Origins of the Friday the 13th Superstition

The superstition surrounding Friday the 13th is derived from two key elements: the number 13 and the day Friday, each with its own historical and cultural connotations.

In Western cultures, the number 13 has long been considered unlucky, a fear known as "triskaidekaphobia." This aversion is often linked to Christian traditions, particularly the Last Supper, where Jesus dined with twelve apostles, making Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, the thirteenth guest. This association with betrayal and misfortune has entrenched the number 13 in the Western cultural consciousness as a harbinger of bad luck.

Similarly, Friday carries its own historical baggage. In Christian tradition, Friday is the day of Jesus Christ's crucifixion. This connection to tragedy led medieval and Renaissance societies to view Friday as an inauspicious day for significant events like weddings or voyages. Over time, the negative connotations of Friday merged with the fear of the number 13, culminating in the superstition of Friday the 13th.

The Templar Connection: Medieval Myths

One prominent historical explanation for the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th is the persecution of the Knights Templar in the early 14th century. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of hundreds of Templars, accusing them of heresy and other crimes. Many were tortured and executed, marking the fall of the Templars and contributing to the perception of Friday the 13th as a day of betrayal and misfortune. Though this theory is speculative, it remains a popular explanation for the superstition.

Numerology and Symbolism of 13

Numerology also plays a role in the negative perception of the number 13. The number 12 is often seen as complete—reflecting the 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, and 12 hours on a clock. In contrast, 13 is viewed as an imbalance, symbolising chaos and unpredictability. This view has influenced both ancient and modern thought, reinforcing the belief that 13 is unlucky.

Modern Pop Culture and the Persistence of Friday the 13th

In contemporary times, the superstition of Friday the 13th has evolved, largely through pop culture. The "Friday the 13th" film franchise, which began in 1980, has cemented the date’s association with horror. The franchise not only popularized the date as a symbol of fear but also contributed to its status as a cultural phenomenon, marked by horror-themed events and media.

Moreover, psychological studies have explored how this superstition affects behaviour. Many people express unease or avoid certain activities on Friday the 13th, reflecting how deeply ingrained superstitions can influence modern behaviour. Research indicates that these fears can lead to real-world actions, such as avoiding travel or postponing events, highlighting the ongoing impact of superstitions.

Friday the 13th is a unique cultural artefact, blending ancient fears with modern pop culture. Its origins are linked to religious traditions, historical events like the Templar persecution, and cultural aversions to the number 13 and the day Friday. These elements have fused into a superstition that continues to captivate and influence people today. Whether seen as a day of misfortune or a cultural curiosity, Friday the 13th exemplifies how myths and superstitions endure and shape human behaviour across generations.

happy friday the thirteenth :3

[duxwriter]

Ahem, more Ava's Demon cause brain rot theories/information

I supported the Kickstarter, and pointed out by another user (@fanlovedlt) Wrathia gets covered in snakes (though in the same chapter she speaks through a snake as well)

This is during Ava's dream and mind meeting after committing her act of wrath (more on why that means something later)

Now, Wrathia is covered in snakes

Snakes have a meaning (as most animals do)

With a shedding of their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing, but also are known as a creative life force and fertility on their own.

Now, Wrathia here, very Satan-esqu

Titan is even god coded

Chapter fifteen (called the first sin)

The following chapters (sixteen and twenty) are called "Hellfire" and "Paradise lost"

(Fun fact! Paradise lost is an epic poem written about the fall of mankind by John Milton featuring a very different version of Satan compared to how he was depicted at the time in old art and literature as well as making god the antagonist)

Now, why might this be important to what I have to say?

Snakes in the daytime mean good things, but in dreams, it's very different

Snakes in dreams typically represent a person in the dreamer's life who exhibits low, dirty, toxic, or poisonous behavior.

But they can also mean health or healing!

It can mean a sense of healing, personal transformation, or that you are moving forward.

But it also deals with the context of Ava and Wrathia in these scene's

Now, Wrathia speaks through a snake

If you know the story of Adam and Eve (note, Adam and Eve were both naked before eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge, the snake is in a tree and both Wrathia and Ava appear "naked")

Ava even calls Wrathia a "snake"

Usually a term to call someone false, fake, etc.

(very fitting for Wrathia's character)

Now, Wrathia doesn't have typical Satan horns

But they are known as demon horns (goat/sheep like, especially with the eyes)

Wrathia is regal, a demigod (as explained by Odin's peoples thoughts on how the universe happened, again, a very bible/god related story)

(note, there are seven sins, and it took six (the seventh to rest) days to make the world, there are also seven sins and seven virtues)

Satan was "regal" and "royal" as he was depicted now and (sorta) then

Where does this all lead?

Ava commits an act of wrath (term used in lieu of acts of many different religions concept of gods acting against mortals for slights or divine retribution, take the story of Niobe from Greek myth, where she says she's better than Leto so Artemis and Apollo slay her children in an act of wrath against her)

Ava basically makes hell (on titans planet) for people, and herself (note, she thought it was a dream, many people who commit or have been committed against think it's a dream/wish it was a dream)

Where I'm going with this is, It's very bible coded (as well as Alice in wonderland with the rabbit hole Ava basically sent herself down)

It both shows Ava's growth, Wrathia's horrid personality

Wrathia and Ava talk about a high, which often is said how hubris feels (or an act of defiance or fight/flight response when you pick to fight)

(also little tidbit, snake Wrathia is in a tree, which looks like a fig tree, fig trees are symbols of wisdom and success in abundance, but Jesus also cursed a fig tree in the bible, as a warning for people not to be hypocritical. Basically "Jesus Christ warning Christians that they must bear fruits after their conversion worthy of repentance or risk being condemned to Hell." Is how it's interpreted to many churches, but it also has several different meanings in the bible (like hunger for true worship, as it bore no fruit)

(also, the fruit of knowledge was never described, many simply assume it's an apple from paintings and modern media, but, it's very possible it could be any fruit, like a fig)

(we see here the tree is snapped, as in, it's been cursed/destroyed, again, the bible says Jesus cursed the tree)

(I also need to say, Fig trees can represent happiness in dreams)

[tastethebloodofmeatthawsmoth]

"It is a modern myth that there were lots of accounts of people being born of virgins, on December 25, that they were crucified, that they were buried and raised from the dead - it's actually a modern myth. Mithras was not born on December 25, his mother was not a virgin; Osiris was not raised from the dead. People say that, but people who say that don't know the ancient sources. The ancient sources do not bear that out. I know in the crowds you all run around with it's commonly thought that Jesus did not exist. Let me tell you: once you get out of your conclave, there's nobody. This is not even an issue for scholars of antiquity. There is no scholar in any college or university in the western world who teaches classics, ancient history, New Testament, early Christianity, any related field, who doubts that Jesus existed. If you want to go where the evidence goes, I think that atheists have done themselves a disservice by jumping on the band wagon of Mythicism because, frankly, it makes you look foolish to the outside world." - Bart Ehrman, an agnostic/atheist on Christ Myth theory

[ilions-end]

i read oedipus at colonus, ie the least well known play of sophocles' theban trilogy! i didn't know about this play for the longest time, boy was i surprised!

thoughtsss

okay, see, i'm not crazy about prophecies. like, as a narrative device. one or two are alright to grease up the wheels of myth, but ohhh my god is EVERY second of oedipus' life accounted for in some prophecy or other? even the other characters are asking him for prophecies. did blinding himself turn him into pseudo-tiresias or what

(i still don't fully understand the prophecy about his burial place tbh. likely i'm just dumb)

honestly i found the real-world theories/things about this play more interesting than the play itself. the idea that sophocles wrote this towards the end of his own life; how it's about acknowledging your past mistakes at peace with your own mortality, and being granted a blessed death despite your sins; the fact that sophocles was born at colonus. how he died before the play could be produced, and it was his son who put on this play about familial duties and grief and love concerning a father's death... many things to ponder

but yeah, there is some closure in seeing oedipus having learned to respect fate and prophecies instead of fighting against them

unsurprisingly i thought the oedipodionides were the most interesting part. poor antigone mostly reduced to a silent crutch with no room for action, but with her heart on her sleeve. ismene's role as a messenger and avatar. how oedipus keeps pointing out his daughters are active and brave like sons and his sons are passive and vain like daughters.

there's something very silly and wonderful about polynices turning his big wet cow eyes to his sisters and saying "hey so you would give me proper burial rites if i was killed, right? you wouldn't let my corpse rot or be carrion? you'd never be able to live with yourself if you let that happen, right? 🥺"

TYDEUS MENTIONED

it's a pity oedipus dies before his sons in this one (i'm permanently thebaid-brained, sorry), but there IS something delightfully horrible about polynices learning ahead of time that his campaign against thebes is well and truly doomed, and his solution is "well there's nothing doing but to lie to my friends about it and march us all into our deaths i guess! bye!"

i had to laugh at the chorus hounding oedipus like "ohhh my god we heard you killed your father and fucked your mother tell us all about it!!" "yes, unfortunately i killed my father and fucked my mother." "OH MY GOD ARE YOU FOR REALLLL?? JESUS CHRIST WHAT ARE YOU SAYING I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS"

i also enjoyed creon coming in at his most typical like "THE LAWS OF THEBES THE LAWS OF THEBES" and then theseus is like "haha no, MY laws. ATHENS' laws here, baby *finger guns*"

(i also don't fully understand the succession timeline, or exactly who banished oedipus. creon and eteocles are like schroedinger's kings, one or neither or both are rulers of thebes at any point in time)

[rwbyconversations]

The Faunus/White Fang plotline was NEVER inspired by the Irish Troubles/IRA

A few years ago, someone posted a "theory" about how the White Fang plotline was based, not on the American Civil Rights movements of the 1960s such as the Black Panthers and Martin Luther King's protests, but on a similar conflict in Europe that ran for much of the 20th century in the British occupation of Northern Ireland, known in short as "The Troubles."

Recently, I saw it again as someone stole the post so they could feel smart, so I want to put this to bed definitively as an Irish person:

The Faunus and White Fang plotline were never based on the Irish Troubles or the Irish Republican Army. To be frank I don't think Miles and Kerry know anything about Ireland outside of making drunk Paddy jokes in their off-hours. (wouldn't be the first nationality they've made fun of)

Barring that they were both Civil Rights Movements that happened in the general post-World War 2 wave of the 1960s alongside other countries like India and South Africa, the Troubles and Americian Civil Rights movements have little in common. The big dividing point is religion. The Troubles were a conflict that at its core was as much a sectarian divide as it was fighting against British oppression. The Protestant/Catholic divide is still active in Northern Ireland to this day, with people getting assaulted for wearing the wrong clothes or having the wrong names. The city still has dozens of "Peace walls" scattered around as remnants of the conflict. The religious/sectarian divide is at the heart of the Troubles; you cannot do a depiction of it without at least acknowleding that divide. Even Captain Planet managed this, for Christ's sake.

RWBY does not do this. There is no religious element to the White Fang unless you blink and squint at Fennic and Corsac- and they don't matter to the story at large outside of being minibosses in Volume 5 and they are the only White Fang agents who are vaugely religious. There's no religious element to the Faunus at large unless you look up supplementary material and read about the Faunus creation myths in the Fairy Tales of Remnant series. Trying to be inspired by The Troubles without referencing the sectarian part of it, is like trying to write an two-question essay when you only read the first half of the first question- i.e., you're going to fail miserably. Yeah, there was a conflict, and a question can be raised of how appropriate the use of violence was. And that's it. There's not even an Irish character in the show or anyone who uses an accent, so safe to 100% say, no. The Troubles were never on Miles and Kerry's mind when designing the Faunus racism.

Additionally, there is a silver bullet debunking the entire theory. All the way back in Volume 1 on the commentary track, Barbara Dunklemann said this:

"If anybody needs a comparison for what the Faunus are in this world, it's kind of like if you're in the 1930s/1940s and it's the way African American people were treated and viewed."

After someone else asks for clarification, Dunklemann then confirms they meant the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement by name. No attempt is made to correct Dunklemann or say the White Fang was inspired by other Civil Rights movements- it is firmly, 100%, solely about the American movement.

There you have it- a quote from the crew itself confirming without a doubt that the Faunus and White Fang were always based on the Americian Civil Rights movement, with no mention of the Troubles or the Irish sectarian divisions. Attempting to say otherwise goes directly against stated intent from the beginning of the show.

Now please, don't let this stupid, asinine theory come back a third time, the next time a white RWBY fan gets uncomfortable at the racism in the White Fang plot, and reaches to a different civil rights conflict as a deflection tactic.

tldr- keep my country's history out of your mouth if you only care about using it to deflect blame on the catgirl racism subplot.

[creature-wizard]

Yep. And a lot of people probably didn't catch it back then, but a lot of Zeitgeist was just The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion with the serial numbers filed off.

A heads-up for any ex-Christian witches or any ex-Christians in general: this stuff about Jesus being "copied" from Horus or Christianity generally being "stolen" from paganism is pretty much all conspiracy theory and/or a gross oversimplification of actual history. If you want to learn more about Christianity's origins, I recommend Bart D. Ehrman's How Jesus Became God.

[talonabraxas]

Sirius Blue Star Gateway Talon Abraxas Sirius has many meanings:

Transition Stage - Moving consciousness from one reality - frequency - to another

Spirit of Wisdom - Zoroastrian translation Brightly Radiating One - Graeco-Egyptian Name Isis - Osiris - Sirius was granted God/Goddess status amongst many early peoples, including the Egyptians and Sumerians.

The dogons have described perfectly the DNA pattern made by this elliptical orbit created by the two stars as they rotate make around each other. They believe Sirius to be the axis of the universe, and from it all matter and all souls are produced in a great spiral motion.

Sirius is linked to the color BLUE. It is a blue-white star. Beings from Sirius were supposedly BLUE tinged. There is a relationship to royalty called 'BLUEbloods' as they are supposedly descending from a BLUE alien race.

Electricity...which is still part of the EM spectrum...when isolated (not lightning) is BLUE in color. BLUE is the frequency upon which we will move out of this experience.

There are many references to the color BLUE in prophecies. Creational myths end with something blue-white in the sky - light. An ancient Hopi Indian prophecy states, "When the Blue Star Kachina makes its appearance in the heavens, the Fifth World will emerge". The Hopi name for the star Sirius is Blue Star Kachina. Hopi Blue Star Prophecy. Hopi Prophecy speaks of Twin Kachinas - white and blue. Twin - Merging of Self - Twin Pyramids - DNA.

If the Dogons are correct - The Nommo Gods are 'Aquatic': BLUE Water - Came from Creation - the Collective Flow - FISH - Pisces - Creation - Christ Consciousness - return of Jesus? - - - Why is Krishna colored blue? "One of the theories is that Vishnu [God] is blue because his association with water, is depicted blue; therefore all his incarnations including Krishna, are shown as such."

Sirius - three stars - three-legged ship. Sacred Geometry - 3 into 1 - triad - triangle - pyramids.

These gods had wings - ascension.

The watchers - the gray aliens - within their eyes we see a computer that watches and monitors the game.

Beings from Sirius - I have been told by some of the top psychics on this planet that I originally came here from Sirius to seed this planet. I was humanoid - very tall - and had wings.

[mask131]

The Dionysos gallery (4)

We finally reach the end of this long Dionysos series - and after dissecting the myth of Dionysos, we reach the conclusion of this gallery, kindly offered by the French Museum of Wine (you can find it all here).

First, I will include there the various paintings I did not have enough space to add in previous post, two paintings coupled with an analysis section I will loosely translate.

Le Tintoret's Ariadne, Venus and Bacchus

The motif of the encounter between Bacchus and Ariadne (who had been abandonned by Theseus on the island of Naxos) and Bacchus' offer to the woman of her famous gold crown made by Vulcan (according to Ovid's Fasts), has been a strong recurring motif in paintings, explored by numerous artists.

"Liber" or "Liber Pater" was originally a fertility/fecundity god whose worship took place within the oldest era of Ancient Rome. By the 7th century BCE onward Liber was associated with wine, and as a result the Romans ended up assimilating him with Bacchus/Dionysos. "Liber" as such became a mere Latin translation of the terms "Dionysos" or "Bacchus" - "Pater" meanwhile kept its role of expressing respect and adoration towards a god.

Jan van Bijlert's The Feast of the Gods

This 1630 painting currently kept at the Magnin Museum (Dijon) asks a quite troubling question: is this pagan scene... secretly a Christian Last Supper?

We are on Olympus. The gods are gathered for a feast. On the left we see Minerva, Diana, Mars and Venus, with Cupid by their side and Flora behind them. At the center of the table, a crowned Apollo appears holding his lyre. To the right we can recognize Hercules thanks to his mace, and Neptune with his trident. Unfortunately several of the Olympians are missing due to the painting having been cut off: for example there is a peacock, but no side of Juno. The motif of the "feast of the gods" was very popular in Holland, ever since an engraving by Goltzius "The Wedding of Psyche and Love" (see below).

However, van Bijlert's painting can be read very differently. In the Netherlands, due to the appearance and domination of Protestantism, all pictures had been banished from the temples, putting an end to the religious painting. As such, it seems that this painting hides within it a Christian scene of the Last Supper. Apollo at the center has the same halo as the Christ usualy has, and the characters surrounding him are twelve in total like the Apostles. Now, while it is a very interesting theory, we should stay careful. As we said before, it seems the reason some of the gods are missing is because the painting was cut (a practice very common at the time) - again, there's this peacock that implies Juno used to be included. Second element: yes the Christ has a golden halo in painting to symbolize his role as the Lord of the Heavens, but long before that, the idea of a halo of light did belong to Apollo. The Greeks saw him as the "solar god" by excellence, since he was the power that ruled and organized all things, and the one that regulated spirits and intelligences (in fact, he was complementary of Dionysos since Apollo tamed, controlled and shaped the vital force and bursts of life embodied by Dionysos).

Bijlert lived in Rome in the beginning of the 1620s and we know that, just like many of his fellow painters, he was deeply impressed by the art of Caravaggio. However, the Italian painter's fame was dwindling by then - and by the 1630s his art had lost any influence over European paintings. In this decade, Bijlert focused his works on the new international trend, the classicism. Here the composition of the panting and the diurnal luminosity are purely classicist. However, the dancing satyr and the leaning Bacchus on the foreground belong to the "naturalism" of Caravaggio: ocre-colored flesh, close-ups on bodies in non-conventional positions...

(Here is Goltzius' engraving)

Second part of this post, extending from the analysis above: Christianized Dionysos! Because yes, you might be surprised to learn that the motif of Dionysos/Bacchus in classical painting was heavily Christianized or syncretized with Christian figures...

Leonardo da Vinci's Saint John the Baptist

This Saint John the Baptiste has what has been called a "pagan beauty", and this painting with a Tuscany imagery "renews the syncretism of the patron of Florence" - perhaps due to the passion for Antiquity the town had when the painting was created. Indeed, while saint John here holds a cross symbolizing the Passion of the Christ, he is dressed in a panther's skin, reminding of the cloak of Bacchus...

Leonardo da Vinci's atelier: Saint John the Baptist-Bacchus

Once again this painting shows the syncretism between the figure of saint John and the character of Dionysos. The painting was first recorded, in the royal archives, as "Saint John in the desert". However, at the end of the 17th century, perhaps due to a restoration of the painting, the name was changed to "Bacchus in a landscape". Here we have Christian symbols: a finger raised to the sky, a stag resting on the ground... But we also have Bacchic attribute: a thyrsus, grapes, a panther's skin, and a crown of what might be ivy or vine-leaves.

Caravaggio's Saint John the Baptist

Here again we have the attributes of Bacchus: the vine, of which Bacchus was the god, and a ram, an animal traditionally sacrificed for the deity. Historians of painting are agreeing that the reason the Caravaggio associated John the Baptiste with Bacchus was because it allowed him to depict the saint naked, and eroticized, very probably to reflect his own homosexuality.

Caravaggio's "Sick young Bacchus/ The ill little Bachus"

This panting of Caravaggio has been interpreted as a self-portrait in a Bacchus-Christ fusion that is very sexual. Here, Caravaggio offers himself to the libertine cardinals of Rome, in an erotic "communion" (remember, "eucharis", means "the good flesh"). The action of carrying to his lips golden grapes gorged with juice is very sensual. Crowned with ivy, dressed in an ancient toga (which reveals a muscular shoulder), he is holding green grapes to his chest, as if he was about to press them. It has been thought that there the Greek wine of Dionysos is a mask or assimilation for the wine of the Christian mass - the invitation is for always a greater feast and bigger celebration, the wine of the Christ "subliming" the wine of Bacchus, ultimately becoming the wine an "universal mass" beyond any religion or era.

Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo's "Self portrait as a crowned Bacchus"

This painting depicts Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo in his outfit of president (called an "abbot") of the Acacademia della Val di Blenio (Ticino) - Lomazzo had just been named to this function, as the inscription at the bottom of the picture reminds the viewer. The Academy gathered all the best artists of Milan - painters, sculptors, musicians... And it was placed under the protection and patronage of Bacchus, the god that relieves from sorrows and worries, the god that inspires joy, the god that stimulates the mind and the creation, the god that frees from bondage. As such, it explains why this self-portrait has Lomazzo as Bacchus. It was an answer to the many disasters of the era, as well as to the new austerity imposed by the figures of the Counter-Reform - such as Charles Borromée, who was the archbishop of Milan and a cardinal within the Catholic church.

The Bacchic references are numerous here. The hat is wrapped in a garland of laurel and vine, with a medallion depicting vine too. There is a thyrsus surrounded in ivy. And finally there is a goat-skin, reminding of how when he was a child Bacchus was turned into a "kid" (baby goat) to avoid Juno's wrath. The compass however within the man's hand is not a symbol of Bacchus. Held like a paint-brush, it is meant to symbolize how Lomazzo "leads" and "drives" his own career like a captain would pilot his ship.

[hashashafashasha]

HLAGE FINALE SPOILERS

Alright alright I know nobody cares but I wanted to put my thoughts down so I'd be able to say "I told you so" if I'm right which i'm probably not BUT

I think the reason the gnome had so much power of the real world is because Wayne broke the 4th wall so much while talking to him. In HLVRAI Wayne makes little to no mention of the world outside the game, it's mainly coomer that acknowledges the 4th wall, and so Benrey has no effect on the world outside the game. Maybe

ALSO I think there's someone behind this. At the beginning of the first HLVRAI stream I believe he says Valve themselves sent him the "experimental copy" of Half-life but in the description for the videos it says he "discovered" it, and in the description for HLAGE Episode 1 it says that Wayne was linked a workshop page for the gnome, and goes on to say that Gabe Newell himself told people not to mod the code of the Gnome Run due to the "Myth". This is a new edit since the finale released too, and due to it's insistence on nobody else EVER playing the true Gnome Run, I don't believe whoever linked this mod to Wayne was just some random hacker.

The intelligence of the gnome is another matter. One thing that Benrey and the Gnome have in common is that, as Wayne gets nearer to the end of the game they become more and more reluctant to continue. Benrey doesn't want to hurt Gordon, or at least part of him doesn't, and the Gnome insists that they need to stop and go back repeatedly in the final act of HLAGE, but once Wayne reaches the Peppa Pig Movie (jesus christ I love all this bullshit) the gnome's tone is quite different, obviously leading to Wayne getting Gnomified. But during the Gnome's musical number he yet again sings a different tune, so to speak. I believe the combine did take his memories of his and Gordon's time together. We see him warming up to Gordon and some real character growth in the final act, but once Wayne makes his way through the vault the Gnome seems to be back to his old, derogatory way of speaking. As for the musical number i'm not quite sure, but perhaps seeing gnomified wayne and being in wayne's shoes causes him to change his mind and remember what they had together.

The person creating these mods is still a mystery, but if we connect this to the greater RTVSCU there are a few options. Tucker, the creator of the I. M. MEEN disc for example (not sure about this bit) not only shows the skills that he would need to do something like this, given Meen's AI and the ending, and he would know where Wayne lives, making him an actual threat. Wayne also breaks the 4th wall numerous times during the stream, which supports my previous theory. Of course, that doesn't answer how Wayne escaped from The Shining painting at the end, but this part of the theory is flimsy so it's fine. The most powerful AI character we've ever seen however, is Homer. The fact that this man constantly gets kidnapped by fictional characters is amazing to me. I'd have to rewatch the Simpsons stream, but I believe this metric of power could be important.

TL;DR Wayne breaking the 4th wall may have effects on the power of the self aware AI, somebody has got to be behind the Half Life AI mods, and this could extend into the entire RTVSCU as a whole

[thottykunikida]

I have a theory, that if Fyodor is actually immortal, he may be a figure similar to the myth of Cartaphilus? Cartaphilus depending on which version of the myth you read was said to be a Roman soldier, an unknown Jewish man of varying employment, or an employee at Pontius Pilates estate.

He jeered and taunted Jesus Christ on the way of the cross and was then cursed with immortality and set to roam about the earth until the second coming of Christ, which could tie in to the whole Crime and punishment theme. Persecuting Christ as his crime and being cursed with immortality as his punishment?

This theory isn’t complete and there’s a lot of loose ends, but the way Fyodor is implied to be immortal without being a vampire reminded me of the myth.

I’ll try to expand on this theory later, since I still have to organize my thoughts on it!! lol